Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study

© 2005, 2009 William Mark Huey and J.K. McKee

first edition © 2003

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author(s).

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Published by TNN Press, a division of Outreach Israel Ministries

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Richardson, Texas 75081

(407) 933-2002

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originally produced by TNN Press 2009 in Kissimmee, Florida

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard, Updated Edition (NASU), © 1995, The Lockman Foundation.

Thus says the LORD,

“Stand by the ways and see

and ask for the ancient paths

where the good way is,

and walk in it;

and you will find rest

for your souls.”

Jeremiah 6:16

Table of Contents

Introduction

1 Why Should We Study Our Hebraic Roots?

2 The Importance of Studying the Torah

3 Why Do We Need the Torah?

4 What Happened at the Jerusalem Council?

5 Why Do We Observe the Seventh-Day Sabbath?

6 Why Do We Celebrate the Biblical Feasts?

7 Why Do We Eat Biblically Kosher?

8 How Do We Overcome the Hurdles to the Messianic Lifestyle?

9 What About the Name of God?

10 Are Israel and the Church Separate?

11 How Do We Approach the End-Times?

12 Where Are We? Where Are We Going?

Recommended Resources for Biblical Study

About the Authors

Bibliography

An Important Word From the Publisher:

TNN Press is pleased to offer you this eBook version of Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study. Please be aware that there are some formatting differences between this electronic edition for Amazon Kindle, and the printed edition. It is highly recommended that if you are interested in perusing this publication for research purposes, that you procure a hard copy available from TNN Press.

Footnotes have also been converted to chapter endnotes. These not only include important references to primary sources, but also will point to other books, commentaries, and articles produced by TNN Press, Outreach Israel Ministries, and TNN Online.

Abbreviation Chart and Special Terms

The following is a chart of abbreviations for reference works and special terms that are used in publications by TNN Press. Please familiarize yourself with them as the text may reference a Bible version, i.e., RSV for the Revised Standard Version, or a source such as TWOT for the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, solely by its abbreviation. Detailed listings of these sources are provided in the Bibliography.

Special terms unique to this publication that may be used have been provided in this chart:

ABD: Anchor Bible Dictionary

AMG: Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament, New Testament

Apostolic Scriptures/Writings: the New Testament

ATS: ArtScroll Tanach (1996)

b. Babylonian Talmud (Talmud Bavli)

B.C.E.: Before Common Era or B.C.

BDAG: A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich)

BDB: Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon

C.E.: Common Era or A.D.

CGEDNT: Concise Greek-English Dictionary of New Testament Words (Barclay M. Newman)

CHALOT: Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament

CJB: Complete Jewish Bible (1998)

EJ: Encyclopaedia Judaica

ESV: English Standard Version (2001)

GNT: Greek New Testament

Grk: Greek

HALOT: Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Koehler and Baumgartner)

Heb: Hebrew

IDB: Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible

ISBE: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

IVPBBC: IVP Bible Background Commentary (Old & New Testament)

KJV: King James Version

LITV: Literal Translation of the Holy Bible by Jay P. Green (1986)

LS: A Greek-English Lexicon (Liddell & Scott)

LXX: Septuagint

m. Mishnah

MT: Masoretic Text

NASB: New American Standard Bible (1977)

NASU: New American Standard Update (1995)

Nelson: Nelson’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament Words

NIDB: New International Dictionary of the Bible

NIV: New International Version (1984)

NJPS: Tanakh, A New Translation of the Holy Scriptures (1999)

NKJV: New King James Version (1982)

NRSV: New Revised Standard Version (1989)

NLT: New Living Translation (1996)

RSV: Revised Standard Version (1952)

Tanach (Tanakh): the Old Testament

Thayer: Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament

TDNT: Theological Dictionary of the New Testament

TNIV: Today’s New International Version (2005)

TWOT: Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament

UBSHNT: United Bible Societies’ 1991 Hebrew New Testament revised edition

v(s). verse(s)

Vine: Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

Vul: Latin Vulgate

WBC: Word Biblical Commentary

YLT: Young’s Literal Translation (1862/1898)

Preface to the Edited Edition

Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study has quickly become the most popular publication of TNN Press and Outreach Israel Ministries. Since its initial production, this workbook has been used by the Lord to present many people with an introduction to the Messianic movement and concepts such as Torah observance and Torah study. It has been used in group Bible studies, by small groups, and by individuals on their own who simply want to investigate what the Hebraic Roots of our Biblical faith are all about. The feedback we have received from others has been very encouraging, and has assisted with the production of other materials which address additional critical issues facing the Body of Messiah today.

Any good theological book takes into consideration the feedback of those who read and use it for teaching purposes. This new, updated edition of Hebraic Roots has built on the foundational information of the first edition, and has edited the material to make it more user-friendly for those in a Bible study setting, more outside references for those who prefer a scholastic approach to the issues at hand, and perhaps most importantly has taken into account the reality that this workbook may be the first exposure that some Christians, both clergy and laity alike, will have to the Messianic movement. This edited edition has been produced with the understanding that some people may hand it to a pastor or Sunday school teacher, who at the very least may be curious, but who also may be critical of Messianic things. As a result, some concepts in the book have been explained more thoroughly for Christian readers, while other concepts have been simplified.

By updating Hebraic Roots, it has also been brought to our attention that many of the people who are using this workbook are being used by our Heavenly Father to start Messianic home groups and fellowships, and these new Messianic teachers are unfamiliar with many of the resources and tools that are needed to perform an adequate job expositing on the Scriptures. For these people, and for the curious student who wants to learn more, we have added a short section of recommended research tools near the end of the book. We recognize that God can take a small Bible study and turn it into something more, and want to make sure that we have done our part in properly informing aspiring teachers and students of some of the things they need to accomplish their tasks well.

This updated edition of Hebraic Roots also considers the varied and diverse theological trends that have manifested themselves in the independent Messianic movement since its initial publication in 2003. Some of these trends are good, and some of them are not. A few of them are addressed directly or indirectly by us, either in the text or in some of the footnotes. This has been done because questions concerning these issues often do arise in a Bible study environment, or people that are just being exposed to the Messianic movement need to be aware of its theological diversity.

We are deeply indebted to each person who wrote us, commenting on the Hebraic Roots workbook, and how it helped them in their understanding of the Messianic movement. May this new edition reflect our desire to help others understand the material easily, but also thoroughly, as we all strive “to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Messiah” (Ephesians 4:13, RSV), and truly attempt to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the God of Israel.

J.K. McKee

Editor, TNN Online

Introduction

Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study has been written to be a primer for the emerging number of people who are being drawn to a more comprehensive grasp of the ancient roots of our Biblical faith. As a family that has been active in the Messianic movement since 1995, we came to the unanimous conclusion that a workbook on the subject was needed for the thousands that are being prompted into a pursuit and examination of the Hebraic Roots of the faith, and who want to truly live like those who love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. An introductory guide to the many issues we have encountered is now available to help the many who are new to this walk.

When our family was first led into the Messianic movement, we initially began fellowshipping at a Messianic Jewish congregation. There we were incredibly blessed by the Lord as the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) began to reveal a more Hebraic perspective on how we could worship, understand, and experience Him more fully. From the very start, we were like dry sponges soaking up the “living water” from the teaching that we were receiving.

We were non-Jewish Believers with only a cursory understanding of Judaism, and were being exposed to a style of worship that in many respects was foreign to what we had been accustomed to as standard, Church going, evangelical Christians. Within weeks, we found ourselves attending the Friday evening and Saturday morning worship services. We were exposed to a Torah scroll, Hebrew liturgy and music, and Davidic dance. We learned what “kosher” was, and how we were not to work on the Sabbath. We learned about the Biblical holidays or moedim.[i] Our understanding of what God expected of us was changing, and our weekly routine was being radically altered. For a season, we attended this Messianic congregation while still going to our non-denominational church on Sunday. But after a while we realized that we were not being spiritually fed at Church as we once had been, and that the Father wanted us in the Messianic movement.

One of the first things that really ministered to my wife and me was the worship music. Many times during praise and worship, tears would well up in our eyes as we sensed that we had finally “come home” after a long journey and were at long last where we were supposed to be. It did not matter that we did not fully understand it at the time. We found ourselves singing the Psalms and actual texts of Scripture put to music. Many of the lyrics were in English and Hebrew. We started to learn the language of the Patriarchs through the repetition of songs. Our spirits soared as we sensed a more profound connection with the ancient saints who had gone before us.

We were also introduced to the study of the Torah, or the five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch),[ii] on a weekly basis. We began to understand that reviewing the challenges of the Ancient Israelites in a systematic and consistent way enhanced our personal identification with them. After all, these were the forefathers of our faith, and what happened to them in the past adds great dimension and understanding to the whole of the Biblical narrative and our view of the entire Scriptures. It was logical for us to study their lives and analyze how they handled the circumstances of their respective walks. We believed we were finally receiving a long lost foundation to our faith that we had not received in mainstream Christianity, where our Scripture studies primarily focused on the Apostolic Writings (New Testament).

After a few months of attending this Messianic Jewish congregation on a regular basis, we were given the opportunity to become members. After praying about this, my wife and I concluded that the Lord wanted us to participate in the new members class, so we enrolled for the eight-week course. All of us in the new members class were given two books to read: Growing to Maturity by Daniel C. Juster and Our Hands Are Stained With Blood by Michael L. Brown.

As hungry Believers who wanted to become involved with this congregation, we read through the materials and faithfully attended the new members classes. We were learning so much about the Jewish Roots of our faith that we really did not have the time to thoroughly analyze all of the material being presented. Growing to Maturity, for example, was written primarily as a tool for training new Jewish Believers in the faith. For the most part, we found the book to be very enlightening on a number of subjects, but also found ourselves a bit separated. Michael Brown’s book was a lengthy exposition, as its subtitle suggests, of the “tragic story of the Church and the Jewish People.” As a family that valued history, this book helped fill in some of the gaps in our thinking about varied aspects of the historical Church. With these two books as our primers to understand the Messianic movement, we began our journey with a commitment to this Messianic Jewish congregation.

Both of these books did an admirable job of igniting our family’s interest in the Hebraic Roots of our faith. For the first time in our spiritual journey, we were beginning to look at the history of the faith through an Hebraic lens with a Torah foundation. As we progressed in those years, we were exposed to more resources that helped us search out the origins of our faith, and how the first Believers in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) actually lived. We spent a substantial amount of time analyzing the culture and times in which the First Century Disciples and Apostles lived, and how they approached their relationship with the God of Israel. We discovered some very basic things that had not necessarily been taught to us in Church settings.

For centuries, much of the teaching about the practices of the early followers of Yeshua had been altered because of the forces of history, and the transfer of the center of authority from Jerusalem to Rome in the early centuries of Christianity. With the Jewish revolt against Rome in 67 C.E. and subsequent destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 C.E., anti-Semitism arose in the Roman Empire. Over time, the early Jewish leadership of the ekklēsia[iii] died out and was replaced by non-Jews, many of whom had no understanding of Judaism, and were instead trained in Hellenistic or Greek philosophy. Interpretations of the writings of the Apostles were no longer rooted in the Tanach (Old Testament), but were often based in the reason and logic of Plato and Aristotle. These things gave ultimate rise to the Roman Catholic Church. Its overwhelming influence on Western Civilization significantly changed the ancient ways of the Jewish Apostles. When the Protestant Reformation arose in Europe, Catholicism had so dominated Christian thinking that the Reformers could only go so far in their pursuit of the truth, because they often had no understanding or background knowledge of the First Century Judaism in which Yeshua and His followers lived.

The Holy One in His sovereignty allowed the Protestant Reformers to alter the Catholic approach to the faith. Sola Scriptura (Scripture Only) and Sola Fide (Faith Alone) became battle cries for the faithful who were finally concluding that they could personally approach God for the forgiveness of their sins and justification without going through a priest. Men and women did not have to pay indulgences to receive salvation, as it was available freely through the sacrifice of Yeshua. But because the early Reformers were principally former Catholics, they could only do so much and there were limitations. There was still anti-Semitism in the Church, though reformed. It was obviously not the time for the final restoration back to the original practices of the First Century saints to occur.

Surprisingly, it was not until the Enlightenment of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries with the emancipation of Jews in Europe that reasonable Jewish-Christian dialogue would begin occurring for Christian theologians to start to understand what a rich heritage we have in Judaism. Hebraic studies, not only in the Hebrew language, but also in Rabbinics and in Jewish hermeneutics of examining the Scriptures, began being explored by Christians, and many now can truly see the Messiah for who He is in all of the pages of the Bible.

Today, after almost 500 years since the start of the Protestant Reformation, we see a new reformation taking place among followers of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It began with the rise of the Messianic Jewish movement in the mid-Twentieth Century. We are very grateful for the Messianic Jews that the Father has used in the past fifty years to take the faithful from the days of the Reformation to the prophesied end-time period of the “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21), attested to by Peter when the Holy Spirit was poured out on those assembled at Shavuot.[iv] This movement has expanded substantially to include more than just Jewish people.

Since the late 1960s, Messianic Jewish congregations have been responsible for much of what is happening today as the Messianic movement grows in significant numbers. They have been planted all over North America and the world, largely as outreaches to evangelize the Jewish community with the gospel. Many Jewish followers of the Messiah Yeshua have endured considerable persecution and have often been ostracized by their physical Jewish brethren because of their faith, and in spite of this they have remained constant.

However, even though Messianic Judaism began as an evangelical outreach of Jewish Believers to fellow Jews, today it is important to understand that many Messianic Jewish congregations now have an increasing number of non-Jewish Believers. Over the years, as Messianic Judaism has grown and matured, many changes have occurred. The demographic profile has changed, as non-Jewish Believers have been investigating their Hebraic Roots and entering into the Messianic community. At many Messianic Jewish congregations, the actual Jewish population of some of these congregations is less than twenty percent. In some extreme cases, there are only a mere handful of Jews.

Is this only a coincidence? Or is it a sign from the Holy One that He is indeed returning us all back to the faith practices of the original Disciples of Yeshua? Obviously, this occurrence begs many important questions that will be asked in the coming years, and examined in further studies. For the first time since the First Century, we are witnessing Jews and non-Jews coming together in the unity of the Messiah Yeshua and worshipping Him in a way that is reminiscent of the early Believers. This transformation is not without its issues, both spiritual and theological. But today, we are discovering many people who are hungry for more information about the Hebraic Roots of their faith, and they are not afraid to change. Are you one of these people?

In our years of pursuing the Holy One of Israel upon entering the Messianic community of faith, we had never come across a book that could be used for basic instruction about many of the areas of life that often take a radical course change as the Messianic lifestyle is embraced. We could never find a publication that laid out in simplistic terms to the Christian layman or simple enquirer what the Hebraic Roots of our faith are all about, and what is happening at the grassroots level among many Believers today. With Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study—we have been led to put to paper our thoughts about a variety of topics that will inevitably be considered as you begin your walk with the Messiah of Israel as a Messianic Believer.

Hebraic Roots has been compiled with elementary information about the Messianic movement. Those coming into this understanding and who follow this study have a basic primer for proper instruction. This workbook has been arranged as an easy 12-week study, which you can use in a Bible study setting with other people, or as a personal study for yourself. Some may prefer to go faster, others may prefer to go slower, but however you read the material and examine the Scriptures, you will be challenged. When you complete this study, we guarantee that you will have much to think and pray about!

This workbook examines a number of areas for study and discussion. It is designed to be a study guide that will prompt questions for personal reflection or group discussion. In this publication you will be given answers to the following questions:

•      Why should we study our Hebraic Roots?

•      Why do we need the Torah?

•      What happened at the Jerusalem Council?

•      Why do we observe the seventh-day Sabbath?

•      Why do we celebrate the Biblical festivals?

•      Why do we eat Biblically kosher?

•      How do we overcome the hurdles to the Messianic lifestyle?

•      What about the Name of God?

•      Are Israel and the Church separate?

•      How do we approach the end-times?

We trust that as these questions are fairly, and above all lovingly answered, that you will want to further embrace the Messianic lifestyle. We trust that you will recognize that you need to prepare yourself, your family, and in the process posterity, for the return of the Messiah Himself. The end-time saints will both believe in Yeshua, and be keeping the Father’s commandments (Revelation 12:17; 14:12).

We understand as a family that the narrow path toward a Messianic lifestyle has a number of challenges along the way. The departure from mainstream Christianity, and/or one’s Jewish brothers and sisters who do not believe in Yeshua, creates a number of roadblocks and stumbling stones. Many do not understand what this is all about. Given time and patience and longsuffering, and the study and examination that is required of all of us as Believers, if we are truly in the will of God and we demonstrate being transformed more and more into His likeness, those around us will have no choice but to ask: “Why?”

We remember how useful books have been in our pursuit of truth. Our prayer is that Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study will give you just enough information so that you will want more. You will discover that you are being drawn back to the origins of our faith. You will feel connected to Israel. You will begin to understand the greater blessings of knowing Yeshua as the Messiah of Israel and obeying His commandments.

William Mark Huey

Director, Outreach Israel Ministries

ENDNOTES FOR Introduction

[i] The Hebrew term moedim is translated variably as “appointed times” (NASU), “appointed feasts” (NIV), “fixed times” (NJPS), and “appointed festivals” (ATS). CHALOT defines the singular moed as “meeting assembly,” and “appointed time, fixed day,” indicating that it is used in the Tanach (Old Testament) for the “tent of meeting” where the elders of Israel met with the Lord (William L. Holladay, ed., [Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill, 1988], 186).

[ii] Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

[iii] The Greek word ekklēsia is most often rendered as “church” in our English Bibles, but more accurately means “congregation” or “assembly.” In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word qahal is frequently used for “convocation, assembly” (CHALOT, 314). Qahal usually “is translated as ekklēsia in the LXX” (Jack P. Lewis, “qāhāl,” in R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds., Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament [Chicago: Moody Press, 1980], 2:790), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Whenever the Apostolic writers use the word ekklēsia, they use it with the understanding that it is referring to the assembly of Israel, not a separate and disconnected “Church.”

[iv] The Hebrew word Shavuot literally means “weeks,” and is the last of the Spring festivals of Leviticus 23, where the Israelites were commanded to count seven weeks plus one day from Passover, and make special offerings and sacrifices to the Lord (vs. 16-22). According to Jewish tradition, Shavuot was the same time when Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. Most Christians know Shavuot by its Greek-derived name of Pentēkostē or “Pentecost,” meaning “fiftieth.”

-1-

Why Should We Study Our Hebraic Roots?

WMH

Around the world there is an incredible move of the Holy Spirit that has attracted many Believers desiring to grow in their relationship with God. It does not matter if you call this move of the Holy Spirit the Hebraic Roots movement or the Messianic movement or some other description. There is no doubt that increasing numbers of Believers in the Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), who worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are studying more and more about the Hebraic Roots of their faith. Something is happening among people as the Bible is being reexamined to dig for ancient truths that have often been overlooked by the masses of Christianity. Thousands are being encouraged to return to the foundations of our faith in the Tanach (Old Testament), and it is deepening their walk and commitment to the Lord.

Probably one of the first questions that comes to mind when one begins to pursue the Hebraic Roots of our faith is: Why should we study our Hebraic Roots? There are a number of excellent reasons to study the Hebraic Roots of our faith. In this chapter we address some of the obvious reasons, such as:

1. The Patriarchs or fathers of our faith were called Hebrews or Ivrim. Abraham was considered a “Hebrew” (Genesis 14:13). The other Patriarchs throughout the Scriptures are likewise referred to as Hebrews (Joseph, Moses, Jonah, David, Paul).[1] By understanding what it means to be a Hebrew, we will be better prepared to walk in a like manner spiritually.

2. Almost two thirds of the Bible, the Tanach or Old Testament, Genesis to Malachi, is written in Hebrew. The Holy One of Israel entrusted the oracles of God to the Jewish people (Romans 3:2). An understanding of Biblical Hebrew and the full definitions of Hebrew words is important to how we view the Scriptures and theology.

3. Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah of Israel, was Jewish and raised in a culture that was Torah observant, meaning that it adhered to the Law of Moses. Since we are being conformed to Yeshua’s image (Romans 8:29), we must understand how He was obedient to the Father’s commands.

4. The First Century Disciples and Apostles were Torah observant just like their Master. They walked in a manner consistent with Yeshua, and the Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament) reflect this walk.

5. The Apostle Paul, author of almost half of the New Testament, was a Pharisee and a Jewish scholar trained by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Paul’s personal theology and letters are deeply rooted in his Torah observance and Pharisaical training.

Our Spiritual Ancestors

When you begin to pursue the Hebraic Roots of your faith, one of the first things you discover is that the Biblical Patriarchs are often called “Hebrews” throughout the narrative text. From Abraham to Paul, the term “Hebrew” is used to describe these giants of the faith, and it should naturally lead one to want to understand just what it means to be a “Hebrew.” Abram, later renamed Abraham by God, was called the first Hebrew in the Book of Genesis: “Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew” (Genesis 14:3).

The word for “Hebrew” is Ivri. As B.J. Beitzel notes in ISBE, “It is suggested that ‘ibrî derives from the root ‘br, ‘cross over, go beyond.’”[2] BDB says that Ivri comes from the root word ever, meaning “one from beyond, from the other side,” “used to distinguish Isr[aelites] from foreigners,” or “from beyond the Jordan,”[3] which has generally come to mean “one who has crossed over.”

Abraham is considered the first Hebrew in the Bible. The Holy One called out to Abram to leave his own country, Ur, with his family. He had the faith to depart and cross over the Jordan River into Canaan. In the life of Abraham, we see him doing exactly this: he first had to cross over spiritually and follow a God whom he had never seen, abandoning the life of polytheism that his father Terah had followed (Joshua 24:2). He then had to cross over physically into the Promised Land that God promised to give both him and his descendants after him.[4]

Understanding that the Patriarch Abraham, the first Hebrew, had to leave a pagan environment in order to move toward the full worship and service of the One True God, and also cross into the Promised Land, is important for us to understand as Believers in the Messiah. For us as Believers, the term “Hebrew” and what it encompasses should bear witness with us spiritually as we all too have had to cross over. The Apostle Paul writes the Colossians, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (1:13). We have all had to make choices like Abraham did, crossing over when we made the decision to receive Yeshua into our lives and be cleansed from our sins, and the inevitable sacrifices we had to make as new, born again Believers, removing ourselves from the ways of the world and adopting the ways of God. By understanding the meaning of the term “Hebrew,” we realize that we are indeed crossing over from darkness into the light. The life of Abraham speaks to these critical concepts that many of us as Believers have often taken for granted:

“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).

We are all familiar with God’s promise of blessing Abraham, and the fact that his descendants are to bless all in the world. But did the Lord simply decide to bless Abraham because He just chose him randomly? Or is there something that we have been possibly missing? As the ArtScroll Chumash, an Orthodox Jewish commentary, notes, Abraham “was on one side of a moral and spiritual divide, and the rest of the world was on the other…Abraham and Sarah were now given the challenge of moving to the other side—not only of their native river, but of anyone who preferred not to acknowledge the sovereignty of God.”[5] Abraham, when leaving his previous land, country, and lifestyle, had to cross over the Euphrates River, and by doing so he made a critical spiritual choice. Genesis 12:6 says, “Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.”

From an Hebraic perspective, “to cross over” often means crossing over from death to life, or having to make a very important decision regarding one’s life and relationship to God. TWOT notes, “Moses used this phrase often to indicate how the hindrance or barrier was to be overcome by Israel, in realizing the fulfillment of the covenant promise concerning the land…The idea of passing over appears also…where Jacob crosses the river Euphrates as he begins his flight from Laban.”[6] Doing a word search on the verb avar, “pass over, by, through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take away, transgress” (TWOT),[7] the root for Ivri or “Hebrew,” will reveal some very important dimensions to the Scriptures and the God we serve.

Abraham is also considered the father of our faith. Studying his life and the life of his descendants is critical for understanding our own life of faith as Paul notes in Romans 4:16:

“For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”

The Patriarch Joseph, one of youngest sons of Israel, is directly referred to as a “Hebrew” in his encounter with Potiphar’s wife:

“[S]he called to the men of her household and said to them, ‘See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed’” (Genesis 39:14).

The Patriarch Moses, often considered to be the giver of the Law, is referred to as a “Hebrew”:

“Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren” (Exodus 2:11).

The future King David was a “Hebrew,” recognized as such by his prime antagonists, the Philistines:

“Then the commanders of the Philistines said, ‘What are these Hebrews doing here?’ And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, ‘Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?’” (1 Samuel 29:3).

Finally, the Apostle Paul, the emissary to the nations, refers to himself as a “Hebrew” in his letter to the Philippians:

“[C]ircumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee” (Philippians 3:5).

As a person begins to dig into our Hebraic Roots, he or she discovers that being a “Hebrew” is an integral part of the walk of faith that all followers of the God of Israel have been undertaking. All have had to “cross over” and make difficult decisions and choices. All have had to turn their backs on what they have known, or felt comfortable with, and walk into an unknown frontier. All have had to make sacrifices and have faith in the Lord that He has their best interests in mind.

The Hebrew Language, Culture, and Mindset

Once a Believer has become consciously aware that his spiritual ancestors are Hebrews, and in fact that he can identify with them and their struggles rather easily, the spiritually hungry person often turns to the subject of the Hebrew language, wanting to conduct more word studies and to understand the voluminous depth of the original text of almost two-thirds of Scripture. Most Believers recognize that the Tanach or “Old Testament” was written in Hebrew,[8] but that is about all the knowledge they have on the subject. More information is needed for you to begin to understand the complexities of the Hebrew Bible and the significance that it entails.

An alternative term that is often used, rather than the term “Old Testament” in reference to the Hebrew Bible, is Tanach (or Tanakh). This is a Jewish acronym for Torah/Law, Nevi’im/Prophets, and Ketuvim/Writings. These divisions were identified by Yeshua and were in existence in His day (Luke 24:44).[9] The traditional Jewish book order of the Hebrew Tanach differs from that of the “Christian Old Testament,” which comes from the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible,[10] but they are the same books. Also, if you use a Jewish translation of the Tanach, its verse order is slightly different than in Christian versions, even though in most cases the verse deviation is often different by only a few verses.

The following is a list of the Hebrew names of the books of the Tanach in order:

TORAH—THE LAW

Bereisheet / Genesis

Shemot / Exodus

Vayikra / Leviticus

Bamidbar / Numbers

Devarim / Deuteronomy

NEVI’IM—THE PROPHETS

Yehoshua / Joshua

Shoftim / Judges

1 & 2 Sh’muel / Samuel

Sh’muel Alef / 1 Samuel

Sh’muel Bet / 2 Samuel

1 & 2 Melachim / Kings

Melachim Alef / 1 Kings

Melachim Bet / 2 Kings

Yeshayahu / Isaiah

Yirmayahu / Jeremiah

Yechezkel / Ezekiel

Hoshea / Hosea

Yoel / Joel

A’mos / Amos

Ovadyah / Obadiah

Yonah / Jonah

Mikhah / Micah

Nachum / Nahum

Chavakuk / Habakkuk

Tzefanyah / Zephaniah

Chaggai / Haggai

Zekaryah / Zechariah

Malakhi / Malachi

KETUVIM—THE WRITINGS

Tehellim / Psalms

Mishlei / Proverbs

Iyov / Job

Shir HaShirim / Song of Songs

Rut / Ruth

Eikah / Lamentations

Qohelet / Ecclesiastes

Ester / Esther

Dani’el / Daniel

Ezra

Nechemyah / Nehemiah

1 & 2 Divrei-HaYamim / Chronicles

Divrei-HaYamim Alef /1 Chronicles

Divrei-HaYamim Bet / 2 Chronicles

As you ponder these new terms and structure of the Old Testament, you might be reminded that the Holy One specifically gave His Word to different members of Israel, who in turn were responsible for bringing it to the world. The First Century martyr Stephen specifies Moses as the recipient and principal compiler of the words of the Most High in the Torah:

“This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN’ [Deuteronomy 18:15, 18]. This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you” (Acts 7:37-38).

Over the centuries the remnant of Israel did its best to preserve these writings, often in spite of being a cloistered community in danger. The Apostle Paul reminds the Roman Believers that the oracles of God were entrusted to the Jewish people, because God knew that they would be able to endure the trials that He would have them face:

“Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1-2).

The Jewish people, the recognizable remnant of Israel, have been faithful to their calling in spite of the division of Israel into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, their dispersion to Babylon, and the subsequent occupation of the Land of Israel by the Greeks and Romans. Their language was Hebrew, and their culture had maintained its distinctiveness even during the seventy years of Babylonian captivity. Even though Israel was divided and dispersed, God has always had a remnant that He could call “Israel.” Of course, things did change when Yeshua the Messiah entered the scene in the First Century, and the story of His redemption went beyond this small remnant to the entire world, but God did not cast them aside.

For millennia, the descendants of Adam passed the revelation of the Creator God from generation to generation orally. The written record of the Creation, Garden of Eden, Noah and the Flood, the Tower of Babel, and the trials and tribulations of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was first officially compiled by Moses. This written record constitutes most of the Book of Genesis. The Book of Exodus describes the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt at the hands of Pharaoh, their deliverance into freedom by God, and their establishment as a nation. Leviticus and Numbers describe the challenges that Ancient Israel faces on their journey through the wilderness, and the laws that the Lord gives them to make them a holy people. Deuteronomy repeats the story of the Israelites’ deliverance by God, and the blessings that He promises to give them as they enter into the Promised Land if they obey Him.[11]

It is important to note that the Hebrew language employed in Scripture is very action oriented. One of the best examples of this comes from the Shema, or the watchword of our faith:

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).

While many people examining these verses may conclude that the command here is only to “hear,” the Hebrew reveals much more. The verb shama, used throughout the Hebrew Bible, has a variety of definitions, including: “hear of, concerning,” “hear with attention, interest, listen to,” “listen, give heed,” “listen to, yield to,” and “be regarded, obeyed” (BDB),[12] obviously contingent on context. All too frequently, we as Believers consider “hearing God” to just “hear Him,” but this is not entirely the case. When we hear what the Holy One tells us, we are to likewise obey—we are to act. The Shema finishes with this clear admonition:

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9).

As you can see from this text, God is very expressive and wants us to demonstrate our devotion to Him by our actions. It is always beneficial to perform word studies, and survey how words are used in the context of a passage. When you study the Hebraic Roots of our faith, it is important to understand that when you read the English translation of Hebrew words, the meanings often change because of the actions involved. An English translator has to choose a particular rendering for the English translation to flow properly. For those who desire a greater depth of understanding, the study of the Hebrew language itself is very beneficial, because of the wide array of definitions for words available, and the theological significance that they often have in multiple texts.

Hebraic culture itself is widely centered around the Torah or the Law of Moses, commonly called the Pentateuch. In Judaism today, the Torah sits at the forefront of all other writings. As Warren Zev Harvey notes in EJ, “In rabbinic literature, it was taught that the Torah was one of the six or seven things created prior to the creation of the world (Gen. R. 1:4; Pes. 54a, et al.). Of these preexistent things, it was said that only the Torah and the throne of glory were actually created, while the others were only conceived, and that the Torah preceded the throne of glory (Gen. R. 1:4).”[13] Whether you agree with these remarks or not, it indicates how important the Torah is viewed in the minds of many Jews. Since Moses compiled these texts, the inheritors of these writings have considered them the most sacred of the entire Scriptures. Moses had a very special relationship with the Holy One of Israel, unlike any other human being who has ever lived:

“Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:9-11a).

From a number of different references in the Tanach, we are told that the public reading of the Torah or Law was required, or at least encouraged, by various leaders throughout the history of Israel. It was a requirement that it be read every seven years at the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot:

“So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. Then Moses commanded them, saying, ‘At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess’” (Deuteronomy 31:9-13).[14]

Joshua read from the Torah to the Israelites after crossing over the Jordan. Joshua was likely the author of the final few words of the Torah which speak of Moses’ death:[15]

“Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them” (Joshua 8:34-35).

King Josiah himself actually read from the Torah to the people and elicited a vow of allegiance to the words of Moses, when a scroll of Deuteronomy was uncovered in the Temple after having been lost:

“Then the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant” (2 Kings 23:1-3).

Ezra the Priest reads from the Torah to the Israelites who returned with him from Babylon:

“And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel. Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law…Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen!’ while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground” (Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6).

From these few examples, you can see that reading the Torah of Moses, publicly, was quite important for the community of Ancient Israel. Following the Babylonian exile, the Jewish Rabbis developed a yearly cycle to study the Torah faithfully. The concept of Torah study consequently became an integral part of Jewish culture. The local synagogue, much like the local church is for many Christians, is the focal point of the Jewish community. Like a hub on a wheel, everything in a Jew’s life seems to focus on the activities associated with the synagogue or place of worship.

Even with all of the theological differences that developed over the centuries within Judaism in the years prior to the Messiah’s First Coming, the study of the Torah was critical for establishing and maintaining the Hebrew culture. Different methods for reading the Torah were established among the Jewish community. EJ comments that “The triennial cycle was practiced in Palestine and in Egypt as late as 1170 C.E., whereas in Babylonia the reading of the Pentateuch was completed in one year, from Tishri to Tishri. The latter became the accepted traditional custom the world over (Meg. 29b; Maim. Yad, Tefillah, 13:1).”[16]

There is some variance in Judaism today. As the same entry in EJ notes, “In traditional synagogues, the Pentateuch is read in one year. Reform Judaism (and some Conservative synagogues) has, however, reverted to the ancient Palestinian custom of a triennial cycle. It was done in response to the spiritual need of the congregants most of whom do not understand Hebrew, and consequently, cannot follow—with proper attention—the lengthy reading in Hebrew of the entire weekly sidrah. The weekly reading was shortened to approximately one third. In order that the portion should not be different from that read in traditional synagogues, the first part of each weekly sidrah is read in the first year, the second in the next and the third in the last year of this triennial cycle.”[17]

This variance is determined by the needs of the congregation, and is also present in the Messianic movement today among Believers who study the Torah. In spite of the different reading patterns of studying the Torah, the majority of Messianic congregations follow a one-year cycle, as many new people who are unfamiliar to the Torah enter in. Others find it more useful to use a three-year cycle, but again, this is always a result of the spiritual needs of the local body.[18]

Our Jewish brethren who have been following a systematic pattern of Torah study have some advantages in their relationship with the Holy One of Israel. Many of them have been attempting to conform their lives to what it says the servant of God is supposed to do. The one critical component that they have been missing is a Divine Savior who can redeem them from their sins. Conversely to this, there are many Christians who know that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah, but often have no way of understanding who He is from the Torah, and may not be able to recognize Him from the Hebrew Scriptures. This is contrary to Philip’s words to Nathanael, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Yeshua of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). Yeshua Himself said to the Disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44).

The “Torah” made Flesh

As born again Believers, we know that one of the goals of the separated life we are called to live is to be conformed to the image of the Messiah Yeshua. We are to live like Him and emulate Him in our daily lives. The Apostle John says that Yeshua is the Word made flesh:

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

If you understand the basic fact that we are being conformed into the image of the Messiah of Israel (Romans 8:29), then it is logical that we would do the things that Yeshua did during His lifetime on Earth. When you search the accounts from the Scriptures, you will discover that He was perfectly Torah obedient. Yeshua kept the Father’s commandments (John 14:21; 15:10). Yeshua had to follow the Torah perfectly and without fault, or without sin, in order to be the sacrifice for our sins.

