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The Messianic Jewish movement started when Messiah Jesus came. Four article presenty its meaning, why is exists, Messianic Gentiles, and the beginnings of the movement with Messiah Jesus-Yeshus. THE MESSIANIC JEWISH MOVEMENT 4 Articles W h a t - I s - I t ??? an explanation by a Jewish Christian, Messianic Pastor Burt Yellin Hudson Taylor was the first successful missionary from Europe to bring the Gospel to the people of China. Why did he succeed when others failed? Because he realized that it wasn't necessary to force European culture upon the Chinese as a part of the Gospel. He even adapted Chinese culture into his own life-style. Despite his success, he was despised by the other missionaries for "compromising" the Gospel for not making Western culture part and parcel of the "Gospel." There is much "alien" culture that surrounds Gentile Christianity, which makes it unpalatable to most Jewish people. Jews will nearly always reject the Gentile Jesus as being the Messiah, but will much more readily accept the Jewish Yeshua(Jesus) as being their Messiah. Most Messianic Jews are much more "zealous for the Law (Torah)" than their Gentile Christian counterparts. In this, they are following the example of the first century Messianic Jew, who were also "zealous for Torah" (Acts 15:19-21; 21:17-27). Most Messianic Jews refrain from calling themselves Christians. which is Greek terminology? They prefer more hebraic terms, such as Messianic Jews. The first use of the term Christian was in Antioch, among the Gentile believers (Acts 11:26). Rav Shaul (Paul), as a Jew, simply preferred to say. "I am a Jew." The sect of Jewish believers in Yeshua was also called "the Way," not to be confused with the modern cult of the same name (Acts 24:14;22). The Jewish believers were also called Nazarenes, not to be confused with the modern Christian denomination of the same name. Messianic Jews recognize the seventh day--Saturday--as being the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8- 11; 32:12-17). The Sabbath is even mentioned more in the New Testament than all the other days of the week combined. There is no mention in the Scripture of the Sabbath being changed to any other day of the week---a fact recognized by the Catholic Church. Although there are various levels of observance of the Shabbat (Sabbath) among Messianic Jews, the Shabbat is still the day of choice for worshipping the Most High. lt is also seen as the perpetual sign spoken of in Exodus. (31:13-16)--pointing back to the original state of the creation---and forward to the time spoken of by the author of Hebrews (4:3) when, ...we who have believed do enter into a Sabbath rest (Shabbat Shabbaton). Messianic Jews still observe the rite of circumcision. This is part of the Abrahamic covenant for all the physical descendants of Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14). This practice is not forced upon Gentiles (1 Corinthians 7: 17-20). Messianic Jews observe the Jewish (and Biblical) High Holy Days prescribed in Leviticus 23, which were ordained to be celebrated as a perpetual statute throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places...forever Leviticus 23:14; 21; 31; 41 Messianic Jews tend to observe Biblical Kashrut (laws of clean and unclean meals---Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14). Messianic Jews tend to observe a New Covenant lifestyle----I will put My Law (Torah) within them and on their heart I will write it… Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-10. Torah is eternal and not abolished, per Yeshua (Matthew. 5:17-19). Sin is defined as the transgression of that Law (1 John 3:4). In addition, Messianic Jews follow, and have found great value in many of the traditions of our people. Ours is a heritage rich and full, and our history is indeed, the history of God's people. Yeshua did not condemn these traditions. but rather commanded that they not be exalted above the commandments of God (Mark 7:6-8). We are careful to follow what our Lord commanded. Lastly, it must be understood that we are saved by faith in the blood atonement provided by Yeshua, and not on the basis of our own righteousness or good deeds (which as a means of atonement falls far short Isaiah 64:5-6; Ecclesiastics 7:20). It is wrong and unscriptural to force Gentile church culture upon the Jewish people as a requirement for believing in their own Messiah. While it is right and proper for other cultures to be allowed to practice their culture after coming to faith in Yeshua, much of Jewish culture comes directly from the Scriptures, and has a firm Biblical foundation lacking in other cultures. The situation was very different in the First century. Then the question was, "How can a Gentile believe in the Jewish Messiah? Shouldn't he convert to Judaism first?" Some Messianic Jews were saying to the Gentiles, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." others said, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses" (Acts 15:1, 5). The Council at Jerusalem decided that the Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism to believe in the Jewish Messiah (Acts 15:19-21; 28-19). Properly observed, Messianic Judaism has no middle wall of partition (Ephesians 2:14) separating Jewish believers from Gentile believers. Most Messianic assemblies have a large percentage of Gentiles. Most of these Gentiles love Israel and the Jewish people, and have adopted a Jewish expression of their faith in Messiah Yeshua. lt is in Messianic Judaism that we find a most wonderful fulfillment of Scripture---in that all, Jew and Gentile, male and female. bond and free---are seen worshiping the Holy One Of Israel in Spirit and in Truth. To return to Messianic Jewish Movement Page To return to Menorah's Video Page To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE WHY MESSIANIC JEWS? Rachmiel Frydiand To ask why we are Jews is to ask why a bagel is a bagel. A bagel tastes like a bagel and not like a doughnut, although one bagel hater defined a bagel as a doughnut dipped in cement. Now a Jew is a Jew, because he was born a Jew and because he wants to be a Jew. In most cases even if he does not want to be one, he will be compelled to admit it; otherwise, others will point a finger at him, asking, "Aren't you Jewish?" The term Jew is related to Judah, Jacob’s fourth son from Leah. Judah (Yehuda in Hebrew) means praise to the Lord. His mother Leah wanted thus to express her gratitude to the Lord for giving her this fourth son. The descendants of Judah were aware of this derivation, and sometimes were reminded of it by descendants of other tribes challenging them to live up to their name. We have to admit that some Jews succeeded in assimilating with their Gentile neighbors through intermarriage, change of name, and denial of their identity. Usually it was a long ardent process and took several generations to achieve. On the other hand, there were groups and individuals who, though not descendants of Judah or from any of the other tribes of Israel, succeeded in their efforts at being absorbed into the people called Jews. This was not easy. The people of Shechem wanted to do it and even went through the full rite of circumcision of every male, yet were slaughtered and never succeeded to penetrate the hermetically sealed tribes of Israel (Genesis 34). Sometimes those attempting to join them gave them trouble, like the "mixed multitude" of Exodus 12:38, and the Gibeonites of Joshua 9. However, in most other cases these nonJewish groups seem to have been gradually absorbed and assimilated into the Jewish body by intermarriage. Large influxes took place in the Persian period, as reported in the book of Esther in the Bible, and in the Maccabean period, when whole tribes under threat of extermination, preferred circumcision. The most prominent are the Khazar tribes of the present central Russia who accepted Judaism. The story of their conversion was described and popularized by the famous philosopher/poet Yehuda Halevi. Today, both in Israel and in the Diaspora, Rabbis are working hard at teaching and preparing prospective converts to Judaism. In some cases, at least, these converts are absorbed into the Jewish mainstream by intermarriage. Messianic Jews Among the 14 million Jewish people there is a group of perhaps twenty or thirty thousand people, born Jews, who believe in the Torah and the rest of the Tanakh and practice Jewish customs and religion. They also believe in Jesus. Some, if not most of them, prefer to call Him by His Jewish name, Yeshua. Although small in number, they are a vocal group, constantly challenging the Jewish spiritual and secular authorities with their presence, demanding recognition as Jews. It would be easiest for these Jewish believers, among whom is also the writer of these lines, to accept the advice of rabbinic leaders and put aside our belief in Jesus. The Jewish authorities work very hard to achieve it. Organizations and individuals spend their time and hundreds and thousands of dollars towards this end. Among the best known are the Peilim, Karen Yeladdenu, supported by the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Israel, and many more who do it as a full or part time job. Why do Messianic Jews resist? What lies behind their obstinacy, not only continuing to believe themselves but also spreading their faith to others? The answer as we see it is spiritual. This spiritual aspect can be summarized as follows: Prophecies Demand It We believe in Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah because He alone gives sense to the words of our Jewish prophets. There is Isaiah 53 with its minute description of the suffering servant who was despised and rejected, afflicted with pain and stripes, by whose "stripes we are healed." He then dies, is buried, yet is revived and suffers all this "for the affliction of my (Isaiah the prophet's) people." All this can best be applied to one person only - Yeshua of Nazareth. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 98) teaches that this chapter refers to Messiah. The Targum of Jonathan begins the passage with the words Ha yatslakh avdee Mashikha, "Behold my servant the Messiah shall prosper. ..” Common sense says it must refer to Jesus. The same goes for many other prophecies which speak of the time of His birth, like Daniel 9:26: And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary ... (The city and sanctuary were destroyed A.D. 70. Messiah had to come and be cut off before then.) The manner of His birth in a supernatural way is recorded in Isaiah 7:14: Behold the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 9:6 (5 in Heb.) says: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. The place of his birth is foretold by Micah, the prophet in verse 5:2 (5:1 in Hebrew): But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. The manner of His death is found both in Psalm 2 2:17, "they pierced my hands and my feet" (Masoretic text - "Like a lion they are at my hands and my feet"), and in Zechariah 12:10, "They shall look unto me whom they have pierced," which the Talmud in Sukkah 52 applies to Messiah ben Joseph. We have heard arguments against His Messianic claims by the fact that some prophecies like Isaiah 2 (breaking swords into plowshares) and Isaiah 11 Lamb and lion dwelling together) have not been fulfilled as yet and that our explanations for a future fulfillment by His second coming creates too long a hiatus (of close to 2,000 years). But what is 2,000 years in the sight of God, waiting patiently for His people to respond and accept His Anointed One - Yeshua, ben Elohim? PERSONAGE SPOTLESS We hold on to our faith because of the spotless Person He was. His contemporaries testified of Him that "He doeth all things well" (Mark 7:37). He could challenge his contemporaries saying to them, which of you convicteth me of sin? and they held their peace. Some modern Jewish and non-Jewish scholars point out His lack of originality in many of His sayings. Would it have been better if He had contradicted the words of the prophets? Others assert that His teaching is too idealistic (e.g., the turning of the other cheek), and therefore impractical. But who can find fault in a Man who constantly goes from the South to the North of Israel, then Judea and Samaria, doing good, healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, opening the eyes of the blind, unstopping the ears of the deaf, making the lame to walk again and preaching the Good News of salvation to the poor, the needy, and the outcast? Rejected by the leading Pharisees and by the High Priests, He died a martyr's death by crucifixion at the hands of the cruel Roman soldiers. But this is not the end of the story, for His 12 disciples plus a number of others see Him alive after He died and proclaim Him the risen Savior. For this assertion nearly all of them had to pay with their lives, dying like their master a cruel death from the hands of pagans and of unbelieving Jewish leaders. Yet these believing Jews never flinched. They knew for sure that He is alive. PERSONALITIES OF HIS FOLLOWERS We are convinced that He is Messiah because of the transformation in the personalities of His followers. Who could transform Simon Bar Yonah, the fisherman on the shores of Galilee, to become the leader of Messianic Jews in Israel and abroad, and finally to be acknowledged the first bishop and highest authority next to Jesus by millions of people of the whole world? What about Saul of Tarsus, convinced that he, with the letters he had from the High Priest, would completely knock out all belief in Jesus? He met the risen Yeshua on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus (Acts 9) and from a persecutor of the Gospel he became a proclaimer of the Good News. He himself was greatly persecuted by unbelieving people everywhere until he finally died a martyr's death at the hands of the Romans in the time of Nero. PEOPLE WHO ACCEPTED HIM From the first book, Bereshit, to the last prophet in the Tonach, Malachi, the Messiah's activity involves "the people" or the nations. Yaacov Aveenoo foresees it and says: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be. Genesis 49:10 Isaiah the prophet sees Him as the root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to Him shall the Gentiles see. (Isaiah 11:10 In Isaiah 49:6 Messiah is proclaimed with these words: It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob,and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Malachi says of Him (1:11): For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles. PEACE THAT MESSIAH GIVES Jewish believers in Messiah Yeshua found that only in Him they have rest, peace, and satisfaction. They heard Messiah's invitation, Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest Matthew 11:28. They verified it in their own lives. They read the record of His promise, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27. They found Messiah to be the Great Gentleman who always keeps His promise. The result is that we can say together with one of the first hosidim of Messiah Yeshua, Simon bar Jonah, called Simon Peter: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art the Messiah, the Ben Elohim. John 6:68-69 How about you? Have you received your Redeemer, the Stone whom the builders rejected? In Him is life, light and joy and in His sacrifice is forgiveness of sin. Reprinted from The American Messianic Jewish Quarterly Reprinted with permission of The Messianic Literature Outreach To return to Messianic Jewish Movement Page To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE A M e s s i a n i c G e n t i l e In A Messianic Jewish Congregation by Don Dal y What is a Messianic Gentile?!! That seems like such a strange term. Perhaps the meaning of the term will become clearer as we attempt to clarify the meaning of "Messianic Jewish". It is generally understood that being Jewish means being a descendent of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and it implies being a follower of Judaism and its practices. In another sense, it is applied to anyone who has joined himself to the people of Israel through ritual conversion, including circumcision for men. The term "Messianic" (i.e. "of Messiah or Christ") refers to anyone, Jew or gentile, who has chosen to follow the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). Scripturally, the term "gentile' refers to someone who was born of non-Jewish parents and who did not a dentify himself with Israel through ritual conversion and circumcision. Thus, a "Messianic gentile" could be applied to anyone who was born of non-Jewish parents and who is a follower of Yeshua. Most Messianic gentiles have chosen to worship the Lord in a setting that is largely devoid of any Jewish [culture]- - - -the traditional church. There is, however a small but growing group of gentiles who have left the gentilized form of Christianity to join with their Jewish brothers who worship the Messiah of Israel in an original Jewish way. They have found that in returning to the Jewish roots of their faith they have achieved a deeper understanding and a more fulfilling expression of their faith. Many of these gentiles live out their faith in a Jewish context, celebrating in their own homes the Jewish holidays as fulfilled by Yeshua. They often keep Biblical kashrut (Kosher laws) and other customs freely and without legalism, as a way to worship the Lord. We see in the New Covenant that Messianic gentiles have met every requirement to be accepted as full spiritual partners with their Jewish brethren in the Messianic faith. "Do not lose sight of the fact that you were born 'gentiles'..., utter strangers to God's chosen community, Israel; and you had no knowledge of, or right to, the promised agreements [covenants] ... But now, through the blood of the Messiah, you are with us inside the circle of God's love ...... (Ephesians 2:11-13, Phillips). Furthermore, Acts 15:23-29 makes it clear that in order to become a child of God, a gentile does not need to undergo conversion rites to Judaism. In fact, Rav Shaul (Paul) takes it one step further - - - - Messianic gentiles should remain as they are and not seek to become part of Israel in the flesh. (I Corinthians 7:18-24) We who are gentile participants in the Messianic Jewish faith are not second class citizens, but are equal partners with our Jewish brethren. As equal partners, however, we must share the vision of a culturally Jewish expression of faith and an outreach that reaches the Jew first, as well as the unsaved gentile. After all, there is an abundance of places of worship where the faith is expressed in a culturally gentile context. Those who are uncomfortable in a Messianic Jewish context can fellowship there. In summary , although it is improper and inaccurate to claim a Jewish lineage if we are gentiles, it is good to share how we too have come to faith because of our relationship with the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua. When unbelieving Jewish people hear of our zealousness for the Jewishness of our faith, and our excitement over the Jewish Messiah, it can provoke them to jealousy. We trust that they will see that Yeshua is not the "gentile god," but the "Redeemer of Israel." B e g i n n i n g s When the early ministry of Jesus was finished there remained as the fruits of his teaching a number of Jews who were convinced that he was their expected Messiah. Between these Jewish believers distributed among the towns and villages of Israel, little or no connection at first existed. Their life remained unaltered; they worshipped in the synagogues with their fellow Jews, and were distinguished only by their adherence to the Galilean Wonder-Worker, whose claims they no doubt pressed as occasion offered. The driving force of the future Nazarene sect was concentrated in a small body of the Messiah's most intimate friends and some members of his family, who, according to the account in Acts, took up residence in Jerusalem in anticipation of his speedy and glorious return. This was the fundamental and the inspiration of their teaching--the resurrection and ascension of the Messiah and his coming again in due season to re-establish the kingdom of God and of Israel. This was their belief, and the power of it, that invested the original community of humble persons with dignity and confidence of the Gospel, the Good News! Selected notes from The History of Jewish Christianity, Hugh Schonfield 5 out of 5 stars AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT HISTORICAL WORK ON THE EARLY "MESSIANIC" MOVEMENT These days, if Hugh Schonfield is remembered, it's as the author of The Passover Plot: Special 40th Anniversary Edi-tion (1965), a somewhat lurid tale of Jesus deliberately attempting to fulfill the Messianic prophecies and convince people he was the Messiah; only the "plot" failed, when a soldier stuck a spear into his side while on the cross. But believe it or not, in his earlier days, Schonfield (1901-1988)---who was Jewish---was a "Jewish Christian"; what would nowadays be termed a "Messianic Jew" (or formerly, a "Hebrew Christian"). All of Schonfield's earlier works re-flect this orientation (e.g., The Authentic New Testament, The Bible Was Right: New Light on the New Testament, An Old Hebrew Text of St. Matthew's GospelSaints Against Caesar: The Rise and Reactions of the First Christian Communi-ty, The Jew of Tarsus,: An unorthodox portrait of Paul, etc.). Much of Schonfield's earlier work (such as the book on Paul) are forgettable, nowadays; but his "History of Jewish Christianity" is a real diamond, and it's wonderful to see it back in print, in ANY form. The importance of this book is even recognized by modern evangelical Messianic Jews (who are utterly repulsed by Schonfield's later books). Schon-field notes that "A few Christian scholars who have been at pains to study the subject have deplored the lack of any text book to which the student could turn ... Clearly, then, the gap is there to be filled." Schonfield's book fills this gap admirably---at least, through the 1936 date of its publication. The book begins with a survey of Jesus' disciples themselves (Schonfield notes, for example, that "Paul himself re-mained an observant Jew to the end of his life"), and continues through the New Testament period, as well as the later writings professing to be Biblical, but not included in any Biblical canon, the Bible, and Talmudic works (the collection of ancient Jewish writings that forms the basis of Jewish religious law, consisting of the early scriptural interpretations). However, with the rise of the Roman Empire, Schonfield notes that "Jewish Christianity never regained its position of authority in the affairs of the Church." He notes that from this point, the Christian Church's position towards Jews in Europe "was less by reason and charity and more by compulsion, intimidation and active violence." Many Jews (such as the Marranos in Spain) were "forcibly" converted. Nevertheless, Schonfield notes that "sincere Jewish Christians ... must always be distinguished from Christianized Jews." There were even Jewish mystics such as Jacob Frank (Schonfield says that "Undoubtedly there is a place in the Christian Church for the Jewish mystic") and the Chassidic movement, whom he treats sympathetically. Most modern readers, however, will be most interested in his account of the earliest "missions to the Jews" among Protestants ("The debt of Jewish Christianity to the modern Protestant missions is indeed an overwhelming one"), as well as the rise of voluntary Jewish conversions beginning in the 19th century, and the later formation of associations such as the "Beni Abraham association," the "Hebrew Christian Prayer Union," and the "Israelites of the New Cove-nant," as well as the formation of worshipping congregations under men like Joseph Rabinowitz. For persons interested in Messianic Judaism, the history of the Christian Church, or even the history of Jews, this book---though old---is fascinating reading, and very helpful. Highly recommended! Steven H Propp To return to Messianic Jewish Movement Page To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE

Discusses if Biblically a Christian can become a Jew. To Convert or Not To Convert, That Is The Question by Chaim Urbach DEFINING THE ISSUES: The question "Should Gentile believers convert to Judaism?" sounds at first blush, well, so academic. You might picture a roomful of Messianic mavens, arguing over finer points of Messianic Halachah. Conversion of Gentile believers to Judaism is by no means an ivory-tower issue— it often comes connected with tremendous emotional and spiritual freight. All of us know Gentile believers who have struggled with this issue. Much rides on a balanced understanding of Scripture, which will steer us through this potential minefield. Let us define the issues. In this article I take for granted two basic assumptions: 1. Conversion of Gentile believers cannot be mandatory, either for the sake of relationship with the Lord or fellowship with fellow believers. Acts 15 (1, 20) and the rest of the New Testament (e.g. Gal. 5:4) clearly base our spiritual life on Yeshua's atonement alone. 2. A Gentile believer should not convert to rabbinic tradition. According to tradition, a bona fide conversion demands that potential converts renounce their previous faith completely. Maurice Lamm, a distinguished professor of rabbinics at Yeshivah University, describes the convert as "a newborn child, not only in spiritual-emotional terms, but also in legal and technical terms." Can a believer, invalidate his new birth, and renounce his Messiah by submitting to such a conversion? Even in the rare cases where the converting rabbi did not require a renunciation, the conversion is no more justified. Whether or not this is acknowledged, a believer adopts a belief system that defines itself by the rejection of Yeshua. The issue under the microscope in this article is this, "Should it be possible for willing Gentile believers to identify more closely with the Jewish people by voluntarily converting to Messianic Judaism." 2 CONVERSIONS TO JUDAISM ARE UNNECESSARY FOR FELLOWSHIP… Acts 15:1-28 I Corinthians 9:19-23: The ruling of the council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-28) made it clear that Gentile believers were excused from taking on the entire yoke of Torah (i.e., conversion) but instead were prohibited from four things: food offered to idols, fornication, meat strangled and blood (Acts 15:20, 29). Yet, it has been argued that the ruling actually encouraged Gentile believers towards a more Torah-observant lifestyle and left room for voluntary conversion. For instance, Patrice Fischer states that the majority of Gentile believers at this point were Jews in all but name. 3 "These G-d fearers were every bit as Jewishly observant as their Jewish friends.... Their lifestyle already identified them as Jews, even if the final ritual of formal conversion had not yet taken place....." The purpose of the four prohibitions according to Fischer was "to delineate more fully their [the Gentile believers'] already fully Jewish commitment". 4 There are two major problems with this reconstruction. The Gentile believers in the new congregations, even at this early date (Acts 13-14) came from diverse backgrounds. Some were indeed Torah-observant God-fearers--participating in the local synagogues (Acts 13:26, 50; 17:14, 17), praying during traditional prayer times (e.g. Cornelius praying at 3 p.m., Acts 10:3) and keeping many of the commandments of Torah. Yet, many (even a majority) of the other new Gentile believers were saved out of rank paganism (Acts 14:13; 17:34; 18:11; 19:19). The ruling of the council at Jerusalem had to be directed to meet the needs of the entire spectrum of new Gentile believers, not just the minority who were more observant God-fearers. Secondly, the context of Acts 10-15 defines the ruling in Acts 15 as strongly related to the social interaction between Jews and Gentiles--both fellowship and outreach--not one of greater identification. The four prohibitions mentioned in Acts 15 certainly point us in that direction. 5 The first pair of prohibitions--avoiding food offered to idols and fornication--was associated with festivals (often orgies), held in honor of the gods (e.g. I Corinthians 8:7, 10; Numbers 25:1-3). The second pair--the prohibitions against eating flesh from animals that were killed by strangulation and drinking blood--was based on laws of Kashrut spelled out in the Torah (in this case Leviticus 17:10-14). An observant Jew would be repulsed by and consider unclean anyone who transgressed all of these prohibitions-- those dealing with Kashrut as well as idolatry/fornication. For instance, Peter had to overcome his deeply-ingrained squeamishness towards coming into Cornelius' house, thereby putting himself at the risk of becoming (tameh) ritually unclean (Acts 10:28; 11:3). Outside the book of Acts, only the prohibition against fornication (Acts 15:20, 29), is repeated again (Romans 13:13; I Corinthians 6:18; 7:2; 10:8; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:13; Colossians 3:5 etc.). Where ritual matters are mentioned (I Corinthians 10; 27-30; Romans 14:1-6, 10-14; Colossians 2:16), they are presented as matters where the believer has freedom of choice. For instance, eating food offered to idols is spiritually neutral unless it takes place as part of idol worship, or unless they significantly undermine the faith of another believer. 6 One has to conclude that the other requirements were not (are not) absolute requirements for Gentile believers. Rather, they were issued to remove potential hindrances to fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers. While Acts 15 did not explicitly forbid Gentiles from converting to Judaism, discouraging conversions certainly was a given at the council. CONVERSIONS TO JUDAISM ARE UNNECESSARY FOR IDENTIFICATION… I Corinthians 9:19-23: Does identifying with someone require our changing our identity through conversion? Arnold Fruchtenbaum argues that Scripture provides a different kind of a model for identification. (I Corinthians 9:19-23). 7 The biblical means of identification is by acculturation [i.e. adopting cultural norms]. To become as [italic his] one is not to become one. This little word is forgotten or ignored by the adherents of conversion to Judaism, who use this very same text to prove that their way of identification is by conversion. Fruchtenbaum goes on to show that using this logic, Jewish believers should convert and become Gentiles in order to more effectively share Yeshua with Gentile friends. This is the farthest thing from Paul's mind in this passage. The underlying principle is our need to restrict our freedom for the sake of others by adopting their cultural norms. For instance, we find Paul's approach to sharing Yeshua varied as his audience changed. In the synagogue of Psidian Antioch, he shared Yeshua through the Tanakh (Acts 13:15); in Lystra, he began by referring to the true God versus Zeus and Hermes (Acts 14:15) and in Athens, he referred to their customs (altar to the unknown God) and their poets (Acts 17:23, 28). The same principle was applied sharing meals with Gentiles. From his instructions to the Corinthian believers we see that he was willing to temporarily lay aside his convictions about kashrut in order to share a meal with Gentiles (I Corinthians 10:27; Galatians 2:11-14). Paul identified with his Gentile audiences but remained a Torah-observant Jew (Acts 21:21). Finally, when we see individuals in Scripture who underwent conversions, they are not presented as "Jews" but retain their former identify (e.g. Ruth the Moabitess, Rahab the prostitute, Nicholas the proselyte etc.). DOES SCRIPTURE PERMIT VOLUNTARY CONVERSIONS… I Corinthians 7:18-24? Does the New Covenant speak to those who wish to convert voluntarily? David Stern, in his Jewish New Testament Commentary affirms that it does. 8: .... if a Gentile Christian wants to identify fully with the Jewish people, the New Testament in principle would permit him to become a Jew. Stern, then states that practical considerations would make these conversations difficult at best. Does in fact the New Testament permit a Gentile believer to do so? Unlike Acts 15 where the issue is dealt with implicitly, in I Corinthians 7 it is addressed explicitly and forcefully. This chapter discusses different aspects of marriage for believers. Flowing out of this discussion about marriage, Paul lays down a basic principle (1 Corinthians 7:17), which is then repeated twice (7:20, 24). 1 Corinthians 7:17 .....each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This principle is illustrated by two examples-- circumcision and slavery. What did Paul mean by the principle and how does circumcision fits into it? The believers in Corinth did not understand that their relationship to Messiah was compatible with whatever social position or occupation they were in at the time they came to faith. 9 Much of what he tells them is colored by his conviction that the Lord's coming is imminent and the then-raging persecution of believers (7:26, 26, 31). In view of that reality, believers' attention needs to be more sharply focused on furthering the Kingdom of Heaven. As Stern points out, his concern is that Gentile believers at Corinth should not waste precious resources in the effort to change their circumstances". 10 Remaining in our assignment is the appropriate response in view of the Lord's imminent coming. Paul uses two different words "called" and "assigned", to define believers' relationship to the Lord. Our call refers to our salvation, whereas the second term refers to our assigned task within the kingdom of God. Grammatically, the terms "called" and "assigned" are the same type of clause (Hosea meaning "as") governed by the same subject-- the Lord. 11 The thought is the same in both-- our salvation and our place of service were given to us by the Lord and are under His control. There are times when believers feel that the only way they can serve the Lord effectively is in a role other that the one they are in. His message to all of us is clear but often challenging-- "Remain faithful in the role assigned to you." The Lord may lead a believer into a different assignment, but until there is a re-assignment, he or she must remain and serve faithfully. Paul illustrates the principle, by referring to circumcision. For the Gentile majority in the Corinthian congregation, circumcision probably meant little. 12 But for a Jew, Paul's statement that "circumcision is nothing" would have provoked outrage. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant and the relationship with God. The fact that Paul, a Torah-observant Jew, would make such an extreme statement puts his case in neon lights. For a believer, circumcision, uncircumcision, one's marital status, or whether one is free or enslaved-- none of those matter as far as our salvation is concerned. Yet, while circumcision (i.e. conversion) is irrelevant as far as salvation is concerned, that does not mean that it is a matter of personal discretion. 3 It is true that Paul does not condemn circumcision of Gentile believers with the same degree of passion as he did with the Galatian believers. The stakes were far higher there but that does not mean that he makes allowance for it here. When we view this verse (7:18), we most often focus on part b, "was a man uncircumcised," yet this verse comprises a couplet. It forbids Gentile men from becoming circumcised and Jewish men from seeking to become "uncircumcised." Becoming uncircumcised is not as far fetched as it sounds. From the time of the Maccabees on, there were Jews who underwent a surgical procedure called “epipasm” that made them appear to be uncircumcised. 14 Paul would have viewed either branch of the pair (7:18a or 7:18b) as equally unacceptable. Just as a Jewish believer should not undergo epipasm, neither should a Gentile believer undergo circumcision. For the second illustration, slavery, Paul adds an exception--a believer in bondage may become free if the Lord gives him or her the means to do so. The same applies to the question of marriage, where a believer has some measure of individual freedom. Yet, there is no such exception given in the case of conversion because of what it represents, regardless of an individual's inner motivation, or whether this is a "deep longing." 15 A Gentile believer who wants to convert for the "right reasons" is not free to do so. Conversion of a Gentile believer makes a clear public statement-- Yeshua's sacrifice is not sufficient (Gal. 5:2-6; 6:15).16 Stern argues that Paul's words should not be construed as an absolute prohibition, but rather offered in the vein of a rabbi discouraging a Gentile from converting out of convenience or based on transitory emotion. 17 There are two basic observations to make on this score. There is no clear consensus on just when rabbinic tradition began to discourage potential converts. If anything, the evidence favors the view that during the first century the rabbis welcomed proselytes wholeheartedly......it is obvious that proselytism was widespread among the ordinary people....the near pride in which the rabbis took in the claim that some of their greatest figures weredescended from proselytes point to an openhanded policy toward their acceptance.... 18 The more germane issue is the fact that Paul applies his apostolic authority in this case, as he does later in the epistle (I Corinthians 14:33, 37) and elsewhere. What he is saying is not a suggestion, to be followed or ignored. Rather, it is a principle to be followed universally. In the letter to the Galatian believers (5:6; 6:15), the circumcision of Gentiles is clearly forbidden. There is no reason to assume that prohibition has been modified, despite the fact that Paul's tone here is not polemical (I Corinthians 7:19-20). SCRIPTURE HAS NO MODELS FOR THE CONVERSION OF GENTILE BELIEVERS: The Tanakh makes provision for Gentiles to convert to Judaism-- Rahab, Ruth, and foreigners who were circumcised as a prerequisite for celebrating the Passover (Exodus 12:48). These, examples cannot be applied to Gentile believers who are fellow-heirs of salvation (Ephesians 3:16). In the New Testament, we find the example of Timothy being circumcised (Acts 16:1-3). Can that be used as a valid model for conversion of Gentile believers as John Fischer claims? 19 In the first century, since receiving circumcision indicated one's obligation and intention to keep the Law of Moses, Rav Shaul's circumcision of Timothy may be regarded as the conversion of the non-Jew to Judaism. Thus we may have a precedent in the B'rit Hadasha for such a modern-day practice. In considering Timothy's example, two issues present themselves: was Timothy considered a Gentile in the eyes of the Jewish community? Directly connected is another question-- why was he circumcised? In this narrative, Luke attached an explanatory note suggesting that Paul had Timothy circumcised "because of the Jews....[who] knew that his father was a Greek," (Acts 16:3). What precisely did Luke mean by this comment? If Timothy was considered a Gentile like his father, circumcision would have been a non-issue. Timothy would have been welcomed as another God-fearing Gentile (Acts 13:26; 13:50; 17:14, 17) wherever he and Paul traveled. The fact that it was an issue at all reflects the sentiment among the Jewish people that Timothy should have been circumcised but had not been because of his Greek father. Timothy was considered to be a Jew, albeit a "bad Jew" because he had not been circumcised in compliance with the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis. 17:10) and the Torah (Leviticus 12:2-3).20 Circumcising Timothy was done to facilitate the spread of the Gospel, based on Paul's stated principle that we should do everything possible to eliminate barriers to the Gospel (I Corinthians 9:20-22). The Message of the Gospel should be the only stumbling block presented (I Corinthians 1:23). Yet, this action was not undertaken merely for the sake of expedience. Longenecker explains the relationship between expedience (for the sake of sharing the Gospel) and principle (living a Torah-observant lifestyle). But while Paul stoutly resisted any imposition of circumcision and the [Torah] upon his Gentile converts, he himself continued to live as an observant Jew and urged his converts to express their [faith] through the cultural forms they had inherited.... Therefore, it was both proper and [italics mine] expedient for Paul to circumcise him.....21 The false teachers who dogged Paul's trail attempted to spread rumors that he had taught Jewish believers to discontinue their adherence to the Torah (including circumcision of their sons). The leadership at Jerusalem encouraged Paul to squelch publicly those rumors (Acts 21:21). Unlike Timothy, Titus provides us with a clear model of how circumcision impacted a Gentile believer in the New Covenant. Titus was unambiguously a Gentile ("a Greek," Galatians 2:3). Paul took him to Jerusalem as part of a trip to meet with the pillars of the congregation (i.e. apostles). As we read between the lines, a battle had been brewing between Paul and the "false brethren" who insisted that Gentiles should be circumcised. 22 Titus was a very visible point man around which the battle swirled-- if he would be compelled to be circumcised, then all Gentile believers should be pressured to do the same. For Paul, giving in on this issue was tantamount to his declaring that the message of the Gospel was insufficient to save, and for that reason, he dug in his heels-- Titus would not be circumcised (Galatians 2:3-5). 23 PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS: 1. Part of the underlying message Scripture conveys to Gentile believers and indeed to all of us is this-- "Learn to be content with who you are (Psalms 139:13-14), regardless of “deep longings” to the contrary." The Lord's choosing us and selecting an assignment for us is a choice blessing (I Corinthians 7:18). 2. Conversion of Gentile believers conveys the wrong message to Gentile believers in a Messianic Jewish congregation-- "You are a second-class citizen unless you become Jewish," (i.e. convert). It makes a mockery of the principle of unity in diversity (Ephesians 2:12-19). 3. Conversion of Gentile believers to Messianic Judaism is unacceptable (invalid) among Jewish people here and abroad (especially in Israel). It is strictly an "in-house" exercise and what's worse, it re-enforces the perception in the Jewish community that we as a movement are "na-arish"-- we cannot be taken seriously. While rejection by the Jewish community is part of our cost of discipleship, our rejection should be for Yeshua's sake only. 4. The nuances of the conversion of Gentile believers would be lost on the rest of the Body of Messiah, who would view this as a re-occurrence of the Galatian heresy. We cannot delineate theology on the basis of whether it is understood by other believers. Yet alienating fellow believers elsewhere for the sake of a practice that is questionable at best, unnecessarily squanders precious goodwill we have earned among other believers. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Conversion of Gentile believers is not necessary for the sake of fellowship with Jewish believers or more effective sharing of Yeshua with the Jewish community (Acts 1:1-28; I Corinthians 9:19-23). 2. Conversion of Gentile believers violates the scriptural principle of accepting our God-given identity (I Corinthians 7:18-20). 3. There are no scriptural examples that can be applied to believers today (Acts 16:1-3). 4. Conversion of Gentile believers works against the principle of unity in diversity among believers in and out of Messianic Jewish congregations (Ephesians 2:12-19). It also promotes confusion in how the Jewish community and the church view who we are. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Chaim Urbach was born in Israel and has been a believer since age 13. He has considerable experience in Jewish evangelism and the Messianic Jewish movement. Chaim and his family reside in Denver, Colorado and he is the Messianic leader of Congregation Yeshuat Tsion, P.O. Box 22272 Denver, CO 80222-0272 Mr. Urbach can also be reached via e-mail: galach@aol.com ENDNOTES: (NOTE THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN KESHER ) A Journal of Messianic Judaism, ISSUE 6, 1998.) 1 Becoming a Jew, (Middle Village, NY: Jonathan David Publishers, 1991), pp. 73-74. 2 Kesher: A Journal of Messianic Judaism, Summer 1997, "Halachah in Action," the editors, pp. 91-95. 3 "Modern-Day G-d-Fearers: A Biblical Role Model For Gentile Participation in Messianic Congregations," a paper available through Menorah Ministries, Clearwater, FL, no date, p. 7, 8. 4 "Modern-Day G-d-Fearers," p. 7. 5 It is possible that the four prohibitions were an abbreviated form of the Noahide laws-- seven rules for Gentiles expanded the covenant with Noah in Gen. 9:1-17-- practicing justice, avoiding blasphemy, idolatry, adultery, bloodshed, robbery, flesh and blood from a live animal (Sanh. 56a) 6 See Craig Blomberg, I Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, p. 193 on vv. 14-22. 7 Hebrew Christianity: Its theology, history & philosophy (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1992), p.113. 8 Clarksville, MF: JNP, 1992, p. 562. 9 Simon J. Kistemaker, I Corinthians, NTC, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1993), pp. 230; (7:5)see Gordon D. Fee's discussion in The First Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987, pp. 280-283. 10 JNTC, p. 456. 11 I Corinthians, Hans Conzelman, (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975), p. 125. 12 Fee p. 313. 13 Conzelman, p. 126. 14 Blomberg, pp. 145-146. 15 Fischer, "Halacha in action," p. 93. 16 Fee, p. 311-312. 17 NTC, pp. 562. 18 Encyc. Jud. 13:1183. Also see Ben Zion Bokser, "Witness and Mission in Judaism," in Issues in Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Jewish Perspectives on Covenant, Mission and Witness (New York: Paulist Press, 1979), p. 134; Lawrence H. Schiffman, Who was a Jew: Rabbinic and Halachic Perspectives on the Jewish Christian Schism, (Hoboken, NJ: Ktav, 1985), pp. 20-21. 19 John Fischer, "Halacha in Action," p. 93. 20 While Scripture traces a person's line through the father, rabbinic tradition early on (e.g. M Kiddushin 3:12) ruled in favor of matrilineal descent. For an overview of the issue as it related to Timothy refer to Stern, pp. 281-282. 21 Longenecker, Acts, EBC, Zondervan, 1995, p. 25. 22 This seems to be an earlier occasion that the one described in Acts 15. 23 The view that Titus was not compelled but underwent circumcision voluntarily does violence to the grammatical context. Richard N. Longenecker, in Galatians, (Waco: Word, 1990), p. 50 points out that Paul went out of his way to emphasize that he would not give the legalists any quarter. To have Titus circumcised forany reason would have defeated his purpose. For More Information: Return to Convert? .... Can A Gentile Christian Become A Jew? ...... Really?! To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE

