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The Messianic Movement The World Wide Phenomenon of Christians Seeking a More Scriptural Worship Experience and Jews Finding Their Promised Messiah By David M Rogers www.BibleTruth.cc Published: July 2010 Table of Contents Prophetic Utterances of the Scattering of Israel Prophesies of the End Time Regathering of Israel The Roots of the Messianic Movement Disengaging from the Christian Churches Challenges for the Messianics Today For the past thirty years, and especially for the last ten, Christians of all denominations have been leaving the Christian churches in pursuit of a more genuine biblical worship experience. Believers are now exiting the churches in droves, because most Christian churches are not meeting the spiritual needs of the masses. This is attributable to the Holy Spirit who is moving many to search out their Hebraic roots and origins of the Faith. Often, the church member has a sense that there is something wrong with their church. But this is not like in the past when people went church hopping. Now there is a feeling that none of the Christian churches are going to satisfy the longing in the heart to find that which is genuine and biblical. The pastors, priests and preachers continue to feed their flocks a denominational message which consists of tradition, while a hungry people are looking for a more substantive content. There is a general sense that maybe we've been running down the wrong track for a long time now. The Spirit is putting within the hearts of people who will listen and who will change a longing to get back to the basics and fundamentals of the Scriptures. We long to get back to the days of the prophets and to the days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We're tired of hearing what men are saying and want instead to know what God is saying. This study aims to provide a biblical explanation for the phenomenon across the planet which sees a shakeup of long standing beliefs and practices and a return to the ancient ways which Elohim has established for his covenant people. We are convinced that since the Creator never changes, neither does his ways, his requirements and his expectations for the people that are called by his name. Prophetic Utterances of the Scattering of Israel We know that Elohim looks down the corridor of time and history and knows what will happen to his people. We believe in a Creator who sovereignly controls history, such that no historical event surprises him. In fact, he knew all along that those things were going to occur. As such, he is able to give visions and dreams to prophets to show them the future. In order to understand the Messianic Movement, we must first understand what Yahuwah has told us in his Word was going to happen to his people. The Torah and the Prophets have explained to us that his ancient people Israel would rebel against him and be scattered among the nations. Then in the latter days, his scattered people would repent, return to obedience to his commandments and be gathered back to the Land of Promise. Let us, then, review the prophesies made regarding the future of Israel and then look at some of that history. The Messianic Movement is that group of people in the last days who were to repent and return to Torah, and which will result in the regathering of Israel back to its homeland.
Through Mosheh, Elohim warned his people Israel that their disobedience would
result in their discipline and punishment at the hands of the nations. In
what the apostle Paul calls "the curse of the Torah" (see Galatians
3:10,13), Elohim forewarned his covenanted people Israel what would happen to
them in their future, because he knew they would most certainly rebel against
him. So, he gave Mosheh a song for them all to memorize as a testimony of
their future rebellion. Later, while in that rebellion, the offspring of
Israel could refer back to this song and know why they were in the predicament
of difficulties: After
Mosheh finished writing in a book the words of this Torah from beginning
to end, he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the
covenant of Yahuwah: "Take this Book of the Torah and place it beside
the ark of the covenant of Yahuwah your Elohim. There it will remain as
a witness against you. For I know how rebellious and
stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against Yahuwah while
I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!
Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials,
so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and
earth to testify against them. For I know that after my death
you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have
commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall upon you because you
will do evil in the sight of Yahuwah and provoke him to anger by what
your hands have made." And Mosheh recited the words of this
song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of
Yisrael. (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 31:24-30) This falling away was sure to come because men's hearts
tend to turn to their own ways. And, in fact, it is a matter of
historical record that this rebellion did occur, as described
beforehand. Yahuwah had warned the nation of the
consequences of disobedience to his covenant with them: But if you will not listen to me and
carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my
laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant,
then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting
diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your
life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated
by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will
flee even when no one is pursuing you. If after all this you will
not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.
(Vayiqra [Leviticus] 26:14-18) And again, when Mosheh was reviewing Israel's rebellion
in the desert with the next generation, he details the curses which
Yahuwah pronounced on those who would one day refuse to obey the
commands and stipulations of the Covenant Yah made with Israel at Mt.
Sinai: Do not turn aside from any of the
commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other
gods and serving them. However, if you do not obey Yahuwah your Elohim
and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you
today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: You will be
cursed in the city and cursed in the country. Your basket and your
kneading trough will be cursed. The fruit of your womb will be cursed,
and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs
of your flocks. You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you
go out. Yahuwah will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in
everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to
sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. Yahuwah
will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land
you are entering to possess. Yahuwah will strike you with wasting
disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought,
with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. The sky
over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. Yahuwah will
turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down
from the skies until you are destroyed. Yahuwah will cause you to be defeated
before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee
from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the
kingdoms on earth. Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the
air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten
them away. Yahuwah will afflict you with the boils of Mitzrayim and with
tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.
Yahuwah will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind.
At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything
you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to
rescue you. You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another
will take her and ravish her. You will build a house, but you will not
live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to
enjoy its fruit. Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you
will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and
will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no
one will rescue them. Your sons and daughters will be given to another
nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day,
powerless to lift a hand. A people that you do not know will eat what
your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel
oppression all your days. The sights you see will drive you mad. Yahuwah
will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be
cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.
Yahuwah will drive you and the king you
set over you to a nation unknown to you or your fathers. There you will
worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. You will become a thing of
horror and an object of scorn and ridicule to all the nations where
Yahuwah will drive you. You will sow much seed in the field but you will
harvest little, because locusts will devour it. You will plant vineyards
and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes,
because worms will eat them. You will have olive trees throughout your
country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off.
