About
Dear visitor…
“Do people make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!” (Jeremiah 16:19-20)”
You have stumbled upon the blog of a former Messianic Jew Gene Shlomovich. I say “former” because there has been a dramatic change. After being a devout, unwavering, “born-again” believer in Jesus/Yeshua for almost 19 years (since my late teens), one who truly sought to love and serve Jesus as my G-d, my master and lord first through Evangelical Christianity (participating in overseas missions in Eastern Europe and South America for many years) then via “Messianic Judaism” (founding a sizable Messianic congregation), I came to a “rug-pulled-from-under-my-feet” realization. I’ve come to realize that I just could no longer subscribe to a belief in Jesus/Yeshua as either Messiah, “L-rd”, “Savior”, “G-d in the flesh”, or even “simply” a prophet or a good teacher. As a Jew, I could not continue worshiping and serving another, a deified man Jesus, while remaining faithful to the G-d of Israel. I realize that for a Jew this was the gravest betrayal of the very G-d I so sought to honor most of my adult life. To honor as G-d someone other than the G-d of Israel Himself, a creature that was created by G-d or a “god” born out of human imagination, is idolatry.
I also came to understand that Jesus/Yeshua has no relevance to the Jewish faith or the Jewish people (apart from polemics and our relationship with Christianity). I am now simply just a Jew who seeks to observe G-d’s Torah and be faithful to the G-d of my fathers and the faith of my nation. As you might imagine, I did not come to this decision lightly – not at all. It was a very painful realization. And in case you are wondering how could this have happened, when I came to my understanding I have not read materials of, met with or spoken to anti-missionaries and no-one pressured me in any way. This is something that I came to on my own, by reexamining my faith from the ground up. I came to my decision after thoroughly and honestly comparing the claims of Christianity/Messianic Judaism vs. those of Judaism, their respective views on the nature of G-d, humanity’s sin and salvation against those expressed in the Tanakh. I studied historic origins and development of the Christian faith, the New Testament theology and cannon, Christianity’s use of the Hebrew scripture, Paul’s ideas and his profound influence on the new religion centered on a messianic figure. I compared all that to what is readily found in the Hebrew Bible. I reevaluated Yeshua’s (the “Prince of Peace” and the “Son of Man” of Christianity) claims to and eligibility for messiahship.
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. (Psalm 146:3)
G-d is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change his mind. (Numbers 23:19)
I also realized that it doesn’t matter if billions of very nice, kind people around the world sincerely honor, worship and serve Jesus as G-d, L-rd and Savior, or G-d through Jesus. It also does not matter if billions of Christians (and Muslims) consider Jesus to be the Messiah while considering Jews as deceived, wrong, blinded by G-d, in rebellion and uncomprehending of their own scriptures for the last two thousand years. Huge numbers of adherents to a particular religion (or world view) do not testify to the veracity of the claims made by that religion nor make its gods, theology or worship true, even if multitudes of people take comfort in that and believe that there’s safety in numbers.
But what does the Bible of the Jews have to say about that? Did the nations actually get it right by directing their worship at Jesus the man-god and did Israel fail by refusing to join them in bowing the knee to him? In the Hebrew Bible we read that the stubborn Jewish allegiance to their G-d and their refusal to worship anything but Him in the face of unceasing pressure and persecution will be exonerated and acknowledged by all:
To you (Hashem) shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit. Do people make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!” (Jeremiah 16:19-20)
And what about the end of days, when we are told to expect Jesus to make his comeback, when every knee is to bow to him (Philippians 2:10)? Will the Jewish people be ashamed and mourn their failure to believe in him, as many Christians fully expect, because they refused to worship Jesus as G-d or recognize his messiahship? Will Israel finally repent of her stubborn refusal to worship Christ? Will she acknowledge that the nations of the world had become the Israel of G-d through Jesus, the Son of G-d, G-d in the flesh, the Second Person of the Three-Person G-d of Christianity? Prophets say that the opposite will be true. All nations will stream to the Jewish people because the nations of the world will finally recognize that the true and only G-d, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has always been with the Jews:
Thus saith the L-RD of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all the languages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying: We will go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you. (Zechariah 8:23)
Friend, whether you were born a Jew or a Gentile, by worshiping Jesus and giving any human being the glory due to G-d alone you are committing a grave sin of idolatry, which is the worst offense against your Maker. When I finally realized that every time that I prayed to Jesus or in his name, every time that I thanked and praised that man, every time I depended on Jesus the human being for my salvation and forgiveness of my sins, I was committing idolatry, I was heartbroken. In my ignorance, I have been guilty of attributing G-d’s glory to a creature.
I am the L-RD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. (Isaiah 42:8)
You may be asking yourself – what about all those millions of people who so faithfully follow and serve Jesus, all the multitudes who worship him – how can they all be so wrong?
I used to ask myself the same question. But then I realized that G-d was never about numbers. While the whole world degenerated into utter lawlessness, G-d chose Noah and his family because they knew Him. G-d also chose Israel, though it was the least of nations. Don’t be concerned that so much of humanity worships a man-god of their own making, or that the nations honor man Jesus as their deity and Savior, as “G-d incarnate”. Please, don’t let it sway you from returning to your Father in Heaven, from forsaking idolatry. One day the whole earth, all the nations will worship G-d and Him alone, but you don’t have to wait until then. You can make a choice whom you will serve this day.
Before Him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by Him as worthless and less than nothing. To whom, then, will you compare G-d? What image will you compare him to? (Isaiah 40:17-18)
If you have been taught by others to proclaim Jesus as your L-rd and Savior, please do not ignore the clear words of your Father in Heaven:
I, even I, am the L-RD, and apart from me there is no savior. (Isaiah 43:11)
If you have any questions or comments, you can contact me privately at jewishthoughts@gmail.com
Shalom,
Gene Shlomovich
Daily Minyan 
Hello Gene, I have seen postings by you when you were a Messianic. I see you have divested yourself of the idolatry related to that faith. Baruch HaShem that you have
returned to Torah Judaism. May the Almighty bless you and yours, and help you
lead our other lost brothers and sisters back to the one true G-d!
Thank you, Sarah. May it be as you say and blessings to you as well!
Hi Gene.
I am a former evangelical Christian who, to the best of my ability, studies and practices the sheva mitzvot B’nei Noach.
Recently I have watched some videos by an individual named Ariel Cohen Alloro. He is an Orthodox Jew with connections, apparently, to at least one very prominent Orthodox Rabbi in Israel. He claims that Jesus is Messiah Ben Joseph and the he discovered this by accident over a thirty year period of studying gematria, specifically as it relates to the Hebrew word “chen”/”grace”.
I find what he says confusing but also compelling. I say confusing because, after having spent many years trying to overcome what I came to believe are the falsehoods of Christianity, I struggle with the fact that what he says makes a certain amount of sense. The problem of course, is that I simply do not possess the knowledge with which to evaluate much of what he says. He certainly seems humble and sincere as well as very knowledgeable.
Due to the sensitivity of the issue, I have been reluctant to even bring up the name of Ariel Cohen Alloro, let alone discuss it, with those Rabbi’s I learn with.
Therefore, because you have studied the issue of Christianity as it relates to Judaism in an obviously comprehensive way and being that you have also been on the journey of truth, which has led you back to Judaism, just as mine has led me to the Noahide understanding, I am seeking to know if you have heard of this individual or would be in any position to comment, now or in the future regarding his ideas.
Thank you.
David
Hi David…. yes, I have looked into Ariel Cohen Alloro before, our of sheer curiosity, since so many Messianics and Christians (especially the Hebrew Roots kind) are promoting him and his teachings to the hilt – a fact that should give you a pause. One thing I know about him is that he started out as a secular Israeli Jew. Secondly, I don’t think that the man has ever been a rabbi (as many messianics claim online, touting his supposed credentials). He is a self-described musician and no scholar. When you listen to his interviews, he’s obsessed with proving Yeshu as Messiah from gematria. Who Alloro studied with it matters not at this point – I know of quite a few Messianic Jews in Israel who studied with mainstream Orthodox rabbis at one time or another. Besides that, from everything I learned about him, reading and listening to some of his teachings, I think that the man is a Christian (even if he doesn’t want to call himself that).
Alloro wants to reconcile a false prophet whose actions (or that of his followers) led so many people away from the G-d of Israel to worship himself, a mere human being, whose teachings and actions of his followers have destroyed so many lives. He defends Trinity as a “Jewish” concept. He wants Jesus “retried” by a Jewish court and tries to raise $2 million for his project (as if any rabbis in their right mind would participate in such a spectacle). Well, Jesus can’t be retried by a beit din – all the witnesses (required in a Jewish court) are long dead, and whatever evidence we have of his trial (if there ever was one – the gospels give us conflicting accounts) was concocted by the writers of the New Testament to blame Jews for his demise and make Romans look like innocent bystanders (or in case of Pilate, defenders of Jesus). Of course, since Alloro’s star witness, Jesus, is supposed to be “alive”, may be he can drop in on the court in session!
His tight association with and embrace of various Hebrew Roots groups, “Nazarines”, Two-House and assorted other loony and flaky people (Rico Cortes and Tzahi Shapira) and groups that seek his wisdom tells me that this guy is “out there”.
Keep overcoming falsehoods!
I hope you know that Ariel Cohen Alorro, is very against christian missions to the Jewish people..So it’s really disrespectful to call him a christian.And just because he had talks and interviews with “various Hebrew Roots groups” does not mean that he supports them or their movements in a subtle way he’s telling him they’re wrong or they misunderstand some things about their own beliefs.
“So it’s really disrespectful to call him a christian.”
Torahmind770, tell me, does Alorro believe that Jesus is the true Messiah? Does he believe in the veracity of the New Testament? If he does, then I think calling that man a Christian is quite appropriate. In the few videos with him that I watched, he even tried to explain the Trinity from a “Jewish” point of view. If he’s trying to tell the people who are seeking his wisdom (and publishing videos with him) that “they’re wrong”, he has not been doing a very good job.
