Messianic Jews: Friends or Foes of Christ?
Have you ever heard someone say, "I'm a Messianic Jew"? That sounds so intriguing doesn't it? But what does it mean exactly? What does it mean to be part of this fairly new movement in the Christian world - well - is it really a new movement, or is it old hat? Those who support it and claim to be Messianic Jews, say it is when a Jew becomes “complete” by accepting Jesus as their Moshiach (Messiah). Even Gentiles that join their ranks, have claimed that it was because they finally learned "the truth" regarding the source of their faith's Hebrew roots. Well, what does it mean to be a Christian then? A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ, one who forsakes the way of the world and now follows the way of Jesus their Savior and Lord, who died for them and rose again. So what's the difference if there is one at all, and what is the benefit of being a Messianic Jew over being just a Christian? In my studies, I learned from a farmer, that the brains of a plant are its roots. The root we will be exploring will be that of Judaism, since that is the root from which the Messianics have sprung, so let's dig up Judaism's roots...
Judaism: Rooted in Righteousness, or Just Plain Wrong?
It is innocently, all be it wrongly, assumed by many people, especially Christians, that Judaism is a religion solely based in the Bible. A strong statement that will no doubt make me a target for anti-gentilism. That's not a real or accepted word by the way, I just made it up in an effort to show Jews that they can be anti-Gentile, just as Gentiles can be "anti-semetic." Sure, most Jews don't believe Jesus is their Messiah, but they still believe in God – and that's good right? Well not exactly - the subject is a bit more involved. Not all Jews believe in God. For instance, like in what we loosely call "Christianity" these days, there are many denominations, the same is true for Judaism as well. There is Orthodox (traditional-they follow the Talmud and the Torah (first 5 books of the TaNaK), Kataite(they only follow the TaNaK (the entire OT), and not the Talmud's oral rabbinical traditions), Chassidic (orthodox mixed with eastern mysticism, aka cabala/kabbalah), Conservative, Reformed, Reconstructionist (focuses on Jewish culture above theology), and Secular or Humanistic Judaism (denies the existence of God) - - forgive me if I left anyone out. I would say that the Karaite Jew is more in line with the word of God since they only read the TANAK and don't revere any rabbinical teachings above it – they reject the traditions of man. That is good, but Karaites still refuse Jesus as their Messiah - and that is bad. What did Jesus our Lord have to say about this? He said that no one has the Father, if they don't have the Son. Jesus also said, no one can get to the Father except through the Son - so no Jesus, no God the Father. Well, that takes care of that. Now now, dear reader, for those of you who desire the truth- you need to read the whole article, but sadly, I'm sure I've already lost many readers already.
So, how about the Apostle Paul, who once said that he was a Pharisee of Pharisees, which is quite a credential, what did he have to say about Judaism? He said that the Jews have a zeal for God, but it is misdirected due to their ignorance of God-or they don't have the right knowledge of God. How can he say that when the Pharisees claimed God and Abraham as their "father", and Moses as their law giver? So, is Judaism rooted in righteousness, or is it just plain wrong? Let's see.
So, how about the Apostle Paul, who once said that he was a Pharisee of Pharisees, which is quite a credential, what did he have to say about Judaism? He said that the Jews have a zeal for God, but it is misdirected due to their ignorance of God-or they don't have the right knowledge of God. How can he say that when the Pharisees claimed God and Abraham as their "father", and Moses as their law giver? So, is Judaism rooted in righteousness, or is it just plain wrong? Let's see.
Were Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob “Jewish”?
Abraham was the father of Isaac, the child of promise, who was in turn the father of Jacob. Jacob was God's chosen heir over his older fraternal twin brother, Esau. So were any of these men “Jewish”? No. Why not? Because, for any of them to have been a “Jew” they would have had to come from the tribe of Judah and/or they would have had to practiced Judaism, which was in it's infancy stages while the tribe of Judah, Benjamin, some Levites, and whoever else was in Judea at the time of King Nebuchadnezzar, were exiled in Babylon. Now, I do believe that the beginning of Judaism started at that time. Some Jews might balk at this statement, but the fact is, Abraham's faith was simple toward God. God made him promises and Abraham believed Him, so God accounted it to Abraham as righteousness - that's it. God sealed His covenant with Abraham through communion (Melchizedek's bread and wine) and animal sacrifice, the shedding of blood, and circumcision. Abraham made voluntary sacrifices (not mandated) and performed circumcision, and God declared that Abraham was just and that he lived by faith, and proved his faith via obedience to God. In other words, he lived by the Spirit of the law, not by the letter of the law.
God then appeared to Isaac and reassured him that he was with him, like he had been with his father Abraham, and Isaac also kept God's sign of the covenant, which was circumcision. Isaac had twin sons, but Jacob was the one God chose to carry out his promises to Abraham. Jacob had twelve sons, the patriarchs of the Hebrew people we know as the nation of Israel, named after their father Jacob, who God renamed "Israel" after their epic wrestling match. Other than altars being built by them, sacrifices of oil, and animals being offered to God, and circumcisions being done, not much is known of the religious practices of these men, it seems fairly simple. If the beginning of the Jewish faith started with Abraham, or his son, or grandson, then wouldn't it be called Abrahamism, or Isaacism, or Jacobism, and not Judaism? Please be honest, would Abraham, or his sons recognize any of the Jewish practices that go on today, other than circumcision? I don't think so. It is my belief that in order for something that is not of God to be accepted by His people, then “street credit” must be given, or name dropping must be used, or it will be rejected. The Pharisees tried this maneuver with John the Baptist in Matt. 3:9 and with Jesus in John chapter 8, when they were arguing about their legitimacy. They rightly claimed Abraham as their father, but neither John nor Jesus accepted their claim as valid regarding righteousness of the heart, only that of being physically descended from Abraham. A claim that John the Baptist said was pointless as a means of saving themselves, since God could turn the memorial stones in the Jordan, into son's of Abraham. Oooo, get the burn cream!
God then appeared to Isaac and reassured him that he was with him, like he had been with his father Abraham, and Isaac also kept God's sign of the covenant, which was circumcision. Isaac had twin sons, but Jacob was the one God chose to carry out his promises to Abraham. Jacob had twelve sons, the patriarchs of the Hebrew people we know as the nation of Israel, named after their father Jacob, who God renamed "Israel" after their epic wrestling match. Other than altars being built by them, sacrifices of oil, and animals being offered to God, and circumcisions being done, not much is known of the religious practices of these men, it seems fairly simple. If the beginning of the Jewish faith started with Abraham, or his son, or grandson, then wouldn't it be called Abrahamism, or Isaacism, or Jacobism, and not Judaism? Please be honest, would Abraham, or his sons recognize any of the Jewish practices that go on today, other than circumcision? I don't think so. It is my belief that in order for something that is not of God to be accepted by His people, then “street credit” must be given, or name dropping must be used, or it will be rejected. The Pharisees tried this maneuver with John the Baptist in Matt. 3:9 and with Jesus in John chapter 8, when they were arguing about their legitimacy. They rightly claimed Abraham as their father, but neither John nor Jesus accepted their claim as valid regarding righteousness of the heart, only that of being physically descended from Abraham. A claim that John the Baptist said was pointless as a means of saving themselves, since God could turn the memorial stones in the Jordan, into son's of Abraham. Oooo, get the burn cream!
Was Moses Jewish?
Now let's look at Moses. Moses was from the Hebrew (or Israeli) tribe of Levi; he was not from the tribe of Judah. God gave Moses all the laws the entire nation of the Children of Israel were to live by, since they proved themselves to be unfaithful to God while they were living as slaves in Egypt. God hints at this in Isaiah when He is bringing charges against Israel, and I find it curious that God says he punishes those who hate him up to the third and fourth generation in Exodus 20:5 and Deut. 5:9. So really, the sons of Jacob must have started adopting pagan practices while they lived unmolested in Goshen, after Josephs death. How can I say that? Well, guess how long the Isarelites were slaves in Egypt? Yep, four generations! Prior to their trek to Egypt, the Patriarchs, or Jacob's sons, are not known for their righteousness, except Jacob himself and his son Joseph, and not much is known of Benjamin at this point. Paul said that the law was given because of transgression - what transgression? Idolatry among other things. The Children of Israel struggled with this sin for centuries and they still do - but then, don't we all? However, do not ever forget, that God always saves for himself a faithful remnant, one that will not bow their knees to Baal, or to any other false god - they are those who sigh and groan at the sight of rampant wickedness [Ezk 9:4]. Has anyone ever noticed that the Land of Goshen was subjected to the first three plagues that God put upon the land of Egypt? Why? God wanted to get their attention, to purify them through a little suffering, to remind them of who he was, and is, and will be – their one and only God and Savior.
