Israel ben Betzalel

I can certainly read for myself that there are some laws that apply to women, some to men, some to those in the land of Israel, and that others do not.

I certainly do not find, however, laws that apply only to Jews except for three, and even then, they are clearly in the context of showing the foreigner and even the alien in the gates who is not yet a convert, that they are dead, separated from God, and need redemption.

Let’s take a look at them shall we?

Deuteronomy 14:21
Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to an alien living in any of your towns, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

This is an interesting bit of scripture.

It begins with a carcass found “already dead.” This is the condition and context. We may give a carcass found “already dead” to the alien in our gates to show them that if they choose to eat it, they are identifying with the carcass found “already dead” and have thus not chosen to identify with the people of God (as elsewhere in Deut 29 the “alien in the gate” are those who are the people of God, so now here the Torah makes a distinction within that group of aliens and the alien who chooses to eat things “already dead”, thus showing that alien that he is of those who are not part of Israel but are simply dwelling in the land). We may “give” it as opposed to selling it, because the alien is already in the land and is closer to becoming a convert than a foreigner outside the land. By choosing to receive it and eating it, an alien in the gates is made very much aware that they, like the meat “already found dead,” are “already found dead” too and in need of the Messiah.

So then “But you are a people holy to the LORD your God” refers to the “alien in your gates” who Deut 29 identifies them as “his people”. Clearly distinguishing the “alien in your gates” who may be “given” and “may eat” of things “already dead” to choose between “life and death.”

Likewise a foreigner, is an alien outside the land of Israel, and is someone we may “sell” a carcass found “already dead” - showing the foreigner that they are not only “already dead,” but that they actually desire their current state of death by their willingness to purchase it from Israel. From the same people from whom the King comes who will judge the foreigner if they do not in fact repent, and so continue to choose death and refuse to join the “people holy to the LORD your God.”

Also, we may “sell” to a “foreigner” to show them that we will profit from their death in the World to Come, if the foreigner actually chooses to buy a carcass “already dead” from us for themselves. It is clearly a warning to them that they are outside of the “people of God” and need redemption from their sin, and it is a prophesy to us that the “wealth of the wicked are stored up for the righteous.”

Finally the choice we present to the alien in our gates and the foreigner is clear: “choose life” with “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” Do not mix death with life. Do not mix Ishamel’s seed with Isaac’s Seed (when Ishamel brought meat he prepared, and Abraham brought milk he prepared, and HaShem choose Abraham and gave him the promise that the Seed-the Messiah would come through Isaac). Choose between the seed of the serpent, or the Seed of the Woman, choose between death or life; choose between haSatan and sin and death; or the Messiah, holiness to HaShem as his people, and life.

I hardly call this verse to not eat of things already dead a law for Israel only since the context shows us that our responsibility is to cause the alien and foreigner to be made aware of their condition and thus enable them to choose life over death and become part of “his people.” Thus the alien and the foreigner, through this “allowance” (not commandment) to eat things “already dead” are therefore called to make teshuvah to the entire Torah, the Tree of Life, that God gave to his people Israel, in order to call that new convert as “his people.” It is the same choice given to even us who are native born: we are all called to choose life, not death, since the passage begins with what we can eat - choosing between clean and unclean.

another is

Deuteronomy 15:3
You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you.

This one is obvious after what we’ve just talked about. This teaches the foreigner that their sin will be called to account, and teaches us that our sins will be forgiven. Again, the Torah tells us to do this so that the foreigner ceases to be a foreigner and joins Israel as an “alien in the gates” - and not just as a resident alien, but one who is also called “his people.”

Deuteronomy 17:15
be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite.

This one is also obvious based on what I explained above. Do not mix meat with milk. Do not mix death with life, for the Messiah, the King, is living, not dead. Do not mix the seed of Ishmael with the seed of Isaac, do not place HaSatan on your throne, but rather place the Messiah there - the Toarh calls him our “brother Israelite” meaning that we will then share in his inheritance, which is eternal life.

Deuteronomy 23:20
You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a brother Israelite, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.

This teaches the foreigner that the debt of their sin (death) will be multiplied against him beyond what he can pay. And this teaches us that we (who are Israel) will not have to pay any debt for our sin, and by showing this same favor to one another, HaShem will bless us with eternal life in the land.

So with these verses out of the way, clearly demonstrating their redemptive message of the need for the foreigner to repent and join Israel as an alien in the gates who is called HaShem’s people; what verse in the Torah remains that is not for all mankind?

You have probably heard the Romans road, but did you know that it’s really a summary of the Genesis Road?