You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because
they will go into captivity. Swarms of locusts will take over all your
trees and the crops of your land. The alien who lives among you will rise
above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. He will
lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you
will be the tail. All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue
you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey
Yahuwah your Elohim and observe the commands and decrees he gave you.
They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever.
Because you did not serve Yahuwah your Elohim joyfully and gladly in the
time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and
dire poverty, you will serve the enemies Yahuwah sends against you. He
will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. Yahuwah will bring a nation against you
from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down,
a nation whose language you will not understand, a fierce-looking nation
without respect for the old or pity for the young. They will devour the
young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are
destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves
of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined. They will
lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high
fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the
cities throughout the land Yahuwah your Elohim is giving you. Because of the suffering that your enemy
will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the
womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters Yahuwah your Elohim has given
you. Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no
compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving
children, and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his
children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the
suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your
cities. The most gentle and sensitive woman among you-- so sensitive and
gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of
her foot-- will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or
daughter the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For
she intends to eat them secretly during the siege and in the distress
that your enemy will inflict on you in your cities. If you do not carefully follow all the
words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere
this glorious and awesome name-- Yahuwah your Elohim-- Yahuwah will send
fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged
disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. He will bring upon you
all the diseases of Mitzrayim that you dreaded, and they will cling to
you. Yahuwah will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster
not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.
You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in
number, because you did not obey Yahuwah your Elohim. (Devarim
[Deuteronomy] 28:14-62) This is an astoundingly long list of
negative consequences promised on Israel in the event of their
disobedience. Yet, equally long are the distresses, sufferings and
persecutions which the Jews in their long history have experienced.
Indeed, these prophesies about Israel have been fulfilled in every
detail. But even after all this distress and
pain, should Israel remain in their rebellion, Yahuwah promised to send
them out to be scattered among the nations of the world, where they
would wander and never find peace and rest: Just as it pleased Yahuwah to make you
prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and
destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to
possess. Then Yahuwah will scatter you among all nations, from one end
of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods-- gods
of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. Among
those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of
your foot. There Yahuwah will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with
longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense,
filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. In the
morning you will say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening, "If
only it were morning!"-- because of the terror that will fill your
hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. Yahuwah will send you
back in ships to Mitzrayim on a journey I said you should never make
again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male
and female slaves, but no one will buy you. (Devarim [Deuteronomy]
28:63-68 ) It is very much a curiosity of history how the Jews have
become a byword and object of scorn, prejudice and hatred. The Holocaust
was the epitome of the punishments which were promised to Israel for
their ongoing rebellion against the Covenant of Yahuwah. Yet, just as curious as the
centuries long persecution and hatred of the Jews is that the Jews never
changed their course of action through repentance! Since Yahuwah
promised to turn their fate when they repent, we must conclude that they
never did repent, even to this day! But if they will confess their sins
and the sins of their fathers-- their treachery against me and their
hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent
them into the land of their enemies-- then when their uncircumcised
hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my
covenant with Ya'acov and my covenant with Yitzchak and my covenant with
Avraham, and I will remember the land. For the land will be deserted
by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them.
They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred
my decrees. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their
enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them
completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am Yahuwah their
Elohim. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with
their ancestors whom I brought out of Mitzrayim in the sight of the
nations to be their Elohim. I am Yahuwah. (Vayiqra [Leviticus] 26:40-45) Many contemporary Jews worship Elohim in a manner based
on the commandments and traditions of the Rabbis but have
not repented of their hostility towards Elohim. This hostility is
in the form of rejection of Elohim's Torah. The Rabbis, like the Pharisees
before them, reject Elohim and his Torah by placing their own Torah
above the written Torah of Mosheh. The Torah of Mosheh stipulates
that no one is to add to or take away from any part of the Covenant
commandments of Yahuwah: Do not add to what I command you and do
not subtract from it, but keep the commands of Yahuwah your Elohim that
I give you. (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 4:2) and See that you do all I command you; do not
add to it or take away from it. (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 12:32) Yet, this is precisely what the Pharisees did and this
is precisely what the Rabbis have been doing ever since then. The dispute which Yahusha (aka
Jesus) had with the Sanhedrin was over the "two Torahs."
Yahusha
taught (as the true Messiah must do) that the Torah was eternal and that
the written Torah is the body of instructions which Elohim has given his people.
But the Pharisees had a different set of laws, now known as the Oral
Torah, which took priority over the written Torah of Mosheh. This
is why Yahusha rebuked the Pharisees: And why do you break the command of
Elohim for the sake of your tradition? For Elohim said, 'Honor
your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must
be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or
mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a
gift devoted to Elohim,' he is not to 'honor his father 'with it.
Thus you nullify the word of Elohim for the sake of your tradition.
You hypocrites! Yeshayahu was right when he prophesied about you:
"'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from
me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by
men.'" (Matthew 15:3-9) The Oral Torah, which alleges to be the Torah of Mosheh
which he passed down orally (this is impossible because the Oral Torah
contradicts the written Torah frequently), is the body of man-made
commandments which constitute the tradition of the Jews. The Oral Torah commands those who
follow it to wash the hands in a particular way before eating. But
the written Torah of Mosheh says no such thing. Thus, the command
to wash hands has been added to Elohim's Word by men, and as such, is an
invalid commandment. Moreover, the entire Talmud, which the Jews
regard as sacred and which they teach came from Mosheh (but this is
certainly not true), contradicts the written Word of Elohim. The
Talmud is
merely, as Yahusha plainly stated, the teachings and rules of men - it
is not the body of requirements of Elohim. The Rabbis regard this Oral
Torah as of greater weight than the written Torah of Mosheh. Thus,
where there are contradictions between the two, the Word of Elohim is
ignored and the man made Oral Torah is obeyed. (For a more detailed
discussion of the two Torahs and the Rabbinical traditions and
enactments which defy the true Word of Elohim, see
Galatians 1:13-24) This is how the Jews are in
rebellion against Elohim and how they are hostile toward Elohim.