So, let's fast forward a bit. Moses received God's laws on Mt. Sinai, while most of the Israelites were sinning with Hathor - the Egyptian cow goddess, and the sun disk , Tammuz, which points to the knowledge they had of the idolatry they must have practiced in Egypt. So, God gave his laws that were written down by Moses at God's instruction and they were to be obeyed, or there would be consequences - especially regarding the Tabernacle/Temple sacrifices. It must have been nerve racking to be a Levitical priest, knowing your life was on the line if you didn't follow the exact instructions! So the question in my mind is this: Is Judaism based on Mosaic Law, or is Mosaic Law based on Judaism? The Law of Moses came first, and since Judaism is claimed to be based on Mosaic Law, then it should logically be called "Mosesism," shouldn't it? But, it's not.
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When Did Judaism Really Begin?
Judaism really began its infancy while the tribe of Judah, Benjamin, some Levites and whoever else was residing in Judea at that time were exiled to Babylon, because of their idolatry. God told the Judeans through the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and others, that judgment was coming, if they didn't repent of their idolatry, but they didn't listen. So off they went -- that is after a lot of them died from God's four sore judgments: plague, famine, wild animals, and the sword. God also told the remnant that while in exile, they were to build houses, plant vineyards and gardens, to marry, and have children, until God set them free in seventy years via King Cyrus. And as always, God told them not to learn the ways of their heathen neighbors, meaning their religion and way of life; they were to remain separate unto Him - this command given to Moses was still in effect even then. Sanctification, or holiness unto the LORD is an Old Testament, and New Testament doctrine.
Did they listen? No. Instead, they adopted many things from their Babylonian hosts. They took on their calendar complete with names of their pagan gods like Tammuz, their way of writing [block letters], star gazing, and this is where Cabala/Kabbalah really began to take shape. Who were the ones who did these things? None other than the early predecessors of the Pharisees and Sadducees, of whom rose to political and religious prominence along with their later synagogue system. These factions started in their infancy, because their Temple had been destroyed, and their religious practice of sacrificing was left hanging, so to speak. They also were vying for political power as well. I don't recall God giving them instructions regarding sacrifices while they were in exile, but Daniel seemed to have done just fine without the Temple sacrifices. He kept God's food laws, didn't bow to idols even at great personal risk, prayed three times a day to honor God, and no doubt, all of this helped to keep himself strong, and as pure as possible, from all the evil that surrounded him on a daily basis. Besides all that, nothing else is mentioned regarding the way he practiced his faith. As it is written: the just shall live by faith [Hab. 2:4], and also God said he never really wanted their animal sacrifices anyway. He only ever wanted their obedience, because obedience is better than sacrifice [1 Sam. 15:22]! However, sacrifices are required for the remission of sins. Justice delayed is justice denied by man's law, but not God's. He delays his justice to allow for mercy and repentance, and he allowed a delay at this time because he was looking forward to the payment of all past sins at Jesus' cross. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Did they listen? No. Instead, they adopted many things from their Babylonian hosts. They took on their calendar complete with names of their pagan gods like Tammuz, their way of writing [block letters], star gazing, and this is where Cabala/Kabbalah really began to take shape. Who were the ones who did these things? None other than the early predecessors of the Pharisees and Sadducees, of whom rose to political and religious prominence along with their later synagogue system. These factions started in their infancy, because their Temple had been destroyed, and their religious practice of sacrificing was left hanging, so to speak. They also were vying for political power as well. I don't recall God giving them instructions regarding sacrifices while they were in exile, but Daniel seemed to have done just fine without the Temple sacrifices. He kept God's food laws, didn't bow to idols even at great personal risk, prayed three times a day to honor God, and no doubt, all of this helped to keep himself strong, and as pure as possible, from all the evil that surrounded him on a daily basis. Besides all that, nothing else is mentioned regarding the way he practiced his faith. As it is written: the just shall live by faith [Hab. 2:4], and also God said he never really wanted their animal sacrifices anyway. He only ever wanted their obedience, because obedience is better than sacrifice [1 Sam. 15:22]! However, sacrifices are required for the remission of sins. Justice delayed is justice denied by man's law, but not God's. He delays his justice to allow for mercy and repentance, and he allowed a delay at this time because he was looking forward to the payment of all past sins at Jesus' cross. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Not surprisingly, many people don't realize that there was a very large Jewish population in Babylon, even up until the time of the founding of the apostate police-state currently masquerading as Israel, in 1948. When Cyrus, and other subsequent kings of Babylon, allowed the Judeans (Israelites from Judah) to go back to Jerusalem, it was an open invitation, anyone who wanted to go, could go. But not everyone did. Take Mordecai and Esther for instance, they remained in Babylon (Susa), like many of their rich brethren; mostly poor people went back to Jerusalem. The rich Jews and those that served the pagan king apparently liked it where they were -- in a state of comfort, rather than go back to the rubble of Judea. I don't blame them, since I don't like camping myself. Again, there was of course, a faithful remnant headed by Ezra, and then later Nehemiah, who were allowed by their respective kings, according to God's direction, to go back to Judea and rebuild the temple and put up the walls around Jerusalem.
Some claim that it is at this time when the Pharisees rose, in the time of righteous Ezra. Once again, a little name dropping is employed to give them credibility, and hopefully make you think Ezra the priest was one of them, a Rabbinic Jew. However, the earliest record of the use of "Pharisee" is in the time of the Maccabees. At any rate, God was indeed with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and with God's help they accomplished great things. But- if anyone was practicing Judaism at that time and around that area it was the compromising priests who married local heathen women, and made political alliances with the local thugs, or any of the unfaithful people who came with them from Babylon, not Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, or Joshua.
Fortunately, God isn't thwarted by this kind of intrigue, so Temple worship was once more established, and the feasts were once again celebrated, according to God's law in the Torah, not according to vain oral traditions. With the city walls up, and the Sabbath once more being honored, and thanks to Ezra's and Nehemiah's zeal, righteousness slowly began to take root and grow - God was preparing the way for the Messiah - Jesus, to come to his earth, to save it from its sins!
Some claim that it is at this time when the Pharisees rose, in the time of righteous Ezra. Once again, a little name dropping is employed to give them credibility, and hopefully make you think Ezra the priest was one of them, a Rabbinic Jew. However, the earliest record of the use of "Pharisee" is in the time of the Maccabees. At any rate, God was indeed with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and with God's help they accomplished great things. But- if anyone was practicing Judaism at that time and around that area it was the compromising priests who married local heathen women, and made political alliances with the local thugs, or any of the unfaithful people who came with them from Babylon, not Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, or Joshua.
Fortunately, God isn't thwarted by this kind of intrigue, so Temple worship was once more established, and the feasts were once again celebrated, according to God's law in the Torah, not according to vain oral traditions. With the city walls up, and the Sabbath once more being honored, and thanks to Ezra's and Nehemiah's zeal, righteousness slowly began to take root and grow - God was preparing the way for the Messiah - Jesus, to come to his earth, to save it from its sins!
Education In Judaism
I recently learned that an orthodox Jew is predominately educated in the Talmud, Mishnah, the Midrash Zohar, Gamatria, and these days, some even go as far as learning Kabbalah (cabala), which is Jewish mysticism, or witchcraft. But for most Jews, it's all about the "Torah". In my research I have found that for a people who claim an exclusive right as God's chosen people, even many Jews find their religious training empty, with a lack of intimacy with God. That is because they are still searching the Scriptures for a way for them to earn their salvation, they still don't see that God's plan of spiritual salvation is through the Messiah.
