REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY - FACT OR FICTION?

REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY - FACT OR FICTION?

A widely distributed Christian magazine published an article concerning Israel a number of years ago. The following are quotes from that article: “It is a mistake for Christians to exalt Israelis to the position of being ‘God’s chosen people.’” “The progressive revelation of Scripture makes it clear that, today, God has only one people, and it is the church.” “We must not apply Old Testament prophecies to the State of Israel when Jesus, Peter and Paul have radically redirected our thinking concerning the covenants of promise. They are now directly to the Church.” “The Israeli claim to Palestine as a Jewish State by divine right is incorrect, and their continued enforcement of this claim by military oppression is unjust.” These statements are typical of what is taught in “replacement theology.” Replacement theology teaches, “The Church is Israel”. How is this substitution possible? Covenant theologians claim that because the nation of Israel did not accept Jesus as Messiah, she has been cast off and has forfeited her pre-eminent position in the purposes of God. The Church has become the rightful heir to the blessings once promised to Israel. From God’s perspective the Jewish people today are no more significant than any other racial group, whether it be Italian, Indian or Chinese. Unless the Jews repent, come to faith in Jesus and join the Church, they have no future. The term “replacement theology” isn’t found in most theological textbooks, although the idea that “the Church is Israel” is a foundation stone in what is commonly known as “covenant theology”. This teaching has dominated the history of Christian theology as well as the present day. Replacement theology isn’t new; it can be traced as far back as the 3rd century. How did it enter Christian thought and come to dominate a significant portion of Church teaching? We will explore this in the following points: First, replacement theology is the natural by-product of allegorization, a of method scriptural interpretation employed by the Church for much of its history. Second, replacement theology appears backed by history. Third, replacement theology appears logical and consistent with God’s character of justice. Replacement theology teaches that “the Church is Israel” How is this belief able to receive acceptance? Easily, if the scriptures are studied according to the method of interpretation known as allegorization. What do I mean by allegorization? A person who “allegorizes” a passage of scripture is less concerned with what the words mean literally, than he is concerned with what is the hidden meaning behind those words. To allegorize is to interpret a scripture analyzing every detail as symbolic of underlying, deeper “spiritual” meanings. For a historic example of an allegorical interpretation of a Bible passage, let’s look at Matthew 21, Yeshua’s triumphal entry from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem upon a donkey and a colt. At the beginning of the 3rd century, one of the most famous Church fathers, Origen, looked at this passage of scripture and came up with an interesting interpretation. Origen taught that the donkey in the story symbolized the harshness of the Old Testament, while the colt or foal of a donkey (a more gentle animal) was symbolic of the New Testament. In addition to this interpretation, he added that the two apostles who brought the animals to Yeshua symbolized the moral senses of humanity. As questionable as this method of interpretation may be considered today, by the 3rd century, allegorization of the Scriptures was a dominant method of interpretation by Christian teachers. This method prevailed throughout the Middle Ages. If through allegorization one can determine that a donkey is the Old Testament, then it is possible to come to the conclusion that the “Church is Israel”. The allegorical method suspends literal interpretation of the Bible, allowing the theologian to make the Bible say nearly anything he wants it to say. Eventually the allegorical method of interpretation was shown for what it is – dangerous and deceptive. By the 16th century, Martin Luther and other Protestant reformers began to question the validity of allegorization. They argued that the general rule is to interpret the Bible according to its literal meaning, with few exceptions. Literal interpretation of scripture requires that rules of grammar, speech, syntax and context are followed, to regard historical accounts and prophecies as literal even if expressed in poetic or figurative language. How can we be sure that interpreting the Bible literally is the best method? One argument is that hundreds of Bible prophecies have already been fulfilled literally, even to minute detail. Consider a few predictions regarding the Messiah: Isaiah 7:14 predicted the Messiah would be born of a virgin. Micah 5:2 predicted that He