Biblical presentation of the three members of the Godhead Is Jesus the Father and the Holy Spirit? “Jesus Only-Jesus is the Father and the Holy Spirit” ????? Modalism first surfaced in the third century in the writings of Sabella's and Paul of Samosata. This heretical view denies there are three distinct persons in God, claiming instead there is only one being who manifests Himself in three different modes. Modern Oneness Pentecostals garner support for their modalistic view by interpreting Matthew28:19 in conjunction with Acts 2:38. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus instructed the disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (emphasis added).1 In Acts 2:38, however, Peter instructed his listeners: “Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (emphasis added). Oneness Pentecostals2 conclude that Jesus Himself must be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, because they claim that “Jesus” is the “one name that refers to three titles of one God.”3 They then assert that the apostles correctly fulfilled Christ’s command to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19) by baptizing converts in the name of Jesus only (Acts 2:38;8:16;10:48); hence, a Trinitarian baptism is invalid. The phrase “in the name of Jesus” must be pronounced over the person being baptized. It is difficult to know where to begin in evaluating Oneness Pentecostal hermeneutics. It is certainly not like looking through a telescope at a single hermeneutic problem, but more like looking into a kaleidoscope, for there are many interrelated hermeneutic problems that, when combined, only serve to distort biblical Christianity (2 Pet.3:16). In what follows, I demonstrate that Oneness Pentecostals are “serial offenders” where it concerns violating some of the fundamental rules of hermeneutics. Holding Illegitimate Preunderstandings. A theological “preunderstanding” is a doctrinal opinion one has previously formed. The danger for Bible interpreters is that their interpretations easily can be biased by their theological preunderstandings. Oneness Pentecostals unfortunately approach the whole of Scripture with the preunderstanding of the Oneness doctrine, and it distorts their view of many Scripture verses, including Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38. The International Council on Biblical Inerrancy provides this helpful corrective: “We affirm that any preunderstandings which the interpreter brings to Scripture should be in harmony with scriptural teaching and subject to correction by it. We deny that Scripture should be required to fit alien preunderstandings, inconsistent with itself.”4 The point of this affirmation is to avoid interpreting Scripture through an alien grid or filter that obscures or negates its true message. To avoid misinterpreting Scripture, interpreters must be careful to examine their presuppositions in the light of Scripture. Only those preunderstandings that are compatible with Scripture are legitimate. Inappropriately Cross-Referencing Verses. It is inappropriate to draw theological conclusions from cross-referenced verses without giving due consideration to what other explicit and clear verses reveal on the matter. For example, Isaiah 14:12 identifies Lucifer as the “morning star.” Revelation 22:16 identifies Jesus as the “morning star.” Ignoring other relevant verses, one inappropriately could conclude that Jesus is the Devil. Oneness Pentecostals are guilty of inappropriate cross-referencing in their treatment of Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38. One must recognize that the theological inferences one draws from comparing cross references are legitimate only to the extent that they reflect the teachings of explicit and clear Scripture verses on the matter.5 This is precisely where Oneness Pentecostals go wrong. Not Interpreting Difficult Verses in Light of Clear Verses. It is common sense that one must interpret difficult verses in light of the clear verses of Scripture. Martin Luther expressed this principle with the words, Scriptura sui ipsius interpres—Latin for “Scripture is its own expositor.” The Westminster Confession of Faith perhaps put it best: “When there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture… it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.”6 Contrary to the Oneness preunderstanding of modalism, many clear Scripture verses indicate that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons. We know the Father is a person because He engages in I-Thou (direct, interpersonal, mutual, reciprocal, and loving)7 relations with the other persons in the Trinity (John 3:35), and has the attributes of personality: intellect (Matt. 6:8), emotions (Gen. 6:6; Ps. 86:15), and will (Matt. 12:50). The Son likewise engages in I-Thou relations (John 11:41-42), and possesses intellect (John 2:24–25), emotions (Matt. 9:36; John 11:35), and will (Luke 22:42). The Holy Spirit also engages in I-Thou relations (Acts 8:29), and possesses intellect (Rom. 8:27; 1Cor. 2:10–11), emotions (Isa. 63:10; Eph. 4:30), and will (1Cor. 12:11). Scripture, moreover, affirms that these persons are distinct from each other. We know Jesus is not the Father because the Father sent the Son (John 3:16–17). The Father and Son love each other (John 3:35) and speak to each other (John 11:41–42). The Father knows the Son and the Son knows the Father (Matt. 11:27). Jesus is our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). They are two distinct witnesses (John 5:31,32,37). We also know Jesus is not the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is another comforter (John 14:16). Jesus sent the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus (Luke 3:22) and seeks to glorify Jesus (John 16:13–14). What all this means is that however one reconciles Matthew 28:19 with Acts 2:38, it is not an option to say Jesus is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for clear verses in Scripture render such a view impossible. As the Reformers put it in their principle, analogia scriptura, if an interpretation of a particular verse contradicts a truth taught elsewhere in Scripture, the interpretation of that verse cannot be correct. Ignoring Context. In the broader context of the New Testament, Jesus considers the Father as someone other than Himself hundreds of times. In fact, the New Testament describes the Father and Son as distinct from each other within the very same verse dozens of times (e.g., Rom. 15:6; 2 Cor. 1:4; Gal. 1:2, 3).8 This broad context alone sets the interpretive parameters beyond which one is not free to go, effectively prohibiting anyone from claiming that Jesus is the Father. In terms of immediate context, Matthew’s gospel is solidly Trinitarian. There is one God (Matt. 4:10;16:16;22:32,37). The Father is God (6:6,9,14–15;10:32–33;11:25), Jesus is God (1:23;9:6;11:27;12:8;16:27;19:28;25:31;26:64), and the Holy Spirit is God (1:18,20;10:20;12:18,28,32). Within the unity of the one God are three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (28:19). All three persons of the Trinity, moreover, were present (and distinct from each other) at Jesus’ baptism (3:16–17). In view of this, it makes good sense that Jesus, before ascending into heaven, would instruct the disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for each played a pivotal role in human salvation. The context of Acts 2 is different. Here, baptism “in the name of Jesus” makes good sense because the Jews—“men of Judea” (v.14), “men of Israel” (v.22)—to whom Peter was preaching had rejected Christ as the Messiah. It is logical that Peter would call on them to repent of their rejection of Jesus the Messiah (vv.22–37) then invite them to identify with Him publicly via baptism (v.38). Using Faulty Exegesis. Proper exegesis of Matthew 28:19 reveals two pivotal facts about the nature of God: (1) The singular form of “name” indicates that God is one, and that His nature is singular (one divine essence); and (2) Within the unity of this one God are three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, something given strong emphasis in the original Greek with the three recurring definite articles before Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.9 Word studies also reveal that the phrase “in the name of” often meant “by the authority of” in biblical times. Acts2:38 thus indicates that the Jews to whom Peter was speaking were to be baptized according to the authority of Jesus. The verse does not mean that the words “in the name of Jesus” must be pronounced liturgically over each person being baptized. If Acts 2:38 were intended to be a precise baptismal formula, one must ask why this formula is never repeated in exactly the same way throughout the rest of Acts or the New Testament. In different verses, people are exhorted to be baptized “on [Greek: epi] the name of…” (Acts2 :38), “into [Greek: eis] the name of…” (Acts 8:16), or “in [Greek: en] the name of…” Jesus Christ (Acts 10:48). Such variations militate against an unbending baptismal formula. It is entirely possible that being baptized in the authority of Jesus essentially amounts to being baptized by the baptism authorized by Jesus—one in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). A.T. Robertson comments: “In Acts the full name of the Trinity does not occur in baptism as in Matthew 28:19, but this does not show that it was not used. The name of Jesus Christ is the distinctive one in Christian baptism and really involves the Father and the Spirit.”10 In keeping with this, some scholars have suggested that Acts 2:38 may contain what is called asynecdoche of the part—a figure of speech in which the part stands for the whole. Such figures of speech were common in biblical times. For example, the term face can refer to a whole person (1 Kings 10:24; Job 11:19), field can represent a whole country (1 Sam. 27:7), and day can refer to an indefinite time period (Ps. 18:18).11 It may be, then, that “the apostles indeed did use the full formula [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit], but simply referred to the act of baptism by the shorter phrase ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’…in common with the wider practice of that day of being baptized ‘in the name’ of one’s spiritual teacher, as John’s disciples were ([Acts] 19:3).”12 Whether or not this is so, the hermeneutic principles summarized above decisively debunk the Oneness view that Jesus is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Scripture consistently testifies that Jesus is the second person of the blessed Trinity, the eternal Son of the eternal Father, and the blessed One who came to earth to reveal the Father to humankind (John 1:1,14,18; cf.14:9–14). — Ron Rhodes NOTES 1. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible. 2. Oneness Pentecostalism, distinct from mainstream Pentecostalism, is similar to other cults in its denial of the Trinity. It is different from other cults, however, in its strong insistence on the absolute deity of Jesus Christ, holding that Jesus is the one true God who manifests himself in three modes. 3. Brent Graves, The God of Two Testaments (Hazelwood, MO: Word Aflame Press, 2000), 297. 4. Norman Geisler, Explaining Hermeneutics (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 14–15. 5. Gregory Boyd, Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992), 85. Note that while Boyd offers sound arguments against Oneness Pentecostalism in this book, he elsewhere expresses belief in open theism, an unorthodox view. 6. Westminster Confession of Faith, 1:9. 7. Jewish existentialist Martin Buber (1878–1965), in his book I and Thou (1923), made the phrase “I-Thou” famous, distinguishing this type of relationship from an “I-It” relationship. In this article, I use the term in a simple, nonformal sense to speak of direct, interpersonal, mutual, reciprocal, and loving relationships between persons. 8. Boyd, 68. 9. Daniel Wallace, The Basics of New Testament Syntax (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 94. 10. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Logos Software, emphasis added. 11. See original Hebrew. 12. Jerome Smith, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Logos Software, insert added This article first appeared in the Practical Hermeneutics column of the Christian Research Journal, volume31, number 2 (2008). For further information: http://www.equip.org Dating of Matthew 28:19 and the Trinity www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/q_mt28_19.htm To return to The Real Jesus Page To return to Menorah's Home Page

Prayerful asking God to direct donating assets to Menorah upon your death. We appreciate your consideration in planning your giving through your estate planning, gifting to the Lord’s Gospel work beyond your earthly life. God bless and keep you! Please consult your legal and tax professionals and call us at any time. 303-355-2009 menorah@menorah.org www.menorah.org Giving Through Securities What are the Advantages of Making a Gift of Securities? · You avoid all capital gains tax when you contribute long-term appreciated securities to Menorah Ministries. · You receive a charitable income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the securities if they have been held longer than one year. The fair market value can be deducted against up to 30% of your adjusted gross income and any excess deductions can be carried forward into as many as five additional tax years. 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Your bequest helps ensure that your wishes for the future of Jewish evangelism will be honored. We have been able to sustain many of today's outreach programs due to the generosity and vision of our former supporters. If you are planning to write your will, or if you already have one, you may want to consider these common ways to make a bequest: Specific Dollar Amount "I give, devise and bequeath to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224, $____________ ." Percentage of Your Estate "I give, devise and bequeath to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224, ___________% of my estate." Residue of Your Estate A residuary bequest to Menorah Ministries directs that all the residue, or a percentage of the residue, of your estate be paid to the ministry after all debts, taxes, expenses, and all other bequests have been paid. "All the residue of my estate, including, without limitation, real and personal property, I give, devise and bequeath to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224." Specific Asset from your Estate "I give, devise and bequeath _______ (insert a description of the asset here, such as stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares, real estate, works of art or antiques) to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224." Contingent Bequests You can name Menorah Ministries to receive all or some of your estate if your primary heirs predecease you. You might do this to protect your estate from expensive litigation or from ultimate distribution to the state or unintended beneficiaries. "If _____________ (insert the name of your heir) predecease me or disclaims any interest in ____________ (describe the asset or portion of your estate here), I give such property to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224." Giving Through Trusts Trusts are formal legal arrangements designating a trustee to receive and hold legal title to property and administer the property according to your instructions. 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In the beginning, God created (or “in the beginning, created God...”, because that’s the way Hebrew sentences are structured). The word for God is Elohim. This word Elohim, very interestingly, is plural. Still not convinced? The decision to create humanity is made. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, says the plural God, in plural. There is no getting away from it this time. The Hebrew is very clear. See Below four Trinity Articles #1 #1 #3 #4 #2 The Trinity Easy As 1,2,3 So how can we be s o sure that the appearance of Yeshua does not contradict the Old Testament insistence that only God should be worshipped? Does explaining the trinity tie you in knots? An English preacher called David Pawson rightly noticed that we often feel awkward and embarrassed about the inexplicable trinity. How can God be three and one at the same time? “We don’t know!” We have to admit. There are metaphors of clover leaves having three parts to the one leaf... of water, ice and steam all being H2O... of the ability to be a mother, daughter and wife simultaneously, but none of these analogies really do justice to the mysterious Godhead we claim to know and love. But, insists Pawson, the trinity is one of the greatest truths we have to share, because by it we alone, of all faiths, can declare the truth that God IS love! In order to love, we need an object of affection, but since God is Father, Son and Spirit, he was already living in loving unity long before he created the world! In himself, God’s very essence is love with no need of outside intervention. We could say that a singular God could be loving in nature, but to say that he IS love is a unique privilege of those who believe that he can give and receive love in and of himself. They're all there, the entire time, all through the Tenach The word “trinity” cannot be found in the Bible, but the truth is that the three of them have been there together all the way along. Genesis tells us that God created the heavens and the earth by his word. John 1 tells us that the Word is Yeshua - that he was with God and was God from the get go, right there at creation. We also see the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit, hovering over the waters in the second verse of the Bible. Not sure about this? The first words of the Bible in Hebrew are: בראשית ברא אלוהים In the beginning, God created (or “in the beginning, created God...” , because that’s the way Hebrew sentences are structured). The word for God is Elohim. This word Elohim, very interestingly, is plural. Still not convinced? The decision to create humanity is made. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, says the plural God, in plural. There is no getting away from it this time. The Hebrew is very clear. Later on we see hints of Yeshua appearing as "The Angel of the Lord", which could simply be one of God's many angels, except that those who encounter this one a) identify him as The Lord himself, and b) worship him. There is no way that a regular angel of God - even a top level angel - would accept worship that belongs to God alone. If you want to see what I mean, see what happens when "The Angel of the Lord" turns up to visit Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21, Abraham in chapter 18, and the One who stops him killing Isaac in 22:11, look at the interaction between Samson's parents and the Angel of the Lord in Judges 13, and consider who the fourth person was in the firey furnace that Daniel's three friends were rescued from. As you ponder the texts and the dialogues, look carefully at the way people address this angel, at the way he refers to himself, and you will see that there is something divine going on here. This angel speaks as if he is God, and people speak as if they have encountered God. Because he is. And they have. We also learn of the third person, the Holy Spirit, very much active in his own right in the Tenach - falling upon and anointing people with power to prophesy and act to accomplish God's will. He empowers the artisans who make the tabernacle, falls upon Saul in 1 Samuel 10, and is spoken of by David in the Psalms and the prophets (The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me... Isaiah 61). He appears many times throughout the Scriptures, helping and enabling people to do the will of God. We even see all three of them together in this verse: "Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord GOD has sent me, and His Spirit." Isaiah 48:16 There they all are - all three of them together. The Lord God (Father), the One who he sent, who was with him from the beginning (Yeshua) and His Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament. God repeatedly promises that he would come and live among them, in words that bewilder the mind if you are not ready to accept the deity of Yeshua. He says, Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion,for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. Zechariah 2:10-11 Yes, it was always God's intention to come and live among us as Yeshua. And you can see the sameness yet separateness in these verses - he speaks as God himself, yet tells us that the Lord of Hosts has sent him. We also see the God's Son mentioned several times in the Tenach: Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, andyou perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Psalm 2:2 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know! Proverbs 30:4 and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. Daniel 7:13 Incomprehensible, but true! So, although this idea seems alien to most Jewish people (and frankly, rather bewildering to most believers) a careful study of the Scriptures shows us that Yeshua did not suddenly appear two thousand years ago. As he says of himself; "Before Abraham was, I AM" John 8:58 One of the hardest things for Jewish people to deal when it comes to Yeshua is the idea that he could be God in human form. The trinity just sounds like straight up polytheistic idol-worship to Jewish ears. Monotheism was the defining difference between the faith of Abraham and all the pagan worshippers surrounding him in the Mesopotamian basin. Every Jewish person knows that their God is one, and squirms inside when they see a church cluttered with images that seem like idols - the holy child in the arms of Mary, Yeshua on the cross... it might be like you, or I am going into a place of worship with star signs of the Zodiac all over the walls. Their resistance comes from their understanding of the scriptures that God is a jealous God, and that they must never bow the knee to any other. www.oneforisrael.org For further information contact: To Return To The Real Jesus Web Page To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE The Trinity Is Jewish #2 The Trinity Is Jewish By Rachmiel Frydland Most modern Jewish people seem to have made their "peace" with Jesus of Nazareth. Some consider Him to be a great, Jew, or even the greatest Jew who ever lived. Some of our Jewish leaders, as Dr.Heinrich Graetz and Dr. Joseph Klausner, compliment Him on His teaching. Some admire His parables and purity, as Moses Montefiore; and Some as Sholem Asch and others, even consider Him to be the Messiah of the Gentiles. Today we often meet Jewish people who acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah for Jew and Gentile alike; and some are even willing to share these convictions with other Jewish people. What then holds such Jewish people back from joining with us and accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior? The hindrance some have expressed to the writer of this article is the reluctance to accept the fact that Jesus is supernatural. Moreover, from childhood we have been inculcated with Maimonides' Thirteen Principles one of which is: I firmly believe that the Creator, blessed be his name, is One: that there is no oneness in any form like his; & that he alone was, is, & ever will be our God . We have been thus brought up to think that if we believe that God is One, then this idea excludes any idea of God manifesting Himself through Jesus the Messiah. This Christian concept of God's triunity seemed to us to be a Gentile and pagan idea. NOT SO! Christians, as well as Jewish people, must believe in One God. There is no other. The God of Abraham. Isaac and Jacob is the God of the Jewish people and of the Christians. The Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament are authoritative for the Jew and for the Christian. In them is found the confession that is authoritative for all of us. Hear. O Israel. the LORD our God, the LORD IS ONE. Deuteronomy 6:4 TRIUNITY IN TANAKH (Old Testament) While it is universally admitted by both Jews and Christians that God is One and that there is no one beside Him, we are also compelled to acknowledge that the triunity of God is clearly taught in the Torah, the Prophets, and in the Writings --- that is in the whole Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament, & the New Testament. Not only in the Tanakh but also in the Talmudical & Rabbinical writings this concept is well known. Space does not permit us to present proofs from all the sources in this short article. Here we present just a few challenging proofs: THE TORAH: When God (Elohim) create the world He wanted to make absolutely clear to His creation that He is not some abstract mathematical unitarian principle with no analogy in all creation, as some of our philosophers tried to present Him under Aristotelian influence. Instead we read in the holy Torah these words: And (Elohim) said. Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, & over all the earth. Genesis 1:26 Elohim made man, a being composed of a triunity --- body, soul and spirit, in the image of God; and to make this more clear God reveals Himself in His plural form of Elohim and says, "Let us make man." Even those of our rabbis who do not accept as yet the triunity of God, realize that this verse is clear support for such teaching. Thus in Midrash Rabbah on Genesis we find the following comments on the verse: Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman in the name of Rabbi Jonathan said, that at the time when Moses wrote the Torah; writing a portion of it daily, when he came to this Verse which says, "And Elohim said let us make man in our image after our likeness," Moses said, Master of the Universe why do you give herewith an excuse to the sectarians (who believe in the triunity of God). God answered Moses, You write and whoever wants to err let him err. But surely God did not make Moses to write the whole Scriptures in order to make people err. but rather to show them the right way and the right revelation, namely that the One God is a triune God who calls Himself Elohim and who says. Let us make man. THE PROPHETS: There are many Scr ipture verses which show clearly that God manifested Himself also as the Word by which He created heaven and earth and by which He leads and directs creation. He also manifested Himself as the Ruakh Hakodesh, the Holy Spirit, who inspired the prophets of God and who did mighty miracles through the great judges of Israel, Gideon, Samson, and David. We want to point out one Scripture which compels us to admit the triunity of God. Isaiah the prophet speaks in the name of God and says: Come near unto me. hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning: from the time that it was,there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. Isaiah 48:16 Here God calls the people to come to Him, but He is sent by the Lord GOD and His Spirit. Exactly the same teaching as we have found in the Torah. we find also in the teachings of God's prophets. How else can it be? The same God who commanded Moses to manifest His triunitarian nature commands also the Hebrew Prophets to do the same. THE WRITINGS: Very clearly we find the same teaching about God in the Psalms and in the other writings of the Hebrew Scriptures. We read in Psalm 2 where the Holy Spirit, the Ruakh Hakodesh, speaks through David and says: I will declare the decree: The LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee. Psalm 2:7 Here is the Holy Spirit speaking through David and instructing David, that the LORD, which is in Hebrew the ineffable name of Jehovah (which we pronounce as Adonai, has a Son who is begotten of God in a most supernatural way. Maybe King David himself did not well understand the words that he was commanded to write by the Holy Spirit; but as Moses and Isaiah, he obeyed. Be wrote this down for us so that there be no misunderstanding. God who is almighty manifests Himself as a triunity, leaving us no doubt as to His nature. IS TRINITY JEWISH? But is such a concept Jewish? Is it not some Gentile or pagan concept that has somehow crept into our Holy Scriptures as some extreme liberalists would like to tell us? No, this was and still is a Jewish conception of God creating and dealing with His creation and His people Israel in a triune way. This quotation bears it out: Exodus 19 starts with the words, "In the third month." This is explained by the words of Proverbs 22:20, "Have I not written to thee excellent (Hebrew, threefold) things in counsels and knowledge." On this Rabbi Joshua bar Nehemiah said that this is the Torah whose letters are threefold, alf, bet, g(i)ml, and everything is a Trinity: The Torah is Trinitarian, for it is composed of the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Mishna (talmudical learning) is a trinity composed of Talmud (learning) halakhot (daily Jewish laws) and haggadot (historical items). The mediator consisted of a trinity of Miriam, Moses, & Aaron. Prayers are a trinity of morning, afternoon, and evening prayers. Israel is a trinity consisting of priests, Levites and Israelites. The name Moses in Hebrew consists of three letters. He is of the tribe of Levi, which again is in the Hebrew three letters. from the seed of the Patriarchs who are a trinity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; in the third month which is Sivan, after Nisan & Iyar on mount Sin whose letters are three as it is written. "And they rested in the wilderness of Sin.".(Midrash Tanhuma on Exodus 19) If, according to our rabbis', God has made everything and arranged everything in a Trinitarian way. then it must also be Jewish and biblical to know that God, Himself is a Trinity. This He is and has manifested Himself as the Savior, Messiah, and Son of God in the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. He then sent down the Holy Spirit, the Ruakh Hakodesh, on the Disciples in the third month, of the Feast of Shavuot, the feast of perfection, celebrated after counting seven times seven. TRINITY AND COMMON SENSE But. can three be one? Does not common-sense rebel against such a statement? Must we not state categorically that God is either One or Three? Not so. As a matter of fact everything you come in contact with is not a mathematical concept of one, but usually an item composed of a trinity. The ancient Greek philosopher reasoned out the theory of atoms by simply watching a black cow, eating green grass, and then giving white milk. All things are composed of millions and billions of atoms; but the atom itself is a trinity of a proton, electron and nucleus. Perhaps we could best express it in the words of Dr. Henry Heydt: In Romans 1:20 Paul uses the creation of the cosmos as demonstrating this Godhead (theiotes]. The universe ... is an absolute triunity of space, time, and matter. Each of these in turn is an absolute triunity. Space consists of length, breadth, and depth or height: time is future, present, and past; matter is energy, motion, and phenomena. Here we have not merely an illustration of three in one --- as in the case of light, heat, and ultra-violet rays of the sunbeam, or the manifestation of H2O as liquid, ice, and steam --- but an absolute trinity composed of three absolute triunities. WHAT IS THE MEANING TO YOU? We now have only to answer the question. "What does it all matter?" The answer is that it matters very much. It proves the truth of God's Word. The most important thing is, what the Jewish Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) said, "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Do you want peace in your heart & peace with your Creator? Receive this gift of God; confess your sins and believe in God's Son, the Korban (sacrifice) for your sins. Then you will be saved & have perfect peace in your heart. "But as many as received him to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (John 1:12) Reprinted by permission of The Messianic Literature Outreach For further information contact: To Return To The Real Jesus Web Page To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE In Light ofTanakh The Trinity # 3 In Light of Tanakh The Trinity By Milton B. Lindberg Hear, O Israel (Shema Yisrael): The Lord our God (Adonai Eloheinu), the Lord is one (Adonai Ehad). Deuteronomy (Devarim) 6:4 Upon the rock of this declaration rests the second of the Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith: "I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, is a Unity, and that there is no unity in any manner like unto His, and that He alone is our God who was, is, and will be." From where, then, comes the doctrine of the Trinity? A large part of the world, though professing to worship the God who is revealed in the writings of Moses and the prophets, nevertheless believes in God as a Trinity. Although it may be granted that the Christian's New Testament teaches that the term God may be applied to God the Father, to God the Son, and to God the Holy Spirit, the Christian should cease to claim that he worships the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Moses and the prophets, the God of the Torah, the Neviim, and the Ketuvim, unless there is found in the Tenach (Old Testament), indisputable evidence that God exists in more than one personality. The first words of the Torah declare: "In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens (hashamayim) and the earth." It must be admitted that the word for God here is in the plural form, even as is the word for heavens, and that it is the same as used in the first commandment: "You shall have no other gods (Elohim) before me" (Exodus 20:3). Likewise in Deuteronomy 13:2 (v. 6 in Hebrew text): "If he (a false prophet) says, 'Let us follow other gods. '" Elohim is invariably a plural form. Additionally, when speaking of the act of creation performed in the beginning by Elohim the Triune God, Moses used a verb in the singular number, bara (created). It is reasoned by some that the plural Elohim is the "plural of majesty," used to ascribe majesty to one who is nevertheless a single individual, and that therefore the use of the singular verb would be entirely reasonable. But a singular verb is not invariably used with the plural Elohim. Readers familiar with the Hebrew text can check the plural verbs used in Genesis 20:13 and in Genesis 35:7. Plural adjectives are also used to describe this Elohim. For examples see Deuteronomy 4:7, Elohim krovim (God is near), and Joshua 24:19, Elohim kedoshim (a holy God). The plurality of the name Elohim leads naturally to a consideration of the fact that other plural words are also used in referring to God. In Genesis 1 :26 God said: "Let us make man in our image." In Genesis 3:22 God said: "The man has now become like one of us." And in Genesis 11:7 God said: "Come, let us go down and confuse their language." To whom, and of whom is God speaking with the use of these plural pronouns? We have seen in Genesis 1: 1 that Elohim (plural) created the heavens and the earth; and in the next verse we read: "And the Spirit of God (Ruah Elohim) was hovering over the waters." Was it speaking for himself and his Spirit that God (Elohim) said in verse 26: "Let us make man in our image?" Is this why Solomon said: Remember your Creator (plural, in the literal translation of Ecclesiastes 12:1)? In Proverbs 30:4 the challenging question is presented to mankind: "Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his Son? Tell me if you know!" Does God have a Son? In Psalm 2 we have a prophetic picture which should be read in its entirety. In it is described (vv. 2 and 3) the time when the nations will declare themselves against God, and against his Anointed One (Mashiho, from which our English word Messiah comes). God says in verse 6 that he will nevertheless establish this Messiah as his King on Zion, his holy hill. In verse 7 Messiah steps forward to declare the decree by which his coronation shall be accomplished saying: "I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: "He said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations (goyim) your inheritance. '" Furthermore, in Psalm 2:11-12 we are solemnly instructed: "Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son (nashqu bar), lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." The Hebrew for "kiss the Son" is nashqu bar. Even if this is translated, as some would have it, "Do homage in purity," the homage is to the Lord of verse 11 and to the Son of verse 7. The Tanakh clearly indicates that there is a divine personality who is called the Son of God, who is worthy of homage, and if we put our trust in him, we are blessed. In Psalm 110 , the one who is in a future day to rule in Zion is addressed as a divine personality by another who is also deity. "The Lord says to my Lord," writes David the psalmist, "sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies" (psalm 110:1-2). Here is one who is "the Lord" speaking to David's Lord and telling him to sit at his right hand until the time comes for him to rule in the midst of some who are now his enemies. Surely the psalm is speaking of two divine personalities, one whom is yet to be Israel's King! "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth" (Zechariah 14:9). "At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts" (Jeremiah 3: 17). Does the Tanakh indicate how a divine eternal personality can be a Son? Is this not a great problem, since being a son suggests the idea of generation and birth? The divine solution: deity becomes a Son by way of incarnation, God taking upon himself humanity. Hear the words of the prophet Isaiah: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever" (Isaiah 9:6-7b). "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign (no ordinary birth, but something so unusual, remarkable, and miraculous as to constitute a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:13-14). Immanuel means "God with us," deity incarnate, dwelling with men! Who are the three divine personalities Isaiah 48:11-18 (Yeshaiah Hanavii speaks about? "Listen to me, 0 Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. (Only God is eternal.) My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens (the Creator is speaking); ... And now the Sovereign Lord (one divine personality) has sent me (the speaker is eternal and the Creator, and therefore a second divine personality), with his Spirit (a third divine personality). "This is what the Lord says -- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. (This divine personality, the sent one, calls himself the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; and he says that he and God's Spirit have been sent by the Sovereign Lord.) If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” Not only has Israel failed to listen to him, but mankind generally has failed to heed the Redeemer; and until men turn to him wholeheartedly, there will be no peace. Many Jewish people express the lament that if there is a God, he seems to have forgotten the Jews; but Israel’s long night of suffering is not without purpose. God permits her hardship in order that Israel may be brought to acknowledge her rejection of her God and return to him. In Micah 5:2 (verse 1 in Hebrew text) we read: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Thus we have corroboration of other predictions already considered concerning Messiah: 1) that he was to appear in human form; 2) that he was to be rejected (see Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22); 3) that he was to be born in Bethlehem (and every year the world celebrates the birth which took place there more than nineteen hundred years ago, before the dispersion of the Jewish nation); 4) this one is to be Israel’s King; and 5) that he is deity, for his “origins are from of old, from ancient times.” But if three divine personalities are revealed in the Tanakh, why does Moses speak of God as one? The second of the Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith says: “The Creator, blessed be His name, is a Unity, and there is no unity in any manner like unto His.” The Hebrew word Maimonides used in the Principles of Faith for unity is the word yahid. The word yahid carries the thought of absolute oneness rather than unity. True, yahid always means oneness in the absolute sense. But the appeal of every honest seeker after truth is not to the Thirteen Principles of Faith, but to the Holy Scriptures, the Tanakh. The seventh of those Principles states: “I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses our teacher, peace be to him, was true, and that he was the chief of the prophets, both of those that preached and of those that followed him.” Therefore, to Moses we turn in Deuteronomy (Humesh Devarim) 6:4, and read: “Shema Yisrael (Hear, 0 Israel): Adonai Eloheinu (the Lord our God or Gods), Adonai ehad (the Lord a unity; not yahid, an absolute one, an only, but ehad). Ehad is the word that Moses also uses in Genesis 2:24, when he says: And they (husband and wife) will become one flesh (basar ehad). Ehad is the word that God uses when he tells Ezekiel: Join them together into one stick so that they (the two sticks for Israel and Judah) will become one (ehad) in your hand (Ezekiel 37: 17). Truly, “there is no unity in any manner like unto His,” for the unity which is God’s transcends all other unity. So unique is his unity, that the virgin born son, Immanuel, of whom we read in a former paragraph, is by the same prophet (Isaiah) called the Mighty God and Everlasting Father. So completely are the divine and timeless eternal personalities joined, that although one of them appeared in time as an incarnate Son, yet, being equally and eternally self-existent with the Father, he is said to exist eternally as the Son. At the same time he was, is, and ever will be one with the mighty God, the everlasting Father. Is it not also a remarkable fact that the eternal one’s appearance in time nineteen hundred [plus] years ago marks the focal point of all history, so that all the world reckons time as either before or after his coming, B.C. or A.D.? Jewish people may prefer the designations B.C.E. (before the common era) and C.E. (the common era), but the dividing point between the eras is the same. The careful and honest inquirer therefore comes to the conclusion that the Tenach teaches the Trinity as well as the Unity of God. God declared unto Moses: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let ‘him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God (Eloheinu), for he will freely pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7). Used for educational purposes from AMF International (Life In Messiah International) www.lifeinmessiah.org For further information contact: To Return To The Real Jesus Web Page To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE #4 T H E T R I N I T Y b y Dave Hunt Many Christians are at a loss to understand, much less to defend, the "Trinity" when that word is not even found in the Bible. To deal with that issue, we must begin with God, as the Bible itself does. There are two general concepts of God: (1) pantheism/naturalism, that the universe itself is God; and (2) supernaturalism, that the Creator is distinct from His creation. Within these are two more opposing views: (1) polytheism, that there are many gods; and (2) monotheism, that there is only one true God. Monotheism itself is divided into two rival beliefs: (1) that God is a single being; and (2) that God has always existed in three persons who are separate and distinct yet one. Obviously, Christians are the only ones who hold the latter view--and even some who call themselves Christians reject it. Yet it is the only logically and philosophically coherent view of God possible. Pantheism has the same fatal flaws as atheism. If everything is God, to be God has lost all meaning and so nothing is God. The problems with polytheism are equally obvious. There is no real God who is in charge, so the many gods fight wars and steal one another's wives. There's no basis for morals, truth or peace in heaven or earth. Polytheism's basic problem is: diversity without unity. The belief that God is a single being is held by both Muslims and Jews, who insist that Allah and Jehovah are single entities. It is also held by pseudo-Christian cults such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons - - - and by various aberrant Christian groups who also deny the deity of Christ. Some Pentecostals claim that God is a single being and that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are God's three "titles" or "offices." Here we have unity without diversity. That God must have both unity and diversity is clear. The Allah of Islam (like the Jehovah of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Jews), for instance, is incomplete in himself, unable to experience love, fellowship and communion before creating beings with whom he could have these experiences. The Bible says that "God is love." But the God of Islam and Judaism could not be love in and of himself-- or whom could he love when he was alone before creation? This belief that God is a single entity (Unitarianism) and not three persons existing eternally in one God (Trinitarianism) was first formulated in the early church around 220 A.D. by a Libyan theologian named Sabellius. He attempted to retain Biblical language concerning Father, Son and Holy Spirit without acknowledging the triune nature of God. Sabellius claimed that God existed as a single being, who manifested Himself in three activities, modes or aspects: as Father in the creation, as Son in redemption, and as Holy Spirit in prophecy and sanctification. This heresy, though condemned by the vast majority of Christians, survives to this day. The Bible presents a God who did not need to create any beings to experience love , communion and fellowship. This God is complete in Himself, being three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, separate and distinct yet at the same time eternally One God. They loved and communed and fellowshipped with each other and took counsel together before the universe, angels or man were brought into existence. Isaiah "heard the voice of the LORD [in eternity past] saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (Is 6:8) . Moses revealed the same counseling together of the Godhead: "And God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness" ; and again, "[L]et us go down and there confound their language" (Genesis 1:26; 1 1:7). Who is this "us" if God is a single entity? Why does God say, "the man is become as one of us"? (Genesis 3:22) Moreover, if God is a single being, then why is the plural Hebrew noun Elohim (literally "Gods") used for God repeatedly? In fact, this plural noun is in the center of Israel's famous confession of the oneness of God! The Shema declares, "Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord" (Deuteronomy 6:4 Mark 12:29). In the Hebrew it reads, "Jehovah our Elohim (gods) is one [echad] Jehovah." The Hebrew word echad allows for a unity of more than one. For example, it is used in Genesis 2:24 where man and woman become one flesh; in Exodus 36:13 when the various parts "became one tabernacle"; in 2 Samuel 2:25 when many soldiers "became one troop"; and elsewhere. Nor is the word Elohim the only way in which God's plurality is presented. For example, Ecclesiastes 12:1:"Remember now thy creator [lit. "Creators"]"; and Isaiah 54:5: "For thy Maker is thine husband [lit. "Makers, husbands"]" Unitarianism has no explanation for this consistent presentation of God’s plurality all through the Old Testament. Although the word "trinity" does not occur in the Bible, the concept is clearly there, providing the unity and diversity that makes possible the love, fellowship and communion within the Godhead. Truly the Trinitarian God is love--and He alone. Jesus said, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand" (John 3:35). God's love is not just toward mankind but first of all among the three Persons of the Godhead. And three Persons they must be. Father, Son and Holy Spirit can't be mere offices, titles or modes in which God manifests Himself, for such cannot love, consult and fellowship together. Not only is the Son presented as a person, but so are the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Bible presents each as having His own personality: each wills, acts, loves, cares, can be grieved or become angry. "Offices" or "titles" don't do that! Unitarianism isn't Biblical--and it robs the Godhead of the necessary qualities of true Deity. Godhead? Is that a Biblical term? Yes, indeed. It occurs three times in the King James New Testament in Acts 17:29, Romans 1:20, and Colossians 2:9. In contrast to theos, which is used consistently throughout the New Testament for "God," three different but related Greek words occur in these verses (theios, theiotes, theotes) which the King James translators carefully designated by the special word, Godhead. That very term indicates a plurality of being. Paul wrote, "[I]n him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col 2.9). Did he simply mean that in Christ dwelt all the fullness of Himself? That would be like saying that in me dwells all the fullness of me. Well, of course it does--- so why say it, and what does it really mean? Nothing! Does it simply mean that in Christ dwells all the fullness of Deity, as some non-KJV translations render it? That, too, would be redundant--or it would detract from the deity of Christ. For if Christ is intrinsically God, then what is the point of saying that "in Him dwells all the fullness of Deity"? Of course it does! But if Christ is the Son and there are two other persons in the Godhead, then it does mean something. It means that just as Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God, so, when the Son became man, He brought that fullness of the Godhead with Him into flesh. In Romans 1:20 Paul argues that God's "eternal power and Godhead" are seen in the creation He made. God's eternal power--but His Godhead? Yes, as Dr. Wood pointed out years ago in The Secret of the Universe, the triune nature of God is stamped on His creation. The cosmos is divided into three: space, matter and time. Each of these is divided into three. Space, for instance, is composed of length, breadth and width, each separate and distinct in itself, yet the three are one. Length, breadth and width are not three spaces, but three dimensions comprising one space. Run enough lines lengthwise and you take in the whole. But so it is with the width and height. Each is separate and yet distinct, each is all of space--just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, yet each is God. Time also is a trinity: past, present and future-- two invisible and one visible. Each is separate and distinct, yet each is the whole. Man himself is a triunity of spirit, soul and body, two of which are invisible, one visible. Many more details could be given of the Godhead's triunity reflected in the universe. It can hardly be coincidence. The Hebrew word Elohim (Gods) occurs about 2,500 times in the Old Testament, while the singular form occurs only 250 times and most of those designate false gods. Genesis 1:1 reads, "In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth" ; i.e., literally, "GODS created the heaven and the earth." Though a single noun is available, yet the plural form is consistently used for God. And in violation of grammatical rules, with few exceptions, singular verbs and pronouns are used with this plural noun. Why? At the burning bush it was Elohim (Gods) who spoke to Moses. Yet Elohim did not say, "We are that we are," but "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14). One cannot escape the fact that all through the Bible God is presented as a plurality and yet as one, as having both diversity and unity. This is unknown among all the world's religions! To reject the Trinity is to reject the unique God of the Bible. The New Testament presents three Persons who are distinct, yet each is recognized as God. At the same time we have repeatedly the clear statement that there is only one true God. Christ prays to the Father. Is He praying to Himself? "[T]he Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world" (I John 4:14). Did He send Himself'? Worse yet, did one "office" pray to and send a "title"? Father, Son and Holy Spirit have distinct functions, yet each works only in conjunction with the others. Christ said, "[T]he words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself [on my own initiative]: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" (John 14:10) ; "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter .... Even the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16-17). Throughout the New Testament Father, Son and Holy Spirit are separately honored and act as God, yet only in concert with one another. The Old Testament also presents three Persons in the Godhead interacting. For example: "Hearken unto me, 0 Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens-from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me" (Isaiah 48:12-16) . The One speaking through Isaiah refers to Himself as "the first and the last" and the Creator of all, so He must be God. But he speaks of two others in the same passage who must also be God: "the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me." Jesus presented a similar passage to the Pharisees (Matthew 22:41-46) when He asked them who the Messiah was, and they said, "The Son of David." He then quoted Psalm 110:1: "The LORD said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool." Then Jesus asked them, "If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?" (Matthew 22:45). The Pharisees were speechless. Unitarianism cannot explain these two "Lords." It is a mystery how God can exist in three Persons yet be one God; but it is also a mystery how God could have no beginning and create everything out of nothing. We can't understand what a human soul or spirit is. Nor can we explain love or beauty or justice. It is beyond human capacity to comprehend the full nature of God's being. But neither can we understand what it means for us or anything else to exist-- nor is can we comprehend what space is or what time is or matter. For every door science opens, there are ten more unopened doors on the other side. The more we learn, the more rapidly the unknown expands before us like receding images in a hall of mirrors. The Jehovah's Witnesses and other Unitarians argue that because the Trinity can't be understood it can't be. But the fact that it is beyond human comprehension is no reason for rejecting what the Bible presents so consistently to us. God is telling us about Himself so that we may believe in and know Him. We dare not reject what He says or lower it to the level of our finite minds. Written primarily to respond to teachings of The United Pentecostal Church. Also see Global Peace and the Rise of Antichrist, Chapter 18 For more information contact: The Berean Call www.thebereancall.org For further information contact: To Return To The Real Jesus Web Page To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE The Trinity by Dave Hunt

I do not believe that we in the Messianic Movement should use the "Rabbi" title due to it being one originally developed and acquired by unbelieving people. It drives a wedge between us & the unsaved Jewish community who laugh and scorn such as being a lie, deceit and proof that "Christians" will do anything to try to win a convert.  After 46 years in mission work among Jewish people this has been one of the most difficult fences to overcome in witness of the Gospel. We have to agree with them. Ask Pastor Re uben Why do some leaders in the Messianic Jewish Movement say they are a rabbi or a Messianic Rabbi? S H A L O M ! _______ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW ______ Biblical Question: Why do some leaders in the Messianic Jewish Movement say they are a rabbi or a Messianic Rabbi? Our Question: Dear Pastor Reuben, Why do some leaders in the Messianic Jewish Movement say they are a rabbi or a Messianic Rabbi? Isn't this a Jewish term highly regarded and special in the Jewish Community worldwide? Many I see aren't even Jewish born! How can this be? I hope you can help. Thanks, Greg Pastor Reuben's Answer: Shalom Greg, I appreciate your note and sincere questions. I do not believe that we in the Messianic Movement should use the "Rabbi" title due to it being one originally developed and acquired by unbelieving people. It means confirming an ancient scholarly position within Judaism after usually very demanding scholarly work over 4-10 years of prescribed study and testing. Also, it is not a title we can just use, take upon ourselves, just because it is "cool". It certainly doesn't make us more Jewish nor authoritative in Jewish life. In fact it drives a wedge between us and the unsaved Jewish community who laugh and scorn such as being a lie, deceit and proof that "Christians" will do anything to try to win a convert. After 46 years in mission work among Jewish people this has been one of the most difficult fences to overcome in witness of the Gospel. We have to agree with them. Some justify this rabbi title usage by saying that the word merely means teacher or that Yeshua (Jesus) was referred to as such, so they can as teachers and Believers in Jesus take the title. Well, first off the word means much more than just teacher (see above comments) and the fact is that God (Jesus) certainly can take the title; He is the Rabbi! No one as His talmidim (disciples) can just assume such a Jewish knowledge base and position. Personally, I use the title of Messianic Pastor. I take Torah as being the total Bible; Old and New Covenants. I am observant of it all as the Lord commanded, and I hold to faith versus works in a Messianic Jewish life for myself. May God bless you, Pastor Reuben Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask..... To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben's Biblical Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to To Life L'Chaim Find Eternal Life Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

