How can you believe the Bible is true, when it was just written by man?
We believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of G-d and that, although written by the hand of man, their hand was being guided by the Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit) of the Living G-d. When compared to other books of its genre the Bible has repeatedly been proven to be exceptionally accurate in both historical reference and prophecy. Historical writings and mythological books of various people groups that were around the Israel of the Bible not only support the historical claims of the Bible, but also refer to or emulate parts of the Bible in their works. Many literary scholars have spent their entire careers studying the similarities of numerous ancient writings with those of the Bible.
Countless prophecies contained within the Bible have been proven to come true over the course of its existence. Here is an example. In Isaiah 11:11-12 it says: 11 On that day Adonai will raise his hand again, a second time, to reclaim the remnant of his people who remain from Ashur, Egypt, Patros, Ethiopia, 'Eilam, Shin'ar, Hamat and the islands in the sea. 12 He will hoist a banner for the Goyim, assemble the dispersed of Isra'el, and gather the scattered of Y'hudah from the four corners of the earth. (Complete Jewish Bible). The first time the Jewish people were dispersed was from Babylon approximately 100 years after Isaiah wrote this prophesy. The second time G-d brought the Jewish people back to Israel was in 1948.
Naysayers have doubted the Bible over the last few centuries because there was no record of most persons outside of Scripture. A stone found in the 19th century in what is now Jordan may have had a reference to David. This stone (the Moabite Stone) was not conclusive for many and controversy continued until relatively recently. In 1993-94 stone fragments (the Tel Dan Stele) were found in the tribal territory of Dan clearly referring to “the house of David.” Many accounts within the New Testament are also supported by the historical writings of the Jewish historian Josephus and many others, as well as numerous archeological findings. Pontius Pilate was unkinown outside of the Gospels until 1961 when a stone was found at Caesarea with his name. The same is true of the High Priest Caiaphas. He was unknown outside of the Bible until the Caiaphas family tomb was found in Jerusalem in 1990. When evaluating the sum total of the Bible against comparative literature and historical/archeological findings it is easy to see that the Bible, written by the hand of many men and then compiled together into one book by numerous men many years later had to be led by the divine hand of Ad-nai. There are too many variables that could cause enormous errors, yet time continues to prove the infallible accuracy of the Bible.
How can you say you are Jewish and believe in Jesus?
We believe that the ultimate expression of Judaism is one that believes in and accepts the promised Jewish Messiah prophesied of by so many prophets of the Tanach. We believe that this promised Messiah of Israel is Yeshua B’Natzeret (Jesus of Nazereth) and that he has fulfilled all of the prophecies of the Messiah pertaining to His first coming and we are awaiting the second coming of Messiah in which He will return to usher in a time of Shalom (peace) that all of Judaism is awaiting in the coming of the Messiah.
Much persecution of our Jewish people has been done in the name of Jesus, but certainly not condoned by him as evidenced by his sayings in the Gospels. Many present-day Christians have been grieved by what was done in his name through the ages and a number of church leaders have asked forgiveness for those that came before them. The Book of Acts records Yeshua’s followers this way: Acts 21:18-20: 18 The next day Sha'ul and the rest of us went in to Ya'akov, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, Sha'ul described in detail each of the things God had done among the Gentiles through his efforts. 20 On hearing it, they praised God; but they also said to him, "You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of believers there are among the Judeans, and they are all zealots for the Torah (CJB).
If Jesus is the Messiah, why don’t the non messianic Rabbi’s believe it?
Throughout the existence of the Jewish people we have been very good at ignoring the work of G-d right before our eyes, for example look at the prophetic revelation of the coming Babylonian captivity prophesied by Jeremiah and the swiftness of the Jewish people to ignore him. Look at how many times the Nation of Israel turned their back on G-d in the wilderness while, right in front of their eyes, G-d was performing miracle after miracle at the hand of Moshe. Consider the warning of the destruction of the second Temple as prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 9. The Jewish people never truly changed their ways and the temple was destroyed by Rome just as prophesied. So, there is no evidential proof that just because the majority of the traditional Jewish rabbinate does not accept Yeshua as the promised Messiah of Israel that he is not in fact exactly that.