The Genesis Road

• God commanded us eternal life, and blessed us with it. Gen 1:28
• He then told us to be fruitful - to have fruits of obedience to his commandment. Gen 1:28
• He then told us to multiply - to make disciples of his commandment. Gen 1:28
• He then told us to fill the earth - to immerse the earth in the fullness of the Messiah. Gen 1:28
• He then told us to subdue it - to teach all mankind the Torah. Gen 1:28

• God made the “old” covenant of eternal life with us: we will continue to live forever as long as we keep the law, or else we will die on the day we break it. Gen 2:15-17

• We didn’t keep the law, so we died - we lost what we were blessed with, that is, eternal life (we were still breathing in and out). Gen 3:7

• Realizing our condition, we attempt to cover up our fault with our own works again, but no matter how hard we try, we can not gain back through our own merit and works that which we lost - the eternal life that God blessed us with. Gen 3:7

• We miss our meeting with God, and God calls out to us, asking where we are spiritually, so that we may repent and come to him. Gen 3:9
• Instead in our depravity, we attempt the futile impossibility: we try to hide from the God who made us in his image. Gen 3:10.
• When approached by God, we respond, but instead of repenting we attempt to justify our sin. Gen 3:11
• We ultimately blame Eve. Gen 3:12
• Eve blames the serpent who deceived her (the Adversary, the Satan). Gen 3:13
• God curses the serpent with eternal damnation. Gen 3:14

• God promises a renewal of the covenant of eternal life with us, through the promised Seed who remains keeping the Torah perfectly for us. Gen 3:15
• God promises that the serpent’s head (strength) (death through sin) will be crushed (destroyed) by the Seed of the woman (the Messiah). Gen 3:15
• God promises that the Seed of the woman (the Messiah) will be born of a woman, and not from the union of a man and woman. Gen 3:15
• God decrees that this crushing of the serpents head will be accomplished at the cost of the promised Seed’s own death. Gen 3:15.
• God decrees that the serpent, and sin and death will be totally defeated by the promised Seed. Gen 3:15
• God decrees that the heel of the promised Seed will only be bruised (wounded with death), but not crushed (death forever). Gen 3:15
• God therefore decrees that the promised Seed will rise to life again, showing us that we too will rise to life again on his merit as his righteous death atones for those who identify with him. Gen 3:15
• God therefore makes a “new” or renewal of the covenant of eternal life with us: rather than us keeping Torah in order to keep eternal life - a covenant which we broke and lost eternal life as a result - we now are promised that one of our offspring, the promised Seed (the Messiah), will remain faithful to the covenant forever, and by his faithful keeping of the Torah perfectly, his reward, which is eternal life, becomes his (and thus our) inheritance, an inheritance which he shares with all those who identify in him and by implication, who identify in his merit alone for the hope of eternal life. Gen 3:15

• To the woman, the mother of all the living, God decrees that she will have increased pain in making and raising disciples. Gen 3:16
• To the woman, the mother of all the living, God decrees that she will desire her husband (the Messiah). Gen 3:16 (Isaiah 54:5)
• To the woman, the mother of all the living, God decrees that that he (the Messiah) will indeed rule over her. Gen 3:16
• To the woman, the mother of all the living, God decrees that she will inherit the promise of eternal life in his kingdom. Gen 3:16
• God decrees the rule of the husband (the Messiah). Gen 3:16

• To the man, the dust of the earth, God decrees that his obedience to the Torah will be flawed. Gen 3:17
• To the man, the dust of the earth, God decrees that the fruit of his obedience to the Torah will only come through hard work and toil. Gen 3:17
• To the man, the dust of the earth, God promises that even then his fruit of obedience will be flawed with sin. Gen 3:18
• To the man, the dust of the earth, God decrees that he will receive satisfaction only when he studies about the Messiah. Gen 3:18
• To the man, the dust of the earth, God promises eternal life if he relies on the Messiah for his redemption from sin and merit to eternal life. Gen 3:19

• God ratified the new covenant with the shedding of blood, when he made skins for Adam and Eve. Gen 3:21

• God has prevented man from obtaining eternal life on his own merit, in order that man not live forever in sin. Gen 3:22
• God banished sinful man from himself, to instead serve the ground from whence he came (the Torah, the Messiah who made him). Gen 3:23
• The Way back to eternal life is guarded until Messiah comes. Gen 3:24

• Eve knew (had sex with) her husband Adam, and gave birth to Cain, and believed he was the promised Seed. Gen 4:1
• Cain cannot be the Messiah because he is a sinner like Adam and Eve and Adam and Eve know it Gen 4:25
• Eve knew her husband Adam, and gave birth to Abel, and believed Abel was the promised Seed. Gen 4:25
• Abel cannot be the Messiah because he is dead and does not rise from the dead  Gen 4:25
• Eve knew her husband Adam, and gave birth to Seth, and thought Seth was the promised Seed. Gen 4:25
• Seth himself had a son, and it was then that men realized that the promised Seed does not come with man being involved. Gen 4:26
• At that time men began to call upon the name of the promised Seed, which is HaShem, the beginning of the “church”, by relying on the Messiah for eternal life. Gen 4:26
• At that time men began to profane the name of the promised Seed, which is HaShem, by not keeping his commandments. Gen 4:26
• The Messiah is HaShem. Gen 4:26

• All who call upon the name of HaShem (the promised Seed) (and so rely on his merit alone for eternal life), shall be saved. Joel 2:32.

