Sunday, August 30, 2015

Response to a Jewish comment: "Jews haven't murdered anyone for the purpose of conversion"

ANTI-MISSIONARY COMMENT:  "It's only the Jews who have not murdered anybody in the name of converting others!"

NETZARI RESPONSE:   Really?  Hmmm.   Well, you tried your best to keep God’s “rest of the story” from happening by KILLING His Messiah!   There is no doubt the religious leaders of Israel were responsible for Y’shua’s death:   Matthew 26:3-4 tells us that “the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, assembled together to the palace of the high priest,  Caiaphas - and they consulted so that they might take Y’shua by guile and kill Him.” The Jewish leaders demanded of the Romans that Y’shua be put to death (Matthew 27:22-25)!  So there goes your argument!  They couldn’t continue to allow Him to work signs and wonders because it threatened their position and place in the religious society they dominated (John 11:47-50), so “they plotted to put Him to death” (John 11:53).

(The Romans were the ones who actually crucified Him (Matthew 27:27-37), authorized and carried out by the Romans under the authority of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who sentenced Y’shua. Roman soldiers drove the nails into His hands and feet, Roman troops erected the cross and a Roman soldier pierced His side (Matthew 27:27-35).)

The people of Israel were also complicit in the death of Y’shua! They were the ones who shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” as He stood on trial before Pilate (Luke 23:21). They also cried for the thief Barabbas to be released instead of Y’shua (Matthew 27:21). Peter confirmed this in Acts 2:22-23 when he told the men of Israel “you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death” Y’shua of Nazareth. In fact the murder of Y’shua was a conspiracy involving Rome,  Herod,  the Jewish leaders and the people of Israel, a diverse group of people who never worked together on anything before or since, but who came together this one time to plot and carry out the unthinkable – the murder of the Son of God!

Ultimately, Y’shua died as our Final Sin Sacrifice/Offering.  He HAD to die in order to fulfill Scripture – Isiah 53…..This was the greatest act of divine justice ever carried out, done in “the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23) and for the highest purpose. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Acts 2:23. This (man), who was Set Apart was for this, by the foreknowledge and will of Elohim, you delivered into the hands of the people who were without Elohim and you nailed upon a stake and killed!  24. But Elohim loosed the cords  of Sheol and raised him because it was not possible that he be held in Sheol.  25. For Dawid spoke concerning him, I foresaw my Master, for at all times he (is) at my right hand so that I will not be moved.  26. Because of this my heart rejoices and my praise flourishes and also my body dwells in hope.  27. Because you will not leave my soul in Sheol, and neither will you allow your Righteous One  to see corruption.   28. You have revealed the road of life to me,  You will fill me with gladness with your presence. (AENT)

2 Corinthians 5: 20. We are therefore ambassadors for the Mashiyach, and it is as if Elohim was pleading you by us. In behalf of the Mashiyach, therefore, we plead to you to be reconciled to Elohim;  21. For, on your account, He has made him who knew no sin to be a sin (offering) that we might by him become the righteousness  of Elohim. (AENT)

FOOTNOTE:  To “become the righteousness of Elohim” means to demonstrate Mashiyach to the world, which means we do not go through life breaking YHWH’s Commandments.

And, by the way, it is absolutely not true that "the Jews never try to convert anyone" because - as evidenced by the teachings of the various Jewish anti-missionary rabbis with blogs, websites and radio/TV shows - they are doing their level best to "prove" that "Jesus and the New Testament are myths" ... and they're succeeding at hoodwinking people into "leaving Jesus!" Simply go to Facebook and check out the many "anti-missionary" blogs and groups consisting mostly of those who have decided to "Leave Jesus" and who are now viciously attacking anyone who still believes He is the Messiah - AND spurring each other on to "friend" people for the purpose of bringing them into traditional Judaism!

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Sharing a vision....

As I was scrolling my way through some Facebook threads a few days ago, I was appalled to see so many people pushing “conspiracy theories” – something I have been speaking out against for years.  But suddenly, quite out of the blue,  I received a clear vision of what is going to happen to the United States, and even perhaps around the world  – a vision that kept unfolding in my mind, even as I lay in bed that night.  This vision was spurred on by one passage:  Revelation 14:20, which says:  “And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the bridles of the horses, for about three hundred kilometres.”

As my vision unfolded, I saw a people who, with good reason, had stopped respecting or trusting their leaders; corrupt and money-hungry, godless leaders, filled with pride and hypocrisy, pushing their own personal agendas, NONE of which ever lined up with Master יהוה and His Will.  I saw the nameless, faceless masses being torn in every direction by various pastors, rabbis, imams, atheist spokesmen, Satanists, and all manner of self-proclaimed “leaders” spouting their respective “ear-tickling” messages to a populace hungry for guidance and true leadership.
 
I saw angry people filled with hatred and violence and vengeance for others – many of whom were only exhibiting these feelings/behaviors because they had been inspired, encouraged, influenced and cajoled by those with an agenda, who had found “fertile soil” in ignorant, leaderless and desperate, desolate people dying to feel like they belonged somewhere; dying to be accepted; dying be part of a cause.... 

I saw “race riots” in all the cities of the U.S., spurred on by hatred and distrust on all sides, with each side lobbing unfounded allegations at each other.  I saw endless looting and violence and people breaking into houses and taking whatever they wanted, simply because they were “angry” and feeling entitled; hating anyone who had the slightest appearance of wealth – no matter how hard those people might have worked to attain that wealth ... it was looked down upon with loathing by those who had been busy collecting welfare and other government subsidies, because the word “work” was not part of their vocabulary.

And I saw those whose heads were swollen with arrogance and perceived self-worth, pushing lies and personal opinions and “conspiracy theories” down the open throats of those who craved “secret knowledge” that made them feel important.  And those people encouraged, enticed and spurred each other on with their “secret knowledge” and “conspiracy theories” - about everything, from the supposed “myth of the lunar landing” to the idea that the governments of the world are purposely keeping from us that the “earth is flat”;  to the dangers of the Illuminati and the “New World Order Bilderbergers and Rothschilds” and supposed “FEMA Concentration Camps” being built by our own government to “keep us in line” and totally “dumbed down.”

I heard shouts that warned, “The NWO-illuminati control EVERYTHING! Wake up and fight!” 

My mind was filled with the Facebook threads about the supposed “Jade Helm 15” -  conspiracy theories based on “the eponymous United States military training exercise, taking place in multiple U.S. states”…  that have “raised concerns that have been characterized by The New York Times as "travers[ing] the outer edges of political paranoia."

