Category Archives: Hebraic roots

November 22, 2015 · 10:24 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 13)

A big dilemma for the early church was – did new Gentile believers have to be circumcised and then become Jews in order to complete their salvations?

This issue came to a head when the Apostle Peter visited Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. Peter ate with Gentile believers until a group of Jewish believers arrived from Jerusalem. Then, Peter separated himself from the Gentiles and only ate with the Jews because he feared what the Jews would think and say. Paul confronted Peter to his face about his hypocrisy —

“If you, who are a Jew live like a Goy [Non-Jew or Gentile] and not like a Jew, why are you forcing the Goyim to live like Jews? We are Jews by birth, not so-called ‘Goyishe sinners’; even so we have come to realize that a person is not declared righteous by God on the ground of his legalistic observance of Torah commands, but through the Messiah Yeshua’s trusting faithfulness. Therefore, we too have put our faith in Messiah Yeshua’s trusting faithfulness… (Galatians 2:14-16a Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern)

This confrontation resulted in Paul, Barnabas, and others going to Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and elders there. A decision was made that the Gentile believers just needed to abstain from:

(1) Things polluted by idols, especially meat sacrificed to false gods.

(2) Fornication, or any form of sexual immorality, including homosexuality and other improper sexual practices.

(3) What is strangled…that is meat from animals not slaughtered in a way that allows the blood to flow out.

(4) Blood, such as blood sausage.

(Taken from Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H. Stern)

These minimum conditions were placed on the Gentile believers so that the Jewish believers would not be offended to fellowship with Gentile believers. It was a good compromise.

Sadly, two centuries later, when the Gentile influence in the Body of Christ far exceeded the Jewish influence, a new dilemma developed – did new Jewish believers have to reject their Jewish roots and become Gentile Christians?

(Continued in Part 14…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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November 15, 2015 · 8:41 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 12)

With the exception of Luke who wrote Luke and Acts, the New Testament’s books were written in Greek by Jews who framed their religious thinking in Hebrew. Why? Because the foundation for the New Testament was the Tanakh (our Old Testament), which was written in Hebrew.

Sometimes, we miss deeper meanings because the authors used the Greek language.

For instance, my eyes were recently opened to one word in Paul’s greetings for his letters —

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:3)

The above greeting was used in one form or another in most of Paul’s letters. The Greek word eirēnē is translated into the English word peace. So, when we read the word peace, we think of tranquility, calm, and quiet.

Yet, the Apostle Paul who wrote the word would have been thinking about the Hebrew word shalom, much like Joseph spoke to his brothers —

And Joseph said, Peace [shalom] be to you… (Genesis 43:23)

The Hebrew word shalom means peace and tranquility, but it also means safety, welfare, health, contentment, success, comfort, wholeness, and integrity.

So, when Paul used the word peace in his greeting, his deeper meaning was the whole complex of peace/wholeness/well-being that is in our Lord Jesus.

If you want to hear how to say, “Peace be to you,” in Hebrew, click here.

(Continued in Part 13…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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November 11, 2015 · 12:49 pm

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 11)

Was Jesus a Christian? 

Jesus’ mother’s name was Miryam (Greek name: Mary) and his earthly father’s name was Yosef (Greek name: Joseph).

The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Miryam, for you have found favor with God. Look! You will become pregnant, you will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua (Jesus).” (Luke 1:30-31 Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern)

Jesus (Yeshua) was born to Jewish parents and was sent by God to be the mediator for the New Covenant.

Okay, who was the New Covenant made with and promised to?

“Here, the days are coming,” says ADONAI (Lord), “when I will make my new covenant with the house of Isra’el and with the house of Y’hudah (Judah). 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. “For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra’el after those days,” says ADNONAI: “I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33 Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern)

The New Covenant was made with and promised to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. We Gentile believers were grafted into the olive tree (Israel) and now share in its nourishing root: Jesus (Yeshua).

So, was Jesus a Christian?

Heavens no! He was a Jew and still is one.

Our Lord is a Jew.

(Continued in Part 12…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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November 6, 2015 · 11:20 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 10)

I’m a grace to the nth believer, by which I can’t think of a single way that a truly born again, new creation believer can lose his or her salvation.