They obey the commandments of men in the Oral Torah and ignore the
commandments of their Elohim - the written Torah! Thus, their
zeal for Elohim is misguided and offends the Living One.
Consequently, their continuing punishment in the form of slavery, hatred, persecution and
conflict makes sense in the light of Elohim's Word - this is what Elohim
promised would be the case until they repent and begin obeying His
Covenant commandments which were written down by Mosheh. Prophesies of the End Time Regathering of Israel
For all the time of punishment of his disobedient covenant people and their
scattering, Elohim has promised that in the latter days when his people would repent
and return to Covenant obedience, that he would re-gather his scattered
people back to the Land of promise.
When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you
and you take them to heart wherever Yahuwah your Elohim disperses you
among the nations, and when you and your children return to Yahuwah
your Elohim and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul
according to everything I command you today, then Yahuwah your Elohim
will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you
again from all the nations where he scattered you. Even if you
have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from
there Yahuwah your Elohim will gather you and bring you back. He
will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will
take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous
than your fathers. (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 30:1-5) Just as Elohim looked down through history and knew that
his people Israel would rebel and fall away and be scattered, he also
knew that they would someday repent and return. So, Yahuwah has
promised to bring all the descendants of Israel back to the Land when
they repent of their rebellion against him and against his commandments. This promise is reiterated by the prophets.
Yechezqel speaks of the return of Israel to the land. Therefore say: 'This is what Adonai
Yahuwah says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from
the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back
the land of Yisrael again.' They will return to it and remove all
its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an
undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them
their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they
will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my
people, and I will be their Elohim. (Yechezqel 11:17-20) The return of Israel (all twelve tribes) to the Land as
conditional upon the repentance of his people as described in Devarim 30
is here depicted as resulting in his people following the decrees and
keeping the laws after being re-gathered to the Land. Later, Yechezqel speaks of that time
of their re-gathering. Then, the people will live in safety while
Yahuwah inflicts their enemies, so that all will know Yahuwah Elohim: This is what Adonai Yahuwah says:
When I gather the people of Yisrael from the nations where they have
been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the
nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my
servant Ya'acov. They will live there in safety and will build
houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict
punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know
that I am Yahuwah their Elohim. (Yechezqel 28:25-26) He says the same thing later. The re-gathered
exiles will obey the Covenant commandments when they live in the Land of
promise. For I will take you out of the nations; I
will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own
land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I
will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove
from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I
will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be
careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your
forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your Elohim.
(Yechezqel 36:24-28) In the well known "dry bones"
prophesy, Yechezqel reiterates that the resurrected sons of Yisrael will
be gathered to their own land. At that time, the king - the
Messiah (here also described as "my servant David"), will be their
ruler. And, like in the prophesies already given, the people will
be following the laws and keeping the decrees of the Torah of Yahuwah. This is what Adonai Yahuwah says: I
will take the sons of Yisrael out of the nations where they have gone. I
will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own
land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of
Yisrael. There will be one king over all of them and they will never
again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no
longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of
their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,
and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their
Elohim. My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have
one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my
decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Ya'acov,
the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their
children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will
be their prince forever. (Yechezqel 37:21-25) The disobedience to the Covenant commands was the reason
Yahuwah punished and dispersed his people, and their repentance will
result, as he promised, in their re-gathering back to their inheritance.
And while living in the Land under King Messiah, the primary
characteristic of the people living in the Land is that they are
remaining loyal to the Covenant by keeping
the commandments and requirements of the Law. Now, although these prophesies speak
of the re-gathering of Yisrael to the Land with Messiah reigning over
them, we do not yet see their fulfillment, because Messiah has not yet
come to reign. Some have pointed out that the re-establishment of
Israel's statehood in 1948 and the re-gathering of the Jews from all over
the globe to the Land signals the fulfillment of these prophesies.
Yet, it would not be prudent to say that this is for sure, because Israel
still neither has rest from their enemies nor is Messiah their king. The prophet Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah)
speaks of this same re-gathering in the end of days. But he adds a
very significant detail to the prophesies given by Yechezqel. The
prophesy is not just talking about the re-gathering of the Jews from
around the world into their Land. There are other tribes of Israel
besides Yehudah! This is what Yahuwah says: "Sing with joy
for Ya'acov; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises
heard, and say, 'Yahuwah, save your people, the remnant of Yisrael.'
See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from
the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame,
expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return.
They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will
lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not
stumble, because I am Yisrael's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
"Hear the word of Yahuwah, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands:
'He who scattered Yisrael will gather them and will watch over his flock
like a shepherd.' (Yirmeyahu 31:7-10) Yirmeyahu names Ephraim as the people who are brought
back to their own land! The southern kingdom of Yehudah
(now also known as the Jews) was dispersed into Babylon. Afterward, a remnant was brought back.
Then in 70 CE, Yehudah was scattered again into all the earth.
But in 1948, the Jews were re-gathered into their Land again. Yet this is only a partial fulfillment of the prophesies. Note in Yirmeyahu 31:9 that Yisrael
is also called Ephraim: "Ephraim is my firstborn son." It
should be understood that Yehudah is never called Ephraim. Ephraim
was the younger son of Yoseph, who was to excel over his older brother.
Ephraim is a name used of the Northern kingdom of Israel. The
northern kingdom was dispersed into exile by the Assyrians in 722 BCE.