Is confession in the Bible? Discussion, theology and food for thought. Ask Pastor Reuben Confession in the Bible: Verses About Confessing Your Sins S H A L O M ! ______ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW ______ Biblical Question: Dear Pastor Reuben, Please help me understand about confessing sins as a believer, are we to or not? I appreciate your thoughts on this. Blessings, Daniel Pastor Reuben's Answer: Shalom Daniel When many people hear ‘confessing your sin’, they think it reserved for monks in a monastery or of paying penance to God by entering a church confessional. But Scripture teaches us it is an important practice for the life of every Christian. The answers to these questions about confession in the Bible may surprise you. What does the Bible say about confession? What will happen if you don’t confess your sins? Psalm 32 offers us several powerful reasons to confess our sins and shows us the consequences of unconfessed sin. David felt weak and was miserable when he did not confess. Verses 3-4 says, “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.” Before confessing his sin, David was exhausted. Why? The life was being drained out of him by sin. If you do not weaken sin, it saps your spiritual strength, it weakens you. When I see a sin forming in my life, I must say, “If I’m to serve Christ, I dare not let this grow! It’ll drain the life out of me…” Why should you confess your sins? In addition to avoiding the negative effects of unconfessed sin, biblical confession is a way to experience more of God’s grace. Biblical confession should be in some ways a joy due to the rich benefits God gives us through it. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” John also recognized that believing involved admitting our sins and seeking God's forgiveness. Depending on God for cleansing from guilt, along with admitting our wrongs against others and making amends, was another important part of getting to know God. This does not mean that God will only forgive a sin only if it has been specifically confessed. When a Christian repents and believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ, all of their sins, past, present, and future are immediately forgiven! Confessing is part of the sanctification process and aids Christians in dealing with sin and healing from it. James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Why confess your sin if God already knows your sin? Christians confess their sins to God to practice humbleness before him and to fess up to the bad things they have done. It takes a humble person to admit their mistakes! Humility is a vital part of confession and aids the restoration of Christians who have quenched the Spirit of God. Peter in 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” A True Confession is Done in Humility with an Attitude of Repentance Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. 1 Peter 5:6 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 “…you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God… For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation…” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 List of Bible Verses About Confession Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah Psalm 32:1-5 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Proverbs 28:13 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 What about the Christian who continues to sin? There is a difference between continuing to sin and continuing to live in sin. No one reaches sinless perfection in this life, but the redeemed Christian is being sanctified (made holy) day by day, sinning less and hating it more each time he fails. The Bible teaches that, while we are in the flesh, we will always struggle with a sin nature (see Romans 7:14-24 ). No one will be “perfect” (sinless) until we reach heaven. Yes, we still sin, but unwillingly and less and less frequently as we mature. Our new self hates the sin that still has a hold on us. The difference is that the new creation is no longer a slave to sin, as we formerly were. We are now freed from sin and it no longer has power over us (Romans 6:6-7 ). Now we are empowered by and for righteousness. We now have the choice to “let sin reign” or to count ourselves “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11-12 ). Best of all, now we have the power to choose the latter. Hope I have been of some help. God bless you, Pastor Reuben Drebenstedt director Menorah-Menorah Ministries- Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben Biblical Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to To Life L'Chaim Find Eternal Life Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

THE CONTROVERSY Isaiah 7:13-14 is a prophecy concerning the virgin conception and the birth of the Messiah. This is perhaps the most controversial of the messianic prophecies and therefore requires a closer textual analysis than others. The exact meaning of this passage is disputed by rabbis, liberal theologians and even by some evangelical theologians. The passage talks of "a sign: The virgin will be with child..." There are two areas of controversy here". THE SIGN OF THE VIRGIN The Controversy Isaiah 7:13-14 is a prophecy concerning the virgin conception and the birth of the Messiah. This is perhaps the most controversial of the messianic prophecies and therefore requires a closer textual analysis than others. The exact meaning of this passage is disputed by rabbis, liberal theologians and even by some evangelical theologians. The passage talks of "a sign: The virgin will be with child..." There are two areas of controversy here: 1. The sign: Since the context of the chapter requires a short range prophecy - giving a sign to King Ahaz - how can this be applied to the birth of a child some 700 years later, as claimed in Matthew 1:22-23? 2. The Hebrew word "Almah": Does it really mean a virgin, or simply a young unmarried woman? We will deal with both of these contentious issues before proceeding to discuss the passage itself. Hermeneutics Since Isaiah 7:13-14 requires an immediate sign to King Ahaz, many Evangelicals have taken this verse to be an example of "double fulfillment." This principle states that a prophecy may have more than one fulfillment. This verse may, accordingly, be both a sign for King Ahaz and the sign in Matthew 1:22-23 for the birth of Jesus. We do not accept the principle of double fulfillment either here or in any other place in the Bible. If this principle were true, there would be no real need for the virgin birth at all. There is another, better principle of biblical interpretation which is "double reference." This principle states that one block of Scripture dealing with one person, one event, one time, may be followed by another block of Scripture dealing with a different person, place and time, without making any clear distinction between the two blocks or indicating that there is a gap of time between the two blocks. The act of a gap of time is known only from other Scriptures. There are, therefore, two separate prophecies side-by-side each having their own fulfillment, but with only one fulfillment per prophecy. "Double Fulfillment" states that one prophecy can have two fulfillments. "Double Reference" states that the one piece of Scripture actually contains two prophecies, each having its own fulfillment. Isaiah 7:13-17 contains two quite separate prophecies with different purposes, and having different fulfillments at different times. The Hebrew Word Almah The major debate, of course, is over the exact meaning of the Hebrew word almah, translated here as virgin. In describing a young woman, there are three Hebrew words which Isaiah could have used: 1. Na'a'rah Na'a'rah means "damsel" and can refer to either a virgin (as in I Kings 1:2), or a non-virgin (as in Ruth 2:6). 2. Betulah This is commonly considered to mean a virgin, exclusively. It is argued that if Isaiah had really meant to say a virgin, then he would have used this word. It is true that this word is often used to mean virgin, but not always. For example: a. In Joel 1:8 it is used in reference to a widow. b. In Genesis 24:16, because the word does not exclusively mean "virgin" the writer adds the phrase "had never known a man" in order to clarify what he means. c. Again in Judges 21:12 the phrase "had not known a man" has to be added to give the precise meaning. 3. Almah Almah means "a virgin," "a young virgin," a "virgin of marriageable age." This word is used seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures and not once is it used to describe a married woman; this point is not debated. a. Genesis 24:43. In contrast to 24:16 mentioned above, verse 43 requires no additional qualifying remarks since the one word alone is sufficient to mean "virgin." Furthermore, it is used of Rebekah who was obviously a virgin at the time of her marriage to Isaac. b. Exodus 2:8. Used in reference to Moses' sister Miriam, who was a virgin. c. Psalm 68:25. Used in reference to the royal procession of virgins. Since the King in this context is God Himself, absolute virginity is required; it is unthinkable that God would allow unchaste, unmarried women in His procession. d. Song of Songs 1:3. The context here is purity in marriage. e. Song of Songs 6:8. The word is used here in contrast to wives and concubines who would obviously be non-virgins. f. Proverbs 30:18-19. The word is used in verse 19 in contrast to an adulteress in verse 20. g. Isaiah 7:14. Since all of the above six verses mean "a virgin," what reason is there for making Isaiah 7:14 the only exception? Since everyone agrees that almah means an unmarried woman, if the woman in Isaiah 7:14 were a non-virgin, then God would be promising a sign involving fornication and illegitimacy. It is unthinkable that God would sanction sin, and in any case, what would be so unusual about an illegitimate baby that could possibly constitute a sign? As far as ancient Jewish writers were concerned, there was no argument about Isaiah 7:14 predicting a virgin birth. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made about 200 B.C., 200 years before the issue of Jesus' Messiahship ever arose. The Jews who made this translation, living much closer to the times of Isaiah than we do today, translated Isaiah 7:14 using the Greek word parthenos which very clearly and exclusively means a virgin. There can therefore be no doubt that the unique event which God is promising as a sign is the miraculous conception of a son by a girl who is still a virgin. Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NASB) To Return To Menorah's Web Page To Return To To Life - L'Chaim Find Eternal Life Web Page To Return To Who Is Yeshua Jesus Web Page

The use of “Allah” by Arab Christians in the early centuries after Christ ascended is attributable to lax missionary language in their attempt to get the polytheistic Arabs to understand a monotheistic God.  Mohammed simply co-opted “El-Ilah” or “Allah” after this to help bring Arab polytheists into monotheism. Ask Pastor Re’uben Should Jehovah God Be Called Allah? S H A L O M ! ______ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW ______ Biblical Question: Dear Pastor Reuben, I am in a group that has Arab Christians in it and they refer to Jehovah/God as "Allah”. They say that Arab Christians before the onset of Mohammed and Islam called Jehovah "Allah” I responded that Jehovah should never be called "Allah" because "Allah" was a pre-Islamic god worshipped by pagan Arabs at the Kaaba. I appreciate your help as this does not seem to have an easy answer and I do not want to irritate Arab Christians if I'm wrong. I appreciate your thoughts on this. Blessings, Brad Pastor Reuben's Answer: Shalom Brad, I greatly appreciate your concerns and stand with you. We work a lot in face to face witnessing situations taking the Gospel to Muslims. Two Islamic scholar Christian friends gave me these answers as I revisited the topic with them: 1. There are factual errors here. The pre-Islamic use of “Allah” was widely used in the polytheistic Arab communities. The reason that “Allah” became a name for the Judeo-Christian Jehovah was that Christian missionaries in the Middle East (late 2nd century-600 A.D.) used the name “El-Ilah” or “Allah” for the Arabs to understand that Jehovah was above their other gods. The use of “Allah” by Arab Christians in the early centuries after Christ ascended is attributable to lax missionary language in their attempt to get the polytheistic Arabs to understand a monotheistic God. Mohammed simply co-opted “El-Ilah” or “Allah” after this to help bring Arab polytheists into monotheism. 2. Yes, Allah was used by pagan, pre-Islamic Arabs to refer to a specific idol, who had three daughters named Al'Lat, Manat, and 'Uzzah (or al-Uzzah). Muslims claim the Allah they worship is the same God that Christians and Jews worship - except in Malaysia, where it is against the law in this Muslim nation for any Christian literature to claim Christians and Muslims worship the same God. There is vague ambiguity among Muslims, because Allah is the name of their God, and it is also a generic name for God. So if you ask them, does Hinduism have thousands of Allahs, they might say no, because there is just one Allah. Then you can ask what about Hinduism having thousands of that they worship? They would say idols. Then what did the pre-Islamic Arabs worship that had three daughters named Al-Lat, Manat, and 'Uzzah? Why did Mohammed never explain to these same pre-Islamic Arabs who Allah was? Mohammed's father was named 'Abdullah meaning "slave of Allah". A tribe of Jews was called 'Abdullah bin Salam in Bukhari vol.5 book 59 ch.13 no.362 p.241 It is true the Christians prior to Mohammed used the named "Allah" for the One True God. It may have come from the Semitic word for El. The people of Ugarit (in northern Phoenicia) also used the word "El" for God, and they used it for a specific deity in their pantheon. Today, many Arabic Bibles use the name "Allah" for God. Other Arabic Bibles do not. Arabic-speaking Christians disagree about the best name to use today for God. Indonesian Bibles also use the word "Allah" for God. So while I would not use the name "Allah" for God in English, I would not get too hung up on whether a particular Arabic-speaking Christian used the word Allah for God or not. However, we need to make it clear that regardless of names, Christians and Muslims do not worship the same God, any more than all religions that worship a Creator worship the same God. Likewise Muslims claim to honor Jesus, but it is a different Jesus than Christians have, not the Son of God. When a Muslims tells me that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, one response I give is as follows: Christians worship the Father. Do Muslims worship the Father. [No] Christians worship Jesus, God the Son. Do Muslims worship Jesus, God the Son. [No] Christians worship the Holy Spirit. Do Muslims worship the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Godhead. [No] Who told you that Christians and Muslims worship the same God? Which part of the Trinity do Christians and Muslims both worship? We Brad, clearly see the error as you do. That it is not correct in a true Christians life to insist on using a name that is primarily used to = the god of Islam when most of the world understands it as such. Why confuse the matter among the unsaved or misguided/misinformed? Certainly seems only to further worship of a false god to me. Hope I have been of some help. See: False and Near Christian Religions God bless you, Pastor Reuben Drebenstedt, director Menorah-Menorah Ministries- Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben Biblical Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to Menorah's Web Page

Biblical proof that Jesus is God, how, why, what it means. Jesus Christ is God There is only one God Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, Isra'el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one] D'varim/Deuteronomy 6:4 -Old Testament Passages (Adonai=Ahdohni/Lord God) -Yesha'yahu/Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore Adonai himself will give you people a sign: the young woman will become pregnant, bear a son and name him 'Immanu El [God is with us]. . -Yesha'yahu/Isaiah 9:6 - For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; dominion will rest on his shoulders, and he will be given the name Pele-Yo'etz El Gibbor Avi-'Ad Sar-Shalom [Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace], -Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 23:5-6 - "The days are coming," says ADONAI when I will raise a righteous Branch for David. He will reign as king and succeed, he will do what is just and right in the land. In his days Y'hudah will be saved, Isra'el will live in safety, and the name given to him will be ADONAI Tzidkenu [ADONAI our righteousness]. -Mikhah/Micah 5:2 - But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y'hudah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Isra'el, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times. -Mal'akhi/Malachi 3:1-2 - "Look! I am sending my messenger to clear the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Yes, the messenger of the covenant, in whom you take such delight - look! -----Here he comes," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. But who can endure the day when he comes? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like the soap maker’s lye. -Tehillah/Psalm 2:11-12- Serve ADONAI with fear; rejoice, but with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and you perish along the way, when suddenly his anger blazes. How blessed are all who take refuge in him. -Tehillah/Psalm 45:1, 6-7 - For the leader. Set to "Lilies." By the descendants of Korach. A maskil. A lovesong: My heart is stirred by a noble theme; I address my verses to the king; My tongue is the pen of an expert scribe. ...Your throne, God, will last forever and ever; you rule your kingdom with a scepter of equity. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy in preference to your companions. -Tehillah/Psalm 110:1-3 - A psalm of David: ADONAI says to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." ADONAI will send your powerful scepter out from Tziyon, so that you will rule over your enemies around you. On the day your forces mobilize, your people willingly offer themselves in holy splendors from the womb of the dawn; the dew of your youth is yours. New Testament Passages -Mattityahu/Matthew 1:23- "The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him `Immanu El."a (The name means, "God is with us.") -Mark 2:5-11- Seeing their trust, Yeshua said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Some Torah-teachers sitting there thought to themselves, "How can this fellow say such a thing? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God?" But immediately Yeshua, perceiving in his spirit what they were thinking, said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier to say to the paralyzed man? `Your sins are forgiven'? or `Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk'? But look! I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." He then said to the paralytic, "I say to you: get up, pick up your stretcher and go home!" -Luke 5:20-24- When Yeshua saw their trust, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." The Torah-teachers and the P'rushim began thinking, "Who is this fellow that speaks such blasphemies? Who can forgive sin except God?" But Yeshua, knowing what they were think ing, answered, "Why are you turning over such thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier to say? `Your sins are forgiven you'? or `Get up and walk'? But look! I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." He then said to the paralytic, "I say to you: get up, pick up your mattress and go home!" -Yochanan/John 1:1-3, 14 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing made had being. -Yochanan/John 1:18- No one has ever seen God; but the only and unique Son, who is identical with God and is at the Father's side -- he has made him known. -Yochanan/John 5:17-26- But he answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I too am working." This answer made the Judeans all the more intent on killing him -- not only was he breaking Shabbat; but also, by saying that God was his own Father, he was claiming equality with God. Therefore, Yeshua said this to them: "Yes, indeed! I tell you that the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does, the Son does too. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does; and he will show him even greater things than these, so that you will be amazed. Just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, so too the Son makes alive anyone he wants. The Father does not judge anyone but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever fails to honor the Son is not honoring the Father who sent him. Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever hears what I am saying and trusts the One who sent me has eternal life -- that is, he will not come up for judgment but has already crossed over from death to life! Yes, indeed! I tell you that there is coming a time -- in fact, it's already here -- when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will come to life. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has given the Son life to have in himself. -Yochanan/John 8:57-59- "Why, you're not yet fifty years old," the Judeans replied, "and you have seen Avraham?" Yeshua said to them, "Yes, indeed! Before Avraham came into being, I AM!" At this, they picked up stones to throw at him; but Yeshua was hidden and left the Temple grounds. -Yochanan/John 10:28-39- and I give them eternal life. They will absolutely never be destroyed, and no one will snatch them from my hands. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them from the Father's hands. I and the Father are one." Once again the Judeans picked up rocks in order to stone him. Yeshua answered them, "You have seen me do many good deeds that reflect the Father's power; for which one of these deeds are you stoning me?" The Judeans replied, "We are not stoning you for any good deed, but for blasphemy -- because you, who are only a man, are making yourself out to be God [Hebrew: Elohim]." Yeshua answered them, "Isn't it written in your Torah, `I have said, "You people are Elohim' "?h If he called `elohim' the people to whom the word of Elohim was addressed (and the Tanakh cannot be broken), then are you telling the one whom the Father set apart as holy and sent into the world, `You are committing blasphemy,' just because I said, `I am a son of Elohim'? "If I am not doing deeds that reflect my Father's power, don't trust me. But if I am, then, even if you don't trust me, trust the deeds; so that you may understand once and for all that the Father is united with me, and I am united with the Father." One more time they tried to arrest him, but he slipped out of their hands. -Yochanan/John 20:27-28- "Then he said to T'oma, "Put your finger here, look at my hands, take your hand and put it into my side. Don't be lacking in trust, but have trust!" T'oma answered him, "My Lord and my God!" -Romans 9:5- "...the Patriarchs are theirs; and from them, as far as his physical descent is concerned, came the Messiah, who is over all. Praised be ADONAI forever! Amen. Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen" -Philippians 2:5-8- Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua: Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force. On the contrary, he emptied himself, in that he took the form of a slave by becoming like human beings are. And when he appeared as a human being, he humbled himself still more by becoming obedient even to death - death on a stake as a criminal! -Colossians 1:15-16- He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is supreme over all creation, because in connection with him were created all things - in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, lordships, rulers or authorities - they have all been created through him and for him. -Colossians 2:8-10- Watch out, so that no one will take you captive by means of philosophy and empty deceit, following human tradition which accords with the elemental spirits of the world but does not accord with the Messiah. For in him, bodily, lives the fullness of all that God is. And it is in union with him that you have been made full - he is the head of every rule and authority. -1 Timothy 1:16-17- But this is precisely why I received mercy - so that in me, as the number one sinner, Yeshua the Messiah might demonstrate how very patient he is, as an example to those who would later come to trust in him and thereby have eternal life. So to the King - eternal, imperishable and invisible, the only God there is - let there be honor and glory for ever and ever! Amen. -1 Timothy 2:3-4- This is what God, our Deliverer, regards as good; this is what meets his approval. He wants all humanity to be delivered and come to full knowledge of the truth. -1 Timothy 3:16- Great beyond all question is the formerly hidden truth underlying our faith: He was manifested physically and proved righteous spiritually, seen by angels and proclaimed among the nations, trusted throughout the world and raised up in glory to heaven. -1 Timothy 6:14-16- to obey your commission spotlessly and irreproachably until our Lord Yeshua the Messiah appears. His appearing will be brought about in its own time by the blessed and sole Sovereign, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal, who dwells in unapproachable light that no human being has ever seen or can see - to him be honor and eternal power. Amen. -Titus 1:3- but made public this word of his in its own season through a proclamation with which I have been entrusted by order of God, our Deliverer. -Titus 2:10- or pilfering. On the contrary, they should demonstrate complete faithfulness always, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Deliverer more attractive. -Titus 2:13- while continuing to expect the blessed fulfillment of our certain hope, which is the appearing of the Sh'khinah of our great God and the appearing of our Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah. -Messianic Jews/Hebrews 1:1-3- In days gone by, God spoke in many and varied ways to the Fathers through the prophets. But now, in the acharit-hayamim, he has spoken to us through his Son, to whom he has given ownership of everything and through whom he created the universe. This Son is the radiance of the Sh'khinah, the very expression of God's essence, upholding all that exists by his powerful word; and after he had, through himself, made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of HaG'dulah BaM'romim. -Messianic Jews/Hebrews 1:8- but to the Son, he says, "Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; you rule your Kingdom with a scepter of equity; -Y'hudah/Jude 24-25- Now, to the one who can keep you from falling and set you without defect and full of joy in the presence of his Sh'khinah to God alone, our Deliverer, through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord be glory, majesty, power and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen -Revelation 21:6-7- And he said to me, "It is done! I am the 'A' and the 'Z,' the Beginning and the End. To anyone who is thirsty I myself will give water free of charge from the Fountain of Life. He who wins the victory will receive these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. 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God does hear all prayers but especially those of Believers in Jesus. But it is clear God hears all prayers, though He only answers according to His will. This is true whether the person is a devout believer, a "sinning" believer, or not a believer. First John 5:14-15 tells us that God answers prayers based on whether they are asked according to His will. This principle, perhaps, applies to unbelievers. If an unbeliever asks a prayer of God that is according to His will, no Ask Pastor Reuben Does God hear/answer the prayers of a sinner/unbeliever? S H A L O M ! ______ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW ______ Biblical Question: Dear Pastor Reuben, Does God hear/answer the prayers of a sinner/unbeliever? I appreciate your thoughts on this. Blessings, Daniel Pastor Reuben's Answer: Shalom Daniel Answer: John 9:31 declares, “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.” It has also been said that “the only prayer that God hears from a sinner is the prayer for salvation.” As a result, some believe that God does not hear and/or will never answer the prayers of an unbeliever. In context, though, John 9:31 is saying that God does not perform miracles through an unbeliever. Some have interpreted this passage to mean that God does not hear the prayers of unbelievers excepting one for salvation. Others argue that believers who pray while living in sin are not heard by God until they repent. But it is clear God hears all prayers , though He only answers according to His will. This is true whether the person is a devout believer, a "sinning" believer, or not a believer. First John 5:14-15 tells us that God answers prayers based on whether they are asked according to His will. This principle, perhaps, applies to unbelievers. If an unbeliever asks a prayer of God that is according to His will, nothing prevents God from answering such a prayer—according to His will. Some Scriptures describe God hearing and answering the prayers of unbelievers. In most of these cases, prayer was involved. In one or two, God responded to the cry of the heart (it is not stated whether that cry was directed toward God). In some of these cases, the prayer seems to be combined with repentance. But in other cases, the prayer was simply for an earthly need or blessing, and God responded either out of compassion or in response to the genuine seeking or the faith of the person. Here are some passages dealing with prayer by an unbeliever: The people of Nineveh prayed that Nineveh might be spared (Jonah 3:5-10 ). God answered this prayer and did not destroy the city of Nineveh as He had threatened. Hagar asked God to protect her son Ishmael (Genesis 21:14-19 ). God not only protected Ishmael, God blessed him exceedingly. In 1 Kings 21:17-29 , especially verses 27-29, Ahab fasts and mourns over Elijah's prophecy concerning his posterity . God responds by not bringing about the calamity in Ahab's time. The Gentile woman from the Tyre and Sidon area prayed that Jesus would deliver her daughter from a demon (Mark 7:24-30 ). Jesus cast the demon out of the woman’s daughter. Cornelius , the Roman centurion in Acts 10 , had the apostle Peter sent to him in response to Cornelius being a righteous man. Acts 10:2 tells us that Cornelius “prayed to God regularly.” God does make promises that are applicable to all (saved and unsaved alike) such as Jeremiah 29:13 : “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” This was the case for Cornelius in Acts 10:1-6 . But there are many promises that, according to the context of the passages, are for Christians alone. Because Christians have received Jesus as the Savior, they are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16 ). We are told that when we ask for anything according to God's will, He hears and gives us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15 ). There are many other promises for Christians concerning prayer (Matthew 21:22 ; John 14:13 , 15:7 ). So, yes, there are instances in which God does not answer the prayers of an unbeliever. At the same time, in His grace and mercy, God can intervene in the lives of unbelievers in response to their prayers. Conclusion: While many of the teachings regarding prayer in the Bible are written to believers, God hears the prayers of all, responds to those who seek Him with all their heart, and calls believers especially to boldly come to Him with their prayers. He promises to both hear and answer according to His perfect will. Hope I have been of some help. www.menorah.org/false.html God bless you, Pastor Reuben Drebenstedt, director Menorah-Menorah Ministries - www.menorah.org Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben Biblical Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to To Life L'Chaim Find Life Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

Russia Turkey Libya Sudan Iran will invade Israel Exodus 38. Ezekiel's vision concerning an attack upon Israel by a violent enemy, Gog and Magog, occupies two chapters (38-39).  The prophet foretells the utter destruction of Gog, whose weapons will provide Israel with fuel for seven years and whose corpses will require seven months to bury; then the entire world will acknowledge the power and majesty of the true God. Ask Re’uben What is this Gog and Magog stuff.... who & why?? S H A L O M ! _______________ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW _______________ Biblical Question: What is this Gog and Magog stuff.... who & why?? Our Question: Frank. from Savannah, GA asks: Dear Pastor Reuben, I am really getting confused. What and/or should I say is Ezekiel talking about in chapter 38, 39. Just what does it mean? Is Russia really the invaders of my home land Israel in the last days? Many of my friends tell me I am not to read these "mysterious" scriptures nor try to figure them out. Why? Are these important to understand and if so why? Your help and recommendations of further reading would be appreciated. Frank B. Pastor Reuben's Answer: Dear Frank, shalom, YES, these Scriptures are important to us and it is good to seek understanding. While many, especially in the Jewish community, would say to not read or seek to understand, I do believe God gave the Scriptures for our edification, peace, direction, help, understanding of His plan and love. And, most of all, to assure us and the world of His redemption/salvation plan in His Messiah. G O G and M A G O G ---- Ezekiel's vision concerning an attack upon Israel by a violent enemy, Gog and Magog, occupies two chapters (38-39). The prophet foretells the utter destruction of Gog, whose weapons will provide Israel with fuel for seven years and whose corpses will require seven months to bury; then the entire world will acknowledge the power and majesty of the true God. "On that day, when Gog invades the land of Israel....mountains shall be torn apart, and cliffs shall topple over....I will overwhelm him with utter panic...O Gog, I will strike your bow from your left hand and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and your hordes....I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel..." Traditionally interpreted, this vision refers to a distant future, at the end of days, in which God will eventually defeat the enemies of Israel in the land of Israel. Gog and Magog are spoken of in connection with the Messianic Era: "Then Gog & Magog will hear about the descendant of David & the excellence of his people and country & the abundance of their wealth... He will gather people from various nations...notorious sinners marked for perdition...On that day four types of misfortune will descend upon them. Then the spirit of prophecy will descend upon all Israel, young and old. This blessed period will last until the end of time....." Recommended further reading: The Footsteps of the Messiah, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum. May the Lord bless and keep you Frank. Thank you for your sincere question. (Yeshua = Salvation = Jesus) Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben Biblica l Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to To Life L'Chaim Find Eternal Life Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

< Back RABBI SAM STERN Testimony RABBI SAM STERN Testimony RABBI SAM STERN Early Background. I was born at a time when the whole world lay in turmoil caused by World War I. People suffered hunger and starvation. I came into a strict orthodox Jewish rabbinic and Chasidic home. Although my parents were poor at that time, they sent us boys to an expensive orthodox religious school. I had 3 brothers and a sister. My father's only desire was to make rabbis of us 4 boys. At five I was already going to cheder for first grade pupils and when seven I was able to read Hebrew. At nine I was introduced to the Five Books of Moses and the Bible commentator “Rashi,” and also to the ancient now obsolete Jewish books of jurisprudence called "Talmud". When I was 10-11 years old, the Talmud eclipsed all the other books and became the main textbook for the next 10 years of my life. At thirteen I started my independent religious life. I was told that we children are under our father's jurisdiction until 13; at that age we become free from our father's supervision; we alone are responsible for our sins. Therefore, after I became thirteen I was taken to a synagogue where my father thanked God that he had got rid of my sins. The Gentiles and I. The home of my parents was very strict Orthodox. My father was a rabbi. He went to the synagogue to pray three times a day. We observed the Jewish laws according to the Talmud, for our parents desired that their children, too, should follow in their father's footsteps and remain strict Orthodox Jews. My family stayed in a little town in Congress-Poland near Warsaw. 5OO Jewish and 800 Polish families lived there, but the Polish and the Jewish people were separated by these four “Chinese Walls": * Clothing - Jews wore long black coats called "Kaftan" and a black hat called “Yiddishe Hutel.“ The. Polish people wore European clothing. It was considered a great sin for a Jew to wear European clothing. * Language - Jews spoke Yiddish while the Poles spoke Polish. Yiddish is a Germanic language mixed with Hebrew and Slavic words. * Religion - Jews worshiped in the synagogues which were also used as places of social gathering and Bible and Talmudic study classes.. Polish people were almost 100% Catholic. * Occupation - Jews were mainly blacksmiths, tailors, shoemakers and small businessmen, owners of small hardware stores and grocery stores, while the poles were mainly farmers and government employees. The Jews were not granted the privilege of working for the municipal and federal government, nor in factories or agriculture. There were a thousand other differences between the Jews and the Poles - differences in customs, way of life, behavior, temperament, and outlook. Their interests, hopes and wishes were also different. It is hard to put into words the things that separated us. We were two peoples living in one territory, under the same wonderful Polish sky. We ate the same healthy Polish bread and breathed the same clean air. Yet we were as strange to each other as the east is from the west. My first acquaintance with Gentiles. When I was six years old I tried to go for a walk outside the Jewish "Ghetto." Suddenly a Gentile boy threw a stone at me while shouting: "Jew, Jew!” I, as a child, did not know that a Jew is hated by non-Jews. Therefore I was surprised and scared. I ran back home to mother and told her that a boy threw a stone at me, calling me "Jew , Jew!”. “Why is the boy throwing stones at me? Why is he calling me 'Jew'? I never saw this boy before. Why does he hate me whom he had never seen before?” "He is a Christian and Christians are Jew-haters. Even if he does not know you, he is your enemy." "But why is he my enemy?" I kept on asking. "He believes what he is being taught. His priest, his teacher, his parents tell him to hate the Jews. Therefore he hates you even without a cause. But when our Messiah comes, we shall be the head and not the tail. Then we will go back to Palestine and no one will persecute us anymore. ” "But when will the Messiah come?" I kept on asking. "We don't know the exact time, but He will come some day. Then our sufferings from the hands of the Christians will come to an end." The hope of the coming of the Messiah accompanied me all my life. It gave me power to endure suffering and humiliation from my Gentile neighbors. My Education. After my "Bar Mitzvah" I was sent to a higher rabbinical school with the sole purpose of becoming a rabbi. I spent the years from 13 to 22 in different schools where the main subject was the Talmud, which consists of 60 books dealing with everyday life. The main problems with which they deal are: damages, Holidays, marriage and divorce, prayer and farming problems. The main style of the books is “the argument”. For example, one rabbi said that if an egg is laid on a Holiday, it is kosher to eat, and the other rabbi said that the egg is not kosher, but “trefa.” The Talmud is a work of arguments and scholastic pilpulistic sayings. It deals also with mysticism, metaphysics and folklore. I, as a student of the Talmud, had to know by heart the name of every rabbi who expressed his opinion in the matters of damage, Holidays, etc. The Talmud was written in the time of the Tanriaim and Amoraim, l800 years ago. Since then thousands of books of comments on the Talmud have been written. The most famous books, which are as important and binding to the Talmudists as the Talmud itself, are: The Rambam, the "Rosh," The Tosafot and Rashi, who is the greatest Talmudic commentator. I had to know all these different opinions and sayings. Since there were so many to study, we did not have time for even the most elementary secular subjects, I was ignorant in matters of arithmetic, geography, etc., but at the age of twenty-two I was considered a "lamdan" which means a man who is learned in the Talmud. World War II broke out. On September 1, 1939, World War II broke out. I had just received my rabbinical diploma called "Smicha', that past summer. I planned to marry and to become a !religious leader of Israel, and to use my acquired knowledge to lead my fellow-Jews in the ways of the Talmudic, rabbinic traditions. An alternate plan was to leave Poland, perhaps to immigrate to a country in Latin America, because there was a great need for rabbis. The war destroyed all my plans. My very life was in danger, as was that of all my fellow-Jews In Europe. The Nazis And The Polish People. On September 4, 1939, the German soldiers came into our town. Life became unbelievable for the Polish Jews. Every Jew was condemned to die. If all the skies were parchment, all men writers, and all trees pens, even then it would not be possible to describe what the Nazis in co-operation with the Polish people did to the Jews in Poland. During 6 years of such anti-Jewish activities, 6 million Jews, among them 1 million children, lost their lives. One third of the world's Jewish population was annihilated. The fields of Europe are still wet with the innocent blood that was shed. Yes, here and there a conscientious Polish family rescued a Jew, hiding him and feeding him, but the number of these good people was very small. In May, 1945, World War II was over. The result: Nazi "murderers were destroyed, Israel rose to become a nation- and I had lost my entire family. In search for a friend and for an answer to the question: Why? After the war I came out of the concentration camp with the hope of seeing and being united with my relatives. I put advertisements in newspapers. I went to different institutions to find out about my relatives. To my great sorrow I learned that all my loved ones had perished with the six million Jews who were victims of the greatest demon In the history of mankind - Nazi Ideology. I came to realize the bitter fact that I was alone in the world - without a friend, not belonging to anybody, nobody belonging to me. I could ~hardly believe that I would never see my parents, my sister, .my brothers or my uncles again. I was now in a strange world, in a world without a friend and without a relative. I started to look for a human friend, but no one could satisfy my longing for a true mother-heart or father-love. Nobody could substitute the love of a sister, the faithfulness of a brother, I was disappointed and desperate. I lifted my eyes up to heaven and asked the old Jewish question: Why? Why was one third of the nation of God put to death by the Nazis? Where was God when a little innocent Jewish child cried for help when the Nazi murderers raised their/brutal hands to kill it? Why was God silent in these terrible times for His chosen people? From D.P. camp to the United States Of America. Since I had no one in Poland, I decided to go to America. I thought that perhaps in a new land I would forget the dreadful past and start a new life. In order to go to America I had to go first to Germany where the American Army occupied the Western German territory. I became a member of a Zionist group whose sole work was to take the Jews out of Poland and bring them to Germany and Italy in order to enable them to emigrate to Israel or America. In April 1946 I came to a Jewish D.P. Camp near the Austrian border of Germany. I registered there as a rabbi and started to work as such in the D.P. Camp. I also edited the D.P. Newspaper. In 1952 I came to Rhode Island, U.S.A., where I worked as an assistant rabbi in a synagogue. Unbelief and doubt. Although I worked in the capacity of a Talmudic teacher in the synagogue, there was a great conflict in my heart. The question: "Why did God allow 6 million Jews to die?" bothered me. I taught things that I was not sure were true. I told my congregation and students: "If we Jews want to exist and to overcome our enemies we have to keep the Sabbath day holy." In my heart I knew that 99% of the Hitler-victims had kept the Sabbath-day holy, yet it did not protect them from being killed. I did not have any proof or assurance that what I taught was true. I also lost my belief in the Talmudic legends, laws, and arguments pro and con. I was looking for the truth, but could not find it. Confession alone is not enough. Each Holiday we Jews go to the synagogue and pray to God, confessing our sins, and asking for forgiveness. We say: "Because of our sins. we were driven from our land." Confession of sins is a very important part of our prayers. The Jewish prayer book cites different kinds of sins which a Jew must confess in his daily prayers. The most solemn day of prayer is Yom Kippur, and on Yom Kippur Eve, every Jew over 13 years of age must recite 45 confessions called "Al Chets”. After the confession, the "Slach Lanu" (Forgive Us) is chanted by the congregation. When I prayed these prayers I felt. unhappy and dissatisfied because I knew that according to the Bible, confession alone does not forgive sin. I knew that in order for sin to be forgiven, a sacrifice called "korban"' must be offered. Leviticus deals with the "korban" many times, especially Lev. 5:17-19. I was not sure that the Yom. Kippur prayers have any significance in the sight of God, because I knew that right after the confessions and prayers we went back to the same old pattern of a life of sin. It seemed to me that as we were confessing our sins in the synagogue, we were mocking God. We spoke with our lips about repentance but did not really mean it. I knew that we are sinners and need a real, more valid approach to God. Longing for the Truth. I felt very unhappy with my spiritual state of mind. I lost faith in mankind and in the rabbinical legends and teachings. I felt miserable knowing that I, as a rabbi, was teaching the people things that I did not believe. I knew that the Talmudic teachings, sayings, pilpulistic arguments, scholastic debates, hair-splitting comments about obsolete damages, laws, rules and regulations regarding Sabbath, Holidays, clothing and washings, are of very little significance to us. I realized that we need some real solid spiritual truth by which to live, walk and exist as Jews. What Is the truth? What is the true way for us and for me individually? I did not know. I looked on my people as on sheep without a shepherd. I saw that 2000 years of Talmudic, Chasidic, cabbalistic and worldly teachings could not save one Jewish child from destruction. I knew that we Jews suffer for our sin, as we read in our prayers on the Holidays, but I did nor know what our sin is. First contact with Light. One spring evening I walked somewhere in Rhode Island. I looked here and there without a goal, just breathing in some fresh spring air. While I strolled, I noticed some young people standing near a store handing out little printed papers. They caught my attention and handed me a pamphlet too. As I could not read English, I decided to go into the store to find out what kind of sale they were having. When I came inside, I was surprised to see that there was no merchandise. To my astonishment, I noticed everyone sitting with eyes closed and head bowed. “What is going on here?" I thought. I did not know that this is the manner in which Christians pray. It was in contrast to the way Jews pray - with eyes open and shaking on all sides. I waited a while till everybody had finished praying and opened their eyes. A boy came and talked to me, but I did not understand him. I had been in the United States only a few weeks and did not know the English language. Finally, I said that I speak only German and Yiddish. Through the use of sign language, I made a date to come back the next Wednesday, when a German-speaking person would come and explain to me what the organization was. Love. The next Wednesday the German gentleman was waiting for me when I came. He shook my hand in a friendly manner and said to me in German: "This is a mission to the Jews." "What is a mission?" I asked. "The Lord sent us to the Jews to let them know that God loves them and wants them to be saved." "What do you mean “saved'? How can you speak about love after the cataclysm that came over the European Jews?" I asked. He smiled and said, "I know how you feel; but Christians, followers of Christ, love the Jews, and all those who harm them are not Christians. The Alpha and Omega of Christianity is love to mankind, Israel included. The Lord told us to go to the Jew first. "Weren't all those who carried crosses and had pictures of saints in their homes - yet organized pogroms against the Jews of Europe, weren't they Christians? Weren't the churches in Poland and Ukraine the main source of anti-Semitism. Didn't the priests incite their people against the Jews?" He looked at me and said, "The Lord teaches us to love our enemies, to show love to those who hate us. All those who do not obey the teachings of the Lord are not His followers." Then he gave me a Yiddish New Testament and said, "Read it and you will find the true teaching of Christ". I took the New Testament, put it into my pocket and said, "Yes, sir, 1 will read it, I want to see what the New Testament is really like. I don't know anything at all about it. " In the next few nights I had much to read. Every line, each page, was a great revelation to me as I read with great interest. Opening the Book of Matthew, I was surprised to read that Jesus is of the lineage of Abraham and David, I also noticed that on every page it says "As it is written," which means that it was written in our Jewish Bible. For example, in the first chapter I read that He will be born of a virgin because it is written: Behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel... (Isaiah 7:14). In the 2nd chapter I read that He was born in Bethlehem as it is written: Thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come forth a governor that shall rule my people Israel (Micah 5:2). Also I saw that He shall come out of Egypt, for it is written: Out of Egypt have I called my son (Hosea 11:1) Thus reading I noticed on each page and in every chapter constant references to the Old Testament. It became clear to me that this book called New Testament is actually the fulfillment of the Old Testament. I realized that we rabbis were too much occupied with the Talmud and paid little or no attention to our Holy Bible. Then and there I became a Bible believing Jew. I thanked God for leading me to that little mission and decided to dedicate my life to Messiah. My acquaintance with a Jewish Missionary. It was a few weeks before Passover. The missionary in Rhode Island gave me the address of a Jewish believer in Jesus who lived in New York, and l went there because I had never before seen a Jewish believer in Jesus. As soon as I contacted him, he invited me to his home. He welcomed me with the greeting, "Shalom Aleichem." We read together from the New Testament in Yiddish! After a while he told me he had written a poem called "The Sufferer," and started to read it. But this was only a pretense, as it was in reality the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. Then he asked me, "Who is the subject of this poem? Who suffered for our sins? By Whose stripes are we healed?" I answered, "It probably refers to Jesus Christ." Then he said, "I just copied out and read to you the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. He was the one who wrote about the Messiah." Imagine my surprise and shock. I did not know the contents of Isaiah 53! The next day I showed the same "'poem" to a friend, a rabbi in New York. He did not know either that Isaiah had written the chapter. The only conclusion I could reach was that the main reason so many rabbis and other Jews don't know the Messiah the Savior of the Old and New Testament, is that they don't know the Bible. I decided to do everything in my power to bring the Jewish Bible to them. The same evening, I came to the New York missionary and told him that I believe in the Bible and in the Lord Jesus. Then and there we knelt and prayed for sin-forgiveness and for salvation. I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. What a change came over me! I was very happy. I felt a peace, joy, and happiness that I had never known before. My whole being turned into a happy life. I was a new creature. God forgives Sin. When I came home, I took the Bible and read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah over and over again. As I read I wondered why I had not heard of Isaiah 53 before. Why didn't the rabbis tell me of this chapter? It was obvious to me that we Jews could not be considered Bible-believers if we deny Isaiah 53. As I read more, it became clear to me that Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 53 expresses God's glorious plan of forgiveness, reconciliation with God and salvation. My new education. I went to Los Angeles and started my American education in the second grade of elementary school. After finishing 8 grades I graduated from high school. Later I went to Los Angeles City College, and finally to Biola College, where I received a B.A. degree. I was baptized, and ordained a minister of the Gospel. Now my deepest interest is to bring the Gospel to my people, the Jews, that they, too, may accept their Messiah and inherit eternal life. Messiah said, I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the father except by me (John 14:6). The goal. After I was saved, I felt that it is not enough that I know the Light, but had the desire that all the Jewish people should believe in the Messiah of Israel. I saw that this would not be easy. The ones who do not believe, bitterly oppose the preaching of the glorious Gospel to my brethren in the flesh. I knew their prejudice against the Gospel and their worldly views of life. Yet, knowing that the struggle would not be easy, I decided to go on with the work of God. I became more and more interested in spreading the truth among the innocent Jews who were being misled by their "shepherds". They were blind leaders of the blind who were interested in their own welfare but cared little for the people. God called me to His service, and I was sure that He would protect me and help me to spread the light among those who never heard the true story of Christ. A great force from within pushed me to do the work - and this great force was the Holy Spirit Himself. This power of the Holy Spirit told me day and night, "feed my sheep." And I answered, "Here I am. I am willing to go to the House of Israel whom the Father loves so much, and to tell them the simple but sure plan of His salvation." I saw tired and unhappy Jews who were groping in darkness, looking for the truth, and there was nobody to help them. Therefore, I was the more determined to go and proclaim the Gospel to the weary and heart-broken ones. Jesus said: Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Reason. I appeal to all rabbis, leaders of the Jewish people, and Jewish laymen: Come back to our prophets, to our God and His Anointed One. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they" be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18 - Copyright. For further information regarding this testimony write to: Hebrew Witness, Inc., P.O. Box 132, Brooklyn, N. Y. 11229 For further information contact: hebrew menorah4.jpg To Return To: Salvation Testimonies Page To Return To: L'Chaim -To Life! Page. To Return To: MENORAH'S HOME PAGE Previous Next

