For All of Your Generations Forever

For All of Your Generations Forever
By
James Scott Trimm

In studying the so-called New Testament we must ask ourselves “can you get here from there?” (“there” being the Tanak (Old Testament)). If we understand something in the so-called New Testament in such a way that it contradicts the Tanak, then we must be misunderstanding it. Now there are many who understand many New Testament passages in such a way as to believe and teach that the Torah has been abolished. Let us be like noble Bereans and let us look in the Tanak to see if this is so (Acts 17:11). After all Paul tells us that the Tanak is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, [and] for instruction” (2Tim. 3:16). So what does the Tanak say? Was the Torah to be for all generations, forever? or would it one day be abolished? If the Torah would one day be abolished, then we should be able to find this taught in the Tanak. As Noble Bereans we should be checking to see if the things we have been taught can be found in the Tanak. By contrast, if the Torah would not be abolished, but would be for all generations forever, then we should be able to find that information in the Torah as well. Since the Tanak is profitable for doctrine and correction, perhaps we can seek the truth on this issue from the Tanak:

“…it shall be a statute forever to their generations…” (Exodus 27:21)

“…it shall be a statute forever to him and his seed after him.” (Exodus 28:43)

“…a statute forever…” (Exodus 29:28)

“…it shall be a statute forever to them, to him and to his seed throughout their generations.” (Exodus 30:21)

“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever.” (Exodus 31:17)

There is no shortage of passages in the Torah which specify that the Torah will not be abolished but will be for all generations forever. (For more see: Leviticus 6:18, 22; 7:34, 36; 10:9, 15; 17:7; 23:14, 21, 41; 24:3; Numbers 10:8; 15:15; 18:8, 11, 19, 23; 19:10 and Deuteronomy 5:29)

Moreover the Psalmist writes:

Your word is truth from the beginning:
and every one of your righteous judgements endures forever.
(Psalm 119:160)

Furthermore the Tanak tells us that the Torah is not to be changed or taken away from:

You shall not add to the word which I command you,
neither shall you diminish a thing from it,
that you may keep the commandments of YHWH your God which I command you.
(Deuteronomy 4:2)

Whatever thing I command you, observe to do it:
you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
(Deuteronomy 13:1(12:32))

So if we are “Noble Bereans” we will find that the Tanak teaches that the Torah will not be abolished but will endure for all generations forever. This teaching from the Tanak is profitable to us for doctrine, for reproval and for correction.

The Messiah echoes this teaching:

Do not think that I have come to destroy the Torah or the Prophets.
I have not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away,
one yud or one mark will by no means pass from the Torah till all is fulfilled.
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments,
and teaches men so, he will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven;
but whoever does and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
(Matthew 5:17-19 see also Luke 16:17)

As does Paul:

Do we then abolish the Torah through trust?
Absolutely not! We uphold the Torah!
(Romans 3:31)

Despite the fact that David was saved by faith alone (Romans 4:5-8) he loved the Torah and delighted in it (Psalm 119: 97, 113, 163). Paul also delighted in the Torah (Romans 7:22) and called it “holy, just and good.” (Romans 7:12). There is nothing wrong with the Torah that Elohim should want to abolish or destroy it, in fact both the Tenach and the New Scriptures call the Torah “perfect” (Psalm 19:7; James 1:25).

The Torah is even called in the so-called New Testament “the Torah of Messiah” (Galatians 6:2). To say that the Torah was not forever and is not for all generations, is to call Elohim a liar.

ANTI-TORAH TEACHERS ARE ALWAYS FALSE PROPHETS

Now let us return to Deuteronomy 13:1(12:32):

Whatever thing I command you,
observe to do it: you shall not add thereto,
nor diminish from it.”
(Deuteronomy 13:1(12:32))

If we look at this passage in context, we can learn a great deal:

1 (12:32) All this word which I command you, that shall you observe to do; you shall not add thereto nor diminish from it.
2 (13:1) If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder,
3 (13:2) And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto you, saying, Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them …
4 (13:3) You shall not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams. For YHWH your Elohim puts you to proof, to know whether you do love YHWH your Elohim, with all your heart and with all your soul.
5 (13:4) After YHWH your Elohim shall you walk, and Him shall you fear, and His commandments shall you keep, and unto His voice shall you hearken, and Him shall you serve, and unto Him shall you cleave.
6 (13:5) And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken perversion against YHWH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which YHWH your Elohim commanded you to walk in. So shall you put away the evil
from the midst of you.
(Deut. 13:1-6 (12:32-13:5) HRV)

You may notice there is a difference between the chapter and verse divisions in the original Hebrew (and Jewish editions) and in Christian translations of this text. The Christian translations have moved the chapter division so that it separates 13:1 from 13:2-6 when in fact Deut. 13:2-6 carries forward the thought presented in Deut. 13:1.

The text of this passage tells us that after the Torah was given to Moses, anyone who would come along later and diminish from the Torah telling us not to keep any of His commandments, must be rejected as a false prophet, even if they make prophecies that come true with 100 percent accuracy and even if they perform signs wonders and miracles.

If you could prove that either Yeshua and/or Paul taught that any of the other 613 commandments of the Torah should no longer bo observed, you would not be proving that the Torah should no longer be observed, you would only be proving that Yeshua and/or Paul were false prophets.

Of course neither Yeshua nor Paul were false prophets, because neither of them ever taught that any commandment of the Torah should no longer be observed.

The Torah is for all generations forever and every one of its commandments will endure forever.

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The Way of the Heathen

The Way of the Heathen
By
Robert O. Miller

“Do not learn the way of the Heathen; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Heathen are dismayed at them. (Jeremiah 10:2)”

A Heathen is one who adheres to the religion of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the Elohim of Israel – Yahweh,  thus they are irreligious, uncivilized, or unenlightened. These are they that seek to revive the religious beliefs and practices of the apostasy of Nimrod – namely Mystery Babylon.

Who is this Mystery Babylon? 

“I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of YahShua. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement….the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns…The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.” (Revelation 17:1-7, 9)

There has never has been any difficulty in identifying the woman “sitting on seven mountains,” and having on her forehead the name written, “Mystery, Babylon the Great.” It is the apostate system with its seat in Rome.