They never returned to the Land since then. So this prophesy of Yirmeyahu is
speaking of the future event when, not only the Jews, but the northern tribes
of Israel - the so called "ten lost tribes" - will return from their
exile in all the world, to the Land of Israel. Yahuwah is
promising to re-gather all of Israel - all twelve tribes! Yehudah has
already been, at least in part, re-gathered to the Land, with the help of
the United Nations in 1948. But the prophesy speaks of a greater
gathering of Yahuwah's people from the four corners of the earth,
consisting of the lost northern tribes, too. Messiah Yahusha spoke about his
mission to gather two camps of people: I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep
and my sheep know me-- just as the Father knows me and I know the
Father-- and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other
sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too
will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
(4th Gospel [John] 10:14-16) When Yahusha said this, he was alluding to the prophetic
utterance we cited above: This is what Adonai Yahuwah says: I
will take the sons of Yisrael out of the nations where they have gone
("other sheep that are not of this sheep pen" - John 10:15). I
will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own
land. I will make them one nation ("one flock" - John
10:16) in the land, on the mountains of
Yisrael. There will be one king over all of them ("one shepherd"
- John 10:16) and they will never
again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms ("one flock" - John
10:16) . They will no
longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of
their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,
and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their
Elohim. My servant David will be king over them ("one shepherd" - John
10:16), and they will all have
one shepherd ("one shepherd" - John 10:16). They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my
decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Ya'acov,
the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their
children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will
be their prince forever ("one shepherd" - John 10:16). (Yechezqel 37:21-25) So, when Yirmeyahu speaks of the re-gathering of Israel
from among the nations, and he calls him Ephraim, he is referring to the
gathering of both houses of Israel from among the nations - both the
southern kingdom Yehudah (the Jews) and the northern kingdom Ephraim
(Israel - or - the Messianic believers who are not Jewish). Messiah Yahusha spoke of the
covenant made by his blood as the Pesach lamb: Then he took the cup, gave thanks and
offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is
my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the
forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this
fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with
you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:27-29) This "New Covenant" which Yahusha conveyed to his
disciples by his shed blood is the same "everlasting covenant" spoken of
by Yirmeyahu. This covenant is connected to the re-gathering of
both camps of people (Jew and Messianic "Gentiles") back to the Land: I will surely gather them from all the
lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will
bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They
will be my people, and I will be their Elohim. I will give them
singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for
their own good and the good of their children after them. I will
make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to
them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn
away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly
plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. (Yirmeyahu 32:37-41) This is a prophesy not yet fulfilled. But the
Messianic believers all over the world - both Jew and Gentile - are
being led by the Holy Spirit in these days to repent and return to the
Covenant commandments (the Torah) and to have a love for the Land of
Israel. The Roots of the Messianic Movement We have come to understand the prophetic word regarding the falling away of Yahuwah's people and their subsequent end time repentance and re-gathering. It is with this backdrop that we can understand the Messianic Movement. The prophets describe an end days repentance of the descendants of Israel and their return to the Torah of Mosheh. This is exactly what we can now see in our generation. The Spirit of Elohim is directing those listening to his voice in repentance back to the ancient paths of obedience to Elohim's commandments. This is setting the stage for the appearance of Messiah and the re-gathering in full back to the Land. In a surprising turn of events following the atrocities of the Holocaust and World War II, the United Nations decided to annex portions of the ancient holy land to the surviving Jews from Europe, Russia and those scattered around the rest of the world. This new nation came to be called "Israel." A mass migration of Jews accompanied this declaration. The modern day nation of Israel was born. Bible teachers and scholars point to this single event - the rebirth of Israel - as a fulfillment, or at least the beginning of the fulfillment, of the ancient prophesies. Yet, it was only Jews that were directly affected by the establishment of the modern state of Israel. Gentile Christians were sympathetic, but only nominally affected by these changes. Nevertheless, the rebirth of the state of Israel has begun a chain of events which will lead up to the fulfillment of the prophesies. In the 1960s, the radical hippie phenomenon, which was largely motivated by and populated with anti-war, anti-Vietnam protesters, and which featured some anti-establishment sentiments such as "make love not war" and "peace and love," was the voice of a new generation of people seeking a better way of life. It was this "love" sentimentality that spawned the "Jesus Movement." This spiritual revival among those disengaged from the establishment society produced many religious zealots from Christians to Hare Krishnas to Buddhists. The impact of this movement in Christianity was to popularize a wimpy, all-loving, non-confrontational "Jesus" who would rather hang out with the gang smoking pot than to teach ethical mores. In the 1970s, another phenomenon caught the attention of the world. Alex Haley's Roots, a television mini-series, captivated a nation and motivated them into an investigation into their own origins. And with the onset of an awakening and heightened interest in our ancestry and roots in general, Christians began to investigate their own faith roots. So, it was at this time, and with the incentive and impetus of Christian evangelism with the Jews as the specific target, that the Jews for Jesus organization was born. But the Jews for Jesus enthusiasts emphasized the "Jewish Roots" of Jesus rather than the Hebraic, Torah roots of the New Testament Messiah. The difference between the so-called "Jewish Roots" of the faith and the Hebraic roots is significant. Those who emphasize the "Jewish Roots" of the Messianic faith suppose that all the Jewish (Rabbinical) traditions and teachings were part of the upbringing and teaching of the Messiah. Nothing could be further from the truth. But the Hebraic roots of the Messianic faith understands Messiah Yahusha as upholding the written Torah of Mosheh as the correct walk of faith for his disciples. Nearly every confrontation Yahusha had with the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes was over the differences between their Oral Law and the written Torah of Mosheh. Their law, which consisted of the teachings and traditions of men were always at odds with the written teachings of Mosheh. As such, the Sanhedrin was teaching a different walk of faith - "a different gospel" - than the Bible teaches. So, Yahusha rebuked them over and over again, and resisted their attempts to trap him in his words. His authority and comprehension of the Scriptures always befuddled them and brought their wrath upon him. So the Holy Spirit was weaving all of these events - beginning with the establishment of the state of Israel and including the spiritual awakenings - and others that followed to draw the attention of believers and followers of "Jesus Christ" to the prophesies of Scripture and to the origins of true faith. Disengaging from the Christian Churches Accompanying the desire to investigate and return to our Hebraic roots and to the true teachings of Scripture has been a general dissatisfaction with the teachings and policies of the Christian churches and a