I agree with Gene. The man is a Christian. Why is he so ashamed to call himself that?
From Arollo’s “Retrial” website:
“both Jews and Christians have suffered beyond the pale of imagination because of the false trial that Yeshua endured. Over the centuries Jews have been slated as “Christ-killers” by millions of Christians because of what they believe was a “Jewish” trial that put Yeshua to the torture stake. Christians have suffered by being marginalized and demoralized by Jews who see Christians as Jew-haters, missionaries and evangelists determined to bring Judaism and the Jewish state of Israel to nothing.”
I think it’s unbelievable that Arollo has equated the suffering of Jews and Christians, in fact blaming Jews who refused to worship Jesus as god for “marginalizing and demoralizing Christians”, when it was Jews who have suffered directly at the hands of Christians, often with their very lives. (Of course, Arollo lays the blame chiefly on Jews for their “false trial” of Jesus). Does Arollo think that Christians didn’t hate the Jews, didn’t send missionaries to undermine Judaism (which they think is a ‘false religion” that’s keeping Jews in Satan’s grip?), that it is only Jewish imagination? I think that Jews would have wished that their treatment at the hands of their enemies ended with mere marginalization and demoralization, and not with the rivers of innocent blood.
Has it occurred to Arollo that perhaps it wasn’t a “mistrial” at all, but that the NT’s description of how Jesus was tried and executed itself is false, fictionalized by the early Church evangelists who were writing conflicting accounts decades after the events, and doesn’t conform with what we know of history?
Gene I respect you, but there is some things I don’t think you really understand and you overlooked some things I said. However, he’s very well aware of the christian persecution and missions to the Jewish people( like I said , he is totally against missionaries).
Torahmind770, you seem to know Arollo better than I (I only know what I’ve learned of him by reading his articles and watching his interviews). Perhaps you can clarify some things for me and I would be quite willing to retract his identification as a “Christian”.
Does Arollo:
1. Believe that Jesus is the (or a) Messiah?
2. Believe that New Testament is inspired by G-d?
3. Believe that Jesus was born of a virgin?
4. Believe that Jesus is (in whatever way) divine?
5. Believe in a Trinity (however he perceives or explains it)?
6. Believe that Jesus is coming back as the Messiah?
7. Believe that Jesus’ sacrifice paid for world’s sin?
Thanks!
Gene
BTW: Most Judaism-friendly Messianic Jews I know are also against missionaries (mostly Evangelicals who couldn’t care less about Judaism). At the same time, being a former “Messianic Jew” myself, I’ve since come to realize that I was a Christian of Jewish birth. This is because Judaism and Christianity are two very different worldviews, even if one derived itself from the other.
How many videos of his did you watch and how many articles have you read?
Enough. So, what about my questions?
Gene, in answer to your questions.
Does Arollo:
1. Believe that Jesus is the (OR A) Messiah? A (one of many) Moshiach ben Yosef.
2. Believe that New Testament is inspired by G-d? NO
3. Believe that Jesus was born of a virgin? No
4. Believe that Jesus is (in whatever way) divine? He seems to believe that Christianity has misunderstood kabbalistic concepts. He holds Yeshua as a tzaddik, who needs to be redeemed from Christian misunderstanding before he can be kosher.
5. Believe in a Trinity (however he perceives or explains it)? Not unless you count the ten sefirot as indicative of a trinity, or Maimonides description of the Active intellect, or G-d as thinker, thinking, and thought, which I know you don’t. ;)
6. Believe that Jesus is coming back as the Messiah? Maybe, he never says so.
7. Believe that Jesus’ sacrifice paid for world’s sin? He talks about the issue of atonement through gematria, and likens the concept of Jesus “dying for sins” to the death of the righteous which produces repentance. There is no atonement of sins that you don’t repent of, even if you are a Christian. Ask any Catholic or Orthodox Christian if salvation is as easy as believing. So no, he and many many Christians do not treat Jesus’ death as a simple antidote for a sin disease. G-d’s standards of judgement can’t change. G-d judges everyone Christian or not, by how they live, not creed.
Thanks!
Dude,
Welcome back to the fold! :)
Thanks, Sam!
Thanks Gene for raising a very important issue; however, I guess you got distracted once Arollo came into the picture. You sound a bit irate, if not clearly incensed and therefore lost the message you wish to share. Your thought and emotion has turned to Arollo, who many people could not definitively say, is a Christian; for he is like a scientist working on a project then accidentally discovered something that he has throughout his life denied and hated could ever happen.
On the other hand, your U turn, I should think had a personal worldly cause. After walking with Yeshua for 18 + 1 years you have become a strong opponent to Him who you have testified about to the world for so long. Please let us know what happened.
I have the grace of G-d to be a teacher of the Word but then I’m made to understand that the Scripture is Spiritual and my little experience helps me to realize that it is impossible to understand the Torah, if HaShem has not given you the grace and the understanding, the sight or open your eyes or the revelation. For example, why should the L-rd in cursing the serpent interject a promise of eternal order? I guess by now you might have known why of all the people on earth G-d chose only Abraham and why after 25 years of waiting for a promise fulfilled and more years after that Father Abraham willingly complied to sacrifice the only son of an old virtuous woman.
Indeed no man can see GOD but He (as a Man) came to Abraham with two other Malachim . Anyway, what the prophesy of Yeshayahu says in 7:14 and 9:5 or 6 does not complete the revelation; if one does not add the reading from 52:13 to 53 and many more, which we cannot discuss now. In any case, the receiving and acceptance of G-d’s revelation is all Chen, which results into Chie but the receiver must be what Rebbe Adonenu Yehoshua HaMassiah said in Matthew 5:3-5 and What Shaul vividly expressed in Romans 7:24 Be bless
David, don’t take it a wrong way, but as a teacher of a religion based on Greek writings of Christianity, as one who actively instructs others how to honor and worship a false god, a man-god who doesn’t save, I can say with full confidence that G-d has revealed *nothing* to you. Instead, you have inherited from your forefathers and are perpetuating idolatry. As one Jewish prophet wrote:
Pretty amazing that there are some 30,000 sects of Christianity, but that doesn’t interfere with them being convinced that they are all personally taught by HaShem. The reason for the new sects and new “First Churches” (etc.) is belief that “Hey, those guys are being taught by false prophets! I just spoke with G-d last night, and He told me to do it THIS way…..And I’m sure I’m right because I AM LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT……” If we’re supposed to be impressed by numbers, this is one instance where the massive numbers of Christians opposed to each other’s theology are damning.
Miriam… what else is amazing is that most of these denominations arose after the Protestant Reformation, which only dates to 1517 and which was initiated by a Catholic monk and rabid antisemite Luther. So, for over a thousand + years the Catholic church (and its Eastern Orthodox sister), the churches which many Protestant consider “dead and lost”, represented Christianity. And then the “dead” Catholic Church gave birth to thousands of Protestant churches.
Gene… We are all wrong and we are all human, it doesn’t do any good to have all this hate flinging all over place. We Jews have been without a temple for almost two thousand years or haven’t you notice. What makes you think we have everything right and that G-d is with us. If we would have been the light to the nations that we should have been we wouldn’t be in this mess. One last thought for you…If we Jews were following the Torah correctly what need would there be for a messiah?
Timothy, in my extensive experience with Hebrew Roots people, whenever one of them addresses me as “we Jews”, it’s one of the sure signs that the person is not a Jew, but rather someone who “discovered” that he has some imaginary Jewish ancestry.
As far as “need a messiah” – Jews don’t “NEED” a messiah, they need G-d. Messiah (a mortal human, anointed Davidic king, and his sons, btw) is part of a promise to King David that his descendants will rule Israel. He’s not G-d’s ultimate plan for Israel, but rather he is a participant in it. That’s why there’s so little mentioned of him in the Hebrew Bible, most likely because G-d didn’t want us to obsess over a human being, messiah or not (and whenever Jews did that, history shows us that they got into some serious trouble and disappointment). A true Jewish Messiah forgives no sins and saves no one from eternal damnation, things that only G-d can do.
BTW, this blog deals with idolatry of worshiping a human being as god. You have not addressed it in your comment at all. More importantly, you have not repented of this gross sin yourself. Instead, you chose to call my condemnation of this idolatry as “hate flinging all over the place”.
Fine that you realize that “for a Jew this was the gravest betrayal of the very G-d”, but you should know this is also the greatest betrayal for a person who says he loves Jesus, because Jeshua was a Jew who only worshipped his heavenly Father the only One True God, the God of Abraham, Who is not at all a three-headed or triune god, but One Eternal Spirit Who cannot be seen by man or they would die. Jesus was born, had bones, flesh and blood, things a spirit not have, was tempted more than once and really died, all things God cannot.
Pity you came carried away by wrong teachings but good you came to see and understand that we only may honor One and Only One Divine Creator Deity, the Eohim Hashem Jehovah God and not “someone other than the G-d of Israel Himself, a creature that was created by G-d or a “god” born out of human imagination” which is as you say “idolatry”
You say you “came to understand that Jesus/Yeshua has no relevance to the Jewish faith or the Jewish people (apart from polemics and our relationship with Christianity)” but than I wonder if you not mistakenly think of Christendom (the trinitarian group you were part of). In Christianity there are lots of Christians who do not believe in a Trinity and who worship the God of Abraham and would never bow down in front of graven images, an abomination in the eyes of God, the most High.
Though in a certain way, I am afraid, Christians who accept that Jeshua (Jesus Christ) is the son of God and the Messiah, do have their hopes on this Kristos, the man of God who was sent to convert those who did not yet knew God. For the Jews his coming was also relevant and for the Jewish nation it is also important, because in case those who say they are Christian and would know the teaching of the one they say they are following, they would know that Jesus was a Jew who taught others how they should become part of the governing Jewish nation, looking forward for a Kingdom that belonged to God and not to man, which would be governed on earth from the capital Jerusalem.