Sextus Aurelius Propertius, the Latin poet of the Augustan age, identifies Rome as: “The lofty city on seven hills, which governs the whole world.” Its “governing the whole world” is another way of sayingthat rules over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:18). Another Latin poet, Marcus Valerius Martialis, calls those seven hills, “The seven dominating mountains.” In fact, if you were from Rome you were called: “De septem montibus virum,” which in English is: “the man from the seven mountains.”

Simon the magician was smart when he selected Rome as the place to start his new religion. In fact, Rome was almost essential to the success of his belief system. If one was going to build a cosmopolitan religion, one needed to come to the center of the Empire – Rome. In no other spot on earth could the new religion’s gigantic schemes of dominion have been formed, or, if formed, realized. Sitting in the seat of seven dominating mountains which the masters of the known world had so long occupied, the Roman bishops seemed the rightful heir of the Caesar’s  power. The Church of Simon reaped the fruit of the wars and the conquests, the toils and the blood, of imperial Rome. Finally, the Bishop of Rome, given the title of Pontiff Maximus or Pope perpetually reminded the world that the Church was the successors of Caesars’ Empire.

Rome through right of succession is the Babylon of the Apocalypse; and her character is seen by her system, the grand objects of her worship, her festivals, her doctrine and discipline, her rites and ceremonies, her priesthood and their orders, have all been derived from ancient Babylon. The Pope instead of being “Vicarious Dios”  is truly the lineal successor of the throne of Belshazzar.  For if it was MYSTERY, BABYLON that was birthed that night, when the Pagan Pontifex Maximus -king of Babylon, in the midst of his thousand lords, “praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of wood, and of stone” (Dan 5:4), thus the Church of Rome is entitled to the name MYSTERY, BABYLON.

In the early Christian literary work of the 2nd century, considered a valuable book by many Christians, and considered canonical scripture by some of the early Church fathers, “The Shepherd of Hermas,” we find this revelation: “Now a revelation was given to me, my brethren, while I slept, by a young man of comely appearance, who said to me, “Who do you think that old woman is from whom you received the book?” And I said, “The Sibyl.” (the Babylonian Sibyl was the prophetic priestess presiding over the ancient religion of Nimrod) “You are in a mistake,” says he; “it is not the Sibyl.” “Who is it then?” say I. And he said, “It is the Church.” And I said to him, “Why then is she an old woman?  “Because,” said he, “she was created first of all. On this account is she old….”Do you see something great?” And I say, “Lady, I see nothing.” She said to me, “Lo! do you not see opposite to you a great tower, built upon the waters, of splendid square stones?” For the tower was built square by those six young men who had come with her. But myriads of men were carrying stones to it, some dragging them from the depths, others removing them from the land, and they handed them to these six young men. They were taking them and building; and those. of the stones that were dragged out of the depths, they placed in the building just as they were: for they were polished and fitted exactly into the other stones, and became so united one with another that the lines of juncture could not be perceived. And in this way the building of the tower looked as if it were made out of one stone. Those stones, however, which were taken from the earth suffered a different fate; for the young men rejected some of them, some they fitted into the building, and some they cut down, and cast far away from the tower. Many other stones, however, lay around the tower, and the young men did not use them in building; for some of them were rough, others had cracks in them, others had been made too short, and others were white and round, but did not fit into the building of the tower. Moreover, I saw other stones thrown far away from the tower, and falling into the public road; yet they did not remain on the road, but were rolled into a pathless place. And I saw others falling into the fire and burning, others falling close to the water, and yet not capable of being rolled into the water, though they wished to be rolled down, and to enter the water…Hear, then, the parables of the tower; for I will reveal all to you, and give me no more trouble in regard to revelation: for these revelations have an end, for they have been completed. But you will not cease praying for revelations, for you are shameless. The tower which you see building is myself, the Church…”  (“The Shepherd of Hermas,” 2:4; 3:2, 3)

“…take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his furyhas ended! Yahweh has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression. All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing. Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon gloat over you and say, ‘Now that you have been laid low, no one comes to cut us down.’ The realm of the dead below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you— all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones— all those who were kings over the nations. They will all respond, they will say to you, ‘You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.’ All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. How are you fallen from heaven, O HayLale’ ben Shahar Yalal! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!  For you have said in your  heart, I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of Elohim:  I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of Hell.” (Isaiah 14:12-15)

Rome, as successor to the Babylonian Mystery religion, is MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, and from her DAUGHTER CHURCHES came out in “protest,” calling themselves “PROTESTANT.” And ALL have to a greater or lesser extent embraced her APOSTACY. “Upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS” (Revelation 17:5). Her daughters are called “harlots.” Together, they are called “MYSTERY, BABYLON.” They are pagans, teaching pagan doctrines and customs, cloaked in the NAME of “Christianity!”

This is in stark contrast to the true followers of King Messiah YahShua: “But these … call themselves Christians-but “Nazarenes,” … However they are simply complete Jews. They use not only the New Testament but the Old Testament as well, as the Jews do… They have no different ideas, but confess everything exactly as the Law proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion– except for their belief in Messiah, if you please! For they acknowledge both the resurrection of the dead and the divine creation of all things, and declare that G-d is one, and that his son is Y’shua the Messiah. They are trained to a nicety in Hebrew. For among them the entire Law, the Prophets, and the… Writings… are read in Hebrew, as they surely are by the Jews. They are different from the Jews, and different from Christians, only in the following. They disagree with Jews because they have come to faith in Messiah; but since they are still fettered by the Law — circumcision, the Sabbath, and the rest– they are not in accord with Christians…they are nothing but Jews…They have the Good News according to Matthew in its entirety in Hebrew. For it is clear that they still preserve this, in the Hebrew alphabet, as it was originally written.” (Epiphanius; Panarion 29)

Jerome said, “To-day there still exists among the Jews in all the synagogues of the East a heresy which is … called ‘Nazarenes’; they believe that Christ, the son of God, was born of the Virgin Mary, and they hold him to be the one who suffered under Pontius Pilate and ascended to heaven, and in whom we also believe. But while they pretend to be both Jews and Christians, they are neither.” (Epistle 79, to Augustine)

By 325 CE, the Roman Emperor Constantine made Simon’s Church the official Imperial Religion. The Council standardized doctrine in the church through an assembly representing all of Gentile Christendom. The first thing they did was change the Sabbath: On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or for vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost. Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord’s Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ. For it is unbecoming beyond measure that on this holiest of festivals we should follow the customs of the Jews. Henceforth let us have nothing in common with this odious people…We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews…our worship follows a…more convenient course…we desire dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews…How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are almost certainly blinded.” Sunday was made the legal day of Christian worship at this time. As the Sabbath is the identifying sign of the people of Yahweh, so Sunday is the mark that identifies the AUTHORITY of MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS“–because Sunday carries no authority. The substitution of the pagan Sunday to counterfeit the Sabbath is the primary strategy of Satan in deceiving all nations, and counterfeiting the Truth as well as the Faith of Yahweh.