natural byproduct of this dissatisfaction - the disengaging of many Christians from the established churches. The reason for the disengaging actually is twofold. First, Christians saw the hypocrisies and blatant sinfulness and rebellion in the Christian churches, especially among the leadership. And secondly, believers began seeing in the Scriptures a different teaching than what their pastors and teachers have been teaching as biblical truth. The problems in the Christian churches begins with the behaviors of the shepherds. Many a headline in the newspapers over the decades has reported that another big name Christian leader had fallen into grave sin. Protestant televangelists were engaging in adultery with parishioners, pornography, infidelity with prostitutes, embezzlement of church funds for personal gains and much more. There have been widespread and multiple cases of Catholic priests being accused of the worst kind of sexual abuses of children. The scandals have continued up to the present day and frequently point responsibility and culpability to the highest levels of the Catholic clergy. These wolves in sheep's clothing who masquerade as Christian ministers have made a profoundly negative impact on the families and assemblies across the world. As one would anticipate, if the spiritual leaders of the churches are engaged in these kind of sinister behaviors, what of the laity? Of course, the members of all of the above churches have likewise become entrapped by evil, sinful behaviors which tear apart marriages, families and congregations and destroy the lives of many people. A second problem within the Christian churches which has contributed to the dissatisfaction and disengagement of many from the church membership roles is that of the false doctrines taught in these churches by these church leaders. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that for every denomination, sect and division of the churches - and there are thousands of different divisions in Christianity - there are at least that many different sets of doctrines, teachings and traditions, all of which purport to be "straight from the Bible." This only points to one obvious conclusion: either only one of these churches is actually teaching biblical truth and all the rest are believing a lie, or they are all teaching and believing a lie to some degree! Consequently, church goers sense a very real dilemma about which a decision must be made: either keep on believing what "my church" teaches as truth and know that I'm believing some lies but do nothing else about it, or strike out on my own and investigate for myself what is true and what is a lie. This leads us to the second reason for Christians disengaging from the Christian churches - some sincere believers are studying the Bible for themselves and seeing some very different teachings in the Scriptures than what their pastors have been pounding into them every Sunday. Although there are many points at which the Scriptures teach differently than what most pastors and preachers teach, the most pervasive lie taught in church, and which believers are finally starting to see through, is that "Jesus did away with the Law"! Again, nothing could be further from the truth. Yet, this lie - the teaching of antinomianism (the doctrine that the law has been done away with) - has had a devastating impact on Christian worship, conduct, walk, talk and lifestyle. The Christian doctrine that Messiah did away with the Law has turned the Bible and biblical faith upside down. All of the ethical and moral instructions and commandments of Scripture are open to debate. If the Law was done away with, then three quarters of the Scriptures are unreliable and useless to Christians. But clear, independent thinking people are seeing through the lie and seeing the truth of Scripture: Elohim doesn't change and neither does his moral character, his moral teachings and his definition of righteousness. What he gave to his ancient people is still valid and still speaks of his integrity today. None of his requirements and commandments have changed, because God doesn't change. Consequently, a remnant of believers in Messiah are beginning to see the need for obedience to the commandments of Scripture. This repentance is the repentance spoken of by the prophets. When his people in the last days repent of their transgressions and rebellion against his Torah, and begin to seek Elohim with all their heart and mind, then he will fulfill his promise to bring Messiah and re-gather his people back to the promised inheritance of Land in Israel. So Christians are discovering these truths and are no longer being accepted in the Christian churches because they are no longer towing the party or congregational line. They are no longer believing the traditions and practices and teachings of the denomination, because they are repenting of their rejection of the Torah and are beginning to embrace Torah as the proper walk of faith for the true disciples of Messiah. As Christian ministers and pastors and teachers are confronted with those who are rebelling against the teachings of the church, they are expressing disdain for these "new" beliefs and are making it clear that those who embrace these Hebraic "heresies" are no longer welcome in the fellowship. Its no wonder that so many Christians are disengaging from and leaving their churches. In my own experience, I long ago saw in the Scriptures that the pretrib rapture teaching was not biblical. As I studied more and more, I became convinced of it and shared it with others who saw the same thing as I did. But when I shared my belief (or non-belief) in the teaching of the pre-trib rapture with my pastor, I came up against a stone wall. I was ultimately told that I was no longer welcome to teach and fellowship with his congregation, because I would not conform and teach their doctrine of pre-trib rapture as truth. I have heard many similar testimonies from others who were led by the Spirit to be convinced that one or several of the teachings of their church, denomination or pastor, was not biblical. And each one of them was met with the same disdain and rejection as I was. They were either thrust out of the fellowship or they willing moved on away from the fellowship as they began to see the "writing on the wall." The combination of hypocrisy and sin in the leadership, the pervasiveness of false doctrine, and the hard-headed refusal by church leaders to hear and allow different opinions, beliefs and points of view in biblical interpretation have led thousands and thousands of believers to leave their home churches, and eventually to abandon all Christian churches as the place of worship and fellowship. Without a community church at which these truth seekers are welcome, there is really no other option but to worship and study at home and seek out others who feel the same way! And this is precisely what the Holy Spirit is leading many to do. The rise in popularity of home Bible study groups is well known. Even within the larger Christian churches, home study groups have gained in popularity as a way of promoting fellowship and intimacy among believers and stimulating personal Bible study. Yet those who have left the church make the home fellowship into their singular mode of worship and study. It is in this context that more profound changes can take place. Without being under the control and supervision of a church, a pastor, an elder body or a doctrinal creed, truth seekers are able to explore Bible subjects freely without fear of censorship or scorn from those looking over their shoulders. It is within this freedom of independence from an authoritative man made structure (a church) that people can truly contemplate ideas of Biblical interpretation which institutional organizations have labeled as "heretic" or "unorthodox." In this context, truth seekers may study doctrines and teachings from the Bible which had previously been frowned upon by their pastor or teacher. At the top of the list of the many doctrines and teachings which have been summarily dismissed in the past, is that of the Law of Moses. In nearly every sect, denomination and church, the thought that Jesus did away with the Law is pervasive. This is a foundational assumption in Christian doctrine. So it affects all other doctrines and beliefs in Christianity. But upon open investigation of this question, and without the constraints of church tradition to mute these inquiries, truth seekers are quickly rediscovering that the Torah is not only still valid as the expression of Elohim's will for his people, but the Torah contains a whole world of common sense instructions about how to live the "Christian life."