The word "Torah" actually refers to the first 5 books of the Old Testament only. However, the entire Old Testament is known as the TaNaK - an acronym for Torah (teachings), Nevi'im (prophets), and k'tuvim (writings). That means Orthodox Jews only learn 7.8% of the Old Testament. An orthodox Jew receives as little as 19% of his instruction in the Torah, which is a generic term meaning: teachings, at their local yeshiva - a school that teaches Judaism. 19%!!! No wonder the Jews in the New Testament marveled at Jesus' knowledge of the Scriptures, especially since they acknowledged that he hadn't gone to their schools! How about the common folk who marveled at the authority in which Jesus spoke? The Pharisees authority came mostly by quoting rabbis who commented on Scripture, not Scripture itself, and they only taught and enforced bone crushing laws based on their oral traditions. If he had attended their schools, then they would have recognized him and his authority in the Scriptures, maybe. Remember when Jesus was 12 and stayed behind in Jerusalem to his parents great distress? Where was he when they found him three days later? The the Scribes at the Temple. I can imagine how disappointed they were when his parents arrived to collect him, or maybe they were glad! Jesus later showed us that those who study Judaism greatly dislike the prophets who came after Moses, so they defame, and ridicule most of them, especially Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. They don't do this openly, only in their little circles. Like Jesus said, they give lip service to the prophets, or else they will give themselves away as hypocrites, and even as apostates. God addresses this in the book of Isaiah 29:13 and Ezekiel 33:31-33. Why do they hate the prophets they claim to revere? Because these godly prophets spoke against their idolatry and prophesied of Jesus' coming, people who love their sins don't want to be saved from them. Interestingly enough, these are the same prophets that Jesus quotes the most, after Moses, of course. No wonder they hated him, and still do. And false representations of Christianity and Jesus by false converts of the gospel don't help the situation either.
Judaism mostly teaches men's traditions via the rabbis, who wrote commentaries on the Scriptures and disobeyed God's command by adding to them and taking away from them. I want you to understand that Jews says that the Talmud is just a record of rabbinic debates, not teachings, that is to throw us off their crooked trail. But let's not get side tracked. Jesus clearly told us that their man made traditions made God's word of no effect. So what was Jesus talking about if not the oral tradition, or the Talmud? It was not written down at that time. They are the ones who made their silly man-made rules regarding Sabbath observance, and re-wrote God's laws to make those laws profitable for them. For instance: in the Talmud, it is taught that if a non-Jew murders another non-Jew, or a Jew, then they are subject to the death penalty. That's just, right? However, if a Jew murders a non-Jew, then the claim is that the Jew is protected by the Law, because non-Jews, or Goyim are really animals according to their oral tradition. Hey! Where do they get off saying Gentiles are animals? This is not what the Torah Scriptures teach! They apparently forgot that Abraham was a "goy" before his covenant with God. They also conveniently forget God's command to love their neighbor and the stranger in their midst, that is clearly written in Exodus. This is why they didn't write down their "oral law" for centuries, because it is filled with such evil things, and even worse. Their leaders knew that if their Talmud fell into the wrong hands- namely the Gentiles, then it would bring about their doom. That is why they try to say it's only a bunch of rabbinic debates, which is hogwash. A sample of their oral law filth teaches that it is lawful for a Jewish man to marry a child as young as one day over their third birthday - yeah- - it only gets more disgusting from there. Why in God's name would any decent rabbi want to debate that kind of evil? Instead, they should be searching for stones to aim at the pervert, not debating their disgusting perversion. Even so, even as wicked as these extra-biblical books are, even they teach some truth about the Messiah!
Judaism mostly teaches men's traditions via the rabbis, who wrote commentaries on the Scriptures and disobeyed God's command by adding to them and taking away from them. I want you to understand that Jews says that the Talmud is just a record of rabbinic debates, not teachings, that is to throw us off their crooked trail. But let's not get side tracked. Jesus clearly told us that their man made traditions made God's word of no effect. So what was Jesus talking about if not the oral tradition, or the Talmud? It was not written down at that time. They are the ones who made their silly man-made rules regarding Sabbath observance, and re-wrote God's laws to make those laws profitable for them. For instance: in the Talmud, it is taught that if a non-Jew murders another non-Jew, or a Jew, then they are subject to the death penalty. That's just, right? However, if a Jew murders a non-Jew, then the claim is that the Jew is protected by the Law, because non-Jews, or Goyim are really animals according to their oral tradition. Hey! Where do they get off saying Gentiles are animals? This is not what the Torah Scriptures teach! They apparently forgot that Abraham was a "goy" before his covenant with God. They also conveniently forget God's command to love their neighbor and the stranger in their midst, that is clearly written in Exodus. This is why they didn't write down their "oral law" for centuries, because it is filled with such evil things, and even worse. Their leaders knew that if their Talmud fell into the wrong hands- namely the Gentiles, then it would bring about their doom. That is why they try to say it's only a bunch of rabbinic debates, which is hogwash. A sample of their oral law filth teaches that it is lawful for a Jewish man to marry a child as young as one day over their third birthday - yeah- - it only gets more disgusting from there. Why in God's name would any decent rabbi want to debate that kind of evil? Instead, they should be searching for stones to aim at the pervert, not debating their disgusting perversion. Even so, even as wicked as these extra-biblical books are, even they teach some truth about the Messiah!
Judaism and Messianic Judaism Regarding The Law
Jesus clashed with the leaders of the Jews a lot – namely, the Scribes and the Pharisees. Why? Because they made the word of God of no effect by their man-made (oral) traditions. Let's not forget that these men were descendants of the men who came from Babylon, those who mixed their pagan false teachings with Mosaic Law. Our modern day equivalent to them are the Orthodox Jews. That's right dear reader, these seemingly righteous, devoutly religious men, clad in black are nothing more than Pharisees! And they still despise Jesus and all who follow him. They are still chained to their oral law, which they claim came from Moses – more name dropping- except Moses wouldn't have a clue as to what they are talking about. God told Moses to write down everything he told him, so neither God nor Moses ever mentioned "oral laws" because there aren't any - any unwritten laws that came from God anyway. How can they just make up an oral law and claim it came from Moses? Well, they honestly believe they are smarter than God, and they also threaten and assault anyone who opposes them. They also wrest or twist the Scriptures to their hurt and to the hurt of anyone and everyone who will listen to them - a practice that they base upon Deuteronomy 30:4. You see, according to these rabbis, God was basically telling the Children of Israel in Deut. 30:4, that he was giving them his law to interpret any way they saw fit, since it "was no longer in heaven" or under his control, as they interpret the verse. This is of course a fantasy. What God really meant was they were not to make silly excuses for not obeying his laws. Does this mean we should be a Jew "basher", or denounce Israel, or teach we have replaced the Hebrew people? No! We are to pray for our enemies, do good to those that hate us, and spitefully use us, and we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We must love them like Jesus did! Well, can we do all this without becoming a Jew, or replacing them? Yes, of course we can.
Judaizers Then and Now
An example of the modern Judaizer's tactic to get you back "under the Talmudic law" (as a means of salvation), is when Paul mentions "being under the law" several times in his epistles. The Messianic Judaizers claim Paul is only talking about the “ceremonial law," because as any good Messianic Hebrew roots scholar knows, the law is broken down into three parts: ceremonial, moral, and civil law- I say this with tongue in cheek. This is a man-made false teaching, of a man made false teaching, not to be found in Scripture. Shame on the "Messianic" Jews for telling this lie. According to Scripture, if you broke one of God's commandments (everything He says is a commandment), then you have broken the entire law of God, and are subject to its penalty - death. That is what Paul really means by "being under the Law", it is it's penalty, which is death. The law of God is not divided, just as He is not divided. Yes, there are what He calls: judgments, statutes, commandments, and ordinances that make up the entire law of Moses, but these are not to be separate unto themselves as if they were freestanding, they are in total: the Law of Moses, or God's written law. Jesus told the people, and especially the Pharisees, who really cared nothing for the law, that He didn't come to do away with, or annul the law, but to fulfill it. That doesn't mean to “confirm” it either. When Jesus fulfilled a statue, ordinance, or judgement, its Old Testament observance is either annulled, or the terms of its observance has been elevated into a higher form, one of grace. God's grace, is a higher standard than the law of Moses, as Jesus taught in Matthew 5.