Catholicism says: “Sunday is a Catholic institution, and its claims to observance can be defended only on Catholic principles… From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first.” (The Catholic Press, Sydney, Australia, August, 1900)

The Lutherans say:  “For when there could not be produced one solitary place in the Holy Scriptures which testified that either the Lord Himself or the apostles had ordered such a transfer of the Sabbath to Sunday, then it was not easy to answer the question: Who has transferred the Sabbath, and who has had the right to do it?” (George Sverdrup, A New Day)

The Episcopalians say: “We have made the change from the seventh day to the first day, from Saturday to Sunday, on the authority of the one holy, catholic, apostolic church of Christ.” (Bishop Seymour, Why We Keep Sunday)

The Presbyterians say: “Until, therefore, it can be shown that the whole moral law has been repealed, the Sabbath will stand…. The teaching of Christ confirms the perpetuity of the Sabbath.”  (T.C. Blake, D.D., Theology Condensed, pp. 474, 475)

The Methodists say: “it is true that there is no positive command for infant baptism. Nor is there any for keeping holy the first day of the week. Many believe that Christ changed the Sabbath. But, from His own words, we see that He came for no such purpose. Those who believe that Jesus changed the Sabbath base it only on a supposition.” (Amos Binney, Theological Compendium, pages 180, 181)

The Southern Baptists say: “The sacred name of the Seventh day is Sabbath. This fact is too clear to require argument (Exodus 20:10 quoted)… On this point the plain teaching of the Word has been admitted in all ages… Not once did the disciples apply the Sabbath law to the first day of the week–that folly was left for a later age, nor did they pretend that the first day supplanted the seventh.” (Joseph Judson Taylor, The Sabbath Question, pages 14-17, 41)

                The Church of Christ says: “Finally, we have the testimony of Christ on this subject. In Mark 2:27, he says: ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.’ From this passage it is evident that the Sabbath was made not merely for the Israelites, as Paley and Hengstenberg would have us believe, but for man…that is, for the race. Hence we conclude that the Sabbath was sanctified from the beginning, and that it was given to Adam, even in Eden, as one of those primeval institutions that God ordained for the happiness of all men.” (Robert Milligan, Scheme of Redemption, (St. Louis, The Bethany Press, 1962), p. 165)

                The Pentecostal says: ” ‘Why do we worship on Sunday? Doesn’t the Bible teach us that Saturday should be the Lord’s Day?’… Apparently we will have to seek the answer from some other source than the New Testament.” (David A. Womack, “Is Sunday the Lord’s Day?” The Pentecostal Evangel, Aug. 9, 1959, No. 2361, p. 3)

As John Gilmary Shea says in the American Catholic Quarterly Review, January, 1883, “Protestantism, in discarding the authority of the (Roman Catholic) Church, has no good reasons for its Sunday theory, and ought logically to keep Saturday as the Sabbath.”

                In Isaiah 56, Yahweh states, “My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.”  Salvation is coming to whom?  Righteous will be revealed to whom?  Those “who has joined himself to Yahweh.”  How do they join themselves to Yahweh?  By embracing the Kingdom.  What is the sign of surrender to the Kingdom?  “…keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant… love the name of Yahweh…be His servants.”

The Church replaced the three Pilgrimage Holy Days of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles out of a dislike for anything “Jewish,” with the pagan and heathen holidays celebrated by most Christians today Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. 

CHRISTMAS

“If all our festival days had to be given up except one, it is quite probable that the voices of children would mingle with those of adults and sound forth in a mighty chorus in favor of retaining Christmas” (Herbert H. Wernecke, Christmas Customs Around the World, page 11)

“Through most of its history, the Christmas season has been a time of raucous revelry and bacchanalian indulgence more akin to Mardi Gras or New Year’s Eve than to a silent, holy night. So tarnished, in fact, was its reputation in colonial America, that celebrating Christmas was banned in Puritan New England, where the noted minister Cotton Mather described yuletide merrymaking as ‘an affront unto the grace of God’. (U.S. News & World Report (12/23/96)) “

“The winter solstice was regarded as the birthday of the sun and at Rome a pagan festival of the nativity of “sol invictus” was introduced by the Emperor Aurelian on the 25th December 274. The church unable to stamp out this popular festival, spiritualized it as the Feast of the Nativity of the Sun of Righteousness. When Christianity spread northwards it encountered a similar pagan festival also held at the winter solstice – the great Yule feast of the Norsemen. Once again Christians absorbed heathen customs. From the various sources came the Yule Log, the Christmas tree introduced into England from Germany and first mentioned in 1878.” (Chambers encyclopaedia 1970 edition page 530)

Santa Claus replaces anything religious as the central person of Christmas. “Santa Claus” is a corruption of the name “St. Nicholas,” a supposed Roman Catholic Bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor, who may have lived in the 4th Century.  However, in reality Santa is the Norse god Odin who has a home far away in the “Netherlands” or the North Pole, he comes on horseback or in a sleigh driven by reindeer, he is associated with fire, by entering the house by the chimney or leaving gifts by the hearth (since he is a sun-god). Odin, the gift-giver, is re-incarnated in today’s as Kris Kringle.

“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles…For one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good. (Jeremiah 10:2-6)”

“For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; and you said, “I will not transgress,’ when on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down, playing the harlot. (Jeremiah 2:20)”

“Yahweh said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. 13Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against Yahweh your Elohim, and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ says Yahweh. (Jeremiah 3:6,13)”

“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with the point of a diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars, while their children remember their altars and their wooden imagesby the green trees on the high hills. (Jeremiah 17:1-2)”

“But come here, you sons of the sorceress, you offspring of the adulterer and the harlot! Whom do you ridicule? Against whom do you make a wide mouth and stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, offspring of falsehood, inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks? (Isaiah 57:3-5)”

“Then you shall know that I am Yahweh, when their slain are among their idols all around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every thick oak, wherever they offered sweet incense to all their idols. (Ezekiel 6:13)”

                So the next time you’re sitting in someone’s living room, enjoying some wassail, listening to Bing on the stereo, admiring the Christmas Tree remember the “green” tree, the holly, mistle toe and Christmas itself is associated with false worship and idolatry: Deuteronomy 12:2, I Kings 14:22-23, II Kings 16:1-4, 17:9-10, II Chronicles 28:4. They are aserah, or phallic symbols worshiped by the ancient pagans around the world.