Biblical Archaeology Videos Sorry some video starting points could not be trimmed. To enlarge above and all pictures, click your mouse right button then magnify. Sodom burned—Zoar did NOT: The full story of the discovery of the Cities of the Plain! HD |Apr 06, 2024. Join Joel as he tells the exciting story of how the Cities of the Plain were discovered, including Lot's Cave, and why it matters. Archaeological Evidence for Giants in the Bible? HD |Jun 10, 2022 by Expedition Bible. The Bible talks about giants, but has any archaeological evidence for giants been found? Genesis refers to the Nephilim. Is this where Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate? Sep 23, 2022 by Expedition Bible. In the 1970s, excavations of the western side of Jerusalem's Old City uncovered a very large gate that led into Herod the Great's castle. King David's Tomb: Part 1 -- Finding It HD |Jul 01, 2022 by Expedition Bible In 1913, Raymond Weill was the first Jewish archaeologist to excavate the most ancient part of Jerusalem. The Temple Mount--Where it IS. Where it ISN'T. What is it FOR? HD |Oct 27, 2023 by Expedition Bible The Temple Mount has been standing on Jerusalem's holy hill, Mount Moriah, for thousands of years. Search for the Tower of Babel HD |Mar 03, 2023 by Expedition Bible Genesis 11:1-9 tells the story of the Tower of Babel: rebellion, confusion, and scattering. But do we know where that tower stood? Welcome to Hell. The Hinnom Valley Tomb. Joel Kramer, SourceFlix. HD |Dec 04, 2019 by Biblicaltours , does not do conventional tours! This is the most extraordinary location few people will ever see! Bible Evidence Unearthed at Nineveh! HD |Dec 02, 2023 Join Joel as he goes to Nineveh, modern-day Mosul in Iraq, and tells the story of the archaeological discovery unearthed there. Exploring Babylon and the Prophecies Against Her HD |Jun 17, 2022 byExpedition Bible. I recently traveled to Iraq and lived a dream of exploring ancient Babylon. What does the once-glorious city look like today. The 10 Lost Tribes of Israel - Are They Really Lost? HD |May 02, 2022 by Expedition Bible. After Assyria's brutal invasion, the 10 northern tribes of Israel were exiled and scattered among the nations. King David's Tomb: Part 2 - Which Is The Correct Tomb? HD |Jul 08, 2022|by Expedition Bible There are two tombs of King David in Jerusalem. One is in a synagogue where Jews worship and tourists visit today. Masada. Joel Kramer, SourceFlix. HD |Dec 20, 2019 by Biblicaltours Herod the Great built two palaces for himself on the fortified mountain of Masada between 31 and 37 BC Evidence That King David’s Descendants Survived In Exile HD |Sep 09, 2022 by Expedition Bible When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, it appeared that King David's descendants had not survived. Archaeology of Jacob's Well at Shechem HD |Nov 11, 2022 by Expedition Bible If there is one place where we can know for certain that Jesus was right there, it is at Jacob's Well. How can we know? Searching for The Garden of Eden's Pishon River D |Jan 27, 2024|by Expedition Bible. Genesis chapter 2 describes the location of the Garden of Eden in relationship to four rivers. Three of these rivers are known. PENIEL: Where Jacob saw the Face of God and lived! HD |May 26, 2023byExpedition Bible. Join Joel as he explores the ancient site which Jacob named Peniel. Located in the modern-day country of Jordan. Jesus' Tomb Explained--the evidence & the story! HD |Jul 21, 2023 by Expedition Bible. Join Joel as he travels from Israel to Rome to Turkey, to explain the evidence for and tell the story. MAMRE -- Where God Appeared to Abraham! HD |Aug 18, 2023 by Expedition Bible. It is often said that there is no archaeological proof for Abraham. If that is the case, then what is the explanation? The Exodus Pharaoh EXPLAINED! HD |Apr 28, 2023 by Expedition Bible Who was the Pharaoh of the Exodus? There are various theories. However, by examining evidence found in the Bible, it is possible to determine. Jericho Unearthed: The Archaeology of Jericho Explained HD |Aug 12, 2022 by Expedition Bible The experts agree--the city walls of Jericho fell down. But does archaeology agree with the Biblical account? The Mount of Olives. Ascension and Return of Jesus Christ. Israel. Joel Kramer. HD |Dec 02, 2019 by Biblicaltours Takes us to the 4th century Byzantine Church of Eleona located on the Mount of Olives. How are we all “like sheep who have gone astray”? What does the Bible mean when it calls Jesus “the Shepherd of our Souls”? Return To How To Find Eternal Life Page Return to Menorahs Web Page

The refugee problem started with Arab infiltration yo Israel illegally in 1948. REFUGEE ISSUES In The Palestinian—Israeli Conf lict Not Changed Since B'resheet/Genesis 16:12 and 25:23 See 11 Sections Below: - Understanding The Roots Of The Problem - The Birth Of Israel - An Arab Voice - A Global Issue -The loophole in 1948 - Restitution vs Resettlement - The Penalty Of Aggression - Is Israel Guilty Of Ethnic Cleansing? - Transfer Not A Solution - URWA Caring For Refugees For Years And Still Counting - Legal Aspects Of The Palestinian Refugee Question __Understanding The Roots Of The Problem__ Refugees Forever Wars produce refugees. The humanitarian imperative is obviously to settle refugees as quickly and as safely as possible. And yet, in the case of the 650,000 Palestinian Arabs who left Israel before and during the War of independence in 1948, the international community has colluded with the Arab world in doing the exact opposite: For the past half century, there has been a deliberate refusal to resettle Palestinian refugees within the Arab world. Instead, the Palestinian and Arab leadership have condemned these people and their descendants to poverty and misery in the UNRWA-run camps that offer little hope of a better life. This sore and tragic problem can and must be solved, because the longer it takes to arrive at a solution, the more its alarming dimensions will multiply. In this booklet, compiled and written by Eliyahu Tal, the facts—as opposed to the myths - behind the creation of the Palestinian refugee question; the fate of the Arab world's Jewish communities following Israel's creation; and comparisons with other world conflicts that spawned refugee problems, are presented in a clear and concise manner. There is a consensus, spreading from the Israeli Right to the Left, that there can be no right of return to their 1948 homes for Palestinian refugees, even in the context of a full peace accord between Israel and the Arab world. First and foremost, such a return would threaten the existence of Israel as a Jewish state, as within the space of one generation, the Jewish majority within Israel would be lost. As Tal points out, Israel has changed over the last half century. The villages to which these refugees demand to return no longer exist. In the present war in which we find ourselves against the Palestinians, brought about in no small part by their refusal to accept that there can be no right of return, it is important for all to understand the roots of this issue and the justness of Israel's stance. We at The Jerusalem Post consider the publication of this supplement our contribution towards finding a solution. DAVID RADLER __The Birth Of Israel__ In order to understand the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, it is necessary to review the events that led up to it. The concept of a homeland for the Jews was advocated by the Zionist Movement in the 19th century - although the return to the Promised Land was a 2000-year-old dream. Dr. Theodor Herzl translated the Zionist Movement's concept into a political program, namely a Jewish State. This was supported by the famous Balfour Declaration of 1917. International recognition was assured by the League of Nations in the Treaty of San Remo in 1920. Following the defeat of Germany and her allies in WWI, Turkey lost her empire. Its vast domains were divided in order to create the new states of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Palestine, on both sides of the Jordan, was entrusted to Britain for the establishment of the Jewish National Home. Although the original area designated National Home was considerably reduced by the British in 1922 in order to provide for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - the Jews nevertheless succeeded in developing the small area left to them into a flourishing enterprise, literally causing the desert to bloom. With the benefit of hindsight, it is instructive to compare Arab gains from the Allied victory in WWI with those of the Jews. On the one hand, five independent newly- born states on an enormous area, as against the promise of a National Home on a very small area. The growth of the Jewish population in Palestine was resented by the Arabs who expressed their hostility by fomenting bloody riots in 1920, 1929, 1933 and 1936-39. The most tragic was the massacre of the ancient Jewish community of Hebron in 1929. In order to resolve the conflict, on November 29, 1947 the UN voted in favor of a Partition Plan which provided for two independent states, one Jewish, one Arab, while Jerusalem would be internationalized. Although there was hesitation among the Jewish public, it was decided to accept the Plan, notwithstanding that the area allotted to the Jewish State was, once again, considerably reduced. The Arabs rejected the plan outright. Contemptuous of the will of the world, bands of Palestinian Arabs, aided by irregular volunteers from neighboring countries, attacked Jewish communities and clashed with the Hagana defense force. With the termination of the UN Mandate on May 14, 1948 the British forces had withdrawn from Palestine. Regular troops of the armies of Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Syria, and Lebanon invaded the country, along with volunteer detachments from Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Yemen. "The Arabs intend to conduct a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacre and the Crusades," declared Azzam Pasha, secretary-general of the Arab League, on the BBC, May 15, 1948. Despite the fierce resistance of the nascent Israel Defense Force, the Arabs made significant headway in their assault. Egyptian troops reached the Jerusalem suburb of Talpiot, and, advancing along the coast, were stopped 40 km. short of Tel Aviv. In the North, the Syrians took Kibbutz Mishmar Hayarden, only 25 km. from Tiberias. Jordan captured the Old City of Jerusalem and destroyed its 58 synagogues. They also took Gush Etzion, the resort hotel of Kalia (and the kibbutz next to it on the Dead Sea) and the Monastery of Latrun on the Tel Aviv- Jerusalem road. The Latrun stronghold - as well as the bitter fighting at the nearby Castel fort and Arab villages - frustrated Israeli attempts to break the six month siege on Jerusalem. The Jewish casualty toll in the 1948 war was far greater than that of the Arabs. Estimated at 3.2%, it is among the highest casualty rate of any recorded conflict. Israel and the Axis of Evil One and a half million Jews fought with the Allies against Germany, Italy and Japan in WWII. Among them were over 30,000 Jewish volunteers from tiny Palestine. In the cemeteries of Normandy, Stalingrad and El-Alamein, one can see tombs engraved with the Magen David but none with the Islamic Crescent. The Arab world stood aloof. Moreover, leaders like the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the ruler of Iraq sided with the Nazis. Some Western democracies, while misjudging Israel's present struggle, seem to have forgotten these facts. This article appeared in the Jerusalem Post 1-15-2003 approximately, and is reproduced solely for educational purposes. _An Arab Voice_ Edward Sa'id, an eminent Arabist at Columbia University and one of the outstanding spokesmen for the Palestinian cause, expresses his views. "The by now notorious peace process has finally come down to the one issue that has been at the core of Palestinian depredations since 1948: the fate of the refugees. That the Palestinians have endured decades of dispossession and raw agonies rarely endured by other peoples -particularly because these agonies have either been ignored or denied, and even more poignantly, because the perpetrators of this tragedy are celebrated for social and political achievements that make no mention at all of where those achievements actually began - is of course the locus of "the Palestinian problem," but it has been pushed very far down the agenda of negotiations until finally now, it has popped up to the surface. "Along with [the original displacement of the 1948 war] went the scandalously poor treatment of the refugees themselves. It is still the case, for example, that the 40,000-50,000 Palestinian refugees resident in Egypt must report to a local police station every month; vocational, educational, and social opportunities are curtailed; and a general sense of not belonging adheres to them, despite their Arab nationality and language. "In Lebanon the situation is even more dire. Almost 400,000 Palestinian refugees have had to endure not only the massacres of Sabra, Shatila, Tel al-Za'atar, Dbayyeh, and elsewhere, but have remained confined in hideous quarantine for almost two generations. They have no legal right to work in at least 60 occupations; they are not adequately covered by medical insurance; they cannot travel and return; they are the objects of suspicion and dislike. In part, they have inherited the mantle of opprobrium draped round them by the PLO's presence (and since 1982 its unlamented absence) there, and thus they remain in the eyes of many ordinary Lebanese a sort of house enemy to be warded off and/or punished from time to time. "A similar situation exists in kind, if not in degree, in Syria. As for Jordan, although it was - to its credit - the only country where Palestinians were given naturalized status, a visible fault line exists between the disadvantaged majority of that very large community and the Jordanian establishment for reasons that scarcely need to be spelled out. I might add, however, that for most of these situations where Palestinian refugees exist in large groups within one or another Arab country - all of them the direct consequence of 1948 - no simple, much less elegant or just, solution exists in the foreseeable future. It is also worth mentioning, or rather asking, why it is that a destiny of confinement and isolation has been imposed on a people who quite naturally fled to neighboring countries when driven from their own, countries that everyone believed would welcome and sustain them. More or less the opposite occurred: except in Jordan, no welcome was given them - another unpleasant consequence of the original dispossession. What of Yasser Arafat's leadership? "Arafat survives inside the Palestinian territories today for two main reasons: one, he is needed by the international supporters of the peace process, Israel, the US and the EU chief among them. He is needed to sign, and that, after all, is what he is good for. The second reason is that because he is a master at corrupting even the best of his people, he has bought off or threatened all organized opposition (there are always individuals who cannot be co-opted) and therefore removed them as a threat. The rest of the population is too uncertain and discouraged to do much. The Authority employs about 140,000 people; multiply that by five or six (the number of dependents of each employee) and you get close to a million people whose livelihood hangs by the string offered by Yasser Arafat. Much as he is disliked, disrespected, and feared, he will remain so long as he has this leverage over an enormous number of people, who will not jeopardize their future just because they are ruled by a corrupt, inefficient, and stupid dictatorship which cannot even deliver the essential services for daily civil life like water, health, electricity, food, etc. "That leaves the Palestinian Diaspora, which produced Arafat in the first place: It was from Kuwait and Cairo that he emerged to challenge Shukairy and Haj Amin. A new leadership will almost certainly appear from the Palestinians who live elsewhere: they are a majority, none of them feels that Arafat represents them, all of them regard the Authority as without real legitimacy, and they are the ones with the most to gain from the right of return, on which Arafat and his men are going to be forced to back down. "Palestinian leadership has selfishly put its own self-interest, overinflated squadrons of security guards, commercial monopolies, unseemly persistence in power, lawless despotism, anti-democratic greed and cruelty, before the collective Palestinian good. Until now, it has connived with Israel to let the refugee issue slither down the pole; but now that the final status era is upon us all, there's no more room down there. And so, as I said above, we're back to the basic, the irreconcilable, the irremediably interlocked contradiction between Palestinian and Israeli nationalism." (From the introduction to Palestinian Refugees: The Right of Return, Pluto Press, London, 2001) Award-winning Columbia University professor Edward Sa'id has published several books on the Palestinians and the Middle East. The Difference Between Yasser Arafat Now and Anwar Sadat Then After losing three wars, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt came to the painful conclusion that Israel could not be beaten on the battlefield. He therefore made the courageous and historic trip to Jerusalem. Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, after intensive negotiations, reached the first peace agreement between Israel and an Arab state, known as the Camp David Accord. This was brokered by US President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Another US President, Bill Clinton, made even greater efforts to bring about peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but to no avail. Arafat spurned the far- reaching concessions offered by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, choosing instead the path of terrorism and initiating the latest intifada in August 2000. Had Arafat inherited only a part of Sadat's wisdom and vision, there would probably have been a viable and flourishing Palestinian state today. Instead, there are thousands of bereaved families and no end in sight for a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem. This article appeared in the Jerusalem Post 1-15-2003 approximately, and is reproduced solely for educational purposes. __A Global Issue__ The Palestinians are neither the first nor the last population to become refugees. This condition is the inevitable outcome of tragic conflict - and the 20th century alone saw refugees on an epic scale due to its numerous conflicts. Tribal feuds, ethnic and religious clashes and full-scale wars have always resulted in the forced displacement of populations, usually as the only alternative to violent death. The more bitter and drawn out the fighting, the more numerous and scarred the refugees left amid the ruins. Unique about the Palestinian refugee problem is that it has been allowed - even forced - to continue and to grow. Every other major refugee group has been resettled within a generation. Of the approximately 135 million refugees created over the last century, only the Palestinians have retained this dismal, nation less status. Thus, while a few decades ago they constituted less than 5% of the total number of refugees, they are today the biggest refugee group, at 17% of some 24 million worldwide. International attempts to solve refugee crises have met with mixed results. To a limited degree, international intervention forces in the Balkans and Rwanda have restored refugees to their place of origin. In most cases, however, they have successfully settled elsewhere in their homelands, or found haven in other countries. After World War II, for example, the US stepped in to contain Europe's economic tailspin, its Marshal Aid Plan resurrecting Germany's industry and allowing for the absorption of German refugees. German towns which had been conquered were renamed (Danzig became Gdansk, Konigsberg became Kaliningrad, etc.) to ensure that those who had left accepted their new reality. As Pakistan broke off from India, Muslims crossed to the latter and Hindus to the former in a voluntary population transfer which, with the exception of Kashmir, proved largely successful. This method was first tested in 1922, when the League of Nations - predecessor to the UN -decreed that a territorial war between Turkey and Greece in Asia Minor be settled by having the sides exchange nationals and finalize their border. Israel - tiny, arid, and practically devoid of natural resources - has done its utmost to take in and rehabilitate refugees, multiplying its population by eight between 1948 and 2000. Many of these new arrivals were Jews who had survived the horrors of the Holocaust. Another 800,000 had fled anti-Israel hostility in their native Arab countries, where their property, valued at tens of billions of dollars, was confiscated. How can it be, then, that the Palestinian refugees have been denied resettlement? Is this a tragic oversight, or devious design? And who is to blame? In 1947, while Britain was disengaging from Palestine, it was also withdrawing from India, leading to the birth of independent Pakistani and Indian states. Whereas the Arab- Israeli conflict created hundreds of thousands of refugees, the Indians and Pakistanis wisely agreed to transfer millions of their people across the border in order to defuse ethnic and religious tensions. India sent Muslims to Pakistan, which in turn sent Hindus to India. Both states granted citizenship to these refugees. The much smaller - and perhaps even more easily solvable - problem of Arab refugees is a sad paradox, in that it has cost the Western world so many billions of dollars in humanitarian aid that only perpetuates the refugees' plight, and has monopolized its media attention for over half a century, when alternatives in refugee transfers such as the one between India and Pakistan have proven effective. Excerpted from The Arabs in History (Oxford University Press) - Prof. Bernard Lewis, leading expert on Islamic and Middle Eastern history. This article appeared in the Jerusalem Post 1-15-2003 approximately, and is reproduced solely for educational purposes. __ The Loopholes in 1948__ When Claiming the right of return, the Arabs consistently wave UN General Assembly Resolution 194 of December 1948 as their banner. The major issues: "Who is a refugee? What are refugees entitled to? Where may they return to and under what conditions?" require clarification before the true meaning of 194 is defined. Let's hear what international jurists have to say Ruth Lapidoth is Professor of International Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. She was also a fellow at the US Institute of Peace in 1990-1991. "Certainly many of those who fled their homes during the 1948 war are refugees. But the greater Palestinian refugee problem must be viewed from the perspective of international law. "The 1951-1967 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees makes no mention of descendants - so the status is not inherited. Moreover, the convention ceases to apply to a person who, inter alia, has acquired a new nationality, and enjoys the protection of the country of his new nationality." By this definition, the number of Palestinians who qualify for refugee status would be well below 500,000 - considerably diminishing the dimensions of the issue. Moreover, the right of return in the 1966 International Covenant "is intended to apply to individuals asserting an individual right. There was no intention here to address the claims of masses of people who have been displaced as a byproduct of war or by political transfers of territory or population..." One also has to observe that humanitarian law conventions (such as the 1949 Geneva Conventions for the protection of Victims of War) do not recognize the right of return. First rejected, later reclaimed It should be noted that at the UN General Assembly of 11 December 1948 - Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen - voted against 194, but later decided to embrace the resolution as recognition of a wholesale inalienable right of repatriation. But there is no recognition of any "right," rather a suggestion that refugees "should" be "permitted" to return. Moreover, that permission is subject to two conditions: that the refugee wishes to return; and that he/she wishes to live in peace with his neighbors. The Palestinians have linked their demand for return to a claim for self-determination. A situation where returning Palestinian refugees have the right to external self-determination would mean the end of the very existence of the State of Israel. It should also be noted that the UN General Assembly has suggested resettlement as an alternative to repatriation. Prof. Efraim Karsh, head of Mediterranean Studies at King's College, University of London, maintains that: "It was in the late 1960s that the Arabs began to transform it [194] into the cornerstone of a spurious legal claim to a 'right of return.' But 194 in no way establishes any such right. Additionally, the very notion of such a 'right' contradicts the essence of international law and behavior." 242, 338, 194: confusing numbers Since these often-quoted numbers confuse the layman we see fit to briefly dwell on them. "The foremost document used by the Palestinians to substantiate their call for Israel's complete withdrawal from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is [UN] Security Council Resolution 242 of 22 November 1967 (echoed six years later by Resolution 338). This resolution does not demand Israel's complete evacuation of these territories but rather its withdrawal 'from territories occupied in the recent conflict.' "The absence of the definite article 'the' from the text is anything but accidental. Issued a mere six months after Israel's astounding triumph over the concerted pan- Arab attempt to obliterate it, the resolution reflected the keen international awareness of the existential threat posed by the pre-1967 borders, memorably described by the then-Israeli foreign minister, Abba Eban, as 'Auschwitz borders.' "Nor does the resolution make any mention of the creation of a Palestinian state. To the contrary, since the Palestinians were widely viewed at the time as refugees rather than a cohesive nation deserving its own state, it was assumed that those territories that would be evacuated by Israel would return to their pre-1967 Arab occupiers; Gaza to Egypt, and the West Bank to Jordan. All the resolution had to say about the Palestinians was to affirm the necessity 'for achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem.' "All this, of course, is water under the bridge. Egypt and Jordan have long washed their hands of these territories." These territories are generally termed "occupied" by harsh Israeli rule. They are, in fact, "disputed" territories - the final say and borders of which will be drawn following peaceful negotiations. This unorthodox view has been recently voiced by US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld and others. No right, no return Major-General (ret.) Shlomo Gazit, former head of IDF Intelligence, and member of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University. explains: "Regardless of the conditions that led Palestinians to uproot or flee their homes in 1948 and 1967, and regardless of the parties who were responsible for the creation of that tragedy, one cannot help but feel deep empathy for their suffering. "Moreover, there is no choice - the only way to guarantee calm and stability in our region is to resolve the refugee problem and do so as soon as possible. However, that empathy, which most citizens of Israel share, is not enough to warrant the return of the refugees to Israeli "Israel's position on that matter has to be clear: It does not recognize a 'right,' it does not recognize 'responsibility' and it will not allow the return of refugees into its territory. "Even more importantly, it does not establish a 'right' at all, let alone an eternal and unconditional one. As opposed to UN Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions have no binding international standing. They are merely recommendations. "Placing the blame for creating the problem on Israel has no international basis and the mere Palestinian request that Israel recognize such responsibility is Palestinian insolence. The 1948 war was a result of a clear Palestinian initiative to prevent the establishment of a sovereign Jewish state with the goal of annihilating the Jewish community. That thrust was joined in May 1948 by Arab armies who invaded Palestine. "All the Jewish settlements occupied by Arabs, without exception, were destroyed, and their residents - including women, elderly people, and children - were murdered or taken prisoner. What is Israel requested to take responsibility for - defending itself, winning the battle?" David Ben-Gurion, who agreed to the 1947 Partition Plan despite the significant territorial loss involved, declared "We won't accept the refugees. Not one refugee - just as our men who were killed in the Arab war against us will not rise up from the dead." What Resolution 1948 really means Resolution 194 was originally destined to be the cornerstone of a peace process. It consists of 15 paragraphs, the first of which calls for the establishment of a reconciliation committee composed of representatives from the US, Britain and Turkey. The Jews accepted it, the Arabs rejected it. Years later the Arabs drew out paragraph 11 of Resolution 194, the one dealing with the subject of refugees. This was a ploy of diplomacy, picking the cherry from the cake, as it were. Tragically, even Palestinian infants suckle, together with their mothers' milk, a poisonous hatred against Israel. Thus, the stipulation in 194 that the right of return is confined only to refugees "wishing to live in peace with their neighbors" appears far-fetched when the abyss of hatred and suspicion between the two peoples is widening. When Sari Nusseiba and other moderates, as a gesture, agree to "relinquish the right of return," while naturally they expect compensation, what needs to be absolutely clear is that in fact they relinquish nothing because there is no right of return. This article appeared in the Jerusalem Post 1-15-2003 approximately, and is reproduced solely for educational purposes. __Restitution vs. Resettlement__ The Palestinians have an excellent case for suing for reparations - that is, if they were suing the Arab states whose advancing armies created the vast majority of Palestinian refugees in 1948. Instead, they are claiming exorbitant sums from Israel. Payment for pain the sky is the limit McMaster University economics Professor Atif Kubursi, for example, claims that Israel is directly responsible for compensation for Arab losses in real estate, moveable property, lost opportunities, and psychological damage stemming from the 1948 war. In a lengthy study supported by charts he arrives at the astronomic sum of $281 billion. To lend credence to his study Kubursi adds detailed lists of lost Arab livestock and crops. Should he wish to weigh these small losses against the Palestinian systematic pilfering and plunder of Israeli farmers, Kubursi would soon find his fledgling state well in the red. So, too, if he were to put the 1,284 Palestinian vehicles he claims were lost in 1948 against the 30,000 Israeli vehicles stolen by Palestinians in each of the past several years. Fellow Arab academics, Yusuf Massad and Rashid Khalidi, use similar tactics in drawing up wildly imaginative figures for Israel's "debt" in terms of today's dollars. Not only is this preposterous, it is as if Japan were demanding compensation from the US and the countries it had attacked early in WWII. Massad, assistant professor at Columbia proposes the "German model" of restitution and speaks of $253 billion (at the rate of 1994) to be paid by Israel. Khalidi maintains "that the refugee issue is so central to the national narrative of the Palestinians that any approach which tries to sweep history under the rug will fail entirely." He calls on the Israeli government to pay reparations rather than compensation - because the former assumes responsibility. Khalidi's solution covers reparation payments for all those not allowed to return, and compensation for those who lost property in 1948. These sums, for property losses alone, range from $92 billion to $147 billion at 1948 prices. In addition to the above, he comes up with a reparation figure of $20,000 per person for an arbitrary 2 million refugees, totaling $40 billion. When it comes to Arab claims, the sky appears to be the limit. These Arab claims are disproportionate when compared with the reparation payments for the devastation of a continent and the toll of millions of lives, levied by the Allies on Germany and its partners in the Treaty of Versailles of 1919. Germany had to pay 132 billion gold Deutsch Marks; and sums varying from 125 million pounds sterling to $360 million were imposed on Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy and Romania for being on the side of the aggressor. Return of the Sheikh? Certainly there was Palestinian property appropriated, destroyed, lost, or unclaimed. But, in negotiating this thorny issue, both sides will have to face a reality much changed since the events of 1948. Implementing the "right of return" today would mean dismantling and destroying the elaborate infrastructure built over the past 50 years, which includes housing for millions of Jews - as well as hospitals, universities, and industrial areas that have benefitted Jew and Arab alike. Anyone expecting Israel to undo all that is asking the state to start all over again. Take, for example, the return to Sheikh Munis, a village within the boundaries of Tel Aviv. The campus of the Tel Aviv University now occupies this site. To raze this institution of higher learning and make the land available to the families of the refugees of that village who demand the "right of return" would be unthinkable today. That is merely one of innumerable instances throughout Israel. Most Palestinians recognize that this is not feasible and suggest that Israel swap land for those locations that were abandoned in 1948. This is obviously an attempt to use demographic pressure to destroy Israel. The essence of the Zionist idea was to establish a Jewish state, in which a clear Jewish majority was guaranteed. The influx of Palestinian refugees, and the high natural growth of that population, would guarantee the loss of Israel's Jewish majority within the space of two generations, at most. A study by Professor Arnon Soffer of Haifa University estimates that by 2020 the population covering the area between the Jordan and the Mediterranean will comprise 42% Jews and 58% Moslems and others. Professor Sergio de la Pergula of the Hebrew University forecasts an Arab majority as early as 2010. Because of the enmity for Israel on which the Palestinians have been raised, their entry into Israel en masse would create an immediate terrorist threat - it would be an act of national suicide. Some argue that all the refugees do not really mean to realize "the right of return" in practice, they just want the Israeli recognition of it. But the moment Israel recognizes this "right," it will lose control of its borders, because the Palestinian refugee will be the one who decides today or in the future whether to actualize that "right." Besides the political motive, the economic incentive is enough to inspire Palestinian refugees - or other Arabs claiming to be Palestinian refugees—to flood into Israel. After all, who wouldn't prefer to live in a country where the per capita income is 15 times higher than in the Arab states? Arab demands - how far and how much But even such arbitrary use of economic factors and creative assumptions regarding Arab wealth in Palestine before Israel's establishment cannot top the gumption of the Arab states. When, after the breakdown of the Camp David talks in July 2000, US President Bill Clinton floated the idea of establishing a reparations fund to be supported by the US, Europe, and Japan, several Arab states hurried to demand compensation for the years they have "hosted" Palestinian refugees. Lebanon's claim is said to amount to $7 billion. Jordan's formula is based on an annual payment of $2 billion for "hosting" the largest number of refugees since 1947. Syria is sure to follow suit. These claims are an ugly exercise, nothing short of extortion. Going from the ridiculous to the grotesque and malicious, Palestinian leaders and academics have used the Holocaust - when not denying it—as a model for the reparations they hope to receive from Israel. To put hundreds of thousands of refugees, most of whom fled from their homes because of the exhortations of their fellow Arabs, on the scale opposite 6 million slaughtered European Jews is downright atrocious. Who owned the land? Before the termination of the British Mandate in 1948, 8.6% was owned by Jews and 3.3% by Arabs within the Green Line. Another 16.9% was owned by those Arabs termed refugees. Plus 71.2% was State-owned land, mostly barren state owned land. -Kubursi, Yussuf Massad Palestinian Refugees and the Right of Return, Plato Press, London, 2001 Arab states hold the key At the negotiations held in Taba on January 22, 2001, it was stipulated by the Palestinians that Israel is solely to blame for the creation of the refugee problem. They advocated that the "right of return" be implemented under the supervision of a special international committee including representatives of Arab states. (The Palestinians, mindful of the disproportionate sway of the Arab-Islamic bloc in the UN, have always held to a strategy of internationalizing the Arab-Israeli conflict.) There is an alternative - settlement and freedom in Arab lands. Before the Palestinians initiated hostilities in September 2000, they had attained a reasonable standard of living that approached or even exceeded that of many sovereign Arab states, thanks to the Israeli policy of allowing them freedom of movement and the opportunity to work in Israel - rights that most Arab states have withheld from their homeless brethren. The Palestinians would be best served by absorption into surrounding Arab countries. They share the same language, religion and culture. In fact, seventy percent of Palestinians are third generation offspring of immigration from these countries due to economic considerations. However, not only do the 22 Arab countries have no interest in aiding the Palestinians, they prefer to wield them as a political weapon against Israel. This article appeared in the Jerusalem Post 1-15-2003 approximately, and is reproduced solely for educational purposes. __The Penalty of Aggression__ The Arab lobby has always blamed Israel for the Palestinian problem. The blame game The Palestinian refugees are victims, yes - but not of Israel. Rather, they are the victims of wars launched - ostensibly for them - by the Arab states, but for which they pay the price. They are the victims, effectively, of Arab aggression against Israel. "Had the Palestinians accepted the UN [partition] resolution instead of waging an aggressive war, there would have been no refugees.... The initial refugee problem of 1948 was exacerbated when Egypt and Syria launched the Six Day War.... Never before in history have those who lost wars of aggression been deemed equal partners in the negotiation, and for good reason," writes legal expert Prof. Alan Dershowitz of Harvard University. The "good reason," of course, is that aggressors should not have incentives for perpetrating acts of aggression. Dershowitz notes the unabated hostility toward Israel demonstrated by Palestinians over the years, as exemplified by their conspicuous support for Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War. "Over the course of the conflict the Palestinians ... continue to play the violence card as part of their negotiating strategy. Indeed, the major bargaining chip they bring to the table is the threat of renewed violence if they don't get their way. Another chip has been the one- sided refusal of the UN to condemn them for their aggression and terrorism. "There must be a price paid for starting and losing wars... Aggressors should be made to absorb refugees created by their aggression." Prelude to World War II: The Sudetenland In the ill-fated Munich Pact signed with Hitler in 1938, Britain's Chamberlain surrendered to Germany's demand to annex the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia, inhabited by Germans for centuries. The Nazis soon occupied the whole country, and then invaded Poland. Liberated by the Allies in 1945, the Czechs regained the Sudetenland, expelling 2.5 million of its ethnic Germans to Germany as authorized at the Potsdam Conference. There is a parallel between the German Sudets and the Palestinian refugees - except that the latter refuse to accept the universal code that aggressors must pay for their acts. A final agreement between the Germans and the Czechs was signed in December 1946, recognizing that the German Sudets were expelled on the understanding that they were pro-Nazi and, as such, enemies of the Czechs. Both sides agreed that the German Sudets would receive neither compensation nor apology. During the ensuing Cold War, the descendants of these Germans demanded to return to their "ancestral homeland" - but in vain. Another example of international justice following WWII is the decision arrived at by Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill at the Potsdam Conference. The three agreed that Germany should compensate Poland for attacking and ravaging the country, by ceding sizable territory to it. A "cooperation and good neighborhood" agreement was signed by the Republic of Poland and the Federal Government of Germany, denying the right of return to the millions of German refugees who had fled with the retreating Nazi army. It was also agreed that no restitution would be paid for abandoned properties. Where is the German PLO? The line between past and present was drawn, and Stettin, once the proud capital of Teutonic Pomerania, became the major Polish city of the region. And of course, there has never been a Teutonic PLO, or "Pomeranian Liberation Organization." The only existing PLO is the Palestinian Liberation Organization, founded in Cairo in 1964 with pan-Arab support. The code of penalty for aggression has been applied not only to mighty Germany but also to smaller countries who had gotten on the wrong bandwagon, such as Finland and Hungary. Finland - In 1939 the Soviet Union invaded the small Finnish democracy. Despite courageous resistance, the Finns were defeated and forced to cede the Isthmus of Karelia to the Russians. In an attempt to recover lost territory, the Finns joined with the Germans, who invaded Russia in 1941. Joint Finnish/German forces recaptured the isthmus. However, at the Paris Conference in 1947, Finland was forced to relinquish Karelia (which comprised one-eighth of its total area) and to pay the Russians a considerable war indemnity. Moreover, 400,000 refugees were reabsorbed into Finland, without any international financial aid. Hungary - The principle of penalty for aggression was also applied to Hungary who, during part of World War I fought on the side of Germany as a member of the dual Austro- Hungarian Monarchy. The war lost, sizeable Hungarian territories were ceded to Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia. In World War II, Hungary once again chose the wrong side and fought with the Axis Powers. She was ultimately overrun by the Russians, and at the Treaty of Paris, was ordered to pay $3 billion in reparations to the Soviet Union. This article appeared in the Jerusalem Post 1-15-2003 approximately, and is reproduced solely for educational purposes. __Is Israel Guilty of Ethnic Cleansing?__ Arab spokesmen, fluent in the use of standard cliches, attribute the refugee problem to a program of 'ethnic cleansing' by the Jewish leadership. This is palpably false. It was first and foremost at the urging of their leaders that the largest number of Arab refugees fled, with the promise of a swift victory over the weak Zionist enemy and an imminent return to their homes. Rumors of atrocities, highlighted by the tragic Deir Yassin episode, fanned a country-wide panic. Many Arabs did not heed the warnings to flee andstayed on, a wise decision they never regretted. There is peace between the Arab and Jewish communities in downtown Haifa today because of this choice, as is the case in nearby Acre. In Jaffa, a considerable number of Arabs remained to live under the joint Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality. Although the Hassan Beq mosque was used asa sniper's nest against Jewish passersby in 1948, it still stands as a Muslim landmark in Tel Aviv. Many of these Arab villages have developed into thriving townships. This applies even more dramatically to East Jerusalem, where the Arab population had increased from some 50,000 in 1948 to over 230,000 by the year 2000. It is true that some villages, mainly those who laid siege to Jerusalem, were destroyed and their inhabitants expelled. Their number was grossly inflated to a count of 400, according to Benny Morris, a forerunner of the school of "new historians" of Zionism. There is substantial evidence to corroborate these facts in the following citations: Citations from Arab leaders: "We will smash the country with our guns and obliterate every place the Jews seek shelter in. The Arabs should conduct their wives and children to safe areas until the fighting has died down." Iraqi prime minister Nuri Said, Sir Am Nakbah (The Secret Behind the Disaster) by Nimr el-Hawari, Nazareth, 1952 "Azzam Pasha assured the Arab peoples that the occupation of Palestine and of Tel Aviv would be as simple as a military promenade ... and that all the millions the Jews had spent on land and economic development would be easy booty, for it would be a simple matter to throw Jews into the Mediterranean ... " - Habib Issa, secretary-general of the Arab League (Azzam Pasha's successor), Al Hoda, June 8, 1951 It is of summary importance to point out that while Jordan's British trained, fully equipped Arab legion was able to pummel Jewish Jerusalem with in excess of 10,000 artillery shells, the Hagana had to make do with scant and often makeshift weapons. "As early as the first months of 1948, the Arab League issued orders exhorting the people to seek a temporary refuge in neighboring countries, later to return to their abodes … and obtain their share of abandoned Jewish property." - Bulletin of The Research Group for European Migration Problems, 1957 "The Arab states succeeded in scattering the Palestinian people and in destroying their unity. They did not recognize them as a unified people until the states of the world did so, and this is regrettable." - Abu Mazen from the official journal of the PLO, Falastin el-Thawra (What We Have Learned and What We Should Do), Beirut, March 1976 Leading American and British sources confirm the real cause of the flight: Citations from the international media: "The mass evacuation, prompted partly by fear, partly by order of Arab leaders, left the Arab quarter of Haifa a ghost city.... By withdrawing Arab workers their leaders hoped to paralyze Haifa." - Time Magazine, May 3, 1948, page 25 "[The Arabs of Haifa] fled in spite of the fact that the Jewish authorities guaranteed their safety and rights as citizens of Israel." - Monsignor George Hakim, Greek Catholic Bishop of Galilee, New York Herald Tribune, June 30, 1949 "Israelis argue that the Arab states encouraged the Palestinians to flee. And, in fact, Arabs still living in Israel recall being urged to evacuate Haifa by Arab military commanders who wanted to bomb the city." Newsweek, January 20, 1963 Citations from British military sources: Highly credible are the comments of the British commander of the Arab Legion, who, having bombarded Jewish Jerusalem and destroyed the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, cannot be suspected of a pro-Zionist attitude: "The Arab civilians panicked and fled ignominiously. Villages were frequently abandoned before they were threatened by the progress of war." - General John Glubb "Pasha," The London Daily Mail, August 12, 1948 "Every effort is being made by the Jews to persuade the Arab populace to stay and carry on with their normal lives, to get their shops and businesses open and to be assured that their lives and interests will be safe." - Haifa District HQ of the British Police, April 26, 1948, (quoted in Battleground by Samuel Katz). For decades, April 6, 1948 has been commemorated in the Arab world as "Deir Yassin Day," through sermons in mosques and lessons in schools, on stamps and posters, in books and songs. On that day, Deir Yassin, an Arab village at the entrance to Jerusalem, was captured by the Irgun Tzva'i Le'umi (known as the Irgun), defending the besieged Holy City. Arab leaders spread word that Jewish terrorists had stormed the peaceful village, raping the women and ultimately killing over 500 residents. There was even talk of aerial bombardment and tanks. The effect was double- edged. Actually, it was a standard battle that took a tragic turn. The village harbored Arab guerrillas who had long exploited their strategic position, attacking Jewish mountain convoys trying to break the three-month siege of Jerusalem. Iraqi irregulars dressed as women During the house-to-house fighting women and children were mistakenly killed. Among the Arab fighters were Iraqi irregulars who were dressed as women. Years later, Palestinian researchers at Bir-Zeit University found that the death toll was 107. Murder and rape have always been an athema to Israel's military. Israel has never denied its role in the Deir Yassin massacre nor reserved remorse. Nonetheless, the Arab world refused to accept that what happened on April 6, 1948 was the exception, not the rule, and Deir Yassin became a crucial factor in creating, and a tool in fanning, anti-Israeli hatred for generations. An Arab revenge attack was quick to follow. Four days after Deir Yassin, the Jewish convoy on its way to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus was ambushed. Seventy-seven people were killed, including doctors, nurses, patients, and the hospital director. Another 23 medical personnel were wounded. This article appeared in the Jerusalem Post 1-15-2003 approximately, and is reproduced solely for educational purposes. __Transfer: Not a Solution__ There is a difference between voluntary and involuntary transfer. A number of historic precedents point to transfer as a viable solution to territorial dispute, provided it is carried out by mutual consent. In an effort to end the Balkan Wars at the beginning of the 19th century, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey agreed to exchange their minority populations in the Treaties of San Stephano (1878), Constantinople (1913) and Neuilly (1919). However, the major exchange of population (transfer) took place between Greece and Turkey in order that a permanent border could be set between the longtime enemies. Endorsed by the Treaty of Lausanne (1922) and drawn up by the League of Nations, the transfer agreement fixed the terms by which the international community could restore ties with Turkey, which had been defeated in WWI. One of the major signatories was Elefterios Venizelos, Greece's elder statesman, six times the country's prime minister. Altogether 1.25 million Greeks from Asia Minor and Eastern Thrace were transferred to Greece, and nearly 500,000 Turks, primarily from Macedonia and Epirus, were transferred to Turkey. This project was organized and supervised by the celebrated Norwegian Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen, winner of the 1922 Nobel Prize for his humanitarian activities. Grasimos Apostolatos, former minister in the Greek government, presently head of The Society for the Study of Greek History, admits in his Annual Report (Athens, 2001) that the project of transferring some 1.25 million Greeks to their ancestral homeland was a painful one, but only such a radical solution could end the conflict. It took a few years for the integration of the displaced persons into the local economy, but the ultimate result was positive, and Greece emerged from the experience stronger and more prosperous. Henry Morgenthau, the first president of the Refugee Settlement Committee, described the arrival in Salonica of a boatload of Greek refugees from Turkey. "I saw 7000 people crowded in a ship that would have been taxed with a normal capacity of 2000. They were packed like sardines upon the deck - a squirming, writhing mass of human misery." (This has an eerie parallel with the arrival of ships to Israel, bearing waves of Holocaust survivors, including the famous "Exodus," prevented from docking by the British.) The India-Pakistan venture The largest population transfer yet was effected when Pakistan split from India on August 15, 1947. Eight million Hindus and six million Muslims were involved, and perhaps a million died in a painful but necessary operation that had broad international support. Despite the enormous number of refugees and the relative poverty of both nations, no international relief organizations were established to aid in the resettlement. (It was a grave historical error that the area of Kashmir, in dispute today, was overlooked, thus leaving a festering wound in the relations between the two countries.) The refugees resettled, and a new generation grew up considering itself native to its new home - both Indians and Pakistanis having made the pragmatic decision to start afresh. Pakistan's President, Gen. Pervez Musharaf, was one such refugee, having been born in New Delhi and transferred to Pakistan at the age of four, along with his family. The idea of "transfer" had been nurtured by leading statesmen even before 1942. Many Western and Arab leaders alike favored transferring the Arab population of Palestine to neighboring states. In 1927, Iraq's King Faisal I spoke of "Muslim Arab peasants from Syria and Palestine" coming to cultivate the vast expanses of unoccupied Iraqi land. By 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt told his Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau Jr., "I would provide land for the Arabs in some other part of the Middle East... There are lots of places to which you could move the Arabs." In 1945, Herbert Hoover proposed the recovery of some 3 million acres of land in Iraq for the resettlement of the Arabs of Mandatory Western Palestine. "Palestine itself," he wrote, "could be turned over to Jewish immigrants in search of a homeland." In 1947, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Sa'id suggested exchanging the Jewish population of Baghdad for an equal number of Israeli Arabs. Not a viable solution In view of the conditions presently prevailing in the region, voluntary transfer by mutual consent is not a viable solution in the foreseeable future for several reasons: 􀁺 The Arab states categorically oppose the idea of absorbing the refugees despite the wide spaces of their domain. 􀁺 A considerable number of refugees insist on returning to their ancestral homes, be it in Jaffa, Haifa, Safed or Tiberias. 􀁺 The term "transfer" has acquired a negative connotation and the international community will not support it. 􀁺 It has absolutely no chance of UN support, unlike the Greek-Turkish project which was endorsed by the League of Nations. 􀁺 A vast majority of Israelis reject the idea. - The Jerusalem Post, November 20, 2001, Moshe Kohn, quoting International Proposals to transfer Arabs from Palestine 1895/1947, Ktav 1988 - Valuing Palestinian Losses in Today's Dollars, Atif Kubursi - Palestine Refugees and The Right of Return (Pluto Press, London, 2001) __UNRWA: Caring for Refugees for Years and Still Counting__ UNRWA, the UN Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East was created in 1949 to help individuals (along with their spouses and dependants) whose homes were in Palestine from June 1, 1946 to May 15, 1948 and who lost both their homes and their livelihoods as a result of the conflict. According to UNRWA figures, at the time of its inception the refugees numbered some 726,000. Later, those displaced as a result of the Six Day War and their dependants were also declared eligible for UNRWA aid, as were inhabitants of "frontier villages" in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and nomadic or semi-nomadic tribes affected by the war. In UNRWA camps, refugees seldom die Because no one wants to lose UNRWA benefits, deaths often go unreported in their camps. In 1961, UNRWA director, Dr. John H. Davis, admitted that his statistical report of the number of refugees was inaccurate, due to the many unreported deaths and the growing number of forged cards granting access to UNRWA benefits and services. UNRWA Commissioner- General Peter Hansen has recently acknowledged that deaths in the camps may not be reported as assiduously as births. In 1960, US Congressmen visiting Jordan cited official estimates of forged UNRWA cards at over 150,000. Furthermore, the more refugees, the more justification there is for the work of the 22,000 Palestinian UNRWA employees. It is one of the ironies of the problem that as the number of "refugees" has increased through falsehood, their plight has become all the more real. Just how many refugees are there? The first serious assessment of the number of refugees based on demographic data was carried out by Dr. Walter Pinner. (How Many Arab Refugees?, London, 1960). Out of 1,282,000 - the total Arab population of Mandatory Palestine in April 1948, 548,600 were counted as refugees. At UN sessions the Arabs repeatedly inflated the figures. Lebanon spoke of over a million, (UN DOC/ASP/SA). Morocco gave a more "accurate" figure of 1,120,000. Swept up by an Oriental imagination, the Palestinian Emil Houry came up with 2 million. Palestinian sources, with an obvious interest in increasing the potential benefits of a future settlement and increasing Israel's supposed responsibility for the refugee problem, have consistently inflated their figures. The highest figure was that quoted in 1998, when Salman Abu Sitta—the most vaunted of Palestinian researchers - attempted to add credence to a grossly exaggerated study by claiming that there were exactly 7,778,186 Palestinians, an amazing 5,325,000 of whom he called refugees. Figures on this scale are commonly bandied about when discussing the need for a just solution to the Palestinian problem, but they are false: UNRWA - while admitting that its own figures are inflated - recognizes some 3.8 million Palestinians today. Not far off is the day when the number of refugees claimed will be the same as the number of Palestinians. According to their definition, nearly every Palestinian can be considered a refugee in one way or another. So there will be no escape from the need to negotiate who is a refugee, and who was uprooted from his home, yet still lives in his homeland. For example, those who fled the West Jerusalem neighborhood of Talbieh and now live in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Dis have been counted twice. So, too, have the Palestinians living in Detroit or in the Persian Gulf states. UNRWA's budget is almost a third of that of the UN High Commission for Refugees, which is the global relief agency. And this is the situation despite the fact that Palestinians constitute only 17% of the world's 24 million refugees. Somehow, the efforts of UN workers to aid displaced Palestinians have mushroomed into a $330 million-a-year project that actually perpetuates the refugee problem. UNRWA services UNRWA has provided the Palestinians with benefits exceeding those of all other refugees. These include medical and educational training, community centers for women, youth clubs and other social benefits. However, the term "camps" is misleading. Palestinian refugees do not live in tents as the term implies, but in houses in neighborhoods where conditions are superior to those of the poor neighborhoods of modern metropolis. A good idea gone bad Dependence on benefits that encourage unprecedented population growth, combined with a dearth of jobs, has created a restless and unruly young populace. The camps are infested with gangs, violence and drug trafficking. Even Palestinian police are afraid to enter them, whether Jenin or Ein al-Hilweh in Lebanon. The New York Times has described the refugee camps as paramilitary training grounds where 25,000 children from 8 to 16 years old are taught to make fire bombs. The camps serve as arms depots, factories for the manufacture of mortars, missiles and bombs, and asylum for fleeing terrorists. The shocking images of jubilant Palestinians celebrating the disaster on September 11, 2001 in the refugee camps are symptomatic of the violent society that, due to its refugee status, is becoming increasingly more desperate. Who foots the bill? Who funds these refugee villages? Most of UNRWA's work is covered by voluntary contributions from donor states. UNRWA's biggest donors are the US, the European Commission, the UK, Sweden and Canada. Not surprisingly, the contributions of Arab states make up only a tiny percentage of the UNRWA budget. Although it provides important humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, UNRWA ultimately serves as a fig leaf for an Arab world that has deliberately ignored or exploited the plight of these refugees. - The Face of Defeat (Quartet Books, London) Report to the Senate, April 20, 1960 - Alexander Safian, PhD, CAMERA (The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) - The New York Times, August 2, 2000 This article appeared in the Jerusalem Post 1-15-2003 approximately, and is reproduced solely for educational purposes. Understanding the Roots of the Problemss The Birth of Israel The Loopholes in 1948 An Arab Voice Restitution vs. Resettlement The Global Issue The Penalty of Agression Is Israel Guilty of Ethnic Cleansing? Transfer: Not a Solution UNRWA: Caring for Refugees for Years and Still Counting Legal Aspects of the Palestinian Question Legal Aspects Of The Palestinian Refugee Question Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Jerusalem Letter / Viewpoints No. 485 24 Elul 5762/ 1 September 2002 Ruth Lapidoth The Beginning of the Refugee Problem / Who is a Refugee? / Do Refugees Have a Right to Return to Israel? / The Impact of UN General Assembly Resolution 194/ After 1967/ The Refugee Question in Arab-Israeli Agreements / A Right to Compensation? Until September 2000, hopes were high that soon an agreement on the final status of the West Bank and Gaza would pave the way for peaceful coexistence between Israel and the Palestinians. These hopes have unfortunately been shattered, as Palestinians violently attacked Israelis in both the administered territories and in Israel proper, provoking violent reactions by Israel. One could wonder what purpose there is in analyzing legal issues related to a peaceful settlement when violence is the order of the day. If we nevertheless examine some of the legal issues, it is because we have not yet lost hope that sooner or later the guns will be silenced and the parties will return to the negotiating table. The underlying conflict is mainly of a political nature. However, for several reasons it should also be analyzed from a legal perspective. First, some of the questions involved are overwhelmingly of a legal nature. Second, the parties base their claims on legal arguments. And, third, if and when a compromise is reached, it will be drafted in legal terms and be included in a legal text. This is also true of the question of Palestinian refugees. The Beginning of the Refugee Problem The plight of the refugees is a serious human problem. During the 1947-48 period, many Arabs "left, ran away, or were expelled."1 At the same time, Jews escaped from Arab countries. While the Jews were integrated into the countries to which they fled, the Arabs were on purpose denied integration in most Arab countries (except Jordan) in order to prevent any possible accommodation with Israel. The refugees have been receiving support and assistance from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), established by the UN General Assembly in 1949. 2 According to various estimates, the number of refugees in 1949 was between 538,000 (Israeli sources), 720,000 (UN estimates), and 850,000 (Palestinian sources). By 2001, the number of refugees registered with and supported by UNRWA had grown to about 3.5 million, since also children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are registered. Another reason for this increase is the fact that UNRWA does not systematically delete all deceased persons from its registry. According to UNRWA, in 2000 there were about 550,000 refugees in the West Bank, some 800,000 in the Gaza Strip, 1,500,000 in Jordan, 350,000 in Lebanon, and 350,000 as well in Syria. Only part of them have lived in refugee camps. The situation of the refugees has been particularly severe in the Gaza Strip and in Lebanon.3 The plight of the refugees raises at least three legal questions: 1. Who should be considered to be a refugee? 2. Do the Palestinian refugees have a right to return to Israel? 3. Do they have a right to compensation? Who is a Refugee? The question arises whether all those registered with UNRWA should be considered as refugees. The 1951-1967 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees4 has adopted the following definition: ...[A]ny person who: (2) owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it… There is no mention in this definition of descendents. Moreover, the convention ceases to apply to a person who, inter alia, "has acquired a new nationality, and enjoys the protection of the country of his new nationality.” 5 Under this definition, the number of Palestinians qualifying for refugee status would be well below half a million. However, the Arab states managed to exclude the Palestinians from that definition, by introducing the following provision into the 1951-1967 Refugees Convention: This Convention shall not apply to persons who are at present receiving from organs or agencies of the United Nations other than the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees protection and assistance...6 In no official document have the Palestinian refugees been defined, and UNRWA has been adopting varying definitions, such as: A Palestinian refugee is a person whose normal residence was Palestine for a minimum of two years preceding the conflict in 1948, and who, as a result of this conflict, lost both his home and his means of livelihood and took refuge in one of the countries where UNRWA provides relief. Refugees within this definition and the direct descendants of such refugees are eligible for Agency assistance if they are: registered with UNRWA; living in the area of UNRWA operations; and in need.7 This is a very broad definition under which the number of refugees constantly increases. It may be appropriate for UNRWA purposes in order to decide who qualifies for assistance, but it is hardly suitable for other purposes. It follows that the parties should agree on a more suitable definition. Do Refugees Have a Right to Return to Israel? Another legal controversy concerns the question whether the refugees, whatever their definition, have a right to return to Israel. We will discuss this subject from three points of view: general international law, the most relevant UN resolutions, and various agreements between Israel and its neighbors. Several international human rights treaties deal with freedom of movement, including the right of return.8 The most universal provision is included in the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which says: "No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country."9 The question arises, who has the right of return, or: what kind of relationship must exist between the state and the person who wishes to return? A comparison of the various texts and a look at the discussions which took place before the a dop tion of these texts lead to the conclusion that the right of return is probably reserved only for nationals of the state. 10 Even the right of nationals is not an absolute one, but it may be limited on condition that the reasons for the denial or limitation are not arbitrary. Moreover, according to Stig Jagerskiold, the right of return or the right to enter one's country in the 1966 International Covenant is intended to apply to individuals asserting an individual right. There was no intention here to address the claims of masses of people who have been displaced as a by-product of war or by political transfers of territory or population, such as the relocation of ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe during and after the Second World War, the flight of the Palestinians from what became Israel, or the movement of Jews from the Arab countries. 11 In the context of general international law one also has to observe that humanitarian law conventions (such as the 1949 Geneva Conventions for the Protection of Victims of War) do not recognize a right of return. The Impact of UN General Assembly Resolution 1948 The first major UN resolution that refers to the Palestinian refugees is Resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948, adopted by the General Assembly.12 This resolution established a Conciliation Commission for Palestine and instructed it to "take steps to assist the Governments and authorities concerned to achieve a final settlement of all questions outstanding between them." Paragraph 11 deals with the refugees: The General Assembly...resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.. . Though the Arab states originally rejected the resolution, they later relied on it heavily and have considered it as recognition of a wholesale right of repatriation. This interpretation, however, does not seem warranted: the paragraph does not recognize any "right," but recommends that the refugees "should" be "permitted" to return. Moreover, that permission is subject to two conditions - that the refugee wishes to return, and that he wishes to live at peace with his neighbors. The violence that erupted in September 2000 forecloses any hope for a peaceful co-existence between Israelis and masses of returning refugees. Moreover, the Palestinians have linked the request for return to a claim for self-determination. If returning refugees had a right to external self-determination, this would mean the end of the very existence of the State of Israel. Under the 1948 resolution, the return should take place only "at the earliest practicable date." The use of the term "should" with regard to the permission to return underlines that this is only a recommendation - it is hortatory.13 One should also remember that under the UN Charter the General Assembly is not authorized to adopt binding resolutions, except in budgetary matters and with regard to its own internal rules and regulations. Finally, the reference to principles of international law or equity refers only to compensation for property and does not seem to refer to permission to return. It should also be borne in mind that the provision concerning the refugees is but one element of the resolution that foresaw "a final settlement of all questions outstanding between" the parties, whereas the Arab states have always insisted on its implementation (in accordance with the interpretation favorable to them) independently of all other matters. In this context one should bear in mind that the General Assembly has also recommended the "reintegration of the refugees into the economic life of the Near East, either by repatriation or resettlement' (emphasis added, R.L.).14 After 1967 As a result of the Six-Day War in 1967, there were about 200,000 Palestinian displaced persons (i.e., persons who had to leave their home and move to another place in the same state). These were dealt with by Security Council Resolution 237 of 4 June 1967,15 which called upon the government of Israel "to facilitate the return of those inhabitants [of the areas where military operations have taken place] who have fled the areas since the outbreak of hostilities." The resolution does not speak of a "right" of return and, like most Security Council resolutions, it is in the nature of a recommendation. Nevertheless, Israel has agreed to their return in various agreements, to be studied later. Some 30 percent of the displaced persons of 1967 had already been counted as refugees of 1948.16 Of great importance in the Arab-Israel peace process is Security Council Resolution 242 of 22 November 1967.17 In its second paragraph, the Council "Affirms further the necessity...(b) for achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem." The Council did not propose a specific solution, nor did it limit the provision to Arab refugees, probably because the right to compensation of Jewish refugees from Arab lands also deserves a "just settlement." There is no basis for the Arab claim that Resolution 242 incorporates the solution recommended by General Assembly Resolution 194 of 1948 analyzed above. The Refugee Question in Arab-Israeli Agreements Turning now to agreements between Israel and its neighbors, we find that already in the Framework for Peace in the Middle East agreed at Camp David in 1978 by Egypt and Israel,18 the refugee problem was tackled: It was agreed that a "continuing committee" including representatives of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinians should "decide by agreement on the modalities of admission of persons displaced from the West Bank and Gaza in 1967" (Article A, 3). Similarly, it was agreed that "Egypt and Israel will work with each other and with other interested parties to establish agreed procedures for a prompt, just and permanent implementation of the resolution of the refugee problem" (Article A, 4). In the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements of 1993 between Israel and the Palestinians, 19 again it was agreed that the modalities of admission of persons displaced in 1967 should be decided by agreement in a "continuing committee" (Article XII). The issue of refugees should be negotiated in the framework of the permanent status negotiations (Article V, 3). The 1995 Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip20 adopted similar provisions (Articles XXXVII, 2 and XXXI, 5). Somewhat more detailed is the relevant provision (Article 8) in the Treaty of Peace between Israel and Jordan of 1994.21 As to the displaced persons, they are the object of a text similar to the above ones. As to the refugees, the peace treaty mentions the need to solve their problem both in the framework of the Multilateral Working Group on Refugees established after the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference, and in conjunction with the permanent status negotiations. The treaty also mentions "United Nations programs and other agreed international economic programs concerning refugees and displaced persons, including assistance to their settlement. "22 None of the agreements between Israel and Egypt, the Palestinians, and Jordan, respectively, has granted the refugees a right of return into Israel. This short survey has shown that neither under the general international conventions, nor under the major UN resolutions, nor under the relevant agreements between the parties, do the Palestinian refugees have a right to return to Israel. In 2000 there were about 3.8 million Palestinian refugees registered with UNRWA. If Israel were to allow all of them to return to its territory, this would be an act of suicide on its part, and no state can be expected to destroy itself. On the other hand, at least some of the refugees would object to and try to delegitimize any agreement that did not grant a wholesale right of return.23 Moreover, they threaten those who would like to settle for a different solution. It seems to be a vicious circle. The solution may include a right to return to the new Palestinian homeland, settlement and integration in various other states (Arab and non-Arab), and possible return to Israel if compelling humanitarian reasons are involved, such as family unification.24 A Right to Compensation? The third legal problem pertaining to refugees is the question of whether they have a right to compensation for their lost property, and to a subsidy for their rehabilitation, i.e., integration or resettlement or return, respectively.25 General international law recognizes the obligation to pay compensation in case of confiscation of property belonging to foreigners. There is, however, disagreement about the amount that should be paid. In this case, two experts have suggested a standard of "adequate compensation," taking into account the value of the property and the specific needs of the respective refugee.26 If a definitive solution to the problem is sought, one should consider paying - either by law or ex gratia - not only compensation for lost property but also a reasonable subsidy for rehabilitation, and perhaps also compensation to the host country, where the refugee has lived and where he should settle. Since Israel had not started the 1947-48 war but was attacked by the Arabs, it is not responsible for the creation of the refugee problem. Hence it is not under an obligation to recruit the necessary sums. Preferably an international fund should be established for that purpose, to which other countries as well as Israel would contribute. The difficulty is the enormous sums which would be needed .27 It is advisable to resort to a lump sum arrangement which would settle all financial claims between the parties and preclude any further claims. A way would have to be found in order that the arrangement would bind not only Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but also all the refugees. To conclude our discussion of the refugee problem, it is recommended that the parties agree on a reasonable definition of the refugees and not automatically adopt the one used by UNRWA. The refugees do not have a right of return to Israel, neither under general nor special international law; the adequate solution seems to be return to the Palestinian homeland, resettlement and absorption in other countries (preferably according to the wishes of each refugee), and some may be allowed to return to Israel. A prompt and adequate solution will also involve the payment of compensation for lost property and a subsidy for rehabilitation. * * * Notes 1. Eyal Benvenisti and Eyal Zamir, "Private Claims to Property Rights in the Future Israeli-Palestinian Settlement," American Journal of International Law 89 (1995):297. 2. UN General Assembly Resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949, adopted at the 273rd plenary meeting. 3. Yitzhak Ravid, The Palestinian Refugees (Ramat Gan, 2001), pp. 1-12 (Hebrew). 4. UN Treaty Series, vol. 189, no. 2545 (1954), pp. 152-156, article 1A (2). 5. Ibid., Article 1 C (3). 6. Ibid., Article 1 D. 7. Don Peretz, Palestinians, Refugees, and the Middle East Peace Process (Washington, D.C., 1993), pp.11-12. 8. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 13 (2); the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 12 (4); the 1963 Protocol IV to the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 3 (2); the 1969 American Convention of Human Rights, Article 22 (5); the 1981 9. Banjul Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, Article 12 (2) - see Basic Documents on Human Rights, Sir Ian Brownlie, ed., 3rd ed. (Oxford, 1992), pp. 21, 125, 347, 495, 551; for additional examples, see Paul Sieghart, The International Law of Human Rights (Oxford, 1985), pp. 174-178. 10. Paul Sieghart, The International Law of Human Rights, p. 179; Geoffrey R. Watson, The Oslo Accords: International Law and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Agreements (Oxford, 2000), p. 283; Ruth Lapidoth, "The Right of Return in International Law, with Special Reference to the Palestinian Refugees," Israel Yearbook on Human Rights 16 (1986), pp. 107-108. Some experts are of the opinion that the right of return applies also to "permanent legal residents" - see, e.g., the discussion that took place in the sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, as reported in the Report by Chairman-Rapporteur Mr. Asbjorn Eide, UN Doc. E/CN.4/Sub.2/1991/45, of 28 August 1991, p. 5. The Human Rights Committee established under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has adopted an interpretation according to which the right of return belongs also to a person who has "close and enduring connections" to a certain country - UN Doc. CCPR/C/21/Rev. 1/Add. 9, 2 November 1999, pp. 5-6. 11. Stig Jagerskiold, "The Freedom of Movement," The International Bill of Rights, Louis Henkin, ed. (New York, 1981), p. 180. For a different opinion, see Geoffrey Watson, Oslo Accords, p.283. 12. GAOR, 3rd session, part 1,1948, Resolutions, pp. 21-24. 13. Geoffrey Watson, Oslo Accords, p. 281. 14. UN General Assembly Resolution 393 (V) , 2 December 1950, adopted at the 315th plenary meeting. See also the second paragraph of UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (III), 11 December 1948, and Resolution 513 (VI), 26 January 1952, adopted at the 365th plenary meeting: 15. SCOR, 22nd year, Resolutions and Decisions, 1967, p. 5. 16. Salim Tamari, 'The Future of Palestinian Refugees in the Peace Negotiations," Palestine-Israel Journal 2 (1995):12. 17. SCOR, 22nd year, Resolutions and Decisions, pp. 8-9. For its legislative history, see, e.g., Arthur Lall, The U.N. and the Middle East Crisis 1967 (New York, 1968). For an analysis, see, e.g., Adnan Abu Odeh, Nabil Elaraby, Meir Rosenne, Dennis Ross, Eugene Rostow, Vernon Turner, articles in UN Security Council Resolution 242: The Building Block of Peacemaking (Washington, D.C., 1993); Ruth Lapidoth, "Security Council Resolution 242 at Twenty Five," Israel Law Review 26 (1992):295-318. 18. UN Treaty Series, vol. 1138 (1987), no. 17853, pp. 39-45. 19. International Legal Materials 32 (1993), pp. 1525-1544. On this declaration, see, e.g., Joel Singer, "The Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements," Justice (Tel Aviv), no. 1 (1994):4-21; Eyal Benvenisti, "The Israel-Palestinian Declaration of Principles: A Framework for Future Settlement," European Journal of International Law 4 (1993):542-554; Antonio Cassese, "The Israel-PLO Agreement and Self-Determination," ibid., pp. 564-571; Raja Shihadeh, "Can the Declaration of Principles Bring About a 'Just and Lasting Peace'?" ibid., pp. 555-563; Karin Calvo-Goller, "Le regime d'autonomie prevu par la declaration de principles du 13 Septembre 1993," Annuaire Francais de Droit International 39 (1993):435; K.W. Meighan, 'The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles: Prelude to a Peace?" Virginia Journal of International Law 34 (1994):435-468. 20. Articles 1, 3, 4, 7, 13 and Annex I of the Declaration of Principles. Excerpts of the 1995 agreement were published in International Legal Materials 36 (1997), p. 551. For the full text, see Kitvei Amana (Israel's publication of treaties), vol. 33, no. 1071, pp. 1-400. For commentaries, see Joel Singer, "The West Bank and Gaza Strip: Phase Two," Justice, no. 7 (1995):1-12; Rotem M. Giladi, "The Practice and Case Law of Israel tn Matters Related to International Law," Israel Law Review 29 (1995):506-534; Raja Shihadeh, From Occupation to Interim Accords: Israel and the Palestinian Territories (London, 1997), pp. 31-72; Geoffrey Watson, Oslo Accords. 21. International Legal Materials 34 (1995), pp. 43-66. 22. Article 8, para. 2 (c), pp. 49-50. 23. Salim Tamari, "The Future of Palestinian Refugees," pp. 11-12. 24. For possible solutions, see Geoffrey Watson, Oslo Accords, pp. 286-290; Donna E. Arzt, Refugees Into Citizens: Palestinians and the End of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (New York, 1997); Joseph Alpher and Khalil Shikaki, The Palestinian Refugee Problem and the Right of Return, Harvard University, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs; Working Paper no. 98-7 (Cambridge, MA, 1998). 25. Geoffrey Watson, Oslo Accords, pp. 286-290; Eyal Benvenisti and Eyal Zamir, "Private Claims." 26. Ibid., pp. 331 and 338. However, Resolution 194 (III) spoke only of compensation for property. 27. Yltzhak Ravid, The Palestinian Refugees, pp. 36-40. * * * Ruth Lapidoth is a Fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and Professor at the Law School of the College of Management as well as Greenblatt Professor Emeritus of International Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Professor Lapidoth's areas of expertise include Public International Law, Law of the Sea, the Arab-Israeli conflict and its resolution, and specifically the juridical status of Jerusalem, and autonomy. Her books include The Arab-Israel Conflict and Its Resolution: Selected Documents (1992), The Jerusalem Question and Its Resolution: Selected Documents (1994), Autonomy: Flexible Solutions to Ethnic Conflicts (1997), and The Old City of Jerusalem (2002). This Jerusalem Viewpoints is based on a more comprehensive study, "Israel and the Palestinians: Some Legal Issues," that originally appeared in Die Friedens-Warte (Journal of International Peace and Organization), 76:2-3 (2001 ):211-240. The Jerusalem Letter and Jerusalem Letter/Viewpoints are published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 13 Tel-Hai St., Jerusalem, Israel; Tel. 972-2-5619281, Fax. 972-2-5619112, Internet: jcpa@netvision.net.il . In U.S.A.: Center for Jewish Community Studies,1515 Locust St., Suite 703, Philadelphia, PA 19102; Tel. (215) 772-0564, Fax. (215) 772-0566. ©Copyright. All rights reserved. ISSN: 0792-7304. 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Biblically discusses if a Christian can actually become a Jew. C O N V E R T ? .... CAN A GENTILE CHRISTIAN BECOME A JEW? ...... R E A L L Y ?! To return To Jews Gentiles and the Church Web Site To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE Can A Gentile Christian 'Convert' (become a Jew) To Judaism & Remain A Christian To Convert or Not to Concert, That is the Question The Messianic Movement and A Messianic Gentile In A Messianic Jewish Congregation