When you examine the Messiah’s infancy and childhood, God the Father chose a Torah obedient Jewish family in Joseph and Mary to raise His Son. The patterns of Torah obedience were modeled to Yeshua by His Earthly parents. They circumcised Him on the eighth day, beginning His time on Earth by adhering to the commandment to dedicate Him before the Lord:

“And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Yeshua, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD’)…When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth” (Luke 2:21-23, 39; cf. Exodus 13:2, 12; Numbers 3:13; 8:17).

Later on Yeshua grew in wisdom and stature. At the age of twelve when He went with Mary and Joseph to keep the Passover in Jerusalem, the teachers sitting around the Temple complex recognized that He had wisdom:

“Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Yeshua stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day's journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:41-47).

The Scripture says that “all those hearing Him were amazed at His intelligence and His answers” (LITV). He was demonstrating this wisdom to the “teachers” or “rabbis” (CJB) gathered there. While the Greek word didaskalos does mean “teacher,” it is often used in conjunction with the word rabbi in the Apostolic Scriptures. John 1:38 records two disciples asking Yeshua, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” As TDNT notes, “The addressing of Jesus as didáskalos shows that outwardly he fits the picture of a rabbinic teacher.”[19] When the Scripture says that Yeshua was discussing matters with the teachers—what He was actually doing in all likelihood was discussing the Torah with them. He was, in contemporary terminology, debating theology with them. After all, Yeshua Himself was our Rabbi!

From these and other references you will discover that Yeshua not only taught from the Torah, but likewise fulfilled all of its requirements. In order to fully understand this when reading the Gospels, the challenge is that you must have a strong foundation in the Torah in order to see it practiced in the narratives of the Messiah’s Earthly life.

Torah Observant Apostles

In a like manner after their Master, the First Century Disciples and Apostles of Yeshua were also Torah observant. Each of the writers of the New Testament was a follower of the Torah or Law of Moses. If they were not Torah observant, then they could not have been considered disciples or talmidim, taught ones, of their Rabbi. They would not have been following the example that He laid out for them, as a good rabbi in First Century Judaism was considered good by the exemplary conduct of his students.

A classic example of the obedience of Yeshua’s Disciples to the Torah is when they all gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover (Pesach) just prior to His crucifixion (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22). All of them participated in what is commonly called the Last Supper. After the events of the Passover, the resurrected Yeshua then taught them for forty days prior to His ascension. Then they waited as instructed in Jerusalem for Shavuot, or what is traditionally called Pentecost (Acts 2:1).

Many examples describe how the Apostles and the First Century Believers continued to follow the Torah. The adherence of the early Jewish Believers to the Law of Moses created some of the first controversies that are described in the Book of Acts. James the Just attested to Paul in Acts 21:20, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law.” The Jewish Believers, once saved, did not all of a sudden become “Christians” as we know them today, casting aside their Jewishness that was embodied in the Torah.

One issue that arose was what the leaders of this new sect would do with non-Jews coming to faith in the Messiah. Were they supposed to follow the Torah as well? Was it required for their salvation? Was it required for their training and discipleship? Did they have to follow it at all? These questions still permeate the Messianic movement today.

Paul: a Torah Observant Apostle

One of the principal writers of the Messianic Scriptures, Paul the Apostle, was also a Torah observant follower of the Messiah. As Paul himself attests in Acts 22:3, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.” Paul’s credentials as a Rabbi and student of Gamaliel are well-founded statements regarding his Torah obedience. Gamaliel was so highly valued in First Century Judaism that the Talmud says of him, “Our Rabbis taught: From the days of Moses up to Rabban Gamaliel, the Torah was learnt only standing. When Rabban Gamaliel died, feebleness descended on the world, and they learnt the Torah sitting; and so we have learnt that ‘from the time that Rabban Gamaliel died, [full] honour ceased to be paid to the Torah’” (b.Megillah 21a).[20] Paul proclaimed before the Sanhedrin, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees” (Acts 23:6), identifying with them theologically on the issue of the resurrection.[21] A statement such as this could only be made if Paul considered himself Torah observant, meaning that the Law of Moses maintained some level of relevance for him.

If you read his résumé, you will discover that a number of times Paul’s Torah obedience is described. Paul writes in Philippians 3:5 that he was “circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee.” Even though he articulately argued the Biblical realities of justification through faith and salvation free from any human works in his writings (Ephesians 2:8-9), there are times when he was compelled to show his peers that he had not given up the practices of the Torah. One of the most obvious came when he paid for a Nazirite vow during his return to Jerusalem:

“Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law” (Acts 21:23-24; cf. Numbers 6:13-21).

There are many other times throughout the writings of Paul where it is very clear that he was a Torah observant Jew. In order to more fully understand the writings of Paul, we all need to have a more comprehensive understanding of the Torah. It is imperative that when reading his letters, we understand their First Century Jewish context, and the fact that when he seems to be arguing against the Torah, he is actually arguing against its improper usage to those who have abused it, regarding the new, non-Jewish Believers, who are maturing in their faith. We also must keep in mind how the early followers of the Way (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22) fit in among the diversity of First Century Judaism.

Why should we study our Hebraic Roots?

Having a comprehensive understanding of the Hebraic Roots of our faith is critical for Believers to have a mature and sound spiritual life. We have looked at the ancestral fathers of the faith. We have considered Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and other key figures in the history of Israel. We know that each considered themselves a Hebrew. Their lives and experiences speak much to our spiritual condition today.

•      We have just discovered how critical it is to recognize the Hebrew language and the nuances of studying it, since it is the language of the Tanach (Old Testament).

•      We have found out that the Messiah Yeshua was raised in a Torah observant environment, and obviously was Torah obedient without fault in order to become the blameless sacrifice for the sins of humanity.

•      We found out that the Apostles were also Torah observant, and that their writings reflect their obedience to the Torah within the First Century Judaism in which they were a part.

Now we look forward to delving deeper into understanding additional aspects of the Hebraic Roots of our faith. What aspects of your faith in Yeshua will be enlightened to perspectives that you have possibly not considered? What aspects of your present belief system will be challenged? Are you eager to learn more and submit yourself to the authority of God’s Word?

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 1

[1]  Joseph: Genesis 39:14, 17; 41:12; Moses: Exodus 2:7, 11; Jonah: Jonah 1:9; David: 1 Samuel 29:3; Paul: 2 Corinthians 11:22; Philippians 3:5.

[2] B.J. Beitzel, “Hebrew (people),” in Geoffrey W. Bromiley, ed. et. al., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 4 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 2:657.

[3] Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1979), 720.

[4] The Jewish translators of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Tanach produced approximately three centuries before Yeshua, for the most part rendered the Hebrew Ivri by the transliteration Hebraios. A notable exception is Genesis 14:13 where Avram haIvri is rendered as Abram tō peratē, literally translated as “Abram the wanderer,” indicative of his crossing a foreign boundary.

[5] Nosson Scherman, ed., et al, The ArtScroll Chumash, Stone Edition, 5th ed. (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2000), 12.

[6] Carl Schultz, “'br” in TWOT, 2:641.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Note that a few parts of the Tanach or Old Testament were written in Aramaic, a Semitic relative of Hebrew and a widely used ancient language in Ancient Babylon and Persia. Jews who returned to the Land of Israel from the Babylonian exile either spoke Aramaic, or integrated many Aramaic words into their existing Hebrew vocabulary.

[9] The Apocryphal Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), compiled in approximately 180 B.C.E., likewise identifies the tripartite division of the Hebrew canon: “On the other hand he who devotes himself to the study of the law of the Most High will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients, and will be concerned with prophecies” (Sirach 39:1, RSV). As the New Interpreter’s Study Bible notes, “The threefold division of the Bible is alluded to here: the Law (38:34), Wisdom, and the Prophets (39:1)” (Dianne Bergant, “Sirach,” in Walter J. Harrelson, ed., et. al., New Interpreter’s Study Bible, NRSV [Nashville: Abingdon, 2003], 1500). This attests that it was in existence a minimum of two centuries before Yeshua’s time. It was not until after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. and with the formation of Rabbinical Judaism that the order of the Hebrew canon reached its present form.

[10] The Greek Septuagint (LXX) was a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible produced approximately three centuries before the Messiah. By the First Century, it was widely disseminated in the eastern Mediterranean basin, and it was the Scripture primarily used in Jewish synagogues in Greek-speaking lands. It helped prepare many non-Jewish Greeks and Romans for hearing the gospel, as they would have been able to read about the God of Israel from it. Rather than following the order of Law, Prophets, and Writings, the LXX was divided into: Pentateuch (Law), Histories, Poetical/Wisdom Books, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets.

[11] Consult the workbooks A Survey of the Tanach for the Practical Messianic and A Survey of the Apostolic Scriptures for the Practical Messianic by J.K. McKee, for information relating to the composition of the Torah and other books of the Bible.

[12] BDB, pp 1033-1034.

Shama can mean “‘to obey,’ as in Ex 24:7; Isa 42:24 ‘obey his law’; Neh 9:16, ‘They did not obey Thy commandments’; and Jer 35:18, ‘You have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab’” (Hermann J. Austel, “shm',” in TWOT, 2:938).

[13] Warren Zev Harvey, “Torah, Origin and Preexistence,” in Encyclopaedia Judaica. MS Windows 9x. Brooklyn: Judaica Multimedia (Israel) Ltd, 1997.

[14] Note that within Judaism there is a debate as to what the reference to haTorah in Deuteronomy 31:11, 12, “this Torah” (ATS) or “this Teaching” (NJPS), actually means. Some view it only as a reference to the Book of Deuteronomy, while others believe it is the entire Torah.

[15] Among liberal theologians, there is the belief that Moses could not have written or compiled the Torah because it speaks of his own death. While some, in response, believe that Moses as a prophet could have prophesied this, it is doubtful. Instead, “Such scholars as R.D. Wilson, Merrill Unger, Douglas Young, R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., and R.K. Harrison easily accept that the final chapter of Deuteronomy was likely appended by Joshua or someone else in Moses’ inner circle. This, in fact, supports the view of the continuity of the writing prophets, a theory that each successor prophet writes the last chapter of his predecessor’s book. The addition of a chapter on Moses’ funeral by another prophet is in accordance with the custom of the day in no sense takes away from the belief that Moses was the author of everything up to that final chapter” (“Pentateuch, Mosaic Authorship of,” in Norman L. Geisler, ed., Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999], 587).

[16] Editorial Staff Encyclopaedia Judaica, “Triennial Cycle,” in EJ.

[17] Ibid.

[18] The Torah cycle, with appropriate dates for the weekly readings, are available online at the Outreach Israel Ministries website (www.outreachisrael.net).

[19] R.H. Rengstorf, “didáskalos,” in Geoffrey W. Bromiley, ed., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abrid. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985), 164.

[20] The Soncino Talmud. Judaic Classics Library II. MS Windows 3.1. Brooklyn: Institute for Computers in Jewish Life, 1996. CD-ROM.

[21] The Greek text of Acts 23:6 records Paul as saying egō Pharisaios eimi, literally, “I {myself} a Pharisee am,” appearing in the present active indicative tense.

CHAPTER 1 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Explain some of the reasons why Believers should study their Hebraic Roots.

2. What does being a Hebrew or Ivri mean? What are some spiritual applications of it?

3. In what context were the Patriarchs “Hebrews”? What did Biblical characters such as Abraham, Moses, and David do to make them “Hebrews”?

4. Explain some of the similarities and differences between the Jewish book and verse order of the Tanach, versus that of the Christian Old Testament. Do you think these are significant? Why or why not?

5. Explain how Hebrew is an action-oriented language. Look up several passages in the Tanach and how they reflect our relationship to God.

6. Using the examples discussed in the chapter, how reverent were the people when the Torah was read publicly? What are some applications that can be drawn?

7. Have you ever been taught in your denominational tradition that Yeshua (Jesus) was a Torah observant Jew, or that He at least followed some of the Old Testament commands? How might this change your perception of what you have been taught in the past?

8. Have you ever been taught that the Disciples and Apostles were Torah observant, First Century Jews? How might this change your perception of what you have been taught in the past? What challenges does it present to you reading the Book of Acts and the inclusion of non-Jews in the early congregations of Believers?

9. Using the examples given in the chapter, why do you think so many people believe that the Apostle Paul opposed the Torah? What challenges relating to Paul’s letters do you foresee when reading them?

10. How do you think that studying the Hebraic Roots of the faith will change various aspects of your spiritual walk?

-2-

The Importance of Studying the Torah

WMH

Perhaps the most life-changing trend present today in the Messianic movement is the return of many Believers to the foundations of our faith. This is best exemplified by many individuals studying the Torah. In our examination of the Hebraic Roots of the faith, “the Torah” refers to the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, also commonly called the Law of Moses.

The return to the Hebraic Roots, or Ancient Paths of our faith, is taking place in direct fulfillment of some major end-time prophecies. The Prophet Malachi admonishes us, “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel” (Malachi 4:4). Moses himself prophesies in Deuteronomy 30:1-2, “So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons.” In the Last Days, God’s people are going to return to following the totality of His Instruction.

This restoration will be evident because the end-time saints are known by two critical characteristics: (1) they will have the testimony of knowing Yeshua the Messiah as their Lord and Savior, and (2) they will obey God’s commandments (Revelation 12:17; 14:12). Our Heavenly Father is preparing a people who will have certain attributes present prior to the return of His Son. We believe that the study of the Torah is a crucial part of this preparation process. This importance should not be overlooked, because for the first time since that of the Apostles, we are witnessing that a significant number of non-Jewish Believers, as opposed to just Jewish Believers, are learning the basics of Torah observance and practicing them.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has a plan for His Creation and a plan for the people He has chosen to represent Himself among the nations. According to the Scriptures, Israel has been called to be a “kingdom of priests” and “a holy nation.” The Lord says in Exodus 19:5-6, “‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” This concept is not something new for us as Believers in Yeshua. It is reemphasized by the Apostle Peter, who writes, “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, a royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).[1] Of course, the challenge for many Believers over the centuries since these words were written is how they are to be practiced in the world.

The challenging if/then proposition by the Most High in the Book of Exodus is given after the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt. Moses makes a definitive statement about how Israel will become God’s beloved treasure of all peoples. But did you also notice that there was a requirement placed upon the people of Israel in order to achieve the status as a people for His own possession? They were to obey to obey His voice and keep His covenant that He has made with them. There was a responsibility placed upon Israel in order to achieve its chosen position among the nations. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses gives Israel additional instruction on how to achieve the goals of listening to and obeying the Lord:

“See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today? Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children’” (Deuteronomy 4:5-10).

In order to achieve and maintain their position as the chosen nation of priests, Moses tells the Israelites that they are to “Observe them faithfully” (v. 6, NJPS), meaning that they are to “carefully” (NIV) observe the commandments that God gave them. Likewise, they are to “Teach them to your children and to their children after them,” and in turn their children “may teach them to their children” (vs. 9, 10, NIV). The instructions given by God to His people were to be taught to the generations after, and they were also to be “your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes” (v. 6). By following God’s commandments, Ancient Israel would be blessed by Him, and hence their neighbors would see their being blessed and be in awe of them. As the Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament notes on Deuteronomy 4:1, 6,

“The Israelites were to hearken to the laws and rights which Moses taught to do (that they were to do), that they might live and attain to the possession of the land which the Lord would give them. ‘Hearkening’ involves laying to heart and observing….Keeping and doing them were to be the wisdom and understanding of Israel in the eyes of the nations….History has confirmed this. Not only did the wisdom of a Solomon astonish the queen of Sheba (1Ki 10:4.), but the divine truth which Israel possessed in the law of Moses attracted all the more earnest minds of the heathen world to seek the satisfaction of the inmost necessities of their heart and the salvation of their souls in Israel's knowledge of God.”[2]

Of course, as human nature demands, it takes a substantial effort to maintain a remembrance of the Torah. Unfortunately as we know from Biblical history, the Ancient Israelites did not always follow what they committed to do at the base of Mount Sinai. In spite of periods of faithful obedience to God, there were also periods of significant disobedience. Even upon entering the Promised Land there was a time when “every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). Even though God gave Israel powerful kings like David and Solomon, who followed and obeyed Him the best they could, there was still difficulty. For almost a thousand years after entering the Promised Land, random attention was often paid to the Torah.

During the reign of King Josiah (640-609 B.C.E.), a scroll of Deuteronomy was discovered in the Temple complex and a revival of reading the teachings of Moses began (2 Kings 22:1-23:28; 2 Chronicles 34:1-35:27).[3] For the first time in over five-hundred years the Passover was celebrated (2 Kings 22:21-23; 2 Chronicles 35:1-19). An interest in studying the words of Moses began in earnest:

“The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 23:2; cf. 2 Chronicles 34:20).

Ironically, this return to the Torah occurred about fifty years before the Southern Kingdom of Judah was taken into the Babylonian Captivity (586-516 B.C.E.). A Psalmist records that the yearning for the things of Zion did not leave the Jews during their captivity:

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and our tormentors mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’ How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill” (Psalm 135:1-5).

There is evidence from the testimonies of Ezra and Nehemiah that those who returned to Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon came back with a desire to learn the Torah and obey its commandments:

“For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).

“And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel. Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law” (Nehemiah 8:1-3).

In due time, a system of study was established by the Rabbinical authorities who followed in the footsteps of Ezra, Nehemiah, and the returning Levites. Louis Jacobs remarks in EJ on how the present Torah cycle followed today came about:

“The practice of reading the Pentateuch (Torah) in public is undoubtedly ancient. The sources, however, do not permit the definite tracing of the historical development of the custom. The command to assemble the people at the end of every seven years to read the law ‘in their hearing’ (Deut. 31:10–13) is the earliest reference to a public Torah reading. A second mention is made in the time of Ezra when he read the Torah to all the people, both men and women, from early morning until midday, on the first day of the seventh month (Neh. 8:1–8). These two occasions are isolated instances, and do not help to establish when the custom of regular Torah readings arose…. Moses' command that the Israelites should read the Torah on the Sabbath, on festivals, and on new moons, and Ezra's that it should be read on Mondays, on Thursdays, and on Sabbath afternoons (TJ, Meg. 4:1, 75a; BK 82a) are not historical statements in themselves; they point, however, to an early date for the introduction of regular readings…. The passage in the Babylonian Talmud (Meg. 29b) is the earliest reference to a fixed cycle of consecutive readings. It states that ‘in the West’ (Palestine), they completed the reading of the Torah in three years….In Babylon and other communities outside Palestine, an annual cycle was followed according to which the Pentateuch was divided into 54 sedarim (sing. sidrah, i.e., parashah). This became the universal Jewish practice, except for certain isolated instances. In Palestine, the triennial cycle was also superseded by the annual, possibly under the influence of Babylonian immigrants.”[4]

Following the Babylonian exile, Jews who returned developed varying traditions for studying the Torah on a consistent basis. Studying the Torah was considered extremely important by those returning from the Babylonian exile, because disobedience to it caused the Divine punishment. This is reflected in the final admonitions given by the Prophet Malachi, who lived approximately one-hundred years after the first exiles returned, who referred to the critical need to follow it:

“Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel” (Malachi 4:4).

By the time of the Apostles, the study of the Torah was commonplace among the Jews, both those living in the Land of Israel and those in the Diaspora. The First Century historian Josephus attests in his book Against Apion that the Jews were permitted “to leave off their other employments, and to assemble together for the hearing of the law, and learning it exactly, and this not once or twice, or oftener, but every week; which thing all the other legislators seem to have neglected” (2.175).[5] The Jewish philosopher Philo, who lived in Alexandria and was contemporary to Yeshua and Paul, says in On Dreams, “And would you still sit down in your synagogues, collecting your ordinary assemblies, and reading your sacred volumes in security, and explaining whatever is not quite clear, and devoting all your time and leisure with long discussions to the philosophy of your ancestors?” (2.127).[6] Interestingly enough, Jacobs remarks that “This contention is supported by evidence in the New Testament,”[7] referencing Acts 15:21 as support for the historical premise that First Century Judaism followed a consistent Torah cycle.[8]

As we know from Biblical history, when Yeshua the Messiah came on the scene not everyone believed that He was the promised Redeemer. He lived in a First Century Jewish culture that was dominated by various sects and factions (Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Essenes, etc.). When He ascended into Heaven His followers began to spread the message beyond the borders of the Land of Israel and quickly non-Jews dominated the assembly of faith. Jewish opposition to Rome reached its peak with the revolt of 67 C.E., resulting with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 C.E. The Jews living in the Land of Israel, whether Believers in Yeshua or not, were dispersed and scattered. Anti-Semitism arose in massive numbers in the Roman Empire, and the new leaders of the emerging Christian Church, who were non-Jewish and rapidly replacing the dying, original Jewish leaders, often had no foundation in the Torah or First Century Judaism. After several generations, this resulted in interpretations of Scripture that were foreign to the practices of Yeshua and His original Disciples. The Apostle Paul recognized in the middle of the First Century that “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). “[T]his separating from Torah” (CJB) was already taking place in his day, and by the time of the establishment of Christianity as a legal religion in the Roman Empire with the conversion of the Emperor Constantine by the Fourth Century, religious customs and traditions permeated the Church that the Apostles would not have known, and likely would not have approved of.

The Church and the Synagogue both went in opposite directions at the end of the First Century. The followers of Judaism who denied that Yeshua was the Messiah of Israel devoted much of their energy and attention to further developing the practice of Torah study. By doing this, they maintained some cohesion and have retained their unique identity among the nations. The admonitions of Moses to teach and instruct the future generations were followed with tremendous energy and intellectual curiosity. However, in the Second to Fourth Centuries, a Rabbinical Judaism emerged which formalized the Oral Law in the written codes of the Mishnah and Talmud. These texts were intended to be written explanations of how the commandments of the Torah were to be kept, but Orthodox Judaism today considers them as authoritative as the Tanach (or Old Testament).[9]

The Rabbinical authorities developed a systematic approach where the Torah was divided into 54 portions known as parashot or sidrot, and the annual cycle won out over time over the triennial cycle. Today the cycle begins after the Fall feast of Shemini Atzeret/the Eighth Day Assembly, and follows the Jewish calendar throughout the year. In addition to the Torah portion, a corresponding Haftarah portion taken from the Prophets or Writings has been added. (Messianics usually compliment this with a selection from the Apostolic Scriptures or New Testament.) The Torah portions form the basis of Jewish study in synagogues all over the world.

In the past fifty years, many Jewish Believers have pioneered the modern Messianic community. Most congregations and fellowships have followed the patterns of traditional Torah study developed by Judaism. The primary difference is the recognition that Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel. Non-Jews, wanting to enrich their faith and return to the original practices of Yeshua and the Disciples, are in their debt. Our own family is an excellent example of how non-Jewish Believers have been encouraged by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to return to the Messianic lifestyle of the First Century Apostles.

When we first attended a Messianic Jewish congregation, the disciplined study of the Torah became one of the joys of our weekly routine. For the first time in our pursuit of the Holy One of Israel, we were introduced to the ancient Jewish tradition of considering the writings of Moses, Genesis-Deuteronomy, in a systematic manner. The foundations of our faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were being analyzed and discussed in ways that gave meaning to the motives and actions of our spiritual ancestors. The integration of complimentary teachings from the Haftarah (Prophets and Writings) and Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament) added depth and clarity to the whole counsel of the Bible. We were blessed by the new revelations, as formerly difficult New Testament passages now made more sense and took on greater depth, because of their foundational basis in the Torah and Tanach. We were truly being able to see the whole council of God’s Word.

In the first year of going through the Torah, we realized that the celebration of the appointed times of the Lord in Leviticus 23 were still for us today. We understood that we were a part of the Commonwealth of Israel. With a Torah foundation, we saw that the seventh-day Sabbath and the dietary laws were still followed by the early Believers in Messiah Yeshua. As non-Jewish Believers, we were being convicted that all of these things were for us as well. The Torah itself says, “The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you” (Exodus 12:49; cf. Leviticus 24:22). We could not accept the premise that God had two sets of instructions for His people: one for Jews and the other for non-Jews. He has only one people and only one set of guidelines for them all!

When you become more Messianic you realize that the Torah observant lifestyle is what the Father had planned for all His people from the time He called them out. God will give you more and more revelation, and you will begin to see that He is restoring all things, so that you can be a saint who has the testimony of Yeshua and obeys His commandments. We are witnessing the strong reality in our day that He is returning all of us to the way that He originally intended, as people are examining the totality of His Word and are returning to the Ancient Paths.

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 2

[1] Cf. Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:15; Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6; 43:21; Deuteronomy 4:20; 14:2; Hosea 2:23.

[2] C. Keil, and F. Delitzsch, eds. E-Sword 7.6.1: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament. MS Windows 9x. Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation, 2005.

[3] Consult the article “The Message of Deuteronomy” by J.K. McKee for a further discussion.

[4] Louis Jacobs, “Torah, Reading of,” in EJ.

[5] Flavius Josephus: trans. William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987), 805.

[6] Philo Judeaus: trans. C.D. Yonge, The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993), 397.

[7] Jacobs, “Torah, reading of,” in EJ.

[8] The Torah cycle, with appropriate dates for the weekly readings, are available online at the Outreach Israel Ministries website (www.outreachisrael.net).

[9] For an overview of the role that such literature plays within the Jewish theological tradition, consult Hermann L. Strack, Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash (New York and Philadelphia: Meridian Books/Jewish Publication Society, 1959).

CHAPTER 2 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. When the Apostle Peter talks about the “restoration of all things,” what comes to mind? What does “restoration” mean to you?

2. Do you think that it is significant that while many Jewish people have come to faith in Messiah Yeshua, many non-Jewish Believers have developed an interest in the Torah? Why or why not?

3. How was Ancient Israel to be blessed? Does this same principle apply to Believers today?

4. How did a return to the study of the Torah benefit the Jews who returned to the Land of Israel from the Babylonian exile?

5. How could studying the Torah portions on a weekly basis give you a newfound richness to your walk with the Lord?

6. Do you want to study the Torah? Why or why not?

-3-

Why Do We Need the Torah?

JKM

One of the most critical shifts from traditional evangelical Christianity to the Messianic movement is the widespread Messianic preoccupation with the Torah. The Torah, more commonly referred to as the Law of Moses or the Pentateuch, as you are no doubt aware, is one of the most overlooked parts of the Bible in Christianity today. Ignorance of the Torah by Christians today is far too frequent. Many Christian Believers are not familiar with the foundational narratives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the Exodus from Egypt, and the journeys of the Ancient Israelites in the wilderness—to say nothing of the statutes and ordinances that God commands His people to follow. Are these things in the Bible just because they are a part of the history of God’s people? Or are they in the Bible, because the Lord wants us to learn and wants us to understand His plan for the world from the beginning?

Why do we need the Torah? Is it important for us today, those who sit on the opposite side of the cross? These are critical questions that must be asked. Does this part of Scripture have any relevance for us as Believers today? Are we supposed to return to the theology of the early Believers in Messiah Yeshua, who observed its statutes? Or, are we supposed to develop our own theology based exclusively on the culture and times in which we presently live?

The Torah as Foundation

The first reason why the Torah is important is because the Torah, Genesis-Deuteronomy, is the foundational document of all Scripture. If you do not understand the Torah, you are liable to misunderstand what is being said in the remainder of Scripture. You have to understand the foundational stories of the Patriarchs of the faith: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the formation of Ancient Israel as a nation. You have to understand that the theological patterns established in the Torah are repeated in the remainder of the Tanach, and indeed also, in the Apostolic Scriptures. The Torah forms the foundation of the Bible and Scripture progressively builds upon it as God’s plan of salvation history unfolds.

As Jon D. Levenson remarks in The Jewish Study Bible, “both Jewish and Christian traditions view the books Genesis through Deuteronomy in this order as a single unit, standing first in the Bible. The unanimity of tradition and the initial placement of these five books reflect their significant place within religious life. In Judaism, the Torah is accorded the highest level of sanctity, above that of the other books of the Bible.”[1] Even though Christianity does accord the Torah some strong status, this status is not as high as it is in Judaism. W.D. Davies notes in IDB that “The coming of Jesus has inaugurated a new order in which, in some sense, the law is superseded.”[2] While the Messiah Yeshua is always to be our primary focus of faith as Believers, and Yeshua as God in the flesh and thus our “Lawgiver” (James 4:12) must by necessity supersede the Torah itself in importance, does Yeshua supersede and make the Torah to none effect? Or, is the Torah fully realized in Yeshua, who has final authority, and many Christians have failed to see this because of the little emphasis placed on it in their personal Scripture studies? Hopefully, you can see some of the challenges that exist for us today, as many Believers want to be Biblical, Genesis-Revelation, as opposed to just Matthew-Revelation.

This is not to say that other parts of the Bible are unimportant by any means, or that the Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament) do not clarify many things that are in the Tanach (Old Testament). The author of Hebrews writes, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2). BDAG indicates that the word polutropōs means, “various, manifold,”[3] as there have been “many and various ways [that] God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets” (RSV). The revelation of Scripture is like a house that first has a foundation, framing, windows and siding, a roof, and ultimately furniture that can make it a home for someone to live. If the foundation, framing, and windows can be compared to the Tanach, and the roof and furniture to the Gospels and other Apostolic texts, then the Bible forms the basis of what we need to truly live properly. The problem is that many people have a house that is only made of a roof and a few bedrooms. There is no foundation. This extends to clergy every bit as much as it does to laity.

Yeshua the Messiah says in Matthew 7:26-27, “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ‘The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.’” The failure to understand the Torah can result in this taking place. Many Believers have not built their houses upon the Rock—to say nothing about them acting on His words, which first appear in the Torah.

There is an extreme problem in theological studies, or at the very least just general Bible studies, when “the Law” is being spoken of in the Apostolic Scriptures in places like Romans 7 or elsewhere. In Romans 7:1 the Apostle Paul writes, “for I am speaking to those who know the law,” expecting his readers to be able to make the appropriate connections in the words that follow. Many do not have an adequate understanding of the Torah to have a basis in what is being talked about.[4] This goes beyond just knowing the who’s and the what’s of the stories of the Torah, but also being able to know what important spiritual concepts the Torah is trying to convey to its listeners, and how these things are made fully manifest in the life of Yeshua. Knowing about the Torah will enrich your faith and enable you to have a solid foundation in God’s Word, and it will also reveal God’s intention from the beginning of Creation and the fact that He truly never changes.

The Torah as Our Guideline

The second reason that we need the Torah is much more spiritually complex, as it involves more than just knowing what the Torah says and how it prefigures the work of the Messiah. The Torah speaks to our generation, our behavior (proper or improper), and what God wants us to do with our lives. Sadly, because it is seldom emphasized among many Christians today, the Torah is often viewed as being old and archaic, and sometimes even just the cultural expression of Ancient Israel toward the Creator God. But this is not true. The Lord Himself says, “Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them” (Deuteronomy 27:26). These words are not difficult to understand. The Hebrew verb arar appearing in the Qal stem (simple action, active voice), is defined by HALOT, “to bind with a curse.”[5] Those who disobey the Torah and its ordinances will be cursed by God. Why do you think many who claim to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob today are in such a state of confusion? By not following the Torah have many placed spiritual barriers between themselves and our Heavenly Father?

The truth of the matter is that today we are experiencing a rapid rise in sin and unbiblical behavior—and this is not only occurring among secularists who deny God, but among those who are purportedly “Believers” and who claim to know Yeshua as their Savior. The Christian Church today is debating issues like the validity of homosexuality, abortion, pre-marital sex, and whether or not our theology should be determined by our culture first, as opposed to the Bible. These are things which the Torah speaks strongly against. In fact the Torah prohibited the Israelites from intermarrying with the Ammonites and the Moabites up to ten generations, because they were used by Balaam to curse the people (Deuteronomy 23:3-4). As Old Testament theologian Walter C. Kaiser further explains,

“The current evangelical generation has been raised almost devoid of any teaching on the place and use of the law in the life of the believer. This has resulted in a full (or perhaps semi-) antinomian approach to life. Is it any wonder that the unbelieving society around us is so lawless, if those who should have been salt and light to that same society were themselves not always sure what it was that they should be doing?”[6]

Evangelical Christians who emphasize morality are opposed to the gross sins commented on extensively in the Torah. There are many true Believers who are rightfully appalled with the sin in our world and see the need to return to a more Biblical lifestyle consistent with that of Messiah Yeshua. But this has its challenges. Authors Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart in their book How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, do not even discuss the Old Testament and its potential relationship to Believers until two-thirds of their book is over. They comment that “The Old Testament represents God’s previous covenant with Israel made on Mount Sinai, which is one we are no longer obligated to keep…The Bible contains all sorts of commands that God wants us to know about, which are not directed toward us personally.”[7]

These sayings, repeated by numerous other Christian theologians, can do disservice to the faith. They may assume that as Believers we have no connection to Israel whatsoever, and even worse, that the commandments which God gave to His people are not necessarily relevant for us today. Some may say that there is a difference between the moral and ceremonial ordinances of the Law of Moses. However, what justifies keeping one part of the Torah, and not all of it? Or, at least keeping those parts that you know without any doubt that you can reasonably keep in the Twenty-First Century world?[8]

We believe as Messianics that the way to live as Yeshua the Messiah lived is first found in the Torah. Yeshua, who is the Word of God made flesh, is the physical embodiment of how the Torah of Moses is to be properly followed. One of the critical prophecies of the Messiah, Isaiah 2:3, emphasizes that there will be people going up to the Mountain of the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Torah will come forth from there:

“And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (cf. Micah 4:2).

Unfortunately, in spite of prophecies such as this, many do not see Yeshua the Messiah as One who came to uphold the commandments. Many Christians today unconsciously believe that one of the proofs of Yeshua’s Messiahship is that He came to abolish the Law of Moses. Some hold to the position that Yeshua held that the Torah was valid only before His crucifixion, but “‘signs’ that it [was] passing are given” in His ministry, and “Only after his death has sealed the new covenant, and fully inaugurated the new order, does the law cease to govern relations between God and man”[9] (IDB). However, according to the Torah, if one comes in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, and teaches the people ways that are contrary to the statutes delivered by Moses, then that person is to be branded a false prophet. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 is often used as a support text by Jews who reject the Messiahship of Yeshua, because they say that according to Christian theology Jesus came to do away with the Law:

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.”

The admonition in this text to those who follow the God of Israel is to “observe his commandments alone, and heed only his orders” (NJPS). According to this text, if Yeshua came to abolish the Torah or Law of Moses, is He the Messiah? Orthodox Jews would say no. What is the Christian response to this? Is it that this text must be reinterpreted in light of the “Christ event”? Using the Torah as a text that prophetically speaks of the Messiah, are we not warned in the Torah about those who will lead others astray? Why have Jewish theologians used this text as a proof against believing in the Messiahship of Yeshua? Do they have a valid claim against us?