We truly have no other King, Savior, or Redeemer than HaShem. Psalm 45:6, Psalm 18:46, Psalm 78:35

Thoughts? Questions?

from: http://jerusalemcouncil.org/midrash/viewtopic.php?f=29&p=2563#p2563

On the gospel:

The basics from B’resheit 1-4 on the Torah:

the commandment/the blessing of eternal life in 1:28,

the Great Commission of 1:28:
to have fruits of obedience, be filled with the fruit of the Spirit
multiply, make disciples,
fill the earth with the knowledge of Messiah,
and subdue it/teach them to obey the Torah
all in 1:28,

the old covenant (keep the law to keep eternal life) in 2:16-17

and the new covenant (promised seed, the Messiah who keeps the law for us) in 3:15-16,

the virgin birth “Seed of the Woman” in 3:15,

we are to desire the Messiah in 3:16,

the kingship of the Promised Seed 3:16,

and the corresponding prophecy of being ruled by him in eternal life in 3:16,

the imperfection of mankind’s Torah keeping in 3:17

and the divinity of the Promised Seed who is perfect and who we call upon in 4:26

We have no other King, Savior, or Redeemer than HaShem. He is the Messiah we are to desire, obey, and identify in for our merit to eternal life.

Call it a “Genesis Road” if you will. If you need details, just ask. The rest of the bible is commentary.

Almost everyone knows that the first word of the Torah is “B’reisheit” or “In the beginning,” but not many know where this first word is last found in the Torah. It’s found in the last parasha in the Torah, V’Zot HaBracha in Deuteronomy 33:21.

Deuteronomy 33:21
And he provided the first part for himself, For there was the lawgiver’s portion reserved; And he came with the heads of the people; He executed the righteousness of HaShem, And his ordinances with Israel.

“He provided ” (or he choose) is “Yareh” and “first part” is “reisheit.” He choose the firstfruit for himself.

This is interesting because Yareh ends with an the Hebrew letter, aleph.

As anyone who knows the first Hebrew word of the Torah begins with “B’reiesheit” with an oversized hebrew letter bet, the connection is then seen as chronological. The Torah teaches us that Deuteronomy 33:21 occurred before Genesis 1:1.  It could even be argued that all the writing between Deut 33:21 and the end of the Torah was intended by God, all before the foundation of the world, including:

“For there was the lawgiver’s portion reserved;”

The firstfruit that he choose for himself, is all Israel, as the Torah ends with “chol Israel,” “all Israel.” The purpose of the Torah is to get to that point. So then it is “in the firstfruit,” “all Israel” that the “lawgiver’s plot” is “reserved” the death of the lawgiver. Who then is the ultimate lawgiver? The Messiah, the Word of HaShem. In other words, the Torah teaches us that the death of Lawgiver, the Messiah, who is like Moses, is in Israel, and this is decreed before “B’reisheit.” It is therefore surmised that before creation, God not only choose us as his firsfruit - as “all Israel,” but he also decreed that Messiah also died - slain before the foundation of the world, in “all Israel.” as it is also said:

Revelation 13:8
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

It is to this subtlety of linking reisheit in Deuteronomy with reisheit of Genesis, that the Torah shows us clearly God’s intent for understanding “B’reisheit” - in the Firstfruit - the first word of the Torah, to tell us that the Torah is all about the Messiah(alpeh) who choose his people: all Israel(bet). Conversely the Torah teaches us that the Torah is meant to bring “B’reishet” to “‘a reishet” to bring Israel to the Messiah.

For Messiah is the firstfruit from among us all as is testified of him:

1 Corinthians 15:20
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

So then what is the purpose of the Torah? To tell us of the firstfruit, the Messiah (aleph), who is “in” Israel (bet).  I hope this thought encourages you to look for the Messiah in the entire Torah.  Shabbat Shalom!

After studying the Karaite movement, it has become obvious to me that it’s primary aim in sharing its theology with Messianic Jews, is in its ability to prey on anti-orthodox sentiments within the Messianic movement, and so get it to legitimize its authority over Messianic believers.

What Messianic believers who have subjected themselves to Karaite halacha don’t realize is that they’ve been sold a package of counterfeit goods by a sleight-of-mind which exchanges the authority of orthodox Judaism and the majority of Israel’s leaders, with that of the Karaites, under the guise of doing what is “biblical” - again, usually also defined and taught according to the authority of the Karaites. This sleight-of-mind, coupled with unjustified, emotional anti-orthodox sentiments produces the result of a Messianic Judaism inundated with Karaite observers who ascribe to a “do it my own way” halacha at worst (and eventually slide into the lunar Sabbath camp and its derivatives), or “do it like the Karaites and not like the orthodox,” setting up ourselves as the authority or simply replacing that authority with that of the Karaites. Doing so creates general discord and disunity with the rest of Israel where we aren’t even gathering on the same day to observe the moedim which are themselves holy convocations with the aim for all Israel to gather together. You can’t have a moed with all Israel if all Israel isn’t observing your moed.