The Messiah was repeatedly in the Bible prophesied to come by Virgin birth. Isaiah 7:1-17 Virgin Birth of Yeshua the Messiah, God’s True Hope and Deliverance by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum* CHAPTERS 7-12 of Isaiah constitute a single unit, sometimes referred to as "The Book of Immanuel" because the name "Immanuel" appears three times in the Hebrew text (7:4;8:8,10). The first prophecy which we will look at within this section of Scripture deals with the birth of Immanuel. In the Bible, when parents name a child, the meaning of the name shows the thinking of the parents. When God names the child, as here, the name shows the very nature of the child. Immanuel means "with us, God." The character of the child will be "God among us." The Controversy As mentioned in our discussion of Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:3-14 is a prophecy concerning the virgin conception and birth of the Messiah. This is perhaps the most controversial of the messianic prophecies and therefore requires a closer textual analysis than others. The exact meaning of this passage is disputed by rabbis, liberal theologians and even by some evangelical theologians. The passage talks of "a sign: The virgin will be with child.. " There are two areas of controversy here: 1. The sign Since the context of the chapter requires a short range prophecy - giving a sign to King Ahaz - how can this be applied to the birth of a child some 700 years later, as claimed in Matthew 1:22-23? 2. The Hebrew word “Almah" Does it really mean a virgin, or simply a young unmarried woman? We will deal with both of these contentious issues before proceeding to discuss the passage itself. Hermeneutics Since Isaiah 7:13-14 requires an immediate sign to King Ahaz, many Evangelicals have taken this verse to be an example of "double fulfillment." This principle states that a prophecy may have more than one fulfillment. This verse may, accordingly, be both a sign for King Ahaz and the sign in Matthew 1:22-23 for the birth of Jesus. This author does not accept the principle of double fulfillment either here or in any other place in the Bible. If this principle were true, there would be no real need for the virgin birth at all. There is another, better principle of biblical interpretation which is "Double Reference." This principle states that one block of Scripture dealing with one person, one event, one time, may be followed by another block of Scripture dealing with a different person, place and time, without making any clear distinction between the two blocks or indicating that there is a gap of time between the two blocks. The fact of a gap of time is known only from other Scriptures. There are, therefore, two separate prophecies side-by-side each having their own fulfillment, but with only one fulfillment per prophecy. "Double Fulfillment" states that one prophecy can have two fulfillments. "Double Reference" states that the one piece of Scripture actually contains two prophecies, each having its own fulfillment. As will be explained later, Isaiah 7:3-17 contains two quite separate prophecies with different purposes, and having different fulfillments at different times. The Hebrew Word Almah The major debate, of course, is over the exact meaning of the Hebrew word almah, translated here as virgin. In describing a young woman, there are three Hebrew words which Isaiah could have used: 1. Na’a’rah Na'a'rah means "damsel" and can refer to either a virgin (as in I Kings 1:2), or a non-virgin (as in Ruth 2:6). 2. Betulah This is commonly considered to mean a virgin, exclusively. It is argued that if Isaiah had really meant to say a virgin, then he would have used this word. It is true that this word is often used to mean virgin, but not always. For example: i. In Joel 1:8 it is used in reference to a widow. ii. In Genesis 24:6, because the word does not exclusively mean "virgin" the writer adds the phrase "had never known a man" in order to clarify what he means. iii. Again in Judges 2:12 the phrase "had not known a man" has to be added to give the precise meaning. 3. Almah Almah means "a virgin," "a young virgin," a "virgin of marriageable age." This word is used seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures and not once is it used to describe a married woman; this point is not debated. i. Genesis 24:43. In contrast to 24:6 mentioned above, verse 43 requires no additional qualifying remarks since the one word alone is sufficient to mean "virgin." Furthermore, it is used of Rebekah who was obviously a virgin at the time of her marriage to Isaac. ii. Exodus 2:8. Used in reference to Moses' sister Miriam, who was a virgin. iii. Psalm 68:25. Used in reference to the royal procession of virgins. Since the King in this context is God Himself, absolute virginity is required; it is unthinkable that God would allow unchaste, unmarried women in His procession. iv. Song of Songs 1:3. The context here is purity in marriage. v. Song of Songs 6:8. The word is used here in contrast to wives and concubines who would obviously be non-virgins. vi. Proverbs 30:18-19. The word is used in verse 19 in contrast to an adulteress in verse 20. vii. Isaiah 7:14. Since all of the above six verses mean "a virgin," what reason is there for making Isaiah 7:14 the only exception? Since everyone agrees that almah means an unmarried woman, if the woman in Isaiah 7:14 were a non-virgin, then God would be promising a sign involving fornication and illegitimacy. It is unthinkable that God would sanction sin, and in any case, what would be so unusual about an illegitimate baby that could possibly constitute a sign? As far as ancient Jewish writers were concerned, there was no argument about Isaiah 7:4 predicting a virgin birth. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made about 200 b.c.e./b.c., 200 years before the issue of Jesus' Messiahship ever arose. The Jews who made this translation, living much closer to the times of Isaiah than we do today, translated Isaiah 7:14 using the Greek word parthenos which very clearly and exclusively means a virgin. There can therefore be no doubt that the unique event which God is promising as a sign, is the miraculous conception of a son by a girl who is still a virgin. The Threat to the House of David - 7:1-2 At this point in history there was an empire arising which was threatening the smaller kingdoms of the Middle East - the Assyrian Empire. Among these smaller kingdoms was Syria (or Aram), the northern Kingdom of Israel (or Ephraim), and the southern Kingdom of Judah. The kings of Israel and Syria joined forces against their common enemy (verses I-2), but still did not have enough military might to withstand an Assyrian attack. They invited Judah to join forces with them, but Ahaz, King of Judah, refused. Israel and Syria then conspired, not only to dethrone Ahaz, when they might have succeeded, but to depose the entire House of David. This is the emphasis in verse 2. They would then establish a new dynasty in Judah more favorable to an alliance against Assyria. This, then, is a direct attack upon God's eternal covenant with David. It is therefore doomed to failure. (The Davidic Covenant is discussed under I Chronicles 17:10b-14 in the section on The Writings.) The Message to Ahaz - 7:3-9 Ahaz is not a worshipper of the one true God, but has fallen into idolatry and is very much afraid of the approaching attack (verse 2). In verses 3-9 God gives a message to Ahaz. In verse 3, Isaiah is commissioned to meet with Ahaz, who is inspecting water supplies in preparation for a siege. Isaiah is also to take his son with him. His son is called Shear-Jashub, meaning "a remnant will return." The reason for taking his son is not explained until verses 15-16. In verses 4-6 the message is given, describing the plot and telling Ahaz not to be afraid. The plot consists of overthrowing Ahaz and replacing him with the son of Tabeel. Isaiah was a master of the Hebrew language and loved playing word games. He does so here in verse 6. Tabeel means "God is good." By altering the vowel pattern very slightly, Isaiah changes this to mean "good for nothing." The one that means "God is good" will prove to be "good for nothing." Because of the Davidic Covenant, no conspiracy against the House of David can ever succeed. God clearly states this in verse 7, and in verses 8-9 God will judge the two kings involved in the conspiracy. The Signs of Deliverance - 7:10-17 The Offer of a Sign - 7:10-11 Ahaz, however, is an idolater who does not trust in God and has made his own arrangements. He has sent letters and gifts to the Assyrian Emperor, asking for assistance in his defense against these two kings. He has greater faith in the Assyrian Empire than in the God of Israel. So, in verse 10, God speaks a second time. He offers Ahaz a sign - whatever it takes to convince Ahaz not to fear, not to trust the Assyrians, but to trust in God. Whatever it takes, let him ask for it and God will do it for him. The word for "sign" does not of itself mean a miracle; it could be a miraculous or a natural sign. Within this context, however, it is clear that it will take a miracle to convince Ahaz. God offers him a sign anywhere he wants - in heaven, on earth, under the earth -whatever it takes to convince him. The Rejection of the Offer - 7:12 In response, the idolatrous Ahaz suddenly becomes very spiritual. In verse 12 he refuses to "test" God or "tempt" Him. This is a reference to Deuteronomy 6:16, but he misapplies it. Nevertheless, it is evident that even in idolatry, Ahaz was not ignorant of the true God! Deuteronomy 6:16 warns against asking for a sign, but here God is offering a sign and Ahaz is invited to respond. Ahaz does not want a sign, lest it come to pass, and he be forced to abandon his alliance with Assyria. Then come the crucial verses, 13 and 14. The Sign to the House of David - 7:13-14 In verse 13, Isaiah turns from addressing Ahaz as an individual and addresses the entire House of David. The English language does not distinguish between "you" addressed to one person and "you" addressed to many people. In Hebrew there is a difference, and there is a clear change between the singular "you" of verses 9,11,16,17 and the plural "you" of verses 13-14. The sign therefore is not just for Ahaz, but for the whole House of David. This becomes clearer if we state the passage again with the singular [s] and plural [pl] words indicated: 7:9 . . .and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you [s] will not believe, you [s] surely shall not last.""' 10 Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 "Ask a sign for yourself [s] from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven." 12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!" 13 Then he said, "Listen now, 0 house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you [pl] to try the patience of men, that you [pl] will try the patience of my God as well? 14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you [pl] a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. 15 "He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. 16 "For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you [s] dread will be forsaken. "The LORD will bring on you [s], on your people, and on your father's house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria." (NASB, with comments added) In verse 14, the Hebrew word for "behold" is a word which draws attention to an event which could be past, present or future. However, grammatically, whenever "behold" is used with the Hebrew present participle, it always refers to a future event. That is the case here. Not only is the birth future, but the very conception is future. This is not referring to a pregnant woman about to give birth. The text specifically says "the virgin" (the NIV and NKJV are correct at this point; the NASB like most translations says "a virgin," which is quite wrong). According to the rules of Hebrew grammar, when finding the use of a definite article (the), the reader should look for a reference in the immediate previous context. Having followed the passage from chapter 7:1, there has been no mention of any woman. Having failed with the immediate context, the second rule is the "principle of previous reference," something which has been dealt with much earlier and is common knowledge among the people. Where in Jewish Scripture or tradition is there any concept of "the virgin giving birth to a son"? The only possible reference is to Genesis 3:15. Contrary to the biblical norm, the Messiah would be reckoned after the Seed of the Woman. Why? Because He would have no human father; His would be a virgin conception and birth. The key point of this should not be missed. God is promising that the House of David cannot be deposed or lose its identity until the birth of a virgin-born son. Again, this requires that Messiah be born prior to the destruction of the Temple and its genealogical records in 70 A.D. The Sign to Ahaz - 7:15-17 Having concluded that Isaiah 7:12-14 is a long range prophecy concerning the birth of Messiah, that still leaves a problem. What about Ahaz? An event 700 years in the future is of little significance to him. There is however a second sign in verses 15-17, and this time it is specifically for Ahaz. The "you" in verse 16 is again singular, meaning Ahaz. Before Isaiah's son is old enough to make moral distinctions between right and wrong, the kings of Israel and Syria will be deposed and their threat removed. This was fulfilled within three years. Isaiah again uses the definite article before the term "boy." This time there is another boy mentioned in the context: Isaiah's son. The boy of verse 16 cannot be the son of verse 14 but refers back to Isaiah's son in verse 3. Why else was Isaiah commanded to take him? Summary of Isaiah 7:1-17 In Isaiah chapter 7, King Ahaz, the King of Judah, is under threat of attack. This threat is not only to him personally but to the whole House of David. Through the Prophet Isaiah, God tells King Ahaz to be at peace and to be unafraid. Two reasons are given, two signs which guarantee God's promise of security. The first sign, in verses 13 and 14, is that no attempt to destroy the House of David will succeed until the birth of a virgin-born son. The term "virgin" is required both by the Hebrew vocabulary and the context. The second sign, in verses 15 and 16, is given to Ahaz personally. God promises that the attack upon him by Israel and Syria will not succeed, and before Isaiah's son, Shear-Jashub, reaches an age of moral maturity, the two enemy kings will cease to exist. Isaiah 7:14 teaches that: Messiah would be born of a girl who is still a virgin; the explanation of Genesis 3:15 Messiah will be the God-Man. Messiah will be a king. Messiah must be born prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E./A.D. *Used for educational purposed in line with goals of the author and Ariel Ministries www.ariel.org from Messianic Christology, 1978 © For more information contact the author or Menorah hrwnm –Menorah Ministries - menorah@menorah.org See Also Torah, Talmud, Midrash, Biblical Discussion Articles To Return To The Real Yeshua-Jesus To Return to Menorah Ministries Home Page