So each believer in Jehsua should look forward in the growing nation Israel and in the fulfilment of the many prophecies made in the old writings (Torah, Nebim, Kethubim Aleph) but also in the Messianic Scriptures (the KehubimBet).
Unmistakably Christian and Jew are connected with each other.
You write ” I reevaluated Yeshua’s (the “Prince of Peace” and the “Son of Man” of Christianity) claims to and eligibility for messiahship.” but it seems you got your ideas from trinitarian evangelical Christians who twisted the words of that Jewish man (perhaps wanted you to believe he was not a Jew at all but a Christian ;) )
Jeshua knew very well his position, being lower than angels at first, and not able to do anything without God, his heavenly Father, who Himself clearly said that Jeshua was His only begotten son. So in Scripture everything is clearly said who is who and who can do what by Whom.
A pity, when you where at first a Jew did come by a trinitarian Messianic group instead finding a real monotheist group accepting the real Messiah, who is not God at all, but the sent one from God.
Though may I say that I find it strange that you converted to such a trinitarian group when you had so much scriptural background, or where you before a name Jew like you have lots of name Christians, who do not read their Scriptures regularly or not at all?
I am pleased that you found your way back to the Only One God, but sincerely hope you will find also the way back to the sent one from God.
@Concerned Reader please may I ask that you make a difference between Christendom and Christianity and do consider that there are lots of Christians who clearly understand that a person may divine (like my wife may be great for me) but not being God. Lots of Christians do not take Jesus to be God, though he might have been a high person or god like Apollo, Zeus, Moses, Pharaoh are called gods but are not the God.
@Gene Schlomovich who wirtes ” Jews don’t “NEED” a messiah, they need G-d. “.
All people do need the Most High God. But the world also needs a Messiah, one who come to bring salvation. Also jews should be looking for that sent one from God who shall come to the earth.
Those who call themselves Christians should also be looking for his return, because we do belief he came already once to this earth, but was to return.
Dear writer of this blog,
You say “I also realized that it doesn’t matter if billions of very nice, kind people around the world sincerely honor, worship and serve Jesus as G-d, L-rd and Savior, or G-d through Jesus. It also does not matter if billions of Christians (and Muslims) consider Jesus to be the Messiah while considering Jews as deceived, wrong, blinded by G-d, in rebellion and uncomprehending of their own scriptures for the last two thousand years. ”
Please may I ask you to consider this viewpoint?
It really matters a lot how people look at the world, how they behave in the world, and most important it really matters a lot what people do belief and what people do want to belief and how they want to live with that sort of belief.
It does matter a lot if billions of “very nice, kind people around the world sincerely honor, worship and serve Jesus as G-d, L-rd and Savior” because that is certainly not what Jesus himself would have wanted. He learned people to pray to his Father and not to worship him.
It also matters a lot how Christians and Muslims consider Jesus to be the Messiah “while considering Jews as deceived” because such wrong thoughts should be taken out of the world and eyes should be opened.
” It also matters a lot how Christians and Muslims consider Jesus to be the Messiah “while considering Jews as deceived” because such wrong thoughts should be taken out of the world and eyes should be opened.”
It doesn’t matter to me, meaning it doesn’t affect my own understanding and my own world view. However, both Christians and Muslims are welcome to read this blog should they want to learn about the Jewish point of view.
I asked you a question on another post – do you worship Jesus? Do you pray to him and do you sing praises to him, do you thank him?
The trinity is false, it has pagan origins. The first disciples of Jesus did’t believe in the trinity. Today, there still are a few christians who don’t believe in trinity. Have you taken into consideration the non trinitarian christianity?
I suggest the book Who Is Jesus? – A Plea for a Return to Belief in Jesus the Messiah
by Anthony Buzzard. You can download it here: http://focusonthekingdom.org/books.html
I am an ex jw who realized the pre existence of Jesus, the idea that he was an angel before being “incarnated” is as gnostic as the trinity. It is amazing what human beings invented: trinity, incarnation, etc … all kinds of false doctrines.
“Today, there still are a few christians who don’t believe in trinity. Have you taken into consideration the non trinitarian christianity?”
Yes, I did. But then I quickly realized that the whole Christian thing, trinity or no trinity, is a lie that no Jew should touch with a barge pole.
I am curious what exactly Jewish people expect from Messiah. How / what / who he would be, what actions do they expect for him to undertake, for Jews and the humankind in general, what the results of his actions would be.
A post on this would be interesting.
About Jesus, I personally believe he was Messiah, but he comes in 2 stages, the prophecies about him are fulfilled in 2 stages. And stage 2 is still to come.
“I am curious what exactly Jewish people expect from Messiah. How / what / who he would be, what actions do they expect for him to undertake, for Jews and the humankind in general, what the results of his actions would be.
A post on this would be interesting. ”
Funny you asked, because I’ve already written just that sort of post:
Well my brother how do you feel now with this sudden change. Are filled? If not then obviously there is something wrong. Research Dr Michael brown and educate yourself. Rememenber you ate not alone God is with you and all those who seek his revelead truth.
WYM, I feel wonderful (and it certainly wasn’t “sudden change” – it was a lengthy and at times painful road to freedom from idolatry of man-worship). I never have I felt more spiritually whole as a Jew. Same for my whole family. Michael Brown is an apostate who converted to Christianity while still a teenager on drugs and doing petty crimes. Was he in any position to make an informed decision to convert to Christianity? How foolish. Raised completely ignorant of Judaism and away from the Jewish community, with no Jewish education to speak of, he is no authority for any Jews. Today, like other missionaries targeting Jews, he cynically and deceptively twists the words of rabbis to evangelize assimilated, Jewishly illiterate Jews and distorts the Bible to preach his charismatic nonsense to the gullible.
Im glad you came back. I wish you hatzlacha and peace of mind.
Yvorechacha adoshem Yishmerecha…
Thanks, Joel, I really appreciate it.
Hi, Gene! Hope you are well. I’m still praying for you.
I note your anti-mashiach verocity as most “converts” go this way to cover the shame they feel in rejecting Yeshua ha’Netzaret as Mashiach ben Yosef.
A regular Jew that has yet to accept Yeshua hu Mashiach has a totally different M.O regarding rejection of Yeshua…….
The “personal” nature in which you attack the credibility of Ariel Cohen & resort to name calling “he is just a christian” in order to throw his credibility in with the idolators actually shows your own fear in being unable to reject his Gematria mathamatics for proving Yeshua as Mashiach ben Yosef, because we all know the Numbers cant lie, thus the only method to reject is by dis-crediting the author instead.
Well done Gene, this exposes much more to those that see & although you will publically deny it & scoff, you know it in your heart….
“I note your anti-mashiach verocity as most “converts” go this way to cover the shame they feel in rejecting Yeshua ha’Netzaret as Mashiach ben Yosef.”
What on earth are you talking about? “Shame”??? The only shame I feel is that I ever fell for such a falsehood as a “man-god” in the first place. I am ashamed that I was duped by the adults I trusted, a naive and ignorant Jewish teenager that I was, into worshiping another Jewish guy as if he was the G-d of Israel. They were careful to hide their detestable idolatry from the Jewish people, their worship of a creature, behind the Jewish idea of “messiah”, fully revealing it only once the deal was closed.
“because we all know the Numbers cant lie, thus the only method to reject is by dis-crediting the author instead.”
Numbers don’t lie, but liars do use numbers.
Jesus was not messiah ben Yosef and never even claimed to be MBY. He only was referred to as son of David. He was merely one of many who have failed at their self-promoted messianic status.
Hi Gene, Shalom!
I have came across your blog and I am loving it. As you, the Blessed Sovereign, the Holy One of Israel also had mercy on me and opened my eyes to see the idolatry which I was living all this time. .. until some weeks ago.
I, as being your sister in the true faith of the G-d of Israel alone, am so proud of your answers to those who are pratically dead in their blind idolatry. The Almighty bless you more with understanding to show the true in the Scriptues s that these blind ones refuse to see!
You are not alone, my brother. The Wonderful Sovereign, the G-d of Israel – blesses be He- is awaking up His people, through all the nation’s and making up his army of faithful ones who will not bow down to that idol man Jesus anymore. I feel so honored and happy because of this. I never been so happy in all my life. I’m secure, confident and now all what I want is to serve the TRUE CREATOR, SAVIOR AND KING who is not other but the G-d of Israel.
Keep the good work my brother, because our G-d is not a man, neither an Idol he is The ALMIGHTY, THE POWERFUL ONE, THE MIGHT G-D OF HOSTS, and He is and will always be our shield, our rock of Salvation.
Ashamed will be them, in not so far future, when they realize they rejected the Holy One to worship a mortal sinful man, a terrible idol, I despise him!
Soon, this truth will fill the word and all nations will acknowledge the Mighty One of Israel as its written in the prophets and they will grieve because of their idolatrous stiff neck!
May the Almighty bless you and all your family!
Your sister
Eve
Thank you, Eve. Liberating, isn’t it, to worship only the true G-d of Israel and no one or nothing else?!
It’s indeed the best experience I ever had. Sometimes I even think that it is so good to be true, and in fact its is so good because IT IS THE TRUTH indeed. Since then Im dreaming awake about Israel :) , if before I used to cherish it, now it has intensified much much more! What a blessed people, you guys are! Poor the nation’s who will attempt to destroy Israel… they really have no idea with who “they are playing with”. The Almighty is faithful, all what He has said concerning the glorious future of Israel will happen, and much more his Truth concerning his precious instructions: The Torah being taught to all the nations! I love Israel and I love the Mighty One of Israel, I believe it will not really take long time, when all those people will realize how mistaken they were and how they will run and beg for jewish people show the Way to them because they will know that the Blessed One is with them! How tremendous it will be!!!!!! I feel already so excited in advance haha.
Okay my brother, it’s time for me to go, but I’ll be sure to come back to check your articles to have inspiration and reference to fight back this hard idolatrous war concerning this man Jesus which is just beginning… it’s amazing that already in this century, eyes are really being opened to this fact….
Praise be to the Almighty for this!