Many arguments have been raised, and none of them are without debate, but the primary cause for me to accept the orthodox calendar concerning moedim, as well as their halacha, is that I have given up assuming the orthodox are wrong. I have given up assuming that their arguments, positions, reasoning, and halacha are not worth investigating from the start. I have given up assuming that I know all the answers, or assuming that I could figure them out just by myself without the input of the Sages (which left a vacuum for solid halachic authority that the Karaites rush to fulfill). I have finally given up my Protestant baggage and stopped protesting; and I have surrendered my rebellious heart to HaShem, trusting that he is the one who leads us all to truth through his Torah, and through those he has placed in authority over Israel (which at it’s head is Messiah Yeshua). And ever since I did, I have come to respect the learned wisdom of the Sages, and even the authority of orthodox halacha as it applies and is practiced by all Israel. Certainly some differences in halacha abound, and even more so within orthodoxy. But concerning moedim, all Israel is united on the dates we should all be convocating on, and only the Karaites stand apart and alone from all Israel in this regard. We as Messianic Jews must recognize the sleight-of-mind that is being pulled on us by the Karaite movement, and recognize why we were so vulnerable to fall for its deception: our rebelliousness. We need to repent, and recognize that HaShem calls us all to convocate as one people, not as a splintered faction.

It is clearly known that there were deceivers in the days of the old Sanhedrin who would come in and “witness” to the sighting of the new moon - for the sole purpose of causing confusion and getting people to not observe the established calendar. The Karaites today appear to continue in this tradition of sending ” witnesses” in which to cause confusion from the established orthodox calendar.

What some do not realize yet is that there is a new Sanhedrin, though they have not ruled on establishing a new calendar based on witness sightings in Israel, they have continued to uphold the orthodox calendar. The Karaite argument in this regard simply shows its ugly face for what it is when it denounces the new Sanhedrin: in that the Karaite movement truly is designed to replace the authority of the leaders of Israel with that of the Karaites. It is nothing short of a heart of Korach that desires to rebel and separate from all Israel under the guise of “doing what I think is biblical,” and until we realize this, we will continue to be duped as long as we sit on the throne of heart, and not submit to Messiah Yeshua’s words “do everything (the Pharisees who sit in the seat of Moses) tell you.”

We as a generation are not left without our leaders. Make teshuvah and return the Torah. If our leaders are wrong about the date, the sin is upon them, not us. We are not called to break the Torah, yet who are we to decide the Torah concerning moedim for all Israel? Since when did we become the established judges for all Israel in this regard? According to the Torah, we are not to rebel against the judges that are established in our day, but to do everything they tell us - and even much more so when we are submitted to Messiah Yeshua who is King over all Israel! So then it naturally follows that deceivers will always exist to draw us away from being in unity with the rest of Israel and to cause us to separate even further. As Messianic Jews we are already separated from the rest of Judaism by our acceptance of Yeshua as the Messiah; why must we add to that the separation of our convocations? If we do, then we’d be just as guilty as if we were the Council of Nicea mandating Sunday worship - and that is certainly the result of those who rebelled against the leadership of Israel in that day too.

At this point, I can only conclude then that it is better to err on the side of Orthodox authority - one that is established and tested and accepted by the majority of Torah-observant Israel, recognized by Messiah Yeshua, and unifies rather than divides, than err on the side of Kararaite authority which is established from a root of rebellion against the leadership of Israel; especially concerning the matter of setting the dates of convocation required for all Israel. Based on this, Orthodox authority should be given the benefit of the doubt concerning halacha for all Israel. I have found it to be a safe starting position for any halacha, with Messiah Yeshua as the boundary, and I hope you do too.

Read and respond to the original article at JerusalemCouncil.org

Believers are led to keep Torah not because they may somehow have Jewish ancestry. Just because one is born Jewish doesn’t guarantee that they will make teshuvah (repentance to the Torah). A believer in Messiah Yeshua is led to keep Torah not because of their ancestry as some caught in the very attractive, very appealing Ephramite, Two-House movement would have you believe as they themselves are distracted by. Believers are led to keep Torah because they have the real, Jewish, living Messiah in and who lives through them, who himself is obedient to the Torah in every way and calls all of his talmidim (disciples) to imitate him.

Brothers and sisters, you are being led to keep Torah because Yeshua, who is Jewish, lives in you, and He himself keeps Torah.