Believers who have experienced the salvation available in Yeshua, and realize that the Word of God has no contradictions, realize that theologically there has to be a response to this. Did Yeshua or did He not teach against His followers keeping the Torah? The problem for many is, if Yeshua did not teach against the Torah, then the implications for millions of Christians today who believe that He did are immense. It means that many Christian traditions and practices must be reevaluated for their Biblical validity, and that some things which are done today might have to change. We have to take into account the whole council of God’s Word, not just selective readings of the New Testament, and understand them for what they meant to Yeshua’s early Jewish followers.

This is where we are today in the Messianic movement. Many people are being convicted by the Holy Spirit that we must return to the instruction of the Torah. They are beginning to read the whole of the Bible for themselves and are realizing that there is no division between the “Old” and “New Testaments.” It is all one Bible with one purpose and plan. Varied human interpretations of the text, however, have led to there being a division between it. Sadly today, with the post-modern situation that humanity finds itself, the Tanach is viewed as being old and archaic, and the Apostolic Scriptures are not that far behind. Evangelical Christians who often only focus on the Apostolic Scriptures are at a disadvantage and often accused of not being consistent when speaking out against gross sins like homosexuality or abortion, using Torah texts as support against such things, when the Torah likewise classifies eating pork or not keeping the seventh-day Sabbath as sin. They are often legitimately accused of being inconsistent by their detractors. Thankfully, many Believers are beginning to see the inconsistencies, and are getting with the program. They are returning to a holistic examination of the Bible beginning with the Torah. They are truly beginning to understand what “sin” is, Biblically defined.

1 John 3:4 tells us “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” How many have examined this candid statement from the Apostle John and have failed to fully comprehend what he is saying? The Greek word rendered correctly as “lawlessness” is anomia, which Vine says pertains to “where the thought is not simply that of doing what is unlawful, but of flagrant defiance of the known will of God.”[10] “[S]in is violation of Torah” (CJB), disobedience to God’s commandments. As G.W. Bromiley notes in ISBE, “The law is obviously not sinful. It is, in fact, the very reverse. It is a revelation of the holy and righteous will of God.”[11] Romans 7:12 remarks, “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”

Returning to a Biblical lifestyle consistent with the Messiah, that is Torah observant, is controversial. It is controversial because for centuries, and very much so today, various Christian theologians and teachers have said that the Torah or Law of Moses has been abolished and it is not necessary to be followed by Believers. However, if we are going to return to the theology and the practices of Yeshua and the early Disciples and Apostles, then it is what is expected. It requires us to fully commit ourselves to true Biblical continuity, be open to the Holy Spirit and how the Lord would have us grow and mature in our walk, and to reevaluate commonly held interpretations of the Word, particularly of sayings in the Apostolic Scriptures or New Testament, with a Torah foundation. It forces us to indeed recognize that the New Covenant is God’s promise to write the Torah onto the hearts of His people by the power of His Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Hebrews 8:8-12).

A Proper Understanding of “Torah”

Imperative to seeing the importance of the Torah is a proper understanding of the Hebrew word torah. This word in most Christian Bibles is rendered as “Law,” although in most Jewish Bibles it is rendered as “Teaching” (NJPS), or simply left as “Torah” (ATS). In instances where torah is used to refer to a specific command or instruction, in Jewish Bibles it is sometimes rendered as “law.”

You have probably noticed the usage of the term “Torah” more than the word “Law” in this publication. It is because the word torah is derived from the Hebrew verb yarah, meaning “to throw, cast” or “to shoot…with arrows,” pertaining to pointing to something, and can more specifically mean “to instruct, teach.”[12] HALOT says “What is probably most likely is a connection with…[yarah] in the sense of stretching out the finger, or the hand, to point out a route.”[13] This is because the Torah is to point the right way for us to do things. David says in Psalm 119:165, “Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble.”

The understanding of the Torah as “the Law” comes largely from the Greek Septuagint (LXX), or the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible produced approximately three centuries before the time of Yeshua. It was primarily produced for Greek-speaking Jews living in the Diaspora, and was employed by the Apostolic writers in many of their quotations from the Tanach. The Jewish Rabbis who translated the LXX rendered the Hebrew word torah as nomos, the Greek word which means “law.” Warren Zev Harvey notes in EJ that “The Septuagint rendered the Hebrew torah by the Greek nomos (‘law’) probably in the sense of a living network of traditions and customs of a people.”[14] However, few have failed to note the wide usages of the term nomos in Biblical Greek, understanding its classical background in Koiné Greek, the common Greek of Biblical times. L.A. Jervis states in the Dictionary of New Testament Background, “The Greek word usually rendered ‘law’ by the translators of the NT is nomos. This word meant both ‘law’ and ‘custom’ and so could refer to the laws of a society and to that society’s habits and customs.”[15] While nomos is primarily used in the Apostolic Scriptures to speak of the Torah or the Law of Moses, it can be used in the context of Greco-Roman civil law and/or custom, and for that same manner, extra-Biblical Jewish law and/or custom.

Now, is the Torah “the Law”? Yes and no. The Torah is the Law in that it comprises the standards that the Holy One of Israel has set forth for His people. The Torah is the Law in that it serves as the constitution for God’s people. But the Torah is not “the Law,” in the sense that it should be viewed as a series of rules and regulations that are meant to put people into bondage, which sadly is how many people perceive it. Harvey makes the valid observation, “The designation of the Torah by nomos, and by its Latin successor lex (whence, ‘the Law’), has historically given rise to the sad misunderstanding that Torah means legalism.”[16] Because the terminology “the Law” has, unfortunately, a bad connotation with many people, using the term “Torah” is by far preferable for many Messianics. However, the Torah serves as both personal Teaching and Instruction, and the Constitutional Law for God’s corporate people, so it is not inappropriate to understand it as the Law.

The bigger issue, of course, is the fact that the Torah has been given to us to show us how to live, and following it is to bring blessings. It is to bring the true freedom that God wants for all of His people. David tells us,

“How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD…So I will keep Your law continually, forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty,[17] for I seek Your precepts” (Psalm 119:1, 44-45).

King David, considered a man after God’s own heart, tells us that the one who “safeguard[s] Your Torah constantly, forever and ever” (ATS) will “walk about in freedom” (NIV). The prime emphasis of the Torah is to bring freedom or liberty to God’s people. It is to show us the proper way to walk so that He may bless us for our obedience. Did God lead the Ancient Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt to then place them in bondage at Mount Sinai to His Law? No. He lead them out of slavery and gave them His Torah, so that they might be a free and blessed people—and the same is true with us today! The Torah is God’s Instruction for our lives so that we might know what the correct way actually is.

Why did God give us the Torah?

Why did God give us the Torah? This is an important question that we need to answer because many people are of the assumption that the Torah was given to be a burden, bringing people into bondage and legalism. On the contrary, we are told in Deuteronomy 28:9, “The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.”

Our Heavenly Father states very clearly that He is looking for a holy people. The Hebrew adjective for “holy” is qodesh, which generally means, “something with which holiness is associated, which is to be treated carefully, something holy” (HALOT).[18] The Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms describes holy as “A Biblical term generally meaning ‘to be set apart.’ The term is also widely used in Scripture to refer to a variety of people and objects alike, but ultimately points to God as the one who is qualitatively different or set apart from creation. Holy may also be used to describe someone or something that God has ‘set apart’ for special purposes.”[19] Its Septuagint and New Testament equivalent is the Greek word hagios, from which our English words “holy” and “hallowed” are derived. Deuteronomy 14:2 says of those who obey the Torah, “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” (KJV). The KJV is unique in its rendering of the word segulah as “peculiar people,” which normally means “property, possession” (TWOT),[20] a reference to the “treasured possession” (NIV) of personal property that God wants us to be for Him.

The problem is that if you want to be holy, you have to learn to be set-apart from the world. You have to be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to be different from others around you, including Christian family and friends. You have to be willing to admit that some things you may presently believe or may have been taught are wrong, that they must be reevaluated from Scripture, and perhaps even discarded. As the KJV rendering of Deuteronomy 14:2 says, you have to be willing to be part of a “peculiar people,” because you belong to God and not to the world. As a result, the Lord promises that those who obey Him will be blessed:

“Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul” (Deuteronomy 30:9-10).

Notice that blessings are promised to those who follow the Torah. Our Heavenly Father tells us, “Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach” (Deuteronomy 30:14, NJPS). Keeping the Torah is not intended to be something that is difficult. Jeffrey H. Tigay notes, “It is suitable for all, not only for scholars and philosophers.”[21] You do not necessarily have to be a scholar, philosopher, rabbi, priest, or minister to keep the Torah’s commandments. For those of us who are Believers in Messiah Yeshua and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and are not operating in the flesh, blessings should be more than easily attainable than they were for those of Ancient Israel. Notice what Deuteronomy 4:5-6 says:

“See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”

The Lord says that those who follow the Torah will be said to be part of “a wise and understanding people.”[22] Is this happening in Christianity today? To an extent it definitely is, because there are Christians, whether they realize it or not, who are keeping much of the Torah’s moral and ethical code. But are the world’s multitudes, that presently reject the Messiah, standing in complete and total awe of Christians and the great wisdom they possess? Not always. Why is this the case? Could it be because many Christians do not make obedience to the Torah a top priority in their daily lives? Hosea 8:12 may describe much of Christianity’s present position on the Law of Moses quite well: “I wrote for them the great principles of My Torah, but they were regarded as something alien” (ATS).

Has the Torah been done away?

In spite of the importance that the Torah plays as the foundational document of the Bible, there is the widespread claim among many evangelical Christians today that the Law of Moses was totally abolished by the Messiah, and now it is no longer important to follow, or perhaps even study. While Yeshua came in fulfillment of the sacrificial requirements of the Torah (Hebrews 9:26-28), which only He could do as the sinless Son of God, most Messianics do not agree with the common view that the Torah has been completely abolished. As conservative Bible Believers, we believe that the Torah plays every bit as much importance in Biblical study and practice as the New Testament does. (Even the most liberal Messianics, who do not necessarily believe that the Torah has to be followed by Believers, will still say that having a foundational understanding and knowledge of the Torah is important.) The Torah is the foundation for the rest of the Word of God, and if we believe that the Word of God is eternal, then so is the Torah.

Many claim, however, that Yeshua did come to do away with the Torah. But if we examine His words on the matter, we will see that this view is anything but true:

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18).

In these two short verses, Messiah Yeshua tells us that He did not come to abolish or “destroy” (KJV) the Torah or the Prophets, the Tanach (Old Testament), but to fulfill them. Contrary to popular belief, fulfill is not a synonym for abolish. He plainly states that “not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah” (CJB). These are references to the smallest strokes and serifs of the Hebrew letters of the Torah scrolls. Yeshua basically tells His followers, “not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished” (RSV).

The Greek verb plēroō used in this passage means, according to AMG, not only to fulfill, but “to fill out, complete, make perfect…to be made full, complete.”[23] TDNT, commenting on Yeshua’s work in relation to the Torah, validly remarks, “the idea is not simply that of validating the law as distinct from abolishing it. The goal of Jesus’ mission is fulfillment. He does not simply affirm the law and the prophets but actualizes the will of God that is declared in them from the standpoint of both promise and demand.”[24] If you continue reading Yeshua’s famed Sermon on the Mount, what you will find is not just a message on how Believers are to properly live, but it is actually a teaching that is very rooted in the Torah. Yeshua says in Matthew 5:19, “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” There is a debate among theologians what the reference to “these commandments” correctly means. Is it a reference to all of the commandments in the Torah and the Prophets, or just those of His teaching in Matthew 5:20-48? Certainly, those that Yeshua specifically teaches on do have some priority, but they do not annul the other commandments of God in the Tanach. By fulfilling the Torah, Yeshua perfected it in His teachings, actions, and deeds, and He did not annul what many might consider to be the “finer points” of obedience.[25]

Many do believe that Yeshua indeed came to fulfill the Law, but only that He came to fulfill it in a prophetic sense and thus “all” is now fulfilled. While Yeshua did indeed come to fulfill the prophecies of the Torah and the entire Tanach, “all” has not been fulfilled, and there are still many prophecies in the Tanach about the future eschaton and Messianic Age that have yet to take place. We are still awaiting Yeshua’s Second Coming and the complete establishment of His Earthly Kingdom.

The reality is that if the Messiah has not done away with the authority of God’s Torah, then many Christians who have considered the Torah unimportant for their lives are going to have to reevaluate how they live, and possibly change some things. This is already happening to a certain degree among the many Christian scholars who are having to reevaluate the life of Christ from a Jewish perspective. N.T. Wright observes in his book The Challenge of Jesus, “We have to think our way back into someone else’s world, specifically, the world of the Old Testament as it was lived and perceived by first century Jews. That is the world Jesus addressed, the world whose concerns he made his own.”[26] Wright does not really believe that the Law should be followed by Christians today, but he does see the value in First Century Jewish studies for interpretation of the New Testament. This is certainly a start.

Yeshua says in Matthew 5:19 that “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” The Messiah assigns an eschatological status to the person who teaches against the commandments of the Torah, versus the person who teaches in favor of the commandments of the Torah. The person who encourages others to keep the Torah’s commandments will be considered great, versus the person who teaches against the commandments who will be considered least. Sadly, we must observe that there are many, both in the Christian and Messianic communities, who according to these words are probably going to be least in the Kingdom of Heaven. There are people who teach and preach against God’s commandments contained in the Torah which Yeshua came to uphold and show us how to live properly, not abolish.[27]

Of course, we recognize that many will say that the Apostle Paul told us that the Torah is unimportant. After all, did not Paul say in Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace”? The first thing many Christians will say to Messianics who study and follow the Torah is that they are not “under the Law,” and therefore what we are doing is vain. Because we are not “under the Law,” many are often told that they do not need to concern themselves with the study or application of the Torah’s commandments to their lives. But, the understanding of being “under the Law” in the sense of the Torah being applicable to Believers is wrong. It is wrong because its converse, being “under grace,” is a status that can only be given to those who are born again, who have received Messiah Yeshua into their lives, and have been redeemed. Sinners who have rejected the Messiah can in no way, shape, or form be “under grace.” On the contrary, sinners who have rejected salvation are “under the Law,” meaning that they are subject to its penalties.[28]

The Apostle Paul tells us very plainly in his letters that our righteous status before God comes as a result of our faith, or trust in Him. Messianic Bible teachers who emphasize the importance of the Torah, such as ourselves, are not trying to suggest that we are to gain favor with God by keeping the Law. We are not trying to say that salvation comes from following the Torah. Salvation is a free gift available only through Messiah Yeshua and Him alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this clear: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” However, the Apostle Paul also says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” He tells us that we are to “uphold the law” (RSV, NIV) as a standard for our lives. Likewise, just after stating that we are not saved by works, Paul asserts “we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

In Romans 7:7 Paul also tells us, “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET.’” Paul says that the Torah is to reveal the sin in one’s life, and thus a person’s need for a Savior. Romans 10:4 says “For the goal at which the Torah aims is the Messiah, who offers righteousness to everyone who trusts” (CJB),[29] meaning that the Torah is to point to Yeshua by revealing the sin in our lives and showing us the need for a Redeemer. Even though Paul writes “I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died” (Romans 7:9), speaking of the fact that one’s sin nature, because of the commandments causes spiritual death, he is nevertheless forced to conclude, “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful” (Romans 7:12-13).[30]

There are, of course, many other proof texts and arguments used by Christian teachers to tell Messianic Believers that the Torah has been done away with and it is no longer relevant instruction for our day. Our final conclusion as Believers must be based on Yeshua the Messiah’s words and what He says on the matter. The Apostle Paul himself wrote Timothy that Yeshua’s words are to be the final say on all matters:

“If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

Our position of believing that the Torah is still to be adhered to today is based on Messiah Yeshua’s sound words in Matthew 5:17-19. In this statement, He affirms that He came to fulfill the Torah for us, meaning that He came to live it out fully for us as our example for perfect living. He says that those preaching against it would be least in the Kingdom of Heaven. Neither the words of Paul nor anyone else in the New Testament would contradict this, because if they do then they contradict the Messiah and cannot be trusted. Contrary to popular opinion, Paul’s writings, which are often used as texts against the validity of the Torah for Believers today, must agree with Yeshua’s words on the Torah.[31] We consider Paul’s letters to be inspired Scripture, but the interpreter has the responsibility to reconcile whatever he says about the Torah to Yeshua’s words about the Torah. We do not believe that Paul spoke against the Torah and that many of the so-called proof texts against the Torah in the Apostolic Writings are either English mistranslations (or biased translations) from the Greek source text, or have been taken out of their proper context in relation to other Scriptures or their historical setting.[32]

Why do Believers need the Torah?

Why do we as Believers today need the Torah? Do we need it solely because it is part of the Biblical narrative and the collective story of followers of the Creator God since the Garden of Eden? Or do we also need it because it provides the proper framework for us to understand the practices, and indeed the purpose, of the life of our Messiah?

The Torah clearly lays out for us what our Heavenly Father considers acceptable and unacceptable. The Torah is the foundation for the remainder of Scripture and tells us what God expects of us. The Torah is the Living Word of God and is eternal.

Believers today need the Torah, because many lack a foundation in the Word of God. Consider all the commentary that is given to the Torah or Torah-related issues in the Bible. Consider how much the Torah is lauded and praised in the Psalms. Consider how much Yeshua or Paul or John or James talk about the Torah in the Apostolic Scriptures. Obviously, in order to understand what these saints are talking about when they refer to the Law, it would be well advised that the proper Biblical examiner have an understanding of the Torah—lest misinterpretations take place, because the Torah is not cross-examined, or worse yet, no one knows what is being talked about.

1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” This verse is speaking of the events in the Torah that occurred to Ancient Israel that have occurred as a “warning” (RSV). If indeed these things are for our instruction, then we must take heed of the Torah. We have to heed the examples and mistakes of those who have gone before us so that we do not repeat them. If the end-times are upon us or are nearing, as many believe, then we surely must know the Torah’s instruction and allow the Lord to write it on our hearts. This is the promise and covenant that our Heavenly Father makes with His people:

“‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD. ‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more’” (Jeremiah 31:31-34; cf. Hebrews 8:8-12; Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:26-27).

To Those Who Do Not Obey the Torah

We previously quoted Paul in Romans 7:7, “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law.” Sin is Biblically defined as disobedience to the Torah, as the Apostle John plainly writes in 1 John 3:4, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” The Bible lays out for us a very clear cut and defined definition of sin: “violation of Torah” (CJB). However, a modern theological definition of sin may be something like “The fundamental unbelief, distrust, and rejection of God and human displacement of God as the center of reality.”[33] While all of us should agree that sin includes the rejection of God and God’s centrality in our lives, this is a rather vague definition of sin nonetheless. Anomia simply means “lawlessness” (LS),[34] or literally “no Law.” For Messianics’ purposes, it means “no Torah.”

In His Olivet Discourse on the Last Days, Messiah Yeshua tells us “Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). The Complete Jewish Bible renders this as “many people’s love will grow cold because of increased distance from Torah.” This prophecy was already being fulfilled in the middle of the First Century when the Apostle Paul wrote “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7).[35] By the end of the First Century, things had apparently gotten so bad that the Apostle John was forced to write, “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). While such commandments begin with love for God and neighbor (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18), it would be irresponsible for any of us to think that they end there.

We are seeing the fruits of lawlessness at work in our time, every bit as much as it existed in the past. Sadly, there is an entire generation of Christians being raised up who have little or no concept of what God considers to be sin: violation of His commandments. Sin is often defined in very gray, very vague terms today. Sadly, there are many people who think that they are born again Believers and may not be, because their lives do not reflect those who want to truly please the Father. This needs to be remedied. Christian Believers who do not believe that the Torah is for them need to reevaluate their position on the Law of Moses. Likewise, Messianic Believers need to refine their faith and be able to answer the tough questions when asked why they keep the Torah—because obedience to God brings blessings. We have a responsibility upon us to demonstrate the proper character to others, every bit as much as those who have the responsibility to turn from their sinful ways.

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 3

[1] Jon D. Levenson, “Torah,” in Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds., The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 1.

[2] W.D. Davies, “Law in the NT,” in George Buttrick, ed. et. al., The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, 4 vols. (Nashville: Abingdon, 1962), 3:96.

[3] Frederick William Danker, ed., et. al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, third edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 850.

[4] Romans 7 is specifically speaking of how born again Believers have died to the condemnation that the Torah pronounces upon sinners—“you…were made to die to the Law through the body of Messiah” (v. 4)—as Paul specifies that what Believers have died is like a widow no longer having to be applicable to “the law concerning the husband” (v. 2), or the Torah’s regulations on marriage.

Cf. C.E.B. Cranfield, International Critical Commentary: Romans 1-8 (London: T&T Clark, 1975), pp 331-340.

[5] Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, eds., The Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 2 vols. (Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill, 2001), 1:91.

[6] Walter C. Kaiser, “Response to Willem A. VanGemeren,” in Wayne G. Strickland, ed., Five Views on Law and Gospel (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 75.

[7] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), pp 167, 169.

[8] Please note that the natural division of the Torah’s commandments comes from one’s status in society, as opposed to commandments being subdivided in the far too generic, and artificial categories of “moral” and “ceremonial.” A more natural division his is reflected in the six divisions of the Mishnah: agriculture, appointed times, women, order of damages, holy things, purity.

Consult the FAQ entry on the TNN website “Torah, division of commandments.”

[9] W.D. Davies, “Law in the NT,” in IDB, 3:97.

[10] W.E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1968), 357.

[11] G.W. Bromiley, “Sin,” in ISBE, 4:522-523.

[12] HALOT, 1:436.

[13] Ibid., 2:1710.

[14] Warren Zev Harvey, “Torah,” in EJ.

[15] L.A. Jervis, “Law/Nomos in the Greco-Roman World,” in Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter, eds., Dictionary of New Testament Background (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000), 632.

[16] Harvey, “Torah,” in EJ.

[17] Heb. b’rechava.

[18] HALOT, 2:1076.

[19] Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999), 60.

[20] R.D. Patterson, “segulah,” in TWOT, 2:617.

[21] Jeffrey H. Tigay, “Deuteronomy,” in David L. Lieber, ed., Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary (New York: The Rabbinical Assembly, 2001), 1170.

[22] Heb. am-chakam v’navon.

[23] Spiros Zodhiates, ed., Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1993), 1177.

[24] G. Delling, “plēróō,” in TDNT, 869.

[25] For a further discussion, consult J.K. McKee’s paper on Matthew 5:17-19, “Has the Law Been Fulfilled?” (forthcoming 2009).

[26] N.T. Wright, The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999), 34.

[27] Please note that it is God’s job to determine who will be “least” in His Kingdom—not the job of any human person.

[28] The Greek phrase hupo nomon, commonly translated “under law” or “under the Law” appears only 11 times in the Apostolic Scriptures (Romans 6:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 9:20; Galatians 3:23; Galatians 4:4, 5, 21; 5:18). While the common interpretation of being “under the Law” is being obedient to the Torah’s commandments, the authors believe that being “under the Law” is actually being subject to the Torah’s penalties upon sinners. For a further examination of this subject, consult the article “What Does ‘Under the Law’ Really Mean?” by J.K. McKee.

[29] This verse is commonly translated in most Bible versions with “Christ is the end of the law.” However, the Greek word telos, often rendered as “end,” can also mean “the end to which all things relate, the aim, purpose” (Joseph H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament [Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003], 620). The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible includes a footnote for this word which indicates, “or, goal” (Spiros Zodhiates, ed., Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, NASB [Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1994], 1498).

The relatively new TNIV renders telos with the much more appropriate “culmination.”

[30] There is debate in contemporary Romans scholarship as to whether Paul is speaking of himself in this passage, or a hypothetical “I” sinner. Regardless of which position one takes, the role that the Torah plays in the salvation process of an individual still cannot be ignored.

[31] For a Messianic examination of Pauline theology, consult Tim Hegg, The Letter Writer: Paul’s Background and Torah Perspective (Littleton, CO: First Fruits of Zion, 2002).

[32] For a detailed study of many Scriptures that supposedly tell us that the Torah has been “done away,” consult the book The New Testament Validates Torah by J.K. McKee.

[33] Grenz, Guretzki, and Nordling, 107.

[34] H.G. Liddell and R. Scott, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994), 74.

[35] The Greek word ēdē emphasizes the reality that the lawlessness that Paul observed was already occurring in his day and age. LS provides a variety of possible uses of ēdē: “by this time, before this, already, or of the future, now, presently, forthwith” (Ibid., 348).

CHAPTER 3 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What are some examples of common Christian ignorance of the Torah? Do you think this is acceptable for those who claim to study and know the Bible?

2. Do you believe knowing about the Torah is important for our faith and having a proper foundation for understanding the Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament)? Why or why not?

3. Give examples of modern societal degradation that have resulted, or can result, from not following the Torah.

4. In what sense is the Torah “Teaching”? In what sense is the Torah “Law”?

5. Give some examples, based in the Torah, of how Believers are to be holy, or more specifically set-apart, from the world. How important do you believe this is?

6. Why do you think many Christians believe that the Messiah abolished the Torah? Do you believe that “fulfill” means “abolish”? Why or why not?

7. Why do you think that many Bible teachers speak against the Torah?

8. What do you believe the correct meaning of “under Law” is? Is it obeying the Torah, or being subject to its penalties? Are sinners who have rejected the salvation available in Yeshua “under grace”?

9. Understanding that Yeshua upheld the validity of the Torah or Law of Moses, how do we reconcile what many claim about Paul and other authors in the Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament), to His words?

10. List some specific reasons why born again Believers need the Torah.

11. What is sin, Biblically defined? What is lawlessness, Biblically defined?

12. If sin is indeed disobedience to the Torah, what things will you need to change in your life? What things do you need to pray about?

-4-

What Happened at the Jerusalem Council?

JKM

In our previous lessons we have discussed the importance that the Torah plays for us as Messianic Believers, and the fact that it forms the foundation of Scripture—a foundation that many people lack in their walk of faith. Some of you may be wondering, because of your religious backgrounds, whether or not the Torah truly is relevant instruction for Believers today. You may see the importance of the Torah for our lives, and how we must understand it. You may see the lack of knowing the Torah’s stories evident in many Christians today. Perhaps even more importantly, you may understand that violation of the Torah is sin, and that if we are in the faith and covered by the Messiah’s blood we are not “under the Law” or subject to the Torah’s penalties. You are beginning to see that Messiah Yeshua came to fulfill or perfect the Torah for us, by living it perfectly (Matthew 5:17-19).

However, it is likely that you still have questions, because of what you have been taught. Some of you might be saying things along the lines of: “I understand that the Law is to convict me of sin and that Jesus upheld the validity of it. But, the first non-Jewish Believers were told that they did not have to keep the Law.”

This is certainly a valid statement, because a plethora of Christian teaching is based on the presupposition that the first non-Jewish Believers coming to faith in the mid-First Century were told that they did not have to keep the Law of Moses. However, since we are all called to emulate the example of Messiah Yeshua, who is the Living Word of God, it is imperative that we reevaluate this belief, because it contradicts His Earthly example for living. How were these new Believers to be trained up and discipled?

The Controversy

In the days of the first Messianic assemblies, ekklēsias, or “churches” so to speak, there was a controversy. Acts 15:1 says, “Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’” At this point in the mid-First Century, the gospel message was finally being spread out beyond the Land of Israel and many non-Jews were coming to faith in the Messiah. There was great debate within the Body of Believers about how these non-Jews were expected to live. Were they to convert to Judaism, so that they could “be saved”? Or were they acceptable before God without having to go through any “conversion”? Some were teaching that they had to be circumcised in order to be saved. This caused great controversy, and a council was convened in Jerusalem to address the issue and what specifically was to be done.

We are told that “when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue” (Acts 15:2). Paul and Barnabas had to go to Jerusalem from Antioch, where this debate had raised its head. In order to settle the matter about whether or not non-Jews had to be circumcised and follow the Torah to be saved, or follow it at all, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to discuss it. The Jerusalem assembly headed by James the Just, the half-brother of Yeshua, would decide authoritatively on the matter.

The issues that the Jerusalem Council had to face related to some of the Pharisees who believed in Yeshua, but believed that it was absolutely necessary for non-Jewish Believers to “convert to Judaism” and be circumcised so that they could “be saved.” They believed that (their) circumcision and obedience to the Law were required prerequisites for salvation. Their position is well stated in Acts 15:5: “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Torah of Moshe” (CJB). According to these individuals, unless the new people were circumcised and observed the Torah, they could not be saved or even hope to be considered among the redeemed. The Jerusalem Council had to address whether or not circumcision and Torah observance preceded the salvation experience.

The Discussion

“Therefore, being sent on their way by the [assembly], they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the [assembly] and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them” (Acts 15:3-4).

The Scriptures tell us that wonderful things were occurring because of the work of Paul and Barnabas among the nations. Heathen were coming to faith in Yeshua the Messiah and recognizing the Holy One of Israel as the One True God. These former heathen were being filled with the Holy Spirit, just as the Jewish Believers were. They were being redeemed and miracles were occurring in their midst. These people were receiving the gospel message with great enthusiasm and were increasing the numbers of the faith community. It was no surprise that many of the Jewish Believers expected these non-Jews to live a life exactly as they did, and convert to Judaism so that they could be saved as members of their community. This was the common pattern that was in place prior to the coming of Yeshua. Whenever a non-Jewish person wanted to enter into the Synagogue, he had to go through circumcision and keep the Torah to be considered a part of the community of Israel. This is the controversy that the Jerusalem Council had to address. Did these non-Jews have to convert to be saved? Or, did the atoning work of Yeshua change the dynamic of what was occurring?

“The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, ‘Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith’” (Acts 15:6-9).

After there was substantial investigation, questioning, and debate on this matter, the Apostle Peter, who attested in Acts 10:28, “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean” (NKJV), said that those of the nations were saved by faith just as the Jews were. Peter plainly said that God cleansed their heart by faith, just as He cleansed Jewish hearts by faith. Neither group was to be saved through Torah observance. There was to be no distinction made among the Believers in regard to their salvation experience, because only God knows the true heart intent of the individual. History shows that many in the First Century Greco-Roman religious system were dissatisfied with idol worship, and many were turning to the Jewish Synagogue for answers.

Proselytes had been made all over the Roman Empire through the planting of Jewish synagogues outside the Land of Israel. IDB notes, “From the first the Jews in Rome exhibited such an aggressive spirit of proselytism that they were charged with seeking to infect the Romans with their cult, and the government expelled the chief propagandists from the city in 139 B.C. In the early decades of the first century B.C., considerable numbers of Jews were in Rome and other cities of Italy, as well as in the farthest reaches of the Empire.”[1] We can all believe that these events were instrumental for non-Jews coming to faith in the Messiah, as many were exposed to who the God of Israel was. But were those coming to faith in Yeshua required to “convert to Judaism” first, so that they could be saved?

Peter continued, saying, “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Yeshua, in the same way as they also are” (Acts 15:10-11).

Peter plainly states, “it is through the love and kindness of the Lord Yeshua that we trust and are delivered—and it is the same with them” (CJB). Those of the nations coming to faith in the Messiah were not to be “saved” by converting to Judaism and keeping commandments as insisted, which Peter testified is something that even he and his Jewish brothers could not do perfectly. This “yoke” that Peter refers to were likely extra-Biblical ordinances closely connected to the keeping of the Biblical commandments, which would have been intertwined with the process of becoming a proselyte. The result was that the Torah became an unnecessary “burden” that no one was able to keep, which was not God’s original intent. Peter made it clear that all were to be saved through the grace of God available via Yeshua the Messiah. They could not “earn” their salvation. Both the Jewish and non-Jewish Believers were saved “through the grace of the Lord Yeshua.” In Acts 15:12 Barnabas and Paul describe the great miracles and wonders that were occurring among the nations:

“All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.”

The Ruling

The new, non-Jewish Believers who were turning to faith in the God of Israel were not to be troubled with “forced conversion” or “forced Torah observance” as requirements for salvation. They were coming to faith in Messiah Yeshua and being filled with the Holy Spirit just the same way as the Jewish Believers were. James the Just, half-brother of Yeshua, ruled the following:

“Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath” (Acts 15:19-21).

Four requirements were given to the new non-Jewish Believers in Yeshua:

1. Abstinence from pollutions of idols

2. Abstinence from fornication

3. Abstinence from things strangled

4. Abstinence from blood

Two of these things are fairly obvious to any Christian who reads his or her Bible consistently. Idol worship and sexual promiscuity are explicitly forbidden in the Scriptures (Exodus 34:15-17; Leviticus 18:6-23; et. al.). These things were very commonplace in the First Century Greco-Roman world. There can be a strong parallel today made between the wide scale proliferation of humanism (“idol worship”) and rampant sexual activity, including homosexuality.

But the second two things are not as easy for many Christians to understand. They forbid the consumption of strangled meats and blood (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 3:17; 7:26; 17:10, 14; 19:26; Deuteronomy 12:16, 23; 15:23), both of which have a definite Torah background. The Greek word rendered as “strangled” in this passage from Acts, pniktos, relates to “strangled meat, meaning the flesh of animals killed by strangling without shedding their blood…The Mosaic Law prohibited the eating of it” (AMG).[2] In other words, we see here that one of the requirements that James ruled, that the non-Jews coming to faith were to follow, was that they were to eat according to the Biblical dietary requirements.

Why were these non-Jews coming to faith told to observe these four things?

“For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath” (Acts 15:21).

The indication here is that once these non-Jews abstained from idols, sexual immorality, strangled meats, and blood that they would observing stipulations found in the Torah of Moses, declared every week in the local Jewish synagogue. They would also be able to go to the synagogues, if they were able, learning what God expected of them. The placement of the Greek conjunction gar  in v. 21, Mōusēs gar, “for Moses,” could relate to an action to be performed after a series of qualifications is met. As LS notes, gar means “Conjunct. for… regularly placed after the first word of a sentence: to introduce the reason.”[3]

The non-Jewish Believers were expected to observe God’s Law, being a part of the Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12). Through the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27), and not a “forced conversion” or act of the flesh, they were to anticipated to certainly obey the Torah—because disobedience of the Torah is sin. They were expected to grow and mature in their faith, and be properly trained and grounded in the foundational principles of what the God of Israel considered acceptable and unacceptable. The Apostolic ruling of Acts 15:19-21 would see the non-Jewish Believers attached to a community where the Torah was regularly taught.

What were they supposed to follow?

Of course, many Christians today do not accept the common Messianic, pro-Torah interpretation of the Jerusalem Council’s ruling in Acts 15. Many believe that observing the four requirements that James ruled were only applicable for non-Jews associating with Jews in the First Century, and not for non-Jews at all going to the Synagogue to learn God’s Torah. Thus, these requirements are no longer necessary for today, because Christians and Jews seldom fellowship with one another. But if the Christian interpretation is true, then how were these non-Jewish Believers in the First Century supposed to learn about God? Were they just supposed to sit together in a room and pray? What Scriptures were they supposed to follow?

Very few of us put ourselves in the First Century culture of the time. The new non-Jewish Believers lived in a society where the Greco-Roman “mythology,” as we call it today, was the theology of the people! They believed that the god Mercury was delivering divine messages to and fro. They believed that Cupid made people fall in love. They believed in Mount Olympus and that the Fates controlled people’s destinies. Some of them even believed that when it rained the gods were urinating from the clouds! The First Century culture of the Greeks and the Romans had Temple prostitutes, many practiced infant exposure (killing the newly born by placing them outside and exposed to the elements or wild beasts and birds of prey), and homosexuality was widely encouraged.