Okay, with that in mind, our Hebraic Roots teacher, Pastor Bruce Dowell of Shiloh Messianic Congregation, said something last night that shocked me. “Do you believe every Christian will be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb? Now, I don’t mean that some believers will lose their salvation, but rather, I mean some may not make the cut to be a part of the Bride.”

I sat there thinking, “Wow! This goes against most evangelical teachings that I’ve heard.”

Pastor Dowell quoted the verses about the ten virgins who took their lamps out to meet the bridegroom –

Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. (Matthew 25:2-4)

The Greek word mōros is translated into our English word foolish in this verse, but it also may mean: “godless or showing lack of reverence or respect for God.”

The same Greek word mōros also appears in Matthew 7:26 –

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand”

Pastor Dowell then quoted Revelation 12:17 –

The dragon [Satan] was enraged with the woman [Israel] and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

What are the commandments of God? The Torah or the first five books of the Old Testament.

This morning as I studied and meditated on the marriage supper of the Lamb. I came across the following verses –

“Let us rejoice and be glad! Let us give Him glory! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and His bride has prepared herself — fine linen, bright and clean has been given to her to wear. (Fine linen means the righteous deeds of God’s people.) The angel said to me, “Write: ‘How blessed are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!”‘ Then he added, “These are God’s very words.” (Revelation 19:7-9 Complete Jewish Bible)

We believers have the responsibility of preparing ourselves. You see, we determine the level of godliness we choose to walk in.

And also:

Then, he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy…For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:8, 14)

The Bible states there are Kingdom levels that believers choose to walk in by our obedience to God’s commandments or Torah. These levels range from the least to great and the greatest. Will the least be allowed to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb?

I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to take the chance of missing the marriage supper, but rather, I’m going to learn more about God’s Torah and our Hebrew roots.

(Continued in Part 11…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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October 31, 2015 · 9:57 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 9)

 The Two-Covenant Theology was pioneered in this century by the non-Messianic Jewish philosopher Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929), and since elaborated by such liberal Christian theologians as Reinhold Niebuhr and James Parkes. This theory holds that the Jewish people were brought close to God by means of the covenant with Avraham (Abraham) and the Torah of Moshe (Moses), so that they have no need to “come” to the Father through Yeshua (Jesus) or anyone else, because they are already with Him. Accordingly, Yeshua’s word is not for the Jews, but for the Gentiles and is to be understood thusly: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; and no Gentile comes to the Father except through Me.”

The Two-Covenant theory enables the Jewish Community to live in apparent peace (from its point of view) with its Christian neighbors by alleviating the pressure on Judaism to downgrade Jesus, the New Testament, and Christianity; for a non-Messianic Jew can say, “We Jews have our way, Judaism; and you Gentiles have your way, Christianity. We will each serve God best by following the way provided for us. It is a manifestation of God’s grace that He has provided Jesus for you Gentiles and Torah for us Jews.” Thus Jesus can be held in high regard because His claims are not taken as posing any threat to the structure of non-Messianic Judaism. (Excerpt from Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H. Stern, 1992, Jewish New Testament Publications, p. 196-197)

However, this whole theory falls to pieces when you consider that Jesus (Yeshua) was a Jew and mainly preached His Gospel of the Kingdom of God to Jews. All of the early evangelism was done by Jews and focused on Jews with the message being, “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus.” (John 14:6)

Paul the Apostle stated:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

Jews and Gentiles alike need a Savior named Jesus (Yeshua).

(Continued in Part 10…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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October 23, 2015 · 10:03 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 8)

Señor Luiz introduced himself to our Brazilian Portuguese class at the beginning of my sophomore year at the University of Illinois. He stated that he was from São Paulo, Brazil, and looked forward to teaching us. He then went around the room, asking each student his or her name. When the student mentioned his name, Señor Luiz asked, “Would you mind if I called you  by the Brazilian Portuguese translation of your name?”

Thus, William became Guilherme, Mary became Maria, Edward became Eduardo, and so forth.

After I had told him my name, he said, “Do you mind if I call you Señor Lourenço?”