I saw it all so clearly!  It’s no secret that the Middle East is imploding; that many are fleeing their homelands and trying to force their way into European countries to get away from their tyrannical leaders.  We know Greece and other countries are on the verge of economic collapse due to greed and mismanagement. In the US, we are trying to deal with people from S. America who are illegally crossing our borders in their desperate attempts to flee the tyranny and poor conditions of their own countries...while the U.S. (where basic human decency, and common courtesy and respect for others is a thing of the past, never to be revived), is laden down with entitled and self-centered crazies on a mission, racial tension, suicidal nut jobs with guns who want to take others with them into death, and endless man-made "conspiracy theories" that are causing people to be so suspicious of everyone and anything that we will surely one day see mass murders everywhere because Americans will all pick up their guns to shoot each other. “The government” won’t have to kill us all off because WE will do it to each other! After all, "Ya never know if your next-door neighbor is a spy or secretly a Muslim who is out to kill you"....

In in my vision I heard:  “Then many will stumble and will hate one another and will betray one another.  And many false prophets will arise and deceive many.  And because of the growth of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold.” It was from Matthew 24!

Matthew 24:6. For you are bound to hear of revolutions and rumor of wars.  Watch out and do not be disturbed, for it is necessary that all these things happen, but it is not yet the end.  7. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and plagues and earthquakes in different places. 8. But all these things are only the beginning of sorrows. 9. Then they will deliver to afflictions and they will kill you and you will be hated by all nations because of my name.

10. Then many will stumble and will hate one another and will betray one another. 11. And many false prophets will arise and deceive many. 12. And because of the growth of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold. 13. But whoever has patience until the end, he will have life. 14. And this Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come...
. (AENT)

I suddenly understood the following scriptures and viewed them in ways I never had before:

2 Timothy 3: 1-2 …But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy....

Luke 21: 10 Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

Revelation 6:7-9: I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth
.

Many will ask, “Why is this happening to us?  Where is God?  Why isn’t HE doing something?”   Well - if they had only read the Bible from cover to cover, they would have known the answer:

Jeremiah 16:10  “And it shall be, when you declare to this people all these words, and they shall say to you, ‘Why has יהוה pronounced all this great evil against us? And what is our crookedness, and what is our sin that we have committed against יהוה our Elohim?’  11   then you shall say to them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me,’ declares יהוה, ‘and have walked after other mighty ones and served them and bowed themselves to them, and have forsaken Me, and did not guard My Torah.  12  ‘And you have done more evil than your fathers, for look, each one walks according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me. (ISR)

Jeremiah 16:19  O יהוה, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge, in the day of distress the gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers have inherited only falsehood, futility, and there is no value in them.”1 Footnote: 1See Ps. 147:19, Isa. 2:3, Isa. 60:2-3, John 4:22, Rom. 2:20, Rom. 3:2, Rom. 9:4.)  20  Would a man make mighty ones for himself, which are not mighty ones?  21  “Therefore see, I am causing them to know, this time I cause them to know My hand and My might. And they shall know that My Name is יהוה!” (ISR)

Nothing has changed, folks!  If anything, it has only gotten worse!  We ARE “as in the days of Noah” when YHWH destroyed the world by flood! (Genesis 6 - 8)

2 Thessalonians 2:9. For the coming of that (Evil One) is the working of haSatan with all power and signs and lying wonders 10. and with all the deceptiveness of iniquity in them that perish; because they did not receive the love of the truth by which they might have life. 11. Therefore Elohim will send upon them the strength of a deception that they may believe a lie; 12. and that they all may be condemned who believe not the truth but have pleasure in iniquity. (AENT)

Yes - many are "believing lies" and nonsense espoused by pseudo scholars and "wannabe teachers" - and even some kooks! - instead of simply getting into Scripture to learn the PLAIN meaning of who our ELOHIM is, and what He expects of us so that we can learn to live together in this world according to HIS Rules.

What came to me very clearly in my “vision” was this:  I saw the enemy – and he is US!


Friday, August 28, 2015

A note for those who have endured a lifetime of suffering

A note for those who have endured a lifetime of suffering:  Your reward will be in Heaven!

I had the privilege yesterday of a surprise visit with a friend of mine who is a pastor, and he was telling me about some of the horrors of his childhood.  The conclusion was that, even though "the enemy" had done his level best to keep this man from ever knowing God,  יהוה (YHWH) had another goal in mind, which was to ultimately make this man a prison chaplain, reaching those who have lost all hope.  

The thing is, "the adversary" ALWAYS picks on
יהוה’s people in hopes of keeping them so miserable that they will remain focused on their misery instead of on God.   This often happens even way BEFORE they ever get to know our Creator.   Many experience horrific traumatic events, too terrible for words – events that made them want to commit suicide because life in this world was simply too hard - never realizing that that is exactly what the enemy wanted them to do!   After all, if you die an unbeliever, then it’s too late to accept YHWH was your God and Y’shua as His divine Messiah who suffered and died for you!

But it’s often those same people - those who have lived through terrible traumas - who YHWH ends up using in some way for His Glory!  He uses for GOOD what the enemy meant for evil!  He turns our misery around and uses us as light beacons for the lost!  The Torah and the rest of the Tanach teem with people who suffered both before they knew
יהוה, and afterward, once He began to work in their lives.  "The world" HATES believers!

I know many Believers who have gone through proverbial hell over the course of their lives – but in the end, they found their way to YHWH/Y’shua/Torah and began to praise Him for using them to be a “light” to others!

The Shlichim (Apostles) did the same thing.  They endured all kinds of persecution once they accepted Y’shua as their Messiah, but their “lights” continue to shine brightly into the darkness of our modern world.  Sha’ul  (Paul) and the other Apostles were forever admonishing each other and their followers to stay strong:

Philippians 1:29. And this is given to you by Elohim that you not only really believe in the Mashiyach, but also that you suffer on his account; 30. and that you endure conflict, as you have seen in me and now hear concerning me. (AENT)

Philippians 3: 1. Finally, my Brothers, rejoice in our Master (Y’shua). To write these (things) again and again to you is not bothersome to me because they make you more careful.  2. Beware of dogs; beware of evil doers; beware of the circumcised in flesh (alone).  3. For we are the (real) circumcision who worship Elohim in spirit and glory in Y’shua the Mashiyach, and place no reliance on the flesh,[1]  4. And though I might place reliance on the flesh. For, if any one thinks that his reliance should be on the flesh, I might (do so) more than he.  5. Circumcised when eight days old; of the stock of Israel; of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew, descendant of Hebrews; as to Torah, a Pharisee;  6. as to zeal, a persecutor of the assembly (of Messianic believers); and as to the righteousness of the (Oral) Torah,[1] I was without fault. 

7. But these things which had been my mastery, I have accounted a detriment because of the Mashiyach.  8. And now also I account them all a detriment, because of the superiority of the knowledge of Y’shua the Mashiyach my Master; for the sake of whom I have parted with all things and have accounted (them) as dung that I might gain the Mashiyach[3]  9. and be found in him; since my righteousness is not (now) that from Torah, but that which is from faith in the Mashiyach, that is, the righteousness which is from Elohim;  10. that thereby I might know Y’shua and the power of his resurrection; and might participate in his sufferings and be assimilated to his death:  11. if so be, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  12. Not as though I had already taken (the prize), or were already complete; but I run (in the race), if so I may take that for which Y’shua the Mashiyach took me.
  (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1]   Torah teaches that we must not rely on our flesh (for dust you are, and to dust shall you return), but that we obey our Father YHWH as His children.  We are the real circumcision if we obey YHWH and do His will.  Circumcision counts for nothing if we are unwilling to turn to YHWH’s instructions and follow in the steps of His Mashiyach (Jeremiah 9).  Rav Shaul repeatedly teaches that circumcision of the heart must come first; circumcision of the flesh can never begin to substitute the perfect work of the Ruach haKodesh.