We have received accusation from some inquirers from other sites asking if JerusalemCouncil.org is a Two-House (Ephraimite) theology website. No it is not - at least not myself nor the majority of those who have chosen to volunteer in this site’s vision. This site is open to all who desire to discuss such things, but it is not the view of myself or the current volunteers at JerusalemCouncil.org. We believe the evidence is firmly on the side of a Torah-for-all-mankind call to repentance - in that the Torah is for both native and non-native born alike, not just the native-born. Israel has the God-given responsibility to guard the Torah, just as the Levites have the God-given responsibility to guard the Tabernacle. This does not mean that Israel is kept out of the Tabernacle, nor does this mean that the rest of mankind is kept out of the Torah! Just as Israel was expected to participate in the Tabernacle, so too all mankind is expected to participate in the Torah! All are called to repentance, for it is the Torah that reveals Messiah and confirms who he is, and it is to the Torah that the Messiah leads us to before his return as King. The majority of visitors to this site appear to follow a One-Law view of Torah application for the believer (both native and non-native born) (promoted by such Messianic Torah observant organizations as http://ffoz.org), rather than a belief that someone is drawn to the Judaism of the Messiah simply because they must somehow be descended from one of the lost tribes of Israel.

We, as a site, support and defend the non-native born’s right to the Torah and its application in their lives.

We of course do not discount the base premise of Two-House theology, in that those descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are making teshuvah as they discover their heritage. There is even the very real possibility that some believers in Messiah who are coming into a greater and greater knowledge of the Jewishness of the faith in Messiah Yeshua may in fact be descended from the 10 lost tribes of Israel (as this is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy) - but as far as it being the main reason as to why so many non-native born believers are drawn to the Jewishness of our faith, we disagree emphatically with such speculation.

What is argued here in this comment, is that the applicable conclusion of such thinking continues to promote the same lie the the Torah isn’t for the non-native born believer (even though this is not what is actually believed within the majority of Two-house circles, it certainly is the only logical apologetic conclusion for keeping Torah), which was the cause for the appearance of Two-House theology in the first place. Tacitly surrendering to the prejudice of others (that Torah is for native-born only) is not, in the opinion of this site, the proper solution to this sad state of Messianic affairs.

When our first response to someone asking why they feel drawn to the Torah, is “your family probably was at Mt. Sinai 3500 years ago,” rather than “because Yeshua is Jewish,” then we’ve totally missed it. Worse still, we have laid the foundation for their journey into Torah observance as being based on their ability to secure their identity from supposed Israelite ancestry, rather than in Messiah Yeshua. Some do not admit this, and others vehemently say they aren’t doing this, but ideas have consequences.

When the identity bubble of a new believer who’s subscribed to the Ephraimite bandwagon is questioned (as inevitably it will), or even popped, what have we left such people with as the reason for their draw to Torah? If the value is on ancestry, and not Messiah Yeshua, what kind of disciples are we raising for him? When we build teshuvah on the quicksand of ancestral heritage, we commit the same fallacy as those who think they will inherit the World to Come on their own identity alone. In fact, if one rejects Torah and Messiah with it, because they have rejected any idea of their heritage being from Israel, then the consequences of the Two-House Distraction may have effects which last into Eternity, if not damnation, then certainly a loss of reward based on obedience. Do you want to be responsible for that?

Take my advice, and those of others that have gone before us: let distractions and endless genealogies handle themselves, and you - focus on the real reason for keeping Torah: that Messiah Yeshua is your Lord and King - for it is he who gives you your identity as his am segulah (treasured people) - if this is called “Jewish,” then it truly is Messiah Yeshua who gives you your “Jewish” identity, not your ancestors. It is through Yeshua we are led to keep the Torah, and through the Torah that we become Jewish (and part of the remnant that inherits eternal life). It’s not the other way around. It never has been, and never will be.

Sadly, Two-House theology evolved as a popular theology due to the rejection by some native-born (read Jewish) believers of non-native born (read Gentile) seekers, refusing them access to all the commandments of Torah which apply to Israel. This prejudice is due in part, we believe, to a fear of man, in which some in the Messianic movement have fallen to, as they seek recognition and legitimacy within greater and more popular Judaism that rejects Yeshua as the Messiah, and which refuses the Torah to non-native born believers. We believe such a fear is unwarranted when it should be the Messiah that our common identity is found in, and therefore legitimized as the sole reason for our participation in imitating Him.

Now that we have laid the foundation for your return to Torah as being the Messiah, and not one’s identity beforehand, then if you are looking for answers to solidify your identity after the fact, then look no further than the Torah as explained in orthodox Jewish halacha concerning conversion: one who has been circumcised (if male), and has committed themselves to do the Torah, and has been immersed in a mikveh (immersion) of conversion, is deemed an Israelite in all respects - and is considered fully Jewish and has a new identity as a Jew, has a new parentage, new ancestry, new heritage and promises, and becomes fully integrated as an equal member of the covenant community of the nation of Israel, and by default are associated with the tribe of Judah. Since land inheritance allocations have been lost today, then such a convert is just as equally a Jew as any other Jew who is not a Levite or Cohen. Furthermore, according to the Torah and to orthodox Jewish halacha, it is a transgression of Torah for anyone to remind such a convert of their gentile past, let alone treat them as such. Concerning the orthodox Jewish requirements for conversion, have not even the vast majority of Christians unknowingly done this, especially when they too make teshuvah and commit to the Torah? So then, when asked if you are Jewish, then if you have been circumcised (if male), committed yourself to the Torah, and have been immersed (baptized) in water (for conversion to HaDerech “The Way” a sect of Judaism), witnessed by others (by Jews or other converts); then one can only answer with an emphatic and most-honest, “Yes.” Anything less is dishonest with ourselves and with others.