The importance of the four prohibitions issued in Acts 15:20 was critical for the new, non-Jewish Believers to be cut off from their old spheres of pagan social influence. No longer being able to associate at the temples, the houses of prostitution, or the butcher shop—the new spheres of social influence would naturally be the community of Jewish Believers, and those who would affirm belief in the One God of Israel.

The fact that the non-Jewish Believers would need to go to the Synagogue and learn the Law of Moses should be self-obvious. The Synagogue was the only place where the Scriptures would be accessible. There were no Bibles to “carry around”! There was no “New Testament” for these Believers to follow. There was only the Torah and the Prophets—the Tanach. The only Scriptures in existence were the Torah of Moses and the Prophets—copies of which were largely only available at a synagogue—especially among those outside the Land of Israel. How were the early non-Jewish Believers supposed to understand what God expected of them unless they went to the Synagogue to hear the Word proclaimed? (And do keep in mind, they would have needed instruction on at least what the four prohibitions of Acts 15:20 meant.)

Paul, Peter, and James all understood and knew that if cohesion were to exist among the Jewish Believers, and those new Believers coming into the fold from the nations, that they would have to be flexible. They knew that all were saved by the grace of God, but in the end all would have to follow the same set of Instruction. The non-Jewish Believers were given four minimal requirements to follow to enter into the Jewish community and the Synagogue, and they would be trained in the foundational principles of what God expected of them. The nations were expected to be taught God’s Torah, as had been prophesied (Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-3; cf. Acts 15:15).

In our day we are experiencing similar things through the advent of the modern Messianic movement. Non-Jewish Believers in the God of Israel are being drawn toward Messianic congregations to hear the Torah proclaimed. They are receiving the foundation in their faith that they largely lacked in the Church. The difference, however, is that when the first non-Jewish Believers came to faith almost 2,000 years ago, they came out of pagan societies and religious backgrounds that did not acknowledge the Creator God. We have an advantage over those early Believers in that most of us who have adopted a Messianic lifestyle have come out of a Christian society that knows and worships the One True God, but has an incomplete understanding of Him. We have adopted a Messianic lifestyle, so that we can have a fully Biblical faith.[4]

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 4

[1] M.H. Pope, “Proselyte,” IDB, 3:925.

[2] Zodhiates, Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, 1186.

[3] LS, 160.

[4] For a more detailed examination of the deliberations of the Jerusalem Council, consult Acts 15 for the Practical Messianic by J.K. McKee (forthcoming 2009).

CHAPTER 4 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What was the requirement that a sect of the Pharisees wanted to place on non-Jews coming to faith in the Messiah? How was salvation involved?

2. What was the controversy that the Jerusalem Council faced?

3. Were the non-Jews required to go through formal conversion to Judaism to be saved? Describe what the Apostle Peter testified.

4. What were the four requirements that James placed on the non-Jewish Believers coming to faith? What is the Torah background of these requirements?

5. Once the non-Jews coming to faith met the four requirements, what could they then do?

6. How were the non-Jews coming to faith supposed to learn about God from the Scriptures? Do you believe that they were anticipated to go to the Synagogue and learn from the Torah? Why or why not?

7. Put yourself in the position of a First Century Greek or Roman coming to faith in the Messiah. What might be some of the challenges, specifically relating to your previous religious beliefs, which you face in relating to the God of Israel and your fellow Jewish Believers?

-5-

Why Do We Observe the Seventh-Day Sabbath?

WMH/JKM

One of the many blessings that you receive as a Messianic Believer is the wonderful opportunity to observe and remember the seventh-day Sabbath or Shabbat as a part of your weekly faith experience. The Scriptures say much about this weekly observance and the significance that it has for us as a part of God’s Creation. When the Holy One of Israel created the Heavens and the Earth, He instituted some basic principles into His Creation. One of them is embodied in the concept of Shabbat or the “rest” on the seventh day. If you look at the story of the Creation, you will note that on the seventh day, He “rested.” The Hebrew verb for “rested” is shavat, generally meaning “cease, stop, be at a standstill,” and “stop working, take a holiday” (CHALOT).[1] The Scriptures detail,

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:1-3).

Our Creator took six days to complete the task of creating the world, and then He rested. In other words, He took a Shabbat. He blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, giving it a status that the other days of the week did not have. Jewish theologians have always identified these Scriptures as indicating that the Sabbath was in existence from the very beginning. J.H. Hertz notes, “The Creator endowed the Sabbath with a blessing which would be experienced by all who observed it.”[2] Something is extremely special about the seventh day that our Heavenly Father wants us to pay attention to, so that we might receive His blessings.

If you look at the first time the term Shabbat is mentioned in the Bible, you see that the Ancient Israelites were probably already aware of this, and perhaps rested on the seventh day before being specifically commanded by God to do so in the Decalogue. During the Exodus from Egypt, one of the miracles that occurred was the provision of manna for the escaping Israelites:

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily’…Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, then he said to them, ‘This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.’ So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. Moses said, ‘Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none’” (Exodus 16:4-5, 22-26).

At this point in their sojourn, before the Ten Commandments were given at Mount Sinai, the pattern of six days of work with a seventh day of rest is mentioned. The pattern of a seven-day week had already been well adapted into the Israelite culture. James C. Vanderkam remarks in ABD, “The Hebrew Bible makes it clear that from early times in Israel seven days constituted a week. This week was divided into six days during which work could be performed, and it concluded with a seventh day on which labor was illegal.”[3] However, while this was firmly established by the time of the giving of the Law to Ancient Israel, there were already precedents established long before. Abraham is considered to be a follower of the Torah. Genesis 26:5 says, “Abraham obeyed My voice, and observed My safeguards, My commandments, My decrees, and My Torahs” (ATS).

Most translations render the Hebrew word torot as “laws.” However, the traditional Jewish interpretation of this verse has always regarded the fact that “The consensus of Rabbinic opinion is that Abraham arrived at a knowledge of the entire Torah through Divine Inspiration and observed it voluntarily.”[4] From Adam to Noah and through the followers of the Creator God, His ways were maintained and taught orally one generation to another. When Moses finally compiles the Torah and it is given to Ancient Israel, the Israelites were already aware of much of the revelation that had been passed down. The Holy One made Israel unique among the nations by codifying His Instruction to them. The Sabbath was given to Israel to be a “sign” (Heb. ot) between Israel and Israel’s God:

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you”…So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed’” (Exodus 31:12-13, 16-17).

The observance and remembrance of the weekly Shabbat was to be something very unique for the people of Israel. They among the nations were to honor and rest on this day in order to be a witness to others. The Sabbath was to be the special sign designating Israel as being His. The decree to keep the Sabbath is given in the Fourth Commandment, where God says,

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ‘Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy’” (Exodus 20:8-11; cf. Deuteronomy 5:12-15).

Seeing this commandment at a critical level such as this should certainly make one think that it is very significant to maintain. Failure to honor and remember Shabbat has fatal consequences for those who disobey:

“Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 31:14-15).

In this passage, one is reminded that the penalty for working on Shabbat is death. Capital punishment is a very serious consequence for the people of Israel to consider. Because the Sabbath is to be a time when one rests in the Lord and puts himself entirely in the care of God, working demonstrates a lack of faith for Him to give provision. The Holy One places extreme importance on this weekly time of communion with His chosen people. As you consider the importance of Shabbat, you find out that when Moses lists the appointed times in Leviticus 23, the very first convocation listed is the weekly Shabbat:

“The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “The LORD's appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these: For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them”’” (Leviticus 23:1-4).

The Holy One indicates that the weekly Shabbat is a holy convocation elevated to the status of the annual Pesach/Passover, Shavuot/Pentecost, or Sukkot/Tabernacles celebrations. Rabbi Shimon Finkleman comments in his book Shabbos that the Sabbath “is the prologue to the holy convocations.”[5] The emphasis, of course, is that if one keeps the weekly Sabbath, then keeping the appointed times, which include High Sabbaths (Exodus 23:14-17), will become like second nature. As a result of obedience to this commandment, the Prophet Isaiah describes how God’s people will be blessed:

“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 58:13-14).

Here, the exhortation from Isaiah is to make Shabbat a delight. One is to keep from doing his own pleasure and obey the commandment of the Lord. The results are great blessings. Isaiah notably says that keeping the Sabbath is also for those strangers or sojourners who have joined themselves to Israel. It is not only for the native born of Israel:

“Thus says the LORD, ‘Preserve justice and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come and My righteousness to be revealed. How blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who takes hold of it; who keeps from profaning the sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.’ Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from His people.’ Nor let the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree’…Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath and holds fast My covenant; even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples’” (Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-7).

Through Isaiah’s words we are told that those who join themselves to Israel and keep the Sabbath will be blessed. There is also an eschatological promise regarding the Sabbath as well, and its universality for all humanity. The Holy One communicates that Shabbat will be a future celebration in the ages to come:

“‘For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘So your offspring and your name will endure. And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,’ says the LORD” (Isaiah 66:22-23).

Messianic Shabbat

When we analyze the observance of Shabbat from the Scriptural record, it is obvious that the people of Israel are required to observe, honor, and remember it on a weekly basis. By doing so, the Holy One will bless Israel, and Israel will have a unique “sign” that points toward its special relationship with the Creator. However, not all of Israel kept the Sabbath. There were those who disregarded it. When the Southern Kingdom exiles returned from the Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah indicated that keeping Shabbat was not consistent. The buying and selling of goods was rampant. Some definitive restrictions were imposed to prevent this blatant breaking of Shabbat:

“In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I admonished them on the day they sold food. Also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, ‘What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day? Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath. It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day. Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. Then I warned them and said to them, ‘Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will use force against you.’ From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness” (Nehemiah 13:15-22).

While these verses attest to the fact that conducting in commerce was prohibited on the Sabbath, the Jewish Rabbis imposed a number of additional restrictions on the people, compelling them to keep Shabbat. Thirty-nine specific prohibitions are listed in the Mishnah regarding the type of work that is permitted and not permitted on Shabbat:

“The generative categories of acts of labor [prohibited on the Sabbath] are forty less one: (1) he who sews, (2) ploughs, (3) reaps, (4) binds sheaves, (5) threshes, (6) winnows, (7) selects [fit from unfit produce or crops], (8) grinds, (9) sifts, (10) kneads, (11) bakes; (12) he who shears wool, (13) washes it, (14) beats it, (15) dyes it; (16) spins, (17) weaves, (18) makes two loops, (19) weaves two threads, (20) separates two threads; (21) ties, (22) unties, (23) sews two stitches, (24) tears in order to sew two stitches; (25) he who traps a deer, (26) slaughters it, (27) flays it, (28) salts it, (29) cures its hide, (30) scrapes it, and (31) cuts it up; (32) he who writes two letters, (33) erases two letters in order to write two letters; (34) he who builds, (35) tears down; (36) he who puts out a fire, (37) kindles a fire; (38) he who hits with a hammer; (39) he who transports an object from one domain to another—lo, these are the forty generative acts of labor less one” (m.Shabbat 7:2).[6]

These prohibitions were originally put in place by the Jewish Rabbis to mimic the type of work that was used by the Ancient Israelites in the construction of the Tabernacle. Many of these things clearly do classify as laborious work and should not be practiced on the Sabbath. However, some of these things may be contested as being classified as laborious. In time, these man-made rules expanded the meaning of Shabbat beyond the original intentions of the Holy One, and these thirty-nine abstentions led to many more customs and traditions being added.

Yeshua took time in His teachings to address the problems inherent in some of the “legalism” that ensued among the Judaisms of His day, as some traditions subtracted from the value of the day of rest that God originally intended for His people. This was best summarized in His messages to some Pharisees regarding the intent of Shabbat, and the fact that healing a person, or being concerned for a person’s physical needs, took precedence over ritual:

“And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. The Pharisees were saying to Him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’ And He said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?’ Yeshua said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’ He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Get up and come forward!’ And He said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him” (Mark 2:23-3:6).

“And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Yeshua saw her, He called her over and said to her, ‘Woman, you are freed from your sickness.’ And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Yeshua had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, ‘There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?’ As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him” (Luke 10:13-17).

In these two examples, Yeshua heals people on Shabbat. These were obvious miracles that all the witnesses would know were from the Most High. A withered hand is made whole and a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years is delivered and healed. What Yeshua did was let these Pharisees know that doing good on Shabbat does not break the commandment of observing or remembering Shabbat. This was not something that was different from the Judaism of Yeshua’s period, as the principle of Pikku’ach Nefesh, Regard for Human Life, considered that the violation of any Torah commandment was appropriate to save someone’s life. Providing medical care or sustenance fell well within the category of Pikku’ach Nefesh in Yeshua’s time. It is very likely that the Pharisees who often criticized Him in the Gospels were from the School of Shammai, which was extremely strict and rigid about its interpretations of the Torah.[7] The classic statement that is made by the Messiah is “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27, NRSV), summarizing His teaching. Many Rabbis of Yeshua’s time put so many restrictions on Shabbat that it became a burden for the people, and many forgot the essence of the simple Sabbath rest. If you will recall, just before He healed the man with the withered hand, our Lord states these words:

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS [Jeremiah 6:16]. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

Yeshua is trying to communicate through His words and examples of healing to those seeing Him, that the Father is most concerned about the intentions of our hearts. By instituting the seventh-day Sabbath in the Ten Commandments, the Lord has given His people a statute that would encourage them to take one day in seven and focus on Him. By doing this, our relationship with Him should be solidified and enhanced. During Shabbat as one turns to the Father for instruction, the person resting exhibits faith that God will provide. Once a week, we as Believers have the opportunity to draw near to our Heavenly Father. Of course, in Messianic circles, many study the weekly Torah portion, as it was the custom in the First Century Synagogue (Acts 15:21) and the Synagogue today. Today the opportunity to attend Messianic congregations which recognize that Yeshua is the Messiah is growing in leaps and bounds.

We are delighted to testify that as the Father has drawn us into a Messianic lifestyle, the remembrance of the weekly Shabbat has become a delight. It seems to us on every Friday afternoon that your entire week begins to center around the coming of Shabbat, and the Divine rest and peace that it represents. You learn to prepare yourself and your home for the day of rest. The day of preparation becomes a day when the last minute things are done so that you are not tempted to do things on Shabbat that you know you could have done the day earlier. The whole family looks forward to Shabbat and the opportunity to focus on the Lord, studying His Word, and fellowshipping with other Believers.[8]

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 5

[1] CHALOT, 360.

[2] J.H. Hertz, ed., Pentateuch & Haftorahs (London: Soncino Press, 1960), 6.

[3] James C. Vanderkam, “Calendars,” in David Noel Freedman, ed., Anchor Bible Dictionary, 6 vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1:815.

[4] Scherman, 129.

[5] Rabbi Shimon Finkelman, Shabbos: The Sabbath—Its Essence and Significance (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1990), 23.

[6] Jacob Neusner, trans., The Mishnah: A New Translation (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1988), pp 187-188.

[7] For an examination of the different perspectives of the two major Pharisaical schools, the School of Shammai and the School of Hillel, consult the article “You Want to Be a Pharisee” by J.K. McKee.

[8] For resources on how to keep Shabbat with your family, consult the Messianic Sabbath Helper available from TNN Press.

CHAPTER 5 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. On what day did God rest from His work? What is the Hebrew word for this?

2. Why did God command the Israelites to keep the Sabbath?

3. What is the “sign” between God and His people? What is the significance of this sign?

4. How were the Israelites to observe the Sabbath?

5. In what context is Shabbat one of the Lord’s appointed times? Explain.

6. How is the Sabbath to be a delight?

7. What is the context of sojourners within Israel keeping the Sabbath?

8. Explain what happened when the Southern Kingdom exiles returned from Babylon in regard to the Sabbath. Why do you think the Rabbis added extra-Biblical regulations to observing Shabbat? Do you think their reasoning was justified? Why or why not?

9. Do you believe that Yeshua kept the Sabbath? Why or why not?

10. What are some blessings that those who keep the Sabbath can obtain?

-6-

Why Do We Celebrate the Biblical Feasts?

WMH

One of the most recognizable changes that occurs when an individual begins to embrace a Messianic lifestyle is the celebration of the Biblical feasts or Biblical holidays of Leviticus 23. In Hebrew, these are called moedim, “appointed times” (NASU) or “fixed times” (NJPS), the set periods when the God of Israel wants to meet with His people. For the first time since the early years following Yeshua’s resurrection, significant numbers of Jewish and non-Jewish Believers are coming together to celebrate them and remember Yeshua who is the substance of them. This is significant, because the Holy One for millennia has used these observances and celebrations to instruct His people about Himself and His redemptive plan for humanity. He commanded His people to observe these holidays forever. The celebration of the feasts is of paramount importance to the followers of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:

“The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “The LORD’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these”’” (Leviticus 23:1-2).

Here in the opening verses of Leviticus 23, the command from God to the Israelites is to “proclaim” the festivals “as sacred occasions” (NJPS). For the most part, the only ones who have historically been doing this have been the Jewish people. As the remnant of Israel, they have maintained their heritage and have been set-apart from the other nations. They have been the torchbearers of Israel and have been faithful in the call that God has had for them (Romans 11:29), even in spite of their dispersion and the widescale persecution against them.

Citizenship in Israel, however, has always been open to the stranger and the sojourner. The Apostle Paul himself wrote non-Jewish Believers that they were a part of the Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:11-12),[1] and he admonished the Corinthians to celebrate the festival of Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Non-Jewish Believers have an inheritance in Israel that they are called to partake of. In recent decades, a growing number of non-Jewish Believers have been keeping the appointed times as the Messianic movement has grown and the Spirit has convicted them to live Biblical lives as Yeshua lived. The celebration of the Biblical feasts is evidence that one truly considers himself a part of the Commonwealth of Israel. We are to keep these festivals, because the Lord expects all who follow Him to keep them. When you examine the Scriptures in greater detail, you will discover that Yeshua and His Disciples kept the appointed times. The early Believers in Yeshua did not discard them because the Messiah had come. Paul refers to keeping the feasts in 1 Corinthians and during his missionary journeys recorded in the Book of Acts:

“Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

“But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost [Shavuot]” (1 Corinthians 16:8).

“For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost [Shavuot]” (Acts 20:16).

“When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them” (Acts 27:9).[2]

From these and other references, you can see that the early Believers were indeed mindful of the moedim or appointed times of the Lord. In this modern generation as the Messianic movement continues to mature, many Believers are benefiting by returning to the Biblical festivals. But it is more than simple obedience to the commandments recorded in Leviticus 23, and sprinkled throughout the Torah. The Holy One of Israel in His infinite wisdom has designed His appointed times to encourage and instruct His people in critical spiritual truths. This, more than anything else, is why it is crucial for you to celebrate the feasts today. It will give you a much fuller picture of what salvation history is all about.

The Plan for the Creation

It is important to remember that God does indeed have a plan for all of us. We must recall that God created the Heavens and the Earth with the crown of His Creation being humanity (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8), with whom He wanted to have an intimate relationship (Exodus 19:5; 1 Peter 2:5, 9). We also know that God gave Adam and his descendants after him a free will to choose their own unique relationship with Him (James 1:17). This freedom to choose produced a number of challenges that He had to address in the created order. The Lord has instituted certain spiritual and physical laws that are inextricably linked to the foreknowledge that mankind was destined to fall into sin and the consequences of that sin would need to be dealt with. Knowing this, He programmed into His Creation some basic principles about visibly and tangibly observing in the natural that which is a reflection of the spiritual. The Apostle Paul observes,

“However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:46-50).

The Lord knows that human beings need the natural or tangible elements around them to understand the spiritual or intangible. In many respects, this is part of the reason that He chose to institute the appointed times with Israel—so that they would learn important spiritual lessons in conjunction with the yearly seasons. In His omniscience, God determined a way to communicate with His creatures through the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) via the godly seed of Seth to Noah to Abraham, and eventually the writers of Scripture. From Adam to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Holy One communicates with mankind through visions and His voice. Eventually, however, the Lord decided to communicate more intimately with the man Moses who was the first to compile the Word of God for others to read. God formed a special bond and covenant with the people of Israel, who would be responsible for conveying His redemptive message to the whole world.

Remembering and observing the appointed times are critical for us as followers of the God of Israel, because the patterns established by these convocations testify to us who God is and what His plan for His people entails. The most basic reason for celebrating the appointed times is simply because the Lord has commanded that they be remembered. The Creator understands His Creation, and in His love for His people He has established certain seasons when He desires to be honored and revered. It is during these times of obedience to Him that we as His children should seek to hear His voice clearly and grow in our relationship with Him. We should assemble to remember what He has done for us, and what He will do in the future in the restored Kingdom. Leviticus 23 is an entire chapter of the Torah that lists the appointed times and how they are to be observed.

The Feasts of the Lord

When many think about the feasts of the Lord, Leviticus 23 often immediately comes to mind. In this text, Moses lists the following appointments:

1.      Pesach/Passover

2.      Chag HaMatzah/Feast of Unleavened Bread

3.      Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks

4.      Yom Teruah/Day of Blowing

5.      Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement

6.      Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles

7.      Shemini Atzeret/Eighth Day Assembly

These convocations are typically referred to as “the appointed feasts of the LORD” (RSV) and are thus described:

“The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “The LORD’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these: For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover. Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’” Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD. Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the LORD for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD. Along with the bread you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the LORD for the priest. On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.’ Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.”’ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.’ Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. These are the appointed times of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD—burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each day's matter on its own day—besides those of the sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts and besides all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”’ So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the LORD” (Leviticus 23).

We now introduce you to each one of the Biblical holidays in Leviticus 23 with the great significance that they have to us as Believers in the Messiah.

Passover/Pesach

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover” (Leviticus 23:5).

Of all the Biblical feasts, this is probably the one with which most Christians are familiar. Their familiarity with Passover or Pesach is no doubt due to the fact that the Exodus of the Ancient Israelites from Egypt is one of the most important themes in the Bible, as it depicts the Holy One of Israel as the God of Freedom, able to deliver us from slavery, but also as it depicts our exodus as Believers from death in sin to renewed life in Yeshua.[3] The angel of death passed over the homes of the Egyptians, and if the blood of the lamb was not over the doorposts, the first-born would die. Observance of Pesach in ancient times is specified for us in the Torah. Here are just some of the requirements:

1.      Families were to sacrifice a blameless lamb for their household: “each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household” (Exodus 12:3, NIV).

2.      The blood of the lamb was to be placed on the doorposts and lintel of the house: “they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it” (Exodus 12:7).

3.      When eating of the Passover lamb, families were to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs: “They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs” (Exodus 12:8).

4.      Passover is to be observed for all of the generations of the Israelites: “It is a night to be observed for the LORD for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the LORD, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations” (Exodus 12:42).

Passover was originally to be celebrated and remembered as a time when God showed His mighty power to the Egyptians and delivered the Ancient Israelites into freedom. It is, in essence, Israel’s first national holiday. It is to be a special time when we are to honor our Heavenly Father for the deliverance of the Ancient Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, and how He spared the first born by the shed blood of the lambs. It is something that we are to pass on to future generations, so that they might remember the power of the God we serve.

As many of you also know, Pesach has a great significance as it relates to the sacrifice of the Messiah for the forgiveness of our sins. Yeshua is the blameless Lamb of God. John the Immerser proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), and the Apostle Peter wrote that we are covered “with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Messiah” (1 Peter 1:19). Most importantly, the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed” (CJB).

Yeshua’s Last Supper meal was in actuality a Passover sedar, and many Christians today are beginning to celebrate Passover in their churches. The Messiah said to His Disciples, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). From this Last Supper is derived the common Christian practice of communion with the bread and the wine. (Although in its proper context the Lord’s Supper should be practiced with matzah or unleavened bread, and be commemorated really only once a year at the Passover meal.) The Last Supper is recorded for us in Matthew 26:18-19, 26-28:

“And He said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, ‘My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’”’ The disciples did as Yeshua had directed them; and they prepared the Passover…While they were eating, Yeshua took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.’”

Celebrating Passover today should be a great time of remembrance and celebration for us as Messianic Believers, as well as a time of severity. We are to remember the deliverance and Exodus of the Ancient Israelites from Egypt, and likewise remember the Last Supper and sacrifice of Yeshua at Golgotha (Calvary) for the atonement of our sins. We are to remember the Passover in Egypt and compare it to what happened at the cross. As Believers, we are to remember that the Ancient Israelites being brought forth from bondage into freedom by God parallels how He has brought us out of sin and into renewed life in Him.

In addition to remembering Pesach for the events of the past, we also remember it for the future. Yeshua said in Luke 22:16-18, “‘for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, ‘Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.’” We need to recognize that there is a future Passover coming when the cycle will be fulfilled and all things are made perfect, because the Messiah will be ruling and reigning from Jerusalem.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread/Chag HaMatzah

“‘Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work” (Leviticus 23:6-8).

The Festival of Unleavened Bread is called Chag HaMatzah in Hebrew. This holiday was instituted so that the Ancient Israelites would remember eating the bread of haste that they had to prepare quickly as they left Egypt. There was no time to let the bread rise, so instead they were forced to eat it unleavened. Unleavened bread or matzah was required to be eaten on the first night of Passover, and then was to be eaten for seven days:

“Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel” (Exodus 12:14-15).

Deuteronomy 16:3 specifically tells us that the Ancient Israelites were to eat unleavened bread, so that they would remember their affliction in Egypt:

“You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt.”

The Festival of Unleavened Bread is observed by removing all leavened items from one’s house. You are probably aware of the many “Kosher for Passover” items available during this time, as leavening items such as yeast have been removed from many products for use during Chag HaMatzah.

As Believers in the Messiah Yeshua, the Festival of Unleavened Bread takes on very important meaning for us as leaven is representative of sin throughout the Scriptures. Yeshua took our sin upon Himself at the cross. The Messiah Himself spoke of leaven in a negative context in Matthew 16:6 when He said, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” in reference to some of their teachings or actions which led to sinful behavior and attitudes.[4]

The Apostle Paul emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 5:8, in relation to Passover, “Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth,” encouraging the Corinthians that when they observe this holiday they were to get the leaven or sin out of their lives. The same is true with us as well. During the Passover season we participate in Chag HaMatzah by eating unleavened bread for seven days and are reminded of Yeshua’s sacrifice for us as He is the sinless, leaven-less, Bread of Life. Not surprisingly at all, Yeshua was born in Bethlehem, or in Hebrew Beit-Lechem, a name which means “House of Bread.”

As we observe Chag HaMatzah or the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we must be reminded of the prophecy of Isaiah 53:5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (KJV). Many Messianics have validly compared this prophecy to the beatings of Yeshua, who was scourged and mocked and shamed for us (cf. Matthew 27:26-31; Mark 15:15-20). Those of you who have seen matzah know that it has “stripes” and small holes in it, and that it is indeed “flat” or without leavening. When we partake of matzah, it should remind us of the true Bread of Life, Messiah Yeshua. He was without leaven, without sin as the Bread of Life, and was the atonement for us by His sacrifice on the cross.

We remember the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a reminder of the Israelites’ quick departure from Egypt and the bread of haste that they had to eat. But we also honor this festival in remembrance of Messiah Yeshua, who came as the leaven-less or sinless Lamb of God and was beaten and bruised for us.

The First Fruits Offering

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it”’” (Leviticus 23:9-11).

The first fruits offering was commanded to be given in conjunction with the Passover. Because there is no Temple any longer in which the priest can wave the omer or sheaf, or present the proper offerings, its celebration was largely discontinued in Judaism after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem.[5] Leviticus 23:11-14 tells us the kinds of offerings God expects to have presented to Him at this time:

“He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD. Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the LORD for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.”

Yeshua the Messiah fulfilled the typology of firstfruits via His resurrection. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “if Messiah has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” First Fruits was the time when the high priest or ha’kohen ha’gadol would enter into the Temple and wave the first fruits of the harvest before the Lord. It is representative of Yeshua’s being raised for us as we know that He is the first fruits of those who have been raised from the dead:

“But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died” (1 Corinthians 15:20, CJB).

Pentecost/Shavuot

“You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD…On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations” (Leviticus 23:15-16, 21).

Shavuot is known to many by its Greek-derived name Pentecost,[6] meaning fiftieth. Its Hebrew name is derived, however, from the plural form of shavua, which means “week,” in reference to the seven weeks or fifty days that are to be counted toward its observance (Deuteronomy 16:9). In Exodus 34:22, Shavuot is described as being the Feast of Weeks, as one must count seven weeks from Passover to this holiday:[7] “You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.” Shavuot was originally intended to be an agricultural festival, where the first of the wheat harvest would be presented to the Lord as an offering. Leviticus 23:17-20 says,

“You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD. Along with the bread you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the LORD for the priest.”

Since Second Temple Judaism, additional importance has been applied to Shavuot as it is most often associated with the giving of the Torah or Law to Moses. Shavuot is often referred to as the Feast of Revelation, being readily associated with God giving Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, which is certainly something worthy of celebration and convocation. The giving of the Ten Commandments, and indeed the entire Torah or Law, is something that is monumental for all of mankind—arguably second to the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua!

However, the events following the first Shavuot were not as glorious as we might make them out to be. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the commandments from the Lord, the Israelites were forsaking Him and making themselves a golden calf. As we know the story all too well from Exodus 32, when Moses came down from the mountain, he smashed the tablets:

“It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it” (Exodus 32:19-20).

A cry of war went out in the Israelite camp, because of this grave and terrible sin. Moses called those loyal to God to his side and ordered that they slay those who were sinning:

“Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies—then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, ‘Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!’ And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. He said to them, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.”’ So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day” (Exodus 32:25-28).

Three thousand Israelites were killed following the first Shavuot, because they sinned against the Lord and worshipped an idol. However, thirteen hundred years later in Jerusalem, as Shavuot was required to be one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Deuteronomy 16:16), this holiday experienced some important prophetic fulfillment. At this time, the Apostle Peter proclaimed a riveting word to those assembled in Jerusalem:

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Yeshua the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death…Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Messiah—this Yeshua whom you crucified” (Acts 2:22-23; 36).

Acts 2:41 tells us “that day there were added about three thousand souls.” Following the first Shavuot, or Pentecost as it is widely known, three thousand Israelites died because of their idolatry. Thirteen hundred years later, three thousand came to faith in the Messiah. The events at this Shavuot are extremely important for us to remember today. It was the time when the Holy Spirit came to the Believers: “And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance” (Acts 2:2-4). Prior to this time, the Holy Spirit or Ruach HaKodesh was only given to kings of Israel, prophets, and those specifically anointed by the Lord. But now, all who had faith in Yeshua were given the Spirit (cf. Joel 2:28-29).

When we celebrate Shavuot now as Messianic Believers, there is much for us to be thankful for and to remember. We are to first remember the offerings that were to be presented to the Lord in the Temple as a pleasurable aroma to Him. We then remember what we should consider to be the second most important event in our faith (the first being Messiah’s resurrection): the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai. And as Believers, we are reminded that on the Shavuot or Pentecost following the Messiah’s ascension into Heaven that the Holy Spirit was poured out on those gathered and that many were saved.[8]

The Day of Blowing/Yom Teruah or Rosh HaShanah

“Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:23-25).

The first of the Fall moedim is known as Yom Teruah or the Day of Blowing, also commonly called the Feast of Trumpets. Teruah means “shout or blast of war, alarm, or joy” (BDB).[9] All of these definitions play out on Yom Teruah, as we are commanded by God to have a holy convocation and enjoin ourselves to one another. It is to be a day of rest so that we might properly remember. In Judaism today, Yom Teruah is called Rosh HaShanah and is celebrated as the Civil New Year, as according to tradition it was during this time of year that God created the world.

Yom Teruah has been commemorated in the past, and is today, as a holiday where we celebrate God, and remember the fact that we are His people and we can convene together. It is a time where the shofar or ram’s horn is traditionally blown to commemorate the work of God. As Messianic Believers, we assemble to blow the shofar and convene together.

It is notable that Yom Teruah, the Day of Blowing, is a Biblical festival that many Christians are familiar with. They are familiar with it because many prophecy teachers believe that Yeshua will return on this day, because of the simple reason that the trumpet is blown on this day. They compare the trumpet blown on Yom Teruah to the trumpet blown in Second Coming passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

What must we celebrate on Yom Teruah? Obviously, we must come together in a holy convocation and remember the blowing of the shofar. We do this because the LORD is God and He is Ruler of the Universe. We blow because Yeshua is the Messiah and Redeemer, and we praise Him for who He is and what He has done for us. We convocate because we are God’s people and Yeshua is coming to fulfill the Fall feasts sometime in the future and gather us into His presence at the blowing of the trumpet.

The Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God’” (Leviticus 23:26-28).

Just as many Christians are familiar with the Feast of Trumpets, many of the same are familiar with Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement, considered today to be the holiest and most sacred time in Judaism. Yom Kippur is to be a day when we are commanded to “afflict” (ATS) ourselves or “practice self-denial” (NJPS), usually by fasting and by spending the day before God, confessing our sins of the previous year and meditating on the future. The Day of Atonement was Biblically the only time when the high priest was permitted to go into the Holy of Holies and spread the sacrificial blood upon the Ark of the Covenant to cover the sin of the people. Following the return of the Southern Kingdom exiles from Babylon, Yom Kippur became the only appropriate time that God’s Divine Name was to be spoken aloud—and that was in the Temple alone.

In recent days in the Christian community, there has been a substantial amount of discussion about the need for repentance and reconciliation with God. Many of these movements have had some limited success for a season, but often then fade away for some reason or another. Why does this seem to happen? The simple truth of the matter is that there is a Biblical time when this required repentance and reconciliation with God is to take place: Yom Kippur. Furthermore, concerning Yom Kippur, Leviticus 23:29-30 says,

“If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.”

The severity of the Day of Atonement cannot be overemphasized here. Those who do not humble and afflict themselves and abstain from work are to be cut off. The Hebrew verb is karat, appearing in the Nifal stem (simple action, passive voice), meaning “to be cut off, disappear,” “to be exterminated,” “to be wiped out, be eliminated,” “to be cut off, excluded from the religious community” (HALOT).[10] As Believers in Messiah Yeshua, we need to learn to take Yom Kippur very seriously. The Day of Atonement is intended to be a very serious and sober time. It is to be a time where we are reminded of our humanity before a holy and righteous Creator. It is to be a time where we are to reflect and confess sin.

Many prophecy teachers are of the opinion that a future Day of Atonement will be the time when the Day of the LORD or Yom ADONAI occurs, that being the time when God’s wrath is poured out upon the unsaved of Planet Earth and Yeshua defeats His enemies at Armageddon. This concept is readily emphasized in the Tanach:

“Wail, for the day of the LORD is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty…Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it…Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the fury of the LORD of hosts in the day of His burning anger” (Isaiah 13:6, 9, 13).

We are told in Ezekiel 30:3, “For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.”