[2]  By including Pharisaic tutelage, Rav Shaul is specifically referencing the “Oral Law” in which he was without fault.  Y’shua rebuked the Pharisees (contrary to popular Christian opinion), for not keeping the Torah of Moshe, but for superseding Torah with their traditions (Matthew 15:1-20).  Y’shua clearly advocates Torah observance (Matthew 5:17-20).  Rav Shaul never referred to the Torah of YHWH as anything detrimental to Faith (Romans 3:31, 7:12).  Rav Shaul quotes extensively from Torah – indeed, from all the Tanakh – to uphold every teaching he puts forth!  There is nothing Paul upholds which is not based in the Torah of YHWH, so those who preach Paul must not be unbelievers, but also follow what Paul taught, which is the Torah of YHWH, not the traditions of men.

[3]  Because Rav Shaul knew that the halacha (way to walk) of Y’shua was superior to that of the Pharisees.  It was not that Y’shua abandoned Torah, Elohim forbid! But that Y’shua understood, clarified and revealed Torah far better than any other teacher that Rav Shaul knew, and Paul associated with the greatest souls within Judaism! (Luke 24:44-45).  Sadly, many have never even been able to enter into the discussion as it pertains to Y’shua, Paul and Torah, as they’ve been led to believe by false religion that Paul was anti-Torah!

Acts 5:  41. And they departed from before them rejoicing that they were worthy because of The Name to be despised.  42. And they would not cease all day to teach in the temple and at home and to preach about our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach.
(AENT)

Romans 8:33. Who will set himself against the chosen of Elohim? It is Elohim who justifies.  34. Who is it that condemns? Mashiyach died and arose and is on the right hand of Elohim, and makes intercession for us.  35. What will sever me from the love of Mashiyach? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or the sword?  36. As it is written: For your sake, we die daily: and we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  37. But in all these things we are victorious by means of him who loved us.  38. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor Messengers nor principalities, nor powers nor things present nor things to come,  39. Nor height nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to sever me from the love of Elohim which is in our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach. (AENT)

2 Timothy:8. Be mindful of Y’shua the Mashiyach, that he arose from the dead; who was of the seed of Dawid, according to my proclamation,  9. in which I suffer evils to bonds as if an evil-doer: but the Word of Elohim is not in bonds.  10. Therefore I endure everything for the elect’s sake; that they also may obtain life in Y’shua the Mashiyach with eternal glory.  11. Faithful is the saying, For if we will have died with him we will also live with him;  12. and, if we will have suffered, we will also reign with him. But if we will have rejected him, he will reject us.

13. And if we will have not believed in him, he abides in his fidelity; for he cannot reject himself.  14. Of these things admonish you them and charge (them) before our Master (Y’shua) that they do not argue with unprofitable words to the subversion of those who hear them.  15. And study to present yourself before Elohim perfectly, a laborer who is not ashamed, one who correctly announces the Word of Truth.  16. Avoid vain discourses in which there is no profit; for they very much add to the wickedness of those occupied with them.  (AENT)

1 Peter 4:  16. But if he suffer as a Kristianay (Greek followers of Yeshua),  let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify Elohim on account of this name.  17. For it is the time when judgment will commence with the house of Elohim: and if it commence with us, what will be the end of those who obey not the Good News of Elohim?  18. And if the righteous scarcely lives, where will those who are against Elohim and the sinner be found!  19. Wherefore, let them who suffer according to the pleasure of Elohim commend their souls to him in well doing as to a faithful Creator.  (AENT)

FOOTNOTE: Kristianay was the label given by Gentiles for Gentile followers of Mashiyach.  Although in one place Gentiles in Antioch referred to the Shlichim as Kristianay, the Shlichim/Apostles themselves never adopted this label. This contrasts the title that Netzari (Nazarenes) adopted (Acts 24:12-14).  Like the citation in Acts, Peter also employs the term used by and for Greek followers, rather than the Aramaic Mishkhanee, indicating that he is specifically encouraging the Greek followers of Y’shua.

There are myriad scriptures referring to the fact that it’s not easy to be a believer in
יהוה and His divine Messiah; that suffering in this world on His behalf is pretty much guaranteed!  Stand strong, my mishpocah (family/ friends)!  Scripture also tells us that those who do this will LIVE.  (This doesn’t mean some won’t be killed in these end times; but rather, that we will have ETERNAL LIFE … an eternity in which to serve our awesome God  – which is HIS ultimate goal for us!)

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Was woman made from rib - or "penis bone"?


So יהוה Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept. And He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. And the rib which יהוה Elohim had taken from the man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.  (Genesis 2:21-22, ISR)


Some scholars argue that the word "rib" in the scripture above is wrong.  They argue that the word should be instead "penis bone".  What?  Human males don't have a penis bone!  In some mammals that do have this bone it is called the "baculum".  But that's precisely the point of the argument.  These scholars use the fact that human males don't have a penis bone to intimate that it was the penis bone from which Eve was made and not the rib.  Let's discuss the argument:

Ziony Zevit, Professor of Biblical Literature and Northwest Semitic Languages at American Jewish University in Bel-Air, California, is the latest of those scholars promoting this theory.  The Hebrew word translated in Genesis 2 as "rib" is צלעת  [tsela‘].  Zevit says: "This Hebrew word occurs some 40 times in the Hebrew Bible, where it refers to the side of a building or of an altar or ark (Exodus 25:12; 26:20, 26; 1 Kings 6:34), a side-chamber (1 Kings 6:8; Ezekiel 41:6), or a branch of a mountain (2 Samuel 16:13). In each of these instances, it refers to something off-center, lateral to a main structure. The only place where tsela‘ might be construed as referring to a rib that branches off from the spinal cord is in Genesis 2:21–22."

Zevit goes on: "Tsela‘ should be translated as 'a non-specific, general term,' such as one of Adam’s lateral limbs, in the Adam and Eve story. Thus, it refers to 'limbs lateral to the vertical axis of an erect human body: hands, feet, or, in the case of males, the penis.' "

Really?  Tsela' has to be one of Adam's "limbs" - a hand, foot, or penis? 

I think not Mr. Zevit. 

Genesis 2:21 says Adam was made to sleep and while sleeping, the verse continues: YHWH  "took one [אחת, e'chat] of his מצלעתיו [mi'tselatov], and closed up the flesh in its place."  So we have the action described as taking ONE of his mi'tselatov, meaning there was more than one!  Adam still had at least another tsela' remaining!  Thus I think it's safe to say that the tsela' was decidedly NOT a "penis bone"!  If the tsela' were a penis bone, then man today would still have one because one of at least two (or more) was taken!  