“I never liked the name Lawrence. So, if it’s okay with you, just  call me Señor Larry,” I said.

He nodded his head and said, “Sim.”

Now, most of us want to be called by the names given to us by our parents. It’s the names which our parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, teachers, and everyone have called us all through our lives. Our names reflect our family heritage and often contain the dreams and hopes pinned on our lives at our births by our parents.

For instance, my wife was named Carol, not Carole. She was born just after the holidays and her mom thought of her as a Christmas carol. Interesting enough, Carol went off to college, studied music, and became a singer.

Okay, what about New Testament names?

This may come as a shock to you, but almost every character in the New Testament has had their names changed. This is due to the fact that our New Testament has been translated from the Greek into the English language. All of the Hebrew and Jewish names have been changed into a Greek form of the same name.

The Greek name – Jesus Christ – was really Yeshua HaMashiach. Mary was Miryam. Joseph was Yosef. Matthew was Mattityahu. Simon Peter was Shim’on Kefa. James was Ya’akov Ben-Zavdai. John was Yochanan. T’oma was Thomas. Judas Iscariot was Y’hudah from K’riot. Saul or Paul was Sha’ul. Barnabas was Yosef or Bar-Nabba.

It was almost as if Señor Luiz went around to each New Testament character and asked, “Do you mind if I call you by a Greek name instead of your Hebrew one?” They, of course, said nothing because they were dead.

Sadly, the name changes removed the Hebrew-ness from our New Testament.

(Continue in Part 9…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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October 16, 2015 · 10:26 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 7)

“I’m not under the Law. I’m under grace.”

 The above words have slipped off my tongue hundreds of times over the last thirty years, but are they really true?

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law but under grace. (Romans 6:14 NKJ)

When I used to read the word “Law” in the New Testament, I immediately connected it to the Old Testament and assumed that the word “Law” was a bad thing, but of course, I never checked the word out.

The Hebrew word “torah” is translated into our English word “Law” in both the Old and New Testaments. Yet the true meaning of the Hebrew word “torah” is not “Law”, but rather, “instructions or teaching.”

Thus, should I be under the instructions or teaching of God?

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law [Torah] or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17)

The word Law (or Torah) in the above verse refers to the Pentateuch or the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. And the word Prophets refers to the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the other prophetic books with Malachi being the last one.

Admittedly, for thirty years, I have looked at the above verse and believed that since Jesus fulfilled the Law or Torah, I did not have to do so. My attitude was — “Thank you Jesus, I can ignore the Law or Torah and its requirements and just follow the red letters in the New Testament.”

I know! I know! I know!

My logic was childish at best because one of my favorite sayings, “Anyone who believes in Me will do the works I am doing and greater ones because I go to the Father,” blows this logic to pieces. You see, one of Jesus’ works was following the Law or Torah.

“…I came not to destroy, but to fulfill.” And surely to ‘fulfill’ means to complete, in the sense of bringing to perfection, not, as Christians have all too often interpreted it, to render it obsolete; but to fulfill in such a way as to perfect a foundation on which to build further. (Christian Jewish Heritage, Western Sussex: Angel Press, 1988, p. 8 via Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Publications, 1992, p. 26)

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, we confirm Torah. (Romans 3:31 Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Publications, 1998, p. 1408)

Am I there yet? Heavens no! I have many miles to go yet.

So, stay buckled up until next time.

(Continued in Part 8…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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October 9, 2015 · 8:11 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 6)

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) for seven days to the LORD. You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year…It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.’ ”(Leviticus 23:34, 41-43)

Sukkot (or Feast of Tabernacles) is celebrated on the 15th of Tishri until 22nd of Tishri on the Hebrew calendar, which corresponds to mid-September to mid-October on the Gregorian calendar. The Hebrew word sukkot means hut, tent, or tabernacle.

Today, Jews and Messianic believers construct temporary huts or tents in which meals are eaten throughout the Feast. Some still dwell in them for the full Feast in observance to Leviticus 23:42.

The Feast of Tabernacles is also known as the Feast of Ingathering. From an agricultural standpoint, the Feast represented the end of the crop year with the harvest of grapes and other fruits. It is now time to rejoice.