In order to fully grasp why non-Messianic rabbis do not accept Yeshua we have to look at a vast amount of history in which the Jewish people proclaimed many individuals as being the Messiah only to find out in the end that they were wrong. Numerous catastrophic occurrences (the Crusades, the Inquisition, and to some degree the Pogroms and Holocaust) have happened to the Jewish people “in the name of Jesus,” but, the actions of humans do not negate the reality of Avinu Bashamayim (Our Father in Heaven) and His redemptive plan for all of mankind. The Arab nations surrounding Israel today do not recognize Israel as a Jewish nation. Does this action of man in any way lessen the reality that G-d has provided the Jewish people with a Jewish homeland again as promised by the Tanach? How then, can the lack of faith in Yeshua as Messiah by non-Messianic Rabbis or the traditional Jewish world itself lessen the reality of the work of G-d through Yeshua HaMashiach?
The reality is that many, many non-Messianic rabbis, as well as many Jewish people in general, have come to faith in Messiah, even against the behest of the non-Messianic Jewish world. This too is promised by Scripture. The rabbis try their hardest to, as they see it, protect their people from this Jesus figure and the detrimental repercussions on the Jewish people out of what they believe to be a right heart. However, when studying the Tanach many Jewish people have come to the realization that they have questions regarding Messianic prophecies for which their rabbis cannot give a satisfying answer. Daniel 9 is one such, prophesying that Messiah must come before the destruction of the second Temple. This fits perfectly with Yeshua’s time on earth, with his sacrificial death occurring approximately 40 years before the destruction of the second Temple. The truth of the matter is that this passage is true and has been fulfilled in the person of Yeshua HaMashiach. He came as the promised Messiah of Israel to fulfill the prophecies of Mashiach ben Yosef (the suffering servant of Isaiah 52 and 53 and many other passages), and will return again at the right time to fulfill the prophecies of Mashiach ben David (the victorious King who will usher in an eternal peace). Yeshua has come, his blood was poured out for the transgressions of the world, he was resurrected from the grave, and he has ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father interceding for mankind.
I am Jewish, aren’t all my sins forgiven at Yom Kippur?
Well, simply put… NO… In 70 CE the Temple was destroyed. This means that no sacrifices have been made for atonement of any sort since then. The Scriptures make it very clear that the only thing that can atone for sin is a blood sacrifice, and since the Temple was destroyed the rabbis have substituted a replacement for the blood sacrifice for atonement. Their replacement is three things; Torah study, prayer, and Gemilut Hasidim (Acts of Lovingkindness.) But, Scripture makes it very clear that this is not the case: For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for yourselves; for it is the blood that makes atonement because of the life.' (Leviticus 17:11, CJB).
This doesn’t even take into consideration that the Yom Kippur sacrifice merely rolled the sin forward one more year. It never truly, fully atoned for the sin, nor did it ever wipe it away completely. The Yom Kippur sacrifice was man making atonement for man, and was meant to be a foreshadowing of the final and perfect atonement sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiach from which came atonement made by G-d for man. This final and perfect atonement sacrifice not only fully atones for the sins of those who accept it and call upon the name of Yeshua, but also completely wipes it away.
Today, on Yom Kippur we merely recognize and denounce our sins, bringing what has been at the attention of G-d all this time to our own attention. There is nothing in the traditional, modern-day Yom Kippur service that ever does anything to atone for our sins, since there is no sacrificial blood poured out for our sins as prescribed by the Torah. However, if we trust in Yeshua as Messiah, call upon his name, accept his sacrifice for our sins and the intercession he makes for our sins, then our sins are truly, once and for all, completely atoned for. Jewish tradition has merely gone from one human attempt at atonement to another, lesser method, which has no effect on atonement what-so-ever.