Using Mr. Zevit's analysis of the word "tsela'"of  which he says in each case it "refers to something off-center", I can't help but note that in defining this "off-centeredness" he also recognized that the word also simply refers to "the side" of something.  In each of the instances of tsela' elsewhere in scripture, the object of the "side" is understood.  In the case of the ark in Exodus, for example, it was the rings on the "side" of the ark. Tsela' is not the rings themselves, rather, tsela' is where the rings are located.  In a human it is completely understood where one is referring when he says "let me touch your side" the location is the area of the rib cage. Indeed, the ribs actually form the sides of a person so it is not unreasonable to conclude that the phrase "one of the tsela'" in Genesis 2 is understood completely the same as "one of the ribs forming the side".  In Job 18:12 it reads: "His strength is starved, and calamity is ready at his tsela'." 

Mr. Zevit, serious question.  Is calamity at Job's penis?


And since Genesis 2:21 clearly states that one of these things was taken, it seems further evidence that these were "side things" or perhaps simply "rib" as was the translation chosen centuries ago.  Thus it seems clear that "rib" is a perfectly valid translation of tsela' in Genesis 2 seeing as how we have more than one rib, and the ribs make up our "sides".  

Anyway, is all this discussion and picking apart Genesis 2:21-22 really important? The simple point is that woman was made from man, for man, to be his companion.  Scripture quickly moves on from this scene and Eve is described as "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one is called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man." (2:23, ISR) 

"For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (2:24, ISR)

It seems we have much more to draw from and discuss about this creation story of the intended relationship between man and woman than how tsela' is to be understood. The world has lost much understanding of the man-woman relationship created in Genesis 2 and perhaps more study should be dedicated there instead of arguing about supposed missing penis bones.    

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

A wake-up call for those who once believed in Y'shua and have now turned their backs on Him

Here's a note to those who once believed in Y'shua and have now turned their backs on Him:  Please read the below very carefully - and then if you still wish to believe that Y'shua is a myth and the "New Testament" is a fabrication, fine. But be sure in your heart that you wish to stake your eternal life on your "new" belief....

2 Peter 2:12 But these, like nasty beasts that by nature are for slaughter and corruption, while engaging in evil speech regarding things they don't know, will perish in their own corruption; 13. they being persons with whom iniquity is the reward of iniquity, and by them rioting in the daytime is accounted delightful; defiled and full of blemishes (are they), indulging themselves at their ease while they give themselves up to pleasure; 14. having eyes that are full of adultery and sins that never end; seducing unstable souls; and having a heart exercised in greed; children of cursing: 15. And, having left the correct path, they have wandered and gone in the way of Balaam the son of Beor who loved the wages of iniquity, 16. and who had for the corrector of his transgression a mute mule which, speaking with the speech of men, rebuked the madness of the prophet.

17. These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm, persons for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness. 18. For, while they utter astonishing vanity, they seduce with obscene lusts of the flesh, them who have almost abandoned these that walk in error. 19. And they promise them liberty while they themselves are the slaves of corruption: for, by whatever thing a man is vanquished, to that is he enslaved.

20. For if, when they have escaped the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of our Master and Redeemer Y'shua the Mashiyach, they become again involved in the same and are vanquished, their latter state is worse than the former. 21. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after having known (it), to turn back from the Set Apart Commandment that was delivered to them. 22. But the true proverb has happened to them: the dog returns to his vomit and the pig that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.
(AENT)

Hebrews 10:26 For if a man sin voluntarily after he has received a knowledge of the truth, there is no longer a sacrifice which may be offered for sins: 27. but the fearful judgment impends, and the zeal of fire that consumes the adversaries. 28. For if he who transgressed the Torah of Moshe, died without mercies at the mouth of two or three witnesses; 29. how much more, do you think, will he receive capital punishment who has trodden upon the Son of Elohim and has accounted the blood of his covenant by which he is sanctified, as the blood of all men and has treated the Spirit of grace in an insulting manner? 30. For we know him who has said, Retribution is mine and I will repay: and again, Master YHWH will judge his people. 31. It is very terrible to fall into the hands of the living Elohim. 
(AENT)

The admonition above in Hebrews 10 is perhaps a midrash about "blaspheming against the Ruach haKodesh" as mentioned by Y'shua in Matthew 12:32.

To consider oneself "equal" to YHWH is a very serious matter. Yeshua spoke of himself as being about his Father's business, of coming in his Father's Name; he spoke and taught with authority and performed healings which made him a formidable opponent to religious tradition. The charge here of Yeshua making himself equal to YHWH is simply Pharisee tradition projecting itself onto Yeshua. The Ruach haKodesh in Mashiyach is "equal" to YHWH, but the Pharisees supposed that Yeshua and his followers equated his humanity with YHWH; they didn't understand Isaiah 11:1-2, that Mashiyach has the Ruach haKodesh (another name for YHWH-Psalm 51:1-11, Isaiah 63:1-11) within him. YHWH spoke through the Spirit of Mashiyach, rather than through his human component!

Yeshua maintained that his nefesh (soul) would die, but that YHWH would resurrect it! Yeshua believed his own nefesh was mortal. Zechariah 12:10 the Spirit of YHWH is "pierced" but they mourn for him (Yeshua) as an only begotten son. YHWH cannot literally be "pierced"; therefore, this refers to Mashiyach who has the Spirit of YHWH in him. (Footnote borrowed from the Aramaic/English New Testament)

While the Christian "Jesus" was a Torah-less, blond adonis who supposedly "abolished the Law," the REAL Yeshua, the "arm of YHWH," (Isaiah 53:1) was a Torah observant, seventh-day Sabbath and Feast-keeping, kosher JEW.

Philippians 2:5 And think you so in yourselves, as Y'shua the Mashiyach also thought; 6. who, as he was in the likeness of Elohim, did not regard it sinful to be the coequal of Elohim; 7. yet disinherited himself and assumed the likeness of a servant, and was in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man; 8. and he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the stake. 9. Wherefore, also, Elohim has highly exalted him and given him a name which is more excellent than all names; 10. that at the name of Y'shua every knee should bow, of (beings) in heaven and on earth and under the earth; 11. and that every tongue should confess that Y'shua the Mashiyach is YHWH, to the glory of Elohim his Father.
(AENT)

More than his literal birth name Y'shua (which was and is a common Hebrew name), and more than the perfect reputation that his name represents. Y'shua bears the Name of YHWH, the "name above all names"! Y'shua has the Name and reputation of the Father YHWH in him (John 17:11) and the name means "YHWH is Salvation" (Matthew 1:21). (The angels, for instance, only have YHWH's title of ELOHIM within their names: GabriEL, MichaEL, RaphaEL....)

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Jesus didn’t fulfill ANY Messianic prophecy and he did NOT uphold Torah?

ANTI-MISSIONARY COMMENT:  Jesus didn’t fulfill ANY Messianic prophecy and he did NOT uphold Torah!