Two-House genealogical speculation isn’t necessary when one realizes that it is a distinctly Jewish Messiah who desires to take Lordship over the hearts of both the native and non-native born. Such imitation of the Messiah will lead someone to a distinctively Torah-observant, Jewish-looking lifestyle, and resulting Jewish identity, and to that end, we hope that this truth will counter the rapidly encroaching darkness of the Torahless Anti-Messiah in these times.

Read and respond to the original article at JerusalemCouncil.org

I wanted to clarify the purpose of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, since many seem to be confused as to what it’s purpose was, and what it will be in the future when it is built again.

The purpose of the Temple is for God to dwell with man.

It was not to provide atonement for sin. That was not its function. Instead it is because we are unclean, and sinful, and God who is holy can not dwell with unclean and sinful man, that atonement for us is required as we “draw near” to God. In fact the Hebrew word for “drawing near” is the same as “making a sacrifice.”

The purpose for the sacrifices were so that we, as unclean, sinful man, could draw near to him without being vaporized.

Even the believers of the 1st Century understood this concept, and fully expected to comply with it as they met daily in the Temple during the “standing” morning and evening prayers - which are clearly tied into the tamid offering that was slaughtered and the incense offered up every morning and evening. It was these “standing” prayers that Yeshua admonishes us that “when you stand praying…” and then teaches us several things, including one of which is the Aveinu, the Lord’s prayer which is the prayer of the rabbi that a disciple inserts after the end of the Amidah (18 Benedictions) of the standing prayers.

There is obviously a disconnect when we think we as believers in Messiah could just stroll right up into the Holy of Holies, and right into the manifest awesome, holy, and incredible presence of God, just the way we are in these unclean, and sinful bodies and not expect to get vaporized.

Thank God that God has given us the Messiah. Yeshua is the house (tabernacle) of God, and through him we interact with God in our unclean, and sinful bodies, and do not die. Yet this does not diminish who God is in his fullness, presence, and glory, nor dimish the fact that a man can not stand in the presence of God.

So what does this mean for us? What are you trying to say, Israel?

I am saying that we have much to anticipate as believers. When a future Temple is built, all believers in Messiah (just as anyone else) will be required to do what is necessary to draw near to God through their unclean, sinful bodies (assuming the End of the Age hasn’t happened yet, and we haven’t received our transformed perfect bodies), if they so desire to meet God in the Temple. This includes participating in the offerings and requirements for entering the Temple complex and so being made ready to meet God. It includes participating in the morning and evening prayers while the tamid lambs are being offered.

As believers we certainly can draw near to God in the spirit without any precondition; however in our bodies we aren’t transformed yet, and we are still covered in all forms of uncleanness and sin. It is naive to assume one could just waltz right into the Holy of Holies in the earthly Temple and not expect to get vaporized. The reason is that God is holy, unapproachable, and incompatible with sin.

You may say “well God did away with my sin.” On an accounting basis yes! For eternity, yes! But do you still sin? Of course we do. We are still in our bodies that desire to sin - even when we become a believer in Messiah, and we still commit sin every day (hopefully though, the unintentional kind). The problem is not with our spiritual condition, it’s with our bodies - our physical behavior. Yeshua cleans us on the inside (and dwells on the inside), but its on the outside that we are responsible for taking care of when we approach the One Holy God in the Temple.

Yeshua is our wonderful intermediary who we can approach to receive eternal life, and expect one day to receive transformed sinless bodies; but he is not the atonement in the earthly Temple for our physical behavior when we approach God in the earthly Temple (for his offering was made in the Heavenly Temple, not the earthly).

After all, people could interact just fine without atonement for their sin when they approached Yeshua in the Temple, but whenever one desired to approach God in the Temple, they were clearly required to draw near through the only means that actually cleaned their physical bodies (going through a mikveh), and atonement for their sin (participating in the offerings).

Much of this stems from a traditional misunderstanding of how the earthly Temple and the heavenly Temple interact. From a Hebrew understanding, they are considered echad - one a reflection of the other, and to interact with the reflection (earthly) is to in fact interact with the heavenly. So then in application, what is offered in the heavenly must have a reflection in the earthly that also MUST be offered, or else the whole gig is up and the earthly Temple is just a play toy.

In fact, traditional Christianity introduces further confusion when it says that because Yeshua made his offering in heaven (in time and space) that therefore the offerings on earth ceased (in time and space). Yet this assumption is predicated on the idea that God somehow changes, or something changed in God (which require God to be subject to time) to where Yeshua is no longer the Lamb slain since the foundation of the world, but now is the lamb slain in only 33AD, and all those before are lost to eternal life, which is contrary to what the scripture says concerning those who had faith.