Fulfill means to complete, where as confirm means to establish, such as we find in the Catholic faith. Confirmation is the established practice of their religion. Therefore, if our salvation, justification and righteousness were to come by, or be established by the law, then Jesus would not have needed to come at all. But He did come, so he- Jesus, could fulfill, or meet, or complete the requirements of the law, something we can't do, in order to bring us salvation by His shed blood, and a new covenant spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 31 v.33. By his grace through faith in him - his blood is exceedingly better than that of bulls, goats and sheep, in that his blood completely removes our sins! He is now our perfect High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek [who was apparently a Gentile], not after the order of Aaron the Levite. So when you read the epistles and come across a passage where Paul speaks of "the law", or "being under the law"– he is talking about the whole law, not certain parts of it, or even the insane "oral law" of Judaism. And like I said, he really means the end of the law, being death. God has always wanted the Hebrew people to be a light to the Genitles, and to bring them into his fold, not to hate them, or keep them from entering into salvation. Jesus addressed this practice of theirs in Matthew:
Judaizers Then and Now
An example of the modern Judaizer's tactic to get you back "under the Talmudic law" (as a means of salvation), is when Paul mentions "being under the law" several times in his epistles. The Messianic Judaizers claim Paul is only talking about the “ceremonial law," because as any good Messianic Hebrew roots scholar knows, the law is broken down into three parts: ceremonial, moral, and civil law- I say this with tongue in cheek. This is a man-made false teaching, of a man made false teaching, not to be found in Scripture. Shame on the "Messianic" Jews for telling this lie. According to Scripture, if you broke one of God's commandments (everything He says is a commandment), then you have broken the entire law of God, and are subject to its penalty - death. That is what Paul really means by "being under the Law", it is it's penalty, which is death. The law of God is not divided, just as He is not divided. Yes, there are what He calls: judgments, statutes, commandments, and ordinances that make up the entire law of Moses, but these are not to be separate unto themselves as if they were freestanding, they are in total: the Law of Moses, or God's written law. Jesus told the people, and especially the Pharisees, who really cared nothing for the law, that He didn't come to do away with, or annul the law, but to fulfill it. That doesn't mean to “confirm” it either. When Jesus fulfilled a statue, ordinance, or judgement, its Old Testament observance is either annulled, or the terms of its observance has been elevated into a higher form, one of grace. God's grace, is a higher standard than the law of Moses, as Jesus taught in Matthew 5.
Fulfill means to complete, where as confirm means to establish, such as we find in the Catholic faith. Confirmation is the established practice of their religion. Therefore, if our salvation, justification and righteousness were to come by, or be established by the law, then Jesus would not have needed to come at all. But He did come, so he- Jesus, could fulfill, or meet, or complete the requirements of the law, something we can't do, in order to bring us salvation by His shed blood, and a new covenant spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 31 v.33. By his grace through faith in him - his blood is exceedingly better than that of bulls, goats and sheep, in that his blood completely removes our sins! He is now our perfect High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek [who was apparently a Gentile], not after the order of Aaron the Levite. So when you read the epistles and come across a passage where Paul speaks of "the law", or "being under the law"– he is talking about the whole law, not certain parts of it, or even the insane "oral law" of Judaism. And like I said, he really means the end of the law, being death. God has always wanted the Hebrew people to be a light to the Genitles, and to bring them into his fold, not to hate them, or keep them from entering into salvation. Jesus addressed this practice of theirs in Matthew:
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. Matthew 23:13,15
Then Are We To Be Lawless?
Does this mean Jesus left us without law entirely? Is Jesus himself a lawless rebel? No! Jesus took the law regarding sin and sacrifices, fulfilled it, and then made it simple for us, because His burden is light. Instead of the hundreds of commandments of Judaism, or even Moses' ten, we now only have two! Jesus said we are to obey and follow His two great commandments, and upon these two great commandments hinge all the law and the prophets. We are to love the LORD our God with all our mind, heart, soul, and strength and the second is like it, we are to love our neighbor as our self, because love is the fulfillment of the law. Why? Because love for God means that we will want to obey his commandments, even though we can't really do it in our own power. And because he first loved us, even while we were yet sinners, he gave us His grace via His indwelling Holy Spirit, to help us do what He said -he gave us the desire and ability to obey Him, that's it! Behold! The simple gospel of Jesus Christ!
Do you know how many “laws” those who practice Judaism have to learn? It is mind boggling! They are in so much bondage it is shocking and sad - keep in mind that these laws were learned orally too, it wasn't until recently - about a few centuries ago, that they actually wrote them down, as the Mishna, and Talmud. If you desire to read these for yourself, I caution you. They contain passages that are vile and blasphemous against Jesus, whom they ridicule in their vile publication under the name of Balaam. Jesus said of them rightly, that the Pharisees put great burdens on the people and didn't lift one finger to help them carry their burden, and at the same time they broke God's law with their man made traditions, thus makings God's word of no effect. This is a huge indictment against the religion of Judaism from Jesus.
Do you know how many “laws” those who practice Judaism have to learn? It is mind boggling! They are in so much bondage it is shocking and sad - keep in mind that these laws were learned orally too, it wasn't until recently - about a few centuries ago, that they actually wrote them down, as the Mishna, and Talmud. If you desire to read these for yourself, I caution you. They contain passages that are vile and blasphemous against Jesus, whom they ridicule in their vile publication under the name of Balaam. Jesus said of them rightly, that the Pharisees put great burdens on the people and didn't lift one finger to help them carry their burden, and at the same time they broke God's law with their man made traditions, thus makings God's word of no effect. This is a huge indictment against the religion of Judaism from Jesus.
Is Jesus Jewish, or a Christian?
Jesus is a Hebrew, but he neither follows Judaism, nor does he follow "Christianity," because he is the author and finisher of our faith – he is the Good Shepherd, and we are his sheep, or followers, hence the name “Christian” or to be Christ-like. Jesus came to us through the Hebrew line of Judah, and he lived in the areas known as Galilee and Judea, so that would technically make Him a Judean. To say you are a "Jew" means you are a Judean, or from the tribe of Judah. So, can anyone be a "Jew" without being a Hebrew? Apparently so, if you covert to the religion of Judaism – and this would explain people like Sammy Davis Jr. being “Jewish”. Anyway, I assure you that Jesus was not a Pharisee, so ergo, He was not Jewish in his religion, only in his birth. Yeah but, “Jesus said he was the king of the Jews” right? This is true, but he is also King of kings and Lord of lords. So does that make Him an English-man, Spaniard, German, or any other nationality since He is their rightful king too? No. Jesus, as the Hebrew Messiah, came to bring Hebrews and Gentiles together under one faith, the faith of Abraham, and make them into one new man by breaking down the middle wall of separation, that being the enmity caused by the law [Eph. 2:14-18]. He will also bring the two houses that were separated after Solomon, Judah and Israel, back together again, into one nation. There is also something known as "the elect" meaning only one "elect" spoken of in Scripture, not two or more, only one, under the headship of Jesus. Since we can't seem to get it together on our own, Jesus will do this once and for all, when he arrives the second time.
What's The Difference Between Orthodox Judaism and Messianic Judaism?
Not much, other than the Messianic Jews' claim that they acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah, I mean Moshiach, which is a big deal! Even so, Messianic Jewish congregations look very similar to Orthodox Jewish synagogues, all the bells and whistles are there. They wear tallits, skull caps [yarmulke, or kippah], blow shofars, and read from elaborate Torah scrolls taken from their ornate arks, and display Jewish icons like menorahs and the Star of David. They even celebrate all the feasts from Scripture and even ones they have added like Purim and Chanukkah, and keep the Sabbath on Saturday, not Sunday. Like Orthodox Jews, Messianic Jews insist that the Old Testament laws are still in effect and are binding on Jews and Christians alike, but unlike the Orthodox Jews, Messianics have exceptions to certain laws. They do this by dividing God's law into their invented categories of moral, civil, and ceremonial laws, and this drives Orthodox Jews mashugana! According to Orthodox Judaism, you either follow all of their oral laws that are loosely based on the law of Moses, if you want to be called a “Jew," or don't bother.