No whiners during this feast. REJOICE! God loves to party, even more than we do. (Mark Biltz)

Interesting enough, many believe that Jesus was born on the Feast of Tabernacles.

If He was born on the Feast of Tabernacles, why do you think there was no room in the Inn? Thousands of pilgrims. If He was born in December, there would have been all kinds of room. (Mark Biltz)

From a prophetic viewpoint, the Feast of Tabernacles foreshadows the sheltering presence of God over Israel during the Millennial Kingdom. It is also a feast that every nation must keep during this thousand year period or there will be drastic consequences for them.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. (Zechariah 14:16-17)

This is just a brief overlay of the Feast of Tabernacles. So, if you want to learn more, take the time to watch Mark Biltz’s great video here. You will be blessed for watching it.

(Continued in Part 7…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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September 30, 2015 · 3:05 pm

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 4)

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.” (Leviticus 23:2)

Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) is celebrated on the first two days of Tisri of the Hebrew lunar calendar, which usually falls in September or October according to our Gregorian solar calendar.

After the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, the chief rabbis redefined Judaism via the Mishnah (or Oral Tradition) so that the Feast of Trumpets started the Jewish civil year. Thus, the feast is also known as Rosh Hashanah  (Jewish New Year.)

It is believed that the offering of Isaac occurred on Feast of Trumpets. It is said among the Jews that when God hears the shofar, He is moved to leave His judgment seat and go to His seat of mercy and forgiveness. Every year, the Jews read the story of the binding of Isaac by Abraham and blow shofars to remind God of His mercy.

So, the Feast of Trumpets is likened to a day of Judgment with mercy extended and the Feast of Yom Kippur is a day of mercy while atoning for our sins with Justice. It is a day to remind people to repent of their sins and to remind God of His mercy. (Mark Bilttz)

The Feast of Trumpets is a time of rejoicing for the New Year and a time of repentance, as it is the first day of the Ten Days of Awe or Repentance, leading up to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).

Interesting enough, the Feast of Trumpets is also known as the Hidden Day:

The Feast is the only one that falls on a new moon, which can happen on one of two days at the beginning of a lunar month. The new moon must be spotted by two witnesses and since it happens at night when people are sleeping, they just celebrate it as one long day. Thus, it is known as the “Feast that no one knows the day or the hour,” as in Matthew 24:36.(Mark Biltz)

Prophetically, the Feast of Trumpets is probably when Tribulation begins, when the First Resurrection (or Rapture) happens, when Messiah marries His bride, and when the coronation of Messiah as King occurs.

This is just a brief overlay of the Feast of Trumpets. So, if you want to learn more, take the time to watch Mark Biltz’s great video here. You will be blessed for watching it.

Next, we will look at Yom Kippur.

(Continued in Part 5…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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September 25, 2015 · 5:00 pm

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 3)

I have memorized and meditated on the following verses for weeks at a time, but I missed some major points. Maybe you have too?

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law [Torah] or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law [Torah] until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)

My thoughts have aways focused on the premise that Jesus fulfilled the Law [Torah] and since He lived in me, I no longer had to pay attention to the Law [Torah], right?

By faith and through the finished work of the cross, Jesus has fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law [Torah] for us believers, but still, have all things been accomplished in the Law [Torah] or the Prophets?

The answer is NO.

Speak to the people of Israel, saying, “On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Tabernacles [Sukkot] to the LORD.” (Leviticus 23:34)

The Feast of Tabernacles is one of the seven Jewish feasts, which include the Spring Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost. Jesus fulfilled these Spring Feasts by being crucified as our Passover Lamb, by being our Bread of Life without sin [Unleavened Bread], by being resurrected as our First Fruits, and by giving us the Holy Spirit at the First Pentecost.

Why is the Feast of Tabernacles so important?

Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. (Zechariah 14:16-17)

The above scriptures refer to the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ on earth. Notice how every living person is required to go to Jerusalem and observe the Feast of Tabernacles and if they don’t observe the feast, they are cursed with no rain.

Maybe we should study the Fall Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles.

(Continued in Part 4…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.

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