See you
Eve
BS”D
You have done a great public Kiddush H”, Bless You.
A post on FB led me to research this Alloro character who is basically a layman who claims priestly descent, who intends to pick ten “important rabbis,” not poskim, not even talmidei chachamim, with the intent of legalizing avodas elilim. G-d forbid! That led me here to the comments section of your blog.
I thought it worth mentioning that the whole gematria, prophecies, types and shadows diatribe can be entirely nullified by a proper examination of Yoshke’s proposed genealogies offered in Matthew and Luke.
The mention of Jeconiah/Coniah in Matthew biologically excludes Yoshke from the throne of David. The same is true of the mention of Nathan instead of Solomon in Luke’s proposed genealogy. If one subscribes to the virgin birth doctrine, there are two problems. The first being that one cannot inherit the throne by way of matrilineal descent, but only through one’s biological father. This is decreed by HaSh-m Himself. The second problem with the virgin birth/son of G’d argument is that the scenario of G-d placing His own “son” as heir, makes G’d promises to both David and Solomon a lie, G’d forbid. Therefore, since G’d is not a liar, and the genealogies speak for themselves, Yoshke is biologically excluded from the throne of David.
It doesn’t matter even if he was born of a virgin and performed legitimate miracles. He wasn’t the first miracle worker in Jewish history, and he certainly wasn’t the last. All the supposed gematria, the supposed parallels in prophecies, types, shadows, whatever – not worth all the conjecture that was put into them much less the energy put into arguing them given the fact that he cannot lay any biological claim to the throne.
I’m really summarizing the points here, but I’ve hopefully given enough points that anyone who wishes to do so might go and research it for themselves.
Best wishes, and so glad for you that you’ve returned to the faith.
Shalom Gene, I understand your feelings very well. Allow me to refer to some texts of Professor Julia Blum : in the first century CE ‘the expected Messiah was mainly regarded as a military deliverer of the Zealot type who would rid the country of their hated enemy.’, and : ‘ It is already easy to see the “anomaly” of the messianic claims of Jesus: There is little, if anything, in the Gospel portrait of Jesus that accords with the Jewish expectation of King/ Messiah from the house of David. The fact that someone could become messiah by crucifixion, resurrection and ascension into heaven is without parallel in the Jewish sources. Jesus was not a ‘Messiah’ of Jewish conception; He didn’t come to fit the Jewish expectations of Messiah; as Messiah, He was hidden from Israel – and that is precisely the reason why He didn’t call Himself Messiah. Instead, He called himself the Son of Man ‘
On the other hand, Professor Peter Shirokov told me once that the pre-rabbinic concept of the Jewish Messiah was one of a DIVINE DELIVERER, as it was presented in the Tanach : Isaiah 9, 5 – For A CHILD IS BORN UNTO US, a son is given unto us; and the government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called WONDERFULL COUNSELOR,MIGHTY GOD,MY FATHER IN ETERNITY,PRINCE OF PEACE. This text describes the birth of a child which has both divine and physical characteristics. It was only in the Rabbinic erat hat this view was abandoned under influence of the rising numbers of pre-Christianity Messianic Jews.
That’s why I understand many of your motives to return to Torah-based Orthodox Judaism, but I fail to understand your acceptance of the distortions caused by Rabbinic Judaism (f.i. the divine nature of the Messiah, the scrapping of the reading of Isaiah 53 in the daily Torah portions). I do favor honesty and openness of mind very much. I look forward to your answer. LeHItraot.
Francois…
“Jesus was not a ‘Messiah’ of Jewish conception; He didn’t come to fit the Jewish expectations of Messiah; as Messiah, He was hidden from Israel – and that is precisely the reason why He didn’t call Himself Messiah. Instead, He called himself the Son of Man”
He was no messiah of anyone’s expectations, including of G-d Himself. After all, can you imagine a Jewish G-d who has punished Israel for idolatry of man-made idols and worship of creation and creatures in the past, do a 180 and introduce a mortal human being that He would demand Jews to worship as god?!
As far as your claim that Jesus didn’t call himself “Messiah” (or Christos, in Greek), well, NT disagress with you:
This does put a kink into your whole argument, doesn’t it?
“Isaiah 9, 5 – For A CHILD IS BORN UNTO US, a son is given unto us; and the government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called WONDERFULL COUNSELOR,MIGHTY GOD,MY FATHER IN ETERNITY,PRINCE OF PEACE. This text describes the birth of a child which has both divine and physical characteristics.”
Notice that it says “child IS BORN”, meaning in past tense. It’s not speaking about the future, clearly. The Jewish understanding is that this verse speaks about King Hezekiah, whose name, incidentally, means “mighty G-d” (and we know that a god he was not).
Shalom Gene, you are troubling me a lot : Why would the Ortodox Jews call King Hezekiah “My Father in eternity”, or “A Mighty God” ? King Hezekiah doesn’t seem to fit this bill. If you confirm in your answer that Hezekiah is not a god, why do you claim then that he is that child ? Furthermore, this is not the only mention of a semi-divine man in the Tanach, f.i. Daniel 7, 13-14 : “13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of days, and he was brought near before Him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. ” In this text, the Aramaic word אֱנָשׁ really means “a man”, but in verse 14, this man receives the dominion over the whole earth. Verse 13 however is telling us that this man is coming out of heaven, out of the clouds (“with the heavenly clouds”, עִם-עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא in Aramaic), and that He is brought before the ” כָרְסָוָן Thrones” of ” עַתִּיק יוֹמִין, – One that is Ancient of Days” (verse 9). Why is an ordinary man coming from the heavenly clouds, and standing before the Merkavah ? Why is He receiving dominion over the whole earth ? According to Orthodox Judaism, this does not make any sense, it is an event full of contradiction, unless the “Son of Man” is someone with both human and Divine characteristics ( One of the Pillars of the Godhead ?). This “Son of Man” could certainly be Yeshua, but who is he according to orthodox Judaism ?
I am expecting your answer soon, and i hope you will remain a Torah-observant jew, because I regret that the pre-Christianity Messianic Jews gradually abandoned the reading of the daily Torah-portion. שׁלוֹם וּלְהִתְרָאוֹת
Shalom Gene, what i really meant to tell you in my previous response, is that according to CURRENT Jewish Orthodox beliefs, Daniel 7:13 should have been : “13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there WAS TAKEN UP FROM THE EARTH a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of days, and he was brought near before Him.”. Only in that case the Messiah would indeed be the ordinary man of the Orthodox beliefs. But this ordinary man CAME NOT FROM THE EARTH, no, according to the Prophet Daniel He seems to be a HEAVENLY ENTITY. I’m afraid the current Orthodox belief is facing A MASSIVE PROBLEM here.
LeHitraot, Francois.
Shalom Gene, Psalms 110 is also a beautifull example of a (semi-?)divine entity, who possesses divine and human characteristics. In verse 1, the Lord says tot he One (to My Lord – לַאדֹנִי ) on His right side : “I make thine enemies thy footstool”. Verse 2 makes clear this One is the Messiah : “The rod of Thy strength the LORD will send out of Zion: ‘RULE THOU IN THE MIDST OF THINE ENEMIES.’ “, meaning that HE SHALL RULE ON EARTH ! This Messianic characteristic is explained in verse 4 : “Thou art a priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek.”. This Messianic figure is A PRIEST OF THE LORD, AN ANOINTED ONE – Mashiach, A COHEN ! This Psalm clearly mentions a divine entity seated at the right hand of the Lord, who will be sent to Earth to rule there. This (semi-?)divine entity shall rule there as a RIGHTEOUS KING (Melchi-Tsedek), so He must also be A SON OF MAN.
I hope you shall answer me soon.
בְּהַצְלָחָה, פרַנְסוַֹה.
i was expecting an honest answer, but all I get is a deafening silence, My questions are indeed difficult, but the least you could do is to give it a try, no ? …. Two Jews, three opinions, right ?
I’m sure he is very busy with his life in Israel. If you really want an answer, why don’t you look online? There are many places to look and see what Judaism and the Tanach have to say about your questions.
Francois … you ignored something that I pointed out to you and it’s important that we get past this before we can continue our dialog. You argued, to make a point about Jesus not filling the “Jewish mold”, that Jesus never claimed himself to be a “messiah”. However, I showed you that the NT does record him making this very claim (e.g. in Mark 14:61-62). Will you take back your erroneous claim that JC “didn’t call Himself Messiah. Instead, He called himself the Son of Man”?
” If you really want an answer, why don’t you look online? There are many places to look and see what Judaism and the Tanach have to say about your questions.”
Sarah, the irony behind Francois’ insistence that I answer his barrage of questions, is that he doesn’t really care for my answers (since he ignored the content of my replies) as a source of information that he may lack. He simply wants to preach.
Gene, I had a feeling he was just wasting your time and really not looking for answers.
Shalom Gene, No, I did NOT want to preach, but you were indeed right about the fact that Yeshua at that one occasion acknowledged his Messiahship, but He generally called himself “a son of Man” during his lifetime. Point taken. However, the point I really wanted to make is that concerning a lot of issues, the Tanach is often providing us with seemingly conflicting information, f.i. at multiple occasions the Tanach represents human death as the final end, while one can also find a sentence like in Ecclesiastes 12:7: “For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”. One is also facing the same problem concerning the nature of the Messiah : The Tanach presents a physical human picture of the Messiah in most instances, but in several instances the Tanach also represents the Messiah as a being both physical and divine. That’s why i found your reason to return to Orthodox Judaism a bit weird.
My personal idea about these (seemingly?) conflicting ideas, is that the Tanach represents truths about a multi-dimensional reality which we are not able to fully understand in our current physical condition. My conclusion is that all of us need the Coming of the Messiah to straighten out all our misunderstandings, to obtain a correct understanding of the texts of the Tanach. You as an Orthodox Jew should know that the Tanach contains a lot of hidden information, most of it will only be revealed to us when the Messiah comes.