There are numerous other references in Scripture to this horrible time, each of which speaks of in some way “the day of the LORD’s anger” (Zephaniah 2:2). Perhaps the prophetic fulfillment of Yom Kippur is best understood to represent this time period, as the Day of Atonement is to be considered a very solemn, serious occasion between oneself and the Lord for reflection. Yom Kippur is to be a day of mourning, and the Scriptures tell us that at Yeshua’s appearing to defeat His enemies “the tribes of the earth will mourn” (Matthew 24:29; Revelation 1:7).

We as Messianic Believers need to observe Yom Kippur each year by afflicting ourselves and standing in awe of a holy, righteous, and eternal God. We must take this day very seriously and confess our sin before the Lord, claiming the blood of Messiah Yeshua, and dedicating ourselves to His service for another year. All too often, on the Day of Atonement we are reminded of how human we are before our Creator and how much we must be humbled. It reminds us of His final judgment on mankind when many will say, “who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17, KJV).

Yom Kippur is to be a time of severity, and it is an appropriate time for us to remember Yeshua’s triumph over sin, death, and Satan. It would be a good thing for the Messianic community if we started emphasizing the events of the coming Day of the LORD at Yom Kippur as well, where we read the Scriptures of the judgment of the world that is prophesied, so that we might pray for the salvation of the lost.

Tabernacles/Sukkot

“Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work” (Leviticus 23:33-36).

Following Yom Kippur is Sukkot, the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles. Leviticus 23:42-43 tells us that during Sukkot “You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.” This was to be in remembrance of the time when the Lord led the Ancient Israelites out of Egypt and when they would build sukkahs (Heb. pl. sukkot) or temporary dwelling places.

Sukkot, along with the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Shavuot or Pentecost, is one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Deuteronomy 16:16). Today, there are varying ways that Messianic Believers observe Sukkot. Some are actually able to go to Israel and to Jerusalem during the feast and assemble with other Believers from all over the world. For those who are unable to go—which is most of us—many celebrations take place at local congregations where a congregational sukkah is built, usually from a wooden frame covered in palm branches or other “leafy” branches in remembrance of the temporary dwellings of the Israelites in the wilderness. Some prefer to camp out in their backyards, and tabernacle with their families.

There is, of course, substantial significance regarding Sukkot for us as Believers and its relation to prophecy and to Yeshua. In Exodus 25:8, the Lord tells us, “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.” This verse establishes the fundamental principle of Sukkot: God dwelling in the midst of human beings. We know that this element of our faith is realized fully in Messiah Yeshua, who “became flesh, and did tabernacle among us” (John 1:14, YLT). But at the same time, we eagerly cry out “Come quickly Lord Yeshua!” so that we might see Him manifested in all His glory here on Earth in His Kingdom.

Sukkot is a time where we are to concentrate on our Heavenly Father and His earnest desire to live among us. When Yeshua physically returns to the Earth we will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Zechariah 14:16-17 tells us that those during the Millennium who do not go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles will not receive any rain from God:

“Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them.”

Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles is a wonderful holiday that our Heavenly Father is restoring to His people. Sukkot is indeed becoming a time where Messianic Believers are being drawn together in their congregational settings, and hopefully, when we are all drawn to the Lord and His desire to have fellowship with us.

Eighth Day Assembly/Shemini Atzeret

“On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work” (Leviticus 23:36b).

Shemini Atzeret or the Eighth Day Assembly is often overlooked as a part of Sukkot or Tabernacles, but it is considered its own separate holiday by most in Judaism today, coming after the seven days of Sukkot. Shemini Atzeret represents the desire of our Heavenly Father to stay with us for “one more day,” as we rest and reflect back on the time that we spent with Him during Tabernacles. It symbolizes how we will live with God forever in New Jerusalem after the thousand-year Millennium.

Much of the Messianic community overlooks Shemini Atzeret as its own separate event. Shemini Atzeret often occurs in conjunction with Simchat Torah, an added festival which commemorates the start of the next annual Torah reading cycle.[11]

How do we observe the appointed times?

In this lesson, we have only skimmed the surface of the significance of each one of the appointed times or moedim that are listed in Leviticus 23, to hopefully peak your interest in them. What we have tried to do is explain the importance that each one of these celebrations has for us as Messianic Believers, the restoration that God is bringing to us by us celebrating them, and how Yeshua is reflected in each holiday. But how do we celebrate them today as Believers? What is the best way to honor our Heavenly Father?

There are many Jewish traditions associated with the moedim that are good and edifying to the Body of Messiah, and they should be observed. Then again, there are some Jewish traditions associated with these holidays that are not Biblical. We trust that you will seek balance and fairness in this regard. It is not prudent at all to simply reject everything that Judaism brings to these holidays, as is the case with some, but then at the same time accept everything Jewish either, that may draw us away from the Messiah. With all things, exhibit caution and discernment. They must pass Paul’s test in Philippians 4:8 as to whether or not they are edifying to the Body of Messiah.[12]

Ultimately, however you choose to celebrate the feasts of the Lord is up to you, but please leave leeway and grace for those who may not celebrate them exactly as you do. Let us remember that we are all on the road together and as humans we all fall short of God’s holy standard.

Why do we celebrate the Biblical Feasts?

When you begin to celebrate the feasts of the Lord, you will start to marvel at how each has multiple meanings. They look to the past and to the future. Our Heavenly Father in His Creation has established patterns for life and living. In His infinite wisdom, the Most High originally devised a series of convocations that followed the seasonal changes of an agricultural society, He divided the feasts into the Spring and the Fall, and He had the Ancient Israelites observe them on an annual basis. In His infinite wisdom the Lord knew that His people needed annual events that would be used to portray His redemptive plan for Creation. Participation in these events allows us to teach future generations about not only the history of the people of Israel, but also about the future when the Lord Himself will live with us on Earth. The holy convocations serve as rehearsals for future events.

When you begin to become more Messianic, it is normal for you to begin reading and studying the Scriptures with increasing enlightenment. The appointed times bring great richness and meaning to your faith, and they all point to our Messiah Yeshua. We guarantee that you will not be disappointed by integrating the celebration of the moedim into your faith practice, and that our Father will most certainly bless you!

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 6

[1] Cf. Galatians 6:16.

[2] “The fast” is undoubtedly a reference to Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. The NIV Study Bible confirms this, noting, “The Jewish Day of Atonement fell in the latter part of September or in October. The usual sailing season by Jewish calculation lasted from Pentecost (May-June) to Tabernacles, which was five days after the Fast” (Kenneth L. Barker, ed., et. al. [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002], 1738).

[3] The themes of the Exodus are receiving a great deal of attention among today’s evangelical Christian scholars, not only for what they teach us about salvation in Yeshua, but also God’s tasks for His people. Consult Christopher J.H. Wright, “God’s Model of Redemption: The Exodus,” in The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2006), pp 265-288.

[4] Edmon L. Rowell, Jr., “leaven,” in David Noel Freedman, ed., Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000), 798.

[5] Consult the entry for “firstfruits” in Jacob Neusner and William Scott Green, eds., Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002), 228.

[6] Grk. Pentēkostē.

[7] Note that the command to count “from the day after the sabbath” (Leviticus 23:15) has been interpreted differently for at least 2,300 years. During the time of Yeshua, the Sadducees considered “the sabbath” here to be a reference to the weekly Shabbat, whereas the Pharisees interpreted it as a reference to the High Sabbath of Unleavened Bread. In Judaism today, the Pharisaical method is what is followed. Messianic practice invariably differs.

[8] For resources on how to keep the Spring festivals with your family, including the Festival of Purim (Esther 9:26-27), consult the Messianic Spring Holiday Helper available from TNN Press.

[9] BDB, 929.

[10] HALOT, 1:501.

[11] For resources on how to keep the Fall festivals with your family, consult the Messianic Fall Holiday Helper available from TNN Press.

CHAPTER 6 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Do you think it is significant that large numbers of non-Jewish Believers are celebrating the Biblical holidays?

2. Why are we to celebrate the Biblical moedim?

3. Briefly describe Passover and its significance to us as Believers in Messiah.

4. Briefly describe the Feast of Unleavened Bread and its significance to us as Believers in Messiah.

5. Briefly describe the Feast of Weeks and its significance to us as Believers in Messiah.

6. Briefly describe the Day of Blowing and its significance to us as Believers in Messiah.

7. Briefly describe the Day of Atonement and its significance to us as Believers in Messiah.

8. Briefly describe the Feast of Tabernacles and its significance to us as Believers in Messiah.

9. Briefly describe the Eighth Day Assembly and its significance to us as Believers in Messiah.

10. When Believers celebrate the appointed times today, what should be the emphasis of our celebration? To what regard should Jewish tradition be incorporated? How should we properly allow for variance in celebration?

11. Are you excited about celebrating the Biblical holidays? Why or why not?

12. Why do you think mainstream Christianity today largely does not keep the appointed times, or believes them to be unimportant?

-7-

Why Do We Eat Biblically Kosher?

JKM

One of the specific areas where Messianic lifestyle practice is notably different than that of most Believers is our adherence to the Torah-prescribed dietary laws of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. In our experience as a Messianic family, we have discovered that this area of practice is one of the most misunderstood by Christians. This partially comes about because of ignorance, and at the same time because many believe, whether they consciously realize it or not, that God somehow does not have the right to tell us what we can and cannot ingest into our bodies. Those of us who consider Him to be the Lord of our lives know that He has the right to tell us what we can and cannot eat, and with this in mind, it is important for us to review why we are to eat kosher.

1 Peter 1:14-16 tells us, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”” We have discussed previously that the correct understanding of being “holy” is being set-apart from the world. The Apostle Peter admonishes us to be holy. But what is most interesting is where this statement is made in the Torah, and what “being holy” is connected to:

“For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth…This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten” (Leviticus 11:44, 46-47).

Being holy unto God and set-apart from the world is connected to how we eat, and what creatures are considered food and not food. The Hebrew term kashrut, commonly used today to describe the proper animals for consumption, is probably related to the verb qadash, appearing in the Hitpael stem in Leviticus 11:44 (intensive action, reflective voice) meaning, “behave as (people who have been) consecrated, made holy” (CHALOT).[1] In our day and age as the Lord restores us to Himself, many Believers are being convicted to eat kosher. But as we should all be aware, doing this is controversial, and there are many questions which arise. In this lesson we briefly review what God tells us about the dietary laws and why we believe they are still to be followed today.

Ask Adam and Eve

When bringing up the subject of the dietary laws of the Torah, many will tell us that they are not important, and that God does not care what we eat or do not eat; it is often said all that matters is that our heart is right with Him. As we begin to address this subject, let us state clearly that we do not consider this to be a salvation issue. What matters first and foremost is that we demonstrate love and compassion to one another (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18), and we are truly reconciled with God through His Son, Yeshua the Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:18). However, it should and must be noted that our actions as Believers can demonstrate whether or not we are right with the Lord, and are continually maturing in our faith. Go all the way back to the Garden of Eden and recall what the Lord told Adam and Eve:

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die’” (Genesis 2:15-17).

From the beginning of human history our Heavenly Father has placed an importance on what we eat. He commanded Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and told them if they ate from it they would die. We know what happened; Adam and Eve did not obey and they ate the forbidden fruit:

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (Genesis 3:6-7).

Notice how the Scripture says that the forbidden fruit was “a delight to the eyes.” The Hebrew word ta’avah specifically means “desire, wish,” “lust, appetite, covetousness,” “thing desired” (BDB).[2] We might infer from this that Adam and Eve were lusting over the forbidden fruit, and we all know the consequences of their actions:

“Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’—therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:22-24).

The reason man fell was because Adam and Eve ate something that they should not have. Is what we eat and do not eat at all important? Ask Adam and Eve that question!

An Early Understanding of Clean and Unclean

Prior to the Noahdic Flood, humans were only permitted to eat fruits and vegetables. “Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you’” (Genesis 1:29). This prohibition was lifted after the Flood, when it was necessary for human diet to change, commonly thought due to changes in Earth’s ecology or the necessity to limit lifespan (Genesis 6:3). The Lord says in Genesis 9:1-4,

“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”

Some will examine these verses and say that all animals are acceptable for eating. After all, does not this text say, “Everything that lives and moves[3] will be food for you” (NIV)? This would include things which are considered unclean. This is a false conclusion, because Noah was commanded to take more than just two of every animal species into the Ark (Genesis 6:19-20). If Noah only took two of every animal into the Ark, and then began eating meat after the Ark rested on Mount Ararat, then he could be responsible for the extinction of certain animal species. But this is not the case, because the Lord commanded him to take seven pairs of every clean animal:

“You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female” (Genesis 7:2).

Why was this command given? It was given in anticipation of the sacrifices that would take place and the lifting of the prohibition on eating meat. Nahum M. Sarna observes that “Traditional commentators explain that 6:19-20 refer to the minimum number needed for the regeneration of the species, whereas 7:2-3 include the additional pure animals needed for the sacrifices after the Flood.”[4] The “creeping things” that man is allowed to eat are those things that Noah was able to eat—of the seven pairs of clean animals. Prior to the formal giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai there was an understanding of clean and unclean.[5]

What does God consider food?

Many do not realize it, but God does not consider all things to be food. The food lists are given to us in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. The Hebrew word used in relationship to “food” is okel, whose Greek equivalent in the Septuagint and Apostolic Scriptures is brōma. This means that when brōma or “food” is talked about in the New Testament, it is referencing those things which God considers to be okel or proper for our eating—not whatever is considered “food” in the Twenty-First Century. Let us now review the food lists of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 and realize what our Heavenly Father considers to be food.

The opening statement that is made concerning the dietary commandments says, “The LORD spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth”’” (Leviticus 11:1-2). It is more direct in Deuteronomy 14 when the Lord simply states “You shall not eat any detestable thing” (v. 3). The Hebrew toevah defined as an “abomination” (ATS), can relate to a “worshipper of idols,” “various objectionable acts,” “idolatrous practices,” and “idolatrous objects” (BDB).[6]

Land Animals

“Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these, among those which chew the cud, or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you. Likewise, the shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof, it is unclean to you; and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you” (Leviticus 11:3-8).

“These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. Any animal that divides the hoof and has the hoof split in two and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these among those which chew the cud, or among those that divide the hoof in two: the camel and the rabbit and the shaphan, for though they chew the cud, they do not divide the hoof; they are unclean for you. The pig, because it divides the hoof but does not chew the cud, it is unclean for you. You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses” (Deuteronomy 14:4-8).

The list of land animals that may be eaten by God’s people is rather succinct. The requirements for clean land animals are that they must have a full hoof split in two and chew a cud. Clean land animals most commonly eaten today include: cows, sheep, goats, and various types of game such as deer. Unless someone goes to a very fancy gourmet restaurant, paying exorbitant fees for their meal, most do not eat rabbit or badger. The most notable animal on the list that is considered unclean, of course, is the pig. And, the consumption of pork is quite a big industry and phenomenon today.

Marine Creatures

“These you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, and they shall be abhorrent to you; you may not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest. Whatever in the water does not have fins and scales is abhorrent to you” (Leviticus 11:9-12).

“These you may eat of all that are in water: anything that has fins and scales you may eat, but anything that does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you” (Deuteronomy 14:9-10).

The list of marine creatures acceptable to eat is very short. Only two requirements are given: they must have fins and scales. This would qualify many types of fish, freshwater and seawater, but it would disqualify certain types of predator and scavenger fish (i.e., shark, catfish) and all types of popular shellfish (i.e., shrimp, crab, lobster, oyster, clam, mussels).

Birds and Flying Creatures

“These, moreover, you shall detest among the birds; they are abhorrent, not to be eaten: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard, and the kite and the falcon in its kind, every raven in its kind, and the ostrich and the owl and the sea gull and the hawk in its kind, and the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl, and the white owl and the pelican and the carrion vulture, and the stork, the heron in its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat” (Leviticus 11:13-19).

“You may eat any clean bird. But these are the ones which you shall not eat: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard, and the red kite, the falcon, and the kite in their kinds, and every raven in its kind, and the ostrich, the owl, the sea gull, and the hawk in their kinds, the little owl, the great owl, the white owl, the pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant, the stork, and the heron in their kinds, and the hoopoe and the bat” (Deuteronomy 14:11-18).

The list of unacceptable birds that are not to be eaten primarily includes birds of prey. These unclean birds include things that are not widely consumed by anyone, notably as many of these birds like the eagle or falcon are considered endangered species today. There is a growing trend in America to eat ostrich as a delicacy meat, but it is only limited to a few parts of the country. Birds that are considered acceptable for consumption today include: chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and numerous other fowl that are primarily wild.

Insects

“All the winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. Yet these you may eat among all the winged insects which walk on all fours: those which have above their feet jointed legs with which to jump on the earth. These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the devastating locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds. But all other winged insects which are four-footed are detestable to you” (Leviticus 11:20-23).

This listing primarily concerns insects and which insects may and may not be eaten. Most people today do not eat insects, and it is notable that those who do as culinary delights primarily eat those considered clean: locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

Other Forbidden Creatures

“Now these are to you the unclean among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the mole, and the mouse, and the great lizard in its kinds, and the gecko, and the crocodile, and the lizard, and the sand reptile, and the chameleon. These are to you the unclean among all the swarming things; whoever touches them when they are dead becomes unclean until evening” (Leviticus 11:29-31).

Other forbidden creatures also include animals that are not commonly eaten unless in the modern context of being considered delicacies. They include “the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon” (NIV). It is notable that most do not eat mice, rats, alligators, crocodiles, snakes, or lizards.

This concludes the food lists and what God considers acceptable and unacceptable for our consumption.

Peter’s Vision

While there are many reasons given by Christians today as to why the dietary laws are supposedly no longer important to be followed, the most common support given is the Apostle Peter’s vision of Acts 10. Let us carefully review this passage of Scripture and consider it in its proper context:

“On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat!’ But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.’ Again a voice came to him a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky” (Acts 10:9-16).

Many conclude from Peter’s vision here that we can eat whatever we want. Peter, as a Jew who observed the dietary laws, was now told by God Himself that he could go to the marketplace and eat what was considered unclean in the Law of Moses.

But is this truly the case? In the verses following did Peter truly do this? Do we see Peter going from his hungry state out to the marketplace and eating unclean things? No, we do not. On the contrary, when we review Acts 10:17-48, Peter went to the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius, a non-Jew, but a righteous man who feared the Holy One of Israel. Peter presented him with the gospel message of Messiah Yeshua. Cornelius and all in his house were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit:

“When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I too am just a man.’ As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. And he said to them, ‘You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me?’” (Acts 10:25-29).

In his dialogue with those of Cornelius’ household, Peter very clearly presents the correct interpretation of the vision God gave him—and it has absolutely nothing to do with the dietary laws. Peter states quite plainly, “God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean” (Acts 10:28, NRSV). The Greek text uses the word anthrōpos, which very clearly means “a member of the human race…a human being” (BDAG).[7]

God showed Peter this vision because all human beings are made clean by the blood of Messiah Yeshua. Because the gospel was now being spread out beyond the borders of the Land of Israel, it was necessary for God to communicate this understanding to Peter in conceptual thought, as we see a scene not that unlike previously witnessed by the Prophet Ezekiel.[8] Peter believed that “it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him” (Acts 10:28, NIV). However, the Torah itself prohibited no such thing.[9] The Lord communicated to him that “unclean” people were now clean because of Yeshua. Peter later states in Acts 10:34-35, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.”

By the actions which occur after his vision, the Biblical text is dealing with the cleansing of human beings who have been washed clean by the Messiah’s blood, not the supposed “cleansing” of unclean meats, which are not considered food by God. After seeing his vision Peter did not go to the marketplace and buy pork or shellfish—he went to the home of Cornelius and presented him with the gospel message.

How do we eat kosher today?

Once a person is convicted of the validity of the dietary laws today, one of the most pressing issues is how these commandments are to be followed in our daily lives. As many Messianic friends we know have observed, this is one of the areas where we can have friction with our Christian brothers and sisters, especially those who believe that the dietary commandments have been abolished. Furthermore, there is considerable variance in the Messianic community between those who keep kosher. Some try to do what they believe the Bible says, others look to the example of Orthodox Judaism which has added many regulations to what Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 direct, and then there are those who fall somewhere in between, following Scripture and respecting tradition. We encourage you to be led by the Holy Spirit in all things and recognize that within the Messianic community these commandments are kept differently among brethren.

Our family went kosher in 1996. We were new to the Messianic movement and attending a Messianic Jewish congregation. Initially, we did not see the validity of the dietary laws for all of God’s people, but did want to be sensitive to the needs of others in the congregation. My mother, Margaret McKee Huey, did a little research lest we bring something unacceptable to the congregation for others to eat. She was reading a Messianic magazine while on a family trip and she realized that the dietary laws were applicable for us as well. When we got home, the bacon, sausage, ham, crab, and shrimp all got thrown out of the refrigerator and freezer. Initially, this did not go over well within the family!

It took a few months for me to see the importance of eating kosher. We do not change overnight, and I am certainly no exception. Of all the members of our family, I may have been one of the hardest to convince of the validity of the dietary laws. I went kosher kicking and screaming. I would eat pork and shellfish under my parents’ nose, consciously knowing that they would not like it. But, given time and the realization that Yeshua did indeed eat kosher, God convicted me about it. Today, probably more than anyone else in the family, I am the most firm (softly) about the kosher laws. It does take time.

Is it really important?

Is eating kosher really that important? Considering the modern American diet, we are basically talking about abstaining from pork and shellfish. Have not Believers been eating unclean things for centuries? Were they wrong to do so? Did God bless them any less than He has blessed us?

It is absolutely true that what comes out of a person’s mouth is more important than what goes into it (Mark 7:20-21).[10] Yet, we are living in a time when forgotten truths are being restored to the Body of Messiah. The command not to eat certain things is true all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Some believe that they can replace the God-given commandments of kashrut with their own. A few have told me that it is only the “principle that matters,” and that while they eat unclean meats, they observe the dietary laws because they do not drink alcohol or smoke tobacco. But this is not what the commandments of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 say; these commandments direct God’s people not to consume the flesh of unclean animals. We cannot “negotiate with God” concerning what He tells us to do, and what we want to do.

If we want to live a Torah obedient life like Yeshua’s, then we will endeavor to eat as He ate and not seek our own will and desires in this matter. We do not need to be opposing eternal statutes of God that decree that certain creatures are unacceptable for human consumption. We need to know that the kosher laws of clean and unclean have important things to teach us about holiness. Consider the following words that the Lord Himself says about clean and unclean things and the Last Days:

“For the LORD will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on all flesh, and those slain by the LORD will be many. Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, following one in the center, who eat swine's flesh, detestable things and mice, will come to an end altogether,’ declares the LORD. ‘For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory’” (Isaiah 66:16-18).

It is important that we point out that the KJV rendering of these verses tell us that it is those who eat unclean things who will be the ones who say that they are “holier than thou”—not those of us who only eat acceptable things, as some are accused:

“A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; which say, stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day” (Isaiah 65:3-5, KJV).

It is the LORD God Himself who says that in the Last Days He will judge those who eat swine’s flesh, detestable things, and mice. We sincerely hope and pray that those who tell us that what we are doing is wrong will see the validity of His Instruction and not be judged in His wrath, because they would be pretty hard-pressed to provide an alternative interpretation of these prophecies. On the contrary, as Yeshua says, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries” (Mark 7:20-21). If what we say to others does not edify them, and in our keeping of the dietary laws of Scripture we do not demonstrate a positive testimony, then the Holy Spirit will be unable to convict our fellow brothers and sisters of what we have been convicted of.[11]

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 7

[1] CHALOT, 314.

[2] BDB, 16.

[3] Heb. kol-remes.

[4] Nahum M. Sarna, “Genesis,” in Etz Hayim, 44.

[5] For a further discussion, consult the exegetical paper on Genesis 9:3-7, “Why Meat?” by J.K. McKee.

[6] BDB, pp 1072-1073.

[7] BDAG, 81.

[8] Ezekiel 4:14-15; 8:9-10.

[9] The Mishnah says in m.Ohalot 18:7, “Dwelling places of gentiles [in the Land of Israel] are unclean” (Neusner, Mishnah, 980), and as such Jews in the Second Temple period did not often voluntarily associate themselves with others. The Greek word athemitos used in Acts 10:28, in most Bibles rendered as “unlawful,” does not mean unlawful in the sense of something against the Torah. It pertains, rather, “to not being sanctioned, not allowed, forbidden” (BDAG, 24), relating to custom or opinion, as opposed to something that is Biblical law.

[10] Consult the FAQ on the TNN website, “Mark 7:19,” for an explanation of the phrase which appears in most Bibles as “Thus He declared all foods clean.”

[11] This chapter includes adapted excerpts from the article “To Eat or Not to Eat?” by J.K. McKee, which we recommend you read for a scholastic handling of many of the arguments against eating kosher. You may also want to read his article “How Do We Properly Keep Kosher?” for some guidelines on how to follow the Torah’s dietary laws.

CHAPTER 7 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What verses in the Torah does Peter quote from where the Lord says “you shall be holy for I am holy”? What is the context of “holiness” knowing its Torah background?

2. What is the Hebrew term kashrut derived from?

3. What was the first commandment given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?

4. Describe what the forbidden fruit might have been like in light of the Hebrew word ta’avah.

5. Do you or do you not believe that there was an understanding of clean and unclean prior to the Noahdic Flood? Why or why not?

6. Do you believe that the Tanach (Old Testament) meaning of “food” carries over into the Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament)? Why or why not?

7. List some of the land animals, marine creatures, and birds that people eat today which are considered unclean.

8. What is the interpretation of Peter’s vision of Acts 10, given to us by Peter himself?

9. What aspects of your diet do you believe will have to change?

10. What do you think about those who defiantly oppose the dietary laws in light of Isaiah 66?

-8-

How Do We Overcome the Hurdles to the Messianic Lifestyle?

JKM

We are all highly conscious as a Messianic family of the fact that how we live our lives and practice our faith is not the norm. By this point in our study, it is important to emphasize, whether you have discovered it or not, that there are differences between mainstream Christianity and the Messianic movement, and that you will likely receive criticism for how you practice your faith. Being Messianic and living a Messianic lifestyle is not necessarily the same as being a “Christian.” While the terms “Christian” and “Messianic” both derive from the respective Hebrew and Greek words which mean “Anointed One,” and are supposed to convey the idea that those who are called these terms are followers of the Anointed One, Mashiach or Christos, the Messiah or the Christ, the reality of the matter is that there are significant practitional differences between the two. Consider Christian and Messianic handling of the following Scripture passage:

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

What we have just quoted is known as the Shema, considered to be the watchword of Biblical faith. Its substance is the statement Shema Yisrael, ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad, “the LORD our God, the LORD is one.” Many in Christianity will focus their attention on the English of this verse, and debate endlessly on the Godhead and the exact context of “one.” There are those who believe that “one” or echad denotes an absolute oneness in the Godhead, and then others who believe that it implies a composite oneness and that the Godhead is plural. While it is notable that the Hebrew word for “God,” Elohim, is in fact plural, the essence of the Shema is not a debate over the nature of God and how He can and cannot reveal Himself to humanity. The truth of the matter is that none of us is omnipotent and it is inappropriate for us to place limits on the Almighty. The essence of the Shema is obedience to God and that He should be primary in our lives.[1]

The Hebrew verb for “hear” is shama and it has a wide variety of meanings in the Hebrew Scriptures, not exclusively limited to just hearing with one’s ears. Some definitions of shama used throughout the Hebrew Scriptures include: “hear of, concerning,” “hear with attention, interest, listen to,” “listen, give heed,” “listen to, yield to,” and “be regarded, obeyed” (BDB).[2] When the Lord tells us to listen to Him, He is not just speaking about our physical hearing. He is asking that we hear and we obey Him. This is something that many Christians today sadly lack. Many consider the Ten Commandments to just be “Ten Suggestions” and that the Torah is just “commentary” on how we can live, rather than how we should live. The Orthodox Jewish ArtScroll Tanach offers an interesting rendering of Deuteronomy 6:4: “HASHEM is our God, HASHEM is the One and Only.” NJPS has “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.”[3] What these different renderings are both attempting to communicate is that the LORD is God over us all and that He has the final say. We are to adhere to Him and to no one else.

It is important for us to realize that Yeshua the Messiah told us that making God the Father the foremost in our lives is the greatest commandment in the Torah:

“One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment” (Matthew 22:35-38; cf. Deuteronomy 6:5).

Notice that the key to making God the first and foremost in your life is obeying Him. The Shema admonishes us to keep the commandments of the Torah, to teach them to posterity after us, and continually speak about them. They are to be on our hearts and minds all the time. In fact, as some of you probably already know, Rabbinical Judaism interprets the commandment to bind the Word as a sign on the arm and on the forehead by wrapping tefillin, phylacteries or leather boxes with parchments in them detailing the commandment. In Judaism, wrapping tefillin is considered to be one of the most important of the daily commandments.

Lack of devotion and complete commitment to God on the part of many Christians is one of the reasons why you will receive criticism for your Messianic lifestyle. By performing actions that many consider to be abnormal, or reserved only for ancient times, by your proper conduct and obedience to the Lord the Holy Spirit will convict others. Sadly, there will be many who do not like such conviction. Be encouraged by these words of Yeshua:

“As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him” (1 John 2:24-27).

In understanding that we may be criticized for our Messianic walk of faith, we also need to be fair to our Christian brethren who do not understand us. If it had not been for mainstream Christianity, most of us would not know Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) as our personal Lord and Savior. We would be unregenerate souls not possessing eternal life and being born again. Many of us received a foundational grounding and training up in the Word of God during our Church experience. If it were not for the Church, we would be unfamiliar with Holy Scripture and what it teaches us. We are all indebted to the Reformers and the many missionaries and theologians and ministers of the gospel from the Church. Many of them were and are sincere Believers, and have obeyed the Lord to the best of their understanding. They have functioned in the call that He has had for them. They did not largely know what we know today about our faith heritage in Judaism.[4] God will judge them for the light that they have, and we should not be condemning of them. It is the responsibility of today’s Messianics to build upon the work of those who have preceded us.

We are all called to mature in our faith. We are to abide in the Messiah and arrive at adulthood. It is important to note that the Greek verb menō, commonly rendered as “abide” in the Apostolic Scriptures, also means “continue.”[5] Yeshua did indeed tell us “unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Unless we have the faith of a child, having a simple understanding and not trying to figure everything out all at once, we cannot receive eternal life. But once we have been spiritually regenerated and born again, are we to stay like children? Are we to remain in the faith of a child? Or are we to mature in our faith and grow to adulthood? Are we not to continue in our faith? Our Lord instructs, “Abide [menō] in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides [menō] in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide [menō] in Me” (John 15:4).

This is something we have to keep in mind when it comes to Messianic things and the process of Torah obedience. Should we not be pursuing God more and more and ceding as much control of our lives over to Him as possible? I believe that we should and that this is what the Bible teaches us. I believe that when we say that God is the One and Only, that it means He has complete control over our actions. What is a better way to demonstrate our faith to the world around us than by our actions? James the Just says, “But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works’” (James 2:18). Demonstrating our faith outwardly by our works, admittedly, is something that is not easy for all of us to do. While many Messianics understand the need to live a Torah observant life like Yeshua and the early Believers, doing it in today’s Twenty-First Century world and modern culture is something else.

What hurdles must be overcome?

We are all on the road of faith and not a single one of us has “arrived.” We are all maturing in our faith. In the quest to be Messianic, meaning more “Messiah like,” there are specific hurdles that we all have had to overcome. Some of these things have been helpful in our family becoming more like Yeshua, and have helped us be a testimony of salvation and great spiritual change to others around us. But at the same time, some of the things we have looked into may have taken our family on rabbit trails and detours that we can learn from and warn others about, who are just beginning their Messianic experience.

My experience as a Messianic Believer was probably very unique. Since my high school years I have been involved in the Messianic movement. During the time when I was maturing as a young adult, the only religious experience I was exposed to was Messianic. During the years when I was “finding myself” as a person, I was developing as a Messianic Believer and not as a “Christian.” When I went off to college in 1999, Peter’s words of “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV), took on a new meaning for me.

I entered the University of Oklahoma in 1999 truly believing that the Messianic community and Christian community were one and the same. I believed that the only difference between us was that the Messianics tried to live the lifestyle of the First Century Believers closer than most Christians. But only a year-and-a-half into my college career I discovered that this is not the case with many. While there are many in mainstream Christianity who are eager to hear about the Hebraic Roots of the faith, and learn about the Torah or symbols such as the menorah or the shofar, once the symbols become a lifestyle, then it can become wrong. As long as I shared Hebraic and Messianics things to “enlighten conversation” or how we have a “rich heritage in Judaism,” then such things were fine. It was when I emphasized that these are elements of how I practice my faith that I was considered legalistic and a recluse by many of my Christian friends.

The 2001-2002 school year was especially hardest for me. I had a Christian roommate who was always asking me questions about my Messianic beliefs and practices. While this was good and I genuinely tried to get along with him, he was asking me questions to put me down. He continued to ask me questions even when I just stayed to myself and wanted to remain private. He always wanted me to go to church with him as if I were not a Believer, because I kept Shabbat. Finally around Passover 2002, I told him what made Messianics different from Christians. While emphasizing that I believed in the same core doctrines that he believed in such as the Divinity of Yeshua and plurality of the Godhead, salvation by grace through faith, and the final authority of Scripture, I also told him that three major differences between us were the facts that Messianics observe the seventh-day Sabbath, the appointed times of Leviticus 23, and the kosher dietary laws. While he did not, in principle, have a problem with this—he did later come up with many excuses for justifying his practices. I was not trying to convert him to my point of view by telling him what I believed, but I could tell that he was convicted by what I was doing and that he did not want to change.

These three areas are hurdles that must be overcome, if our Heavenly Father is indeed restoring all things and raising up a generation of Messianic Believers who follow the Torah. For young people, especially, those in college, and even more so to those Christians who are in college as I discovered, these are three areas of Torah obedience that are the most difficult to overcome. While many Christians in college are not out partying, drinking, and frolicking around, and indeed their social life centers around other Christians—this can be just as much a stronghold as a fraternity or sorority can be. I discovered that some campus-based Christian ministries were threatened when a Messianic such as myself comes in and shares how I practice my faith. Their position became seriously challenged when I presented them with truths from the Scriptures that they did not want to see. Sadly, many of the campus leaders of Christian organizations did not want to discuss these subjects reasonably from the Word of God, and instead simply made it uncomfortable for a Messianic who knew what he believed to enter in and be accepted.

While I find it sad that I was never truly welcomed into the community of faith at the University of Oklahoma, I know some seed was planted during my years of study. I did my best to demonstrate my faith by my daily living and example, letting the Lord convict people, rather than telling everyone why they were wrong and why I was right as too many do. I said things that got people to think, and hopefully in the future I will see some of those people again and discover that they have indeed matured. However, I do know that had I not been ostracized by others, I would not have pursued the Lord in the way that I have, and would not be the Biblical researcher that I am today. If I can overcome the hurdles that exist, being able to keep Shabbat, the appointed times, the dietary laws, and indeed many of the other hurdles that came from other Torah practices such as my having a beard and wearing a tallit during prayer, and not give into peer pressure, then those of you who are reading this, who are most likely older than I am, can overcome the hurdles as well.