would be born in Bethlehem. Psalm 22:7-8 and Isaiah 53:1 predicted He would face the ridicule and unbelief of the people. Psalm 22:16-18 predicted that His hands and feet would be pierced and that His clothing would be divided and lots cast for them. Isaiah 53:9-10 predicted He would be put to death with wicked men yet buried with the rich, and that He would prolong His days (resurrection) afterward. If prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Yeshua were fulfilled literally, shouldn’t the logical expectation be that Bible prophecy concerning Israel and the Jewish people will also be literally fulfilled? Those who teach replacement theology stubbornly insist that prophecy concerning Israel is fulfilled “symbolically” and “spiritually” by the Church. The result is the annulment of all prophetic scripture that pertains to Israel. A pertinent question arises, “Has the Church in her history ever been scattered and exiled among the nations as the prophets foretold?” Did the prophet Ezekiel really have the Church in mind when he stated “... they will live in their own land, which I gave to My servant Jacob.”?Ezekiel 28:25 The conclusion that “the Church is Israel” is to interpret scripture allegorically, not literally. In answer to the first question, “How did replacement theology ever come to dominate the teaching of the Church?” – it is the natural outcome of allegorization. The reader may ask, “If, since the Protestant Reformation, allegorization is no longer regarded as a valid method of interpretation of scripture, and evangelical scholars follow the Bible more literally, why hasn’t replacement theology been permanently rejected?” It is true that while many in these circles have rejected replacement theology, the belief continues to persist. How is this possible? Church doctrines that have originated with some of her most respected past theologians and leaders, and which have been accepted beliefs over many centuries, rarely disappear overnight. Replacement Theology is not merely the by-product of allegorization. This view was able to dominate the teaching of the Church for a second principal reason: replacement theology seems to be backed up by history. I will explain. A fundamental assumption of replacement theology is that because Israel rejected Jesus as Messiah, God has cast off the Jewish people as a chosen nation. Consequently, in judgment, God has dispersed the Jews into the nations. The land of Canaan, promised to Abraham and his seed has been forfeited and the Jews no longer have a legal claim to it. When we look at what has happened to the Jews since the first century, replacement theology would certainly appear to have history on its side – at least until recently. On the surface the evidence is substantial. Within a generation of the crucifixion of Yeshua, the Roman army ransacked the city of Jerusalem, totally destroyed the temple and with it the sacrificial system of worship. They uprooted the Jews from the land and carried them off to various parts of the empire. To the early Church Fathers, these events were convincing proofs that God was finished with Israel and that the Church had assumed Israel’s former role in the purposes of God. The suffering of the Jewish people did not end with the cruelty of the Roman legions. Jewish history since that time has been filled with tragedy. For replacement theologians, this tragic history only confirms their belief that God is finished with Israel. This is really a circular argument. The horrible suffering of the Jews has been a direct result of replacement theology, rather than a cause. If replacement theology had never been taught in the Church, the atrocities inflicted upon the Jewish people in the last 2,000 years would never have happened. To demonstrate, let’s look at just a few examples from Jewish history: In the wake of the Church’s greatest acceptance in the 4th century with Emperor Constantine’s declaration of Christianity as a legal and accepted religion, the most prominent leaders turned to express the worst prejudice and contempt toward the Jew. Justifying their anti-semitism, Christian theologians began to teach that the Jews held sole responsibility for the death of Christ. The Jews were declared “guilty” of the crime of “deicide” – the murder of God. Christians came to believe that a way of showing their loyalty to Jesus was to express their hatred toward the Lord’s “murderers”. The most famous of early church theologians, Augustine (354-407) declared Jewish existence an act of Providence – a divine demonstration of the truth of Christianity – their humiliation a triumph of Church over synagogue. John Chrysostrom (354-407), the Greek theologian and archbishop of Constantinople, whose liturgy and prayers are still read today in the Orthodox Church, preached eight scathing sermons to the Church in Antioch. He states in Sermon VII:11: ‘I hate the Jews’ he exclaims roundly, ‘for they have the Law and they insult it’. Other excerpts from these sermons declare