So do Messianic believers really have a leg to stand on when they call themselves "Messianic Jews"? Not really, because this is a contradiction in terms. Jesus the Messiah was not a practicing “Jew," meaning he didn't practice Judaism – I know the Orthodox Jews – the Pharisees, would agree. The Karaites, however, would claim Jesus as one of them, but they still attach the label of “Judaism” to themselves, which denotes a religion, not necessarily as being from the tribe of Judah. Besides, they also refuse Jesus as their Messiah, so they are still blind to the truth, all be it, they have more freedom than the Orthodox Jews do, by not being bound to the Talmud. Judaism is a problematic word because it denotes and reveals the Babylonian roots of their mixed religion, that of paganism and the law of Moses, not just their supposed tribal origin. This is a real problem because it is a compromise, and God hates the blending of righteous and unrighteous things, he isn't a party to it. So why don't they call themselves Messianic Hebrews instead? I don't know.
So do Messianic believers really have a leg to stand on when they call themselves "Messianic Jews"? Not really, because this is a contradiction in terms. Jesus the Messiah was not a practicing “Jew," meaning he didn't practice Judaism – I know the Orthodox Jews – the Pharisees, would agree. The Karaites, however, would claim Jesus as one of them, but they still attach the label of “Judaism” to themselves, which denotes a religion, not necessarily as being from the tribe of Judah. Besides, they also refuse Jesus as their Messiah, so they are still blind to the truth, all be it, they have more freedom than the Orthodox Jews do, by not being bound to the Talmud. Judaism is a problematic word because it denotes and reveals the Babylonian roots of their mixed religion, that of paganism and the law of Moses, not just their supposed tribal origin. This is a real problem because it is a compromise, and God hates the blending of righteous and unrighteous things, he isn't a party to it. So why don't they call themselves Messianic Hebrews instead? I don't know.
When Our Faith and Cultural Tradition Collide
Many cultures are based and centered on their religious worship. Archaeologists usually find temples at the center, or heart of the ancient cities they excavate, next to or in conjunction with the king's palace - church and state are united. Many cultures also pray to and worship their ancestors, it is part of who they are. This is a very real problem for evangelists. For example, when a person in pre-communist China accepted Jesus, they were automatically no longer part of their culture, because that culture dictated ancestor worship, so they were thrown out of their families, and ostracized from their community. That is a harsh and terrorizing thing for most people to undergo. Jesus said this is what would happen, that he would divide families due to loyalties being shifted. In Israel, as soon as you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you were booted out of the synagogue and your family and friends disowned you. Ouch! This is terrifying, isn't it?
What did Jesus say to these hurting people, did he say - “oh that's okay, you can just mix your new faith in me with your old Judaism religion?" No, he didn't. Jesus addressed this dilemma in Mark 10:29 – he told his disciples that whoever left brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, wives, children, or lands for his sake and the gospel's sake, then they would receive a hundred fold now in this time –houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life [notice "wives" is missing in the later list]. Wow, what a deal huh? Does that mean these people are no longer Judeans, or rather, no longer Hebrews from the tribe of Judah? No. It just means they were to no longer participate in their religious practices- the vain traditions of men - Judaism. There are certain things you can't mix, and pagan religious practices with God's righteousness is one of them. Since Judaism is based in Babylonian mysticism, then it is not to be kept and mixed with Jesus' simple gospel, but rather it is to be completely discarded. Those like Saul [later renamed Paul], and the other Pharisees who were zealous for their traditions and religion, they were unyielding to the new sect of those who followed Jesus "in the way". Those who held on to their new faith collided with those who held to cultural religious tradition, which resulted in the Christian's physical harm - even death.
What did Jesus say to these hurting people, did he say - “oh that's okay, you can just mix your new faith in me with your old Judaism religion?" No, he didn't. Jesus addressed this dilemma in Mark 10:29 – he told his disciples that whoever left brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, wives, children, or lands for his sake and the gospel's sake, then they would receive a hundred fold now in this time –houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life [notice "wives" is missing in the later list]. Wow, what a deal huh? Does that mean these people are no longer Judeans, or rather, no longer Hebrews from the tribe of Judah? No. It just means they were to no longer participate in their religious practices- the vain traditions of men - Judaism. There are certain things you can't mix, and pagan religious practices with God's righteousness is one of them. Since Judaism is based in Babylonian mysticism, then it is not to be kept and mixed with Jesus' simple gospel, but rather it is to be completely discarded. Those like Saul [later renamed Paul], and the other Pharisees who were zealous for their traditions and religion, they were unyielding to the new sect of those who followed Jesus "in the way". Those who held on to their new faith collided with those who held to cultural religious tradition, which resulted in the Christian's physical harm - even death.
Live As You Are Called
We are to live as we are called- - so what does that mean? Paul and the other apostles wrestled with this very thing in Acts 15 and Paul address this subject in 1 Cor. 7:17-24. The Hebrew apostles came to the agreement and conclusion that the Gentiles were not to become “Jews” before they could be saved, because they themselves couldn't even bear that yolk – they rightly determined via the Holy Spirit, it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus, through faith, that we are saved. They then determined that the only necessary things for Gentiles to observe were abstaining from food offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality – if they did those things they would do well. Notice, they didn't include Saturday Sabbath observance, or circumcision in that list. They also concluded that they could listen to Moses being read in the synagogues every Sabbath to get knowledge of the rest of the Scriptures, if they so desired. This later reasoning among the church leaders wasn't included in the written letter to the Gentiles, that of going to the synagogue to hear Moses being read. I'm sure it was a common sense kind of thing.
Paul told the Corinthians to walk as the Lord had called them. So, if a person were circumcised [a Hebrew/Jew] then he shouldn't become “uncircumcised”[a Gentile], if he was uncircumcised [a Gentile] then he shouldn't become circumcised[a Hebrew/Jew] in order to gain some advantage, because these outward temporal things don't matter. Only keeping Jesus' two great commandments and maintaining our spiritual condition by grace matters.
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He goes on to speak about being a slave, or freed man when salvation comes to a person, and says not to worry about it, because it really doesn't matter, but if you can become free, than by all means do so. He encourages the brethren to let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called to salvation.
So dear reader, there is indeed a way in which we are to live in God's righteous commands from the Old Testament and the New Testament, without mixing paganism and Pharisaic hypocrisy into our simple righteous faith. This is what Jesus was talking about in Matt. 9:16-17 and Matt.13:52. Take time to read those passages, I'll wait - go look them up. Okay. If you haven't read them, then you won't understand what I am talking about here, which is: You have to know what you are doing in things that require skill. Meaning, you can't patch an old garment with new cloth, and you can't put new wine into old wine skins. If you don't know what you
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are doing, these seemingly easy tasks will end in disaster [I'm being dramatic there]! So now then, let us strive to be that scribe Jesus refers to in Matt. 13:52, the one instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven, who is like a householder who brings out of his treasure - things new and old! Please read my article on Holidays are Holy-days, where I touch on this subject a bit more.
Ever hear the expression: “You can't save your cake and eat it too?” This means you can't have it both ways. You are either in, or you are out. You either have it, or you don't. You either believe it, or you don't, etc. This is how I see Messianic Judaism - they want to keep Judaism, which is opposed to the gospel, because they consider it their "Jewish heritage" and is synonymous with their "Hebrew heritage", which it is not. They seem to want to keep the Old Testament laws, but only the ones they want, not all of them. The trouble with Judaism is that it is opposed to the law and gospel since Jesus, who kept and fulfilled the law, and he did not and still doesn't ascribe to the religion of Judaism. However, I think they can keep their "Hebrew" culture as far as language, favorite foods, scripture reading, love of God, their holidays even though most of them have already been fulfilled, but drop the extra biblical religion of "Judaism." Followers of Jesus, are called Christians in Scripture, not Messianic Jews. They should just dump "Judaism" altogether and become followers of Christ, or be called Christians, or even Messainic Hebrews.
Ever hear the expression: “You can't save your cake and eat it too?” This means you can't have it both ways. You are either in, or you are out. You either have it, or you don't. You either believe it, or you don't, etc. This is how I see Messianic Judaism - they want to keep Judaism, which is opposed to the gospel, because they consider it their "Jewish heritage" and is synonymous with their "Hebrew heritage", which it is not. They seem to want to keep the Old Testament laws, but only the ones they want, not all of them. The trouble with Judaism is that it is opposed to the law and gospel since Jesus, who kept and fulfilled the law, and he did not and still doesn't ascribe to the religion of Judaism. However, I think they can keep their "Hebrew" culture as far as language, favorite foods, scripture reading, love of God, their holidays even though most of them have already been fulfilled, but drop the extra biblical religion of "Judaism." Followers of Jesus, are called Christians in Scripture, not Messianic Jews. They should just dump "Judaism" altogether and become followers of Christ, or be called Christians, or even Messainic Hebrews.