While many would not consider my social life at college to have been the “ideal experience,” I am glad that I had it. I could certainly be bitter and resentful for those who criticized me, but that is not what born again Believers are supposed to do—or are even allowed to do. I have to have the faith that God will honor me in the future for those difficult decisions that I had to make in college, remaining Messianic and true to my convictions. If it had not been for the criticism that I experienced at the hands of my Christian associates in college, then I would not be as grounded and firm as I am today about the Messianic lifestyle of Torah obedience. I would approach ministry in a much different way.

Many who are pursuing a Messianic lifestyle do, sadly, cave into peer pressure. They give up when they are criticized and take it personally. The simple truth of the matter is that when people criticize how we live, they are not criticizing us; they are criticizing our Master. He is the One who will deal with them; we can only give a proper response to the questions. Most often, my response to my Christian critics was “I am just living as Jesus did.” They often could not respond to this answer. But sadly, as a sign of our times, many believe that Yeshua the Messiah came to show us how to live by not keeping the Torah, and we as Messianics believe that He showed us how to live by keeping the Torah. In the future, this will be the key difference between those of the Christian community and Messianic community. In the meantime, we have a responsibility to our Christian brethren to lead by our proper example, so they can truly see us being blessed by the Lord for our obedience to Him.

How do we overcome the hurdles?

How do you overcome the hurdles to adopting a Messianic lifestyle? Connected to Yeshua’s words emphasizing that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and resources—thus obeying Him—is the second greatest commandment:

“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF’” (Matthew 22:39).

This is a direct quotation of Leviticus 19:18: “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.”

Notice that God tells us that while we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, we are not to take revenge against those who do wrong to us. This is because true justice is in the Lord’s hands. He will deal with those who wrong us, or treat us like we are not Believers, when we are simply striving to emulate the Messiah Yeshua. The true heart of the Torah is loving God and loving others. But unlike what some might believe, consciously or unconsciously, this love is not just some vague, abstract concept. Biblical love is to be demonstrated by our actions and in our selfless service to one another (Galatians 6:2). The Hebraic concept of hearing God is not just hearing what He has to say because it might be “insightful” or that it might “enrich our faith,” but hearing Him is the same as obeying Him.

We overcome the hurdles to the Messianic lifestyle by making the Lord the foremost in our lives and obeying Him, while remembering that as we obey Him we are to love Him and demonstrate love to those who wrong us. Do not give up simply because you feel like you may be alone in your convictions, because you are not. Ask the Lord to give you the faith that you need, and know that He will indeed honor you for the difficult decisions that you have to make. Do not forget that Yeshua told His Disciples that many of the things that they left for Him would be given back to them not only in the world to come, but also in the present age:

“Peter began to say to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You.’ Yeshua said, ‘Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first’” (Mark 10:28-31).

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 8

[1] Concerning Deuteronomy 6:4, the meaning of the Hebrew word echad, and the plurality of the Godhead, consult the article “What Does the Shema Really Mean?” by J.K. McKee.

[2] BDB, pp 1033-1034.

[3] The NRSV similarly has “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.”

[4] Consult Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989), for an examination of how many Christians have come to see how important this heritage is, and have integrated it into their theological studies, particularly of the New Testament.

[5] Actually, menō has many possible renderings, as TDNT notes that “This word means a. ‘to stay in a place,’ figuratively ‘to remain in a sphere,’ b. ‘to stand against opposition,’ ‘to hold out,’ ‘to stand fast,’ c. ‘to stay still,’ and d. ‘to remain,’ ‘to endure,’ ‘to stay in force’” (F. Hauck, “ménō,” in TDNT, 581).

CHAPTER 8 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. List some differences that you have observed between being “Christian” and being “Messianic.”

2. Why do you think many Christians oppose the Torah obedience of Messianics?

3. After being saved, do you believe that we should all retain the faith of a child? Explain what it means to “abide” in the Lord.

4. Do you know people who give reasons for not following the Torah? What do they say?

5. What is the key difference between Messianics and Christians relating to Yeshua and the Torah?

-9-

What About the Name of God?

JKM

One of the most obvious differences that exists between your average Christian and Messianic Believer is the fact that Messianics use Hebraic words and terminology. This is evidenced by the fact that we call ourselves Messianics and not “Christians,” choosing to identify with the Hebraic and Jewish practices of the First Century saints. It is also evidenced by the usage of terms such as Tanach, instead of Old Testament. Hebrew names for Biblical characters such as Avraham for Abraham, Shlomo for Solomon, Yeshayahu for Isaiah, and place names such as Yerushalayim for Jerusalem and Natzeret for Nazareth are also not uncommon to hear. Most significantly, this also relates to Hebrew names and titles for the Father and the Son. This is evidenced by the frequent usage of terms such as Adonai, Elohim, or Abba in reference to our Heavenly Father, and Yeshua the Messiah for His Son.

Sadly, in recent days there has been a growing sector called the Sacred Name movement—or as many prefer to call it, the Sacred Name Only (SNO) movement—which has made the issue of Hebraic names into one of high contention and even salvation. SNO advocates will commonly say that if you do not use the “correct names,” or even the correct pronunciation of names (usually according to them), that our Creator will not hear your prayers. Much of their literature uses insults, sarcasm, and sensationalism to get their message across. They often have no respect for Jewish or Messianic Jewish positions relating to the proper usage of the name of God, and many of the SNO groups are anti-Semitic. As a result, in some cases when more balanced and fair-minded Messianics use Hebraic names and terms, they have been “lumped in” with the SNO people by others.

When many new people enter into the Messianic community, they do wonder about the name issue. It is important that we have a proper, Biblical handle on it, which respects Jewish tradition. As Messianic Believers, the authors encourage the usage of the Messiah’s original name Yeshua as part of the richness of our faith. But we do not encourage usage of Yeshua, because God will not somehow hear your prayers if you do not pray in “Yeshua’s name.” We believe, rather, that our Father is restoring all things to His people and that knowing the originally given name of our Savior will bring you into greater intimacy with Him and assist you in understanding Him as “salvation.” Our Heavenly Father Himself also has a name, and it is important that we are aware of how we are to properly give that name the honor and respect that it is due.

Our Creator Has a Name

Some are unaware of the fact that the Creator God indeed does have a name. Our Heavenly Father is not simply “God” or “the Lord.” God and Lord are titles for Him, describing what He is as the Sovereign of the universe. Most Bibles have chosen to render the Hebrew name of the Creator: yod (), hey (), vav (), hey (), or YHWH, as “the LORD.” Consider the following explanation from the Principles of Translation to the New American Standard Bible (NASU):

“The Proper Name of God in The Old Testament: In the Scriptures, the name of God is most significant and understandably so. It is inconceivable to think of spiritual matters without a proper designation for the Supreme Deity. Thus the most common name for the Deity is God, a translation of the original Elohim. One of the titles for God is Lord, a translation of Adonai. There is yet another name which is particularly assigned to God as His special or proper name, that is, the four letters YHWH (Exodus 3:14 and Isaiah 42:8). This name has not been pronounced by the Jews because of reverence for the great sacredness of the divine name. Therefore, it has been consistently translated LORD. The only exception to this translation of YHWH is when it occurs in immediate proximity to the word Lord, that is, Adonai. In that case it is regularly translated GOD in order to avoid confusion.

“It is known that for many years YHWH has been transliterated as Yahweh, however no complete certainty attaches to this pronunciation.”[1]

The NASB, a widely used conservative Christian Bible translation, follows in the wake of Jewish tradition which considers the Divine Name of God to be so reverent that it is not spoken. The name YHWH (YHVH) or is rendered with the title “the LORD,” with “LORD” appearing in SMALL CAPITAL LETTERS. While the New American Standard gives the reason of following Jewish tradition for rendering the proper name of God as “LORD,” the Revised Standard Version, a more liberal translation, gives a different reason. The RSV preface states,

“[T]he use of any proper name for the one and only God, as though there were other gods from whom he had to be distinguished, was discontinued in Judaism before the Christian era and is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church.”[2]

Some may take issue with the statement that it is “entirely inappropriate for the universal faith” for our Creator to be designated by a proper name. However, it is historically accurate that speaking the name of God aloud was discontinued in Judaism long before the time of Yeshua, as commonly speaking the name of God was considered synonymous with defaming it. Martin Rose comments in ABD that “Judaism had secured that the divine name should not be profaned any more. The divine name, once the ‘distinguishing mark’ of divine presence and immanence, had become the essence of God’s unapproachable holiness so that in the Jewish tradition ‘the Name’ (haššēm) could be synonymous with ‘God.’”[3] In Jewish custom or tradition, the name YHWH is read as Adonai or “Lord,” or perhaps even HaShem, meaning “the Name.”[4]

One Jewish translation of the Hebrew Bible, the ArtScroll Tanach, renders YHWH as not LORD, but HASHEM. Its translators tell us, “In this work, the Four-Letter Name of God is translated ‘HASHEM,’ the pronunciation traditionally used for the Name to avoid pronouncing it unnecessarily.”[5] The hesitancy on behalf of observant Jews, and hence Christians following in their wake, is firmly based on an interpretation of the Third Commandment:

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7; cf. Deuteronomy 5:11).

The Third Commandment tells us not to take our Creator’s name in vain. The NIV renders this command as “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 5:11). The standard Christian interpretation of these verses is that we should not use titles like Lord or God or the name Jesus Christ as a slur. Jack S. Deere reflects on this interpretation, observing, “This command forbids using God’s name in profanity but it includes more. The third commandment is a directive against using God’s name in a manipulative way (e.g., His name is not to be used in magic or to curse someone). Today a Christian who uses God’s name flippantly or falsely attributes a wrong act to God has broken this commandment.”[6] You should not find any Believer who disagrees with this interpretation.

The standard Jewish interpretation of this commandment reflects the Christian interpretation, but adds several dimensions to it. The NJPS translation, for example, renders the command as “You shall not swear falsely by the name of the LORD your God; for the LORD will not clear one who swears falsely by His name” (Deuteronomy 5:11). This reflects an interpretive tradition that equated misusing the name of God to swearing falsely in His name. The Hebrew clause that is commonly rendered as “in vain” is l’shav. Nahum M. Sarna explains that this means “for nothing, in vain,” but indicates it is also ambiguous, commenting, “The ambiguity broadens the prohibition and allows for the proscription of both perjury (by the principals in a lawsuit, swearing falsely) and unnecessary or frivolous use of the divine name.”[7]

CHALOT offers several different definitions of the word shav, including “worthless,” “in vain,” and “without result.”[8] Obviously, what the Third Commandment is trying to communicate to us is that we are not to misuse the Name of God. It is to be treated with great respect and it commands authority. This includes using it inappropriately as a slur, as it is commonly interpreted by Christianity, and using it falsely in oaths as it is widely interpreted by Judaism. Some, however, believe that the Third Commandment is violated by those who refuse to use or speak the name YHWH, and by rendering YHWH with a title such as “LORD” or “HASHEM” in English Bible translations. Is the Third Commandment broken when people do not speak the name YHWH?

When our Creator reveals His proper name to Moses on Mount Sinai, He says, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations” (Exodus 3:15). No honest theologian denies the fact that in the Hebrew source text of Exodus 3:15 the name or YHWH appears. Thomas B. Dozeman remarks in the New Interpreter’s Study Bible, “The name YHWH, translated as ‘Lord’ in the NRSV, is the third-person masculine singular form of the verb. It translates ‘he is’ or ‘he will be.’ Speaking the name YHWH actually poses a question: He will be what? The answer to the question requires further reading of the book of Exodus, where the future actions of God for Israel are recorded, providing the content of the divine verbal name: YHWH will be savior, healer, revealer, covenant maker, etc.”[9]

Jeffrey H. Tigay, in The Jewish Study Bible, identifying that the Creator indeed has a name, reflects on the tradition of why Jewish people over the centuries have avoided saying it. He remarks, “The LORD is actually a translation of ‘adonai’ (lit. ‘my Lord’) because that is what Jews now pronounce whenever the consonants YHVH was probably originally pronounced ‘Yahweh,’ but in Second Temple times, as an expression of reverence, Jews began to avoiding uttering it, substituting ‘adonai’ and other surrogates.”[10] The Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period mirrors these remarks, adding, “When the high priest addressed God in the Temple’s Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he uttered this name. When the priests blessed the people in the Temple, they used this name. By the third century B.C.E., God’s name had become so hallowed that it could not be pronounced outside of worship, and the term adonai (my lord) was regularly substituted.”[11]

While certainly recognizing that our Creator has a name, YHWH or , both the Jewish and Christian traditions have avoided its pronunciation due to its extreme holiness. The rendering of YHWH as “the LORD” is identified in the preface to most major English Bible translations. In scholastic circles, however, it is not uncommon to see forms such as YHWH or Yahweh used to refer to God, as Jewish and Christian theologians do plainly recognize that our Creator has a name. However, in Second Temple Judaism the name of God was not spoken aloud. As Messianic Believers, we must recognize that this was the same Second Temple Judaism in which Yeshua the Messiah lived, and from which the early Messianic community arose. The Messiah, in fact, instructed His Disciples to follow the lead of the Pharisees in these sorts of matters (Matthew 23:2-3). Regarding the name of God and whether or not we should use the name YHWH, we should determine whether or not He ever spoke it.

Yeshua’s Handling of the Name of God

Objectively examining the Apostolic Scriptures, there is not a single instance of the Messiah ever verbalizing the name YHWH, either directly or indirectly, or with Him quoting from the Tanach. Consider Luke 4:17-19, which includes a direct quotation from Isaiah 61:1 and 58:6:

“And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, ‘THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.’”

In the Greek source text, Isaiah 61:1 is quoted directly from the Septuagint, the Jewish translation of the Hebrew Bible from approximately three centuries before Yeshua. The LXX rendered the name YHWH as kurios or “Lord,” the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Adonai. In the synagogue at Capernaum, Yeshua would have read this text with Adonai. While the following verses in Luke 4:28-32 indicate that most in the synagogue thought He was blaspheming, they do not indicate that He was blaspheming because He verbalized the name YHWH. On the contrary, they were dismayed because of Yeshua’s words, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). EJ indicates that “The prohibition against the pronunciation of the name of God applies only to the Tetragrammaton, which could be pronounced by the high priest only once a year on the Day of Atonement in the Holy of Holies...and in the Temple by the priests when they recited the Priestly Blessing.”[12] The Mishnah reflects these traditions that existed in the Judaism of Yeshua’s day:

“And the priests and people standing in the courtyard, when they would hear the Expressed Name [of the Lord] come out of the mouth of the high priest, would kneel and bow down and fall on their faces and say, ‘Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom forever and ever’” (m.Yoma 6:2).[13]

There was a protocol for using the proper name of God, and it is clear that Yeshua adhered to it during His Earthly ministry. In the Gospels Yeshua actually spends more time calling His Father, “Father” or “Abba,” than referring to Him with the titles God or Lord. If Yeshua considered not speaking the name YHWH aloud to be an error of Second Temple Judaism, then there would be plenty of evidence in the Apostolic Scriptures supporting this, including charges of blasphemy against Him by the religious authorities for verbalizing the name YHWH. But these things do not appear.[14] As Messianic Believers who are trying to return to the theology of the First Century Believers, who operated within the context of Second Temple Judaism, we must recognize that while our Heavenly Father has a proper name, it was not used by Yeshua or the Apostles. We must have the same kind of respect for the holiness of the name YHWH that they had.[15]

How do we pronounce the name of God?

The strong aversion to using the name of God in Judasim today is that there is no complete way for us to know how to pronounce it. Scholars have debated for centuries over the exact pronunciation of God’s name, based on available linguistic evidence and testimonies from ancient history. But all that anyone can provide is a best guess. B.W. Anderson observes the following in IDB:

“In the earliest Hebrew the sacred name appeared as a four-letter word or tetragrammaton: YHWH (), without any vowel signs. Since the vowels were added very late, at the time of the fixing of the MT text…, the OT itself gives no clue to its original pronunciation. Some help, however, is given by the early church fathers. Theodoret of Cyrus (fourth century A.D.) testifies that the Samaritans, who shared the Pentateuchal scripture with the Jews, pronounced the name [Iabe], and Clement of Alexandria (early third century A.D.) transliterated the ‘name of four letters’ as [Iaoue]. Moreover, Egyptian Magic Papyri from the end of the third century A.D. attest to the patristic spelling, especially that of Theodoret. Following these hints, modern scholars believe the approximate pronunciation was ‘Yahweh.’”[16]

“Yahweh” has become the most common pronunciation of the tetragrammaton in the scholastic community, but no complete certainty can be attached to this pronunciation. There are some variant pronunciations such as “Yahuweh” or “Yahoweh” which some prefer. A default position is to represent the name of God by the consonants YHWH or YHVH. We can, however, be confident that “Jehovah” (or “Yehovah”) is not the correct pronunciation of YHWH. As Anderson notes,

“An artificial form, often attributed to Petrus Galatinus in ca. A.D. 1520, which results from the combination of the consonants of the Tetragrammaton…with the substitute vowel reading which was introduced in the sixth-seventh centuries A.D…One of the various substitutes that were employed, the chief was ‘Adonai’ (‘Lord’), the vowels of which the Masoretes as a rule added to the consonants ‘YHWH’ to indicate that ‘Adonai’ should be read. The combination of the two—the Tetragrammaton and the vowels of ‘Adonai’—yields the artificial name.”[17]

Because the Hebrew language has no vowels, the Masoretes, whose job it was to copy the texts of the Hebrew Scriptures, added special markings underneath letters to indicate vowel sounds. For the name YHWH, the vowel markings for Adonai or “Lord” were applied, so the cantor would read Adonai. Some early Christian Bible translators applied the vowel markings for Adonai and came up with the name “Jehovah.” There are still a fair number of Christians who use the form Jehovah, albeit in error. The scholastic community today is more likely to use the more correct form “Yahweh,” or simply YHWH.

There are some in the Messianic community who believe that they know what the correct way to say the name of God actually is. The problem with this is that the pronunciation of His name has been debated for centuries, and one of the reasons why Jews today do not use it is because His name was only spoken aloud by the high priest in the Temple on Yom Kippur. Perhaps today we might not view it in such a sense, seeing the name YHWH or forms such as “Yahweh” used in academic journals and publications. But considering the debate over how God’s name is pronounced, it would be best to respect historical precedents, knowing that our Father has a name, but treating it with the respect and holiness that it deserves.

What is the original name of the Son?

Directly connected to the name of our Heavenly Father is what the original name of His Son is. While many Believers know the Messiah by His English name of Jesus, and have legitimately come to salvation in this name, Jesus is not the original name of the Son of God. The Messiah’s Earthly mother, Miriam (Mary), never called Him Jesus, and nor was He called Jesus by His Disciples or by His early followers. This is simply because the English language did not exist in the First Century. As you are probably already aware from reading this publication, Messianic Believers refer to Jesus by His original name of Yeshua.

Yeshua (), also represented in English by some as Y’shua, is the original Hebrew name of the Messiah that is agreed upon by the vast majority of Christians and Messianics. The form is employed in all modern Hebrew translations of the New Testament.[18] We use the Messiah’s name of Yeshua, because its Hebrew meaning is “He is Salvation,” given to us in Matthew 1:21: “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins.” We believe that using Yeshua allows us all to realize that the Messiah is indeed our personal salvation and that He was a Hebrew Rabbi of the First Century, in addition to being the Son of God. By calling our Savior Yeshua, we not only identify with the salvation that is available in Him, but we reconnect ourselves to the First Century Jewish life that He lived.

But what of the English name “Jesus”? A number of Messianics in recent days have claimed that the English name “Jesus” is pagan because it has Greek linguistic origins, possibly even deriving from the name of the Greek god Zeus. This has caused innumerable problems between Messianics and Christians, and has even caused a few to doubt their salvation experience “in the name of Jesus.” A study of Greek grammar, or more specifically, Hebrew to Greek transliteration, shows that there is absolutely no substantiation for this. There is a logical reason of how we got the English name “Jesus.”

Young’s Analytical Concordance (among many resources) confirms that the Greek name Iēsous (), used for our Savior in the Greek Apostolic Scriptures, is a transliteration of His original Hebrew name Yeshua ().[19] The name Yeshua is a contracted form of the name Yehoshua or Joshua, and is used numerous times in the Tanach to refer to Moses’ successor.[20] Transliteration is the process where one tries to communicate, as closely as possible, the sounds of one language into another language, often by representing words of one language in a different alphabet. This is extremely difficult when taking proper Hebrew names and communicating them in Greek. How we get from Yeshua to Iēsous (pronounced Ee-ay-sooce) to ultimately Jesus is a challenge to understand if one is armed with nothing more than a concordance, does not understand the difficulty of transliteration, and most importantly has not studied both Hebrew and Greek. When transliterating the Hebrew name to Greek:

•         (yud – “yay”) becomes (iota-eta – “ye” or “ee-ay)

•         (shin – “sh”) becomes (sigma – “s” - there is no “sh” sound in Greek)

•         (vav – “u”) becomes (omicron-upsilon – “oo”)

•         It is necessary for a final sigma () to be placed at the end of the word to distinguish that the name is masculine and for it to be declinable from the nominative case (indicating subject)

•         Greek requires that the (ayin – “ah”) sound be dropped

•         Hence, we get the name Iēsous (), pronounced either Ye-sooce or Ee-ay-sooce, depending on the Greek dialect

The name Iēsous, surprisingly to some, is actually of Jewish origin. This name is used for the title of the Book of Joshua in the Septuagint (appearing as ),[21] the Ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures produced approximately three centuries before the Messiah. This serves as definitive proof that Iēsous is not of pagan origin, but rather is simply a Greek transliteration of Yeshua developed by the LXX’s Jewish translators.

In Old English, the name Iēsous was rendered Iesus (pronounced Yesus). However, it was spelled with a beginning letter “I,” which in the Middle Ages had a “Y” sound. The I was used for letters beginning with both “I” and “J.” Early editions of the King James Version, for example, simply transliterate the Greek Iēsous into English as Iesous. Later in the development of the English language, J’s started being used in place of I’s and it received the same sound that it has today. The name Jesus is less than 400 years old. However, its existence did not come about by some sordid conspiracy as some might errantly claim.

As Messianic Believers we prefer the richness of our Savior’s original Hebrew name of Yeshua. But because we prefer Yeshua over Jesus does not mean that we believe that those who pray in the “name of Jesus” are not praying in the authority of the same Savior that we are praying to in the “name of Yeshua.” Our Heavenly Father looks at our hearts, and we need to understand. We encourage people to use the name that was originally given to the Messiah, Yeshua, but also must realize that “history happens” and the pronunciation of names changes from language to language via transliteration. The Hebraic understanding of one’s name relates more to power, authority, and reputation (Philippians 2:10-11), as opposed to just pronunciation.

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 9

[1] NASB Text Edition (Anaheim, CA: Foundation Publications, 1997), iv.

[2] Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Cokesbury, 1952), v.

[3] Martin Rose, “Names of God in the OT,” in ABD, 4:1010.

[4] Cf. 3 John 7.

[5] Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz, eds., The Stone Edition Tanach (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications., 1996), xxv.

[6] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, eds., Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 272.

[7] Nahum M. Sarna, “Exodus,” in Etz Hayim, 444.

[8] CHALOT, 361.

[9] Thomas B. Dozeman, “Exodus,” in New Interpreter’s Study Bible, 90.

[10] Jeffrey H. Tigay, “Exodus,” in The Jewish Study Bible, 112.

[11] Neusner and Green, Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period, 259.

[12] Louis J. Rabinowitz, “God, Names of,” in EJ.

[13] Neusner, Mishnah, 275.

[14] About as close as things get to Yeshua verbalizing the Divine Name appears at Yeshua’s trial when He claimed to be the “I AM,” and was considered blaspheming by the high priest (Mark 14:61-64; Luke 22:70-71). Egō eimi, appearing in the Gospels for many of His “I AM” statements, was used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew ehyeh asher ehyeh where God reveals Himself to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM’” (Exodus 3:13-14).

Consult G.M. Burge, “‘I am’ sayings,” in Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall, eds., Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1992), pp 354-356.

[15] Please note that in the Semitic context, shem means much more than just the letters and pronunciation of a name, but also the character, authority, and repute of something. Consult Walter C. Kaiser, “shem,” in TWOT, 2:934-935.

[16] B.W. Anderson, “God, names of,” in IDB, 2:409.

[17] B.W. Anderson, “Jehovah,” in Ibid., 2:817.

[18] This notably includes Torah Nevi'im Ketuvim v'haBrit haChadashah (Jerusalem: Bible Society in Israel, 1991), distributed by United Bible Societies.

[19] The exact reference in its entirety under the name “Jesus,” specifically indicates “, from Heb. saviour” (Robert Young, Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977], 541).

[20] Consult the entry by B.T. Dahlberg, “Jeshua,” in IDB, 2:867-868. Note that it includes the Hebrew and Greek spellings and .

[21] Alfred Rahlfs, ed., Septuaginta (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1979), 1:354-405.

CHAPTER 9 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What are some of the differences between Messianics and Christians in the terms or names that they use?

2. Have you ever encountered Sacred Name Only people? If so, what was your experience with them? Do you think that they turn people off to using Hebraic terms for the Father and Son? Why or why not?

3. What are the Hebrew characters which make up the name of the Father? Why is this name rendered in Bibles with titles such as “the LORD” or “HASHEM”?

4. Why does Judaism not pronounce the proper name of God?

5. What is your interpretation of the Third Commandment regarding the name of God? Do you think God’s name should be used? Why or why not?

6. What does the Hebrew name Yeshua mean?

7. How did the English name “Jesus” come to into existence via Hebrew to Greek, and later Greek to English transliteration?

8. Were you saved by calling on the name Jesus Christ? Do you believe that you were truly saved in this name, even though the Messiah’s original name is Yeshua?

-10-

Are Israel and the Church Separate?

JKM

One of the most common claims against Messianic Believers and the Torah obedient lifestyle that we follow, given by Christians, is that the Law of Moses was given to the people of Israel and not to the Church. Therefore, these Christians conclude that the Torah is not for them and they see no reason to follow it. It is thus asserted that we are misguided and in error and are obviously working against the principles of the Church. Are these accurate assessments, or must they be reevaluated?

Ecclesiology is the study of God’s elect. It is the study of who God’s chosen people are, and how that people relate to God, to the Bible, to the world, and to one another. Many Believers are unaware of how important a proper ecclesiology is to their faith—because after all, if the Lord did not give the Torah to the Church, then what need is there for the Church to follow it? Considering what is occurring in our day with many Believers being convicted by the Holy Spirit to live a Torah obedient lifestyle like Yeshua and the Apostles, we are forced to ask the question: Are Israel and the Church separate?

Depending on what part of the Christian Church one’s background is found can depend on how you answer this question. The two main competing viewpoints in evangelical Protestant Christianity today are replacement theology and dispensationalism. Replacement theology, also known as supersessionism, is the idea that the promises given to Ancient Israel in the Torah and the Tanach (Old Testament) have already been fulfilled, and the Church today is the new recipient of Israel’s “spiritual” blessings. It teaches that many of the end-time prophecies of the Tanach are spiritualized and transferred to the Church, and Israel as a nation has been completely abolished. It teaches there will be no literal return of Israelites to the Land of Israel in the future, but prophecies concerning Israel’s return to the Promised Land symbolize a spiritual bounty that Christians have. Replacement theology largely exists in Reformed circles, many of which do not embrace a literal interpretation of end-time prophecy. Likewise, because the promises of the Tanach are spiritualized for the Church, it is believed that the Torah (or at least its “ceremonial” parts) is no longer to be followed today, because it has a “spiritual” fulfillment in the Messiah.

The other widespread point of view in mainstream Christianity today is dispensationalism. Dispensationalism advocates the idea that God has two groups of elect: Israel and the Church. Israel, according to its definition, is an ethnic nation with physical promises given by God of an Earthly Kingdom. The Church, on the other hand, is a spiritual body of which all Believers in the Messiah are a part of an Earthly Kingdom. Dispensationalists believe that God has operated through various “dispensations” or periods of time where one theme has dominated, i.e., the Age of Reason, the Age of Law, the Age of Grace, or the Church Age. They believe that the Lord is presently accomplishing His tasks through the Church, and Israel has been temporarily put aside. While most dispensationalists have a literal interpretation of Bible prophecy and of God’s promises to Israel, specific interpretations do vary, and the majority of dispensationalists believe in the pre-tribulation rapture. The vast majority of dispensationalists also believe that the Torah is no longer to be followed today as it was given only to Israel and not the Church.

What is the Messianic viewpoint on God’s elect?

Because the Messianic community is so broad today, and is still a developing movement, there are a variety of positions held about God’s elect. Many Messianics embrace the dispensationalist viewpoint that God has two groups of elect, Israel and the Church. This position is widely held in Messianic Judaism, which by-and-large sees itself as a bridge between Israel and the Church. Messianic Judaism often attests that its members can belong to both Israel and the Church, insomuch that its Jewish members are still part of a covenant with non-believing Jews and part of a covenant made with believing Christians.[1]

As a ministry we hold to a position that is contrary to the modified dispensational view espoused by many in Messianic Judaism. We do not believe that God has two groups of elect. We believe that all Believers in Messiah Yeshua, whether they are physical descendants of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—or not—are a part of the Commonwealth of Israel. This is readily attested to by the Apostle Paul in his writing to Believers in Asia Minor, describing their state as largely non-Jewish Believers prior to coming to faith, and where they were after receiving salvation:

“Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-12).

Paul writes that prior to their salvation, they were “excluded from citizenship in Israel” (NIV).[2] But in v. 13 he writes, “now in Messiah Yeshua you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah.” Because of faith in the Messiah, these people were made a part of the Commonwealth of Israel. Nowhere does Paul say that these Believers were now part of a separate entity called “the Church,” but he always connects their faith to the community of Israel.

Assembly or Congregation—Not Church

Confusion ensues among many Believers concerning “the Church,” because the Greek word ekklēsia has been largely mistranslated in our English Bibles. This word is better translated as “assembly” or “congregation,” as it usually symbolizes the local body of Believers or the collective body of Believers. LS defines ekklēsia as “an assembly of the citizens regularly summoned, the legislative assembly” and “in N.T. the Church, either the body, or the place.”[3] In the Apostolic Scriptures, ekklēsia is used as a term to define the Body of Messiah, and thus, by extension, is rendered as “church” in most English translations of the New Testament. TDNT remarks that “Since the NT uses a single term, translations should also try to do so, but this raises the question whether ‘church’ or ‘congregation’ is always suitable, especially in view of the OT use for Israel and the underlying Hebrew and Aramaic…‘Assembly,’ then, is perhaps the best single term, particularly as it has both a congregate and an abstract sense, i.e., for the assembling as well as the assembly.”[4] This Christian commentary says that “assembly” would be the best, consistent translation for the term ekklēsia.

The Septuagint frequently translates the Hebrew word qahal, or assembly/congregation, as ekklēsia. Qahal is the Hebrew word for “assembly” or “congregation” used in the Tanach, which almost exclusively refers to Israel. TWOT tells us, “usually qāhāl is translated as ekklēsia in the LXX.”[5] When the Apostolic writers used the Greek word ekklēsia, often rendered as “church” in our English Bibles, they did not see the ekklēsia as a separate assembly or group of people away from Israel. They considered the ekklēsia to be Israel. It is not surprising by any means that one of the definitions given for the word ekklēsia does in fact include “Israel.” Thayer states that “in the Sept. [ekklēsia is] often equiv. to [qahal], the assembly of the Israelites.”[6] It is unfortunate that ekklēsia in most Bibles has been translated as “church,” whereas it would be best rendered as either “assembly” or “congregation.”[7]

How big a change would it be if we started viewing “Church” in our Bibles as “congregation” or “assembly”? The ekklēsia is the congregation or assembly that God has had ever since it convened at the base of Mount Sinai. We should start properly seeing this assembly as the collective community of Israel of which all Believers are a part. We need to remedy a proper understanding of what ekklēsia is in our theology, as our Heavenly Father desires us to have a fully Biblical view of the world and be more obedient to Him.

Yeshua and “the Church”

Considering the fact that a substantial amount of Christian theology is focused around the entity known as “the Church,” it would be logical to assume that there are prophecies in the Tanach or Old Testament concerning its existence. While there are prophecies such as Isaiah 53 speaking of Yeshua, the Suffering Servant, foretelling His atoning work for us, we would expect some similar treatment about the new body that God would (supposedly) later establish as salvation went out into the world. Sadly for those who believe that “the Church” has been established as a second group of elect, there are no such prophecies. On the contrary, all of the prophecies relating to the Messiah regard His coming to restore Israel and bringing Israel into its glory. Isaiah 49:5-6 is one such prophecy:

“And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and My God is My strength), He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’”

It is interesting that while there are no explicit prophecies in the Tanach speaking of the Messiah establishing a new assembly of elect, “the Church,” Yeshua’s own words scarcely speak of such a phenomenon, either. G.W. Bromiley notes in ISBE,

“In the teaching of Jesus Himself there is little mention of the Church. The only two references in the Gospels are both in Matthew (16:18: ‘On this rock I will build my church,’ and 18:17: ‘Tell it to the church’). In the second of these the reference might be to the Jewish synagogue, though the general context of Mt. 18 seems to suggest the emergent Christian community. Apart from the critical questions raised by some scholars, these verses give rise to many problems. For example, do they denote the intention of Jesus to found a Church?”[8]

Many Christians strongly argue that Messiah Yeshua came to establish the Church as a second group of elect, and base it on His words in Matthew 16:18, which in most Bibles read: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (NASU). Roman Catholicism interprets these verses as meaning that with the Apostle Peter the Lord began an unending line of papal succession. Protestants, while validly recognizing that the Rock is not Peter, but is rather the Messiah, still consider these words as meaning that Yeshua established “the Church” as a second assembly of elect. But there are no prophecies that speak or allude to the establishment of a second assembly of elect by the Messiah. There are only those that speak of the restoration of Israel. When you look at the vocabulary of Matthew 16:18, it only confirms Yeshua’s mission to restore Israel. In Jeremiah 33:6-8 our Heavenly Father promises,

“Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me.”

The critical promise here from the Lord regarding Israel is that He “will rebuild them as they were before” (NIV). The Hebrew verb rendered as “rebuild” in this passage is banah, appearing in the Qal stem (simple action, active voice), and means “to build,” “to rebuild,” “to work on a building,” or “to build a family” (HALOT).[9] In the passage from Jeremiah “rebuild” is obviously the best translation. The Greek Septuagint reflects this, rendering banah as oikodomeō, which in the Apostolic Scriptures has a number of possible applications, including: “to construct a building, build,” “to construct in a transcendent sense,” “to help improve the ability to function in living responsibly and effectively, strengthen, build up, make more able” (BDAG).[10] Oikodomeō is the Greek verb used in Matthew 16:18 speaking of Yeshua’s establishing of “the Church”:

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build [oikodomeō] My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”[11]

When the Apostolic writers use the word ekklēsia, they are using it to refer to the qahal of Israel that existed in the wilderness. They never see ekklēsia as a term separate from the congregation of Israel, unless referring to a localized assembly of people.[12] The martyr Stephen uses the word ekklēsia in direct reference to the congregation of Israel at the base of Mount Sinai in the narrative of Acts 7:38, which the KJV actually renders as “church”:

“This is he, that was in the church [ekklēsia] in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.”