Jews “... murderers, destroyers, men possessed by the devil … They know only one thing, to satisfy their gullets, to get drunk, to kill and maim one another … ” And to think he was canonized a saint! Chrysostrom and other Church theologians would have a deep and powerful influence upon the attitudes of Christians for hundreds of years to come. Six centuries later this kind of preaching bore the fruit of an ever-mounting psychological hatred. The Crusaders are often remembered in Christendom for their chivalry, faith and zeal. In reality, many of the Crusaders were cruel men who hated Jews with a passion. According to historian Paul Johnson2, the Crusades started an “assembling of a mass of armed men … produced a breakdown in normal order”. Crusaders borrowed money from Jews with working capital in their own neighborhoods, “but once on the march they readily turned on the Jews of other cities. Then Christian townspeople, caught up in the frenzy and lust for loot, would sometimes join in.” Innumerable atrocities were committed against Jews by the Crusaders. From Rouen in France, through Germany, the Balkans to and including Jerusalem, Crusader mobs burned Jews alive in their houses and temples, and forced conversions. In Prague alone they murdered several thousand Jews [Poliakov I, 42-45]. The cry “Hep! Hep!”, an abbreviation of the Latin phrase: Hierosalyma est perdita, “Jerusalem is lost” originated with the Crusaders as they pillaged, and continued as a pogrom chant into the 20th century. In 1000 AD, when the Crusaders first arrived in the Holy Land, there were 300,000 Jewish residents. When the Crusaders left the scene 200 years later only 1,000 Jewish families remained. A shocking discovery of Church history is that anti-semitism was not confined merely to the Roman Church, which had lost touch with Biblical Christianity. Anti-semitism is also in the writings of Protestant Reformers – men who had supposedly cleansed the Roman Church of its corruption and theological error. Initially, the reformer Martin Luther was sympathetic to the Jews and believed that they would be converted by the truth of his message of justification by faith. When they didn’t convert, he became deeply embittered against the Jewish people. In consequence, Luther became as severe as the Roman Church in his contempt. Luther advocated the expulsion of Jews from Germany as well as the destruction of their synagogues and religious books. In his pamphletOn the Jews and Their Lies, published in Wittenberg, 1543, he wrote3: “First their synagogues should be set on fire and whatever is left be buried in the dirt so that no one may be able to see a stone or cinder from it … Jewish prayer books should be destroyed … then the Jewish people should be dealt with, their homes smashed and destroyed. Jews should be banned from the roads and markets, should be drafted into forced labor and made to earn their bread ‘by the sweat of their noses’...” “They live by evil and plunder; they are wicked beasts that ought to be driven out like mad dogs.” “In the last resort they should be kicked out ‘for all time4’. Logically, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, they used the writings of Luther and other theologians to justify their anti-semitism. The infamous Nazi death camp, Dachau, greeted Jews arriving there with a sign that read, “You are here because you killed our God”. The question asked by those who defend replacement theology is this, “Considering the suffering the Jews have experienced over the centuries, doesn’t this indicate that God has rejected them?” But this argument inverts the reality that replacement theology was actually more of a cause of this tragic history than an effect. It is this writer’s contention that the history of the Jewish people provides a stronger argument against replacement theology than for replacement theology. As horrible as the history of the Jews has been, I believe it is a sign of God’s absolute faithfulness, rather than a sign of His rejection. The continued existence of the Jewish race in spite of numerous persecutions and threats and attempts at genocide throughout Jewish history is evidence of Divine intervention. Despite being stripped of their homeland, scattered to the four corners of the earth; despite repeated attempts at forced conversions and their own attempts of assimilation, the Jews have survived as a distinct nation. No other ethnic group in the history of mankind has been dispersed, faced such odds and yet endured. What explains this apparent invincibility? The God of Israel. In the words of Malachi: “I the Lord do not change. So you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6 The fact that the Jews have not disappeared despite numerous attempts to annihilate them is one of the strongest arguments against replacement theology. Another fact of Jewish history that exposes the flaws of replacement theology is found in the last century; the return of the dispersed Jewish nation to their historic homeland, and