Aren't messianic synagogues just churches dressed up in Jewish window dressings?
Not at all. Messianic Jewish synagogues are Jewish synagogues through and through, ranging in traditional Jewish appearance in the same way that Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform synagogues differ. Here at Beit Shalom Messianic Jewish Synagogue our services are held on Shabbat morning. They consist of a full Torah service using traditional Jewish liturgy. The reality is that the primary difference between Messianic synagogues and any other Jewish synagogue is that we believe, and regularly profess, that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Promised Messiah of Israel. Aside from that, the only other difference is that we set aside time for Praise and Worship music which, much like traditional liturgy, allows another opportunity for those in our services to seek the Face of Ad-nai.
Our synagogue is exactly that, a synagogue. In the same sense, we do not believe that faith in Messiah extracts one’s Jewishness, and we do not believe that the profession of that faith makes a synagogue any less of a synagogue.
If I don’t believe the way you believe, am I going to hell?
Hell is a term coined by man to represent a place of punishment, and the concept has been taken to extremes. The Scriptures tell us that the punishment for the fall of mankind in Gan Eden (the Garden) was separation from Ad-nai. From that moment on, Ad-nai’s plan of redemption was put into place to restore that loss of relationship between Himself and mankind.
The sacrificial system and the Torah itself were both a part of that plan. When the Temple was destroyed, the sacrificial system was no longer possible. Leviticus 17:11 says: 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for yourselves; for it is the blood that makes atonement because of the life.(CJB). The sacrificial system was and is a foreshadowing of the work of salvation brought by the blood of Yeshua our Messiah.
We believe that the Scriptures make it clear that an acceptance of and faith in Yeshua as Messiah are the only things necessary for a restoration of that relationship. But, likewise, the Scriptures say that the consequences for not accepting Yeshua are an eternal separation from Ad-nai. As to what that looks like…, frankly, I don’t want to find out. However, we believe that it is important for each and every one of us to call upon the name of Yeshua HaMashiach for salvation and atonement for our sins, accepting his perfect sacrifice, so that we may have a restored and perfect relationship with our Abba, again walking in the very presence of Ad-nai just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden.
As for those that do not accept Yeshua as Messiah, all we can do is pray for Ad-nai to have mercy upon their souls, because in the end He is G-d and we are not, and judgment is His alone.
Judaism believes in one God, what is this 3 gods business all about?
As Messianic Jews we also believe in One G-d. The Shema is an eternal truth. Shema Israel, ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad. ADONAI is one. But because of His love for all mankind, He sent a part of Himself, Yeshua His Son, into the world to complete the mission which He gave to our people as “Cohanim,” “Priests to the Nations.” Yeshua became the perfect sacrifice for our sins which the Temple sacrifices could only cover for a year. As the Son of G-d, Yeshua became Cohen Gadol, High Priest after the order of Malkitzedek, the King-Priest of ADONAI to whom Avraham aveinu gave a tithe (Genesis 14:18-20).
Hebrews 7:11-17: 11 Therefore, if it had been possible to reach the goal through the system of cohanim derived from Levi (since in connection with it, the people were given the Torah), what need would there have been for another, different kind of cohen, the one spoken of as to be compared with Malki-Tzedek and not to be compared with Aharon? 12 For if the system of cohanim is transformed, there must of necessity occur a transformation of Torah. 13 The one about whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar; 14 for everyone knows that our Lord arose out of Y'hudah, and that Moshe said nothing about this tribe when he spoke about cohanim. 15 It becomes even clearer if a "different kind of cohen," one like Malki-Tzedek, arises, 16 one who became a cohen not by virtue of a rule in the Torah concerning physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is stated, "You are a cohen FOREVER, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek." (CJB).