EASTER

“Then look at Easter. What means the term Easter itself? It is not a Messianic Term. It bears the Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else but (the Feast of) Ashtarte or Ishtar, one of the titles of Beltis, the Queen of Heaven…The classic poets are full of the fables of the mystics of the Babylonians; and thus its tale is told by Hyginus the Egyptian, the learned keeper of the Palatine library in Rome, in the time of Augustus, who was skilled in all the wisdom of his native country.

An egg of wondrous size is said to have fallen from heaven into the river Euphrates. The fish rolled it to the bank where the doves having settled upon it and hatched it – came out Venus who afterwards was called the Syrian Goddess – that is Astarte. Hence the egg became one of the of symbols of Astarte or Easter.” (The Two Babylons, pages 103, 108&109)

The Christian version of Easter is celebrated after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Today, Protestants unwittingly wait for the Catholics to set the date of the Holiday.  The Easter sunrise service is derived from the ancient pagan practice of welcoming the sun on the morning of the spring equinox, marking the beginning of spring. What we now call Easter lilies were revered by the ancients as symbols of fertility and representative of the male genitaliam, as does the rabbit. The ancient Babylonian religions had rituals involving dyed eggs as did the ancient Egyptians.

HALLOWEEN

Every October 31st, hundreds of thousands of children dress in costumes, which range from the cute and sweet to the macabre and satanic. Every year this custom is repeated because it’s always been done. That is what makes it a ritual. After all, it is all harmless fun, right?

Michael Judge, writing for the New Age periodical Common Boundary, explains, “Halloween…began between 1000 and 100 B.C., among the Celtic people. The actual holiday was a commemoration of the new year (Sep./Oct. 1993, p. 29). It was at this time of the year that Baal, the Celtic god of Spring and Summer, ended his reign. It was also when the Lord of the Dead, Samhain, began his reign.”

The ceremony of Halloween underwent an infusion of other pagan influences when the Celt homeland was absorbed by the Roman Empire. While Rome allowed the Druid priests to continue all their ceremonies, “except human sacrifice,” new rituals of Roman origins were also incorporated. “Chief among them was the worship of Pomona, goddess of the harvest. Representing bounty and fecundity, Pomona was shown in art sitting on a great basket of fruits and flowers, a horn of plenty at her feet. Apples were the sacred fruit of the goddess, and many games of divination involving apples entered the Samhain customs through her influence. One of the most popular involved bobbing for apples,” Common Boundary, Sep./Oct. 1993, p. 30.

“Grafted onto one of the Church’s great holy days, Samhain became All Hallows’ Eve, contracted over years of usage to All Hallow’s E’en and, ultimately, Halloween,” Common Boundary, Sep./Oct. 1993, p. 31.

The next time you dress up collecting candy as a harmless diversion remember occult practices are an abomination to Yahweh, Deuteronomy 18:10-12, and Witchcraft is a crime punishable by death in the Torah, Exodus 22:18.

Does It Matter?

Listen to the admonition of Paul on whether we should be following the example of Israel or the “Way of the Heathen”:

“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Messiah? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Messiah?For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to Yahweh, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.You cannot drink the cup of Yahweh and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of Yahweh’s table and of the table of demons.Or do we provoke Yahweh to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? (1 Corinthians 10:16-22)”

That those who eat festival sacrifices become united with the deity to whom those sacrifices are made is obvious. (v16-18)

That though the food partaken of is itself not intrinsically changed (v19), when a person partakes of and shares in a pagan feast or celebration, they becomes partner with the spirits of evil, the demon host who daily defy the dictates of the Almighty. (20-21)

In other words when a person celebrates Christmas or any other pagan festival, which was and still is motivated by the forces of evil, they are honoring the demons who conceived that pagan festival in the first place; demons who are totally opposed to the Holy Spirit; and who go out of their way too prompt mankind into committing all kinds of evil at their winter and spring festivals. In other words the so-called “spirit of Xmas” is not the Holy Spirit of Yahweh but the Spirit of greed, drunkenness, violence and debauchery all of which are the hallmarks of the pagan holidays.

“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit…Come out of her, my people,’so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and Yahweh has remembered her crimes… Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and Yahweh has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, “I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.” Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is Yahweh our Elohim who judges her.’” (Revelation 18:2, 4, 5-8)

“Learn not the way of the Heathen spirit…Come out of her, my people!”

Originally written by Rabbi Robert O. Miller on Dec. 25th 2010
(Robert Owen Miller 1957-2021)

We still need to raise at least $1,200. Our rent is due in just 48 hours!

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.

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Red Alert: Just 48 Hours Left!

We still need to raise at least $1,200. Our rent is due in just 48 hours!

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.

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What are these Wounds in Your Hands?

What are these Wounds in Your Hands?
By
James Scott Trimm

In my recent article “They Have Pierced My Hands and My Feet” I showed conclusively that Ps. 22:17(16) speaks of the crucifixion of Messiah.

In this article I want to address the passage “What are these wounds in the midst of your hands?” (Zech. 13:6).

Now let us look down to Zechariah 13:4-6:

4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be brought to shame, every one through his vision, when he prophesies: neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive.
5 And he shall say, I am no prophet. I am a tiller of the ground, for a man purchased me from my youth.
6 And he shall say to him, What are these wounds in the midst of your hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
(Zech. 13:4-6 HRV)

In his lets Get Biblical tape set Anti-missionary Tovia Singer admits that this must be speaking of Yeshua of Nazareth. He says that Yeshua was the only figure in history that would fit this description.

Why would Singer make this admission? Because he bases his interpretation upon a misleading English translation.