The Messianic Seal
Now, what about this “Messianic” seal, that was recently found? It displays the Jewish menorah combined with the “Christian” fish, so that they make the “Star of David” in the center of the two. Surely, this is visual proof that Messianic Judaism is “kosher”, right? I have to ask - "Who says that this symbol was, or is acceptable to God?" The Bible certainly doesn't say that, but men tell you it is acceptable. This symbol is also suspected of being a modern concoction, by many archaeologists and Hebrew scholars, and by anyone who can reason, well, that is to say, when they have all the evidence. If anything, it is a visual representation of compromise. You do realize that Gnosticism, paganism, and false teachers were a real problem for the 1st century church just as they are today, right?
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What does God's word tell us about signs and symbols being used to represent God? We are not to make for ourselves any image, whether in the sky, on the land, or under the sea to represent our God-period. This kind of symbolism originated at the Tower of Babel and was carried with the dispersed idolaters to every part of the world they settled. Think about that for a moment. That is why we see step pyramids, or ziggurats, in all the major idolatrous nations around the world, and why they share many of the same symbols and false gods.
In reality, this symbol came about by some compromising people who took a symbol of Israel's worship from the Temple– the menorah, and mixed it with Dagon's fish symbol and what do you get? You get a hex mark, which they call the “Star of David” - more name dropping - because there is no biblical, or archeological evidence that David ever used this symbol. There are two idols in this symbol, a fish and a star. Symbols are able to erase the language barrier, provided that the meaning of the symbols are agreed upon. The universal language of symbols will be what Satan will use to unite the people of the world once again in the last days, in an effort to reverse God's Babel judgment, and he will succeed for a time. The answer many use to justify the use of this symbol is usually, “Well I don't worship the symbol, I just use it to remind me of God's promise to Abraham and David.” Oh Really? Well, what is Scripture for then? We are instructed that Scripture is to be sealed in our heart, to keep it before our eyes, keep it on our lips, to meditate on it day and night, we are not told to set symbols upon us, much less those of pagan origin.
In reality, this symbol came about by some compromising people who took a symbol of Israel's worship from the Temple– the menorah, and mixed it with Dagon's fish symbol and what do you get? You get a hex mark, which they call the “Star of David” - more name dropping - because there is no biblical, or archeological evidence that David ever used this symbol. There are two idols in this symbol, a fish and a star. Symbols are able to erase the language barrier, provided that the meaning of the symbols are agreed upon. The universal language of symbols will be what Satan will use to unite the people of the world once again in the last days, in an effort to reverse God's Babel judgment, and he will succeed for a time. The answer many use to justify the use of this symbol is usually, “Well I don't worship the symbol, I just use it to remind me of God's promise to Abraham and David.” Oh Really? Well, what is Scripture for then? We are instructed that Scripture is to be sealed in our heart, to keep it before our eyes, keep it on our lips, to meditate on it day and night, we are not told to set symbols upon us, much less those of pagan origin.
That brings me to the use of phylacteries in Orthodox Judaism– these are little black leather cubes that contain scriptures and are bound to the wearer's left hand and forehead, have you ever seen this? Jesus made mention of this practice in Matthew 23:5, and Jesus denounced them for it. Not just because of their hypocrisy, but I want you to understand, dear reader, the real meaning behind this pagan practice. Yes, it is a pagan practice. Jews consider these things to be amulets, or charms that ward off evil - this is superstition, not faith. The irony is that the very shape and color of these phylacteries are pagan physical representations for the planet Saturn in ancient Semitic religions. Those black cubes you see all over the world are statues that represent Satan as the god Saturn. Where do they get a black cube to represent Saturn? The cube is actually an encrypted hexmark, or six sided star.
The Jews justify this pagan practice by perverting God's commands in Exodus 13:9,16; and Deut. 6:8;11:18, where God tells his people to teach their children about the signs God preformed for them to bring them out of Egypt and to obey all his commands, that they were to bind them on their hand and on their forehead – this is an idiom or metaphor, which meant the word of God was to be in their minds and shown by obedient deeds. Where exactly does God tell them to make little black cubes (six sided star) and stick their Scriptures into them and then strap it to their foreheads and hands, and where exactly does God tell them to do this before they pray? No where I can find. I only read about the construction of the Tabernacle, and later on, the Temple. |
They get this silly and pagan practice from the Talmud. The Hebrew word “totafot” found in the above passages (Ex. and Deut.), is synonymous to the Hebrew word “zicharon” which means remember, as in speak, or act on behalf of someone, or something. This figure of speech or poetic language makes Scripture as a treasure, or like a jewel against the forehead hanging from a crown. This fits the Scriptures perfectly, we are to speak and act on behalf of God's commands – to do them, and to treasure them like a jewel. But this little top hat is an outright pagan practice, and is alluded to when God says that they carried the shrine and (six sided) star of their god in the wilderness, in Amos 5:26. The images (tselem) that they they carried with them must have been these little black cubes, a representation of Saturn, or Remphan as Stephan says, in Acts 7. Shocking isn't it? Even more shocking, Muslims pray to and walk around a similar cube, a huge cube they drape in black silk [The Kaaba in Mecca], it's dressed like one of their Muslim women. In fact, this cube has a vulva shaped opening where Muslim men stick their head into- yeah I know --gross. And they walk around it like the rings of Saturn while they pray – it is really weird. Not surprisingly, many strange angelic sightings - demonic in nature, have occurred there and have been caught on tape – this can be researched on YouTube, but researcher beware as always. Incidentally, there are other black cubes displayed throughout the world...
I have come to realize that this seems to be both a Satanic counterfeit and an inversion regarding the heavenly Jerusalem, besides being an encrypted six sided star. Satan's world kingdom is a cube like God's heavenly city, but Satan's cube is set on it's point and on its base for some reason. In Revelation, we read of the New Jerusalem as being a walled city shaped like a perfect cube, and being only on its base, and being white and therefore clean-or righteous, unlike Satan's inverted "city" or cube which is black and therefore evil!
UPDATE - 5/28/13 Here are some sources that make reference to the black cube of Saturn:
"Each Planet and god was associated with it´s own color, and the color of
Saturn was Black, Hence, the planet Saturn was known as the Black Sun,
the Dark Sun, The Black Square".
(Saturn: Lord of Time, Worship of Saturn, Touching the Astrology of
Saturn.)
"The path belongs to Saturn, and the color of Saturn is black"
(The Black Arts pg. 47, The Occult, Colin Wilson Pg. 268)
Just do a simple Google search to see some images to display the hexagram inside the cube.
UPDATE - 5/28/13 Here are some sources that make reference to the black cube of Saturn:
"Each Planet and god was associated with it´s own color, and the color of
Saturn was Black, Hence, the planet Saturn was known as the Black Sun,
the Dark Sun, The Black Square".
(Saturn: Lord of Time, Worship of Saturn, Touching the Astrology of
Saturn.)
"The path belongs to Saturn, and the color of Saturn is black"
(The Black Arts pg. 47, The Occult, Colin Wilson Pg. 268)
Just do a simple Google search to see some images to display the hexagram inside the cube.
Consider the Stars
As for stars, let us consider this, what shape are they? Do they really have “points” to them? Does our sun really look like the one on the purple box of our breakfast cereal? No, they are orbs, spherical, not pointed at all. Where did we get this idea from then? Satan of course. Every shape of star has pagan significance, whether it is represented as round, or has as many as twelve points, or more. Does Scripture put any significance on star points? No. The Bible instructs the righteous to not learn the ways of the pagan nations, for they look to the heavens and are dismayed by what they see, in omens and such[Jer. 10:1]. Should we then “Christianize” this pagan practice? No. We are to come out of the world's ways not Christianize them. Simply put, the so-called “Star of David” is pagan to it's core! When it is found on any religious Hebraic relics, it is a dead giveaway to archaeologists that it is a forgery. That symbol was not used by Israel unless they adopted the idol worship of the surrounding nations - namely the Philistines, Canaanites and their one and only mother of harlots - Babylon. So, I find the current use of the hex mark in the current Israeli flag is very telling. When it was first proposed to be used as Israel's symbol, many Rabbis and Israelis objected, since the menorah was their nations accepted symbol, but the rich and powerful Rothchild's wanted it, and since they had the money and clout, it was used, like it or lump it. Knowing all this, can you now say with any honesty that this “Messianic” Jewish symbol is a good thing? I can't.