Messiah Yahusha has made it very easy to understand his position on Torah.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Yahusha exclaimed,
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I
have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you
the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter,
not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the
least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be
called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches
these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew
5:17-19) Away from the influences of Christian dogmas and forced
interpretations, this plain statement clearly states that Messiah is not
abolishing Torah. Quite simply, he has come to reveal its true
meaning (fulfill it). Moreover, those who are the greatest in the
kingdom are those who obey Torah and teach Torah. And those who
transgress Torah and teach others to transgress Torah are the least of
all who make it to the kingdom of heaven. Truth seeking Messianics who realize
this simple fact and its ramifications for the life of faith must
dramatically change many things in their lives, because much of what
Christians believe and do are contrary to the written Torah of
Scripture. Accordingly, most Messianic home fellowships and
Messianic congregations begin following a regular reading schedule of
the five books of Moses called the Torah or "Law." Even the New Testament elders, in
that well known "Jerusalem Counsel" which convened over the debate of
what should be required of new gentile converts to the Messianic faith,
concluded that only a few essential laws should be required: It is my judgment, therefore, that we
should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to Elohim.
Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food
polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled
animals and from blood. (Acts 15:19-20) The justification for only requiring
these few laws of Gentiles follows: For Mosheh has been preached in every
city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every
Sabbath." (Acts 15:21) The meaning of this statement should not be
underestimated. The new Messianic believers would no doubt
assemble with the others on every Sabbath day. On every Sabbath
day, the biblical custom is to read a portion of the Torah and "midrash"
over it - that is to say, the elders would explain its meaning and
application to the assembly. So, even in New Testament times, the
habit and custom of Messianic believers was to meet on the Sabbath day
and read and study the Torah of Mosheh. Messianic believers who
have come out of the churches into their own assemblies are doing the
same. The Torah is the most important Scripture portion for
reading and explaining, and the Prophets, the Writings and the New
Testament all provide commentary and explanation of the "Law." It is right that Yah's people in the
last days are embracing and loving the Torah. The prophecy of
Revelation said it would be so. The prophet speaks of Yahuwah's
people in the end days as those who not only have the testimony that
Yahusha is the Messiah, but who also are keeping the commandments of
Elohim: Then the dragon was enraged at the woman
and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring-- those
who obey Elohim's commandments and hold to the testimony of Yahusha.
(Revelation 12:17) and There is no rest day or night for those
who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark
of his name. This calls for patient endurance on the part of
the saints who obey Elohim's commandments and remain faithful to Yahusha.
(Revelation 14:11-12) Accordingly, the true disciples of Yahusha will be
faithfully obeying and guarding the commandments of the Torah. Messianic believers also almost
immediately come to understand that since the Torah has not and will not
ever be done away with, neither will the requirement of the Sabbath day.
Messiah Yahusha always met with the faithful on the Sabbath day, in
their synagogues, to open up the Torah to teach it. All of his
disciples did the same. So, those Messianic truth seekers
also embrace the Sabbath day and forsake the man made tradition of
meeting on Sunday (although there is nothing inherently wrong with
meeting on Sunday). The Sabbath day, as the Scriptures make
abundantly clear, is the day Elohim set apart at creation and blessed
for mankind. He has not changed his mind on this. The
Sabbath day will continue to be the day of ceasing from labor and
meeting to read the Bible and worship the Creator all the way into the
Messianic Age and beyond. In addition to keeping the Sabbath
day holy, as the Scriptures require of us, Messianics quickly come to
understand that the annual set-apart appointment days are also an
ongoing requirement of worshipping and obeying the Elohim of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob. In fact, the annual appointment days are the
appointed times in which Messiah Yahusha has and will continue
fulfilling the acts of redemption and the fulfilling of the Messianic
kingdom promises. Another significant trait of
Messianics is that they have abandoned the use of generic terms to refer
to the Almighty - terms like "the LORD" and "God" - and instead use his
actual name to address him and refer to him. Though we must admit
that we cannot be absolutely certain of the exact pronunciation of the Father's name,
the Messianics nonetheless call upon the Father by name using the
pronunciation Yahweh, Yehovah, Yahuwah or some
others very close to these. Again, this is in
fulfillment of the prophecies of the last days in which the faithful
ones of Messiah will have the Father's name and Messiah's name "written
on their foreheads" - that is, they will have the true names in their
minds and on their lips: Then I looked, and there before me was
the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his
name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. (Revelation
14:1) While the Christian world is ignorant of the actual name
of the Father and of the Messiah, the Messianic believers have the
Father's actual Hebrew name and the Messiah's actual Hebrew name in
their vocabulary and on their lips when they call upon him. You will recognize Messianic
believers by their walk, their talk, their dress and their habits.