In the King James Version this passage reads:

5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman;
for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds
in your hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which
I was wounded in the house of my friends.
(Zech. 13:5-6 KJV)

In the Hebrew both verse 5 and verse 6 open with exactly the same word/phrase “V’AMAR” meaning “And [he] shall say…”. In verse 5 the KJV has “but he shall say” and in verse 6 the same phrase is translated “and one shall say”. The result is to WRONGLY imply that the speaker has shifted at the beginning of verse 6. Thus if we were to use the format of a script we would read:

False Prophet: I am no prophet, I am an husbandman;
for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.

Messianic Judge: What are these wounds in your hands?

False Prophet: Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

However the HRV correctly translates both phrases the same as follows:

5 And he shall say:
“I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground;
for a man purchased me from my youth.”
6 And he shall say to him: “What are these wounds
in the midst of your hands? Then he shall answer:
“Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”
(Zech. 13:5-6 HRV)

Thus in the HRV the shift in speaker does not occur until verse 6b as follows:

False Prophet: I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground;
for a man purchased me from my youth.”
What are these wounds in the midst of your hands?

Messianic Judge: Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

In the KJV the figure with the wounds in the midst of his hands is the false prophet while in the Hebrew it is the Messianic Judge. Thus in the HRV version the passage points back to Zech. 12:10 and the one who is “pierced” and forward to Zech 13:7 where a “shepherd” is smitten and his sheep scatter.

Singer’s interpretation is based on a transition in speaker which only occurs in the English and is not even present in the Hebrew. Once again Singer does not use equal weights and measures. He bases his interpretations on the Hebrew against the English (which he should) when it benefits him, and then he bases them on the English against the Hebrew when THAT benefits him.

Now one may ask, how was this Messianic figure wounded in the midst of his hands in the house of his friends? The answer is Just a few verses earlier where we read:

And I will pour upon the house of David,
and upon the inhabitants of Yerushalayim,
the spirit of grace and of supplication.
And they shall look unto Me, whom they pierced through,
and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son:
and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness
for his firstborn.
(Zech. 12:10 HRV)

In the Talmud Rabbi Dosa (who lived around 250 CE) teaches regarding Zech. 12:10:

What is the cause of the mourning [of Zech. 12:12]–…
It is well according to him who explains that
the cause is the slaying of Messiah the son of Joseph,
since that well agrees with the Scriptural verse:
And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced,
And they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his
only son. (Zech. 12:10)
(b.Sukkot 52a)

In fact the Targum Jonathan to Zechariah also identifies this one being pierced in Zechariah 12:10 as the “Messiah ben Ephraim”.

A key passage should be carefully examined here in the Hebrew:

והביטו אלי את אשר דקרו

“And they shall look toward me whom they pierced.”
Although many attempts have been made to translate this passage in other ways, the Hebrew is obvious. The article את points to the next term אשר דקרו “whom they have pierced” as receiving the action of the verb והביטו “and they shall look” while the preposition אלי must be understood “toward me” as the final י indicates the first person “me”.

Now if we look a few verses down to Zechariah 13:1-3 we see a series of verses that clearly parallel Micah 5:8-14:

Zechariah 13:1-3Micah 5:8-14
1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened, to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, for purification and for sprinkling.2 And it shall come to pass in that day, says YHWH Tzva’ot, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered. And also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit, to pass out of the land.3 And it shall come to pass that, when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begot him, shall say unto him, You shall not live, for you speak lies in the Name of YHWH: and his father and his mother that begot him, shall thrust him through when he prophesies.8 (5:9) Let Your hand be lifted up above Your adversaries, and let all Your enemies be cut off.9 (5:10) And it shall come to pass in that day, says YHWH, that I will cut off your horses out of the midst of you, and will destroy your chariots.10 (5:11) And I will cut off the cities of your land, and will throw down all your strongholds, 11 (5:12) And I will cut off witchcrafts out of your hand, and you shall have no more soothsayers. 12 (5:13) And I will cut off your graven images and your pillars out of the midst of you, and you shall no more worship the work of your hands. 13 (5:14) And I will pluck up your Asherim out of the midst of you, and I will destroy your enemies. 14 (5:15) And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the nations, because they hearkened not.

Both passages clearly speak of the coming of Messiah ben David to judge the earth and establish his Messianic Kingdom. Zechariah then goes on (as just shown) to identify this Messiah as having been wounded in the midst of his hands in the house of his friends (among his own people) followed by:

But you, Beit-Lechem Ephrathah,
which are little to be among the thousands of Y’hudah:
out of you, shall one come forth unto Me
that is to be ruler in Yisra’el; whose goings forth
are from of old–from ancient days.
(Micah 5:1 (5:2) HRV)

Awake O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is near unto Me, says YHWH Tzva’ot. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn My hand upon the little ones.
(Zech 13:7 HRV)

Certainly the “shepherd” is the Messiah. “Smite the shepherd” must refer to his being “wounded in the midst of [his] hands” (Zech. 13:6) when they “pierced” him (Zech. 12:10).

Now if we look to Micah 5 to tell us more about this Messianic figure, we reed in the first verse:

But you, Beit-Lechem Ephrathah, which are little to be among the thousands of Y’hudah: out of you, shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Yisra’el; whose goings forth are from of old–from ancient days.
(Micah 5:1 (5:2) HRV)

Lest we have any doubt that we have correctly identified this figure as speaking of the Messiah, we can see plainly that our forefathers understood this as well, as the Targum to this verse reads:

And you, O Bethlehem Ephrath,
you who were too small to be numbered
among the thousands of the house of Judah,
from you shall come forth before Me the Messiah,
to exercise dominion over Israel,
he whose name was mentioned from before,
from the days of creation.
(Targum Jonathan; Micah 5:1)

The fact that Messiah was to be born at Beit Lechem is also expressed in this story found in the Midrash Rabbah (as well as in the Jerusalem Talmud):

A man was plowing when one of his oxen lowed. An Arab passed by and asked, ‘What are you?’ He replied, ‘I am a Jew.’ The Arab said to him, ‘Unharness your ox and untie your plow [as a sign of mourning].’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because the Temple of the Jews is destroyed.’ The Jew asked, ‘How do you know this?’ ‘From the lowing of your ox.’ While they were talking the ox lowed again. The Arab said, ‘Harness your ox and tie up your plow, because the deliverer of the Jews is born.’ ‘What is his name?’ ‘His name is Menachem [Comforter].’ ‘What is his father’s name?’ ‘Chizkiyahu.’ ‘Where do they live?’ He answered, ‘In Birat-’Arba, in Beit-Lechem of Judea.’
(Midrash Rabbah to Lamentations, Section 51 (on Lamentations 1:16)) (see also j.Ber. 5a)

The Tanak makes it clear that Messiah is to be born in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem), killed by being pierced and wounded in his hands among his own people, his followers would then scatter and be disoriented by this event. Clearly this is the same figure spoke of in Ps. 22:17(16) who says “they have pierced my hands and my feet”. And Tovia Singer admits this figure with the wounds in the midst of his hands is Yeshua. In fact this figure, who is clearly the Messiah, could only be Yeshua of Nazareth.