The Fish Symbol...Christian, or Pagan?
WARNING: I have posted a graphic symbol that you may not want your children to see - please proceed with caution! [For reals!]
What of the fish symbol that many claim is a Christian symbol - the Ichthus, surely this is so? The urban legend goes that this was the symbol early Christians used to identify one another, kinda like a secret fraternity symbol, because after all, we are to be "fishers of men," right? The disciples were to be the fishers - not the fish, and the men they are "fishing" for are not literal fish either- this is a metaphor gone too far. No -sorry dear reader, this symbol is also pagan to the core. It was used in Dagon worship. Dagon was the Philistine's fish god, whose temple they took the ark of the covenant to, after they defeated the Israelites and Eli's rotten sons in battle. The next day the Philistines found their fish god face down bowing before the ark, and then the next day it was filleted, so to speak, by the living God - who cut off its head and hands and placed them on the threshold of its temple. Thresholds are significant in paganism, they represent the division between the natural and spiritual worlds- so, nice touch LORD! The Greeks worshiped Aphrodite with sacrifices, fish fries, and sex rites - she is the female counter part to Dagon.
What of the fish symbol that many claim is a Christian symbol - the Ichthus, surely this is so? The urban legend goes that this was the symbol early Christians used to identify one another, kinda like a secret fraternity symbol, because after all, we are to be "fishers of men," right? The disciples were to be the fishers - not the fish, and the men they are "fishing" for are not literal fish either- this is a metaphor gone too far. No -sorry dear reader, this symbol is also pagan to the core. It was used in Dagon worship. Dagon was the Philistine's fish god, whose temple they took the ark of the covenant to, after they defeated the Israelites and Eli's rotten sons in battle. The next day the Philistines found their fish god face down bowing before the ark, and then the next day it was filleted, so to speak, by the living God - who cut off its head and hands and placed them on the threshold of its temple. Thresholds are significant in paganism, they represent the division between the natural and spiritual worlds- so, nice touch LORD! The Greeks worshiped Aphrodite with sacrifices, fish fries, and sex rites - she is the female counter part to Dagon.
The same worship that went on in Dagon's and Aphrodite's temples still goes on in the Catholic church to this day, well - minus the sex acts -- unless you count the pedophylia [add nausium]! Most people don't even notice the Pope's hat- his mitre is a modified Dagon fish hat, pfff - and I always thought it was just a silly hat. If you don't believe me, that's your choice, but I encourage you to do the research to prove me wrong, but just don't sit there and say, “Nuh uh!”, because the evidence is too overwhelming to be coincidental. Besides, I don't recall anywhere in the New Testament where Jesus, or any of the apostles used this symbol, or endorsed it. It is after all, a likeness of a sea creature, in other words, it's an idol.
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It is also noted in paganism, that the pointed oval shape was and is used, to represent a woman's external genitalia, and a certain not so fresh aroma that accompanies said genitalia- ladies, you know what I mean. I know, I know – yuck, but just remember pagans worship nature and sexual regeneration in all of its forms. This also comes into play with the triquetra, or the symbol for the "Trinity," which uses three of these intertwined Dagon fish symbols.
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This pagan symbol is also linked to the Sumerian god Enki, who takes the form of a goat, or a fish and is honored by the horoscope symbol of Capricorn, which is a half goat -half fish mongrel. For some reason, Enki is also represented as a hermaphrodite just like the goat god Baphomet. I haven't researched that out yet, so I don't know why that is. Come to think of it, I do remember reading in some Judaism literature that they teach God created Adam as a hermaphrodite, and later separated him from, hmmm...was it Eve or Lillith? - it's hard to remember this junk, I should have written it down. At any rate, the rabbis of Judaism make God out to be a blundering idiot compared to their wisest sages. Yet another reason Judaism is a pile of dung, like Paul said it was, because this proves that their -- uh -- "literature" comes from Babylonian sources, not Scripture. Let's look at some similar pagan fertility symbols...
So, what do you think now? Is the "fish" symbol rooted in Christ, or in Satan and his nature cults? So, let's break this down - the "Star of David" is really a witchcraft symbol dating back to Sumerian times (Nimrod in the land of Shinar), the Icthus is really the symbol for Dagon the fish God, but the only symbol that can be considered "holy" is the menorah. So according to all this information, one must come to the conclusion, as I have, that the Messianic symbol is rooted in wickedness, and displays the result when you compromise and mix God's prescribed worship with Satan's, you get cursed. The act of cursing someone in witchcraft is only one of the many uses of the hex mark.
Messianic Jews: Friends or Foes of Christ?
Really? Messianic witchcraft, oy vey!
I would have to reluctantly, yet truthfully, say that Messianic Jews are indeed Judaizers, and are therefore foes of Christ and his simple gospel. In short, they are not really true Christians at all. The bulk of them are deceived, while their main founders know exactly what is going on. And they are only just a fraction of the kinds of deceived people that Paul warned us to steer clear of, that preach another Jesus. I know that seems harsh to say, but it is the truth. Not based on what I feel, or say, but based on facts relating to their use of pagan symbols and their refusal of living by faith and grace in favor of the law. I realize they seem very sincere, but we can all be sincerely wrong, just as they are. Now to be fair, not all Messianic Jews believe that "Genitles" must adhere to the Jewish laws to be saved. I think most of them are just identifying with their Jewish heritage, and revel in the fact that Jesus, their Messiah, is from the tribe of Judah, and that the New Testament is Jewish rather than Catholic, which is great.
Look at the sobering picture to the left here, it pretty much says what is coming up on the religious horizon. Messianic Judaism is following it's rebellious sister, Orthodox Judaism, into Kabbalah! Sigh. I cannot stress enough the importance of seeing through this kind of deception. If anyone approaches you and claims they have special, secret knowledge, that is exclusive to those who prove themselves worthy to receive it by passing levels of enlightenment through rituals, then be like Joseph and run the other way. Leave your garment in the hands of Potiphar's wife, and don't look back! Jesus said in Matthew 6:22-23
"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be
full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if
the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Dear reader, do you even understand what Jesus is saying here? I didn't, that is until I started studying Mystery Babylon, and her idolatrous children. This passage is set in the middle of the sermon on the mount. Jesus is telling us, his Church, to lay up treasure in heaven, and we can't serve two masters, we have to chose one or the other. There are only two masters for us to chose from, God or Satan. If you don't choose God, then you are serving Satan willfully, or in ignorance by default. God gave very clear commands - no idolatry of any kind will be tolerated in his holy worship. Though Jesus uses the name "Mammon" in his sermon, Satan is hiding behind that false god of commerce. All - and I mean all - mystery religions promise their students secret forbidden knowledge that only the elect can obtain through their specialized teachings and initiation rituals. They will be "enlightened" to the "truth", as they meet certain criteria, be it by levels they obtain through initiations, or teachings they must learn with the help of spirit guides, or angels. If they get far enough up the ladder of their pagan temple, then they will discover, too late, that their god has an "all seeing eye" which is Lucifer, or Satan, and is not Jesus at all.
Scripture tells us that Satan can transform himself into an angel of light and so can his agents, be they fallen angels, or false teachers. Lucifer [now known as Satan]is openly worshiped by these cult leaders within their own circle, as the light bearer, or the bearer and restorer of the knowledge that they claim God denied Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. But as for the majority of initiates, or the masses within Freemasonry, the few "elect" look upon them as idiots that deserve to be duped. Look up an image of Baphomet, he bears a lit torch on top of his goat head. In a "Christianized" form, this god of knowledge and light will be a false Jesus, the Anti-Christ. Do not take the fruit that Satan is dangling in front of your eyes, it is poisoned! And don't think you are too smart to be fooled either, Jesus warned that deceptions would get so bad in the last days, that even the elect would be fooled! That is what the Greek means, not that the elect can't be fooled[Matt.24:24]. If the elect can't be fooled, then why warn them? What did Jesus call the Pharisees? He called them - the blind leading the blind, and that they were of their father the Devil! These same men invented and followed Judaism!