the establishment of the State of Israel. If God has cast off the Jews and no longer has any interest in Israel’s continued existence how could the Jewish people have arisen from the ashes of the holocaust to establish a sovereign state on the very same piece of real estate they lost 2000 years ago. Is this an accident? Absolutely not. It is a miracle of the first order, and a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The following are a few examples of many fulfilled prophecies literally fulfilled: “When the LORD will have compassion on Jacob, and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.” Isaiah 14:1 “Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, “As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,” but, “As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the North and from all the countries where He banished them.” For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.” Jeremiah 16:14-15 Until the return of the Jews to the land and the establishment of the State of Israel, replacement theology appeared to have history on its side. This dramatic new chapter in Israel’s history is still unfolding and renders the argument of history null and void. We’ve seen that the history of the Jews, rather than proving that God has cast them off, actually proves the opposite – that God still holds His chosen people in the palm of His hand. He has preserved her as a nation in spite of every imaginable threat to her existence. Why hasn’t replacement theology died once and for all? How can it be that in recent years replacement theology seems to actually gain an even wider following? The answer: Replacement theology appears to be logical and consistent with God’s character. Replacement theology asks a logical question: “How could a just God contradict His nature by bringing the Jews back to their land?” After their banishment into exile the vast majority still haven’t changed their “stiff-necked” ways and accepted Jesus as Messiah. In addition, agnostic, even atheistic, secular Zionists, not the redeemed of the Lord, established the State of Israel. A popular view of modern Israel sees the state as cheating Palestinians of their property and denying their rights – how could God be a party to such injustice?” It appears logical to conclude that a just God could not bring the Jews back to the land and re-establish a political state under these circumstances and remain true to His justice. I admit, as sympathetic to the Jewish people as I am, one would have to be blind to not recognize that the Jewish Nation is far from perfect. I do not condone every policy of the Israeli government, nor every action of the Israeli Defense Forces. Yet, we must not forget one important fact: while God is a God of justice, He is also a God of mercy. Paul answers those who asked similar questions concerning Israel’s election, a matter that seemed to defy God’s justice. InRomans he asks: “What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Romans 9:14-15 A question I would like to ask every Christian who believes in replacement theology: “Did God save you and restore you because you deserved it – because you earned it?” We need to be reminded ofEphesians 2:8 which says, “For by grace you have been saved, through faith – and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” If the Lord saved only “good people” none of us would be saved. Likewise, if Israel does not deserve to be restored to her ancient homeland, then neither do we deserve to inherit the kingdom of heaven. God has chosen Israel in spite of Israel, just as He has chosen me in spite of me, and chosen you in spite of you. The Jewish people are the “apple of His eye” (Zech 2:8). They are uniquely called. InRomans 11:28-31 Paul addresses those in the church of his day that believed God was finished with Israel. Speaking of those still unredeemed, Paul says: “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.” Romans 11:28-31 God is just – He must punish the unrighteous. But the Bible tells me that justice has already been meted out. God Himself provided the atoning sacrifice to take the punishment that each of us deserves, Jew or Gentile. Paul says inRomans 5:8, “While we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us,” not after we’ve gotten our act together or after we’ve started living a righteous and holy life. No, God, in His grace and mercy, and as a result of His sovereign election, took the initiative and saved us in spite of ourselves. Halleluiah! Why should we imagine that God would treat His chosen people Israel any differently then He treats you and me? We should be praying on behalf of Israel to our Righteous Judge, with the prophet Habakkuk: “O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.” Hab 3:2 The implications of replacement theology are frightening. If God has changed His mind concerning His promises to Israel, then how can we be sure He hasn’t changed his mind concerning His promises to us? Praise God, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. God never changes; His gifts and callings are irrevocable. The following passage fromJeremiah 33:25-26 should be sufficient to demonstrate replacement theology as fiction, not fact: Thus says the LORD, “If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I will restore their fortunes and I will have mercy on them.” Jeremiah 33:25-26 We still have day and night and the “fixed patterns” of heaven and earth. Therefore, God has not replaced His covenant people; He is restoring Israel in faithfulness to His eternal covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Fellow Christian, as we observe the enduring existence of Israel we have reason to rejoice. Just as God continues to be faithful to His covenant people Israel, He will also be faithful to those who are grafted into Israel by faith in Israel’s Messiah, Yeshua. Amen! 1 James Parkes, The Conflict of Church and Synagogue: A Study in the Origins of Anti-Semitism (New York: JPS, 1934) 2 Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews (New York, Harper & Rowe, 1988) p.207-208 3 Cf. W. Linden (ed), Luther’s Kampfschriften gegen das Judentum (Berlin, 1936) 4 Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews, (New York, Harper & Rowe 1988) p.241 15 years ago By Wayne Hilsden Yeshua Israel God Jerusalem Faith Bible Messiah Covenant Prophecy Teaching Gospel Lord Responsibility Abraham Prophetic Revelation Blessings Mercy Law Theology Comments Previous Up Next Home About Us Ministries Events Sermons Volunteer Teaching Give Replacement Theology - Fact or Fiction? by Wayne Hilsden As we observe the enduring existence of Israel we have reason to rejoice. Just as God continues to be faithful to His covenant people Israel, He will also be faithful to those who are grafted into Israel by faith in Israel’s Messiah, Yeshua. 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Bat Mitzvah

Home About Events Congregations Friends Donate BAR/BAT MITZVAH TRAINING Bar/bat mitzvah training is the culmination of the many years of Hebrew school that begin when the child enters first grade. Bar/bat mitzvah candidates generally should be able to sound out Hebrew texts and should be familiar with the basics of Jewish tradition and practice. There may be times when accommodations need to be made for children who are new to the congregation and have not attended Hebrew school, but still want to receive bar/bat mitzvah training. The goal of this training is not only to prepare the candidate for the big day, but for the candidate to have a better understanding of his/her identity as a Messianic Jewish person. Therefore, the process is just as important as the end result. The bar/bat mitzvah training typically begins at age 12 and consists of four parts: Torah and Haftarah with associated blessings. (Cantor or other insturctor) The candidate meets weekly to learn the Torah and Haftarah cantillation. Jewish Basics (Rabbi) The candidate meets weekly to learn and discuss Jewish History: The Big Picture by Gila Gevirtz, Behrman House Jewish Values: Jewish Heroes, Jewish Values by Barry L. Schwartz, Behrman House Jewish Heroes: Jewish Heroes, Jewish Values by Barry L. Schwartz, Behrman House Mentoring Understanding the Torah and Haftarah portion and its meaning Writing the D’var Torah Mitzvah Project The first part of bar/bat mitzvah training involves the student learning to chant Torah, the Haftarah, and the blessings. One of the best training tools available is a program called TropeTrainer http://www.kinnor.com/product-trope-trainer.html. TropeTrainer provides consistency, it allows for change of melodies to match what is used at your synagogue, it provides an audio visual program, and it is customizable and easy to set up. TropeTrainer comes in different packages, including a deluxe version with all of the Torah, Haftarah and High Holiday readings, a standard version without the High Holiday readings and individual parashiot which can be purchased on CD or as a download.  All versions include tutorials that teach the trope melodies and how to apply them to the readings.  If a congregation chooses to use TropeTrainer, the instructor should have at least the standard version and each student should have at least his or her parashah.  If a family has more than one child who will be a bar/bat mitzvah candiate, or if the congregation wishes to encourage Torah reading beyond bar/bat mitzvah, it would be more cost-effective for the family to purchase the standard version as opposed to just the bar/bat mitzvah parashah.  Also, using TropeTrainer would enable the teacher to learn right along with the student through the tutorials if there is no one in the congregation currently trained to teach this material.  