Believers in Messiah Yahusha who are repenting of their rebellion and
who are returning, as the prophets predicted, to become Torah observant,
will do some very peculiar things. They will stop going to work on
Friday evening and Saturday. Some will lose their jobs over this.
Messianics will talk about the Instructions of the Torah along side
their discussions of the New Testament Messiah. And Messianic
believers will wear strange looking tassels hanging off their garments,
that feature a blue chord. All of these lifestyle practices
come from the Instructions of the Torah. Elohim has given his
faithful ones all of these things to keep us in the knowledge of him and
his righteousness. Thus, the truth seeking Messianics embrace the
new life and the new ways, which are actually really the ancient paths
and the ancient way of life embraced by the patriarchs and the men and
women of faith in all generations. The other peculiarity of the new Messianic faithful is that they have a love for the Jew and a love for the land of Israel. This is a natural by-product of loving Elohim and showing fidelity to his Covenant commandments, because the Jewish people are the remnant of the tribe of Yehudah who have survived down through the centuries and have maintained their unique identity. And love for the land of Israel is based on the love of that one Jew who walked that land long ago and gave his life for his people in that land.
Yahuwah has promised to gather his latter day people who repent and love him
with all their heart and mind.
Yahuwah will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you
will survive among the nations to which Yahuwah will drive you.
There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see
or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek Yahuwah
your Elohim, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart
and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these
things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to
Yahuwah your Elohim and obey him. (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 4:27-30) The Jews are only few in number who have survived the
persecutions culminating in the Holocaust. And few are the
faithful among the exiled northern kingdom of Israel who were scattered
among the Gentiles. Some of these Gentiles have responded in faith
to the good news of the Messiah and his redemptive works on their
behalf. But, in these last days, the Holy
Spirit is directing people who know their Messiah to repent of their
rebellion against Torah. These people are changing their way of
life to be compliant with the teachings and instructions of Torah.
These are they who are loving Elohim with all their heart and with
all their soul, as the instruction above dictates, and who love the
Messiah who died to save them. So it is a natural progression that
those who return to Torah also love the people who have been the
custodians of the Torah for these many centuries. Sha'ul talks
about the advantages of being a Jew: What advantage, then, is there in being a
Yehudi, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in
every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very
oracles of Elohim. What if some did not have faith? Will their
lack of faith nullify Elohim's faithfulness? Not at all! Let
Elohim be true, and every man a liar. (Romans 3:1-4) The Jews, indeed, have been entrusted with the Hebrew Scriptures -
the very words which proceeded out of the mouth of Elohim. They
have zealously guarded and preserved the written Scriptures. Their
problem is that they added their own laws to the written Torah.
This is what is meant by the saying, What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of
faith nullify Elohim's faithfulness? Not at all! Their lack of loyalty to Elohim's written Torah - the "words that
proceeded out of the mouth of Elohim" - has not prevented Elohim from
being faithful to his promise to re-gather their descendants in the last
days. Those who love the Torah also love the people who are the
custodians of the Torah. Messianic believers know that the Yehudim have a
special place in the heart of Elohim. Speaking of Yehudah who was
exiled in Babylon, the prophet says, For this is what Yahuwah Almighty says:
"After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have
plundered you-- for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye--
(Zecharyah 2:8) And Sha'ul again notes that a remnant of them will be saved in the
latter days: I do not want you to be ignorant of this
mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Yisrael has
experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles
has come in. And so all Yisrael will be saved, as it is
written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness
away from Ya'acov. (Romans 11:25-26) Some, not all of the Messianics also
understand that the very land of Israel is the inheritance of Messiah
and of those who belong to them. As such, Torah observant
Messianics love the land of Israel, because that Land is the place of
their future home. The Torah explains that the land never actually
was owned by the sons of Israel: The land must not be sold permanently,
because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.
(Vayiqra 25:23) Yahuwah owns the land, not the Jews! The sons of
Israel are merely tenants, placed there to care for the land. And
Yahuwah has revealed that the true rightful owner of the land will be
Messiah and those who belong to him. Avraham was told that the land would
be given to his descendant: I will establish my covenant as an
everlasting covenant between me and you and your seed (Heb. singular)
after you for the generations to come, to be your Elohim and the Elohim
of your seed (Heb. singular) after you. (Bereshith 176:7) The promise to Avraham is made two ways. Sometimes
the "you" is singular and sometimes its plural. Sha'ul points out
that this descendant unto whom the land is to be given is the Messiah: The promises were spoken to Avraham and
to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many
people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Messiah.