RESPONSE:  Really? Check out our article(s) about the Messianic prophecies!  And check out this passage (just one of thousands that prove Messiah Y'shua was all about His Father!), which refers back to Jeremiah 31:31-34!

Hebrews 8: 6. But now, Y’shua the Mashiyach has received a ministry which is better than that: as also the covenant of which he is made the Mediator is better, and is given with better promises than the former.  7. For, if the first (covenant) had been faultless, there would have been no place for this second (one).[1]   8. For he rebukes them and says: Behold the days come, says Master YHWH, when I will complete with the family of the house of Israel and with the family of the house of Yehuda, a renewed covenant;[2]   9. not like the covenant which I gave to their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; (and) because they continued not in my covenant, I also rejected them, says Master YHWH. 

10. But this is the covenant which I will give to the family of the house of Israel after those days, says Master YHWH: I will put my Torah in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts; and I will be to them a Elohim, and they will be to me a people.  11. And one will not teach his son of the city[3]  nor his brother, nor say: You shall know your Master YHWH: because they will all know me, from the youngest of them to the oldest.  12. And I will forgive them their iniquity; and their sins will I remember no more.  13. In that he said a Renewed (Covenant), he made the first old; and that which is old and decaying, is near to disappearing.[4] 
(AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1]   Most Christians seem to forget that without the first covenant, the second one is impossible!  In very short order Rav Shaul will quote Jeremiah 31:31-34, indicating that the Renewed Covenant is a contingency triggered by, and deriving authority from, the first covenant.  YHWH declared that the Ancient Covenant He made with Israel was good; it was to bring life, but the people of Israel chose to willfully break this Covenant and treat it as a vain thing.  See Deuteronomy 32:46, 47.

[2]  Paul makes reference to the Renewed Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) nine times in this letter.

[3]   The phrase in Aramaic is bar medintheh, which literally means “son of his city” but idiomatically carries the meaning of “fellow citizen, neighbor” and most definitely a metaphor Greek does not have. This fact puts Peshitta well before the end of the Second Century when the mistranslated Greek texts were done. It is also important to note that this is the last book of the Eastern canon. As a result, the entire collection must have circulated prior to this very early date.

[4]  The context is Jeremiah 31:31-34, what is “near to disappearing” is the sinful nature of man that breaks Torah, not the standard of Torah. Remember that we broke Torah, not YHWH.  YHWH did not drop the standard of Torah because Israel chose disobedience; rather, He installed a Renewed Covenant to write Torah upon the heart through the work of the Ruach haKodesh, according to Mashiyach. 

The fact of the matter is that in Mashiyach, YHWH raised the bar; He magnified Torah; see Isaiah 42:21.  Because mankind broke Covenant, YHWH requires complete renovation on our part, not YHWH’s part of the Covenant.  This verse in its twisted form, became one of the “crown jewels” of Torahless Christianity which teaches that Torah is decaying and is near to disappearing, but nothing could be farther from the truth.  See 2 Peter 3:16 and Epistle to the Hebrews in Appendix.

Anti-missionary claim: Your god-man Jesus is a myth who promoted paganism and idolatry

ANTI-MISSIONARY CLAIM:

Your god-man Jesus is a myth who promoted paganism and idolatry… and that became what’s known as CHRISTIANITY!

RESPONSE:

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to respond to such a ludicrous statement!  I start by stressing that every claim Y'shua made about himself and every claim the ORIGINAL AND REAL followers did in his name (not what got corrupted later into "Christianity") was derived from Tanakh. The enemy wants to confuse people - always has - and so he makes COUNTERFEITS that look like the truth but have just enough lie in them to lead people astray.  Satan is the father of lies, the prince and power of the world, and he has lied to us from the very beginning while appearing as a being of light. That's what "Lucifer" means--LIGHT BEARER.

Now, when the original Nazarenes interacted with the paganism of THEIR DAY, unlike the Roman Fathers who syncretized and synthesized it, they tried to bring people directly out of pagan belief to "come out of Babylon" as it were.  That is why Rav Shaul talks to the Athenians about their "UNKNOWN EL...”for what you say is unknown I proclaim to you...".  That is why you have the rulings in Acts 15 about Gentiles abstaining from food sacrificed to idols also.

So here is what I am trying to stress:  If the Nazarenes are condemning paganism (You believe Elohim is one you do well...for there is ONE FAITH, ONE IMMERSION, ONE ELOHIM, YHWH, by whom we all live...Y’shua said, "It is written, Worship YHWH and HIM ALONE SHALL YOU SERVE, etc.) WHY ON EARTH DO YOU THINK THE ORIGINAL BELIEFS FROM Y'SHUA WOULD BE WHAT CHRISTIANITY BECAME? Everything we know about Y'shua the man is that he was Torah observant! Same with Rav Shaul - and no one doubts he was real. In fact it is impossible to understand the New Testament without Torah.

Now, consider this:

1 Corinthians 10:18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 

1 Titus 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons….

Do you see what I am getting at?  Rav Shaul says that to worship "god men" as you anti-missionaries put it, is to worship DEMONS.  Again, you cannot drink from the cup of the Master and the cup of demons. You cannot serve YHWH and Mammon. So whatever the original faith of the Nazarenes was, it was NOT in a "god man."

Reader question about Deuteronomy 13

READER COMMENT:

Looking through The Refiner's Fire looking for a blog on Deuteronomy 13. Many anti-messianics (those who have rejected Y'shua and turned to traditional Judaism which insists He is a myth) use the "Deuteronomy 13 test" to demonstrate (supposedly) that Yeshua "failed" it. When asked, "What part of this test did He fail?" they will dance around like crazy, might just change the subject, or they twist something He said, and declare it never came to pass.

As with most "discussions" with them, there is no discussion in fact whatsoever and these accusations are thrown out mindlessly, carelessly and viciously, just like the muslim terrorists who throw a rock at any passing car, without giving a thought to the damage that could occur.

I watched a teaching on Deuteronomy 13 by 119 a few years ago, but can't remember what it said exactly, and I was wondering if you have a blog on this. Before reading it though, I think it is time for me to REread the scripture myself, and outline for myself what is taught. Spoon feeding can be an easy way to get a little spiritual nutrition, but like the teaching I watched a few years ago, it didn't (as my dear Gram used to say) "stick to my ribs!"

OUR RESPONSE:

GREAT question!  We don’t have an article about Deuteronomy 13 per se, but myriad articles showing how and why Y’shua IS the long-awaited Jewish Messiah and that He didn't "fail ANY so-called tests":

Qualifications of the Messiah
Yeshua in a nutshell
Yeshua has so far fulfilled the first four Feasts

Accurate Messiah Prophecies 

And check out just one of several dialogues we have had with Jews! 