I’m afraid both all of us should be humble and refrain from claiming “The Truth”. Your return to Torah-observant Judaism is as baseless as an Orthodox Jew who becomes a Messianic Jew. Nobody really knows the Divine Truths.
LeHitraot.
“Your return to Torah-observant Judaism is as baseless as an Orthodox Jew who becomes a Messianic Jew. Nobody really knows the Divine Truths.”
I reject this “nobody knows” worldview. I hold that the G-d of Israel has revealed His “Divine Truths” (at least those that He wanted us to know) to the Jewish people and that we alone, among all peoples, know and understand them more completely, if still imperfectly, than anyone else. While the whole world can and has benefited from G-d’s revelations to Israel, we are the intended recipients and these truths were given to us in our own native language.
Shalom Gene, I liked your answer very much, except for the sentence “we are the intended recipients”. How does that connect with f.i. Habakkuk 2:14 : “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” ? How does that connect with Isaiah 49:6 : “Yea, He saith: ‘It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the offspring of Israel; I will also give thee for a light of the nations, that My salvation may be unto the end of the earth.’ ” ? It seems to me that the ORIGINAL recipient is indeed Am Israel, but that the FINAL recipients are all the peoples of the Earth.
Concerning your rejection of my “nobody knows – worldview”, I would like to present the following Jewish piece of text to you which confirms my point of view : “Granted, one must prioritize one’s learning; in our time, though, things like mishnayos, aggad’ta, Talmud Yersushalmi, and the concepts that emerge from them remain largely foreign to all but the greatest talmidei chachamim. Some subjects in Torah are so exotic that they have become easy prey for the more superficial and often corrupt world of academia.
In Jewish education and outreach, it is often difficult to get people interested in Judaism unless they are receptive to an unfamiliar ideology and lifestyle or ready to sacrifice some of their interests in the process of growth. It is intriguing to people that the Torah encompasses all of reality, but in our deep exile it is almost impossible for us to give concrete examples of how to see the world through the Torah’s lens. The Torah is so vast and intricate, and we are so lacking in our grasp of it (due to lack of knowledge, non-Jewish culture, our own inadequacies, and our distance from ma’amad Har Sinai and nevuah). Many attempts have been made to develop a worldly Jewish perspective in modern times, with varying degrees of authenticity and success. It is certainly commendable to add to one’s understanding and appreciation with knowledge of the world, but we always run the
risk of underestimating our subjectivity and distorting the truth. On the other hand, if we approach life and knowledge simplistically, we are left with only a vague sense of wonder and a limited vocabulary for what HaKadosh Baruch Hu is trying to tell us. Some would say we need balance. In my humble opinion, we need a better paradigm.”
Shalom Gene, I researched the link to the Jewish text in my previous message : dafaleph.com/s/shivisi-vdomamti-mp24.pdf
i hope you can understand my point now because even Jews ” always run the
risk of underestimating subjectivity and distorting the truth. “. “Ma’amad Har Sinai” did not restrain the Jewish People from worshipping the golden calf.
LeHitraot.
Shalom Gene, allow me to give you an example of how misguided we often are. THe Jewish-Orthodox people read the first word of the Torah as “Bereshit – in the beginning of” (with a sheva under the Beth, thus grammatically a construct form), and not as “Bareshit – in the beginning”( A non-construct form). However,how can we know for certain which one to choose ? The fact of the matter is, that the text of the original author was a non-Masoretic text. Even the Ashkar-Gilson manuscript of the 7th-8th century CE was still a non-Masoretic text. The Aleppo-codex of the 9th century CE is the first text to exhibit Masoretic nikkud. It all boils down to the fact that we are effectively unable to determine the correct interpretation of the first sentence of Genesis 1, no matter what the Rabbis claim.
Do you agree with my point of view ?
BeHatslachah.
In the entire Tanach, the expression ” מַה-שְּׁמוֹ – What is his Name ?” occurs only twice. Once in Exodus 3, 13 (The burning bush-scene, where Mosheh-Moses meets the Lord for the first time.), and the second time in Proverbs 30, 4. In both occurences, it refers to the Name of the Most High, אֵל עֶלְיוֹן – El-Elyon : אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה- I AM WHO I AM. But in Proverbs 30, 4, there is also this rhetorical question added to the first question ” וּמַה-שֶּׁם-בְּנוֹ – and what is the Name of His Son ?” What is striking here, is the singular form of this expression. It does not say ” וּמַה שֶּׁםוֹת בַּנָיו – and what are the names of His Sons ?”, no, it is only speaking about ONE SINGLE PERSON.
No man can adequately answer the question raised here. Even now, at the beginning of the 21st century, man imagines that he knows so much, but in fact we still know so little. Great advances have been made in the sciences over the past five hundred years, yet there is much about the physical world that we still don’t know. The more we learn, the more we realize how little we really understand. If we can’t fathom the creation, how dare we think we can comprehend the Creator, who is far greater than the creation?
“What is His name, or His Son’s name?” What human being really understands that mysterious Name, the ineffable essence that is God, that unimaginable brightness which no man can see? And what human being, apart from divine revelation, knows His Son’s Name??? Does that mean that the God of Israel has a Son? Is the son the nation of Israel (Exodus 4: 22 “וְאָמַרְתָּ, אֶל-פַּרְעֹה: כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה, בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל – And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh: Thus saith the LORD: My son is My first-born, Israel.)? Or could this mysterious Son be even more? Could He be that perfect Son of Israel, and the eternal Son of God, who always existed, who, along with God, designed, created and now sustains the universe, and who alone reveals who God is?
The Zohar speaks of “THREE PILLARS OF THE GODHEAD” which are “ONE” (שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד – Hear, O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is ONE. Deuteronomy 6:4). The Zohar identifies one of its three pillars as the “Son of Yah”. The Zohar says that Metatron (the Son of Yah) is “The First begotten of all the creatures of Elohim” (Notice : “Begotten” instead of “Created” !). The Zohar says of Metatron that He is “Ruler of all He has; because Elohim has committed to Him the government over all his hosts.” (Take notice that this refers to Daniel 7, 13-14 : “13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of days, and he was brought near before Him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”.). The Talmud says that Metatron is “the Lesser YHWH”. The Kabbalah teaches that the “Adam Kadmon – the First Man (from ancient times)” (the Three Pillars harmonized) was the blueprint for the creation of man. Kabbalah identifies the Son of Yah as “מֶמְרָא – Memra – the Word”. Scholars identify the “Melchizedek”- figure of Qumran with the Metatron of Kabbalah. (Take notice that this refers to Genesis 14:18 : “וּמַלְכִּי-צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם, הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן; וְהוּא כֹהֵן, לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן. – And Melchizedek King of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was Priest of God the Most High.).
So finally, allow me to ask you, the former Messianic Jew Gene Shlomovich, the very difficult rhetorical question : “מַה-שֶּׁם-בְּנוֹ – WHAT IS THE NAME OF HIS SON ?”. And of course, I do expect nothing more or less than an honest answer.
בְּהַצְלָחָה ,
Francois.
“So finally, allow me to ask you, the former Messianic Jew Gene Shlomovich, the very difficult rhetorical question : “מַה-שֶּׁם-בְּנוֹ – WHAT IS THE NAME OF HIS SON ?”. And of course, I do expect nothing more or less than an honest answer.”
Francois, frankly, I am a bit shocked that you, a person who seems to have read his Bible, don’t know the answer to this simple question.
The name of G-d’s son is “Israel”, that is the Jewish people collectively. This is clear from the following passage that appears very early in the Bible, long before the fake testament with its fake demigod came along:
“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the L-rd, “Israel is My son, My firstborn. “So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’ (Exodus 4:22)
What else can we extrapolate from the above? There can only be one firstborn, by definition. That first born is Israel, according to G-d’s own words. Also, Jesus wasn’t not around back then and he certainly wasn’t held up in slavery in Egypt by Pharaoh against his will at any time during his life, even if the NT author vainly tries to read him back into the Hebrew Bible.
Shalom Gene,
Indeed, “Israel is My son, My firstBORN”. But the point i was making in my previous message is that Israel wasn’t around when the Son of Yah became “The First begotten of all the creatures of Elohim”, when Adam Kadmon was begotten even before adam was created. ISRAEL WAS BORN, BUT ADAM KADMON, THE LESSER YAH, WAS BEGOTTEN ; HE WAS NOT CREATED. HE is one of the three pillars of THE ONE GOD.
To resume my point : “Israel is the firstBORN son, but the Son of Yah is the first BEGOTTEN, UNBORN Son from ancient times, even from before Creation”.
So, allow me to repeat my question concerning THE VERY FIRST SON : “מַה-שֶּׁם-בְּנוֹ – WHAT IS THE NAME OF HIS BEGOTTEN SON ?”.
LeHitraot,
Francois.
“ADAM KADMON” – where did you find that in the Bible? Oh wait, you probably read somewhere that this term appears in Kabbalistic writings. Do you think that the Kabbalists, either ancient or modern, would agree with such appropriation of their ideas to apply them to Jesus or would they denounce your misuse completely? Also, do you agree with everything in the Kabbalah or just the things that can be harnessed to support your ideas?
“THE LESSER YAH” – I think it’s blasphemous to say that.
“WHAT IS THE NAME OF HIS BEGOTTEN SON ?” – again, it’s Israel. I think that the differentiation of the English word “begotten” from the normal conception is an artificial Christian construction. Let me demonstrate:
I think that you’d agree that in the above use, the word “begotten” has nothing to do with some supernatural “begetting”, but a very natural conception or be-“getting” something. What’s more, Paul, for example, uses this term top apply it figuratively even to a person with whose actual birth he (probably) had nothing to do with:
So, as you can see, Francois, picking and choosing ideas and words to support idolatrous, unbiblical and un-Jewish ideas doesn’t work very well.
Shalom Gene,
Concerning the Kaballah, i would feel ashamed if i would make abusive misuse of it. It contains a lot of inspiring ideas, but if i have offended you in interpreting them according to my interpretation, then I apologise sincerely. I promise it will not happen again.