God freely gives knowledge and wisdom to who ever asks, or seeks him for it, and he doesn't abraid you for it [James 1:5], that means he won't exclude you, or make you feel stupid for asking for wisdom- and he won't dupe you either. There are no levels to master, no rites to perform to prove your worthiness, just ask and seek him like your life depends on it, and believe that you will receive the wisdom you asked him for. God's truth has always been for the simple, even the simpleton, if he were to take heed and turn to God. God's knowledge and wisdom confounds the so-called "wise" of this earth. Please don't fall for the same trick Eve did. Don't forget that we are also admonished to test the spirits, if you are told you need Jesus "and" something else for initial redemption - to come into the fold, then they are Anti-Christ. Do they deny Jesus came in the flesh, or his deity, or claim men will set up his kingdom for him before his return? If so, then they are Anti-Christ. Listen to Jesus' words again: "If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" He is talking about a false light that makes you think you have the true light, but is in reality - darkness! Once a person receives that false light, it is extremely hard to get that person to see the darkness they are in, and to uproot it! I know, because I was once in that false light that is really darkness! My heart breaks for these people who are stumbling around in the dark. I still tear up when I think about how lost I was, thinking all the while I was saved and in the "light".
So please, dear reader, learn from Jesus' teachings, Paul's writings, or even learn from my mistake - stop trying to label yourself with a symbol, or name other than that of Christ. Isn't his name alone good enough for us? His name is above every name here on earth and in the heavens above. I beg you to take His name alone, and live in the character of it, not any other. The root of Messianic Judaism is – Judaism, and it's roots are bred from the stock of Babylonian paganism. Jesus said if your righteousness doesn't exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, then you will be no means enter the kingdom of heaven [Matt 5:20]. That should scare the tallit and yamaka off any Messianic Jew! Jesus the Messiah just said that the religion of the Scribes and Pharisees was lacking in righteousness - that is Judaism!
Anyone taking the name of Judaism is taking the name of a false religion that leads to death, so leave it in the grave where it belongs. Messianic Judaism is another compromise used by Satan to hood wink Orthodox Jews into supposedly following Jesus as their Messiah, and to entice and entrap unstable and unlearned Christians into thinking they are more in touch with the roots of their faith – but they couldn't be more wrong! These Messianic leaders preach another Jesus, because Jesus never followed Judaism, and they wrongly allow you to think Judaism was the faith of the Hebrew fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. I'm not saying that Jews need to stop being Jewish in the sense of their Hebrew culture, just their religon. So, if you are involved in Messianic Judaism, please figure out what it is really about, and if it is teaching that the Old Testament law is still required for salvation, then get out of it post haste and humbly repent. Should you choose to not take heed to this warning, that is certainly your right, all I ask is that you please look into what I have brought before you – be a Berean [they were Jews by the way, before they took Jesus' name]! Amen.
Look at the sobering picture to the left here, it pretty much says what is coming up on the religious horizon. Messianic Judaism is following it's rebellious sister, Orthodox Judaism, into Kabbalah! Sigh. I cannot stress enough the importance of seeing through this kind of deception. If anyone approaches you and claims they have special, secret knowledge, that is exclusive to those who prove themselves worthy to receive it by passing levels of enlightenment through rituals, then be like Joseph and run the other way. Leave your garment in the hands of Potiphar's wife, and don't look back! Jesus said in Matthew 6:22-23
"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be
full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if
the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Dear reader, do you even understand what Jesus is saying here? I didn't, that is until I started studying Mystery Babylon, and her idolatrous children. This passage is set in the middle of the sermon on the mount. Jesus is telling us, his Church, to lay up treasure in heaven, and we can't serve two masters, we have to chose one or the other. There are only two masters for us to chose from, God or Satan. If you don't choose God, then you are serving Satan willfully, or in ignorance by default. God gave very clear commands - no idolatry of any kind will be tolerated in his holy worship. Though Jesus uses the name "Mammon" in his sermon, Satan is hiding behind that false god of commerce. All - and I mean all - mystery religions promise their students secret forbidden knowledge that only the elect can obtain through their specialized teachings and initiation rituals. They will be "enlightened" to the "truth", as they meet certain criteria, be it by levels they obtain through initiations, or teachings they must learn with the help of spirit guides, or angels. If they get far enough up the ladder of their pagan temple, then they will discover, too late, that their god has an "all seeing eye" which is Lucifer, or Satan, and is not Jesus at all.
Scripture tells us that Satan can transform himself into an angel of light and so can his agents, be they fallen angels, or false teachers. Lucifer [now known as Satan]is openly worshiped by these cult leaders within their own circle, as the light bearer, or the bearer and restorer of the knowledge that they claim God denied Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. But as for the majority of initiates, or the masses within Freemasonry, the few "elect" look upon them as idiots that deserve to be duped. Look up an image of Baphomet, he bears a lit torch on top of his goat head. In a "Christianized" form, this god of knowledge and light will be a false Jesus, the Anti-Christ. Do not take the fruit that Satan is dangling in front of your eyes, it is poisoned! And don't think you are too smart to be fooled either, Jesus warned that deceptions would get so bad in the last days, that even the elect would be fooled! That is what the Greek means, not that the elect can't be fooled[Matt.24:24]. If the elect can't be fooled, then why warn them? What did Jesus call the Pharisees? He called them - the blind leading the blind, and that they were of their father the Devil! These same men invented and followed Judaism!
God freely gives knowledge and wisdom to who ever asks, or seeks him for it, and he doesn't abraid you for it [James 1:5], that means he won't exclude you, or make you feel stupid for asking for wisdom- and he won't dupe you either. There are no levels to master, no rites to perform to prove your worthiness, just ask and seek him like your life depends on it, and believe that you will receive the wisdom you asked him for. God's truth has always been for the simple, even the simpleton, if he were to take heed and turn to God. God's knowledge and wisdom confounds the so-called "wise" of this earth. Please don't fall for the same trick Eve did. Don't forget that we are also admonished to test the spirits, if you are told you need Jesus "and" something else for initial redemption - to come into the fold, then they are Anti-Christ. Do they deny Jesus came in the flesh, or his deity, or claim men will set up his kingdom for him before his return? If so, then they are Anti-Christ. Listen to Jesus' words again: "If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" He is talking about a false light that makes you think you have the true light, but is in reality - darkness! Once a person receives that false light, it is extremely hard to get that person to see the darkness they are in, and to uproot it! I know, because I was once in that false light that is really darkness! My heart breaks for these people who are stumbling around in the dark. I still tear up when I think about how lost I was, thinking all the while I was saved and in the "light".
So please, dear reader, learn from Jesus' teachings, Paul's writings, or even learn from my mistake - stop trying to label yourself with a symbol, or name other than that of Christ. Isn't his name alone good enough for us? His name is above every name here on earth and in the heavens above. I beg you to take His name alone, and live in the character of it, not any other. The root of Messianic Judaism is – Judaism, and it's roots are bred from the stock of Babylonian paganism. Jesus said if your righteousness doesn't exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, then you will be no means enter the kingdom of heaven [Matt 5:20]. That should scare the tallit and yamaka off any Messianic Jew! Jesus the Messiah just said that the religion of the Scribes and Pharisees was lacking in righteousness - that is Judaism!
Anyone taking the name of Judaism is taking the name of a false religion that leads to death, so leave it in the grave where it belongs. Messianic Judaism is another compromise used by Satan to hood wink Orthodox Jews into supposedly following Jesus as their Messiah, and to entice and entrap unstable and unlearned Christians into thinking they are more in touch with the roots of their faith – but they couldn't be more wrong! These Messianic leaders preach another Jesus, because Jesus never followed Judaism, and they wrongly allow you to think Judaism was the faith of the Hebrew fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. I'm not saying that Jews need to stop being Jewish in the sense of their Hebrew culture, just their religon. So, if you are involved in Messianic Judaism, please figure out what it is really about, and if it is teaching that the Old Testament law is still required for salvation, then get out of it post haste and humbly repent. Should you choose to not take heed to this warning, that is certainly your right, all I ask is that you please look into what I have brought before you – be a Berean [they were Jews by the way, before they took Jesus' name]! Amen.
Here is a great video about the hexagram, I recommend you view it in full screen mode, and pass it on to those who mistakenly believe that it is a righteous, and holy symbol of God Almighty.