We still need to raise at least $1,200 for our rent in the next 3 days!

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.


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Red Alert: Three Days

We still need to raise at least $1,200 for our rent in the next 3 days!

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.


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Alert: Condition Red!

We received zero donations all weekend, and very few donations in recent days. We still need to raise at least $1,465 for our rent and electric bill in the next 4 days!

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.

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Origins of Messianic Judaism

Origins of Messianic Judaism
By
James Scott Trimm

In recent blogs we have learned that the term “Messianic Judaism” is a non-biblical term as well as a contradiction in terms. We have also learned that there are three key differences between Messianic Judaism and Nazarene Judaism, especially the Messianic “One Faith, Two Expression” theology.

In order to understand why this theology is being taught, one must understand the origins of so-called Messianic Judaism as opposed to Nazarene Judaism.

Nazarene Judaism is a serious effort to restore the ancient sect of Nazarene Judaism, the original followers of Yeshua as the Messiah.  By contrast so-called “Messianic Judaism” originated within Christianity as a Christian mission to bring Jews to “Jesus”.

For example the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) changed its name in 1975.  It was originally called the Hebrew Christian Alliance of America (which had been its name for 60 years).  The organization was created in 1915 as a Christian mission to the Jews, in an effort to convert Jews to Christianity and reach Jews with “Jesus” (this was not the Torah observant Yeshua, but the “Jesus” who came to “free you from the law”.)

In 1976 A seminar was held at Fuller Theological Seminar in Pasadena California on how to reach the Jews with Jesus.   Among the participants were David Stern.  One of the ideas that grew out of this Seminar was the establishment of “Messianic Jewish Synagogues” which would be established around the country in an effort to create a culturally palatable form of Christianity for Jews.

Under the auspices of the MJAA, the International Association of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS) was quickly created.

The problem is that this quickly backfired on them.  Scattered among the Gentiles are untold numbers of descendants of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel who are discovering their identity and their kinship to the Jewish people.  These Messianic Jewish synagogues were supposed to be filled with a huge influx of Jews wanting to learn about “Jesus” and instead they became flooded with Gentiles (or in many cases people form the Lost Tribes who had a Gentile identity) wanting to learn about Torah. Messianic Judaism quickly became like a box of Grape Nuts… there aren’t any Grapes, but an awful lot of nuts.

The problem was that this was all a Christian mission to the Jews, financed by major Christian denominations.  If a bank loans you money to start a new business, they are not going to be very happy if that new business turns out to be another bank across the street.  Now they were drawing Gentile Christians away from the very Gentile Christian Churches that were bank rolling the whole thing! One Faith Two Expression Theology was set up to resolve any conflicts.

This distinguishes Nazarene Judaism from Messianic Judaism. Nazarene Judaism is not a Christian creation to evangelize Jews with a culturally palatable form of Christianity (Christianity in a Kippah). Nazarene Judaism is an authentic effort to restore the ancient sect of Nazarene Judaism, the original Jewish followers of Yeshua. We invite you to join us in this last days restoration of Nazarene Judaism!

We received zero donations all weekend, and very few donations in recent days. We still need to raise at least $1,465 for our rent and electric bill in the next 4 days!

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.

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Red Alert! Situation Critical!

We received zero donations all weekend, and very few donations in recent days. We still need to raise at least $1,665 for our rent and electric bill in the next 5 days!

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.

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One Faith, Two Expression Theology

One Faith, Two Expression Theology
By
James Scott Trimm

In recent blogs we have learned that the term “Messianic Judaism” is a non-biblical term, and that the original Jewish followers of Yeshua were known as “Nazarenes”. We also learned about three key theological differences between Messianic Judaism and Nazarene Judaism.

In this blog, I will elaborate the Systematic Theology of Messianic Judaism, which is best called “One Faith, Two Expression” theology.

The Systematic theology of the “One Faith Two Expression” theology or “Two Torah” Theology is the theology of much of Messianic Judaism including the majority of the IAMCS and the UMJC.

Two Torah Theology maintains that the “Church” or “Body of Messiah” is made up of two two groups who are united together in one body. The two Groups are Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians. Stern illustrates this theology on page 45 of his Messianic Jewish Manifesto with a circle graph. The graph shows the “Church” and “Jewish People” (Israel) as two overlapping circles. The area of the overlap is labeled “Messianic Jews”. The chart also places some dots in the “Church” circle but outside the overlap with the “Jewish People” circle and labels this “Jews who are saved and freely choose to express their faith in a non-Jewish context.”

From Stern’s Messianic Manifesto p. 44
From Stern’s Messianic Manifesto p. 45

Stern then writes:

“…the small circle represents the Jews and the large circle the Church, but now they overlap. The intersection of the two circles represents Messianic Jews. …the remainder of the Church circle represents Gentile Christians.”
(Messianic Jewish Manifesto p. 46)

Later in the same book Stern writes:

“The Messianic Jew has two non-neurotic roles to play in the Church. …the issues raised in this book need to be brought to the attention of all in the Church, Gentile Christians as well as Messianic Jews. … The second role he has to play is being insrumental in fostering Jewish evangelism, helping the Church…”
(ibid p. 71)

In his book Jewish Roots Daniel Juster has a similar illustration for this same theology. Juster first illustrates the Dispensationalist view with three circles which do not overlap at all which he lables “Jews” “Church of former Jews & Gentiles” and “Gentiles” (p. 35). He then gives his own correction of this view with an illustration of three circles, with each of the two outside circles overlapping with the circle in the middle. The two outer circles are labled “Israel” and “Gentiles” while the middle circle is labled “The Church”. This results in two groups in “The Church” which Juster calls “Jewish followers of Yeshua” (i.e. Messianic Judaism” and “Gentile followers of Yeshua” (i.e. Gentile Christianity).