Torah and Haftarah training will take approximately one year to complete. Usually the teacher works with the students about twice a week for 30 minutes to one hour depending on the student, with the student practicing what has been covered outside of instructional time. Less time in class may be more effective so that the students don't become overwhelmed. The exact structure of your program will depend on what works best at your synagogue. It is recommended to have the student attend class at a regularly scheduled time so that it becomes routine for them. If there are multiple students preparing in the same year, teaching the students how to chant the Torah and Haftarah, as well as instruction on Jewish history and culture can be taught in a group setting.  When students are ready to learn their specific portions and develop their speeches, it is necessary to do this on a one-on-one basis.  The second part of bar/bat mitzvah training is the cultural component, which helps the student to understand the “why” of what they are doing and the “how” of how do they fit into Jewish history. This is the part of the training that the Rabbi of the congregation completes with the student. They discuss Jewish history, Jewish values, and Jewish heroes. The third part of bar/bat mitzvah preparation involves the Rabbi mentoring the candidate through weekly meetings. The Rabbi works with the student to understand their Torah and Haftarah portion and the Rabbi helps the student write their speech. The student’s parents are also involved when it comes to helping the student write the speech. The fourth part of bar/bat mitzvah preparation involved the candidate choosing a mitzvah project to complete. The mitzvah project involves the student volunteering and giving back to others. The student should start by thinking about what issues they are interested in and where they would like to help out. An internet search can provide many good ideas and is also a great place to start when brainstorming about the mitzvah project. This service part of the bar/bat mitzvah training is a very meaningful and important part of the process. Restoring the Way Ministries Messianic Bar & Bar Mitzvah Program (pdf download) http://restoringtheway.org/product/messianic-bar-bat-mitzvah-program-2nd-edition/ Search UMJC PO Box 27-3729, Boca Raton, FL 33427 +1 (302) 786-5276 info@umjc.org Latest News Commentary FAQs Ordination & Credentials Resources for Educators Curriculum Bar/Bat Mitzvah New Ideas Books, Music, and Videos Day Camp Safety

Curriculum Shabbat School

Home About Events Congregations Friends Donate MESSIANIC JEWISH EDUCATORS Welcome to the UMJC Educators’ Resource Guide! Our hope is that this online resource guide will assist your congregation in finding materials that will help grow your congregation’s youth and children’s program! With this online resource guide, we can pull our resources together and strengthen our Messianic Jewish congregations and communities. CURRICULUM Shabbat School Nursery Flame Shabbat School Curriculum Preschool Flame Shabbat School Curriculum Elementary School Celebrations of the Bible: A Messianic Children’s Curriculum Children’s Torah Club, First Fruits of Zion Club Maccabee Flame Shabbat School Curriculum Reflecting Yeshua In the Decisions I Make TLV Treasures Yeshua in the Covenants Middle School The Power of a Praying Teen or Middle Schooler, compiled by Henri Louis Goulet (free pdf lesson) Joshua to Revelation - Youth Bible Reading Program (pdf download) High School A BMC Teens Hanukkah Devotional, compiled by Henri Louis Goulet (free pdf lesson) Being the Intergenerational Messianic Community of Lifelong Learners, compiled by Henri Louis Goulet (free pdf lesson) Messianic Teen’s Weekly Whole Torah Collection (Vol. 1) (pdf download) One Person Can Make a Difference in G-d’s History: Will YOU Be One of Them, compiled by Henri Goulet (free pdf lesson) Same Sex Sexual Relationships: A Biblical Perspective, compiled by Henri Goulet (free pdf lesson) The Profound Practice of Prayer Teen or Middle Schooler, compiled by Henri Goulet (free pdf lesson) Torah Teens, First Fruits of Zion Torah: What is it?, compiled by Henri Goulet (free pdf lesson) Who or what do You Allow to Define or Influence You: Daniel as Our Example, compiled by Henri Goulet (free pdf lesson) Hebrew School Behrman House Let’s Discover the Alef Bet Let's Learn the Alef Bet: Reading Readiness Book for The Hebrew Primer Derech Binah Hebrew Primer Hebrew Through Prayer I Hebrew Through Prayer II Hebrew Through Prayer III First Fruits of Zion Getting Started In Hebrew Combination Pack Wall Chart Workbook Video Flash Cards Flame Foundation Jot & Tittle Search the Siddur Sing the Sidra La’ Shon ha Kudesh Forms and Examples Hebrew School Kickoff: Parent Orientation, by Henri Goulet Hebrew School Overview: Example Syllabus using Behrman House Example Medical Information and Permission Forms   Search UMJC PO Box 27-3729, Boca Raton, FL 33427 +1 (302) 786-5276 info@umjc.org Latest News Commentary FAQs Ordination & Credentials Resources for Educators Curriculum Bar/Bat Mitzvah New Ideas Books, Music, and Videos Day Camp Safety

For God so Loved