PRETRIBULATIONAL POSITION ‘RAPTURE’ OF THE CHURCH I. THE EVENTS OF THE RAPTURE: THE PROMISE TO RETURN FOR THE CHURCH…...John 14:1-3 THE PROGRAM OF THE RAPTURE…..I Thessalonians 4:13-18 vs 13-15 no soul sleep, no cessation of spirit-soul activity, only physical activity. Dead and living Believers benefit from the Rapture and share in such. vs 16-17 spells out the chronology sequence of the Rapture, in 7 stages. II. THE TIMING OF THE RAPTURE PRETRIBULATIONAL POSITION ‘RAPTURE’ OF THE CHURCH I. THE EVENTS OF THE RAPTURE: THE PROMISE TO RETURN FOR THE CHURCH …...John 14:1-3 THE PROGRAM OF THE RAPTURE …..I Thessalonians 4:13-18 vs 13-15 no soul sleep, no cessation of spirit-soul activity, only physical activity. Dead and living Believers benefit from the Rapture and share in such. vs 16-17 spells out the chronology sequence of the Rapture, in 7 stages. 1. the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven 2. with a shout. A command for the resurrection and translation to occur by Jesus. 3. with the voice of the archangel. Repeat of the command by the sub-commander. 4. with a the thrump of God, Triggers the actual Rapture to get into motion. 5. the dead in Christ rise first. To those only baptized in H. S., Acts 2, the Church. 6. the living in Christ rise second and join with the dead ones. “to be Caught up” 7. both meet the Lord in the air The ‘Change’ in the ‘Nature’ of the bodies: I Corinthians 15: Nature 35-49, Change 50-58 II. THE TIMING OF THE RAPTURE: In no Biblical passage which discussed the Tribulation is the Church mentioned. The fact that saints are found in the Tribulation does not prove that the Church is there any more than the existence of saints in the Old Testament proves that the Church was there. And clearly the OT saints are not apart of the Church as seen in Acts. Saints in the Tribulation are never called the Church. However, the Church is evident in Revelation 1-3 and 19-22 and not in 6-18 dealing with the events of the Tribulation. The following passages all state that the Church will be removed before the wrath, or the Day of the Lord, or the Tribulation begins: A Pretribulational Rapture Luke 21:34-37 I Thessalonians 1:9-10 I Thessalonians 5:10 Revelation 3:10 These following Scriptures all state that the coming of the Messiah for the Believer (The Church) is imminent, at any time or moment. John 21:20-23 Romans 13:11-12 James 5:7-9 Revelation 22:20 Note: imminency does not mean ‘soon’ but only means that nothing else must precede it and that it could at any time happen, come, occur. When Before? The Rapture “precedes” the Tribulation but it does not “begin” the Tribulation. The Seven-Year covenant does. The Rapture merely comes some time before this, perhaps even many years. Then comes the immediate Judgment Seat of the Messiah Romans 14:10-12 II Corinthians 5:10 I Corinthians 3:10-15 Rewards: I Corinthians 9:24-25 I Thessalonians 2:19 II Timothy 4:7-8 James 1:12 Revelation 2:10 I Peter 5:2-4 Purpose: determining degree of authority in the Messianic Kingdom, only the Eternal Order. All are equal there. Parable: Luke 19:11-27 Reference: The Footsteps of the Messiah Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum Arial Ministries pp. 142-160 To Return to Menorah's Web Page To Return to To Life - L'Chaim Find Eternal Life Web Page

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Provides Biblical proof of the Messiah in the prophets of the Bible. The Messiah In The Prophets From 780—516 B.C.E. there are an estimated 243 prophecies in the Prophets which the rabbis in particular see the Messianic motif. The most distinctive feature of the prophetic books is that their Messianic predictions generally have eschatological (concern with the final events in the history of the world or mankind) overtones: “in that day”, “behold the days will come”, “at the end of the days”, “in the day of the Lord”,“in these days”, or “in the last days”. Eusebius, the father of church history I. The Prophets of the Northern Kingdom, Israel Amos 780-740 Proclaimed the “coming day of the Lord”. 5:18-20; 8:9: 9:7-15 When that day comes”, I will raise up the fallen sukkah of David. I will close up its gaps, raise up its ruins and rebuild it as it used to be, so that Isra'el can possess what is left of Edom and of all the nations bearing my name," says ADONAI, who is doing this."The days will come," says ADONAI, "when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the one treading grapes the one sowing seed. Sweet wine will drip down the mountains, and all the hills will flow with it. vs 9:11-13 Jonah 782-753 Proclaimed overall the “love of one’s enemies” . Death, resurrection and Life after. Hosea 760-720 Proclaimed a “return to the Lord”. 3:4-5, “Messianic Covenant” . 2:18-20 and the “power of the resurrection” . 13:14; His branches will spread out, his beauty be like an olive tree and his fragrance like the L'vanon… 14:6 II. The Prophets of the Southern Kingdom, Judah Joel 860-850 Proclaimed as a “teacher of the way of righteousness” . 2:23-4:3 Isaiah 740-698 Proclaimed as the Old Testaments evangelist the Messiah’s “high priestly office, birth, majesty, humiliation, glorious exaltation, resurrection hope, the new Heaven and earth and the last judgment”. 7:14; 9:1-6; 11:1-4; 25:7-9; 26:19; 30:19-20; 42:1-3; 53; 66:22-24 The Targum (Torah translation) sees these Isaiah verses as particularly referring to the Messiah: -On that day, ADONAI's plant will be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the land will be the pride and splendor of Isra'el's survivors 4:2 -For all the boots of soldiers marching and every cloak rolled in blood is destined for burning, fuel for the fire. 9:5 -For in but a little while, my fury will end; and my anger will have destroyed them. 10:27 -But a branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai, a shoot will grow from his roots. 11:1 -The wolf will live with the lamb; the leopard lie down with the kid; calf, young lion and fattened lamb together, with a little child to lead them. 6 -Do not rejoice, P'leshet, any of you, that the rod which struck you is broken; for out of the snake's root will come a viper, and his offspring will be a flying fiery serpent. 14:29 -Send lambs for the ruler of the land from the crags toward the desert to the mountain of the daughter of Tziyon. 16;1 -On that day, ADONAI-Tzva'ot will be a glorious crown, a brilliant diadem for the remnant of his people. 28:5 -Here is my servant, whom I support, my chosen one, in whom I take pleasure. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the Goyim. 42:1 -You are my witnesses," says ADONAI, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you can know and trust me and understand that I am he no god was produced before me, nor will any be after me. 43:10 -See how my servant will succeed! He will be raised up, exalted, highly honored! 52:13 -Arise, shine [Yerushalayim], for your light has come, the glory of ADONAI has risen over you. 60:1 Micah 737-690 Proclaimed more of the “Messianic hope” . This is the word of ADONAI that came to Mikhah the Morashti during the days of Yotam, Achaz and Y'chizkiyah, kings of Y'hudah, which he saw concerning Shomron and Yerushalayim: Listen, peoples, all of you! Pay attention, earth, and everything in it! Adonai ELOHIM will witness against you, Adonai, from his holy temple. For - look! - ADONAI is coming out of his place, coming down to tread on the high places of the land. 1:2-3, 4:1-8, 5:1; 7:7-9, 18-19 Habakkuk 640-608 Proclaimed “the righteous will live through faith effected by God; from His faithfulness”. 2:4; 3:18-19 Zephaniah 641-610 Proclaimed “the approaching Day of the Lord and of revival”. 2:3; 3:9, 11-20 On that day, it will be said to Yerushalayim, "Do not fear, Tziyon! don't let your hands droop down. ADONAI your God is right there with you, as a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you and be glad, he will be silent in his love, he will shout over you with joy. 3:16-17 Jeremiah 627-586 Proclaimed as “the prophet of the nations”. "The days are coming," says ADONAI when I will raise a righteous Branch for David. He will reign as king and succeed, he will do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Y'hudah will be saved, Isra'el will live in safety, and the name given to him will be ADONAI Tzidkenu [ADONAI our righteousness]. 23:5-6 chapters 30-34 Obadiah 605-586 Proclaimed the “deliverance associated with Tzion-Zion” . chapter 1, particularly: Then the victorious will ascend Mount Tziyon to rule over Mount 'Esav, but the kingship will belong to ADONAI. vs. 21. III. The Prophets Who Were Active During The Exile Daniel 602-537 Proclaimed eschatological expectation of the Last Days. 2:22, 34-36, 44-45; 7:9, 13-14; chapter 9 Ezekiel 593-573 Proclaimed as the “priestly prophet” . 11:17-24; chapters 33-39; 44:1-3 IV. The Prophets Who Appeared After The Exile Haggai 520 for 4 months Proclaimed “encouragement and salvation” . 2:4-6, 9, 19, 20-23 Zechariah 520 after Haggai-518 Proclaimed “Holiness of God.” Listen, cohen gadol Y'hoshua, both you and your colleagues seated here before you, because these men are a sign that I am going to bring my servant Tzemach [Sprout]. 3:8 6:12; 10:4; 12:9-10; 13:6-7 Malachi 516 Proclaimed calling the people “back to the Lord God.” chapter 3 "Look! I am sending my messenger to clear the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Yes, the messenger of the covenant, in whom you take such delight - look! Here he comes," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. 3:1 Jewish Messianic expectation is often closely bound up with the End Times last days but particularly with how we are to understand death, resurrection, and the reality of life after death—all of which are “ultimate issues”. The Days of Messiah! Note: all Scripture unless otherwise stated is from the Complete Jewish Bible. References from The Messiah in the Old Testament, Risto Santala, p. 146-189 How about you? Have you received your Redeemer, the Stone whom the builders rejected? In Him is life, light and joy and in His sacrifice is forgiveness of sin. For More Information: Return to Who Is Yeshua-Jesus Page . Return to Biblical Traditional Jewish Feasts Page . To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE

irst let us understand that people are born by the flesh into one cultural ethnic group or another due to no choice of their own. Second, a spiritual faith system is something a person chooses for themselves. A Jew does not give up their Jewish Heritage, culture and identity when they accept the Messiah Jesus. Rather, they gain important Jewish values; atonement as described by Moses, Israel's promised Messiah, and a personal relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.nJesus Ask Re’uben Does a Jew stop being Jewish when they believe in Jesus? S H A L O M ! _______ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW _______ Biblical Question: T. H. from Denver asks: Dear Pastor Reuben, Recently I was told by a rabbi and several other people that I was no longer a Jew because of my having accepted Yeshua (Jesus) as Lord & Savior. As a Believer in Jesus as Messiah I know they are wrong but, can you help me? Pastor Reuben's Answer: Dear T.H., shalom, First let us understand that people are born by the flesh into one cultural ethnic group or another due to no choice of their own. Second, a spiritual faith system is something a person chooses for themselves. A Jew does not give up their Jewish Heritage, culture and identity when they accept the Messiah Jesus. Rather, they gain important Jewish values; atonement as described by Moses, Israel's promised Messiah, and a personal relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So they do not give up; they gain. They do not lose their Jewishness, they intensify it in a Biblical way. They become a Messianic Jew, a Jewish follower of the Jewish Messiah promised by the Jewish Scriptures. Remember the Jewishness of the Biblical faith. (see John 4:22; Romans 9:4-5; and 11:11-27; Acts 26:6-7) The authors of Scripture were Jewish, as were Jesus and the apostles. And they all, including the "Jew of Jews" Paul, retained their Jewishness. (Acts 2:26, 3:1, 21:21-26, 22:3; 28:17; I Cor. 7:18) This does not mean that a Gentile becomes a Jew when he believes in Jesus, but neither does a Jew stop being Jewish when he accepts the Messiah. Source and reference: The Bible (Old & New Covenants) The Olive Tree Connection by Dr. John Fischer. Jews & Jesus by Zola Levitt In His service, Pastor Reuben Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask To return to ..... Ask Pastor ReubenBiblical Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to To Life L'Chaim Find Eternal Life Main Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

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Eternal life is only by personal faith in Jesus, not by any other means, a free gift. God loves you... Truth. Find Eternal Life free by faith alone for all Jewish and all people. God Loves You! __ T R U T H __ For God so loved the world ... that He gave His only and unique Son, that everyone who trusts in Him may have eternal life. Instead of being utterly destroyed. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather … so that through him, the world might be saved. Yochanan/John 3:16-17 …and, He will .... redeem your(my) soul from the power of the grave. Tehillah/Psalm 49:15 David says of Him, Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore . Tehillah/Psalm 16:11 L'Chaim..... To Life! How To Be Born Again… gain Eternal Life With God Do you know for Sure that you are going to be with God eternally in heaven??! How a Catholic may KNOW that He will go to Heaven when He dies CÓMO UN CATÓLICO PUEDE SABER QUE VA A IR AL CIELO DESPUÉS DE MORIR ( How a Catholic may KNOW that He will go to Heaven when He dies in Spanish) Questions on just what the Bible has to say about something? Read a small booklet in over 40 languages Also many Bible Studies in these languages can be found here ! Did You Get Your Get Out of Jail Hell FREE Card? Click Here M e r e C h r i s t i a n i t y by C. S. Lewis 1898-1963 He was a professor of Medieval and Renaissance literature at Cambridge University who became a Christian at a late age. He is the most popular Christian theologian and master lucid apologist. Audio files of this book which contain 4 separate books: Book 1 . Right and wrong as a clue to the meaning of the universe Book 2. What Christians Believe Book 3. Christian Behavior Book 4. Beyond personality: or first steps in the doctrine of the Trinity Part 1 Part 2 For further information contact To Return To Jews Gentiles and The Churc h Web Page To Return To This is The Answer Web Page To return to Menorah's Web Page 00:00 / 1:09:43 00:00 / 1:11:50 00:00 / 1:11:57 00:00 / 1:12:05 00:00 / 1:09:31 To Life in Hebrew Victory Over Death is possible!

Historical and Biblical discussion if God has forsaken His people Israel Has God Forsaken His People? _ Replacement Theology_ by Dr. Michael Brown— Some things are non-negotiable. God’s covenant with Israel is one of them. How could He have made Himself more clear? He gave His oath to Abram, and reiterated it six more times to Abraham, to his son Isaac and to his grandson Jacob. On one occasion, “When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself” (Hebrews 6:13). Why did God speak so decisively? It was because He “wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, [so] He confirmed it with an oath’ (Hebrews 6:17). God Who cannot lie bound Himself by an oath! His covenant with Israel was reiterated through Moses, repeated by the prophets and rehearsed by the psalmists. Jesus Himself affirmed it (Matthew 19:28), Paul articulated it (Romans 9-11) and the gates of the New Jerusalem announce it forever (Revelation 21:11-12). God has chosen Israel as His covenant people. What if Israel broke the covenant? What would then happen to them? Listen to these unmistakably clear truths: “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished” (Jeremiah 30:11). God will completely destroy other nations, but He will not completely destroy Israel! He treats His people differently from other people; they are judged more strictly, but they will never be wiped out. No matter what Israel does, God will never forsake them as a distinct people. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, the Lord declares that He will make a new covenant with Israel and Judah. But He doesn’t stop there. It’s as if He’s saying, “Now, don’t get me wrong! Don’t think that this new covenant means that I’m abandoning My people. No!” This is what the LORD says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the LORD Almighty is His name: “Only if these decrees vanish from My sight,” declares the LORD, “will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before Me.” This is what the LORD says: “Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the LORD (Jeremiah. 31:35-37). As long as there is a sun, moon, stars, earth, and sea, there will be a distinct people of Israel – no matter what they do. It’s God’s promise! It’s true! “Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I shall remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him, I have great compassion for him, ” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 31:20) Look at how relevant God’s prophetic word is to our day and age. For centuries the Church, in arrogance, because of ignorance, claimed that she alone was the true Israel, that she had replaced the ancient covenant people. The Church taught that it was the Christians alone who were the true Jews. (How strange that these Christians were not claiming to be Jewish during the Holocaust!) The Church taught emphatically that the physical people of Israel (those who were ethnically Jewish and those who joined the nation through conversion to Judaism) were eternally rejected. This is not some worn-out old doctrine. It is on the increase again in our day. Yet the Lord is not surprised. Twenty-five hundred years ago, He already addressed this issue: The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms He chose?’ So they despise My people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the LORD says: ‘If I have not established My covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them’ Jeremiah 33:23-26 People are still murmuring against Israel and despising the people and the nation. God’s answer is still the same: “I will never reject them!” What exactly did God promise Abraham and his descendants? How long are His promises good? Psalm 105 has the answer for us. He remembers His covenant forever, the word He commanded for a thousand generations, the covenant He made with Abraham, the oath He swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit” (Psalm 105:8-11). Did God make himself clear? The Scriptures speak of God’s covenant, the word He commanded, His oath which He confirmed as a decree forever, for a thousand generations, as an everlasting covenant. The Lord is trying to make a point! Not only did He promise to bless Abraham and make him into a great nation; not only did He promise to multiply his seed; not only did He promise to make him the father of many nations; not only did He promise to bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him; He also promised Abraham the land of Canaan, with clearly defined borders, as an everlasting inheritance to his natural descendants – until this earth is no more. Amazingly, some teachers have tried to get out of this perpetual land promise to Israel. They claim that in the New Testament, neither Jesus nor the apostles ever reiterate this particular aspect of the covenant. But why should they reiterate it? When almost all of the New Testament was being written, about one million Jews were living in the Land, Jerusalem was the spiritual and national capitol and the Temple was still standing. And Jesus made it clear that, despite Jerusalem’s soon-coming destruction – a destruction that would last “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” – He would come back to a Jewish Jerusalem (Luke 21:24; Matthew 23:37-39). Obviously Jews would be in the Land! But there is another reason why Jesus and the apostles did not explicitly stress the land promise to their people. The specifics of God’s covenant with the patriarchs were so clearly stated in the Scriptures that it would have been a waste of words to repeat them all! David Brown, the respected nineteenth century Bible commentator, was correct when he said: “What is permanent in the kingdom of God under the Old Testament is PRESUMED in the New.” And let all believers who question Israel’s rights to the Land, based on the New Testament, take note of this: The New Testament doesn’t state that Israel would be exiled from the Land either! Both of these Old Testament truths, Israel’s scattering and Israel’s regathering, are presumed in the New. The covenant God made with Israel is just like the covenant He made with David. The Lord declared to David that He would establish a lasting dynasty for him. He gave this promise to David’s son who would succeed him on the throne: When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But My love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:14-16) What a wonderful word! In spite of David’s terrible sin and Solomon’s tragic backsliding, in spite of the godlessness of Davidic kings like Ahaz and Manasseh, the kingdom would never be taken from his physical descendants. When the kingdom was divided and God gave Jeroboam the ten northern tribes, He did so to humble David’s descendants, “but not forever” (1 Kings 11:39). He still left one tribe with the sons of David, “so that David My servant may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name” (1 Kings 11:36). The King of kings and Lord of lords is a direct descendant of David! God was faithful to keep His word to David, and He is just as faithful to keep His word to Israel. His covenant with Abraham is just as unconditional and everlasting as His covenant with David. Read Genesis 15 carefully. In ancient days, that is how covenants were made. Sacrificial animals were cut in two and their severed bodies placed in two lines. Both parties entering into the covenant would then walk between the carcasses. By doing so they were symbolically saying, “If I break this binding agreement, if I fail to uphold my side of the pact, then let me suffer the same fate that these animals have suffered.” But something was different in Genesis 15. Only God passed through the pieces! This was a one-way deal (see Genesis 15:17-21) The Land belonged to other nations. But at the proper time it would be given to Abraham’s seed. If they violated the terms of the covenant – especially as expressed through Moses – then they would be punished and even driven temporarily from the Land. But just as God’s word to David stands firm, His word to Abraham endures, no matter what Israel does. This is what He said through Moses. When the Israelites are…in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking My covenant with them. I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD (Leviticus 26:44-45; see also Deuteronomy 4:27, 30-31) Even today, when “As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on [our] account; [yet] as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:28-29). Could anything be more plain? Right now the great majority of the Jewish people are our “enemies” as far as the gospel is concerned. They reject our message (the Orthodox Jews reject it most strongly), and some even actively oppose it. As individuals, they forfeit their covenant blessings when they turn from Jesus the Messiah. But as a people, they are still elect and loved “on account of the patriarchs.” Otherwise, God’s promises have no meaning and election has no significance. “Abraham, I’m swearing by Myself, I’m putting My reputation on the line. I will bless your offspring always – no matter what. (But I may replace them with someone else one day!)” That is not the Lord that we serve. God’s covenant with Abraham is just as unconditional and everlasting as His covenant with the Church. The Lord “saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy” (Titus 3:5). Praise God, we were chosen by grace! But we are not the only recipients of the Lord’s unmerited favor. To Israel, Moses said: The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? God’s covenants with Israel and with the Church are based on His promise, not our performance. Old Testament Israel and the New Testament Church both stood, and still stand, by grace. Both received God’s eternal promises. Together we make up the family of God: The faithful ones of Israel and the chosen ones from every nation become one new man out of the two, one body, one people. “For through Him [Jesus!] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Ephesians 2:18). Great is the wisdom of God. This is not what the Muslims believe. It is a fundamental tenet of the Koran that both Israel and the Church failed. Moses was a prophet. Jesus was a prophet. But Muhammad was the seal of the prophets, the messenger of the final revelation. The Jews are not the people of God – they failed! The Christians are not the people of God – they failed! It is Muslims who are the people of God. Of course, this is preposterous. But, in the event that you are still uncertain about the calling of Israel, consider this simple truth: If God could forsake Israel, in spite of His unconditional, everlasting promises, then He could forsake the Church! If God could replace Israel, in spite of His unconditional, everlasting promises, then He could replace the Church! So, if you hold to a theology that says, “God has forsaken physical Israel,” or “The Church has replaced Israel,” you had better be extremely careful. Maybe the Koran is right! Excerpted from Michael L. Brown, Our Hands are Stained with Blood, chapter 12 www.askdrbrown.org To Return To Bible…… Torah God’s Instructions Page To Return To Israel God's Plan Page To Return To Menorah’s Web Page

How and why Catholics may know they can go to Heaven when they die. My wife Jane died in 1978. She was born a Roman Catholic and died one. A few months before her death something happened in her life that assured her that when she left this world she would go immediately into the welcoming presence of Jesus. As a result, she departed in great peace. And I was just as certain as she of her destination. It is hoped that in reading this episode, the reader will be moved to profit from Jane's experience. A few years ago, a Catholic bishop was dying of terminal cancer. Each day for a number of months, his chauffeur would drive him about his diocese. After the bishop's death, a statement by that chauffeur appeared in the press which seemed quite significant. He said that the bishop during his illness was constantly worrying about what would happen to him upon his death. He hoped that God would remember that he had devoted his whole life to His service. The bishop, obviously, was not at all sure of his eternal destination. I recall a statement made to me one day by a Catholic priest. He said that he would be satisfied to squeeze into purgatory when he died, and work his way up from there to heaven, presumably by suffering. I wonder how surprised that priest might be one day to discover that there is no purgatory except in man-made tradition. There is no mention of one in the Bible. What the Bible does say in this connection is this: And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment {Hebrews 9:27). It will then be either victory or defeat. No "overtime" period as in basketball. The term "purgatory" was coined on March 6, 1254 by Pope Innocent IV in a letter to the apostolic delegate in Greece, twelve centuries after the death of Jesus and His apostles. There is nothing in the Bible, the Word of God, that says that a man can improve his spiritual status after death either by suffering in another place, by the prayers and intercession of others or by any other means. We can believe that if these things were possible the Bible would not be so thunderously silent regarding them. The Bible is, after all, the inspired Word of God written for our instruction, admonition and comfort. It is the plenary record of God's dealings with mankind, and we may be quite sure that it does not omit anything important. Indeed, any precept not set forth in the Bible, especially if not even mentioned, is nothing more than a man-made regulation or tradition. And Jesus took a very negative view of man-made regulations and traditions. (See Matthew 15:7,9; Mark 7:13 and Colossians 2:8) It is noteworthy that the news item mentioned above appeared in the bishop's own diocesan newspaper. This would seem to indicate a prevalence of fear and uncertainty regarding death. This should not be! The Bible speaks often and clearly on salvation and eternal life, and how it may be secured here on earth. One can depart this life knowing that he is heaven-bound. Holy Scripture is the voice of God reduced to writing, and the Catholic Church fully recognizes that. Thus, in 1965, when all of the bishops were assembled together at the Vatican II Council, they issued a Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation which contained the following: "Sacred Scripture is the Word of God" and stated that all parts of the Bible, "have God as their author." In 1943, Pope Pius XII in his Encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu, speaking of the Bible, said that "the faithful.. .have a serious duty to make continual and holy use of this treasure." The church was saying that Catholics are obliged to read the Word of God, as the Bible is commonly called. Earlier Pope Benedict XV had said, "The responsibility of our apostolic office impels me ... to promote the study of Holy Scripture ... We shall ... never desist from urging the faithful to read daily the Gospels, the Acts and the Epistles so as to gather thence food for their souls ... Ignorance of the Bible means ignorance of Christ." The Living Bible paraphrases the Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 11, verse 52, in the following pungent, Significant language: Woe to you experts in religion! For you hide the truth from the people. You won't accept it for yourselves, and you prevent others from having a chance to believe it. Why, then, do such Papal exhortations to read the Bible fail to reach down to the rank and file and evidently go unheeded in seminaries? They apparently do not travel below the bishop. When I became interested in the Bible in 1976 and went to my pastor for counsel, he threw up his hands and said, "I can't help you. They didn't teach us the Bible in seminary." It was quite a surprise. The shepherd of the flock was not taught the Word of God. Yet Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God Luke 4:4. A few years ago while speaking to a patient in a Fort Lauderdale nursing home, I got into conversation with a woman visiting at the next bed. She was an intelligent-looking woman of about 40. I found myself asking her if she read the Bible. Instant indignation ensued. With a touch of anger in her voice she said, "I am a Catholic! I don't read the Bible!" It grieved my spirit. With my Catholic background I was sure that the woman was speaking for many millions of Catholics. But let me get back to our personal history. In 1969, I retired from a New York City law firm, and we moved to Florida to begin a life of leisure and relaxation. A year later, while we were visiting in Washington, D.C., I felt that my life was in need of new direction and that without significant change I was on course to hell. So moved was I that I immediately went to confession to square myself with God. And on that occasion, as best I knew how, I tried to turn my life over to Him with a real commitment of the heart. Indeed I promised God that I would go to Mass and receive communion every day the rest of my life. And for about six years I did just that, faithfully, seven days a week, usually serving the Mass as an acolyte. In the years following this renewed commitment I spent much of my time studying Catholic theology, liturgy, the lives of saints, etc., guided by reading lists obtained from seminaries. But these led me no closer to knowing God. In fact the study only frustrated my search for the real significance of what was needed to change my life. In 1976, I became interested in the Bible for the first time. My initial study of the Bible began to open my eyes. I started to understand what Jesus meant when He told Nicodemus that we have to be born again, and That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the (Holy) Spirit is spirit (John 3:6). It was at this time, having understood the truth of God for the first time, that I turned my life over to Him. The Bible told me that in doing this I would be made a new creature in Christ...all things become new(II Corinthians 5:17). I acknowledged God as my Father. I became heaven-bound according to Scripture. I also discovered how very simple and certain it is to achieve eternal life while still on earth, and that it is a free gift from God. Jesus purchased it for us when He died on the cross, The Bible states this truth in Ephesians 2:8,9: For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. John L. McKenzie, S.J., perhaps one of American Catholicism's ablest biblical scholars, in his Dictionary of the Bible, says it this way: "It is a principle of New Testament theology that the works of man are totally ineffective to achieve the righteousness which saves" (page 942). What the Word of God and Father McKenzie are telling us is that the things we do (going to church, confession, communion, prayer) are works, and that our works were never meant to bring us to God, or get us to heaven. Perhaps my most exciting discovery was that the Bible assures us of our salvation, here and now. As the Apostle John said in his first epistle: These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life I John 5: 13. This verse clearly gives us that assurance. Jane had always been a meticulously loyal Catholic. She never missed a Mass on Sundays or on holy days of obligation, she confessed and communicated often, she read out of her prayer book each day for deceased friends and relatives. She never doubted what she learned from the cradle: that hers was the true church. In the last three years of her life, Jane was partially paralyzed and bedridden. Frequently in the morning we would watch the "700 Club" together on television, and on several occasions we recited the salvation prayer with Pat Robertson, the host. The Bible tells us that if anyone prays such a prayer, from his heart, and confesses that he believes and has accepted Jesus as Lord, he becomes spiritually reborn. He is "born again." The experience is commonly referred to as the new birth. Up to that point, one cannot be considered a Christian by biblical standards no matter how much church-going, or how many so called good works he does. Jane repeated the salvation prayer, but seemed reluctant or unable to declare that she had accepted Jesus as her Lord. God gives the faith to believe but He also requires each of us to make a positive response to His offer and that is done by declaring Jesus as our Lord. Presumably she feared that she might be taking herself out of the Catholic Church. One day she volunteered to make the declaration to her son the next time he called. To help her, I wrote out a simple statement of faith and when her son called, I placed the paper on her lap. With no prior explanation, she blurted out, "I have accepted Jesus in my heart as my Lord." And immediately she began to cry. After a few minutes she said, "I can't talk any longer, I'm crying" and hung up. That simple statement of her new faith had so moved her to tears that she was unable to continue her conversation. Most Catholics believe that they merit salvation or God's favor when they receive baptism or confirmation. Like other Catholic children Jane was baptized and confirmed but it obviously did not work a regeneration of her heart. She had to follow the biblical way to salvation, and when she did, she knew that she had experienced the new birth. It was the Word of God, witnessed to by the Holy Spirit, that assured her of God's acceptance through Jesus Christ and that as a result she would go to heaven. The absolute necessity of the new birth is beyond doubt. Jesus said in Chapter 3 verses 3-7 of the Gospel of John: Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ... except a man be born of water and of the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit (Holy Spirit) is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again. Jesus' statement is clear. It is unconditional. It admits of no exception or modification. To interpose an alternative is to signify that Jesus didn't mean what He said and it was necessary for men to correct Him. Any church which does not teach the new birth (considered so vital in the New Testament) may well be leading its unsuspecting people into eternal damnation. Jesus warned against ..... making the word of God of none effect through your tradition (church-made laws and regulations) (Mark 7: 13). He also said that those who were teaching for doctrines the commandments of men were hypocrites and they worshiped Him in vain Matthew 15:7,9. How absurd it is to tamper with the Word of God. In Isaiah 40:8 the Holy Spirit moved the prophet to say that the Word of our God shall stand forever. And Jesus said that Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Matthew 24:35). How lacking in wisdom, how foolish, how tragic, to reject God's sure way when eternal life is at stake! The salvation method is set forth in Romans 10:9-10: .. .if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. (Catholic edition of the Revised -Standard Version). How simple and easy God has made salvation for us. How tragic that so few are being taught to avail themselves of it. How do we obtain this eternal life? By believing in Christ. God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16. But what does the New Testament mean by "believing?" It means more than mere mental assent, more than lip service. One must believe in one's heart and without doubt, and one must act upon such-belief by trusting God for salvation. Faith is acting on one's intellectual belief and trusting Christ as one's Savior. As the late Bible teacher E. W. Kenyon put it: "Believing demands action, creates action. Mental assent admires, admits, but does not act." If the airline schedule says your flight goes to Tulsa, you have no doubt about it. You believe it in your heart, you have faith in the schedule, and you act upon that faith by boarding the plane. Thus, one has to do more than just believe in his head. He must trust Christ. Jesus said (John 16:7-9) that after His death the Holy Spirit would convict or convince the world of three things, and one of them was "sin." What sin? The sin of not believing in Jesus. According to the Word of God, it is the sin of unbelief in Christ that sends man to hell. No matter how good and exemplary a life a man may lead, he will still miss heaven if he does not make Jesus the Lord of his life. Let us always remember one vital, all-important truth: Christianity is a belief in and commitment to Christ. It is not a church, it is not a creed, it is not in a religion. Religion is concerned with the outward acts and forms of worship. Christianity is a way of life. It is knowing Jesus and having a personal encounter and relationship with Him. He· is the only way to heaven. The Bible says that He is the only mediator between God and man(I Timothy 2:5). No one else, not even a saint, can fill this role. Jesus made it clear when He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father but by me (John 14::6). If your church doesn't teach the new birth enunciated by Jesus Himself, then it would seem to be incumbent upon you as a rational human being to examine the Scriptures for yourself. It is very clear that baptism and confirmation by themselves do not constitute spiritual rebirth. If you have not committed your life to Christ by believing in Him and confessing Him as Lord, the rituals are meaningless. What a difference it makes when Jesus enters one's life, as so many can testify. In some cases, a wife or husband has observed a change in the other and wants to have what the other has. Empty lives have been filled. Many have discovered that alcohol; drugs, striving for worldly success provide no lasting satisfaction. Jesus has been called the answer to all problems. Indeed one could safely venture to say that there is no man or woman living who has not experienced a void that only Jesus can fill. Are you tempted to think that you are not bad enough to go to hell? That is one of the cleverest and most deceptive thoughts ever planted in the human mind by the devil. But the Bible supplies the correct answer. For Jesus said it will not be He who will judge us on the last day but His Word. In short, if we disobey His precept that we must be born again, there will be no need for Him to judge us. His Word will do the judging and the judgment will of course be automatic. We would be sending ourselves to hell. See John 12:48. And let us remember the warning from Jesus that strait (narrow) is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and few there be that find it (Matthew 7.:14). Should one not be concerned to find that one's own church is not teaching the salvation doctrine which Jesus Christ Himself said was an absolute necessity? And that in the face of warnings in the Word of God such as this one: ... how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first to us by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles .. Hebrews 2:3,4 Can there be any doubt that we are flirting with eternal death when we refuse to prefer the Word of God over the word of men, especially on so important a doctrine as the Gospel message itself which Jesus Christ taught. When God directs us so clearly, dare we follow any other? The foregoing Scriptures are not the words of a man or of a church. The author is God. Incidentally, the reading of this booklet is ample warning to you, if any were needed. You cannot be considered to be in ignorance. The pertinent scriptures have been set before you. Surely you will not let unscriptural, anti-scriptural, tradition take you to hell. In any event, what does one stand to lose by heeding God's Word and making Jesus Lord of one's life? Let me pause here to ask you two important questions: No. 1. Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you can say you know for certain that if you were to die today you would go to heaven? No. 2. Suppose that you were to die today and stand before God and He were to say to you, 'Why should I let you into my heaven?" What would you say? How did you answer these questions? Especially the second one? What would you say if God asked you that question? If you are not sure of your answer or would like to make a sincere confession of your own sin, stop what you are doing, ask the Lord to forgive you and grant you His gift of eternal life. I invite you to pray to God with these words: God. your Word (Romans 10:13) says that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Accordingly, I now call upon You in Jesus' name as my Lord and Savior. Your Word states: if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified. and he confesses with his lips and so is saved Romans 10:9,10. I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for my sins and was buried. I believe in my heart that on the third day God raised Him from the dead for my justification. Dear God, I repent of all my sins, and I ask your forgiveness in Jesus' name. And, here and now, I receive and acknowledge Jesus as my personal Savior, and I ask you to come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. Amen. If you have just prayed to the Lord and were sincere in your confession of your sin and desire that Jesus be your Savior and Lord, you have just taken the most important step in your life. However, this first step needs to be followed by other steps. God wants you to grow in your walk with Him. What you have just done means that you have been born again, an event never to be repeated. Your spiritual growth however is a process - the process of becoming the person God has designed you to be. Your spiritual maturity continues until you are fully formed in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote (Philippians 2:12) that we are to continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling . He was not talking about entering the Kingdom of God by good works. The Bible never tells us that by good works we can work our way into the good graces of God. He does talk about the process through which each of us moves as we grow in Christ. There are several basic steps which you must take to grow as a Christian. 1) Pray daily and pray regularly. This is to be the most basic expression of your life, a conversation with your Heavenly Father. It might not be natural at first, but will become so as you make it a part of your life. 2) Bible reading. This goes hand in hand with your times of personal prayer. Bible reading is absolutely central to our lives. Inasmuch as it is the Word of God, we know that by reading God's Word our faith in Him will grow and, in time, establish the standard for our lives. You can only know of God's desire for your life by reading His Word. 3) Steps one and two will have no meaning unless you begin to put into effect those things about which the Lord speaks to you. The term "in Christ" is used His times in the New Testament. Why so often? The writers of the Bible are telling us that to be in Christ means essentially to "be" with Him, to walk with Him, and perhaps more importantly, to "obey" Him. Living a life of obedience to Him insures our growth as a Christian. Jesus said so in so many words, If you love me, you will obey what I command John 14:15. 4) The three steps outlined above will begin to produce something more. If you are at all faithful in praying, reading your Bible and obeying the words of our Lord, your life will begin to reflect the life of Jesus, your Savior and Lord. In John 15:1 Jesus refers to Himself as the vine and those who follow Him as the branches. If we stay attached we will bear fruit and our lives will be a testimony to those who see and know us. Another word must be added here. As important as it is for you to give witness to your Lord through your actions and behavior, you also need to back up that witness with your conversation. Actions can too easily be misinterpreted. Speaking about Jesus should come as naturally as telling others about a person you love. God will give you the right words and will direct you to the right people as you commit yourself to Him. F i n a l l y, if you are serious about believing in God and identifying yourself as His follower, you will need to begin one of the most difficult parts of a Christian life: trusting God for every detail of your life. This will take some doing because until now you have trusted almost everyone else, including yourself, but not the Lord. The Bible is full of illustrations of people who trusted (or failed to trust) God with their lives. This does not mean that you put your mind into neutral and never think for yourself. It means that since you have placed your life in the hands of your creator, you need to live out that commitment daily by trusting Him with your life and all its details. The Bible contains many examples of how God blesses and helps those who put their trust in Him and who obey His commandments. While we do not earn eternal life through obedience, we please and honor. God by living according to His Word. Growth and obedience are perfect partners in the spiritual maturing experience. These are the basic steps you need to take to begin to grow as a Christian. There is much to learn, and much to enjoy as you start your new life in Christ. Your growth, however, almost presupposes other Christians will help you grow. We're talking about those who know and love Jesus Christ, and are themselves growing. God has made it clear that we need other believers to help us mature. If you are not in such a relationship with other believers, you need to find one. If you have no such friends, ask the Lord to help you and start looking. God answers prayer. May God richly bless you. THE PROLOGUE TO THE GOSPEL OF JOHN In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. . He came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which Iighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. About the author: Mr. Monacelli practiced law in New York City until 1969 when he retired and moved to Florida. He now lives in New Jersey. He holds degrees from the University of Norte Dame and from the Georgetown University Law School. He served two terms as president of the Norte Dame Association. Evangelism Explosion International, Inc. P.O. Box 23820 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33307 Return to Jesus The Center of the Old Testament page Return to Messiah to Be Final Sacrifice page Return to L'Chaim - To Life! Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