You are also right about this equal use of “being born” versus “being begotten”. In Psalms 2:7 the Hebrew verb-form יְלִדְתִּיךָ is being translated as “I have begotten thee”, while the Hebrew meaning really is “you were born through me” (qal yiqtol 1st common singular + suffix 2 m.sing.).I have indeed been straying because of my background.
By the way, this sentence is followed by a few sentences wherein the Anointed One is given dominion over the earth and all the nations. The final verse of Psalms 2 is really surprising :” נַשְּׁקוּ-בַר, פֶּן-יֶאֱנַף וְתֹאבְדוּ דֶרֶךְ– כִּי-יִבְעַר כִּמְעַט אַפּוֹ:
אַשְׁרֵי, כָּל-חוֹסֵי בוֹ. KISS THE SON, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way, when suddenly His wrath is kindled. Happy are all they that take refuge in Him.” (the root נשׁק means “to kiss”, but this form is a pieel imperative, and means “Kiss” or “Hug”. This is clearly a very intimite verb). Verse 2 demonstrates that this is all about the relation between on one hand the peoples, and on the other hand the LORD and His Anointed. The Lord is commanding the people “KISS THE SON” or “HUG THE SON” inve rse 12, the son is here clearly A PERSON, this is not a reference to Israel. One can’t kiss or hug a country, or a spirit, or a burning bush, or a fiery cloud. Because this person is given dominion over the peoples by the Lord, it is the same person mentioned in Daniel 7, 13-14. It is the same person that is coming “with the heavenly clouds”, עִם-עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא , who is not coming from the earth.
OF WHOM is this heavenly person The Son ?
LeHitraot,
Francois.
Francois…. Unfortunately, with your “kiss the son” translation you’ve once again fallen victim to Christian tampering with Hebrew scriptures. However, some Christians have realized that the anti-Jewish translators were less than honest in trying to push their Christian agenda by any means, including the so called “pious fraud”. Please read the following Christian commentary on this verse (the first one on the page, Ellicott’s) to see for yourself that the things you’ve taken for granted are simply not so: http://biblehub.com/commentaries/psalms/2-12.htm
Shalom Gene,
In case of doubt i always prefer to check my BDB (Brown-Driver-Briggs), I checked for 31 Bible-references, and in 29 of these cases the root נשׁק means “to kiss”; the two exceptions were Genesis 41:40 and Ezekiel 3:13, were it meant respectively “be ruled” and “as they touched”.
I also checked out your URL-link already, but i am afraid I need more time to do some research, the writing of the Psalms spans 5 centuries, and I’d like to know around which century Psalm 2 was written.
LeHitraot,
Francois.
Shalom Gene,
Once I bought the Hebrew-French “Le Livre des Psaumes” – “Book of Psalms” in the bookstore of Orthodox Ashkenazi Jews in Antwerp (Copyright by Sinai Publishing, 72 Allenby Road, Tel Aviv 65812); their translation of the beginning of Psalms 2:12 is “Rendez homage au fils” – “Render homage to the Son”. It seems that the divide in interpretation splits the Jewish believers as well as the Christian ones. But the 2 words נַשְּׁקוּ-בַר (Kiss the Son, or : Give homage to purity.) of Psalms 2:12 carry indeed the possibility of multiple interpretations, f.i. the word בַר can be the Aramaic “Son”, but it could also mean the Hebrew adjective “Pure”, it could even mean “Chosen”.
However, in the whole Tanach, this word בַר occurs only once more in Proverbs 31:2. It is very weird that this Aramaic word gets used in this Hebrew text. The triple use of the word בַר in this sentence seems to reflect the intimate and royal relationship of a King’s Mother with the King : “What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? and what, O son of my vows?” (מַה-בְּרִי, וּמַה-בַּר-בִּטְנִי; וּמֶה, בַּר-נְדָרָי. ). The word בַר in this sentence effectively means “Son”, and not “Pure”. This Chapter is about a King’s Mother who is reprimanding and counseling her son. The word בַר was probably an archaic and poetic word, like our “sire” for “father,” rarely used, but, when used, intended to mark some special dignity. On the other hand, in Proverbs 31:28, there is the use of the word “בֵּן – Son,child” in the expression “קָמוּ בָנֶיהָ, וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ – Her children rise up , and call her blessed (happy)”. The word “בֵּן – Son,child” seems to reflect a general, normal parent-child relationship in a common family.
If we take a look at Psalms 2 (with in mind בַר for “Royal Son”, and בֵּן for son), we see that Psalms 2:7 reflects a general, normal parent-child relationship : “בְּנִי אַתָּה–אֲנִי, הַיּוֹם יְלִדְתִּיךָ. – Thou art My son, this day have I begotten thee.” (בְּנִי – My son). There is no explicit mention of “Son of my womb – son of my vows”. It is only in the next 2 sentences that the vows are made, the vows of the nations for inheritance, and the whole earth for possession. Verse 7 must therefore be interpreted as a very intimate verse, that reflects the relationship between a Divine, Royal Father and His Royal Son.
Psalms 2:12 begins with “נַשְּׁקוּ-בַר“ which in its 1st interpretation means “Render homage to the (Royal) Son”, it is also a very intimate verse, a Kings-to-King relationship. It reflects the relationship between the Royal Son and the Kings and rulers of the earth, and again we see that this chapter is all about the reprimanding and counseling of the Kings and rulers of the earth. The word בַר was probably used here to mark a higher dignity than that of the Kings and rulers of the earth. The last sentence is the most important : “אַשְׁרֵי, כָּל-חוֹסֵי בוֹ. – Happy (blessed) are all they that take refuge in Him.”. The parallel significance with Proverbs 31:28 is obvious, the intent of counseling is very strong : “Only the Lord saves”.
In the second interpretation of “נַשְּׁקוּ-בַר“ , the meaning seems to be “Render homage to the Pure”, or “Render homage to the Chosen”. But here again, there is a connection of “the Pure (One) / the Chosen (One)” with “the Royal One”, in the sense that Kings in those days were considered to have a divine nature, to be of a pure nature, unflawed, they were elevated above the common people. In the Ugaritic language, which preceded the Aramaic/Hebrew languages, the verb root means in most instances “to kiss”, but in a rare instance it means “to bend”. This reflects very well the habit of bending when approaching a King, which was followed by kissing the edge of the King’s cloth or the King’s hand. We see here a clear-cut connection between “kissing” and “bowing / rendering homage”.
My conclusion is that the interpretation of “Render homage to Purity / Chosenness” is equally valid as “Render homage to the Son”, and in reality means the same as “Render homage to the Son”. The different interpretations are irrelevant, the translators did not understood very well the historical background of these interpretations. It seems that the divide in interpretation between the Jewish believers and their Christian counterpart is only an artificial one.
LeHitraot,
Francois.
Shalom Gene,
Your return to Orthodox Judaism keeps puzzling me. In your text, you are referring to Isaiah 43:11 to prove the Uniqueness of the Lord, but I would prefer an analysis of that whole chapter, it makes more sense ( plus a bit of Chapter 42). Isaiah 43:3 tells us that the Lord is Our Saviour : “כִּי, אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מוֹשִׁיעֶךָ – For I am the LORD thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour “. Isaiah 43:11 tells us again that the Lord is Our ONLY Saviour : “אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי, יְהוָה; וְאֵין מִבַּלְעָדַי, מוֹשִׁיעַ. – I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Saviour.”. The true meaning of this chapter comes to light in the verses 9 up to 13. In verse 9, the peoples of the world are invited to bring forward witnesses to confirm the truthfulness of what is presented before them. In verse 10 however, an additional “Servant”-person enters the scene : “אַתֶּם עֵדַי נְאֻם-יְהוָה, וְעַבְדִּי אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרְתִּי – Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My Servant whom I have chosen“. The fact that this person is presented alongside with the witnesses, puts him too in some kind of a witnessing role. It is the same Servant that is described in Isaiah 42 (הֵן עַבְדִּי אֶתְמָךְ-בּוֹ, בְּחִירִי רָצְתָה נַפְשִׁי – Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth), the Servant who brings the rule of Law (יָשִׂים בָּאָרֶץ מִשְׁפָּט ), who gives instruction up to the Isles (וּלְתוֹרָתוֹ, אִיִּים יְיַחֵלוּ ), the remote corners of the earth. It is clearly a person whose task it is to instruct the Laws of Torah to the inhabitants of the earth.
Isaiah 43:10 continues however with “לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ וְתַאֲמִינוּ לִי וְתָבִינוּ, כִּי-אֲנִי הוּא – that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I AM HE “.The Lord is declaring here that HE IS THIS PERSON, that HE brings the rule of Law, that HE gives instruction to the corners of the earth.
What is really being said in those chapters, is that the Lord and His Servant (the Messiah) are ONE.
Isaiah 43:13 is even a confirmation of that fact : “גַּם-מִיּוֹם אֲנִי הוּא, וְאֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּיל; אֶפְעַל, וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנָּה – Moreover, since the day was I AM HE, and there is none that can deliver out of My hand; I will work, and who can reverse it? “. Notice the use of “since the day was”, it must ring a bell for all those who just love GENESIS. We see again another confirmation that the Lord is the ONLY Saviour, but this time another verb root is used : “אֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּיל – there is none that can deliver out of My hand “. These declarations really confirm that the Lord, the Servant, the Messiah are ONE.
My conclusion : I have to agree with you that there is indeed no other God present in these Biblical stories, they prove the uniqueness of the Lord.
LeHitraot,
Francois.
So Gene,
Is the Jewish “G-d” only for the Jew?
Why do you put “G-d” in quotes, Jay?