In the text from Matthew 16, we see that Yeshua the Messiah came to “rebuild” the assembly. This assembly is the congregation of Israel. Nowhere do the Apostolic writers envision a salvation for the nations that is separate from Israel. Yeshua the Messiah came to restore Israel and to bring Israel into its fullness. Sadly, in the centuries after the death of His Apostolic successors, anti-Semitism in the Roman Empire led to many interpretations of their writings that were independent of the Hebrew Scriptures and their distinctly Jewish background. Ekklēsia as a term that referred to the qahal or congregation of Israel began being viewed as an independent “church,” with no Jewish origins.

Wrongly Dividing the Word

Why do some try to argue that God has two groups of elect? One of the possible reasons is because such individuals do not believe that all of the Bible is for them and is to be followed. A few will take 2 Timothy 2:15, which in the KJV reads, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” believing that to properly understand the Bible, you must find which parts of the Bible are “for you” and then follow them. This is what “dividing the Word” is asserted to mean. It is advocated that the Hebrew Scriptures, the Tanach, are not applicable to members of “the Church” because these are texts clearly given to Israel. The only applicable Scriptures for “the Church” would logically only be the New Testament, and perhaps even only the Pauline Epistles. Obviously, there are some serious problems here!

The Lord tells us quite candidly in Leviticus 19:36, “You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 25:13-16 reemphasizes this with, “You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God.”

What both these Scripture texts mean is that God is going to judge all people by the same scale. He is not going to tell Israel to do one thing and “the Church” to do something else. All are going to be held to the same standard. Theologians, who advocate that Israel is held to one standard and “the Church” to another, whether consciously realizing it or not, have applied human characteristics to an Eternal God. Only human men with a fallen nature could come up with the idea that God would rule the universe with differing weights and measures, which God calls an abomination. Dispensational theology abounds because Israel was given the Torah or Law of Moses, and as part of “the Church” Christians in their minds do not have to follow it as it is not for them.[13]

Does 2 Timothy 2:15 truly tell us to divide or split up the Bible? No, it does not. Vine indicates that the Greek verb orthotomeō, meaning “to cut straight,” relates to “not ‘dividing’ Scripture from Scripture, but teaching Scripture accurately.”[14] The NASU renders it with “accurately handling,” the NIV has “correctly handles,” and the NRSV has “rightly explaining.” It is unfortunate that a substantial amount of theology relating to splitting up the Bible is based on one antiquated rendering of a verse, which can be easily explained when we examine the source text behind it.

As Messianic Believers we are of the firm and sound position that all of the Bible is for us. As all of the Lord’s people are part of the Commonwealth of Israel, the Tanach or Old Testament is just as important for us as the Apostolic Scriptures or New Testament is, and vice versa. Scripture builds upon itself progressively from the foundation in the Torah to the Prophets, Writings, Gospels and Acts, General Epistles, Pauline Epistles, and Revelation. The true thrust of being Sola Scriptura is being Scripture Only—Genesis to Revelation, not just Matthew-Revelation, or even something smaller.

Who benefits from the New Covenant?

Many, perhaps in response to claims that “the Church” is not a new phenomenon, may say that as Christians today they are part of a New Covenant that supersedes the Old Covenant, or the necessary requirement of obedience to the Torah or Law of Moses. It may be said that this New Covenant makes adherence to the Tanach or Old Testament obsolete, and Messianics who follow it are in error. A Scripture that is commonly quoted in support of this is Hebrews 8:13: “When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” What is proposed, unfortunately, is that the eternal statutes that God gave to Israel at Mount Sinai are annulled in all respects and replaced with an entirely new covenant. But if you noticed the NASU quotation, covenant is in italics—meaning it was not in the original source text. The verse literally reads with, “In the saying, New, He has made the first old. And the thing being made old and growing aged is near disappearing” (LITV). The issue in Hebrews is actually the change in priesthood from that of the Levites to Melchizedek brought on by the sacrificial work of Yeshua (Hebrews 7:11-12), not a widescale abandonment of the Torah.[15] But what is more important and profound is that to understand what Yeshua’s priesthood has inaugurated, we have to understand that the New Covenant has a firm basis in the Tanach or Old Testament.

Nowhere in recorded Scripture is there an account of our Heavenly Father making a covenant with “the Church.” All of God’s corporate covenants are with Israel. Hebrews 8:13, while often being a support given for claiming that the Torah has been abolished, is preceded by Hebrews 8:6-12. Take important note of what the New Covenant actually involves:

“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, ‘BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, “KNOW THE LORD,” FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.’”

This is the New Covenant that God has said He will complete with His people. The primary thrust of this covenant, made with Israel, and by extension those who are grafted into Israel via their Messiah faith (Romans 11:17-18), appears when the Lord says “I will put my Torah in their minds and write it on their hearts” (CJB). This is the promise from God Himself that as a part of the New Covenant His Law will be written by His Spirit onto the hearts of the people (Ezekiel 36:26-27; cf. Romans 11:27). It will be done completely different than it was at Mount Sinai. If the Torah were truly abolished by God, then why would this promise by Him of writing it on our hearts be here? Why would God write His Law onto the hearts of Believers, if not for them to truly understand it and follow it the way He always intended—by the guidance of the Holy Spirit? It is important for us to grasp this, and especially the fact that the actual text of Hebrews 8:6-12 is mostly a direct quotation of Jeremiah 31:31-34 (LXX):

“‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD. ‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’”

The promise given by God to His people is that His Torah or His Law will be written on their hearts as part of the New Covenant or b’rit chadashah.[16] Our Heavenly Father says “I will put My Teaching into their inmost being and inscribe it upon their hearts” (NJPS). Hebrews 8, so often a chapter quoted in support of the idea that the Torah has been abolished, is actually a chapter which supports us following it, albeit with the understanding that Yeshua has paid the penalty for us and has shown us how to properly live it out in the world. The old way in which the Torah operated with the Temple service and sacrifices was in the process of disappearing when the author of Hebrews wrote his epistle.

The Hebrew verb katav, appearing in the Qal stem (simple action, active voice), is often rendered as either “write” or “inscribe” in Jeremiah 33. Its meaning sums up well what God will do: “write,” “write down, describe in writing” (BDB).[17] The Lord wants to write the Torah on our inward parts so that we might all live according to His Divine, holy standard in the world, recognizing that we are a part of the Commonwealth of Israel which is to be a light to the nations.

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 10

[1] Consult the comments of David H. Stern in Messianic Jewish Manifesto (Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1991), pp 24-26, 42-46, which reflect this belief quite well.

[2] Grk. tēs politeias tou Israēl.

[3] LS, 239.

[4] K.L. Schmidt, “ekklēsía,” in TDNT, 402.

[5] Jack P. Lewis, “qāhāl,” in TWOT, 2:790.

[6] Thayer, 196.

[7] Two Christian translations that render ekklēsia as “assembly” include Young’s Literal Translation and the Literal Translation of the Holy Bible by Jay P. Green.

[8] G.W. Bromiley, “Church,” in ISBE, 1:693.

[9] HALOT, 1:139.

[10] BDAG, 696.

[11] Also consult the comments of Peter T. O’Brien, Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), pp 304-305.

[12] In Acts 19:32, 39, 40 ekklēsia is used to refer to the mob of people in Ephesus.

[13] For a further discussion, consult the article “Dispensationalism: Root Cause of Antinomianism” by J.K. McKee.

[14] Vine, 178.

[15] Walter C. Kaiser issues an important word: “It would be wrong to think that just because the sacrificial system had been replaced therefore the whole law, including the moral law of the Decalogue (Ex 20; Dt 5) and the Holiness Code (Lev 18-20), had likewise been superseded and replaced” (The Promise-Plan of God: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008], 367).

[16] For a further examination, consult the entry for the Epistle to the Hebrews in A Survey of the Apostolic Scriptures for the Practical Messianic, and the commentary Hebrews for the Practical Messianic by J.K. McKee.

[17] BDB, pp 507-508.

CHAPTER 10 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Why is the study of God’s elect people important? Explain how a proper ecclesiology relates to your handling of the Bible.

2. What is the difference between replacement theology and dispensationalism?

3. Do you believe that God has one or two groups of elect? Why or why not?

4. Explain the meanings of qahal and ekklēsia, and how both words relate to Israel.

5. Explain what Matthew 16:18 means with an understanding of Jeremiah 33:7.

6. Do you believe it is appropriate to “divide up” the Bible as some teach? Why or why not?

-11-

How Do We Approach the End-Times?

JKM

Many of you are probably aware that the subject of eschatology or the study of end things, what most simply call end-time Bible prophecy, has received a substantial amount of “publicity” in recent years. There have been many books written on the end-times, some that have sincerely tried to engage readers in an examination of the prophetic Scriptures, and others that sadly have been written to make a “quick buck” off of the naïve. Whether you are a Church-going Christian or Torah observant Messianic Believer, many today have a substantial interest in end-time prophecy and what is supposed to occur before the Messiah’s return. Many people come into the Messianic movement, because it focuses heavily on study of the Tanach or Old Testament, which much of mainstream Christianity ignores. Because there are many prophecies in the Tanach about the Last Days and Second Coming of Yeshua, many Christians feel it necessary to be familiar, at least in passing, with Messianic viewpoints concerning the end-times.

There are differing opinions and interpretations of end-time prophecy in the Messianic community. Because prophecy is an area of Biblical study that is often fiercely debated, much of the Messianic community actually ignores it and prefers not to even address it. But that does not mean that there are not those who do address prophecy. A general consensus will reveal that most Messianics are pre-millennialists and believe that Yeshua the Messiah will return before a literal thousand year reign on Earth. (Only a very small hand few in the Messianic movement do not believe in a literal fulfillment of end-time prophecy.) Just as there is diversity in Christianity regarding eschatology, so is there diversity in the Messianic community among those who choose to address it. Many Messianics are pre-tribulationists, believing that Yeshua will gather the saints prior to the Tribulation period or Seventieth Week of Israel. Many other Messianics are post-tribulationists, believing that He will gather the saints after the Tribulation period. It is notable that, proportionally speaking, there is a greater ratio of post- to pre-tribulationists in the Messianic movement when compared to mainstream Christianity, which tends to be pre-trib. Neither position can claim to be the majority.

One’s interpretation of the end-times is not a salvation issue. We are dealing with future events that have yet to occur, and as such by their very nature they are open to interpretation. However, just as many Believers have come into the Messianic movement disenfranchised with the mainline Christian handling of the Torah and Tanach, many of the same come into the Messianic movement, because they have been put off by mainline Christian interpretations of Bible prophecy, and at the very least would like to see another perspective.

We are not going to go into extreme detail on the Last Days in this chapter, because it is such a broad and controversial topic, but we will touch upon some of the critical areas on how the Messianic viewpoint will change your ideas about the end-times. We do need to have a proper framework for examining eschatology and for approaching the end-times. We will focus briefly on the rapture controversy and how Messianics should approach prophetic interpretations.

When will Yeshua return?

It is easy to say that the strongest debate among those who examine end-time prophecy relates to the return of the Messiah. Those who get involved in this debate are often divided between two positions. Does Yeshua gather the saints into the clouds before or after the Tribulation period? Will there be a pre-tribulation rapture? Or, does the Lord gather the saints after the Tribulation period? Is His return for the saints post-tribulational? Will Believers be given an escape, or will they have to endure the hardships of the apocalypse?

The majority of evangelical Christians today believe that Yeshua the Messiah will gather the saints prior to the Tribulation period and are pre-tribulationists. Only a handful of Christians are post-tribulationists.[1] But the numbers are not similar in the Messianic movement. While there are Messianic pre-tribulationists, there are many more Messianic post-tribulationists when compared to pre-tribulationists. The division and contrast in the Messianic community between pre- and post-tribulationists is not as stark, and alternative views other than the pre-tribulationist position are easily represented. Our position as a ministry is that Yeshua the Messiah will gather His elect after the Tribulation, and we are some of those post-tribulationists.

Yeshua the Messiah plainly told us when He would gather the saints in His Olivet Discourse. Matthew 24:29-31 tells us:

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”[2]

The Messiah Himself very clearly states that He returns to gather the saints into the clouds after the Tribulation. This is complemented by the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 where he says that Yeshua returns at the last trumpet:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

If we consider the last trumpet to be the same as the seventh trumpet of Revelation, at the seventh trumpet the kingdoms of the world become personal property of the Lord, as His reign on Earth is initiated:

“Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah; and He will reign forever and ever’” (Revelation 11:15).

There are many more proof texts we could provide for our post-tribulational position, but these are the ones that we believe are the most important. The purpose of this chapter is to only express how we should approach prophecy, and is not to dictate a position to you as the reader. But if you are a pre-tribulationist and are reading, we would like you to consider alternative points of view. Can the pre-tribulation rapture position be truly substantiated from Scripture? More than anything else, can the ideology of the pre-tribulation rapture be substantiated by Scripture? Does the pre-trib rapture truly reflect the character of God that we see in the pages of the Bible?

Can it be argued that the pre-tribulation rapture does not encourage holy living, because the Messiah can return at any moment? Consider the fact that many Christians who believe in pre-tribulationism have a faith that is not maturing, and these people are frequently the ones who want little or nothing to do with a Torah obedient lifestyle, or for that matter detailed study of the Old Testament. The post-tribulational view, in contrast, encourages holy and set-apart living. Post-tribulationism encourages set-apart living, because some of us may have to face the antimessiah/antichrist or beast system one day, and give up our lives for the faith. Post-tribulationists are not seeking an “escape” from the world, because we should have the faith that the Lord is powerful to protect us through all kinds of trials and distresses. The patterns demonstrated for us in the Torah and remainder of Scripture are that God always preserves and protects His people during times of distress when they cry out to Him.

Just like following the Torah is not popular with many Christians today, so is being post-trib not popular. We believe that reevaluating the popular pre-tribulation rapture doctrine, and then rejecting it, is critical to truly being Messianic. We are Messianic because we are to follow the example and words of Messiah Yeshua, who told us Himself that He gathers the saints after the Tribulation. We are Messianic because we are to heed the words of the Torah and the Tanach (Old Testament), which tell us “when Your judgments are wrought on earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. But when the scoundrel is spared, he learns not righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9b-10a, NJPS).

A More Messianic View of the Tribulation

Our family, having been taught in Church that the Lord could come at any moment to rapture us to Heaven, became post-trib just prior to entering into the Messianic movement. Yet any appropriate understanding of the Last Days is more than just having a position on the Second Coming. Once a person can see beyond the errors of pre-tribulationism, then many questions arise that relate to the Tribulation period and end-time events, since Believers are going to be here to experience them.

End-time prophecies begin to take on new significance for many Messianic Believers, because of a strong connection to the Land of Israel and what is going on in the Middle East, in addition to new studies in the Torah and the Tanach (Old Testament) which speak about the Last Days. Because of this, new things are being revealed to the saints today as Believers seek to have a fuller perspective on God’s Word. Many of the patterns demonstrated throughout the Tanach are repeated in the Apostolic Scriptures (New Testament) and enable us to have a viewpoint on the Last Days that we would not normally have.

This workbook is not intended to address the specific subjects of the end-times and how the Tribulation period is to play out. There are many prophecies which are baffling even to the best scholars, and we truly live in a world that is changing day-by-day. It is imperative that we examine the Last Days objectively with a knowledge of global politics, because the very nature of the situation in the world today is that we have changing information. What we know about humanity and the world today can easily change tomorrow.

The Torah tells us quite plainly that “on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed” (Deuteronomy 19:15). You have to keep this in mind when examining prophecy. A subject must be thoroughly researched before definite conclusions can be drawn. Some prophetic teachers, be they in mainstream Christianity or the Messianic movement, are prone to make statements without supporting them with facts or credible references. Some are making interpretations of prophetic Scriptures without employing sound hermeneutical skills. There are obviously some prophecies in the Bible that are easier to understand than others. We believe that it is clear that there is no pre-tribulation rapture. But, when it comes to things like what part of the world the antimessiah/antichrist will come from, what the position of the United Nations versus the European Union in prophecy will be, or to what extent modern technology and the Internet play in the rise of the beast system, by necessity there must be some room open for speculation.

End-Time Issues Before Us

As we ponder what is occurring in our day as the Messianic movement grows and matures, there are many end-time issues before us. The study of eschatology is usually not the top issue that dominates Messianic discussions, because many new people coming into the Messianic community are more preoccupied with discovering the details of the Torah obedient walk and how to properly practice it in the world. But eschatology cannot be shuffled off to the side as being unimportant as if it does not exist. We are actually learning to live a Torah lifestyle, so that one day a generation of Messianic Believers might endure the end-times and the prophesied Tribulation period, as the end-time saints know Yeshua as their Savior and keep the commandments (Revelation 12:17; 14:12).

Between today and the return of Yeshua, the largest issue facing those of us in the Messianic community is indeed realizing that in dealing with prophecy we must live an active walk of faith and plan for tomorrow. We cannot be influenced by the rhetoric of prophecy teachers who are only trying to promote self-induced revelations. We have to be critical when interpretations of prophecy are brought forth with timetables, but we cannot ignore the prophecies of the Bible as if they do not exist or will not occur. We must endeavor to live a balanced Messianic lifestyle that takes into consideration what is happening in our world, and at the same time be careful considering all the deception that is out there.[3]

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 11

[1] Two main books, which reflect an evangelical Christian defense of post-tribulationism, include George Eldon Ladd, The Blessed Hope (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956) and Robert H. Gundry, The Church and the Tribulation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973).

[2] Cf. Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15.

[3] For a further discussion of the Second Coming, as well as various related things in association with the modern Messianic movement, consult the book When Will the Messiah Return? by J.K. McKee.

CHAPTER 11 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Explain the phenomenon of many people entering the Messianic movement because of an interest in Bible prophecy. Are you one of these people? Or, do you know any of these people?

2. Do you consider the end-times to be a “salvation” issue? Why or why not?

3. Based on Yeshua’s words of Matthew 24, when do you believe the Messiah will return?

4. Do you believe the pre-tribulation rapture teaching encourages holy living? Why or why not?

5. How should the end-times be approached through a Messianic, Torah-focused lens?

6. What aspects of eschatology do you believe need to be reevaluated or reexamined by Messianics today?

-12-

Where Are We? Where Are We Going?

WMH

One of the most incredible spiritual phenomena of recent decades is the emergence of the Messianic movement. For the first time since the years immediately following the resurrection of Yeshua, Jews and non-Jews are finding common ground in Messianic expressions of faith. Messianic congregations, fellowships, and home study groups are forming all over the world. Terms like Hebrew Roots, Jewish Roots, or Ancient Paths are commonly used to try and define aspects of this Messianic perspective. As you complete this introductory study of the Hebraic Roots of our faith, it is important that you understand how this movement is growing and what we should expect in the years and decades ahead.

In many respects Messianic Believers today are returning to the patterns of worship that were established by the First Century Disciples and Apostles of Yeshua. Approximately two-thousand years ago there were two things that bonded the early Believers together. First and foremost was the knowledge that Yeshua was the Messiah of Israel. Secondly, the early Jewish Believers were obedient to the commandments of the Torah, and taught these commandments to those of the nations whom they discipled. As Disciples of Yeshua they understood that obedience to God’s commandments resulted in receiving His blessings that are promised. Today, if you had to write a broad definition to describe the term Messianic, these beliefs and practices would be the essential elements of who we are.

This broad definition is reminiscent of two verses that are recorded by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation. In the future Tribulation period, also referred to as the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), John twice mentions two characteristics that define the Tribulation saints who will be present prior to the return of the Messiah to establish His Millennial Kingdom:

“So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Yeshua” (Revelation 12:17).

“Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Yeshua” (Revelvation 14:12).

The two common denominators of the Tribulation saints as described by John are the same things that modern-day Messianics embrace:

1.      A testimony of saving faith in Yeshua

2.      Obedience to God’s commandments in the Torah

Because today’s Messianic Believers have a testimony similar to that of the Tribulation saints, I believe that the emergence of the Messianic movement is an important indication that we are approaching the return of Yeshua. Messianic Believers today, or future generations of Messianic Believers, are being prepared to become these Tribulation saints. I believe, in fact, that the development of the modern Messianic movement is a precursor to the horrific events of the Great Tribulation, even if it does not occur in our lifetimes.

The prophesied period of time known as the “Restoration of All Things” is approaching. The Prophets tell us that this restoration period will be a time when God’s people will return to obeying His commandments, and many of Israel will surely return to the Promised Land. The Scriptures are replete with descriptions of restoration, reconciliation, and return.

One of the first prophecies, that is a foundational overview of the restoration that is to occur, was given over 3,300 years ago by Moses. Toward the end of his life, Moses saw a prophetic glimpse into the future that described the ultimate restoration of Israel to the Promised Land and to its relationship to God. If you analyze what Moses declares, you will see that his prophecy points to the future Millennial Kingdom and many of the events that lead up to this period of restoration:

“So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today” (Deuteronomy 30:1-8).

When Moses prophesied these words, he had just spent considerable time detailing the blessings and the curses of obedience or disobedience to the Torah (Deuteronomy chs. 28-29). In these statements, he refers to the covenant made with not only those present, but also those in future generations who will inherit the promises:

“Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God and with those who are not with us here today” (Deuteronomy 29:14-15).

Moses knew that the future generations of God’s people would be scattered into the nations for their disobedience. He foresaw a period in time when the blessings and curses are called to mind in the nations where they would be banished. Deuteronomy 30:1 says, “When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations” (NIV), telling us what will occur. The Hebrew verb shuv, rendered as either “call” (NASU) or “take” (NIV), appears in the Hifil stem (casual action, active voice), and typically means “cause s.one to go/come back, see that s.one gets back” (CHALOT).[1] This is because the Lord wants His people to remember and return to the time when they diligently obeyed Him and He was able to bless them. Moses was foreseeing the return to a period of time when the blessings and the curses pronounced by God upon His people would once again be studied and understood. The positive result of considering the Torah is a return to the Holy One with an obedient heart and soul. Accordingly, this is what Moses declared:

“[A]nd you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons” (Deuteronomy 30:2).

Moses says that a restoration and gathering from the nations will be the result of this return to God:

“[T]hen the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you” (Deuteronomy 30:3).

The Lord says that He will gather the remnant of His people who return:

“The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers” (Deuteronomy 30:5).

Finally, Moses prophesies that God will circumcise the hearts of His people who return:

“Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today” (Deuteronomy 30:6-8).

Moses says that the result of a circumcised heart, which loves God, is an obedient heart which seeks to observe His commandments. Many refer to the circumcision of the heart as being what occurs when a person receives Yeshua and is born again. This is absolutely true (Romans 2:29), as the person with a circumcised heart believes in Yeshua the Messiah. But God clearly wants us to have circumcised hearts, so that we might be open to His Spirit and submit to His will, obeying Him.

Moses’ prophecy in Deuteronomy 30 summarizes what I believe we are beginning to see in the Messianic community today. Future generations to whom these prophecies are directed will become people who are “calling to mind” the blessings and the curses pronounced upon Israel. As a result of studying the Torah, there is a genuine attempt today among many Believers to obey God’s commandments with their hearts and souls. We are also witnessing the gathering of God’s people to the land that was promised to the Patriarchs. Finally, the Lord is being able to fully circumcise our hearts, as it will be evidenced by a complete obedience to Him.

The people of Israel have not only been anticipating a restoration to the Promised Land, but also the restoration of a loving relationship with the Almighty. For centuries, elements of this foundational prophecy have been reiterated by many of the other authors of Scripture. The faithful were always anticipating the Restoration of All Things.

After the resurrection of Yeshua, the Apostles were anticipating the restoration of the Kingdom. These men walked with the Messiah. They were Torah observant Jews and knew that the Messiah did not come to abolish the Law (Matthew 5:17-19). But they believed that Yeshua came to usher in the Kingdom of God on Earth and would defeat Israel’s enemies and restore the Davidic dynasty. After His resurrection Yeshua spent forty days with His Disciples. During this time, they thought that the Kingdom would be established. Just before His ascension into Heaven, they wanted to know if it were time to restore the Kingdom to Israel. Yeshua gave them a different instruction than what they were expecting:

“Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth’” (Acts 1:4-8).

Yeshua tells His Disciples that only His Father knew the specific time when the Kingdom would be established. They were to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit in order to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the world.

After the day of Shavuot/Pentecost the Apostle Peter summarized his understanding of what had just been happening in the recent weeks. He finally comprehended, with the enlightenment of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), what must happen before the Messiah returns:

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Yeshua, the Messiah appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways” (Acts 3:19-26).[2]

In his second sermon after the day of Shavuot/Pentecost, Peter spoke in the context of repentance and return. Peter knew that Yeshua had to be received by Heaven until the period of the Restoration of All Things commenced. Peter knew the prophecies of the Tanach and how they had spoken about this time throughout the ages. Of course, he was probably hoping that the time had come for the restoration of the Kingdom. He was witnessing the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, as miracles were taking place all around Jerusalem. But as we know from our perspective almost two thousand years later, the return of the Messiah did not occur in Peter’s lifetime. The return of the Messiah will only occur when the period of the Restoration of All Things or Millennial Kingdom begins. It will take place when God’s people have reached the appropriate point of righteousness (2 Peter 3:11-12).

Both Moses and Peter understood that God would have to restore His people in the end-times, but neither one knew the exact time that it would take place. Today, the existence of the Messianic movement and the establishment of the State of Israel are indicators that we are approaching the return of Yeshua.

One of the consistent themes about the restoration that is to occur is the return of all Israel to the Promised Land. Since 70 C.E., when the Romans destroyed the Temple and dispersed the remnant of Israel into the nations, the ancient promise for a physical return to the Promised Land was thought impossible. On May 14, 1948, the modern-day State of Israel, Medinat Yisrael, was finally declared by the executive committee of the Jewish community living in Palestine. The Judeo-Christian world was awestruck. Jewish people who believed that the idea of a Jewish state was impossible were proven wrong, and Christian theologians who believed that the Church had replaced Israel had to begin reevaluating God’s promises. The prophecy of Isaiah, given by God almost 2,700 years ago, detailed the creation of the modern State of Israel:

“‘Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons. Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?’ says the LORD. ‘Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?’ says your God” (Isaiah 66:8-9).

Many believe that we are in the Last Days just prior to the “great and terrible day of the LORD.” In many respects, what the Messianic movement has done can be characterized as being a part of the time when all things will be restored. Are we in the days prophesied by Malachi, when the hearts of the children will return to the Patriarchs of the faith?

“Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).

We are witnessing a great return of the children to the fathers of the faith. The Messianic movement is a “grass roots” move of the Holy Spirit. The revelation to pursue God from a Torah observant perspective is not (yet) being declared from large, worldwide ministries, but instead by a variety of small voices declaring God’s message in the proverbial wilderness. Testimonies from all over the world that I have received give witness to the fact that returning to the practices of Yeshua and His first Disciples has come in a variety of ways. You should have confidence that you are not alone, and continue in the convictions that our Heavenly Father has shown to you.

At the same time, do remember that the Messianic movement is a still-maturing movement. Many competing voices are attempting to define what being “Messianic” is in their own image. The enemy would like nothing more than to divide us or discredit us, and you must ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment with whatever Messianic teachings you hear. Always look for those lifting up Yeshua, His atoning work, the authority of Scripture, and who are trying to help see people grow and mature in their faith.[3]

Remember that there are two times that speak of the time of restoration. The first time was when the Disciples thought that the Kingdom would be established when Yeshua walked among them. The second time will be during the Great Tribulation just prior to the Millennial Kingdom. Obviously, we must be approaching the latter.

Whether you are a Messianic Jew or non-Jew, worshipping the Holy One of Israel and acknowledging Yeshua as the Messiah of Israel are both foundational aspects of this move of our Father. We are presently witnessing an incredible return to the Torah on behalf of God’s people, and a genuine desire in the hearts of men and women to grow in their walk of faith. Certainly, Believers are being challenged unlike never before as they must open up their Bibles and ask the Lord to show them what the Scriptures mean and what we should be doing. As these things occur and develop further, the return of Yeshua the Messiah will draw closer and the Restoration of All Things—the return to the way our Heavenly Father always intended things to be—will be occurring. We live in exciting times, and you should feel blessed to live in them!

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 12

[1] CHALOT, 363.

[2] Cf. Deuteronomy 18:15, 18; Genesis 22:18.

[3] For a further discussion, consult the article “The Quest for Credibility” by J.K. McKee.

CHAPTER 12 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Do you believe that today’s Messianic movement is of God? Why or why not?

2. What did Moses prophecy about the end-times and the people of Israel? How might these prophecies apply to you?

3. Do you believe that Torah study is important for understanding the times in which we live?

4. As Believers in Messiah Yeshua, what should we be diligently doing prior to His return?

5. Do you believe that the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 was prophetically important? Why or why not?

6. What do you anticipate to see regarding the prophesied Restoration of All Things?

Recommended Resources for Biblical Study

As the Messianic movement grows, so will your desire for Biblical knowledge and study. We know that the Lord has used this workbook, Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study, to present many people with an introduction to the Messianic community and Torah observance. Messianic fellowships, small study groups, and individuals have used this workbook to get a feel about the things that our Father is doing in this day and age. Some fellowships have been created as a result of Bible studies conducted with this workbook.

We are all called to be adequate students of God’s Word, and as good students we need to have the right resources to interpret the Bible, understand its background, and be respected among other pastors and laymen. Many people entering into the Messianic community, whom God has raised up to lead fellowship groups, Bible studies, and entire congregations, often are unequipped with the proper tools to use for understanding Scripture. Whether you are one of these people, or are an individual wanting to have a good Biblical library, we believe the following listing of resources will be helpful for you to have.

This section offers a listing of theological resources that no Messianic library should be without. We have included brief reviews of the materials listed. While many of these materials are also available in electronic format, we highly recommend that you obtain the physical copies if you are in the process of building a congregational library.[1]

Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Anchor Bible Dictionary, 6 vols (ed. David Noel Freedman; New York: Doubleday, 1992), $225-300

ABD has become the standard, most-up-to date Bible dictionary in most conservative or liberal theological circles. Theologically it is liberal in many places, but is quite factual in terms of archaeology, manuscript information, and history. What is unique about ABD is that it is a major work produced with Jewish-Christian dialogue in mind, and Rabbinical opinions and extra-Biblical Jewish sources are referenced every bit as much as Christian opinions and outside sources are referenced.

Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (ed. Normal L. Geisler; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999), $25-50

The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics is a one-volume reference source that analyzes many theological issues from a conservative, evangelical Christian perspective. It is a good reference to have when one needs a thorough examination of an unfamiliar theological term, especially when dealing with atheists or agnostics.

Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs (ed. David W. Bercot; Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998), $15-30

Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs is a valuable tool to have if you are unfamiliar with the writings of the Church Fathers from Second-Fourth Century Christianity. The Church Fathers’ theological positions on a diverse range of subjects are listed by heading with elongated quotations.

Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period (eds. Jacob Neusner and William Scott Green; Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002), $35-60

Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period is an excellent, one-volume reference work listing critical topics unique to First Century Judaism, their relation to Rabbinical Judaism and the development of early Christianity, and background historical information of the time.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 4 vols (ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), $50-150

ISBE is a good, well respected encyclopedia in both conservative and liberal circles. A revision of the original 1915 edition, the present version reflects new scholarship and many more theological points of view. ISBE is generally more conservative than ABD, but does not include as many Jewish references.

Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, 4 vols. (ed. George Buttrick; Nashville: Abingdon, 1962), $80-130

Before ABD, IDB was the standard, liberal Bible encyclopedia. In view of modern liberal theological trends, IDB represents a more moderate view due to its older age. IDB is more theological than ABD. A unique feature of IDB is that references to all Hebrew and Greek words are in original language typeface.

New International Dictionary of the Bible (ed. Merrill C. Tenney; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987), $25-40

NIDB is a good, single volume, relatively conservative Bible dictionary to have. It is useful as a desktop, quick reference source.

Hebrew and Greek Word Studies (for English speakers)

Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament (eds. Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter; Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003), $35-50

Easy-to-use volume for referencing Hebrew words for those who are unfamiliar with the Hebrew language. Words are keyed to Strong’s Concordance numbers and include a brief theological explanation.

Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (ed. Spiros Zodhiates; Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1993), $35-50

Excellent lay resource to have for referencing Greek words, by a native Greek speaker. Words are keyed to Strong’s Concordance numbers and include a detailed theological explanation. This dictionary is slightly influenced by dispensational theology.

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 2 vols. (eds. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke; Chicago: Moody, 1980), $30-70

TWOT gives word study results for most Hebrew and Aramaic words used in the Tanach by evangelical Christian scholars. It employs a Strong’s Concordance reference system with detailed theological explanations of most words. Many words are tied in with Greek Septuagint uses and Messianic typological connections.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (W.E. Vine; Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996), $15-30

Vine lists various English words and then gives their Greek equivalent(s) in the Apostolic Scriptures. Many words include a brief theological explanation. Excellent Greek tool to use for those who are unfamiliar with the language and who need a good theological handling on a word or concept.

Hermenutical Tools for Understanding Scripture

Bible Study That Works (David L. Thompson; Napanee, IN: Evangel Publishing House, 1994), $5-15

Bible Study That Works is a short, yet thorough handling of how an individual should study texts of the Bible. David Thompson offers some important techniques how laymen can read the Bible intelligently, employing English Bible translations, commentaries and outside resources, and above all letting the text interpret itself.

Study Bibles

Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible (ed. Spiros Zodhiates; Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1993), $30-60

The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, available in KJV, NASB, and NIV, has important words underlined and keyed to Strong’s Concordance. It includes an abbreviated Hebrew and Greek dictionary, and is a good tool to use for Bible studies with those who are completely unfamiliar with the original languages. Each book includes a brief introductory section. Note that it leans toward dispensational theology. The NASB edition due to its literalness in modern English is the preferred edition.

Jewish Study Bible (eds. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler; New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), $45-60

The Jewish Study Bible is an ecumenical Jewish resource including perspectives from Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Judaism based on the NJPS translation. It does represent some liberal theology in various places, but overall is a good, easy-to-access reference source to have for Jewish perspectives on Scripture. Each book includes an introduction, most texts include commentary, essays on various Jewish theological issues are included, and there is a thorough glossary of theological terms unique to Judaism.

NIV Study Bible (ed. Kenneth L. Barker; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), $15-55

The NIV Study Bible is based on one of the most popular Bible versions on the market, the New International Version. Its commentary is largely conservative, and arguably a better feature than the NIV translation. Each book has an introductory section, and special features are included with each Biblical book. The NIV Study Bible is widely respected in evangelical circles.

Archaeological Study Bible (ed. Duane A. Garrett, et. al.;  Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), $30-50

The Archaeological Study Bible has been received as a Godsend for many Believers in conservative, evangelical circles. Incorporating the NIV, it includes a good summary of footnotes, articles, and excurses that engage with the historical periods and contemporary literature of the Scriptures. Whereas liberal study Bibles will often use such data to discount the Biblical message, the Archaeological Study Bible uses it to demonstrate how the Scriptures are different and above all, trustworthy.