B.C. E. Means Before Common Era C.E means Christian Era. B.C., meaning "before Christ," & A.D., meaning "in the year of our Lord", are abbreviations primarily used/developed by Christians. Their use implies the acceptance of Jesus Christ as divine, a concept rejected by traditional rabbinic Judaism. Hence, in Jewish scholarship B.C.E., meaning "before the Common Era," & C.E., meaning the "Common Era," were introduced to draw a distinction between Christian and Jewish belief. Ask Pastor Reuben What does B.C.E. & C.E. mean and why does the Jewish community use them rather than B.C. & A.D. S H A L O M ! _______ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW ______ Biblical Question: Our Question: Bev from California asks: Dear Pastor Reuben, I am confused as to why the Jewish people and a lot of people dealing with the Bible and Israel date history using B.C.E. and C.E. rather than the most common used B.C. and A.D. Is there a Jewish reason? Pastor Reuben's Answer: Dear Bev, shalom, This is a fast but pointed answer Bev, but I know you can quickly get more information by looking at the local public library. Research on our calendar's development, ok.? So, a simple help will do from me. B.C., meaning "before Christ," & A.D., meaning "in the year of our Lord", are abbreviations primarily used/developed by Christians. Their use implies the acceptance of Jesus Christ as divine, a concept rejected by traditional rabbinic Judaism. Hence, in Jewish scholarship B.C.E., meaning "before the Common Era," & C.E., meaning the "Common Era," were introduced to draw a distinction between Christian and Jewish belief. God bless you ! Pastor Reuben Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask..... To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben Biblical Answers To Asked Questions.... . To return to To Life L'Chaim Find Ete rnal Life Page To return to Menorah's Web Page Return to Israel Gods Plan Page

I S R A E L T O U R S …. Land of the Bible Come With Us To Walk The Holy Land ! ! We will fellowship and worship with Jewish Christian ministries and congregations. This truly is a fantastic opportunity to see the land of your Lord and Savior, Messiah Jesus! Our ministry goal is to edify & equip you to better know your Biblical roots and to truly increase in the joy of serving God within your own church life. The Land of the Bible! I S R A E L Study Tours Dear friend, shalom! Do you ….. HAVE A GROUP THAT WANTS TO GO ? DO YOU WANT TO GO? LAND OF THE BIBLE - 14 DAY ISRAEL Walking TOUR Not just another 'normal’ tour .... it is a real step into Jewish & Israeli life of today & that of Bible times. SMALL GROUP SIZE PREFERRED Live in the 'Old City' of Jerusalem … on the bank of the Sea of Galilee, and more! Come With Us To Walk The Holy Land ! ! We will fellowship and worship with Jewish Christian ministries and congregations. This wonderful time will be much more than just a normal tour as I and my wife Donna have personally lived and extensively traveled and ministered in Israel. I strongly believe in joining with the culture and people to experience the vibrant spirit of God's chosen people and land. Each evening will be special times also as we go to local activities, synagogue and experience local Israeli life!! This truly is a fantastic opportunity to see the land of your Lord and Savior, Messiah Jesus! Our ministry goal is to edify & equip you to better know your Biblical roots and to truly increase in the joy of serving God within your own church life. Looking to sharing this special time with you, in the Lord, Messianic Jewish Pastor Reuben Drebenstedt Executive Director Menorah Ministries Menorah Israel Study Tours 303-355-2009 - Fax 303-339-0365 email To return to Israel Study Trips Page To return to the Messiah's Genealogical Chart page To return to Menorah’s Web Page

It is inevitable, this world has a 100% MORTALITY rate. No matter how hard you try you're destined for a DIRT NAP. TERMINATED, LIQUIDATED, or LAID TO REST, you have a date with DEATH. Maybe now's a good time to discuss your arrangements for the AFTERLIFE. So where you spend FOREVER becomes a lot more important. Ya'akov/James 4:14 The Bible says - you've got two basic choices - WITH Yeshua/Jesus or WITHOUT. No mumbo jumbo about coming back as a cow, or hitting 'reset' on some cosmic video game. To Return To To Life-Find Eternal Web Page To Return To Menorah's Web Page

Yes, Jews hope in hope that God will not deal unkind with them and deliver them as He did to their fathers in Scripture.  However, relying on prayer, good deeds and charity to others is not the Lord's way to salvation; deliverance from the eternal wrath of God.  Ask Pastor R e’uben Do Jews still consider themselves saved from God's judgement? S H A L O M ! _____ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW _____ Biblical Question: Do Jews still consider themselves saved from God's judgment? Our Question: Dear Pastor Reuben, As God’s chosen people do Jews who do not believe in the sacrifice of Jesus still consider themselves saved from God’s judgment, are there any scriptures supporting their doctrine. Thanks, Graham Pastor Reuben's Answer: Shalom Graham, Yes, Jews hope in hope that God will not deal unkind with them and deliver them as He did to their fathers in Scripture. However, relying on prayer, good deeds and charity to others is not the Lord's way to salvation; deliverance from the eternal wrath of God. Onl y the Biblical faith and trust in His Messiah, the promised anointed One will do so. Even retelling Biblical stories of His deliverance as a means of 'hope' will not do except that it may I pray, truly lead them to God and His salvation in Yeshua. Jeremiah 29:13 May the Lord God be your peace and strength in His truth, Pastor Reuben Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben Biblical Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to To Life L'Chaim Find Eternal Life Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

I understand that the reference to Matt. 11:12 "violence, etc." means a personal breaking through the opposing multitude, in order to enter in through the narrow door. Which was in opposition to the many, the Pharisees and Jews generally, who were seeking to enter in, in their own way, never doubting success, but who would discover their terrible mistake. ASK PASTOR REUBEN Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force? S H A L O M ! _______ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW ______ Biblical Question: Dear Pastor Reuben, I have been reading some of the articles from the Menorah home page that are very interesting, I have some questions that I would like to ask you. I am a Christian believer who is beginning to see a missed richness in our generally accepted faith today in the church. I may be wrong however, it seems that there are sayings and doctrines that we do not perhaps fully understand in a modern western society, one I have no idea about is the 'kingdom of Heaven suffers volience and the violent take it by force', if you know the explanation to this I would dearly love to know it. Thanks, Graham Pastor Reuben's Answer: Shalom Graham, I understand that the reference to Matt. 11:12 "violence, etc." means a personal breaking through the opposing multitude, in order to enter in through the narrow door. Which was in opposition to the many, the Pharisees and Jews generally, who were seeking to enter in, in their own way, never doubting success, but who would discover their terrible mistake. When we remember, that in the Sermon on the Mount, the call was only to 'enter in', we feel that we have now reached a period, when the access to the 'narrow door' was obstructed by the enmity of so many, and when it needed "violence" to break through, and 'take the Kingdom' 'by force'. Please read this whole section and see then that the Lord will say He knows not some who got close to 'in' but He knows them not. It is a struggle to correctly enter not by the wide door, by the narrow door provided by God. Hope this helps your walk with the Lord., Pastor Reuben Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben Biblical Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to To Life L'Chaim Find Eternal Life Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

Menorah Ministries December 2022 mission report on outreaches. To Go To October 2022 Mission Report Web Page To Go To January 2023 Mission Report Web Page

The common 20th century view of Messiah amongst religiously oriented Jews is someone who will usher in the coveted peace on earth that mankind has longed for since ancient times. Many religious Jews agree that when the Messiah comes, "the lion will lie down with the lamb" and peace will rule. What the majority of Jewish people do not realize, however, is that the common 20th century Jewish view of Messiah is not the "traditional Jewish view." Who Is The Jewish Messiah? The common 20th century view of Messiah amongst religiously oriented Jews is someone who will usher in the coveted peace on earth that mankind has longed for since ancient times. Many religious Jews agree that when the Messiah comes, "the lion will lie down with the lamb" and peace will rule. Yet, since that day seems no nearer today than it did 4,000 years ago at the time of Abraham, many Jews have abandoned all hope of a coming Messiah, or of the rule of peace on earth. What the majority of Jewish people do not realize, however, is that the common 20th century Jewish view of Messiah is not the "traditional Jewish view." The 20th century religious Jewish view of Messiah-as-King who will establish peace on earth now, while it reflects an important part of the traditional view, overlooks an equally important part - the role of Messiah-as-Servant. This "oversight" was largely a backlash to the growing number of Jews and Gentiles who had concluded that the Suffering Servant spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures was Yeshua (Jesus), the Jew who suffered a humiliating death after claiming to be Messiah. Ignoring the servant-atoning role of Messiah was then a Medieval reaction to those masses of people who were proclaiming that Yeshua was the fulfillment of Scripture. In all fairness, it must be pointed out that rabbinic motivation for adopting the newer view was reasonable. Anti-semitism posed a constant threat to the nation of Israel, especially following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. Jewish leaders, therefore, needed to find ways of keeping Diaspora Jews unified. One way was to reinforce the belief that Yeshua was the "Christian Messiah," not the Jewish one. To do this they often overreacted and distorted the picture of the Messiah in a way that was inconsistent with the picture of the Messiah presented by the the biblical prophets. Ironically, the majority of rabbis have done a great disservice to the very people whom they wished to preserve. By eliminating a cornerstone of Jewish thought - the Servant Messiah - they have not helped the many Jewish people today who are disillusioned, secularized or otherwise alienated from the very spiritual beliefs that the nation of Israel held for more than 2,000 years. By removing the concept of the Suffering Messiah who brings personal peace to those who embrace Him, they have helped blind them to the hope that lies in Messiah Yeshua. In addition to overlooking an important aspect of the Messiah's atoning role on earth, most in modern Jewish rabbinical studies overlook the genealogy factor. Biblical Judaism teaches that Messiah's lineage will be a key criterion for his identification. Modern Judaism downplays this, perhaps because Jewish records were destroyed in 70 A.D. along with the Second Temple. Therefore, one must conclude that either Messiah came before the Temple was destroyed or else physical proof of his genealogy is unnecessary because he will be recognizable in other ways; or, worse still, that He will not come. Most rabbis, if they still believe in the biblical concept of Messiah, opt for the explanation that the genealogical proof is unnecessary since the Messiah will be identified in other ways. Believers, on the other hand, place great importance upon the royal lineage that the Messiah is to possess, and the evidence of such. Not only is the genealogical evidence necessary to identify the Messiah, but it exists biblically. By tracing the Messiah's lineage and the key roles assigned to him by God throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, it becomes clear that Yeshua met at least two key Messianic criteria. 1. First, He came from the right "kingly roots" second, 2. He fulfilled the role of the "atoning servant." What The Rabbis Know About The Messiah by Rachmiel Frydland Reprinted With Permission of the Messianic Literature Outreach www.messianicliterature.org For further information contact To return to 54 Reasons Jesus = Messiah page To return to Torah, Talmud, Midrash, Biblical Discussion Articles To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE

Is a Menorah Ministries Outreach report of services Go To December 2022 Missions Report

Biblical and Historical presented facts established to time line for the death and resurrection of Jesus. To Return To Menorah's Web Page To Return To Who Is Jesus Web Page

Personnel salvation testimony of Jeff Swank in Jesus Salvation Testimony of Jeff Swank It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I may learn your statutes. Psalms 119:71 Born in a small town with 2 brothers and a sister I spent my growing up totally involved with athletics. At age 15 my then focus shifted to alcohol, promiscuity and all that accompanies that lifestyle. Although still active in sports throughout high school there was a large void in my life that I kept trying to fill. B y the time I was 20 years old, getting drunk, into trouble and a promiscuous lifestyle was my world. (There is a way that seems right to man but, in the end, leads to death) A move to Colorado would surely change my "luck". In 1984 I did this and God put me on a collision course with Jesus Christ! After being hired by a Christian man in the business of property management, I worked hard and moved up the responsibility ladder quickly in a little over two years. But my alcohol addiction and sinful lifestyle continued. On August 17, 1987 I suffered a Cerebral Hematoma. Only by God's grace did I survive this and the emergency brain operation. While recovering in the hospital a phone call from a Christian uncle about Jesus Christ, an odd visit from a Christian lady I barely knew (who prayed fervently for me in my room), and a Bible from my boss, set the stage for God's amazing grace once again. Upon release from the hospital, I had some physical disabilities that reminded me of my brush with death. Then, on October 29th, 1987 my boss presented the Gospel to me And lead me in a prayer of forgiveness and acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior!! At the moment I prayed I knew something dramatic had just occurred. My life changed drastically soon after this and my new life as a "new creation" started to sweep to the sin of alcohol abuse, promiscuity out of my life. My hunger was now God's word. In fact, the Lord has seen fit to allow me to work full-time as a missionary for a wonderful ministry named MENORAH -Menorah Ministries- from 1994-2005. He has shown me that He can radically change a person through Jesus Christ! To Him be all the praise. I am also very thankful for a Christian grandmother who faithfully prayed for me and a boss who prayed and showed this love for me by being bold enough to share the Good News of Jesus with me. God used these people and others to carry out His divine plan. To Return To: Salvation Testimonies Page To Return To: L'Chaim -To Life! Page To Return To: MENORAH' S HOME PAGE

Contains all of Menorah Ministries Privacy Policy Statements. As of February 22,2024. Menorah Ministries Privacy Policy Privacy Policy: Introduction: Menorah Ministries Menorah.org is committed to protecting the privacy of its users. This Privacy Policy outlines the types of information collected from users and how that information is used and protected. Information Collection: We may collect personal information such as names, email addresses, and contact information from users who voluntarily submit such information through forms or donations on our website. We may also collect non-personal information such as browser type, operating system, and IP address for statistical purposes. Use of Information: Personal information collected is used solely for the purpose for which it was provided, such as processing donations, sending newsletters, or responding to inquiries. Non-personal information may be used to analyze website usage and improve our services. 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Jesus Christ Will Join Him In The Air… I Thessalonians 4:13‐18 A Mystery as to when… has to do with the Believers who will be “alive” when Messiah Yeshua/Jesus comes for them. It will take but a moment, the blink of an eye, at the final shofar. For the shofar will sound, and the dead will be raised to live forever, and we too will be changed. I Corinthians 15:57 This “moment” so fast we cannot comprehend with time. At the “last trumpet/ shofar” means to move NOW and come to and with Him. To return to Rapture of the Bride Page To return to Pretribulation Rapture Page To return to Understanding Bible Prophecy Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

Some of us have changed on the outside to conform to certain social standards or behavior that is expected of us, but down inside we have never been changed. Being born from above is a supernatural act of God. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. Then the Holy Spirit regenerates us, and we are born again. The Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts to help us in our daily lives. The Spirit of God gives us assurance, gives us joy, produces fruit in our lives and teaches us the Scriptures. How To Be Born Again A man named Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. Perhaps he was afraid of criticism or he had a desire for a private conversation, or maybe he wanted to know more before committing himself to Jesus Christ. In any event, he came and asked Jesus some questions. Jesus looked at him and said, “Nicodemus, you need to be born again” (Cf. John 3:5). In fact, He said, “Verily, verily” —and any time Jesus used that expression, He meant that what was to follow was very important. He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you … you must be born again” (John 3:5,7). Have you been born again? Call it conversion, call it commitment, call it repentance, call it being saved, but has it happened to you? Does Christ live in your heart? Do you know it? Many people have thought a long time about religion and Christianity and yet have never made a commitment. Are you committed to Jesus Christ? Nicodemus must have been stunned when Jesus said, “You must be born again.” It wouldn’t seem shocking if Christ had said that to Zacchaeus the tax collector or to the thief on the cross or to the woman caught in adultery. But Nicodemus was one of the great religious leaders of his time. Still, he was searching for reality. You may go to church, but perhaps you are still searching. There is an empty place in your heart, and something inside tells you that you’re not really right with God. Nicodemus fasted two days a week. He spent two hours every day in prayer. He tithed. Why did Jesus say that Nicodemus must be born again? Because He could read the heart of Nicodemus. Jesus saw that Nicodemus had covered himself with religion but had not yet found fellowship with God. The Root of Our Problems What causes all of our troubles in the world—lying and cheating and hate and prejudice and social inequality and war? Jesus said, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man” (Matthew 15:18). He said the problem is in our hearts; our hearts need to be changed. Psychologists, sociologists and psychiatrists all recognize that there is something wrong with humankind. Many words in Scripture describe it. Among them is the word transgression: “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4, KJV). What law? The Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. Have you ever broken one of those Commandments? Then you are guilty of having broken them all (James 2:10). The word sin carries with it the idea of missing the mark, coming short of our duty, failure to do what we ought to do. The Bible says, “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17, KJV). And yet before we can get to heaven, we must have righteousness. God says, “Be perfect as I am perfect, holy as I am holy” (Matthew 5:48, 1 Peter 1:16). Where are we going to get that perfection? We don’t have it now, yet we can’t get to heaven if we don’t have it. That is why Christ died on the cross; He shed His blood and rose again to provide righteousness for us. Another word is iniquity, which means to turn aside from the straight path. Isaiah said, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). The Bible says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin … thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Every person needs a radical change . We need to have our sins forgiven; we need to be clothed in the righteousness of God. To find fulfillment in this life we need to find something to commit ourselves to. Are you a committed person? What are you committed to? Why don’t you make Christ your cause and follow Him? He will never let you down. The New Birth Some people ask the question: What is new birth? Nicodemus asked that question too: “How can a man be born when he is old?” He wanted to understand it. I was born and reared on a dairy farm. How can a black cow eat green grass and produce white milk and yellow butter? I don’t understand that. I might say, “Because I don’t understand it, I’m never going to drink milk again.” And you’d say, “You’re crazy.” I don’t understand it, but I accept it by faith. Nicodemus could see only the physical and the material, but Jesus was talking about the spiritual. How is the new birth accomplished? We cannot inherit new birth. The Bible says that those who are born again “were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). Our fathers and mothers may be the greatest born-again Christians in the world, but that doesn’t make us born-again Christians, too. Many people have the idea that because they were born into a Christian home, they are automatically Christians. They’re not. We cannot work our way to God, either. The Bible says that salvation comes “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Nor is reformation enough. We can say, “I am going to turn over a new leaf,” or “I am going to make New Year’s resolutions.” But Isaiah said that in the sight of God “all our righteousness’s are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Some of us have changed on the outside to conform to certain social standards or behavior that is expected of us in our churches, but down inside we have never been changed. That is what Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about. He said, “Nicodemus, you need changing inside,” and only the Holy Spirit can do that. Being born from above is a supernatural act of God. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin; He disturbs us because we have sinned against God. And then the Holy Spirit regenerates us. That is when we are born again. The Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts to help us in our daily lives. The Spirit of God gives us assurance, gives us joy, produces fruit in our lives and teaches us the Scriptures. Some people try to imitate Christ. They think that all we have to do is try to follow Jesus and try to do the things He did, and we will get into heaven. But we can’t do it. We may know the religious songs. We may even say prayers. But if we haven’t been to the foot of the cross, we haven’t been born again. That is the message Jesus is trying to teach us. To be born again means that “[God] will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4); we have “passed from death into life” (John 5:24). The new birth brings about a change in our philosophy and manner of living. The Mystery There is a mystery to the new birth. Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes” (John 3:8). But you can see the result. Jesus did not attempt to explain the new birth to Nicodemus; our finite minds cannot understand the infinite. We come by simple childlike faith, and we put our faith in Jesus Christ. When we do, we are born again. Are you sure of your salvation? It happens this way. First we have to hear the Word of God. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). That is the first step. “It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21). It sounds foolish that words from a Bible have the power to penetrate our hearts and change our lives, but they do, because they are God’s holy words. Then there is the work of the Holy Spirit. He convicts: “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). He changes us. He changes our wills, our affections, our objectives for living, our disposition. He gives us a new purpose and new goals. “Old things pass away, and everything becomes new” (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17). Then He indwells us: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Does God the Holy Spirit live in you? Jesus Christ says that we must be born again. How do we become born again? By repenting of sin. That means we are willing to change our way of living. We say to God, “I’m a sinner, and I’m sorry. ” It’s simple and childlike. Then by faith we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master and Savior. We are willing to follow Him in a new life of obedience, in which the Holy Spirit helps us as we read the Bible and pray and witness. If there is a doubt in your mind about whether you have been born again, I hope you will settle it now, because the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Now is the accepted time; … [today] is the day of salvation.” Billy Graham Evangelistic Association 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201 Local: 704-401-2432 Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426 HERE IS A SUGGESTED PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner and do not deserve eternal life. But, I believe You died and rose from the grave to purchase a place in heaven for me. Lord Jesus, come into my life; take control of my life; forgive my sins and save me. I repent of my sins and now place my trust in you for my salvation. I accept the free gift of eternal life. If this prayer is the sincere desire of your heart, look at what Jesus promises to those who believe in Him. Most assuredly, I say to you ... he who believes in Me has everlasting life. John 6:47 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. John 1:12 WELCOME to God's Family! To return to How Catholics May Know They Go To Heaven page To return to Atheism Web Page To Return To The Real Yeshua-Jesus Return to: L'Chaim - To Life! Page. To Return Menorah Evangelism Tracts To return to Menorah's Web Page

Biblical and historical discussion of the error of Atheism MENORAH Evangelism Tracts Atheism For God 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. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God’s only and unique (begotten) Son. Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked. For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his actions won’t be exposed. But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions are accomplished through God. Yochanan/John 3:16-21 How to Be Born Again C.S. Lewis on Reasoning to Atheism Is There No God? God Doesn’t Believe in Atheists God-Man concept in the Tanakh/O.T. For I am not ashamed of the Good News, since it is God’s powerful means of bringing salvation to everyone who keeps on trusting, to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile. 17 For in it is revealed how God makes people righteous in his sight; and from beginning to end it is through trust — as the Tanakh (OT) puts it, “But the person who is righteous will live his life by trust.” Romans 1:16-17 To return to Menorah's Evangelism Tract Page To Return To Menorah's Web Page

He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. The reason why the Messiah must be reckoned after the Seed of the woman is explained by Isaiah 7:14: the Messiah will be born of a virgin.   Since the Messiah will not have a human father, His national origin will have to be reckoned after the woman, since His humanity comes only from her.  So the very expression "her seed" implied a miraculous conception. His father was God. Ask Pastor Reuben I'm very confused regarding a Jewish objection to Jesus as the Messiah which goes like this: Tribal affiliation is conferred through the birth father only!? S H A L O M ! ___ ___ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW ______ Biblical Question: Dear Pastor Reuben, Hello, I'm very confused regarding a Jewish objection to Jesus as the Messiah which goes like this: "The Bible says that the Messiah would be of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of David. According to Christians, Jesus was born of a virgin. However, tribal affiliation is conferred through the birth father only (Numbers 34:14, Numbers 1:18-44, Leviticus 24:10). The mother's tribal affiliation was considered irrelevant to what her children's tribal affiliation was and tribal affiliation/genealogy could not be inherited though a stepfather; only property could be inherited. Because Christians believe that Jesus had no human father, he would have had no tribal affiliation and would be eliminated from messianic consideration." This Jewish anti-missionary site has an article entitled "Jesus Failed To Fulfill Any of The Six Authentic Jewish Messianic Criteria" which makes the above objection. How can this claim be answered or refuted? Thanks in advance. In Christ, Dylan Pastor Reuben's Answer: Shalom Dylan, Thank you for your concern and question. The battle for the soul of mankind is pressing and the answer from God (of Israel) maligned by even those who have been entrusted with His promises. TO LIFE - L'CHAIM! ... How to find Eternal Life The promised Messiah from God is according to His way, not any limited human path or means. Proverbs 3:5-6 The True Messiah has both a natural origin and a supernatural origin, which became possible by virtue of the virgin conception. Genesis 3:15 presents the clear prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, as the "seed of the woman". The woman's seed is Jesus the Messiah. As God, He was eternally existent; as a Man, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. So He was truly both God and Man. The very mention of a seed of a woman goes contrary to the Biblical norm, for nationality was always reckoned after the seed of the man. That is why, in all the genealogies of Scripture, only the male names are given with some very rare exceptions. The reason why the Messiah must be reckoned after the Seed of the woman is explained by Isaiah 7:14: the Messiah will be born of a virgin. Since the Messiah will not have a human father, His national origin will have to be reckoned after the woman, since His humanity comes only from her. So the very expression "her seed" implied a miraculous conception. His father was God. Please review: The Real Yeshua/Jesus information If Yeshua/Jesus is not the Messiah of God, let others Biblically and historically show who is. Source and reference: The Bible (Old & New Covenants) The Footsteps of the Messiah by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum May God bless you and keep you Dylan . In His service, Reuben Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask To Return To Jews Gentiles and the Church Web Page To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben Biblical Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to To Life L'Chaim Find Eternal Life Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

We are better to fully understand how and from whom we got the New Testament and from whom. How We Got The New Testament Jesus severely rebuked the Pharisees for setting aside the word of God for the teaching of men (Matthew 15:6). They are by no means unique; throughout the ages traditionalists have wanted to elevate human tradition to God's word. Jesus also severely rebuked the Sadducees in Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27. They believed all the Old Testament except the Torah was just human tradition. Jesus told them they did not know the scriptures nor the power of God. How did we get the New Testament? What of the claim that it too is just human tradition? We will look at that question and the very foundation of our faith. THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH The center of our faith is Jesus Christ; but some would like to think we do not reliably know what He taught. Ephesians 2:20 says, "[God's household is] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." It is interesting what is absent from the Early Church: there is no debate about what is scripture. It was not an issue until after Marcion the Gnostic began writing his own scripture and rejecting most of the Bible. Diocletian also ordered the burning of all Christian books, and Christians needed to know which were God's Word and worth risking death. SCRIPTURE'S CLAIM OF AUTHORITY 2 Tim 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," Peter in 2 Peter 3:15-16 says some people distort Paul's letters, just like they do the other scriptures. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:4 that "we" are entrusted with the gospel. 1 Thessalonians 2:13: "... you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God... " 2 Peter 1:20-21: "Above all, [that's very high] you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." THREE TESTS FOR SCRIPTURE In trying to recreate how the early church recognized what was scripture, we see three tests. 1. Authorship: Was the author an eyewitness or a "secretary" for an eyewitness? See Luke 1:1-3, John 19:35, 1 John 1:1-4, 2 Peter 1:16-18, 1 Corinthians 9:1-2, 5, and 1 Corinthians 15:7-9. 2. Truth: Does the book contradict what the Bible says anywhere else? If so, throw it out. See Hebrews 6:18, John 10:35, 17:17, John 17:8, Proverbs 30:5, Numbers 23:19, and Psalms 119:42-43, 86, 137-142, 151, 160. 3. Widespread Confirmation: Did Christians every-where generally accept the book as scripture? WHO WROTE WHAT Matthew - Matthew the apostle Mark - John Mark, (Acts 15:37, 2 Timothy 4:11) and Peter's interpreter Luke and Acts - Paul's companion John and Revelation - John the apostle 1, 2 and 3 John - John the apostle Romans and Philemon - Paul the apostle Hebrews - unknown today (knew Timothy, Hebrews 13:23) James - the Lord's half-brother 1 and 2 Peter - Peter the apostle SO WHAT ABOUT HEBREWS? True or false: The Book of Hebrews could not have been evaluated by the authorship test. Today we do not know the author of Hebrews. However, the original readers of Hebrews knew the author, as can been seen by Hebrews 13:18, 23. Thus the correct answer is false. This highlights an important fact: we are dependent on the judgment of the early (130 A.D.) Church. So who do we think wrote Hebrews? Clement of Rome (97 A.D.) alludes to it nine times, so it must have been written before then. Best guesses are Barnabas and Apollos. Clement of Alexandria, Jerome, and Augustine believed it was written by Paul in Hebrew. Tertullian stated it was written by Barnabas. In fact in the Codex Claremontanus, Hebrews is called "Epistle of Barnabas." (Barnabas was called an apostle in Acts 14:4,14) Martin Luther guessed the author was Apollos. WHAT ABOUT JAMES? James was not James the disciple but Jesus' half-brother. He was an apostle based on these verses: • Called an apostle by Paul: Galatians 1:19 • Like Paul, Jesus appeared just to him: 1 Corinthians 15:7 • Pillar of the Church: Galatians 2:9 WHAT ABOUT JUDE? We do not know as much about Jude the Lord's brother as James. While it is easy to prove Jude was an apostle, because an apostle's teachings are God's direct word, and Jude is in the Bible, that is a circular argument. He was certainly an eyewitness, but we rely on the judgment of the early church Fathers to recognize that it belonged in the Bible. DID THEY INCLUDE THE RIGHT BOOKS? The previous discussion does not "prove with certainty" we have the right books, but it gives us good reasons to trust that God knew and made sure Christians got the right books. Almost every other book written at that time totally fails these three tests: authorship, truth, and widespread confirmation. The two that are closest are First Clement and The Gospel of Thomas. First Clement , written 97 A.D., is an excellent book to read that some in Antioch and Alexandria thought should be scripture. Its problem is that Clement was not an eye-witness but was in the next generation. It also has a few small errors (i.e. phoenixes do not really live in Arabia). Whether or not the Apostle Thomas wrote a gospel we may never know until heaven. A book called the Gospel of Thomas was circulated among Gnostics (only), but Gnostics often altered their scriptures and not surprisingly, their Gospel of Thomas teaches Gnosticism and contradicts the Bible. INFALLIBLE PRESERVATION OF THE BIBLE It would do no good for God to accurately give us what was correctly recognized as His Word, if as Mohammed has accused, He failed to ensure its preservation. A God who would do such a thing is not the God who wrote Jeremiah 1:12, Luke 21:33, and Isaiah 55:11. (Also, if He allowed His Bible to be corrupted, then why would He preserve the Quran?) Faith in God's watching His word is an adequate answer, and it is the only answer we had until the mid-twentieth century. Now however, with early manuscripts and Carbon-14 dating, we have documents that prove historically the reliability of today's scripture. They are: • John Rylands Manuscript: part of John 130 A.D. • Bodmer II Papyrii: most of John 150-200 A.D. • Chester Beatty Papyrii: most of the N. T. 200 A.D. • 10,000 Greek, 14,000 other manuscripts after that. For more on its accuracy and reliability, read F. F. Bruce's Book, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? FALSE BELIEFS ABOUT SCRIPTURE Christian liberalism : It is not all the word of God but contains the word of God. The parts we accept become God's word for us. Rev. Moon: It was fine 2,000 years ago, but we need something more advanced today Mohammed: It was originally ok, but it was totally corrupted later. Mormonism: The official teaching of the church leader today has priority over scripture. Culture and the Bible What in the Bible is merely cultural and for that time? An "easy" answer is that if you do not like a verse, then it must be cultural! Christ's servants must not settle for "easy" answers. A few things in the Bible are indisputably for that time, because the Bible says so. Examples are 1 Corinthians 7:25-26 and Acts 10:9-18. To call anything cultural in the Bible, there have to be verses saying or implying so. Otherwise, we have an "easy" answer. To Be Obeyed The Bible may be talked about, speculated about, but it was really written to be obeyed. See John 14:23, 24 and Psalms 119:4-5, 17, 67, 101, 134,167,168 among others. The Bible never tells us to do evil or unwise things. What if the Bible said for you to do something you thought was not the best? What would you do? After prayer and discussion with other Christians, would you trust God's judgment more or your own judgment? We are indebted to the early Church and the early Church fathers, not for deciding, but for recognizing the New Testament. We have solid reasons to believe it was : a) meant to be taken as scripture b) given accurately, c) the right books were included, and d) preserved reliably. PEOPLE MUST CHOOSE IF THEY WILL OBEY GOD AND HIS WORD. FOR MORE INFORMATION : www.biblequery.org To return to B I B L E..... T O R A H " God's Instructions To return to Menorah's Web Page

Yes Jesus claimed to be God at multiple times and ways. Does Jesus Claim T o Be God? For Jesus to say that he was God without qualification would have meant that he was claiming to be the same Person commonly referred to by Jews as the Father. Yet Jesus was not the same Person as the Father, but was personally distinct from him, although sharing the same essence and nature with him. As a matter of fact the question was never asked of him; at most he was asked about his relationship to God . The Bible never records Jesus saying the precise words, “I am God.” That does not mean, however, that He did not proclaim that He is God. Take for example Jesus’ words in John 10:30 , “I and the Father are one.” We need only to look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement to know He was claiming to be God. They tried to stone Him for this very reason: “You, a mere man, claim to be God” (John 10:33 ). The Jews understood exactly what Jesus was claiming—deity. When Jesus declared, “I and the Father are one,” He was saying that He and the Father are of one nature and essence. John 8:58 is another example. Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth … before Abraham was born, I am!” Jews who heard this statement responded by taking up stones to kill Him for blasphemy, as the Mosaic Law commanded (Leviticus 24:16 ). Did Jesus ever say the exact words "I am God?" No, Jesus never said the exact three words, "I am God." But Jesus also never said the exact four words, "I am a prophet," or the exact four words "I am a man," but we know he was both a prophet and a man. It is not necessary for Jesus to say the exact phrase "I am a man," for us to know that he was a man. Likewise, it is not necessary for Jesus to utter the exact three words "I am God," in order for us to determine whether or not he is divine. Jesus may not have said the exact sentence "I am God," but he did claim the divine name for himself (Exo. 3:14 with John 8:58), and he also received worship (Matt. 2:2; 14:33; 28:9; John 9:35-38).When Moses was up at the Mount speaking to God, Moses asked God what his name was. God said, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,' 'I AM has sent me to you.' (Exodus 3:14). In John 8:58 Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." Right after this the Jews picked up stones to throw at him. Later, in John 10:30-33 Jesus claimed to be one with the Father; and the Jews wanted to stone him again because they said to Jesus, "You, being a man, make yourself out to be God." Jesus had claimed the divine name for his own, and the Jews wanted to kill him for it. Therefore, from Jesus' own mouth we see that he was claiming to be God. The words "I am" Now please understand that anyone can say the words "I am," and it does not mean that he is claiming to be God. Someone could say, "I am over here." That is not claiming the divine name. Likewise, someone could say, "I am hungry," or "I am sick." Neither example is claiming divinity because the use of the term "I am" in context clearly shows us that is not what is occurring. But, in John 8:58 when Jesus said "before Abraham was born, I am," the Jews knew exactly what he was saying. Notice that he says before Abraham was born (using the past tense), and then he switches to the present tense when he says "I am." Jesus switches tenses of the verbs on purpose, so that when he does so in the context of referencing Abraham, Jesus is clearly drawing the Jews' attention to the Old Testament Scriptures and then using a present tense form of the verb "to be" by saying "I AM." Someone who says "I am hungry" is not drawing attention to the Old Testament Scriptures for context. Jesus was clearly causing the Jews to reflect upon the divine name "I am" that Jesus used for himself. We know that they understood this because as is said above, they said, "You, being a man, make yourself out to be God." (John 10:33). The Muslims agree with the Jews But what is noteworthy is that the Jews, like the Muslims, deny that Jesus is God in flesh. Therefore, the Muslims are united with the Jewish people in denying who Jesus claimed to be, the "I am." Conclusion It is not necessary that Jesus say a certain phrase in order for the truth of who he is to be made clear. The issue is not if he speaks a certain sentence that we construct in present terms in order to satisfy our theological demands. The issue is what did Jesus say in the context and culture of the time in which he spoke. Finally, we know that Jesus is God in flesh because the Bible tells us so. John 1:1,14, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." Hebrews 1:8, "But of the Son He says, 'Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.'" Who does the Bible claim Jesus is: Revelation 1:7-8 says that Jesus Christ is the Almighty. But Genesis 17:1 says that the Almighty is God. John 8:58 says that Jesus Christ is the "I Am" But Exodus 3:14 says that the "I Am" is God Acts 3:14 says that Jesus Christ is the "HOLY ONE" But Isaiah 43:15 says that the "HOLY ONE" is God John 8:24 says that Jesus Christ is the "I Am He" But Isaiah 43:10 says that the "I Am He" is God Revelation 22:13 says that Jesus Christ is the "First and the Last" But Isaiah 44:6 says that the "First and the Last" is God I Corinthians 10:4 says that Jesus Christ is "The Rock" But Psalm 18:31 says that "The Rock" is God John 5:21 says that Jesus Christ raises the dead. But 1 Sam 2:6 says that God raises the dead John 8:12 says that Jesus Christ is the Light But Isaiah 60:19-20 says that God is the Light. Matt 25:31-46 says that Jesus Christ is the Judge But in Joel 3:12 it says that God is the Judge Colossians 1:16 says that Jesus Christ is the Creator of angels: But Psalms 148:5 says that the Creator of angels is God Hebrews 1:6 says that angles worship Jesus Christ But in Psalm 148:2 it says that angles worship God II Corinthians 11:2 says that Jesus Christ is the "One HUSBAND" But Jeremiah 31:32 says that the "One HUSBAND" is God Matthew 23:8 says that Jesus Christ is the "ONE MASTER" But Malachi 1:6 says that the "ONE MASTER" is God John 10:16 says that Jesus Christ is the "One SHEPHERD" But Isaiah 40:11 says that the "ONE SHEPHERD" is God Acts 4:12 says that Jesus Christ is the "ONE SAVIOR" But Isaiah 45:21 says that the "ONE SAVIOR" is God Luke 1:68 says that Jesus Christ is the "ONE REDEEMER" But Isaiah 41:14 says that the "ONE REDEEMER" is God Revelation 19:16 says that Jesus Christ is "LORD OF LORDS Deuteronomy 10:17 says that the "LORD OF LORDS" is God Philippians 2:10 says that Every Knee must bow to Jesus Christ But Isaiah 45:23 says that Every Knee must bow to God John 1:3-10 says that Jesus Christ is the "ONE CREATOR" But Genesis 1:1 says that the "ONE CREATOR" is God John 1:49 says that Jesus Christ is "KING OF ISRAEL" But Isaiah 44:6 says that the "KING OF ISRAEL" is God 1 John 4:15 says that Jesus Christ is "GOD’S SON" But Proverbs 30:4 says that God has a SON Does Jesus claim to be God: John 4:24-25 The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah comes," (he who is called Christ). "When he has come, he will declare to us all things." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who speaks to you." John 5:18 For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. John 10:30-33 “I and the Father are one." Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?" The Jews answered him, "We don't stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God." John 14:8-9 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, 'Show us the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; John 20:28-29 "Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." Revelation 1:8, 12-18 “ I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. ... I turned around to see who was speaking to me; and when I had turned, I saw seven gold menorahs; and among the menorahs was someone like a Son of Man, wearing a robe down to his feet and a gold band around his chest. His head and hair were as white as snow-white wool, his eyes like a fiery flame, his feet like burnished brass refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, out of his mouth went a sharp double-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He placed his right hand upon me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last, 18 the Living One. I was dead, but look! — I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to Death and Sh’ol. Why Did Jesus Not Openly Reveal His Full Identity? Is Jesus God? Did Jesus ever claim to be God? Did Jesus really say He was God? Was Jesus the image of God? If you want to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, then call on Him, asking Him for this gift right now. HERE IS A SUGGESTED PRAYER : Lord Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner and do not deserve eternal life. But, I believe You died and rose from the grave to purchase a place in heaven for me. Lord Jesus, come into my life; take control of my life; forgive my sins and save me. I repent of my sins and now place my trust in you for my salvation. I accept the free gift of eternal life. If this prayer is the sincere desire of your heart, look at what Jesus promises to those who believe in Him. Most assuredly, I say to you ... he who believes in Me has everlasting life. John 6:47 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. John 1:12 If you sincerely from your heart prayed this prayer, WELCOME to God's Family! To Return To The Real Yeshua-Jesus To return to MENORAH'S HOME PAGE

Real Love - Respect - Boldness A. Be a real friend. Be yourself! There are many spiritual scalp hunters who want to win a Jewish/Gentile soul for Christ, but are completely unaware of the person who is that soul. Have a well-rounded relationship with your friend before you attempt to witness on a personal basis. It is the continuing person-to-person witness through which most people have been won to their Messiah. Y o u r J e w i s h / G e n t i l e W i t n e s s i n g ~ Proclaiming ~ For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of salvation to all who believe .... first to the Jew then to all nations. Romans 1:16 Suggestions ...Whoever will call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher(proclaimer)? Romans 10:13 , 14 Real Love - Respect - Boldness A . Be a real friend. Be yourself! There are many spiritual scalp hunters who want to win a Jewish/Gentile soul for Christ, but are completely unaware of the person who is that soul. Have a well-rounded relationship with your friend before you attempt to witness on a personal basis. It is the continuing person-to-person witness through which most people have been won to their Messiah. B. Do not be afraid of discussion on life issues. They can give you insight on how your friend perceives and understands things. Listen when he talks about the things which concern him, and discuss what his Jewishness or other ethnic/cultural background means to him. In no way let him come to the misunderstanding that you only care for him "in order to convert him." C. In some way give testimony to the Gospel. A good place to begin is to tell specifically how God has answered prayer in your life. Avoid testimonies that talk about the peace and joy that you have in the Lord....remember, those who follow Eastern religions or any number of the "new" cults give such testimonies, as well as those who are made happy by the Jewish religion. D. Answer questions or objections from Scripture. But remember, you do not have to answer a question when it is asked. You can say, "I don't know the answer to that, but I'll find out." or "Let me think about it a little more and I'll give you an answer the next time I see you." E. See if your friend will study the Bible with you. Do not concentrate only on the Messianic prophecies - - there is valuable truth in all Scripture. A good beginning point is Genesis 12 through Exodus 20....the story of the major covenants. However, if your friend is willing to study the Scriptures on a person-to-person basis, you may want to consult with your pastor. He will be able to recommend an appropriate study plan. F. Offer to pray for your friend's needs. While our prophetic or teaching ministry is not always acceptable, most people appreciate prayer; and God seems to be particularly pleased to honor prayers as evidence of His existence. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13 G. Encourage your friend to communicate with Jewish & other Christians. Such a meeting might be painful, but it does bring persons to the place where they realize that Jesus is for Jewish and all other people too! H. Emphasize that Christ is the sin-bearer for Jew and Gentile alike, and that a person does not have to relinquish his Jewishness or ethnic/cultural to accept Jesus. Invite him to come to your church, special Christian activity, and/or offer to go with him to a local Messianic Jewish Congregation. Remember that your friend may have been taught that they will be committing spiritual treason even to consider the claims of Messiah Jesus. It is up to you to show him that is not true. I. Ask for a decision. As a general rule, it is not good to press for a decision, but you will know the timing on the matter. Do not forget to ask the person for a decision. Used by permission: Jews For Jesus and Other sources So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Messiah(Jesus). Romans 10:17 Yeshua - Jesus means Salvation ! For further information contact: email Menorah Ministries To Return to L'Chaim To Life Web Page To Return to Menorah' Web Page