The teaching to which you're referring at 119 Ministries can be found at http://119ministries.com/deut13

Here’s a million dollar question - something traditional Jews seem to be overlooking:  YHWH said that the Jews would be a "light to the nations" (Isaiah 42:5-8). How would we have been that "light" without Yeshua, without all the controversy surrounding Him, and all the subsequent "religions" that originated because of Him? Without Him, Judaism would have been kept a huge, insignificant secret, confined to tiny Israel! Because of Yeshua - God's promised New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) - the entire world eventually heard about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!

The big problem is, Jewish rabbis micromanage the prophecies to make sure their people WON’T find Y’shua in them! 

Friday, August 21, 2015

Introducing AISH.com's revised list of the Original 613 commandments....

It seems some rabbis are guilty of “adding to the Word” because suddenly, is seems, there is new emphasis in their compilations of of the original 613 commandments on many Jewish websites dressing down "missionaries" (a term that refers directly to Christians and Messianic believers)!  Check out this list at AISH.COM
Note, the “summary” of idolatry and paganism referring to “missionaries” – when in reality, if you actually refer to Scripture, nothing is mentioned about “missionaries” and/or having to "hate them" or suggesting Jews MUST hate or “incriminate” them, etc.  (Check out an earlier list on The Refiner’s Fire, reproduced years ago, and compare it with the one at AISH.com. The word “missionary” cannot be found there!)

Here is part of AISH.com's list:

Laws of Idolatry and Paganism

36    Not to missionize an individual to idol worship -  Deut. 13:12
37    Not to love the missionary  -  Deut. 13:9
38    Not to cease hating the missionary  -  Deut. 13:9
39    Not to save the missionary  -  Deut. 13:9
40    Not to say anything in his defense  -  Deut. 13:9
41    Not to refrain from incriminating him  -  Deut. 13:9
(Note: In most Bibles, these are verses 8 & 11 rather than 9 & 12)

Did the God of the universe REALLY say these things ... to actually single-out missionaries?  NO!  These things were added by the rabbis or whoever made up this particular list, for the express purpose to "talking back" to, and ridiculing those who believe that He sent us His Divine Messiah, Y'shua!

It's well-known that Jews do not like missionaries.  After all, they see missionaries as trying to lead the Jews to a "false god."  The problem is, the commands in Deuteronomy 13 are not about "missionaries"! Verses 6-10 say:

"6 (7) When your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own being, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other mighty ones’– which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, 7 (8) of the mighty ones of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth – 8 (9) do not agree with him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pardon him, nor spare him or conceal him, 9 (10) but you shall certainly kill him. Your hand is first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people, 10 (11) and you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, from the house of bondage." (ISR)


None of those mentioned in verse 6 (7) are "missionaries"!  But those in rabbinic Judaism are taught they must obey the rabbis and sages.  This halachah has as it's source Deuteronomy 17:11 which reads:

"Do according to the Torah in which they teach you, according to the right-ruling which they say to you. You do not turn to the right or to the left from the word which they declare to you." (ISR) ("They" being the cohanim, who sit in judgement and render all manner of rulings.)  The fact that the interpretation of Deuteronomy 13 by the rabbis is that the verses are about missionaries, then not only does the Jewish follower have to repeat that and follow that ruling, but they must therefore admit that they have broken Torah.  Yes, they have broken Torah and they have called their own people "missionaries"!


Deuteronomy 4:2 clearly reads: "Do not add to the Word which I command you, and do not take away from it, so as to guard the commands of YHWH your Elohim which I am commanding you."  (ISR) 

But the rabbis have changed Torah in Deuteronomy 13; they have added to the Word, and you are told you must follow their teaching!  

What shameful behavior! What makes AISH.com and all other Jewish websites believe it is pleasing to God to CHANGE or TWIST His Word in any way to suit their own agendas?  "Missionary" refers to those who believe in Y'shua!

Twisting scripture is nothing new, though. Christians twist scripture to deny Torah, and Jewish rabbis twist scripture to deny Yeshua.

Another blatant example of scripture twisting by the rabbis is found in Isaiah 7:14 in which the rabbis, distancing themselves from any possible acceptance of a prophesied "virgin birth", replace the Hebrew "ha-almah" which clearly means an unmarried, virgin woman, with the English "young woman" - intentionally divesting the requirement of virginity from the prophecy.  Rabbis know full well the deep meaning of Hebrew words and the differences between the words for "young woman" and "virgin".  And they know of the importance of royal bloodlines to not be compromised therefore they know Isaiah 7:14 must be "virgin" yet they will not allow it and say instead "young woman".  


Here are a few questions for those who dare “add to” or “twist” the original 613 commands:

If spreading the Word, i.e., "missionizing", is so bad then why would YHWH not come right out and forbid it?  After all, didn’t He scatter His disobedient people INTO the nations to safeguard and preserve His Torah? (Genesis 49:10, Micah 4:2.)  And Isaiah 42:6 says "I, ADONAI, called you righteously, I took hold of you by the hand, I shaped you and made you a covenant for the people, to be a light for the Goyim." 

He never said they should hide it/keep it to themselves or make a secret of His Name! Torah is the ONLY blueprint mankind has for holy, set apart living! If Jews are a "light" for the Gentiles, yet withhold Torah from them, what does that gain the Kingdom of YHWH?  No, only the sages declared teaching Torah to Gentiles was forbidden!

How else do we explain Father Yah calling Jonah to Nineveh - a city of Gentiles? (Jonah 3).  It's completely ironic that some Orthodox seem to bear Jonah's original attitude that got him into a "boatload" of trouble in the first place.  Tanach and “the rest of the story” called the “New Testament” which reveals His Divine Messiah Y’shua, were never meant to remain secret! 

After all, Yah chose the pagan Chaldean Avram to come to Him!  And last time anyone checked, Noah wasn't a Jew.  Neither were Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel or anyone else until Jacob had a son named Y'hudah...Yet Yah reached out to ALL of them!  (Good thing the "anti-missionaries" weren't around then, or else Bible history would have been completely unknown!)

They also seem to have also forgotten this...

(Deuteronomy 4:1)  “And now, O Yisra’l, listen to the laws and the right-rulings which I am teaching you to do, so that you live, and shall go in and possess the land which YHWH Elohim of your fathers is giving you. (2)  “Do not add to the Word which I command you, and do not take away from it1, so as to guard the commands of YHWH your Elohim which I am commanding you.  See also Deuteronomy 12:32, Proverbs 30:6, Revelation 22:18-19.

(Deuteronomy  4:3)  “Your eyes have seen what YHWH did at Ba'al Pe'or, forYHWH your Elohim has destroyed from your midst all the men who followed Ba'al Pe'or. (4)  “But you who are clinging to YHWH your Elohim are alive today, every one of you.  (5)  “See, I have taught you laws and right-rulings, as YHWH my Elohim commanded me, to do thus in the land which you go to possess. (6)  “And you shall guard and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the peoples who hear all these laws, and they shall say, ‘Only a wise and understanding people is this great nation!’