One Faith Two Expression Theology teaches that Messianic Judaism and Gentile Christianity are simply two culturally different expressions of the one true faith. This theology maintains that only Messianic Jews are obligated to observe the Mosaic Torah while Gentile Christians are not obligated to observe Torah. Stern asks:

“…observance of the Torah, as it applies to Jews, is not a condition for the salvation of a Gentile. …can faith in God and his Messiah transcend Jewish culture? Can a Gentile become a Christian without also becoming a Jew?”
(JNT Commentary p. 273)

Now in truth “observance of the Torah” is not a “condition for the salvation” for anyone, however Stern’s point seems to be to pose the question of whether Gentiles should observe Torah. Stern answers the question later in his commentary:

“…Gentiles do not have to become Jews in order to believe in Jesus… This point, irrelevant for Jews and therefore not part of the Gospel as it was presented to them, is essential for Gentiles; because it removes a major barrier, namely, the requirement, in addition to trusting God and the Good News, that Gentiles should leave one culture and join another… because when a Gentile allows himself to be circumcised, he obligates himself to obey the entire Torah…”
(JNT Commentary pp. 526-527)

One Faith Two Expression theology teaches that when Gentile Christians observe Sunday as their weekly day of worship, celebrate Christmas and Easter and eat pork chops thats culturally appropriate for them and when Messianic Jews observe the Sabbath, keep Biblical Jewish festivals and eat kosher that’s culturally appropriate for us. Stern writes:

“Gentile believers are free to observe or not to observe rules about dining and Jewish holidays…”
(JNT Commentary p. 610)

Regarding Sunday worship Juster writes:

“…Sabbath is a day of crucial significance to Jewish identity. The principle of weekly rest, worship and renewal is one of universal significance. In this sense, the Sabbath principle is a spiritual and humanitarian guide for all peoples. Christians are free to incorporate this principle on Sunday or other days. The seventh day Sabbath for Israel is a special central sign of thr Covenant between Israel and God.”
(Jewish Roots p. 195)

Even the First Fruits of Zion publication Take Hold says:

“There is nothing wrong with worshiping on Sunday. There is nothing biblically wrong with going to a place of worship on a Sunday and becoming as much involved as one desires…. It [the Sabbath] can be honored fully, even if one worships on Sunday or any other day of the week…. we suggest you inform your friends…that you do not have a problem with worshiping on a Sunday just as long as they do not insist that it be called ‘the Sabbath.’”
(Take Hold by Ariel and D’vorah Berkowitz pp. 239-240)

And David Stern writes:

“There are today all kinds of sects and denominations that likewise create false guilt by non scriptural teaching– for example… that observing one one day rather than another as a day of worship is a sin…”
(JNT Commentary p. 280)

One Faith Two Expression theology even teaches that there is nothing wrong with Gentile Christians celebrating Christmas, Easter and other pagan holidays. Stern writes:

“I do not believe these verses (Gal. 4:8-10) prohibit the celebration of Christmas, Good Friday, Easter and other events of the Christian calendars followed by various Christian denominations. … those who wish to celebrate, may; and those who prefer not to, may not– all so long as whatever is done honors the Lord and builds up the Messianic Community.”
(JNT Commentary. 558)

This is the live and let live theology of much of Messianic Judaism. They maintain that Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians are united together as one big “Church” or “Body of Messiah” together, They maintain that These two groups are simply culturally different expressions of the one true faith. They maintain that it is culturally appropriate for Messianic Jews to observe Saturday as the weekly day of worship, keep biblical Jewish holidays and eat kosher. On the other hand Gentiles are free to incorporate the Sabbath principle into a weekly Sunday worship, celebrate Christmas, Easter and other pagan holidays, eat unkosher foods etc. because they need not leave their gentile culture to join the Jewish “culture” of Torah observance.

Nazarenes: The Original Jewish Followers of Yeshua

Yeshua (“Jesus of Nazareth”) did not come to found a new religion, he came to be Messiah of the old one. Yeshua lived his entire life without ever violating Torah, yet creating a new religion itself would have been a Torah violation. The original followers of Yeshua were not part of a new religion, they were a sect of Judaism. Not one “New Testament” writer refers to himself as being a “Christian” yet Paul continually identifies himself as Jewish (Acts 21:39; 22:3) and on one occasion he even declares “I am a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6).

Now I know that within many Christian circles there is a teaching that says that originally Judaism was the true faith but that it has now been replaced by a new faith “Christianity” which is now the true faith. This theology is totally counter to the teachings of the “New Testament”. The “New Testament” is plain in telling us that there is one true faith (Eph. 4:5) which was given once and for all time (Jude 1:3). This means that the theology that claims that Christianity is a true faith which has replaced Judaism which had been the previous true faith is absolutely false! There is, according to the “New Testament” itself ONE TRUE FAITH and it was ONLY GIVEN ONCE. Christianity is to young to be that ONE true faith that was ONCE given, that ONE true faith that was ONCE given therefore MUST be Judaism!

The first believers in Yeshua were a Jewish sect known as “Nazarenes” or in Hebrew “N’tzarim” (Acts 24:5). The “church father” Jerome (4th Cent.) described these Nazarenes as those “…who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease to observe the old Law.” (Jerome; On. Is. 8:14). The fourth century “church father” Epiphanius gives a more detailed description:

But these sectarians… did not call themselves Christians– but “Nazarenes,” … However they are simply complete Jews. They use not only the New Testament but the Old Testament as well, as the Jews do… They have no different ideas, but confess everything exactly as the Law proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion– except for their belief in Messiah, if you please! For they acknowledge both the resurrection of the dead and the divine creation of all things, and declare that G-d is one, and that his son is Y’shua the Messiah. They are trained to a nicety in Hebrew. For among them the entire Law, the Prophets, and the… Writings… are read in Hebrew, as they surely are by the Jews. They are different from the Jews, and different from Christians, only in the following. They disagree with Jews because they have come to faith in Messiah; but since they are still fettered by the Law–circumcision, the Sabbath, and the rest– they are not in accord with Christians…. they are nothing but Jews…. They have the Goodnews according to Matthew in its entirety in Hebrew. For it is clear that they still preserve this, in the Hebrew alphabet, as it was originally written.
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)

The Birth of Gentile Christianity

The authors of the “New Testament” also refer to this great apostasy:

11 And many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. 12 And because apostasy will abound, the love of many will wax cold.
(Mt. 24:11-12 DuTillet Hebrew text)

Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, because [it will not come] except an apostasy should come first and the son of man of Torah-less-ness be revealed, the son of destruction ,
(2Thes. 2:3)

Now the spirit plainly says that in the last times some men shall depart from the faith and shall go after deceiving spirits and after teachings of shadim, Those who deceive by false appearance and are speaking a lie, and are seared in their conscience,
(1Timothy 4:1-2)

What does it mean “depart from the faith”? There is only one true faith (Eph. 4:5) which was once and for all delivered (Jude 1:3). But that faith was Judaism not Christianity.

