Have the Jews Really Rejected Yeshua?
By
James Scott Trimm
There is a false teaching that “the Jews rejected Yeshua,” let me make it clear that this is totally false!
In the Second Temple Era
We read in the Gospel according to the Hebrews, that at the crucifixion:
Then said Yeshua, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what theydo.”
At this word many thousands of the Jews who were standing around the
gallows became believers.
Haimo of Auxerre writes:
As it is said in the Gospel of the Nazarenes:
At this word of the Lord
many thousands (multa milla) of the Jews who were
standing round the cross became believers.
(Haimo of Auxerre; Com. on Is. 53:2)
A medieval commentator writes:
Note that in the Gospel of the Nazarenes we have to read that at this virtuous discourse of Messiah eight thousand were later converted to the faith; namely three thousand on the day of Pentecost as stated in the Acts of the Apostles 2 [2:41], and subsequently five thousand about whom we are informed in the Acts of the Apostles 10
[this likely refers to Acts 4:4 rather than 10].”
(Historia passionis Domini; MS: Theolog. Sammelhandschrift 14th-15th Century, foll. 55r)
In fact the Book of Acts tells us that the movement was growing by leaps and bounds and Jews were clamoring to accept Yeshua as the Messiah:
In Acts 2:41, 47 3,000 were added to the Nazarenes, then in Acts 4:4 5,000 were added.
So by this time, there were already 8,000 Nazarenes not including those that were already followers of Yeshua before these events.
How does this compare with the other sects of Judaism at the time? Philo speaks of “more than four thousand” Essenes living in “in many cities of Judaea and in many villages and grouped in great societies of many members”.
(Philo (c.?20–54). Quod Omnis Probus Liber. XII.75.)
So at this point there were already twice as many Nazarenes as there were Essenes.
But wait, there is more:
In Acts 5:14 “thousands” more became Nazarenes… we don’t know how many thousands.
Then in Acts 6:1 they “multiplied” and in Acts 6:7 they “multiplied” again”.
All of this was in just the first year!
Then in about five years we are told that they “multiplied” again (Acts 9:31).
Then about 10 years later (45 CE) (Acts 12:24) we are told that the Word of Elohim multiplied, which implies that the Nazarenes “multiplied”.
Later that same year in Acts 13:43-45 we are again told there were “thousands” more added!
If we take a conservative approach and say that unspecified “thousands” means at least 5,000 and “multiplied” only means multiplied by a factor of two then:
+3,000 (Acts 2) + 5,000 (Acts 4:4) + 5,000 (Acts 5:14) x 2 (Acts 6:1) x 2 (Acts 6:7) x 2 (Acts 9:31) X 2 (Acts 12:24) + 5,000 (Acts 13:45) = 213,000
So assuming Acts documents all of the growth (which is unlikely) and using our conservative numbers, there were at least 213,000 Nazarenes by 45 CE.
Now is we estimate that number doubled only one time from 45 CE to 63 CE then by 63 CE there were at least 426,000 Nazarenes.
Now how many Jews were there in the Jerusalem area at the time?
During the first Jewish-Roman war (66–73 CE) the population of Jerusalem was estimated at 600,000 persons by Roman historian Tacitus, while Josephus, estimated that there were as many as 1,100,000, who were killed in the war.[Wars 6:9:3] Josephus also noted that 97,000 were sold as slaves. After the Roman victory over the Jews, as many as 115,880 dead bodies were carried out through one gate between the months of Nisan and Tammuz.
And in fact in 63 CE a meeting was held by the other sects of Judaism, their fear was that the Nazarenes were growing so fast that soon all Jews would be Nazarenes:
As there were many therefore of the rulers that believed, there arose a tumult among
the Jews, Scribes and Pharisees, saying that there was danger, that the people would
now accept Yeshua as the Messiah. They came therefore together, and said to James: “We entreat you, restrain the people, who are led astray after Yeshua, as if he were the Messiah.
(Hegesippus (180 CE) quoted by Eusebius Eccl. Hist. 2:23)
So let me make it clear, during the Second Temple Era the Jews did not reject Yeshua, the fact is that within the first year there were more Nazarenes than there were Essenes, by 45 CE the Nazarenes were well on their way to becoming the largest sect of Judaism (if they were not already). And by 63 CE the other sects of Judaism were concerned that Nazarene Judaism would soon displace them all.
The Jews of the Second Temple Era did not reject Yeshua, they were clamoring in droves to accept him as the Messiah!
The “Jesus” Judaism has Rejected
The only “Jesus” that most Jewish people have ever been exposed to is the “Jesus” that supposedly came to “free them from the bondage of the Law”. Yes, they have rejected this Torahless Jesus, and rightly so. But most of them have never been exposed to the real Yeshua.
In coming years you will see many Jewish people embracing Yeshua as the Messiah. (In fact it has already begun). But the Yeshua that they accept will be the real Yeshua and not the Torahless “Jesus” that Christendom has adopted from pagan sources.
The Jewish people know that an anti-Torah Messiah is no Messiah at all, they know better than to accept the rank paganism attached to Gentile Christianity.
As I have been saying for years, I am personally aware of a great many Orthodox Jews (even Rabbis) who already know that Yeshua is the Messiah, but are not yet prepared to reveal this information to the world. One of these told me that he is waiting until “the right time”.
The Jewish people will also come to realize that the books known as the “New Testament” (More correctly called the Ketuvim Netzarim, the “Writings of the Nazarenes”) in their original Hebrew and Aramaic rather than their Greek translations, are as much a “Jewish Book” as the Tanak (“Old Testament”).
Nazarene Judaism Restored and Growing
Yeshua did not come to create a new religion, he came to be Jewish Messiah of Judaism, The original followers of Yeshua as Messiah were a sect of Judaism known as “Nazarene Judaism” and through the Worldwide Nazarene Assembly of Elohim the Nazarene Sect of Judaism has been restored and is growing worldwide!
I am humbled by the fact that this ministry is on the cutting edge of this great last days restoration.
I am grateful to all of you who support our work financially. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Do not count on someone else to do your part, you do your part.
We are losing our home! We need your help today!
Check out our Go Fund Me Page: https://gofund.me/f551fb4f
If you can make a one time donation of $500 or $1,000 dollars to support this work, now is the time to step up to the plate, as we are in a budget shortfall.
Do not expect that the established religious denominations are going to be reformed and accomplish this paradigm shift. They are to set in their ways to be of any use to Elohim. To the contrary the established religious leaders are the single greatest deterrent to the promotion of the truth today.
We cannot do this work alone, but if we work together we can accomplish so much. So don’t forget to support this work with your contributions, tithes and offerings.
You make this work possible. Please help us bring the message of Torah and Messiah to a lost world and create Scripture study materials for believers.
Now is time to step up to the plate!