In fact, no one asks the most treasured question of all: if the bible calls the patriarchs as those who had saving “faith” in the Messiah before the sacrificial system was given through the Tabernacle, then what was the sacrificial system for?

The answer: it covers the physical behaviors of this life whereby we as unclean, sinful man can draw near to the holy presence of God in the Temple (on earth, and when he’s not just in the body/tent/house of Messiah.)

So what is Messiah for? Messiah’s death causes us to live forever and to receive transformed perfect bodies so that we may draw near to God then. The earthly Tabernacle sacrifices cause us to be reckoned as physically atoned for in our current bodies so that we may draw near to God now. I hope that clears up the purposes of each, and shows that both are perfectly co-existing in this Age (if in fact we had the rebuilt Temple today). Two different applications (one in this Age, the other in the Age to Come), two different realms (earthly, heavenly), both a direct reflection of the other, both fully co-existing.

So what is the offering of Yeshua in the heavenly reflected in the earthly? The tamid offering - the morning and evening lamb. For Yeshua is called “the lamb who takes away the sin of the world.” So too in order for us to interact with God in heaven and in the Age to Come where there is no more death, we need Yeshua. For us to interact with God on earth, now in our unclean sinful bodies, we need the tamid lamb offering.

If you desire to meet God now, in this life, then pray for the rebuilding of the Temple. Otherwise as has been the case for almost 2000 years, we must wait until our physical bodies die. When God allows us to have the Temple, we as believers in Messiah should clearly view it as a blessing of God - an invitation to meet him in the physical, now.

The difference between “old covenant” and “new covenant” is used by scripture to differentiate between the unregenerate sinner, and the regenerated saint. It is the difference between their individual relationship to the Torah. The Torah is the full description of the Messiah, Yeshua ben Yosef shel Netzaret. Thus by implication, and often by reference, the Torah of God (which he gave to Moses) is the Messiah, who is the Word of HaShem. Since the Torah is the Messiah in this sense that he is the Word of HaShem, then it is rightly said that he is also the Covenant God makes with all men. So then, when one rejects Torah, as they are inclined to do from birth, they reject the Messiah; and when one embraces Messiah, as they are inclined to do by God’s grace, they embrace the Torah. In summary, we can see this in the following descriptions of the difference between these relationships to the Torah (the relationships to the Messiah, the Covenant).

1st man:

Old man, unregenerate man, sinner, of the flesh, condemned, cursed, can’t help but sin against God’s Torah (which is spiritual). Since the Torah is spiritual, this man can not perceive the things of the Torah until the veil of his sinful nature which clouds his perspective of the Torah, is taken away. This man is fleshly and is guided by the lusts of the flesh. This man is cursed to die by the Torah for his sin, and is thus considered “under Torah,” a position of being cursed to death. This man is just like the fathers who broke the Covenant, and relies on his own righteousness, and therefore breaks the Covenant. The relationship this person has to the Torah is called the “old covenant.” This man is who dies to the Torah (Messiah), for the curse of sin brings death.

God remains faithful to his Covenant, and grants death, the consequence of the sin of this man.

2nd man:
New man, regenerate man, saint, of the spirit, blessed, not cursed, can’t help but keep God’s Torah (which is spiritual). Since the Torah is spiritual, this man can perceive the things of the Torah clearly because the veil of his sinful nature which clouded his perspective of the Torah, has been lifted. This man is spiritual and is guided by the Spirit of God. This man is blessed to eternal life by the Torah for Messiah’s righteousness, and is thus considered “not under Torah,” a position of being redeemed from its curse of death. This man is not like the fathers who broke the Covenant, and relies on Messiah’s righteousness, and therefore keeps the Covenant. The relationship this person has to the Torah is called the “new covenant.” This man is who lives to the Torah (Messiah), for the blessing of obedience brings life.

God remains faithful to his Covenant, and grants eternal life, the result of the righteousness of this man identified/clothed in Messiah’s righteousness.

You will find this understanding true all throughout scripture when it talks about old and new covenant, old and new man, etc.

For example, in Romans chapter 7, Paul uses these two “men” to show that the first man, as first husband, is put to death to the Torah, the Messiah, the wife; and therefore only then can the second man, the second husband be able to marry the wife, the Torah, the Messiah, and live in the Spirit, for the Torah is spiritual. See the Messianic Apologetics Reference Project called “Understanding Romans 7″ for an applicable understanding of this concept:

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The old and new covenants are a state of condition, not a table of content, for the content remains the same since there is only one Covenant: the Torah, the Messiah. Who we are in relation to him is the only difference between “old” and “new” covenant. Let me state that again. WHO we are in relationship to the Perfectly Obedient Standard for Righteousness, the Messiah himself, is the only difference between what scripture calls old covenant and new covenant.