(Deuteronomy 4:7)  “For what great nation is there which has Elohim so near to it, as YHWH our Elohim is to us, whenever we call on Him? (8)  “And what great nation is there that has such laws and righteous right-rulings like all this Torah which I set before you this day? (9)  “Only, guard yourself, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the Words your eyes have seen, and lest they turn aside from your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your children and your grandchildren.  (ISR)


So how are the nations going to marvel at us if the Orthodox get their way and we don't teach Torah to show ourselves as "a wise and understanding people?”

By the way, Micah also confirmed teaching the nations Torah as a key part of Israel's future:

(Micah 4:1)  And in the latter days it shall be that the mountain of the House of YHWH  is established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills. And peoples shall flow to it. (2)  And many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of YHWH  , to the House of the Elohim of Ya'aqob, and let Him teach us His ways, and let us walk in His paths. For out of Tsiyon comes forth the Torah, and the word of YHWH  from Yerushalayim.”  Footnote: Isa. 2:3.


(Micah 4:3)  And He shall judge among many peoples, and reprove strong nations afar off. They shall beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning hooks – nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither teach battle any more. (4) But each one shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of YHWH of hosts has spoken.  (5) For all the peoples walk, each one in the name of his mighty one, but we walk in the Name of YHWH our Elohim forever and ever.  See: Zechariah. 10:12.

(Micah 4:6)  “In that day,” declares YHWH   “I gather the lame, and I bring together the outcast and those whom I have afflicted.

Different Scripture...same question:  How will Gentiles know to gather to the House of YHWH if no one tells them about and teaches them Torah?  The Orthodox are wrong, and this is why even Y'shua used this quote against this whole idea:

(Isaiah 29:13)  And YHWH says, “Because this people has drawn near with its mouth, and with its lips they have esteemed Me, and it has kept its heart far from Me, and their fear of Me has become a command of men that is taught!  See: Matthew 15:8-9, Mark 7:6-7.

To deny the Gentiles Torah is to deny Torah itself!  It should not be attempted. And to deny the Messiah Yeshua by twisting scripture just shows how right the New Testament is regarding the rabbis.  2 Corinthians 3:15-16 reads: "And to this day, when Moshe is read, a veil is thrown upon their hearts.  But when any of them is turned to Master YHWH, the veil is taken from him."  It is not Torah which makes them blind.  It is the veil on their heart. 

Each of us, Jew and Gentile alike need to seek to remove that veil which prevents us from seeing.  That's done by turning our hearts to YHWH for understanding rather than by twisting scripture to suit our own desires. 

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

A very important teaching by Rav Sha’ul on sinning

A very important teaching by Rav Sha’ul on sinning:

1 Corinthians 6:1. Dare any of you, when he has a controversy with his brother, litigate before the sinful, and not before the sanctified? 2. Or don’t you know that the sanctified will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unfit to decide trivial causes? 3. Don’t you know that we will judge Messengers? How much more things that are of the world? 4. If then you have a legal issue concerning this world, do you seat on a bench (of judgment) those who are immoral in the assembly?[1]  5. For shame to you I say (it). So, there is not even one wise man among you, who is competent to do equity between a brother and his brother: 6. But a brother litigates with his brother and also before them (judges) that are not believers! 7. Therefore now you condemn yourselves in that you have litigation one with another. (Would you) rather not suffer the wrong or prefer not to be defrauded? 8. But you yourselves commit wrong, and you defraud even your Brothers.

9. Or don’t you know, that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of Elohim?[2] Make no mistake! Neither sexual sinners, nor idol-worshippers, nor adulterers, nor the corrupt, nor men who lay down with other men, 10. Nor the oppressors, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of Elohim. 11. And these things have been in some of you: but you are washed, and are sanctified, and made righteous, in the name of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach, and by the Spirit of our Elohim. 12. Everything is in my power: but everything is not profitable to me. Everything is in my power; but none (of them) will have dominion over me. 13. Food is for the belly; and the belly is for food; but Elohim will bring them both to nothing. But the body is not for illicit sex, but for our Master (Y’shua); and our Master (Y’shua) for the body. 14. And Elohim has raised up our Master; and he will raise us up, by his power. 15. Don’t you know that your bodies are the members of the Mashiyach? Will one take a member of the Mashiyach, and make it the member of a harlot? May it never be!

16. Or don’t you know, that whoever joins himself to a harlot, is one body (with her)? For it is said, the two will be one body. 17. But he that joins himself to our Master (Y’shua), is with him one spirit. 18. Flee from sexual sin. For every (other) sin which a man commits, is external to his body; but he that commits sexual sin, sins against his own body.[1] 19. Or don’t you know, that your body is the temple of the Ruach haKodesh who abides in you, whom you have received from Elohim? And you are not your own. 20. For you are bought with a price. Therefore you glorify Elohim with your body, and with your spirit, which are Elohim’s. 
(AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1]  Rav Shaul’s training with Rabbi Gamaliel, the grandson of Hillel (Acts 22:1), comes through here with what is known as kol v’khomer (light and heavy) teaching style. If something small or trivial is true, it must also be true on a much more important scale. This argumentation is usually spotted, as it is here, with the phrase “how much more.” The point here is that if you would not let immoral men in your assembly judge for you in a secular case, how much more unqualified would these same reprobates be when judging spiritual matters in the assembly?

[2]  Compare this to Matthew 5:17-20, where we are told that breaking the least commandment of Torah and teaching others to do the same makes a person “least in the kingdom” but they still get in.  Y’shua implies that those with more serious sins won’t make it in: “Depart from me, workers of iniquity, I never knew you”; but here, Rav Shaul gives a more specific list of what will keep them out.

[3]   Actually the sexual sin goes deeper than the body, as the note on Romans 1:26 shows.  But the other point is also that a sexual sinner brings sin upon himself rather than his partner, and vice versa, unless rape or abuse is involved.

The Footnote on Romans 1:26 says:  The Image of Elohim is both male and female (B’resheet/Gen. 1:27). To deny the distinctions of male/female gender is to spurn the One who created male and female according to His own Image. 

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Anti-missionary comment: “If I ever get to meet Jesus and he asks me why I denied him..."


A Jewish anti-missionary wrote:

“If I ever get to meet Jesus and he asks me why I denied him, I'd probably ask him what he said. I would ask him if he really said, "Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that he Kingdom of God has come with power." (Mark 9:1).

And then I would say, "You were a devout Jew, hoping that in a matter of time, within your generation, you would be crowned as the Messiah. But, as you know, it was not to be. I also looked back 1900 years to see what had happened to those Jews who followed your name into the church, and ignored your teaching about the eternity of Torah. They all disappeared from the nation of Israel, assimilated fully with the gentiles, and became indistinguishable from them in belief and practice.

Also, as you know, no Jew has any obligation to accept any man as the messiah until he is proven and accepted by the nation of Israel. This conforms to the Torah's teaching, "when a prophet speaks in the name of HaShem, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which HaShem has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you need not be afraid of him." (Duet. [sic]18:22).

Response:

Let's address your statements one-by-one:

YOU WROTE:  I would ask him if he really said, "Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that he Kingdom of God has come with power." (Mark 9:1).