Shalom Jay,
Yes,yes and again yes, Elohim is indeed a Jewish Elohim, but he is Elohim FOR THE JEW FIRST; and after that TO THE GOYIM IN THE SECOND PLACE. To understand this, you should read the Biblical stories again which deal with THE FIRSTBORN SON and THE NEXTBORN SON. THE FIRSTBORN SON is ISRAEL, it is HIS MOST BELOVED SON. The Tanach testifies in most instances about the Love of Elohim for His Beloved One Israel, and it is in significantly fewer instances that the Love of Elohim is granted to the goyim. The Divine reasons are obvious : The Jewish People is a Chosen People, a priestly nation, a nation dedicated to the Lord, they are (supposed to be) a light for the (spiritual dark) nations of the world, they have to uphold 613 commandments day after day, uphold the Regalim (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot), learn Torah day after day etc…. I feel such a deep and sincere respect for that enlightened nation, Compared to them the other religions are shrouded in spiritual neglect, lack of religious education, in short, on a downhill slide.
I do not feel the need to get the right on my side. I only feel the need to have a respectfull and sincere exchange of views and ideas which allows everyone to gain a better understanding of the Tanach.
Sincere greetings,
Francois.
Thank you Francois. So how do I please and receive approval of the Jewish G-d/Elohim as a non-Jew?
Gene – I’m not Jewish. So I placed “G-d” in quotations because I’m not certain (based on knowdelge) if the dash is proper or improper. On many Jewish blogs I see “g-d” and “G-d” written, so that’s why I wrote G-d in quotes. Another reason why I placed the G-d in quotations is becuase of my inquisitiveness of the term G-d being referenced as The G-d of The Jews/Hebrews. I read The Book of Isaiah 65:11 which states: *But you are those who forsake YAHWEH, who forget My holy mountain; who array a table for Gawd, and who fill mixed wine for Meni*. Here’s some foots notes on the Verse: “Gawd or ‘god’ is the name of the Babylonian deity of fortune and meni is the name of the deity of fate. Yahweh is rebuking the people for exchanging His exulted name YAHWEH with the name of the false deity ‘god’. It is most ironic that on the US dollar, which is the reserve currency of the world, that it is written ‘in god we trust’. Most are doing this today breaking the third commandment. Ex 3:15, Is 42:8, Deut 28:58-59” This information is taken from Congregation of YHWH, out of Jerusalem (http://www.coyhwh.com/). They are Messianic Jews, so I wondered that their either they are dillusional, or spot on with their commentary. I then visited chabad.org for the Jewish Orthodox Bible to read the same verse in the Torah. Here’s the verse: *You, who forsake the Lord, who forget My holy mount, who set a table for Gad and who fill mingled wine for a number.* In wanting to be correct about how to make reference to the Creator and Almighty of the Jewish people, I’d rather not write or speak something (assuming I’m correct) only because I heard or read it from a Jew. No one is inherently exempt from error concerning any matter, especially regarding the Creator…so I believe. But my reason for writing you is to know if the G-d of the Jewish people is for everyone. Please answer my original question now that I’ve answered yours. BTW – Thank you for your reply:)
Hi Jay, yes the G-d of the Jewish people is G-d for all. He is the one and only G-d. To be acceptable to G-d, you must be a moral and honest person. You do this by following the seven Noahide laws. That is the bare minimum. If you wish to follow Torah law, you certainly can; it is just not required of you. If you do, don’t fall into the hole Messianic Gentiles (which make up the bulk of the Messianic movement) do – don’t steal our cultural and religious traditions because you think if Jesus was Jewish, you have to act like it to. Nothing could be further from the truth, and it is offensive to Jews.
I wish you well in your search!
As for the verse from Isaiah, they are wrong. We are not sure what Gad and Meni were (they could be other gods, planets, stars, etc) but they are clearly false gods/idols. G-d is telling us
not to forsake Him and chase after these idols. It has nothing to do with using “G-d” instead of “YHVH”.
Jay, I think that Sarah has summarized it well. The only thing for me to add is that I would really encourage you to leave far behind any idolatrous notions about deification of man or ascribing any sort of divinity to a mortal person (which didn’t really originate with Christianity, but long preceded it). I can assure, if I may be so bold, that this is something that the G-d of Israel, who is of course your G-d as well, really doesn’t appreciate (to say the least).
Thank you Gene and Sarah for your responses. Both of you have answered my question and provided further insight. Also Gene, thank you for your transparency in allowing the posts of others that do, and do not challenge your beliefs to be approved/visible.
Hi Jay, yes it is wonderful that Gene allows such posts…it’s rare in forums/blogs these days.
“another confirmation that the Lord is the ONLY Saviour, but this time another verb root is used : “אֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּיל – there is none that can deliver out of My hand “. These declarations really confirm that the Lord, the Servant, the Messiah are ONE.”
Francois, I think that to claim that G-d is also His own “servant” sets up an absolute absurdity. The G-d of Israel is not a schizophrenic deity. In the Bible, whenever the word “servant” is used, it NEVER means G-d, who is the L-rd and Master of all and a servant of none. We, His creatures, are His servants. In Isaiah, as in the rest of the Hebrew Bible, Israel (collectively) is the servant, the prophets are His servants and Davidic kings (includes the ones yet to come) are servants – not G-d.
Shalom Gene,
What you are saying makes perfect sense to me, but how do you explain then Isaiah 43:10 and 43:13 : “לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ וְתַאֲמִינוּ לִי וְתָבִינוּ, כִּי-אֲנִי הוּא – that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I AM HE “, and “גַּם-מִיּוֹם אֲנִי הוּא, וְאֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּיל; אֶפְעַל, וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנָּה – Moreover, since the day was I AM HE, and there is none that can deliver out of My hand; I will work, and who can reverse it? “ ?
I agree with you that the Servant is indeed the collectivity of Israel, f.i. there is this blind and deaf servant who is stubborn and spiritually blind and deaf for the teachings of the Lord, there is also the servant who hearkens and hears the message of the Lord : Isaiah 42:18 – הַחֵרְשִׁים, שְׁמָעוּ; וְהַעִוְרִים, הַבִּיטוּ לִרְאוֹת. – Hear, ye deaf, and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
A very distinct term about this Servant is used only in Isaiah 53:11: “My Righteous Servant.” ” He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
Nowhere else is that term used, it seems to be a Messianic expression. The problem here is that according to Jewish teaching, only the Lord has the capacity to forgive sins. Who is then this “Righteous Servant” who shall justify many and bear their iniquities ? Does this have something to do with “since the day was I AM HE” ?
Behatslachah,
Francois.
Hello Dear Gene,
I am deeply saddened that you chose to give up the Lord Jesus Christ. But if you can doubt him then perhaps you never knew him. Because the biggest witness of the Salvation of Jesus Christ is not in Scriptures but it is in one’s heart themselves, because if you know the light and have felt it, how can you withstand darkness?
As a a former messianic jew, I am sure you have read Isaiah 53, the same one which other brothers and sisters in Israel have been forbidden to touch simply because of the fact that no other chapter in the Bible could point more clearly to Yeshua as the messiah. What is so difficult to believe? That God could love you so much he would subject himself to a death on the cross so that you could live forever with him?
Now, it is true that the Torah of God, is Holy. And that the Lord God Almighty gave it to his people and keeping it is according to his Divine will. And I know that you have the seal to serve him. Well, Deuteronomy 27:26 says ‘Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them.’ ‘ אָרוּר, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָקִים אֶת-דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה-הַזֹּאת–לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָם’ So, how many times did you go to Jerusalem last year to appear efore the Lord for the ordinances he made in Exodus 23:14-17? And how about the 10 commandments, do you keep those too perfectly? Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Now how many times have you admired something that is not yours, lets say…last week? Anyway, no worries, nothing a yearly sacrifice prescribed in the law can’t fix. But then God Almighty says, Isaiah 1:11-14 1 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. Well, it is clear here that God was already fed up with the sacrifices that time, sacrifices of people who decided to think for God, about what he could and what he could not do. So they thought it was okay to just disobey and disregard his word and somehow mend fences with a few bulls killed here and there. Well, like what Francois articulated ‘ “גַּם-מִיּוֹם אֲנִי הוּא, וְאֵין מִיָּדִי מַצִּיל; אֶפְעַל, וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנָּה – Moreover, since the day was I AM HE, and there is none that can deliver out of My hand;’ There is simply NO ONE and NOTHING that can save or deliver except for God himself. And that is why shortly after rejecting sacrifices in Isaiah 1:11-14 he then proceeds to say Isaiah 1:18 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. 19. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land;’ So you can see, God is calling you to be WILLING and obedient and then he will do what only he himself can, make our scarlet red sins into white as wool. So where will he take those sins, as we know that God is Holy and Just? Isaiah 53:5-6 ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’
So it is clear from the Scriptures that it was NOT sacrifices that made God impute righteousness. It is was the WILLINGNESS to trust and obey the LORD that made him not count iniquity on a person as said very articulately by David in Psalms 32:2 ‘אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם–לֹא יַחְשֹׁב יְהוָה לוֹ עָוֺן’ For that person, the Lord REASONED with them and he himself took away their sins which were as scarlet and turned them into white as wool. And then the Lord of Righteousness, Justice and Holiness laid it all on himself ‘the iniquity of us all.’ Anyway, since we have seen that only God can take away sin, deliver the sinner from his own hand. This means that Yeshua has to be God to be the Messiah. Since Isaiah 43 clearly says I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour. ‘ אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי, יְהוָה; וְאֵין מִבַּלְעָדַי, מוֹשִׁיעַ’
Well, you actually repute that Yeshua ever claimed to be the Messiah… But I will show you that even more, he claimed to be God. And in an even more powerful way did he make this claim, since they say that actions speak louder than words. So how did he do it? Well, he forgave people their sins. Mark 2:5-12 tells this story. And when they questioned his he was truly God since only God could forgive sins, Yeshua replied. , “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your pallet and walk’? “But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” As if reading what was in their hearts was not a good enough sign that he was God, well guess what, the paralytic got up and walked. In another show of his being God, Yeshua tells of how Abraham rejoiced to see him. He says a profound statement, John 8:58 ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ Obviously the present tense was purposeful to show that since he is God, he is Eternal. But the most amazing thing is that we see the very event he alluded to in Genesis 18 which shows Yahweh appear to Abraham with his two angels and they three a referred to as ‘שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים’. What’s very interesting about this encounter was that the three men ate with Abraham because it clearly says ‘ וַיֹּאכֵלוּ’ so it means that the Lord GOD Almighty also ate with Abraham after appearing to him in the flesh. This same fact made the ‘Sages’ very uneasy that God could appear in the flesh. They couldnt handle verse 22 and had to change it. ‘וַיִּפְנוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים, וַיֵּלְכוּ סְדֹמָה; וְאַבְרָהָם–עוֹדֶנּוּ עֹמֵד, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה. ‘ and alteration at the double hyphens which was supposed to translate ‘the Lord remained standing before Abraham’. So that the next verses could make sense where it says Genesis 18 :23 ‘And Abraham drew near, and said: ‘Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?’ The only way the LORD could remains standing before Abraham was if he was there in the FLESH. And when Abraham saw God ALmighty in the Flesh, he rejoiced. SO you see, no matter how hard it is for our human minds to grasp it, Yeshua, was, is and will always be God Almighty. Now, Gene, God ALmighty doesnt have to be Schizophrenic to be the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Look, he made you Gene, to be Body, Soul and Spirit…and you aren’t Schizophrenic… and if you believe in Genesis Creation account…then you should know that you were created in the image and likeness of God Almighty.