Hebrews 8:1-10 then says: 1 Here is the whole point of what we have been saying: we do have just such a cohen gadol as has been described. And he does sit at the right hand of HaG'dulah in heaven.d 2 There he serves in the Holy Place, that is, in the true Tent of Meeting, the one erected not by human beings but by ADONAI. 3 For every cohen gadol is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so this cohen gadol too has to have something he can offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he wouldn't be a cohen at all, since there already are cohanim offering the gifts required by the Torah. 5 But what they are serving is only a copy and shadow of the heavenly original; for when Moshe was about to erect the Tent, God warned him, "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain." 6 But now the work Yeshua has been given to do is far superior to theirs, just as the covenant he mediates is better. For this covenant has been given as Torah on the basis of better promises. 7 Indeed, if the first covenant had not given ground for faultfinding, there would have been no need for a second one. 8 For God does find fault with the people when he says, "'See! The days are coming,' says ADONAI, 'when I will establish over the house of Isra'el and over the house of Y'hudah a new covenant. 9 "'It will not be like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by their hand and led them forth out of the land of Egypt; because they, for their part, did not remain faithful to my covenant; so I, for my part, stopped concerning myself with them,' says ADONAI. 10 "'For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Isra'el after those days,' says ADONAI: 'I will put my Torah in their minds and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people (CJB).
And then in Hebrews 9:22-28 we read: 22 In fact, according to the Torah, almost everything is purified with blood; indeed, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 23 Now this is how the copies of the heavenly things had to be purified, but the heavenly things themselves require better sacrifices than these. 24 For the Messiah has entered a Holiest Place which is not man-made and merely a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, in order to appear now on our behalf in the very presence of God. 25 Further, he did not enter heaven to offer himself over and over again, like the cohen hagadol who enters the Holiest Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26 for then he would have had to suffer death many times - from the founding of the universe on. But as it is, he has appeared once at the end of the ages in order to do away with sin through the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as human beings have to die once, but after this comes judgment, 28 so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, i will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to deliver those who are eagerly waiting for him. Also read Hebrews chapter 10.
ADONAI also put His Ruach, His Spirit, into various of our people. In Numbers 11:16-17 it says: 16 ADONAI said to Moshe, "Bring me seventy of the leaders of Isra'el, people you recognize as leaders of the people and officers of theirs. Bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit which rests on you and put it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people along with you, so that you won't carry it yourself alone (CJB). ADONAI is One, but He placed His Ruach upon whom He would in the Tanach; Moshe, the seventy elders, His anointed Kings, and His Prophets, and others.
ADONAI’s Son Yeshua is begotten, not created, yet as His Son, is ADONAI Himself. Yochanan (John) 3:16-17 says: 16 "For G-d so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. 17 For G-d did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved (CJB). ADONAI is One, yet He expresses Himself as Yeshua, the Son, and Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit. This is evident in Jeremiah 31:31-33 where ADONAI explains through the prophet that he will make a New Covenant with Israel: 31 "Here, the days are coming," says ADONAI, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Isra'el and with the house of Y'hudah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by their hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; because they, for their part, violated my covenant, even though I, for my part, was a husband to them," says ADONAI. 33 "For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra'el after those days," says ADONAI: "I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their G-d, and they will be my people (CJB). Yeshua, the Son, is the Mediator of this New Covenant and His sacrificial death is the one-time sacrifice for sins forever as shown above in Hebrews. Those of Israel (and sojourners from the Nations) who place their trust in Yeshua as HaMashiach are given the Ruach HaKodesh to desire to follow ADONAI’s Torah. Isaiah 44:1-3 expresses this also: 1 "Now listen, Ya'akov my servant, Isra'el whom I have chosen: 2 Thus says ADONAI, who made you, formed you in the womb, and will help you: Don't be afraid, Ya'akov my servant, Yeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, my blessing on your offspring (CJB).
Since you say the Messiah came - where is the peace?
