Messiah in the Lost Books of the Tanak Part 4 - The Restoration

Messiah in the Lost Books of the Tanak
Part 4
The Restoration

There are at least 365 Messianic prophecies in the Tanak, pointing to Yeshua as the Messiah. In parts 1-3 we have demonstrated that there are also additional prophecies found in the books known as the “Apocrypha” as well as in the Book of Enoch.

This is however, only the beginning.

There are frequent references in the Tanak to “lost books” that are cited in the Tanak bu which do not appear in our current canon. These “lost books” include the following:

Book of the Wars of YHWH (Num. 21:14)
The Book of Jasher (Josh. 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:18)
Manner of the Kingdom by Samuel (1 Sam. 10:25)
Acts of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41)
Book of Samuel the Seer (1 Chron. 29:29)
Book of Gad the Seer (1 Chron. 29:29)
Book of Nathan the Prophet (1 Chron. 29:29; 2 Chron. 9:29)
Prophecy of Abijah (2 Chron. 9:29)
Visions of Iddo the Seer (2 Chron. 9:29; 12:15)
The Midrash of Iddo (2 Chron. 13:22)
Book of Shemiah (2 Chron. 12:15)
Book of Jehu (2 Chron. 20:34)
Acts of Uzziah by Isaiah (2 Chron. 26:22)
Sayings of the Seers (2 Chron. 33:19)

Our current Tanak is just a small portion of the sacred Scriptures our forefathers once had in so called “Old Testament Times”. So what became of these books?

In Part 3 we learned that Rabbi Semeon had said concerning the Book of Enoch (a book which is actually quoted in Jude 1:13-14):

Rabbi Simeon said: ‘Had I been alive when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave mankind the book of Enoch and the book of Adam, I would have endeavoured to prevent their dissemination, because not all wise men read them with proper attention, and thus extract from them perverted ideas, such as lead men astray from the Most High to the worship of strange powers. Now, however, the wise who understand these things keep them secret, and thereby fortify themselves in the service of their Master.’
(Zohar 1:72b)

And that the so-called “Church Father” Tertullian (c. 155 – c. 240 CE) wrote around the same time period:

But since Enoch in the same Scripture has preached likewise concerning the Lord, nothing at all must be rejected by us which pertains to us; and we read that “every Scripture suitable for edification is divinely inspired.” [110] By the Jews it may now seem to have been rejected for that (very) reason, just like all the other (portions) nearly which tell of Christ. Nor, of course, is this fact wonderful, that they did not receive some Scriptures which spake of Him whom even in person, speaking in their presence, they were not to receive. To these considerations is added the fact that Enoch possesses a testimony in the Apostle Jude. [111]
(Tertullian; The Apparel of Women”; Fathers of the Church 3,1,1-3)

In other words “the Jews” (i.e. Rabbinic Judaism rather than Nazarene Judaism) had removed material from the canon which was too clear in pointing to Yeshua as the Messiah.

Many examples can be found in the books of the Apocrypha and Book of Enoch (as shown in parts 1-3) but many examples can be given from other “lost books” as well.

For example in the Greek text of Matthew 27:9-10 (as well as in the DuTillet and Munster Hebrew texts) a prophecy is attributed to Jeremiah which is not to be found in our current text of Jeremiah (though very similar passage does appear in Zech. 11:12-13.) (However in the Shem Tob Hebrew and the Old Syriac and Peshitta Aramaic versions have only “the Prophet” and not “The Prophet Jeremiah” (Some Shem Tob texts have “The Prophet Zechariah”).)

According to the fourth century “Church Father” Jerome these exact words (in Matt. 27:9-10) actually appeared in a (now lost) Apocryphon of Jeremiah (2nd Jeremiah?) which was in the hands of the fourth century Nazarenes. Jerome wrote:

“Recently I read in a certain Hebrew book
that a Hebrew from the Nazarene sect brought to me,
the apocryphon of Jeremiah, in which I found this text
written word for word.”
(Jerome; Commentary on Matthew 27:9)

In the King James Version of Matthew we read:

And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth:
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets,
He shall be called a Nazarene.
(Matthew 2:23 KJV)

The Hebrew (Shem Tob, DuTillet and Munster) and Aramaic (Old Syriac and Peshitta) all have singular “prophet” while the Greek has “prophets”.

Anti-missionaries have claimed that there is no such prophecy and that the reference was simply invented. Of course there is no motive for the author of Matthew to cite a prophecy that did not exist, as doing so would only discredit his book. This was one of the prophecies found in the lost books of the Tanak.

The 365 prophecies in the Tanak that point to Yeshua as the Messiah, are only a fragment of of the vast number of prophecies once contained in books now lost to us. These lost prophecies were also far less vague that the prophecies which remained in the Tanak.

The good news is that much of this material will one day be restored to us as part of that which was prophesied in the Book of Enoch:

But when they write down truthfully all my words in their languages, and do not change or diminish ought from my words but write them all down truthfully –all that I first testified concerning them. Then, I know another mystery, that books will be given to the righteous and the wise to become a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom. And to them shall the books be given, and they shall believe in them and rejoice over them, and then shall all the righteous who have learnt therefore all the paths of uprightness be recompensed.’
(1Enoch 104:10-13)

Enoch was speaking of this generation. I have been given several projects that will put more of the Word of YHWH into the hands of the people, with online interlinear texts etc. There is much work to be done, and less time than ever in which to get it done.

The time is near at hand in which “the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.” (Isaiah 29:18)

The 365 Messianic prophecies are only a shadow of a much larger and much clearer set of Messianic prophecies which were once in the Scriptures and which will one day be restored to us!

Donations have been low and bills are due. We need your help today! We must raise at least $160 by the end of the day today or our account will go into the negative and start a chain reaction of returned items and bills!

For some time now my wife is very ill, and I spend most of my time at home as her caretaker.

I am at home and in a position to dedicate many hours to this important work that I have been directed to do.

But I also realize that it is not the activity of James Trimm alone who is responsible to do this work, it is all of us together who are charged with the responsibility of accomplishing this work. I very much look on the efforts of this restoration work as a cooperative one with each one of you. We are all joint heirs with Messiah and should always be about our Father’s business. I am honored to be able to be partnered with truth seekers as this restoration of Scripture moves forward in fulfillment of prophecy.