(Galatians 3:16) And later, Sha'ul informs us that the land is given also
to the descendants (plural) of Avraham, which are those who belong to
Messiah: If you belong to Messiah, then you are
Avraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29) Since the land belongs to Messiah
and to those who belong to him, that is, those who trust in him, then it
is clear that the land will be given to all who cling to Yahusha as
Messiah, and not to those Jews who are unbelieving! Therefore the
rightful tenants of the land of Israel are not the Arabs or the
Palestinians or the Jews who reject Yahusha as Messiah, but those who
place their confidence is Yahuwah's Messiah - the Torah observant
followers of Yahusha Messiah (the Messianics). This is why the
people comprising the Messianic Movement love Israel! Challenges for the Messianics Today There are some outstanding challenges for the people embracing the Messianic Movement. Since this end days phenomenon found its impetus in the "roots" craze and a desire to rediscover the family heritage, many have made the mistake of thinking that its our "Jewish roots" that Christians should be embracing. Unfortunately, this is not true. But by far, this is the most pervasive mistake made by Messianic believers. The problem with the thinking that we should reconnect with the "Jewish roots" of our faith, is that our faith is not rooted in Jewish tradition, teachings or customs. Many of the Jewish traditions, prayers, blessings, worship modality and way of life was contrary to the teachings of Messiah and the Torah. Yahusha rebuked the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes at just about every turn and in every situation. Theirs was a religious walk made up of man's teachings and laws, not Elohim's. Yahusha had come in the Father's name to teach obedience to the Father as outlined in the written Torah. So, many congregations use a basic Jewish liturgy in their worship, made up of Rabbinic blessings and Rabbinic prayers. Many of these blessings and prayers are based upon commandments of men rather than the word of Elohim. Thus, these congregations are falling into the same patterns and ways of thinking that received scorn, rebuke and disdain from the Master during his days of walking on the earth. Instead, those embracing Torah should reject the traditions of the Jews at those points where those traditions are contrary to the Word of Elohim and when they are based on the commandments and teachings of men. We should be thinking "Hebraically" rather than "Jewish-like." What this means is that we should be focusing on obeying the written commandments of the Torah rather than emphasizing the "Jewish" elements of worship which are decidedly non-scriptural. A similar problem among the Messianic congregations is that many of them are still clinging to the errors of Christianity in their worship and doctrine and thinking, rather than thrusting off the things that are clearly revealed as erroneous. There are many teachings and customs implemented in Christian circles that are not biblical but are based on the influences of pagan practices which have been merged over the centuries with biblical principles. (You can read about some of these in other sections of this website).
A third problem the Messianics are faced with is that of the ever changing winds
of doctrine. The Messianics are
quick anymore to believe and latch onto any new teaching that comes down the pike.
Yahusha warned us of the false prophets and false teachers:
Yahusha answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will
come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many....
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate
each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many
people. (Matthew 24:4-5 and 10-11) The entire pre-Messianic age (also known as the Church Age) has been riddled with false prophets and false teachings. There have been countless doctrinal controversies and "church counsels" to attempt to weed out the false teachings. But they have been very ineffective. For false doctrine is at the core of Christianity and is pervasive everywhere you look.
Kepha (Simon Peter) talks about these heretics masquerading as truth tellers:
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there
will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce
destructive heresies, even denying Adonai Yahuwah who bought them--
bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow
their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have
made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their
destruction has not been sleeping. (2 Peter 2:1-3) Peter's prophetic utterance pretty much sums up the last two thousand years. The destructive heresies Peter spoke about are now referred to as orthodox Christian theology! But, like the onslaught of all the past historical heresies, the Messianic Movement comes along with their share of false teachers introducing destructive heresies which lead many off the ancient path of Torah compliance. You can usually spot these false doctrines because they seem to find their source and support in the extra-biblical writings - like the "Book of Enoch", or some other "ancient writing." They appeal to something similar to Torah instructions, but the teachings are not found in the Torah, exactly. They sound good and may even feel good, and this is their deceptive element. Stay clear of any of these teachings and teachers if the doctrines are not rooted directly in the written Torah of Mosheh.
Paul warned the early assemblies that until Messiah comes, there would
be these false teachings that would lead people astray. When the Body does
reach maturity, he adds,
then we will no longer be infants, tossed
back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of
teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful
scheming. (Ephesians 4:14) Evidently, this maturity will not be reached until
Messiah comes. So, until Messiah comes, we must keep guard of our
lives, our hearts, our ears and what we receive as truth. Accept
no imitations, substitutions or alterations of the Torah of Elohim, and
you will be safe. I feel I should name a few of these false teachings so that those who are novices to these things can get a "feel" for how to spot the false. There are those who want you to regard the Sabbath day based on counting seven days from each new moon. They call this "the Lunar Sabbath." However, this concept found nowhere in Scripture. I've put together a study article on the Lunar Sabbath. You can read in great details the main points of this doctrine as well as the biblical proof that refutes it for what it is - lunacy! There are those who want you to calculate the annual appointed times based on the spring equinox, rather than based on the new moon when the barley is aviv - as the Scriptures plainly instruct us. Proponents of that view quote Scripture as proof, yet have to resort to assigning meanings to Hebrew words that those words did not have when they were penned (this is known as an anachronism). You can read my refutation of this false doctrine in the study entitled, The Hebrew Calendar. And there are others who think that Yahusha Messiah (sometimes called "Jesus" or "Yeshua") was just a man like anyone else and was not the Eternal One come in the flesh. I have written the article, Is Messiah the Deity or Isn't He? which explores this topic. These are just a few of the more common false doctrines floating around Messianic circles. There are many more. Beware of those teachings and any others that aren't solidly Scriptural and avoid them like the plague. For all that is wonderful about the Messianic Movement, Satan is having much success in derailing the truth and leading these truth seekers astray. And he will try anything to discredit and destroy the work of Elohim. We all are aware of his schemes - in theory at least - but some still get taken in by his trickery. We who are seeking truth and loving Elohim with all our hearts, minds and strength in these perilous times must stay focused on the task, must be rooted and founded in the Torah in all that we embrace, and must remain faithful to the commandments of Elohim as found in the written testimony of Scripture. May Yahuwah Elohim bless you the reader and seeker of truth with all his blessing, love and truth. And may he bring you who love him through the fiery trials that await us all, into his kingdom of righteousness. All glory, praise and esteem be unto Elohim our Father and unto our Master the Messiah Yahusha. Amen. END |