One-Volume Commentaries

Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old & New Testaments (eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck; Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983 & 1985), $45, $35

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old & New Testaments represents a solid, conservative Christian examination of the Scriptures. Both commentaries are easy to follow with an introduction to each Biblical book. The commentary is based on the NIV translation. Do note that it leans toward dispensational theology and pre-tribulationism in many places, but overall it is a good resource.

IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old & New Testaments (eds. John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews, & Mark W. Chavalas; ed. Craig S. Keener; Downers Grove, IL: 2000 & 1993), $35, $45

The IVP Bible Background Commentary is an easy-to-use resource which provides some historical data on the background behind the Scriptures. There is one volume for the OT and one for the NT. Interpretive possibilities on Biblical texts are listed.

Jewish New Testament Commentary (ed. David H. Stern; Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1995), $35

The Jewish New Testament Commentary is a resource that every Messianic library must have. A complimentary resource to the Jewish New Testament translation, it provides a Messianic Jewish elaboration on many verses of the Apostolic Scriptures, explaining the First Century Jewish mindset of Yeshua and His Disciples. A drawback to this commentary is that books of the New Testament do not include introductory sections describing the authors, the time and place of their writing, and their target audience.

Pentateuch & Haftorahs (ed. J.H. Hertz; London: Soncino Press, 1960), $45

J.H. Hertz’ Pentateuch & Haftorahs is a classic reference work in the Jewish community on the weekly Torah and Haftarah readings. It includes a parallel Hebrew-English text, and his commentary is a solid compilation of Jewish tradition and Nineteenth Century scholasticism. Many references are made to extra-Biblical Jewish works and historical sources.

Etz Hayim (ed. David Liber; New York: The Rabbinical Assembly, 2001), $50

Etz Hayim is a Conservative Jewish commentary on the Torah and Haftarah readings based on the NJPS translation. It includes the latest in Biblical scholarship and practical application for the Twenty-First Century. Careful attention is given to Jewish tradition in light of modern literary techniques for examining Scripture.

For More Information

An Annotated Guide to Biblical Resources for Ministry (David R. Bauer; Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003), $12-15

This book is an invaluable desktop reference for those in ministry who are building a reference library. Resources listed are across the spectrum of topics: from the Tanach to the Apostolic Scriptures, Hebrew and Greek, systematic theologies, and commentaries that are summarized for their views.

NOTES

[1] Note that the prices listed with each publication have been approximated from various listings, including those from the Academic Catalog of Christian Book Distributors (http://www.cbd.com) and Amazon.com.

About the Authors

William Mark Huey is the founder and director of Outreach Israel Ministries. He resides in Kissimmee, Florida with his wife Margaret and their children.

Mark became a Believer in the Messiah of Israel in 1978, but it was a Zola Levitt tour to Israel in 1994 with his wife that sparked an ardent search for answers about the Hebraic Roots of our faith. By 1995, his family became members of a Messianic Jewish congregation in Dallas, Texas and their pursuit for truth intensified. Within a year, Mark formed a conference-producing enterprise called “The Remnant Exchange,” a division of Third Race Endeavors, and began hosting prophecy conferences and seminars with increasing Messianic understanding and emphasis. Mark’s business experience, owning a commercial real estate brokerage company, coupled with Margaret’s ownership of a cross-stitch design company, led them to form a ministry consulting business that worked with a variety of Messianic ministries from 1997 to 2002.

By 2002, after years of exposure to tangible evidence that the prophesied “Restoration of All Things” (Acts 3:21) was becoming a reality, the impetus to focus energy and attention on Israel, the people, the Land, and Torah-centered Messianic teachings merged together. The outcome was the formation of Outreach Israel Ministries.

From the beginning of Outreach Israel Ministries, the need to educate and to minister to the expanding number of Messianics has always been at the heart of the mission. The technological tools made available through the Internet have allowed much of the communication and interaction to be affordable and extensive. Developing a website presence that was informational was essential to extending the outreach around the globe. The merger with TNN Online and TNN Press in 2003 substantially enhanced the website capabilities and teaching materials.

For years, Mark has had a fervent interest in Torah study. His “TorahScope” commentaries are e-mailed to those every week who are looking for a Messianic perspective on the weekly portions, and have been enhanced by “TorahScope Live” audio broadcasts. Additionally, Mark writes editorial commentaries under the byline “Hue and Cry” that are germane to issues involving Israel and the Messianic movement.

Contact with Messianics from around the world has generated a number of topics that need to be addressed from a Messianic perspective. At the founding of OIM, since there did not appear to be a broad overview of the Hebraic Roots of our faith, the concept of developing an introductory study guide appeared to meet an expanding need. In collaboration with J.K. McKee, editor of TNN Online, the workbook Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study was produced. Mark has also written TorahScope, Volumes I&II.

Mark is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in history, with graduate studies toward a master’s degree in aviation management completed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Mark Huey currently lives in Dallas, TX and is a member of Eitz Chaim Messianic Jewish Synagogue.

John Kimball McKee is the founder and principal writer for TNN Online, an Internet website that specializes in a wide variety of Biblical topics. He has grown up in a family that has been in constant pursuit of God’s truth, and has been exposed to things of the Lord since infancy. Since 1995 he has come to the realization of the post-tribulational return of the Messiah for His own and the importance of our Hebraic Roots. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma (Class of 2003) with a B.A. in political science, and holds an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary (Class of 2009). He is a 2009 recipient of the Zondervan Biblical Languages Award for Greek. John holds memberships in the Evangelical Theological Society, the Evangelical Philosophical Society, and Christians for Biblical Equality.

John is an apologist for the Creator God and in helping people understand their faith heritage in Ancient Israel and Second Temple Judaism. Much of his ministry in the past has been campus based to the multitudes in evangelical Christianity who are associated with a wide variety of Protestant denominations and persuasions. John has introduced college students to things that are Messianic such as the original Hebrew name of our Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), a name that he has known since 1983.

John’s testimony before his Christian friends at college challenged much of their previous thinking about the whole of the Holy Scriptures and the need to follow the commandments of the Most High. His college peers asked him many questions: Why do you not believe in the pre-trib rapture? What do you think of the Left Behind books? Why do you observe the seventh-day Sabbath? Why do you eat kosher? Why do you wear a beard? Why do you celebrate the feasts of Israel? Why will you use a tallit and wrap tefillin/phylacteries during private prayer? Why do you consult original Hebrew and Greek language texts of the Bible? Why don’t you come to church with us on Sunday? This led John into Messianic apologetics and the defense of our faith. John strives to be one who is committed to a life of holiness and methodical Bible study, as a person who has a testimony of being born again and who sincerely desires to obey the Lord.

As the editor of TNN Online, John’s ministry has capitalized on the Internet’s ability to reach people all over this planet. The Theology News Network speaks with challenging, provocative, and apologetic articles to a wide Messianic audience, and those Christians who are interested in Messianic beliefs. In the past decade, TNN Online has emerged as a moderate and Centrist voice in a Messianic movement that is trying to determine its purpose, relevance, and mission to modern society. Given his generational family background in evangelical Christian ministry, as well as in academics and the military, John carries a strong burden to assist in the development and maturation of our emerging Messianic theology and spirituality, so that we might truly know the mission of God. John has had the profound opportunity since 1997 to engage many in dialogue, so that they will consider the questions he postulates, as his only agenda is to be as Scripturally sound as possible. John believes in demonstrating a great deal of honor and respect to both his evangelical Christian, Wesleyan and Reformed heritage, as well as to the Jewish Synagogue, and together allowing the strengths of both Judaism and Christianity to be employed for the Lord’s plan for the Messianic movement in the long term future.

J.K. McKee is the son of the late K. Kimball McKee (1951-1992) and Margaret Jeffries McKee Huey (1953-), and stepson of William Mark Huey (1951-), who married his mother in 1994, and is the executive director of Outreach Israel Ministries.

John has a very strong appreciation for those who have preceded him. His father, Kimball McKee, was a licensed lay minister in the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church, and was a very strong evangelical Christian, most appreciative of the Hebraic and Jewish Roots of the faith. Among his many ministry pursuits, Kim brought the Passover sedar to Christ United Methodist Church in Florence, KY, was a Sunday school teacher, and was extremely active in the Walk to Emmaus, leading the first men’s walk in Madras, India in 1991. John is the grandson of the late William W. Jeffries (1914-1989), who served as a professor at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD from 1942-1989, notably as the museum director and founder of what is now the William W. Jeffries Memorial Archives in the Nimitz Library. John is the great-grandson of Bishop Marvin A. Franklin (1894-1972), who served as a minister and bishop of the Methodist Church, throughout his ministry serving churches in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Bishop Franklin was President of the Council of Bishops from 1959-1960. John is also the third cousin of the late Charles L. Allen (1913-2005), formerly the senior pastor of Grace Methodist Church of Atlanta, GA and First Methodist Church of Houston, TX, and author of numerous books, notably including God’s Psychiatry. Among all of his forbearers, though, he considers his personality to be most derived from his late paternal grandfather, George Kenneth McKee (1903-1978), and his maternal grandmother, Mary Ruth Franklin Jeffries (1919-).

J.K. McKee is a native of the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati, OH area. He has also lived in Dallas, TX, Norman, OK, Kissimmee-St. Cloud, FL, and Roatán, Honduras, Central America. He presently resides in Dallas, TX, and is a member in good standing at Eitz Chaim Messianic Jewish Synagogue.

Bibliography

Articles

Anderson, B.W. “God, names of,” in IDB.

____________. “Jehovah,” in IDB.

Austel, Hermann J. “shm',” in TWOT.

Beitzel, B.J. “Hebrew (people),” in ISBE.

Bromiley, G.W. “Church,” in ISBE.

____________. “Sin,” in ISBE.

Dahlberg, B.T. “Jeshua,” in IDB.

Davies, W.D. “Law in the NT,” in IDB.

Delling, G. “plēróō,” in TDNT.

Editorial Staff Encyclopaedia Judaica, “Triennial Cycle,” in EJ.

Harvey, Warren Zev. “Torah,” in EJ.

________________. “Torah, Origin and Preexistence,” in EJ.

Hauck, F. “ménō,” in TDNT.

Jacobs, Louis. “Torah, Reading of,” in EJ.

Jervis, L.A. “Law/Nomos in the Greco-Roman World,” in Dictionary of New Testament Background.

Lewis, Jack P. “qāhāl,” in TWOT.

Patterson, R.D. “segulah,” in TWOT.

“Pentateuch, Mosaic Authorship of,” in Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics.

Pope, M.H. “Proselyte,” IDB.

Rabinowitz, Louis J. “God, Names of,” in EJ.

Rengstorf, R.H. “didáskalos,” in TDNT.

Rose, Martin. “Names of God in the OT,” in ABD.

Schultz, Carl. “'br,” in TWOT.

Schmidt, K.L. “ekklēsía,” in TDNT.

Vanderkam, James C. “Calendars,” in ABD.

Bible Versions and Study Bibles

American Standard Version (New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1901).

Barker, Kenneth L., ed., et. al. NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002).

Berlin, Adele, and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds. The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).

Esposito, Paul W. The Apostles’ Bible, An English Septuagint Version (http://www.apostlesbible.com/).

Garrett, Duane A., ed., et. al. NIV Archaeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005).

Green, Jay P., trans. The Interlinear Bible. (Lafayette, IN: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 1986).

Harrelson, Walter J., ed., et. al. New Interpreter’s Study Bible, NRSV (Nashville: Abingdon, 2003).

Holy Bible, King James Version (edited 1789).

Holy Bible, New International Version (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978).

LaHaye, Tim, ed. Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible, King James Version (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2000).

New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: Foundation Press Publications, 1971).

New American Standard, Updated Edition (Anaheim, CA: Foundation Publications, 1995).

New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).

New Revised Standard Version (National Council of Churches of Christ, 1989).

Packer, J.I., ed. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2001).

Ryrie, Charles C., ed. The Ryrie Study Bible, New American Standard (Chicago: Moody Press, 1978).

Scherman, Nosson, and Meir Zlotowitz, eds. ArtScroll Tanach (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1996).

Stern, David H., trans. Jewish New Testament. (Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1995).

____________, trans. Complete Jewish Bible (Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1998).

Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1999).

The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Cokesbury, 1952).

Today’s New International Version (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005).

Young, Robert, trans. Young’s Literal Translation.

Zodhiates, Spiros, ed. Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, New American Standard (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1994).

Books

Berkowitz, Ariel and D’vorah. Torah Rediscovered (Lakewood, CO: First Fruits of Zion, 1996).

_______________________. Take Hold (Littleton, CO: First Fruits of Zion, 1999).

Carson, D.A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament, second edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005).

Cranfield, C.E.B. International Critical Commentary: Romans 1-8 (London: T&T Clark, 1975).

Egan, Hope. Holy Cow! Does God Care About What We Eat? (Littleton, CO; First Fruits of Zion, 2005).

Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003).

Finkelman, Rabbi Shimon. Shabbos: The Sabbath—Its Essence and Significance (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1990).

Friedman, David. They Loved the Torah (Baltimore: Lederer Books, 2001).

Gundry, Robert H. The Church and the Tribulation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973).

______________. First the Antichrist (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997).

Harrison, R.K. Introduction to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1969).

Hegg, Tim. Interpreting the Bible (Tacoma, WA: TorahResource, 2000).

________. The Letter Writer: Paul’s Background and Torah Perspective (Littleton, CO: First Fruits of Zion, 2002).

________. It is Often Said: Comments and Comparisons of Traditional Christian Theology and Hebraic Thought, 2 vols. (Littleton, CO: First Fruits of Zion, 2003).

________. Fellow Heirs: Jews & Gentiles Together in the Family of God (Littleton, CO: First Fruits of Zion, 2003).

Juster, Daniel C. Growing to Maturity (Denver: The Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations Press, 1987).

____________. Jewish Roots (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 1995).

Kaiser, Walter C. The Promise-Plan of God: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008).

Kolatch, Alfred J. The Jewish Book of Why (Middle Village, NY: Jonathan David Publishers, 1981).

_____________. The Second Jewish Book of Why (Middle Village, NY: Jonathan David Publishers, 1985).

Ladd, George Eldon. The Blessed Hope (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956).

McKee, J.K. Torah In the Balance, Volume I (Kissimmee, FL: TNN Press, 2003).

__________. The New Testament Validates Torah (Kissimmee, FL: TNN Press, 2004).

__________. James for the Practical Messianic (Kissimmee, FL: TNN Press, 2005).

__________. Hebrews for the Practical Messianic (Kissimmee, FL: TNN Press, 2006).

__________. A Survey of the Apostolic Scriptures for the Practical Messianic (Kissimmee, FL: TNN Press, 2006).

__________. Philippians for the Practical Messianic (Kissimmee, FL: TNN Press, 2007).

__________. Galatians for the Practical Messianic, second edition (Kissimmee, FL: TNN Press, 2007).

__________. A Survey of the Tanach for the Practical Messianic (Kissimmee, FL: TNN Press, 2008).

__________. Ephesians for the Practical Messianic (Kissimmee, FL: TNN Press, 2008).

O’Brien, Peter T. Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999).

Richardson, Susan E. Holidays & Holy Days (Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, 2001).

Scarlata, Robin, and Linda Pierce. A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays with Activities for all Ages, first edition (Madison, TN: Family Christian Press, 1997).

Stern, David H. Messianic Jewish Manifesto (Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1991).

Strickland, Wayne G., ed. Five Views on Law and Gospel (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996).

Thompson, David L. Bible Study That Works (Nappanee, IN: Evangel Publishing House, 1994).

Wilson, Marvin R. Our Father Abraham (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989).

Wright, Christopher J.H. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2006).

Wright, N.T. The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999).

Christian Reference Sources

Alexander, T. Desmond, and David W. Baker, eds. Dictionary of the Old Testament Pentateuch (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2003).

Arnold, Bill T., and H.G.M. Williamson, eds. Dictionary of the Old Testament Historical Books (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2005).

Bercot, David W., ed. A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998).

Bromiley, Geoffrey, ed. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 4 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988).

Buttrick, George, ed. et. al. The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, 4 vols. (Nashville: Abingdon, 1962).

Cairns, Alan. Dictionary of Theological Terms (Greenville, SC: Ambassador Emerald International, 2002).

Crim, Keith, ed. Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: Supplementary Volume (Nashville: Abingdon, 1976).

Evans, Craig A., and Stanley E. Porter, eds. Dictionary of New Testament Background (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000).

Freedman, David Noel, ed. Anchor Bible Dictionary, 6 vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1992).

__________________, ed. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000).

Geisler, Norman L., ed. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999).

Green, Joel B., Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1992).

Grenz, Stanley J., David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling. Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999).

Guthrie, D. and J.A. Motyer, eds. The New Bible Commentary Revised (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970).

Harrison, Everett F., ed. Baker’s Dictionary of Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1960).

Hawthorne, Gerald F., Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, eds. Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1993).

Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1993).

Keil, C., and F. Delitzsch, eds. Commentary on the Old Testament, 10 vols.

Longman III, Tremper, and Peter Enns, eds. Dictionary of the Old Testament Wisdom, Poetry & Writings (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2008).

Martin, Ralph P., and Peter H. Davids, eds. Dictionary of the Later New Testament & its Developments (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1997).

Roberts, Alexander, and James Donaldson, eds. The Apostolic Fathers, American Edition.

Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church, 8 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995).

Tenney, Merrill C., ed. The New International Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987).

Walton, John H., and Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000).

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, eds. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983).

________________________________. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985).

Greek Language Resources

Aland, Kurt, et. al. The Greek New Testament, Fourth Revised Edition (Stuttgart: Deutche Bibelgesellschaft/United Bible Societies, 1998).

Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L., ed & trans. The Septuagint With Apocrypha (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1999).

Bromiley, Geoffrey W., ed. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, abridged (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985).

Danker, Frederick William, ed., et. al. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, third edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000).

Liddell, H.G., and R. Scott. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994).

Metzger, Bruce M. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (London and New York: United Bible Societies, 1975).

Nestle, Erwin, and Kurt Aland, eds. Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition (Stuttgart: Deutche Bibelgesellschaft, 1993).

Nestle-Aland Greek-English New Testament, NE27-RSV (Stuttgart: United Bible Societies/Deutche Bibelgesellschaft, 2001).

Newman, Jr., Barclay M., A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament (Stuttgart: United Bible Societies/Deutche Bibelgesellschaft, 1971).

Rahlfs, Alfred, ed. Septuaginta (Stuttgart: Deutche Bibelgesellschaft, 1979).

Thayer, Joseph H. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003).

Vine, W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1968).

Zodhiates, Spiros, ed. Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1993).

Hebrew Language Resources

Baker, Warren, and Eugene Carpenter, eds. Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003).

Brown, Francis, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1979).

Davidson, Benjamin. The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970).

Dotan, Aron, ed. Biblia Hebraica Leningradensia (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2001).

Elliger, Karl, and Wilhelm Rudolph, et. al., eds. Biblica Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart: Deutche Bibelgesellschaft, 1977).

Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980).

Holladay, William L., ed. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden, the Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1988).

Koehler, Ludwig, and Walter Baumgartner, eds. The Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 2 vols. (Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill, 2001).

Torah Nevi'im Ketuvim v'haBrit haChadashah (Jerusalem: Bible Society in Israel, 1991).

Unger, Merrill F., and William White. Nelson’s Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1980).

Historical Sources

Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History, trans. C.F. Cruse (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998).

González, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1 (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1984).

Irvin, Dale T., and Scott W. Sunquist. History of the World Christian Movement, Vol. 1 (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2001).

Josephus, Flavius: The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, trans. William Whiston (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987).

Judeaus, Philo: The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, trans. C.D. Yonge (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993).

Shanks, Hershel, ed. Ancient Israel: From Abraham to the Roman Destruction of the Temple (Washington, D.C.: Biblical Archaeology Society, 1999).

Jewish Reference Sources

Cohen, Abraham. Everyman’s Talmud: The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages (New York: Schoken, 1995).

Eisenberg, Ronald L. The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2004).

Hertz, J.H., ed. Pentateuch & Haftorahs (London: Soncino, 1960).

Lieber, David L. Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary (New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 2001).

Neusner, Jacob, trans. The Mishnah: A New Translation (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1988).

____________, and William Scott Green, eds. Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002).

Encyclopaedia Judaica. MS Windows 9x. Brooklyn: Judaica Multimedia (Israel) Ltd, 1997.

Scherman, Nosson, ed., et al. The ArtScroll Chumash, Stone Edition, 5th ed. (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2000).

Strack, Hermann L. Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash (New York and Philadelphia: Meridian Books/Jewish Publication Society, 1959).

Messianic Reference Sources

Stern, David H. Jewish New Testament Commentary (Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1995).

Miscellaneous Texts and Lexicons

Bauer, David R. An Annotated Guide to Biblical Resources for Ministry (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003).

Vermes, Geza, trans. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (London: Penguin Books, 1997).

Young, Robert. Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977).

Software Programs

BibleWorks 7.0. MS Windows XP. Norfolk: BibleWorks, LLC, 2006. CD-ROM.

E-Sword 8.0.8. MS Windows 9x. Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation, 2008.

Judaic Classics Library II. MS Windows 3.1. Brooklyn: Institute for Computers in Jewish Life, 1996. CD-ROM.

Libronix Digital Library System 1.0d: Church History Collection. MS Windows XP. Garland, TX: Galaxie Software. 2002.

The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary. MS Windows XP. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2005. CD-ROM.

Publications Available from TNN Press

TNN Press is the official publishing arm of TNN Online, and its parent organization, Outreach Israel Ministries. TNN Press is dedicated to producing high quality, doctrinally sound, challenging, and fair-minded Messianic materials and resources for the Twenty-First Century. TNN Press offers a wide array of new and exciting books and resources for the truth seeker.

TNN Press titles are available for purchase at www.outreachisrael.net or at Amazon.com

Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study

is TNN Press’ main, best-selling publication, that offers a good overview of the Messianic movement and Messianic lifestyle that can be used for individual or group study in twelve easy lessons

Introduction to Things Messianic

is an excellent companion to Hebraic Roots, which goes into substantially more detail into the emerging theology of the Messianic movement, specific areas of Torah observance, and aspects of faith such as salvation and eschatology

The Messianic Helper series, edited by Margaret McKee Huey, includes a series of books with instructional information on how to have a Messianic home, including holiday celebration guides.

Messianic Winter Holiday Helper

is a guide to help you during the Winter holiday season, addressing the significance of Chanukah, the period of the Maccabees, and the non-Biblical holiday of Christmas

Messianic Spring Holiday Helper

is a guide to assist you during the Spring holiday season, analyzing the importance of Purim, Passover and Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, and the non-Biblical holiday of Easter

Messianic Fall Holiday Helper

is a guide for the Fall holiday season of Yom Teruah/Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, along with reflective teachings and exhortations

Messianic Sabbath Helper (coming soon in paperback)

is a guide that will help you make the seventh-day Sabbath a delight, discussing both how to keep the Sabbath and the history of the transition to Sunday that occurred in early Christianity

Messianic Kosher Helper

is a guide discussing various aspects of the kosher dietary laws, clean and unclean meats, common Jewish traditions associated with kashrut, common claims made that these are no longer important for Believers, and an extensive analysis of Biblical passages from the Tanach (OT) and Apostolic Scriptures (NT) about the Torah’s dietary laws and their relevance

Messianic Torah Helper

is a guide that weighs the different perspectives of the Pentateuch present in Jewish and Christian theology, considers the role of the Law for God’s people, and how today’s Messianics can fairly approach issues of halachah and tradition in their Torah observance

Outreach Israel Ministries director Mark Huey has written Torah commentaries and reflections that are thought provoking and very enlightening for Messianic Believers today.

TorahScope Volume I

is a compilation workbook of insightful commentaries on the weekly Torah and Haftarah portions

TorahScope Volume II

is a second compilation workbook of expanded commentaries on the weekly Torah and Haftarah portions

TorahScope Volume III

is a third compilation workbook of expanded commentaries on the weekly Torah and Haftarah portions, specifically concentrating on the theme of faith

TorahScope Haftarah Exhortations

is a compilation workbook of insightful commentaries on the specific, weekly Haftarah portions, designed to be used to compliment the weekly Torah reading

TorahScope Apostolic Scripture Reflections

is a compilation workbook of insightful reflections on suggested readings from the Apostolic Scriptures or New Testament, designed to be used to compliment the weekly Torah and Haftarah readings

Counting the Omer: A Daily Devotional Toward Shavuot

is a daily devotional with fifty succinct reflections from Psalms, guiding you during the season between the festivals of Passover and Pentecost

Sayings of the Fathers: A Messianic Perspective on Pirkei Avot

is a daily devotional for two years of reflection on the Mishnah tractate Pirkei Avot, introducing you to some of the key views present in the Apostolic period as witnessed by the Jewish Sages (intended to be read during the counting of the omer)

TNN Online editor and Messianic apologist J.K. McKee has written on Messianic theology and practice, including studies on Torah observance, the end-times, and commentaries that are helpful to those who have difficult questions to answer.

The New Testament Validates Torah

Does the New Testament Really Do Away With the Law?

is a resource examining a wide variety of Biblical passages, discussing whether or not the Torah of Moses is really abolished in the New Testament

Torah In the Balance, Volume I

The Validity of the Torah and Its Practical Life Applications

examines the principal areas of a Torah observant walk of faith for the newcomer, including one’s spiritual motives

Confronting Critical Issues

An Analysis of Subjects that Affects the Growth and Stability

of the Emerging Messianic Movement

compiles a variety of articles and analyses that directly confront negative teachings and trends that have been witnessed in the broad Messianic community in the past decade

TNN Press has produced a variety of Messianic commentaries on various books of the Bible under the “for the Practical Messianic” byline. These can be used in an individual, small group, or congregational study.

general commentaries:

A Survey of the Tanach for the Practical Messianic

A Survey of the Apostolic Scriptures for the Practical Messianic

specific book commentaries:

Acts 15 for the Practical Messianic

Galatians for the Practical Messianic

Ephesians for the Practical Messianic

Philippians for the Practical Messianic

Colossians and Philemon for the Practical Messianic

The Pastoral Epistles for the Practical Messianic

1&2 Thessalonians for the Practical Messianic

James for the Practical Messianic

Hebrews for the Practical Messianic

TNN Press has produced a selection of confronting issues mini-books, specifically designed to address controversial theological topics facing a widely divided Messianic movement

One Law for All

From the Mosaic Texts to the Work of the Holy Spirit

by J.K. McKee

addresses the different passages that are significant to the whole discussion of “one Law” or “one Torah” to be followed by the people of God, and the widespread polarization of the Torah being a Divine Invitation or Covenant Obligation for non-Jewish Believers

Are Non-Jewish Believers Really a Part of Israel?

by J.K. McKee

addresses the basic choices of ecclesiology for today’s Messianic Believers: either God (1) has two groups of elect, or sub-peoples: Israel and “the Church”; or God (2) recognizes us all as a part of an enlarged Kingdom realm of Israel. How are we to approach non-Jewish Believers in the Messianic movement, and things like the Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:11-13), the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16), or being grafted-in (Romans 11:16-18)?

Confronting Yeshua’s Divinity and Messiahship

by J.K. McKee

examines some of the top reasons given by Messianic people who deny Yeshua as being God, why the Godhead can indeed be plural, and some of the top reasons given by Jewish anti-missionaries against Yeshua being the Messiah of Israel

To Be Absent From the Body

by J.K. McKee

confronts the debate over the intermediate state, what occurs to a person between death and the resurrection, and how the Scriptures do indeed affirm that people will be in a disembodied condition in another dimension for a limited time

Why Hell Must Be Eternal

by J.K. McKee

addresses the rather uncomfortable and unpopular topic of eternal punishment, considering some of the common proof texts given in support of annihilationism, and also weighs in the perspective of the metaphorical view of eternal punishment present in theological studies since the Protestant Reformation

One of the goals of TNN Press is to always be in the mode of producing more cutting edge materials, addressing head on some of the theological and spiritual issues facing our emerging Messianic movement. In addition to our current array of available and soon-to-be available publications, the following are a selection of Future Projects, in various stages of planning and pre-production, most of which involve research at the present time (2013). Look for their release sometime over the next two to five years and beyond.

Torah In the Balance, Volume II

The Set-Apart Life in Action—The Outward Expressions of Faith

by J.K. McKee

will examine many of the finer areas of Torah observance, which has a diversity of interpretations and applications as witnessed in both mainstream Judaism and the wide Messianic community

Salvation on the Line/in View

by J.K. McKee

is a planned/anticipated multi-volume series which will directly tackle the subject of apostasy in today’s Messianic movement, first considering the Divinity of Yeshua, the doctrine of salvation, and later the Messiahship of Yeshua, the reliability of the Scriptures, and human origins

Table of Contents

Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study© 2005, 2009

Thus says the LORD,

Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Why Should We Study Our Hebraic Roots?

An Important Word From the Publisher:

Abbreviation Chart and Special Terms

Preface to the Edited Edition Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study

Introduction Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study

Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study

[i]

[iii]

[iii]

Shavuot

-1-Why Should We Study Our Hebraic Roots?WMH

-1-Why Should We Study Our Hebraic Roots?WMH

Around the world there is an incredible move of the Holy Spirit that has attracted many Believers de...

[1]

Once a Believer has become consciously aware that his spiritual ances...

[11]

[16]

didáskalos

[20]

[4]

[5]

” in TWOT, 2:641.[7] Ibid.[13]

[9]

[9]

New Interpreter’s Study Bible

[10]

[11]

Shama

shm'

TWOT, 2:938).[13]

Such scholars as R.D. Wilson, Merrill Unger, Douglas Young, R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., ...

Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics[Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999], 587).[16]

[16]

[20]The Soncino Talmud.Judaic Classics Library II

[21]

[21]

egō Pharisaios eimi

CHAPTER 1 STUDY QUESTIONS

-2-

-2-

even the

[1]

[2]

[4]

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 2[1] Cf. Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:15; Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6; 43:21; Deuteronomy 4...

The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993), 397.[7]

EJ.[8]

[9]

Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash

CHAPTER 2 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. When the Apostle Peter talks about the “restoration of all things,” what comes to mind? What does...

3. How was Ancient Israel to be blessed? Does this same principle apply to Believers today?

5. How could studying the Torah portions on a weekly basis give you a newfound richness to your walk ...

-3-

-3-

Why do we need the Torah? Is it important for us today, those who sit...

The Torah as Foundation

[1]

[10]“[S]

[23]TDNT

[33]

Five Views on Law and Gospel(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 75.[7]

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

Consult the FAQ entry on the TNN website “Torah, division of commandme...

[9]

[13]Ibid., 2:1710.[14]

[15]

[21]

[22]Heb.

Heb.

[24]G. Delling, “

[25]

[26]N.T. Wright,

[27]

[29]

Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament[Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003], 620). TheHebrew-...

[30]

[31]

[31]

CHAPTER 3 STUDY QUESTIONS

2. Do you believe knowing about the Torah is important for our faith and having a proper foundation f...

4. In what sense is the Torah “Teaching”? In what sense is the Torah “Law”?

6. Why do you think many Christians believe that the Messiah abolished the Torah? Do you believe that...

8. What do you believe the correct meaning of “under Law” is? Is it obeying the Torah, or being subje...

-4-

-4-

The Controversy

IDB

[2]

[4]

-5-

One of the many blessings that you receive as a Messianic Believer is the wonderful opportunity to o...

Shabbat

Shabbat

[1]

Our Creator took six days to complete the task of creating the world,...

Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD.

[5]

Messianic Shabbat

[6]

[7]

Shabbat

-6-

-6-

One of the most recognizable changes that occurs when an individual begins to embrace a Messianic li...

moedim

“The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel a...

[1]

“Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you a...

The Plan for the Creation

[3]

[4]

[8]

[10]

[11]

CHAPTER 6 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Do you think it is significant that large numbers of non-Jewish Believers are celebrating the Bib...

10. When Believers celebrate the appointed times today, what should be the emphasis of our celebratio...

11. Are you excited about celebrating the Biblical holidays? Why or why not?

-7-Why Do We Eat Biblically Kosher?JKM

-7-Why Do We Eat Biblically Kosher?JKM

1 Peter 1:14-16 tells us, “

which were yours

[1]

Ask Adam and Eve

[7]

[10]

[11] ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 7[1]CHALOT, 314.

8. What is the interpretation of Peter’s vision of Acts 10, given to us by Peter himself?

10. What do you think about those who defiantly oppose the dietary laws in light of Isaiah 66?-8-

-8-

-8-

We are all highly conscious as a Messianic family of the fact that how we live our lives and practic...

Mashiach

or Christos

, the Messiah or the Christ, the reality of the matter is that there are significant

“

Shema

[1]

The Hebrew verb for “hear” is

[4]

What hurdles must be overcome?

-9-

Sadly, in recent days there has been a growing sector called the Sacre...

When many new people enter into the Messianic community, they do wonde...

Our Creator Has a Name

[1]

Yeshua’s Handling of the Name of God

[21]

Septuaginta(Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1979), 1:354-405. CHAPTER 9 STUDY QUESTIONS

CHAPTER 9 STUDY QUESTIONS

1. What are some of the differences between Messianics and Christians in the terms or names that the...

2. Have you ever encountered Sacred Name Only people? If so, what was your experience with them? Do y...

3. What are the Hebrew characters which make up the name of the Father? Why is this name rendered in ...

4. Why does Judaism not pronounce the proper name of God?

6. What does the Hebrew name Yeshua mean?

8. Were you saved by calling on the name Jesus Christ? Do you believe that you were truly saved in th...

-10-

-10-

Are Israel and the Church Separate?JKM

One of the most common claims against Messianic Believers and the Torah obedient lifestyle that we f...

Are Israel and the Church separate?

Depending on what part of the Christian Church one’s background is found can depend on how you answer...

and dispensationalism. Replacement theology, also known as supersessionism, is the idea that the pro...

The other widespread point of view in mainstream Christianity today i...

What is the Messianic viewpoint on God’s elect?

[1]

Assembly or Congregation—Not Church

[8]

[13]

[16]

-11-

-11-

Many of you are probably aware that the subject of eschatology or the study of end things, what most...

There are differing opinions and interpretations of end-time prophecy...

and believe that Yeshua the Messiah will return before a literal thousand year reign on Earth. (Only...

One’s interpretation of the end-times is not a salvation issue. We ar...

We are not going to go into extreme detail on the Last Days in this c...

When will Yeshua return?

The majority of evangelical Christians today believe that Yeshua the ...

[1]

A More Messianic View of the Tribulation

[3]

-12-Where Are We? Where Are We Going?WMH

2.

Because today’s Messianic Believers have a testimony similar to ...

even if it does not occur in our lifetimes.

them

[1]

[2]

[3]

ENDNOTES FOR Chapter 12[1] CHALOT, 363.[2]

Recommended Resources for Biblical Study

[1]

Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs (ed. David W. Bercot; Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998), $15-30

Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period

Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

About the Authors William Mark Huey

John’s testimony before his Christian friends at college challenged mu...

As the editor of TNN Online, John’s ministry has capitalized on the Internet’s ability to reach peopl...

Bibliography Articles

Bibliography Articles

Publications Available from TNN Press

Publications Available from TNN Press