Presentation Biblically of Messiah to be God Divine Messiah To Be God-Divine The LORD our Righteousness Jeremiah 23:5-6 Shows That the Messiah Was to be God Himself Buried within the pages of the book of Jeremiah lies one of the most precious and revealing prophecies of the Messiah (see Vocabulary p.6) to be found within the bounds of the Hebrew scriptures. In it, we see revealed that the Messiah, the Branch whom God was going to raise to fill the throne of David, would be given the name of the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, YHWH Tsidkenu ( hÛfwhºy Un×"q:dic ) As we will see below, this phraseology points us to the divine nature of the Messiah, specifically that He was to be YHWH- hÛfwhy Himself. Below, this shall be briefly explored, and some of the more common Jewish objections to this proposition will be examined. Let us look at the passage in question , “The days are coming,” says Adonai (Lord God) when I will raise a righteous Branch for David. He will reign as king and succeed, he will do what is just and right in the land. In his days Y’hudah (Judah) will be saved, Isra’el will live in safety, and the name given to him will be Adonai Tzidkenu [Adonai our righteousness]. Jeremiah 23:5-6 CJB From what is said in this passage, we see that this portion is specifically Messianic in content. This is seen both from the term "Branch" (tsemach - xamØec ), and from the Davidic ancestry of the King who was to be raised up. The name "Branch" is almost universally accepted as Messianic, both by Jews and Christians alike. This term is a metaphor, literally meaning "shoot" or "sprout", and signifies the new life that Messiah was to bring to the Davidic monarchy, which was presumed dead. Further, the implications of the name were that Messiah would bring new life to all mankind, not just to His people Israel. This description as "Branch" appears several times in the Hebrew scriptures. It appears in Isaiah 4:2, where the Messiah's presence in the coming Kingdom is described as "beautiful" and "glorious". In Isaiah 11:1, the Branch is said to come from the "stem of Jesse" and is filled with the Spirit of God. In Jeremiah 33:15, the Branch again is said to come from the royal line of David. Yet, this same Branch from the royal line is termed God's servant in Zechariah 3:8 and is described as a man who will carry out God's work in Zechariah 6:12. The rabbis recognized that Branch was a name for the Messiah. R. Y'hoshu'a notes this as a name for Messiah from Zechariah 6:121. Rav Huna also refers to this as a Messianic name 2, with Buber concurring in his commentary notes on that statement 3. Likewise, the instances in Jewish rabbinical literature in which the Messiah is explicitly understood to be descended from David are too numerous to list more than a sampling here. Moses Maimonides pointed to the statements of Numbers 24:17 when he wrote, "And there he says: 'I see him but not now', this refers to David; 'I behold him but not nigh', this refers to King Messiah; 'A star shall step forth out of Jacob', this refers to David; 'and a scepter shall rise out of Israel', this refers to King Messiah."4 Rav Y'huda taught that the Messiah would be "another David", and that the Messiah and the first David would rule as King and viceroy, respectively5. The Aramaic Targum of Jonathan b. Uzziel likewise interprets Jeremiah 23:5 specifically in the sense of the Messiah's descent from David, even translating "branch" as "Messiah"6. Levey notes that in his Targum, Jonathan expands the name "LORD our righteousness" to read "may vindication be accomplished for us by the Lord in His day", a paraphrastically explanation of "YHWH Tsidkenu— hÛfwhºy Un×"q:dic " which the commentator felt impelled to explain because of the Messianic idea contained in the verse7. Thus, the interpretation of Jeremiah 23:5-6 as Messianic would seem to rest on a solid Biblical foundation and is also supported by the understanding of Jewish traditional theology. Most interesting to our point here is that many of the rabbis recognized that the Messiah would be God. R. Abba bar Kahana explicitly stated that the Messiah's name would be "LORD-God (Adonai)", and quotes Jeremiah 23:6 as evidence 8. Smith remarks that the Jewish teachers frequently interpreted this name in Jeremiah 23:6 as a personal name of the Messiah (rather than as a title for Israel or Jerusalem) in the Targumim, Midrashim, and Talmud 9. In the Peshikta Rabbah, we find the statement, "You find that at the beginning of the creation of the world King Messiah was born [and] that he emerged in the thought [of God] even before the world was created..."10 The sentiment that the Messiah, or His name, was pre-existent as a thought or word of God is found widely across the rabbinical literature. In many cases, the statements imply a pre-existence of the Messiah, which, if one understands the Hebrew scriptures correctly, therefore implies the deity of the Messiah, as the Tanakh is quite explicit in stating that before God created the world, nothing else existed with Him. The Genesis Rabbah explains the Messiah as being one of six things preceding the creation of the world, with the Messiah being cast as one of these which arose in the thought of God11. In this same work, R. Shim'on ben Laqish explicitly states that the "spirit of God" mentioned in Genesis 1:2 as hovering over the face of the waters is the spirit of King Messiah and appeals to Isaiah 11:2 ("And the spirit of the Lord will rest upon him") for support12. The Babylonian Talmud likewise records that it was taught that the name of the Messiah was one of seven things created before the world, and that his name would endure forever, relying upon Psalm 72:17 for support13. The First Book of Enoch reiterates that the Messiah (there called the "Son of Man") was hidden in God from the beginning, before the creation, and even that the kings and rulers of the earth worship the Son of Man, setting their hopes in him and petitioning for mercy at his hands14, something directed appropriately only to God. Perhaps most explicitly of all is the statement found in R. Simeon b. Yochai's comments on the Zohar, "There is a perfect Man, who is an Angel. This Angel is Metatron, the Keeper of Israel; He is a man in the image of the Holy One, blessed be He, who is an Emanation from Him; yea, He is Jehovah; of Him cannot be said, He is created, formed or made; but He is the Emanation from God. This agrees exactly with what is written, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Of xamØec dÙiwfd:l , David's Branch, that though He shall be a perfect man, yet He is ‘The Lord our Righteousness.’"15 Throughout the Targumim, we see the Lord and His name being referred to with the term Memra" (Aramaic for "word"), which has been attributed to the discomfort of the Targumists with the many places where the Lord appears to be dealing with Himself in a uniplural sense (ex. Exodus 17:16) or where there seemed to be anthropomorphic references to God (ex. Deuteronomy 30:8, Jeremiah 30:11). In Ezekiel 34:24, as in other passages, where the prophet says, "...I the LORD have spoken it", Jonathan renders, "I, the Lord, have decreed this by my Memra". Elsewhere, the Memra which appears in the Targumic commentaries appears to take on distinct functions itself. For example, in Genesis 19:24, the Hebrew text says, "The LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven." Grammatically, the Hebrew here seems to indicate that two separate Jehovah's are fulfilling two distinct roles. The Targum of Jonathan at this verse substitutes "The Memra of the LORD" for the first of the two Jehovah's in the verse, indicating the Targumist's understanding that the two actors described with the name "YHWH" were distinct in person from each other, yet intimately connected in essence, hence his use of the Memra, or Word. In many other places, the Memra of the LORD in the Targumim takes on personality and characteristics of God Himself, indicating the understanding of the Targumists that the Memra could be equated WITH God, while yet dealt with as a separate personality. At various points, the Memra is praised and prayed to as God16, it speaks to men17, it is to be trusted in with the same sense as trusting in God Himself 18, it is an active agent in creation19, and is even said to be God20. This all would seem to indicate a view of the Memra of the Lord as an hypostatic agent of the Lord, whereby the Lord's word takes on separate and distinct function while yet retaining the essential character and being of the Lord Himself21. From this, we can see in the literature both that the Messiah was pre-existent before creation as a thought or word of God, and that the idea of hypostasis of aspects of the Lord's personality was a known quantity in Judaism. This concept seems to be explored by Baron in his analysis of Zechariah. He notes, "Perhaps in no other single book in the Old Testament is Messiah's Divinity so clearly taught as in Zechariah. In the second chapter (8-11) the prophet calls Him Who is to come and dwell in the midst of Zion, Whom the Jews always understood to be the Messiah, by the name Jehovah. This passage must be a very difficult one to the Jew or Unitarian, for here the prophet represents two Persons, both of Whom he calls by the Divine title Jehovah, though One is sent by the Other to accomplish some mission on the earth."22. We note, of course, that there are several other portions of the Hebrew scriptures where God appears to have a uniplural nature, with multiple persons yet each with the same revealed essence. The angel of the LORD which appears to Hagar is a distinct personality from the invisible LORD yet is identified with Him and addressed as the LORD (Genesis 16:7-13). Manoah, the father of Samson, dealt with the angel of the LORD, and stated that he had seen God (Judges 13:22). Both of these would be impossible in light of the narrative in Exodus 33:18-23 (where it is said that no man can see God and live) unless what they were seeing was the hypostasis of God's Word, manifested in the flesh as a theophany. Further, we see in Isaiah 48:12-16 that the LORD is speaking, yet says that "the Lord GOD, and his Spirit" had sent him, which implies three different personalities of God in action in this passage. Also, in Zechariah 3:1-5, the angel of the LORD commands that Joshua the high priest be clothed with clean garments, saying "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee...." (v.4), which is forgiveness and cleansing from sin which only God can give. Thus, the uniplurality of God appears on numerous occasions in the Hebrew Scriptures, and is often intimately connected with the manifestation of divine hypostasis in the form of the angel of the LORD, who is from God and yet is God, a messenger who yet is of the essence of the author of the message, treated as God Himself. It is in Jeremiah 23:5-6 that we see these two concepts, pre-existent Messiah and divine hypostasis, united into one person who was to be God incarnated into the flesh, a physical manifestation of the Word of God, just as is taught in the Brit Chadassah-New Testament in John 1:1,14. In this passage, we see the King being raised up, the Branch identified by both Jew and Christian as the Messiah, given the name "Jehovah our Righteousness, hÛfwhºy Un×"q:dic ", a name which firmly teaches that the Messiah would manifest the divine trait of righteousness, both in His actions as ruler and in His own intrinsic character. Yet, because of the understanding derived from Hebrew scriptures themselves (and recognized on numerous occasions by the rabbis as well as by Christian theologians) that the name and character of the Messiah would be pre-existent and divine, we can understand that Jeremiah 23:5-6 is teaching that the name of the Messiah was to be "YHWH Tsidkenu, hÛfwhºy Un×"q:dic ". As Laetsch has stated, the name given is itself a statement of the Messiah's nature and essence23. Rabbinical Objection #1 - Is a divine title applied to Jerusalem in Jeremiah 33:16, and why shouldn't Jeremiah 23:6 be understood as referring to Jerusalem, in parallel with 33:16? This objection refers to the fact that, in Jeremiah 33:16, Jerusalem will be called "the LORD our righteousness, hÛfwhºy Un×"q:dic ", in language that roughly parallels that of Jeremiah 23:6. Because of this, it is supposed either that Jerusalem is also being spoken of in 23:6, or else that the Christian understanding of 23:6 as predicting a divine Messiah is incorrect since the parallel would suggest that Jerusalem also be a divine Messiah, an obvious illogic. Dealing with the first objection, we see that the reason for viewing the name given in 23:6 as not speaking of Jerusalem but rather the Messiah, and 33:16 as what Jerusalem will be called, has to do with the simple grammar of the verses. In the Hebrew of 23:5-6, the emphasis of these verses centers upon the Branch introduced in v. 5. The "days" mentioned in v. 6 are "in his days wyfmæy:B , a masculine possessive construction, and "he" is the one being called "YHWH tsidkenu hÛfwhºy Un×"q:dic . Yet, in 33:16, the emphasis upon reaching that verse moves from the Branch and to Jerusalem, with "she" being the one called "YHWH hÛfwhºy “ and instead of "in his days", we find the more neutral "in those days" {yÜimæYaB , which again shifts emphasis away from the Branch. The other angle of this argument, that the Christian argument taken to its logical conclusion would propose a literal divine Jerusalem, fails to take an important consideration into account. While both the Messiah in 23:6 and Jerusalem 33:16 are referred to with "YHWH tsidkenu hÛfwhºy Un× " q:dic " .“ , we see that there is a very important difference. In 23:6, the Branch is said to be called “by the name yÙim:$-håzºw ” of the Lord our Righteousness. This word, "name", is a translation of the Hebrew word "shem" ( {"$ ). Shem has a much more full and complex meaning than the simple word "name" in English implies. Shem refers to the very character and essence of the one bearing the name. As Kaiser tells us, "This noun appears 864 times, but less that 90 times in the plural. No certain etymology has been established for this root. Two earlier conjectures are now rejected: Redslob (Zeit. deut. morgenlandische Gesellschaft 1872: 751-56) sought to derive it from the root for shem {"$ "to be high" and thus "monument" (Genesis 11:4), "excellence" or "majesty" (Psalm 54:1 [H3]), while others have regarded it as a shortened form of shema' ( Ùam:$ . ……. "The concept of personal names in the OT often include existence, character, and reputation (I Samuel 25:25). Often the plural form of shem tOêm"$ is rendered as "persons," (e.g. Numbers 1:2,18,20; 3:40,43; 26:55). Further "to cut off the name" was equal to liquidating the person himself (Deuteronomy 7:24, 9:14; I Samuel 24:21 [H 22] etc.). the name chosen for a child was often descriptive of the parents' wishes or expectations for the personality that was to mature. This is particularly evident in the renaming process, e.g. Jacob becoming Israel (Genesis 35:10)..... "In some passages shem Yahweh y Ùim:$-hÛfwhºy , Name of God, is so inextricably bound up with the being of God, that it functions almost like an appearance of Yahweh (Exodus 23:20-21; Isaiah 30:27). Cf. the tabernacling of the Name at various spots almost like a Christophany (Exodus 20:24; Deuteronomy 12:5; II Samuel 7:13, etc.). "The name of God also signifies the whole self-disclosure of God in His holiness and truth (Psalm 22:22 [H 23]). This Name can be "walked in," i.e. people are to live according to its teachings (Micah 4:5)."24 Shem {"$ engenders the whole gamut of reputation and renown which a person or thing being "named" has, it's character, what is known of it, it's essential being. The fact that in Jeremiah 23:6 it is said of the Branch that "this is his name whereby he shall be called..." is very enlightening. What is essentially being said here is that this Branch, this Messiah who was to be raised up, was going to be invested with the full body of God's revealed character and reputation. This contrasts with the statement in 33:16 about Jerusalem, where (despite the italicized added word in the KJV) the word shem {"$ is NOT used. Jerusalem, unlike the Branch in 23:6, would not be invested with the essential reputation and character of God Almighty, though it would still be called after God, and would bask in His care and concern. Rabbinical Objection #2 - Many names for Israelites in the Hebrew scriptures contain the name Jehovah, so this means that Christians consider these people to be the Messiah too, or perhaps deity as well, right? This objection relies upon the modern sense of the term "name", which in most Western societies today means little more than just the word used to distinguish one person from another. Thus, it is assumed that when speaking of the theological importance of "name" (shem, {"$ ), that the importance rests upon whether the word used as the name contains the same letters as the word used to refer to Jehovah, hÛfwhºy . This ignores the theological emphasis on "renown" or "reputation" which is engendered in shem, {"$ . Further, we should note that none of these Israelites or others in the Hebrew scriptures whose names contain the word Jehovah, hÛfwhºy , are specifically said to be given the name, shem, {"$of Jehovah, hÛfwhºy . They are not invested with his repute and renown the way the Branch is in Jeremiah 23:6. Further, it should be noted that when a person in the Hebrew Scriptures has a name which contains the word Jehovah, the full tetragrammaton is never included in the name. Most often, the name takes the shorted form "Jah/Yah", such as appears in names like "Isaiah" or "Zechariah", or some other shortened form of the name, such as in "Joshua" or "Jehoshaphat". Nowhere, however, are all four letters of the tetragrammaton (YHWH, hÛfwhºy ) found together in that form in a name given to a human being or other created creature. Rabbinical Objection #3 - At various places in the Tanakh/|anaT, Old Testament, objects such as altars, etc. are "named", using the word shem/ {"$ . Does this mean that Christians believe these object to be divine, because they are named using the Divine name? This objection ignores now the other pertinent reason as to why Christians interpret Jeremiah 23:5-6 in a divinely Messianic sense. This is because of the fact that in v.5, the person of the Branch, the Messiah, had been specifically introduced. Because the Messiah is elsewhere alluded to in the Hebrew Scriptures, Tanakh/ |anaT , as "the LORD" (Psalm 110:1) and as the "son of God" (Psalm 2:7,12; Proverbs 30:4), there is a fundamental difference between a Messiah who is given the shem/ {"$ name of Jehovah and an inanimate object which is given the same. This is not to say, however, that objects given the shem/ {"$ , name of Jehovah are not imparted at least vicariously with the renown and reputation of God, at least in the sense of their symbolizing His character, etc. A good example of this would be in Exodus 17:15, where after the defeat of the Amalekites, Moses builds an altar and "names" (with shem) it Jehovah-nissi Sén úhÛfwhºy , meaning "Jehovah is my banner". The altar was meant to symbolize the great victory wrought by God for Israel, and thus both His great power and saving ability. However, the full implications of shem, {"$ go beyond (but will still yet include) this sort of symbolic attribution when the term is applied to a figure which is elsewhere in the Tanakh imbued with traits fitting to God Himself. Further, as a personality, the Messiah would be able to manifest in a very real and concrete way the full meaning of the shem of Jehovah as our righteousness, whereas the naming of an altar would be unable to extend to that level. Also, the names of the altars and other inanimate objects such as Jehovah-nissi, Sén úhÛfwhºy , Jehovah-yireh, hÕe):réy úhØfwhºy (Genesis 22:14, meaning "Jehovah will provide"), and so forth all depict the objects named (and thus, their builders) as passive. God is acting upon the builders of those altars for a visible testimony of God's activity. God is providing, God is the banner acting as a shield and rallying point. Yet, in Jeremiah 23:6, the Branch is given the name "Jehovah our righteousness", which is not an activity of God, but an essential trait. God is completely holy and righteous (see I Samuel 2:2, Isaiah 6:1-6, etc.), and the Messiah He sent with the shem, {"$ , name of "Jehovah our righteousness" would fulfill this true and complete righteousness. Thus, one set of "names" depict the one named as a passive agent, while the other depicts an active, personal being. In conclusion , we can see that Jeremiah 23:5-6 shows us a messianic Branch who was to be a divine hypostasis of God Himself, and who was to manifest to His people the full account of righteousness, a trait inherent to God alone. This is seen in the systematic theological construct built up involving the Biblical teaching of the messianic nature of the Branch, and the appearance of divine theophanies and uniplurality in the Hebrew scriptures which imply the incarnation of God in the likeness of man to fulfill this messianic role. This view is supported from the teachings of the Tanakh, |anaT , Jewish Scriptures and in its parts, was recognized at various times in the Jewish theological writings of 2nd Temple and post-2nd Temple Judaism. End Notes (1) - Lam. Rab.. 1:51; Y. Ber. 5a (2) - Midrash Mishle, ed. S. Buber, p.87 (3) - Midrash Mishle, ed. S. Buber, p.87 (4) - Maimonides, Yad haHazaqa, Shoftim, Kilkhot M'lakhim 11 (5) - B. Sanh. 98b (6) - Targum Jonathan on the Prophets, Jer. 23:5 (7) - S.H. Levey, The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation, n. #82, p. 156 (8) - Lam. Rab. 1:51 (9) - J.E. Smith, What The Bible Says About The Promised Messiah, p. 347, n. 18 (10) - Pes. Rab., ed. M. Friedmann, p. 152b (11) - Gen. Rab. 1:4 (12) - Gen. Rab. 2:4 (13) - B. Pes. 54a; B. Ned. 39a (14) - I Enoch 62:7-9 (15) - The Propositions of the Zohar, cap. xxxviii, Amsterdam ed. - emphasis mine (16) - Jerusalem Targum, Genesis 16:13, "And Hagar praised and prayed in the name of the Memra Of YHWH who had revealed Himself to her..." (17) - Jerusalem Targum, Exodus 3:14, "And the Memra of YHWH said to Moses: "I am He who said unto the world 'Be!' and it was: and who in the future shall say to it 'Be!' and it shall be." And He said: "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'I Am' has sent me to you." (18) - Targum on Psalm 62:8 [H 9], "Trust in the Memra of Yah at all times, O people of the house of Israel! Pour out before Him the sighings of your heart; Say, God is our trust forever." (19) - Targum Jonathan, Genesis 1:27, "And the Memra of YHWH created man in his likeness, in the likeness of YHWH, YHWH created, male and female created He them." (20) - Targum Onkelos, Genesis 28:20-21, "And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, "If the Memra of YHWH will be my support, and will keep me in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Memra of YHWH be my God." (21) - Similar to the orthodox Christian principle of the Trinity, with its three distinct personalities of God which yet share the one, united, divine nature and essence. (22) - D. Baron, Rays of Messiah's Glory: Christ in the Old Testament, p. 77ff, n.1 (23) - T. Laetsch, Bible Commentary: Jeremiah, p. 195 (24) - W.C. Kaiser, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, eds. R.L. Harris, G.L. Archer, and B.K. Waltke, Vol. II, pp. 934-935 Vocabulary: Brit Hadashah—New Testament 27 books Messiah— xyÙi$fm ; means "Anointed One," the name given to the promised Deliverer who would someday come to the people of Israel as their great Savior and Redeemer, “anointed” as Prophet, Priest, and King by God Himself. Midrashim— ancient Rabbinical expositions of Holy Writ. The term Midrash (of which Midrashim is the plural form) occurs twice in the He brew Bible (2 Chron. Xiii. 22, and xxiv. 27); and in both passages it is represented in the Anglican version by the word "story," while the more correct translation, "commentary," is relegated to the margin. "Legendary exposition" best expresses the full meaning of the word Midrash. The Midrashim, for the most part, originated in a praiseworthy desire to familiarize the people with Holy Writ, which had, in consequence of changes in the vernacular, become to them, in the course of time, almost a dead letter. These Midrashim have little or nothing to do with the Halachoth or legal decisions of the Talmud, except in aim, which is that of illustration and explanation. They are not literal interpretations, but figurative and allegorical, and as such enigmatic. They are, however, to be received as utterances of the sages, and some even regard them of as binding obligation as the law of Moses itself. The following are fairly representative extracts. Moses Maimonides—Name at birth: Moshe ben Maimon; regarded by many as the greatest Jewish philosopher ever. As a doctor, rabbi, religious scholar, mathematician, astronomer, and commentator on the art of medicine, his influence has spanned centuries and cultures. He was born in Spain and educated by his father, a Jewish judge. Eventually settling in Cairo, he became court physician to two viziers of Egypt, Saladin and el Fadil, and chief rabbi of the city’s Jewish community. His Guide of the Perplexed (1190) used philosophical reasoning to argue that the Bible and Jewish faith did not conflict with Aristotle's popular system of thought. Today, Maimonides’ “Thirteen Principles of Faith” are still recited in synagogues. His works continue to be studied by Jewish scholars, including Commentary on the Mishnah (1168), nicknamed “The Luminary,” and Mishneh Torah (1180), 14 volumes of biblical and rabbinic law, coded and compiled. His nickname, Rambam, is an acronym for Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon… Scholars disagree on his birth year. Recent research points to 1138, not the more frequently cited 1135… He was multilingual and wrote most of his works in Arabic… Hospitals in such cities as Brooklyn, N.Y., San Francisco and Montreal bear his name… His tomb in the Galilean city of Tiberias has attracted tourists for centuries… Paraphrasical—rewritten in the reader's own words. Righteousness — be in the right, be right, have a just case , what is right, just, normal; rightness, justness, of weights and measures. Talmud—normally refers to the collection of writings named specifically the Babylonian Talmud, although there is also an earlier collection known as the Jerusalem Talmud , or Palestinian Talmud. When referring to post-biblical periods, namely those of the creation of the Talmud, the Talmudic academies and the Babylonian exilarchate ( head of the Jewish community in Babylonia in talmudic and medieval times), Jewish sources use the term "Babylonia" from a strictly Jewish point of view, [1] still using this name after it had become obsolete in geopolitical terms. The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (Hebrew: 200 CE), a written compendium of Rabbinic Judaism's Oral Torah (Talmud translates literally as "instruction" in Hebrew); and the Gemara (500 CE), an elucidation of the Mishnah and related Tannaitic (the Rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah , from approximately 10-220 CE.) writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Hebrew Bible . The term "Talmud" may refer to either the Gemara (the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah ) alone, or the Mishnah and Gemara together. The entire Talmud consists of 63 tractates, and in standard print is over 6,200 pages long. It is written in Tannaitic Hebrew and Aramaic , and contains the teachings and opinions of thousands of pre- Christian Era rabbis on a variety of subjects, including Halakha (law), Jewish ethics , philosophy, customs, history, lore and many other topics. The Talmud is the basis for all codes of Jewish law , and is widely quoted in rabbinic literature . Targumim—spoken paraphrases, explanations and expansions of the Jewish scriptures that a Rabbi would give in the common language of the listeners, which during the time of this practice was commonly, but not exclusively, Aramaic . This had become necessary near the end of the last century before the Christian era, as the common language was in transition and Hebrew was used for little more than schooling and worship. Tanakh—Old Testament 39 books Uniplural—A uniplural noun can be used to indicate an object in the singular or plural sense. Example: The word sheep can be used to describe one sheep or many sheep. This article is drawn upon: -The LORD our Righteousness —Jeremiah 23:5-6 Shows That the Messiah Was to be God Himself and used by permission of the author Timothy W. Dunkin. -Multiple general Jewish texts and resources -Experience of Menorah’s staff For Further Information: Return to The Real Jesus Page Return To Menorah's Web Page

Song about Praying for the peace of Jerusalem and so be blessed of God. Psalm 122:6 Song Pray for the peace of Jerusalem… May they prosper who love you! Psalms 122:6 Aaronic Blessing Song Numbers 6:24-26 Web Page Psalm 122:6 Song Go aaoronic

What is the Star of David and historicalness for Israel. Ask Pastor Reuben Was the "Star of David" really something King David or his son King Solomon used on their shields? S H A L O M ! _______ A MESSIANIC JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW _______ Biblical Question: Dear Pastor Reuben, Was the "Star of David" really something David or his son King Solomon used on their shields? I have been told that. Thanks, Robert Pastor Reuben's Answer: Shalom Robert, Although it is now the most common and universally recognized sign of Judaism and Jewish identity, both within and outside the Jewish community, it has only achieved this status in the last two hundred years. Before that it was chiefly associated with magic or with the insignia of individual families or communities. While many legends state it was used by David and Solomon, no real historical proof exists. Rather all evidence suggests that early use of it, the hexagram was limited to "practical Kabbalah", that is, Jewish magic, probably dating back to the 6th century. When the Zionist movement looked for a symbol they chose the "Star of David" because it was so well accepted as a Jewish symbol. Then when Israel became a state, it became the state symbol of its own national redemption. The "Star of David" is not in the Bible. For more information on the history please see our below article on such, Hope this helps. THE STAR OF DAVID Magen David The evolution of the six-pointed Jewish star, the Magen David," literally the "Shield of David, also known as the hexagram, or more rarely, *Solomon's Seal, is long and complex. Although it is now the most common and universally recognized sign of Judaism and Jewish identity, both within and outside of the Jewish community, it has only achieved this status in the last two hundred years. Before that it was chiefly associated with magic or with the insignia of individual families or communities. Yet despite its equivocal history, Jews have long been attracted to this design and have sought to ascribe to it venerable origins. In our own day, its universal Jewish popularity, especially as the symbol of the State of Israel, has made the question of its origins moot. Because of its geometric symmetry, the hexagram has been a popular symbol in many cultures from earliest times. Anthropologists claim that the triangle pointing downward represents female sexuality, and the triangle pointing upward, male sexuality; thus, their combination symbolizes unity and harmony. In alchemy, the two triangles symbolize *"fire" and *"water"; together, they represent the reconciliation of opposites. Some medieval alchemists even borrowed the talmudic punish mayim, fiery water, and shamayim , heaven - to demonstrate the interpenetration of the two realms. 1 Because if this symbolism, the hexagram was even used occasionally as the emblem displayed above a brandy shop. The earliest known Jewish use of the hexagram was as a seal in ancient Israel (6th century B.C.E.) and then eight centuries later in a *synagogue frieze in Capernaum. But these early hexagrams may have been only ornamental designs; ironically, a swastika, another popular ancient motif, appears alongside the hexagram on the Capernaum synagogue wall. In the Middle Ages, hexagrams appear frequently on churches, but rarely in synagogues or on Jewish ritual objects. It was the *menorah that served as the primary Jewish symbol from antiquity until the post-Renaissance period, not the " Jewish star." Although scholars have attempted to trace the Star of David back to King David himself; to Rabbi Akiva and the Bar Kokhba ("son of the star") rebellion (135 C.E.); or to *kabbalists, especially Rabbi Isaac Luria (16th century), no Jewish literature or artifacts document this claim. Rather, all evidence suggests that the early use of the hexagram was limited to "practical Kabbalah," that is, Jewish magic, probably dating back to the 6th century C.E. Legends connect this symbol with the "Seal of Solomon," the magical signet signet *ring used by King Solomon to control demons and spirits. 2 Although the original ring was inscribed with the Tetragrammaton, the sacred Four-Letter *Name of God, medieval *amulets imitating this ring substituted the hexagram or pentagram (five-pointed star), often accompanied by rampant *lions, for the sacred Name. The star inscribed on these rings was usually called the "Seal of Solomon." In addition to such legends about Solomon's ring, medieval Jewish magical texts spoke of a magic shield possessed by King David which protected him from his enemies. According to these texts, the shield was inscribed with the seventy-two letter name of God, or with Shaddai (Almighty) or *angelic names, and was eventually passed down to *Judah Maccabee. The 15th-century kabbalist, Isaac Arama, claimed that Psalm 67, later known as the "Menorah Psalm" because of its *seven verses (plus an introductory verse), was engraved on David's shield in the form of a menorah. Another tradition suggests that Isaiah 11:2, enumerating the six aspects of the divine spirit, was inscribed on the shield in the outer six triangles of the hexagram. 3 In time, the hexagram replaced this menorah in popular legends about David's shield, while the five-pointed pentagram became identified with the Seal of Solomon. The hexagram was also widely regarded as a messianic symbol, because of its legendary connection with David, ancestor of the *Messiah. On Sabbath eve, German Jews would light a star-shaped brass *oil *lamp called a Judenstern (Jewish star), emblematic of the idea that Shabbat was a foretaste of the Messianic Age. The hexagram was also popular among the followers of Shabbatai Tzevi, the false messiah of the 17th century, because of its messianic associations. Among Jewish mystics and wonderworkers, the hexagram was most commonly used as a magical protection against demons, often inscribed on the outside of *mezuzot and on amulets. Another use of the hexagram in medieval times was as a Jewish printer's mark or heraldic emblem, especially in Prague and among members of the Jewish Foa family, who lived in Italy and Holland. In 1354, Emperor Charles IV of Prague granted the Jews of his city the privilege of displaying their own *flag on state occasions. Their flag displayed a large six-pointed star in its center. A similar flag remains to this day in the Altneuschul, the oldest synagogue in Prague. From Prague, the "Magen David" spread to the Jewish communities of Moravia and Bohemia, and then eventually to Eastern Europe. In 17th-century Vienna, the Jewish quarter was separated from the Christian quarter by a boundary stone inscribed with a hexagram on one side and a cross on the other, the first instance of the six-pointed star being used to represent Judaism as a whole, rather than an individual community. With Jewish emancipation following the French Revolution, Jews began to look for a symbol to represent themselves comparable to the cross used by their Christian neighbors. They settled upon the six-pointed star, principally because of its heraldic associations. Its geometric design and architectural features greatly appealed to synagogue architects, most of whom were non-Jews. Ironically, the religious Jews of Europe and the Orient, already accustomed to seeing hexagrams on kabbalistic amulets, accepted this secularized emblem of the enlightened Jews as a legitimate Jewish symbol, even though it had no religious content or scriptural basis. When Theodor Herzl looked for a symbol for the new Zionist movement, he chose the Star of David because it was so well known and also because it had no religious associations. In time, it appeared in the center of the flag of the new Jewish state of Israel and has become associated with national redemption. During the Holocaust, the Nazis chose the *yellow star as an identifying badge required on the garments of all Jews. After the war, Jews turned this symbol of humiliation and death into a badge of honor. Today, the Star of David is the most popular and universally recognized symbol of the Jewish People. In his seminal work entitled the Star of Redemption (1912), Franz Rosenzweig framed his philosophy of Judaism around the image of the Jewish star, composed of two conceptual "triads," which together form the basis of Jewish belief: Creation, Revelation, and Redemption; God, Israel, and World. On the popular level, Jews continue to use the Jewish star as it was used for centuries: as a magical amulet of good luck and as a secularized symbol of Jewish identity. References: 1 Scholem, "The Star of David; History of a Symbol," in The Messianic Idea in Judaism, 271; 2 Gittin 68a; 3 Eder, the Star of David, 73 Signifies: CONTINUITY, GOOD LUCK, HONOR, JEWISH IDENTITY, JEWISH PEOPLE, JUDAISM, REDEMPTION, SURVIVAL, ZIONISM. I pray the Lord will increase His will and purpose in your lives. In Messiah, Pastor Reuben Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, email address and your comment/question in as brief & precise manner as possible. To submit a question, etc. please address it to reuben@menorah.org ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask......ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask.....ask To return to ..... Ask Pastor Reuben Biblical Answers To Asked Questions..... To return to To Life L'Chaim Find life Eternal Page To return to Menorah's Web Page

By prayerfully seeking God you may be lead to donate in various ways to Menorah Ministries. We appreciate your consideration in planning your giving through your estate planning, gifting to the Lord’s Gospel work beyond your earthly life. God bless and keep you! Please consult your legal and tax professionals and call us at any time. 303-355-2009 menorah@menorah.org www.menorah.org Giving Through Securities What are the Advantages of Making a Gift of Securities? · You avoid all capital gains tax when y ou contribute long-term appreciated securities to Menorah Ministries. · You receive a charitable income tax deduction equal to the securities' fair market value if they have been held longer than one year. -The fair market value can be deducted against up to 30% of your adjusted gross income and any excess deductions can be carried forward into as many as five additional tax years. Giving Through Real Estate By using real estate to fund a gift, you may be able to make a gift to Chosen People Ministries of a size that would otherwise not have been possible. Whether it is a house, farm, vacation home, office building or plot of undeveloped land, your property can be a very helpful gift for you and for Menorah Ministries. A real estate gift can provide you with a combination of advantages and tax savings. Some of the benefits of a real estate gift accepted by Menorah Ministries include: · An immediate charitable income tax deduction in the year you make the gift. · Avoiding capital gains taxes at the time of the transfer. · The opportunity to live in your home or use the property for the rest of your life. · Knowing that the property will be excluded from any estate and inheritance taxes. Because each property and gift plan is unique, any real estate gift will require careful consideration by your legal and tax advisers. They can explain how advantageous a real estate gift can be. Giving Through Life Insurance Life Insurance, Retirement and Savings Accounts How to Give When Your Needs Change Life insurance, pension plans, individual retirement accounts, certificates of deposit, and savings accounts are convenient gift options that people often overlook. Giving Memorial Gifts Endowments and Memorials: The Gifts that Endure Menorah Ministries is an organization dedicated to bringing the Gospel to Jewish people. What better way to pay tribute to someone that has touched your life and who loved the Lord and the Jewish people than through a memorial gift to Menorah Ministries? Memorial gifts are very flexible. Every gift outlined in this web site can be made in memory of a loved one. Giving Through Wills and Bequests A bequest is one of the most meaningful legacies you can provide for your family, friends, and Menorah Ministries. Your bequest helps ensure that your wishes for the future of Jewish evangelism will be honored. We have been able to sustain many of today's outreach programs due to the generosity and vision of our former supporters. If you are planning to write your will, or if you already have one, you may want to consider these common ways to make a bequest: Specific Dollar Amount "I give, devise and bequeath to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224, $____________ ." Percentage of Your Estate "I give, devise and bequeath to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224, ___________% of my estate." Residue of Your Estate A residuary bequest to Menorah Ministries directs that all the residue, or a percentage of the residue, of your estate be paid to the ministry after all debts, taxes, expenses, and all other bequests have been paid. "All the residue of my estate, including, without limitation, real and personal property, I give, devise and bequeath to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224." Specific Asset from your Estate "I give, devise and bequeath _______ (insert a description of the asset here, such as stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares, real estate, works of art or antiques) to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224." Contingent Bequests You can name Menorah Ministries to receive all or some of your estate if your primary heirs predecease you. You might do this to protect your estate from expensive litigation or from ultimate distribution to the state or unintended beneficiaries. "If _____________ (insert the name of your heir) predecease me or disclaims any interest in ____________ (describe the asset or portion of your estate here), I give such property to Menorah Ministries, 393 S. Ivy St. Denver CO 80224." Giving Through Trusts Trusts are formal legal arrangements designating a trustee to receive and hold legal title to property and administer the property according to your instructions. Trusts can arrange for any financial or administrative function. Trusts can be very simple, or they can be as complex as necessary to meet your various financial, charitable and personal goals. Retirement account assets, if left to anyone other than a spouse, may be subject to very high taxation. By designating Menorah Ministries as recipient of any benefits remaining in your retirement plan, or by using them during your lifetime to be used in the Lord’s work is important to think about. To return to Donation Support Page To return to Menorah's Resource Website

Biblical presentation of when Jesus was born in history When Was Jesus Born? First Census, Quirinius nd Archaelogy The matter of Luke's Census is resolved with archeology [The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ (1996) by Gary Habermas, pp. 171-173]... Luke's Census In Luke 2.1-5 we read that Caesar Augustus decreed that the Roman Empire should be taxed and that everyone had to return to his own city to pay taxes. So Joseph and Mary returned to Bethlehem and there Jesus was born. Several questions have been raised in the context of this taxation [1. See Bruce, Christian Origins, p. 192, for example]. Even if such a taxation actually did occur, would every person have to return to his home? Was Quirinius really the governor of Syria at this time (as in v.2)? Archeology has had a bearing on the answers to these questions. It has been established that the taking of a census was quite common at about the time of Christ. An ancient Latin inscription called the Titulus Venetus indicates that a census took place in Syria and Judea about AD 5-6 and that this was typical of those held throughout the Roman Empire from the time of Augustus (23 BC-AD 14) until at least the third century AD. Indications are that this census took place every fourteen years. Other such evidence indicates that these procedures were widespread [2. Ibid., pp. 193-194]. Concerning persons returning to their home city for the taxation-census, an Egyptian papyrus dating from AD 104 reports just such a practice. This rule was enforced, as well [3. Ibid. p. 194]. The question concerning Quirinius also involves the date of the census described in Luke 2. It is known that Quirinius was made governor of Syria by Augustus in AD 6. Archaeologist Sir William Ramsay discovered several inscriptions that indicated that Quirinius was governor of Syria on two occasions, the first time several years prior to this date [4. Robert Boyd, Tells, Tombs, and Treasure (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1969), p. 175]. Within the cycle of taxation-censuses mentioned above, an earlier taxation would be dated from 10-4 BC [5. Cf. Bruce, Christian Origins, pp. 193-194 with Boyd, Tells, p. 175. Bruce prefers the date 10-9 BC for the empire-wide census, with that which took place in Judea occurring a few years later. Boyd places the date of the earlier census 6-5 BC, which coincides closely with the accepted dates for Jesus' birth]. Another possibility is Bruce's suggestion that the Greek in Luke 2.2 is equally translatable as "This enrollment (census) was before that made when Quirinius was governor of Syria" [6. Bruce, Christian Origins, p. 192]. This would mean that Luke was dating the taxation-census before Quirinius took over the governorship of Syria. Either possibility answers the question raised above [7. While ruling out the two-date approach to the governorship of Quirinius, Sherwin-White basically vindicates Luke's account, while still finding more problems that does Bruce (pp. 162-171)]. Therefore, while some questions have been raised concerning the events recorded in Luke 2.1-5, archaeology has provided some unexpected and supportive answers. Additionally, while supplying the background behind these events, archaeology also assists us in establishing several facts. (1) A taxation-census was a fairly common procedure in the Roman Empire and it did occur in Judea, in particular. (2) Persons were required to return to their home city in order to fulfill the requirements of the process. (3) These procedures were apparently employed during the reign of Augustus (37 BC-AD 14), placing it well within the general time frame of Jesus' birth. (4) The date of the specific taxation recounted by Luke could very possibly have been 6-5 BC, which would also be of service in attempting to find a more exact date for Jesus' birth. Herod the Great died in 4 B.C. and Jesus was born before then (Matt. 2.19). Luke was a very reliable historian, proven trustworthy over and over again. (And in Acts 5, Luke shows that he was well aware of the census under Quirinius in 6 AD which makes it very doubtful that he would have been confused about the census he describes in Luke 2.) For More Information: Return to Who Is Yeshua-Jesus Page Return to Biblical-Traditional Jewish Feasts Page To return to Menorah's Web Page