Jesus Christ doesnt have to be Jew to be a Jew to be the Messiah, he has to be God. And he is. He is the Alpha and Omega. And just like Zechariah 14:9 says ‘וְהָיָה יְהוָה לְמֶלֶךְ, עַל-כָּל-הָאָרֶץ; בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, יִהְיֶה יְהוָה אֶחָד–וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד. ‘ So tell me one thing, If God shall be King over all the earth where does that leave the space for the Messiah? Jews are still waiting for a Messiah Ben David to come and occupy the throne forever but then what would happen to Zechariah 14:9 which says that God will be King over the Earth? Cause we know that God and Man cannot both rule Israel, just like the way they rejected God and chose for themselves a King Saul. So see, only Yeshua HamaShiach who demonstrated himself to be the God Almighty can fill in the profile of the long awaited Messiah of the Jews. Let no one deceive you beloved Gene, the Torah cannot save unless you are perfect like God. Only a perfect God can save…a God who loved you with everything he had and paid the ultimate price for you. So again, he is saying to you today, ” 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. 19. If ye be willing and obedient” Come back to Yeshua HamaShiach because he loves you with an everlasting love.
Nick, that’s a lot of words just to get a G-d-fearing Jew to worship a long-dead demigod idol that you worship and adore, and to push a Jew to betray the G-d of Israel by bowing down to a man.
I think that, in G-d’s eyes, there is probably no more grievous a sin that a person can commit than to tempt or bring a Jewish person into idolatry. We can see in the Hebrew Bible G-d’s warnings and punishments to anyone who would attempt such a monstrous sin. Any person who has brought a Jew into idolatry has caused incalculable spiritual and physical destruction.
That person has facilitated an act of forever cutting off a Jew from both his people AND his G-d, causing a Jew to cease having Jewish progeny (in effect, murdering potentially thousands of future Jewish souls), diverting G-d’s will for the Jewish people and separating a Jew from his birthright. All to get a Jew to worship a dead man as god.
Dear Gene. There is a very compelling (potentially) witness to Jesus death, and resurrection. It’s called the Shroud of Turin. Because it’s material evidence offered the only remaining factor is to deconstruct it’s origins. A thing that has/ is currently being done with results being hotly debated. I doubt the Vatican would allow it to be submitted as evidence of Yeshua’s death for a retrial. Who knows it could happen in time.
”It (the Shroud of Turin) is first securely attested in 1390, when a local bishop wrote that the shroud was a forgery and that an unnamed artist had confessed. Radiocarbon dating of a sample of the shroud material is consistent with this date.” (Wikipedia)
Dear David, the Shroud of Turin and the Titulus Crucis are not relevant because they are not verifyable.
Hidden codes in the Tanach on the other hand are very Jewish in nature, as is gematria. There are only 2 hidden codes in the whole Tanach that mention – יֶשׁוּעַ שֽׁמִי – Yeshua is My Name. The first one can be found in Job 33 verse 11-8, counting backwards 11 letters starting with the letter Yod of the first word of verse 11 [ יָשֵׂם – He putted ] in the Hebrew text. The central verse 9 is about characteristics of Job : I am clean, without transgression, I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me. The weird thing is that all the descriptions about the person of Job also apply for Yeshua, as if Job was foreshadowing Yeshua . The second one can be found in Isaiah 53 verse 10-8, counting backwards 20 letters starting with the second letter Yod of the word [ יַאֲרִיךְ – prolong ] of verse 10 in the Hebrew text. These verses are even more convincing that Yeshua is really involved : verse 8 describes the trial and the death of Yeshua, and bluntly declares that this happened For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due. Verse 9 declares there was not any deceit in His mouth. Verse 10 gives the reason for His death : וַיהוָה חָפֵץ דַּכְּאוֹ, הֶחֱלִי–אִם-תָּשִׂים אָשָׁם נַפְשׁוֹ – Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in restitution. The keyword here is אָשָׁם – restitution. This person takes the blame for the פֶּשַׁע-sin of his people. And Gene, as an Orthodox Jew, you certainly know that only the Lord can take the blame for our sins, no ordinary person can take the blame for the sins of another person. He is our Scapegoat, our Azazeel. Though our sins are Red as scarlet, He will wash them Whiter as snow. He will throw them in the depths of the sea. He is truly a Saviour, a Yeshua.
You might think this is a coincidence, it perhaps is an exceptionally big coincidence , but ask yourself sincerely why these two sequences are positioned exactly on these 2 crucial locations in this large Tanach.
בְּהַצְלָחָה ,
Francois.
Sara, thank you so much for your answer to Jay’s question about us gentiles!
Gene, I enjoyed all the comments here from you and everyone else (I didn’t want to add each name but thanks to you all).
I find it interesting that in all of your seeking you never did find G-d. My scriptures assure me “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” .
George… What??? Presumptuous much?
Hi Gene – 100% agree on not worshipping any one or anything except YHWH.
I like you had a difficult time but found it.
One distinction however is one believing or even maybe thinking its possible that Yeshua may be the messiah. Not in anyway a diety.
My view is that Yeshuas mission was to call second temple Judaism back to the true spirit and truth of plain Torah and YHWH alone worship.
It’s possible in my view but not probable. If anything tanak teaches the messiah will be the king of the earth. That is ok.
But my knee will only bow my worship will always and only go to directly to YHWH…not by or through or because of anyone anything else
I couldn’t care less who someone thinks is or may be the messiah. That’s not the issue when it comes to idolatry so I wouldn’t make it a litmus test
Someone can 100% reject idolatry and only worship YHWH but still think that Yeshua could turn out to be messiah…if he actually somehow ends up fulfilling the prophecies
It’s the Day of YHWH we are looking for. His DAY!
Another fascinating thing I have realised is that “messianism” (not messianic Judaism) was in a way analogous to what christianity became.
Messianism in the second temple period is what provided the shaky foundation for Pauline christianity
However the entire idea of “messianism” is major expansion on the tanach.
In the same way that pauline/johanine Christians wrestle with harmonizing what they consider scripture…the new testament with the old testament
Likewise messianism before the first century had it’s own popular theological edifice growing unnaturally out of the tanakh
We have to go back further and question…why are we obsessed with messianism?
If the tanakh was really focusing on messianism it would and should have been a whole lot more explicit
To use the shaky foundation of messianism to buttrice further and more wild harmonisations just provided
the “type” for which pauline/johanine Christian’s then went fully to seed
The second temple period and Greek hellenization was an incredibly corrupt time. We must go back further, ideally pre-exhile prophets and further back to get back to original truth
“However the entire idea of “messianism” is major expansion on the tanach.”
I tend to agree. It has grown to such a degree, I believe, due to the mostly helpless state of the Jewish people for the last two thousand years under the heavy hand of the nations. Hence the longing for the miraculous rescuer, another Moses. Not that there won’t be messianic rescuers in Israel’s future – there will be (e.g. Isaiah 59:20.) But I don’t believe that the future Davidic king will be dropping from the heavens like some Jewish “Santa”. It will be much more organic and natural (for the most part).
If Jesus is nothing Judaism is less than nothing. An inward looking, isolated religion claiming to be divinely chosen and cultural superior and yet has almost zero interest in others – except to point out antisemitism or past wrongs. It’s better to be an atheist Jew than a Christian. I know atheists applause that sentiment.
Look to Israel as see the contrasts from the rainbow coast to the heart in Jerusalem. Maybe instead of worrying about Jesus a better thing might be go repair your own house.
Accept Jesus or reject H-m but don’t think spending your life countering Christianity is anything other than eating a dog’s breakfast and describing it as steak.
Hi Tracy – I am not spending my lifetime countering Christianity. I am spending it living as a Jew and following Hashem’s Torah, which does happen to also involve a forceful and adamant rejection of false deities, among many other things.
“Look to Israel as see the contrasts from the rainbow coast to the heart in Jerusalem. Maybe instead of worrying about Jesus a better thing might be go repair your own house.”
Part of repairing my “own house” involves showing other Jews who got entrapped in Christianity a way out.
Shalom Gene, would you like to come on my show to join me in explaining to others why Ariel Cohen Alloro is a scam to avoid?
Hi Red – you really don’t want me on your show discussing why Alloro is wrong, because I will be tempted to deconstruct your beliefs as well:)
Peace brother! Came across this rabbit hole while researching something else. Just to clear the air, we (Christians) do not worship a “dead man” – of course I know you don’t believe that he is what he claimed to be, but when you think about it- you are erecting a straw man that you like to bat around like a pinata! What purpose does it serve? Maybe it makes you feel good? -smh