OUR RESPONSE:  You'll surely get your wish one day!  Y’shua will then calmly explain to you all the things your human mind refused to see.  For instance, Luke 9:27, Matthew 16:28 and Mark 9:1 all say, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." Who was standing there?  A crowd!  See Mark 8:34.  So Y'shua was literally saying that some of all who were present would not taste death till they had seen the kingdom of God!

In each Book - Luke, Matthew, and Mark - they all record the event immediately after this promise from Y’shua!  It is the transfiguration.  Rather than interpreting Y’shua’s promise as referring to His coming to establish His kingdom on earth in the future, the context reveals He was referring to the transfiguration. This meant that the three disciples (i.e. "some who are standing here") would see Messiah as He really was—the King of heaven—which occurred in the transfiguration.

The “transfiguration” refers to the event described in the cited passages when Y’shua took Peter, James, and John to the top of the mountain, where He met with Moshe and Eliyahu—representing Torah and the Prophets —and spoke with them. The disciples saw Y’shua in all His glory and splendor, talking with a glorified Moshe and Eliyahu. The disciples were dumbstruck at the sight and “fell on their faces” (Matthew 17:6). This is a glimpse of what will occur in the Kingdom. Y'shua's prophecy was fulfilled only only 8 days later!

YOU WROTE:   And then I would say, "You were a devout Jew, hoping that in a matter of time, within your generation, you would be crowned as the Messiah. But, as you know, it was not to be.

OUR RESPONSE:  Is this from Matthew 24:34?  Here are a few renderings of this verse:

34 Yes! I tell you that this people will certainly not pass away before all these things happen. (CJB)

34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished. (ASV)

34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place
. (ESV)

And the AENT says:

34 Truly I say to you, that this tribe will not pass until all these things happen.

Note that interpretation depends entirely on understanding the Messiah's words!  Interpretation of this verse depends entirely on understanding WHOM the Messiah was talking about. Was He talking about the current generation, or was He talking about all people - all YHWH's people?  Good grief!  He says in the next two verses that even HE does not know when the end will be and He returns to be crowned Messiah!  So very clearly we know he was NOT talking about the current generation.

So if you did get the chance to ignorantly ask the Messiah this question, we rather suspect his answer to you would be to quote Deuteronomy 32:6.

YOU WROTE:  I also looked back 1900 years to see what had happened to those Jews who followed your name into the church, and ignored your teaching about the eternity of Torah. They all disappeared from the nation of Israel, assimilated fully with the gentiles, and became indistinguishable from them in belief and practice.

YESHUA MIGHT RESPOND:  "My lost friend, why did you look back only 1900 years? Jews have been ignoring My teaching of Torah for much longer than that!" 

YOU WROTE:  Also, as you know, no Jew has any obligation to accept any man as the messiah until he is proven and accepted by the nation of Israel. This conforms to the Torah's teaching, "when a prophet speaks in the name of HaShem, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which HaShem has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you need not be afraid of him." (Duet. [sic]18:22). 

AND YESHUA MIGHT RESPOND something like this: "My lost friend, when does a prediction have to come true?  In your day so you see it with your own eyes?  Need I point out the prophecies in Isaiah and Ezekiel which have yet to come to pass?  But you are apparently not complaining that the Tanakh records the word of false prophets - and according to you, Isaiah and Ezekiel are false prophets because their prophecies have not come true. You cited Deuteronomy to ME!" 

As to "no Jew has any obligation to accept any man as the messiah until he is proven and accepted by the nation of Israel", that's quite an absolute statement! Unfortunately, you can't back it up!  The "nation of Israel",  we guarantee, can't unify on what qualifications will "prove" the Messiah and therefore lead to His acceptance!  There is not a single verse in the Hebrew scriptures which specifically identifies the Messiah or what he will do. 

Every verse regarded as messianic is subject to interpretation.  Many rabbis think Isaiah 53 is messianic, while many rabbis think it is about Israel.   Who is right?  Is Isaiah 11 messianic?  Some rabbis say yes, while some say no.  So unless you have a list of "no kidding" scriptures which all of Israel will agree can be used to prove the Messiah and accept Him, don't make this ridiculous statement in your attempt to deny Yeshua.

Question about the t'shuvah/Repentance

EXCELLENT QUESTION:

About the tshuvah/Repentance:  As far as any reference w/in the scriptures, I've never found this word, nor any mitzvah to observe this in the form of an annual observation. The original texts show the word [שוב (Heb.), or ושבום (Aram.)], both of which are defined in English as "to turn about, to return" and/or " to turn about, to return".

The Mishneh Torah (Hebrew: מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, "Repetition of the Torah"), subtitled Sefer Yad HaHazaka (ספר יד החזקה "Book of the Strong Hand"), is a code of Jewish religious law (Halakha) authored by Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known as RaMBaM or "Rambam"), one of history's foremost rabbis. The Mishneh Torah was compiled between 1170 and 1180 (4930–4940), while Maimonides was living in Egypt, and is regarded as Maimonides' magnum opus.

It begs the question whether one is to observe rabbinic Judaism's tradition, or the scriptures?  Thoughts?

RESPONSE:

There is indeed no mitzvah commanding an annual observance of t'shuvah.  And you are correct, the root of the word is שוב (Heb.) But there are many scriptures expressing YHWH's expectations of us to return to Him and to stop sinning, and as the annual time of this is the day of Yom Kippur, there is certainly ample evidence that what we know today as "t'shuvah" is in complete compliance with Torah.  As to the traditions of t'shuvah, no, we are not obligated to conduct ourselves in accordance with the rabbinic procedures.  But since all parts of t'shuvah come from scripture, the tradition is not at all "bad". 

In Judaism, for example, many verses in liturgy are "chanted", and there is no mitzvah requiring that either, yet it is a wonderful way to actually remember the scripture or the commandment, liturgy, or ceremony. Everyone, even a non-Hebrew speaking person can remember the words to the "Sh'mah" in Hebrew because all they have to do is chant it! But few can remember the words if they have to just speak the phrase.   My husband once presented an excellent teaching on Yom Kippur and t'shuvah at the synagogue we attended, if you're interested.

No commandment for "t'shuvah" is found in scripture but the word is found many times to mean "to turn" (back, to or from), "return", or "repent" - all in the context of turning from sinful ways and returning to YHWH - exactly those aspects of propitiation that is the tradition of t'shuvah.  See  Psalm 7:12, Psalm 90:3, Hosea 6:1, Isaiah 6:10, Isaiah 10:22, Jeremiah 3:7, for example, and many others.

And the annual aspect of it comes from the observance of Yom Kippur, the 10th of Tishri, the ONLY day the High Priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for all of Israel - Exodus 30:10, Leviticus 16:29, Leviticus 16:34.   

While we agree with you that the halakha of rabbinic Judaism carries more weight in some circles than it should, we would say that we might want to first make the effort to understand the Torah origins of the halakha before we dismiss it.   In other words, spend less time with Rambam and more in the Word....