1. One party breaks it (by his own righteousness, which is nothing), and is cursed to death. (old man) (old Covenant that is broken)

2. God renews the Covenant to a different party (new man), while Himself remains faithful to the Covenant.

3. The second party keeps it (by Messiah’s righteousness), and is blessed with eternal life. (new Covenant that is kept)

God makes his Covenant, and each time he makes it with another party, it is called “new.” That is all there is to understanding the difference between the old and new covenant.

If we have identified ourselves in Messiah, then it is our cursed nature that is considered dead for he died hung on a tree which is a condition of being cursed under the Torah. And if we have identified ourselves in Messiah, then our spiritual nature is considered alive for he rose to life from the grave.

The key here then is to understand the necessity to identify oneself with Messiah’s death and resurrection in order to be blessed by the Torah for eternal life. This requires our obedience to the Torah, the Messiah as it is written:

Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. (Ex 23:21)

and if one transgresses this commandment, then they are as:

When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.” This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. (Deut 29:19-21)

When God makes his Covenant with us as sinners, which was made on that day with all who where “there” and “not there” in Deuteronomy 29:14-15, our inclination to sin caused us to break it the moment we sinned (and all have sinned in Adam). So then when God renews his Covenant with us (as a new regenerated man alive to the Messiah, the Torah) it is therefore to us, renewed, and to the new man (that is, we who are the righteous in Messiah) it is “new.” Thus that is why it is called a “new” or “renewed” Covenant.

At the point of our obeying the Messiah (surrendering our life to Him which is an act of teshuvah, or known as our repentance to the Torah), we are then “born” again, into the new man to whom the Covenant is made new to us, by God implanting His Spirit within us, and by implication of this renewal and identification in Messiah, His righteousness is therefore upon us, and we are given eternal life in accordance with the blessing promised when one keeps the Covenant. We can therefore look back on the “old man” that we once were, back to whom the same Covenant was made but condemned him to death. We can look back on that old man and see that the Covenant God made with him ultimately was that which put him to death because of that sinful man’s own “righteousness,” which is really no righteousness at all on the level that the Torah demands. From our perspective of the new man, that is why we thus call the “old” Covenant “old” and the “new” Covenant “new”- for God has renewed to us, we as the new man, the same Covenant to us, but through identifying with Messiah we now keep it.

The differences between identifying the old and new covenant then is a matter of perspective of the relationships a sinner has to the Torah and the relationship a saint has to the Torah, for the perspective of the Covenant one has concerning it, is based on the old and new relationship one has to the Covenant (the Torah, the Messiah).

You can read the full scriptural argument for this from:

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But only in the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes; there you shall offer up your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you. (Deut 12:14)

This verse in this week’s parasha, highlights an important teaching: the further you are from the place (HaMakon), also known as Temple Mount today, the less Torah one can do. Only in The Place can all the Torah be done. This means that in the exile, one can only do so much, but in the Land, one can do more, and at Jerusalem, even more, and in the Temple, yet more, etc.

As believers we should realize that the further we are away from him, who is High Priest of the Heavenly Tabernacle,  the more we cut off ourselves from greater and greater opportunities of obedience to Him. Our sin cuts us off from opportunities that would otherwise have been available for us to keep. We should make returning to the Torah, teshuvah, repentance our daily lifestyle, for doing so will only lead you closer and closer to the ultimate relationship you can have with Messiah Yeshua, the Living Torah.

Unlike all other sects of Judaism, Messianic Judaism views all believers in Yeshua as full-fledged Covenant members the moment they accept Yeshua as the Messiah, and submit to Him which means to also submit to his Torah teaching.

Those who do, have a right (and responsibility) to fully participate in the Torah that God gave to Israel; and as a new convert to HaDerech (The Way / Messianic Judaism) aligns his lifestyle with that of the Torah and how Rabbi Yeshua lives it out, then circumcision (if a male), commitment to the Torah, and even going through a mikvah in Yeshua’s name will eventually be the fruit.

That this process of getting circumcised, keeping the Torah, and going through a mikvah is also shared by other sects of Judaism as a means of conversion to Judaism, lends weight that this is a natural progression for any sincere believer in Messiah Yeshua as they continue to submit to the Torah. This process is purely scriptural and is the means by which converts to Messianic Judaism can clearly identify with the greater Jewish community as “Jewish.”

The only difference between conversion into Judaism through HaDerech, and conversion into say orthodox Judaism (or any other sect of Judaism), then, is in the certifying authority. Who in Messianic Judaism has the authority to certify that converts have been circumcised, keep the Torah, and have gone through a mikveh? Other Messianic Jews! How so? Because the first Messianic Jews were themselves recognized as the certifying authority for converts to the sect: the Jerusalem Council, made up of the first disciples of the Messiah and our Master Rebbe, Yeshua himself.  Thus we have the Messiah, Yeshua, as our certifying authority.

from: Do Gentiles need to be circumcised?