Paul also said to the Ephesians on his last visit to them:

I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will enter in among you without mercy upon the flock. And also from among you there will rise up men speaking perverse things, so that they might turn away the talmidim to follow after them.
(Acts 20:29-30)

Paul seems to indicate that after his death leaders would begin to rise up in his stead that would draw people to follow themselves and draw them away from Torah. Perhaps the some of the very men who had twisted Paul’s teaching into anti-nomianism would one day become the leadership. In fact Paul died in 66 C.E. and the first overseer (Bishop) of Antioch to take office after his death was Ignatius in 98 C.E.. Ignatius fulfilled Paul’s words precisely. Upon taking the office of Bishop over Antioch Ignatius sent out a series of epistles to other assemblies. His letters to the Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallianns, Romans, Philadelphians and Smyrnaeans as well as a personal letter to Polycarp overseer of Smyrnaea have survived to us.

In these letters Ignatius asserts the absolute authority of the office of “bishop” (his own office) over the assembly. Ignatius writes:

…being subject to your bishop… …run together according to the will of God. Jesus… is sent by the will of the Father; As the bishops… are by the will of Jesus Christ.
(Eph. 1:9, 11)

…your bishop… I think you happy who are so joined to him, as the church is to Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is to the Father… Let us take heed therefore, that we not set ourselves against the bishop, that we may be subject to God… . We ought to look upon the bishop, even as we would upon the Lord himself.
(Eph. 2:1-4)

…obey your bishop…
(Mag. 1:7)

Your bishop presiding in the place of God… …be you united to your bishop…
(Mag. 2:5, 7)

…he… that does anything without the bishop… is not pure in his conscience…
(Tral. 2:5)

…Do nothing without the bishop.
(Phil. 2:14)

See that you all follow your bishop, As Jesus Christ, the Father…
(Smy. 3:1)

By exalting the power of the office of bishop (overseer) and demanding the absolute authority of the bishop over the assembly, Ignatius was actually making a power grab by thus taking absolute authority over the assembly at Antioch and encouraging other Gentile overseers to follow suite. In the past such disputes were resolved by the Nazarene Sanhedrin of the Nazarene assembly in Jerusalem (Acts 15).

Moreover Ignatius drew men away from Torah, not only at Antioch but at other Gentile assemblies to which he wrote:

Be not deceived with strange doctrines; nor with old fables which are unprofitable. For if we still continue to live according to the Jewish Law, we do confess ourselves not to have received grace…

let us learn to live according to the rules of Christianity, for whosoever is called by any other name besides this, he is not of God… .
It is absurd to name Jesus Christ, and to Judaize. For the Christian religion did not embrace the Jewish. But the Jewish the Christian…
(Mag. 3:1, 8, 11)

(This is the first time in History that Christianity is characterized as a new and different religion apart from Judaism).

But if any one shall preach the Jewish law unto you, hearken not unto him…
(Phil. 2:6)

Now Paul’s prophecy was being fulfilled. Gentile leaders were causing men to follow after themselves and drawing people away from Torah, and it was springing forth from the first Gentile assembly. The result was the birth of a new Gentile religion that had effectively rebelled against Torah based Judaism, a religion known as Christianity.

Thus the Ancient Nazarene Historian and commentator Hegesippus (c. 180 CE) writes of the time immediately following the death of Shim’on, who succeeded Ya’akov HaTzadik (James the Just) as Nasi of the Nazarene Sanhedrin and who died in 98 CE:

Up to that period (98 CE) the Assembly had remained like a virgin pure and uncorrupted: for, if there were any persons who were disposed to tamper with the wholesome rule of the preaching of salvation, they still lurked in some dark place of concealment or other. But, when the sacred band of Emissaries had in various ways closed their lives, and that generation of men to whom it had been vouchsafed to listen to the Godlike Wisdom with their own ears had passed away, then did the confederacy of godless error take its rise through the treachery of false teachers, who, seeing that none of the apostles any longer survived, at length attempted with bare and uplifted head to oppose the preaching of the truth by preaching “knowledge falsely so called.”
(Hegesippus the Nazarene; c. 185 CE)

Hegisippus indicates the apostasy began the very same year that Ignatious became bishop of Antioch!

(For more on the birth of Gentile Christianity see: How the Church Fathers Invented Christianity )

One Law

Two Torah theology immediately contradicts the Torah:

“One Torah shall be to him that is homeborn, and to the stranger that sojourns among you.”
(Ex. 12:50)

According to the Torah, Jews and Gentiles must follow the ONE Torah.


The Great Commission: Go Teach the Gentiles Torah!

Just before his ascension Yeshua instructed his [Jewish] talmidim:

“Go you therefore, and teach all the Goyim (Gentiles), and immerse them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you,”
(Mt. 28:19-20a)

Yeshua told his original Jewish followers to go teach the Gentiles “to observe all that I have commanded you [Jews].” The Great Commission was a commission to the Jews to go teach Torah Observance to the Gentiles!

Conclusion

There is one Torah and one true faith. That true faith is NOT the “Church” nor is it unified with Gentile Christianity. Sunday keeping, celebration of Christmas and Easter and Torah rejection is *NOT* a Gentile cultural expression of the true faith, it is not an expression of the true faith at all. There is only one expression of the one true faith and that is observance of the one Torah of the one true faith.

We received no donations all weekend, and we still need to raise at least $1,350 for our rent in the next 5 days, plus $300 is still due on our electric bill ASAP!

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!

Donations can be sent by Paypal to donations@wnae.org.


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Red Alert! We Need Your Help Today!

We received no donations all weekend, and we still need to raise at least $1,350 for our rent in the next 6 days, plus $350 is due on our electric bill ASAP!

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!

Donations can be sent by Paypal to donations@wnae.org.


Or click HERE to donate