This is a common misunderstanding of the Jewish world, which has predominantly developed out of our experience and history as a people. Almost since the very beginning of our existence as a people we have suffered, more or less, non-stop and as the prophets of the Tanach point out over and over again most of this suffering is at the fault of our own actions. As such, when reading where the Tanach speaks of the coming of two Messiahs (Jewish tradition calls them Mashiach ben David, who is to be a victorious king and usher in an eternal peace, and Mashiach ben Yosef, who is to be a suffering servant who will bear the transgressions of the world and die for our atonement) it is easy to see why the Jewish people would long for a victorious king ushering in peace to come first. But when we truly consider the promised Messiahs of Israel, it makes absolutely no since at all to expect Mashiach ben David first, if he comes and ushers in an eternal peace, then what is the role of Mashiach be Yosef?
Messianic Judaism believes that Yeshua came as the suffering servant of Isaiah 52 and 53, “2 For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He was not well-formed or especially handsome; we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us. 3 People despised and avoided him, a man of pains, well acquainted with illness. Like someone from whom people turn their faces, he was despised; we did not value him. 4 In fact, it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. 5 But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet ADONAI laid on him the guilt of all of us. Or: and in fellowship with him 7 Though mistreated, he was submissive - he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to be slaughtered, like a sheep silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 After forcible arrest and sentencing, he was taken away; and none of his generation protested his being cut off from the land of the living for the crimes of my people, who deserved the punishment themselves. 9 He was given a grave among the wicked; in his death he was with a rich man. Although he had done no violence and had said nothing deceptive, 10 yet it pleased ADONAI to crush him with illness, to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering. If he does, he will see his offspring; and he will prolong his days; and at his hand ADONAI's desire will be accomplished.” (Isaiah 53:2-10) We believe that his blood was poured out for atonement for our sins and that he will return again at the right time to fulfill the prophecies of Mashiach ben David, the victorious king through whom a time of peace will be ushered in.
How could God have allowed the Holocaust?
Ad-nai has given man free will to choose their own actions, whether to follow righteous ways or not. Ad-nai has given us guidelines by which to live righteous lives, He has also given us the choice to follow those guidelines or not. He does not wish that the Jewish people, or any other people on the face of the Earth, would suffer the likes of the Holocaust or any of the numerous atrocities that man has suffered at the hand of other men. However, even in the most evil of events, Ad-nai uses the actions of man to His own Glory. Consider the fact that the Holocaust is perhaps, single-handedly, the most active catalyst in the resurrection of Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel) as a Jewish nation (an event which was prophesied of in Isaiah 11).
Keep in mind, as well, that even though 6 million Jews were killed there were still numerous Jews worldwide (some estimates are upwards of 11 million) that He protected as a remnant. The same story is true with every atrocity that has occurred to the Jewish people in the history of our people, Ad-nai has always kept a remnant of our Jewish people for the Glory of His Name. We will never understand why atrocities such as the Holocaust, the Pogroms, or the Inquisition (just to name a few) have occurred, but we can assume that Ad-nai never wants His creation (Jew or non-Jew) to suffer. When an atrocity such as these occur it is not at the hands of Ad-nai, but instead it is the actions of fallen man making choices through their own free will that cause these events to occur.
I am looking for a Rabbi that will perform a wedding for my spouse and I. One of us is Jewish and one of us is not. Do you do this?
We perform marriages for couples who are properly related to ADONAI and who have a correct understanding of His Torah. This is determined by a number of teaching and counseling sessions prior to the wedding.
We are an interfaith Jewish/Gentile couple with children and have many issues because we are interfaith. Would you be willing to meet with us and/or do you have any good resource material suggestions?
Most people do not realize that Messianic Synagogues are comprised of both Jews and non-Jews, and that a lot of those are interfaith couples. Feel free to get in touch with us here at the synagogue and we’d be more than happy to give some suggestions as well as to discuss with you about the possibility of making Beit Shalom your home, as the Messianic Synagogue provides the perfect home for interfaith couples and their children. Also, feel free to get in touch with us just to talk, we’d be more than happy to get together with you and your spouse to talk, 229-228-5004.
|