Messianic Homeschooling & Hebrew Roots Homeschool Curriculum 0 For God So Loved… Posted on April 16, 2017 by Olivia Mancini 16 APR Passover, to Unleavened Bread, to First Fruits. All a beautiful leading up to the Risen King. What does this mean? This is how we are no longer bound by sin and shame but we are set free in Him and can worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Death is now defeated and we are alive in Him forever. What did Yeshua do for us?  He made a way. When you feel bound by your sin, when you feel defeated, when you feel hopeless, remember what He did for you. He died FOR YOU. He died and then He rose so that you could live a life with Him by your side everyday. He came as a man and left as a King. You know all that sin you are embarrassed about? Ashamed of? He can forgive it, and He can give you eternal life. Lay your sin out before Him and confess it because He is just to forgive it. I am Unworthy You feel unworthy of His sacrifice? So do I. I daily say, “Lord, why me? I am so unworthy. Why did You die for me?” He is so kind, so good, so loving. He says that we are beautiful in His sight, we are white as snow when we confess our sins to Him. He moves mountains for us, He heals us, He fills us with His presence. He does so much for us that we do not deserve. He doesn’t want Heaven without us, so that is why He tore the veil. He desires to be close to us, to have a relationship with us. Without Him dying on the cross we would not have that closeness with Him. You ARE worthy, you are worth it to Him. Don’t ever forget it. In your time of distress, remember Him, remember His love… He Loves Us “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” 1 Peter 3:18 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 John 3:16 “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed…”Isaiah 53:1-12 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Today we celebrate the Risen King. We worship Him, give Him thanks and honor for what He did on the cross. He is coming again. For God so loved the world… He made a way where there was no way. He freely gave His life, now I owe my life to Him. Make that commitment today. Give Him your all. He deserves all the glory and honor. Amen! He is risen and He is coming back again! This entry was posted in First Fruits and tagged Cross, Feasts, first fruits, For God loves, Jesus, Love, passover, Risen, Sacrifice, unleavened bread, Yeshua, YHVH. OLIVIA MANCINI Reasons and Excuses for Worship The Fear of the Lord RECENT POSTS Recent Posts FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP! Email address: Your email address SIGN UP POPULAR PRODUCTS Joshua to Revelation- Youth Bible Reading Program $12.00 Noach's Math: Multiplication 1 $2.00 On My Way to Learning the Letter Tav $1.00 Hinei Ma Tov Reader (Hebrew with nikkud) $1.00 FREE TORAH PORTION SCHEDULE LOOKING FOR A LOCAL CONGREGATION? JOIN THE CROWD Likes 349 Followers 415 COMPLETE HOMESCHOOL SOLUTION FEASTS OF THE LORD FEAST OF WEEKS- SHAVUOT OR PENTECOST FEAST OF TABERNACLES- SUKKOT DAY OF ATONEMENT- YOM KIPPUR FEAST OF DEDICATION- CHANUKAH FEAST OF TRUMPETS- YOM TERUAH TESHUVAH & THE 10 DAYS OF AWE PASSOVER-PESACH GETTING OUT THE LEAVEN!- UNLEAVENED BREAD DAY OF FIRSTFRUITS (YOM HABIKKURIM) TORAH TEACHINGS WHAT IS BIBLICAL KOSHER? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE SABBATH DAY? WHAT IS THE TORAH? JUST WHEN EXACTLY AM I SAVED? AND WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH A GRILL? CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 1 CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 2 FIGHTING LIKE CATS & DOGS RECENT ARTICLES: Humility JANUARY 22, 2018 Coffee With Yeshua SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 My Love Story AUGUST 11, 2017 Unexplainable Joy MAY 16, 2017 In The Waiting APRIL 25, 2017 The Fear of the Lord APRIL 24, 2017 For God So Loved… APRIL 16, 2017 LATEST VIDEOS 1/17 Next» By PoseLab Show more videos» Copyright 2018 © Restoring the Way All Rights Reserved | Website Design by CNY Website Design

Yom HaBikkurim

Messianic Homeschooling & Hebrew Roots Homeschool Curriculum 0 Day of Firstfruits (Yom haBikkurim) Posted on March 26, 2013 by Julie Allen 26 MAR When my kids realized that we were talking about First Fruits for school this week, they thought we were going to have a lot of fruit to eat! Then, I explained to them that the traditional thing to do on First Fruits was to have a wave offering. Puzzled faces stared back at me as I am sure they pictured either “the wave” that we do at sporting events or “waving” as we do when we greet or say good-bye to someone. I read to them Matthew 27:52-53 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matt. 27:52-53) Of course, the older boys loved talking about how this must have looked like the beginnings of an ancient zombie apocalypse. Maybe we will talk about that at some other time…. sigh… We continued our discussion with a reading from 1 Corinthians: But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. (1 Cor. 15:20-23) What does this have to do with Yeshua? What does this have to do with Passover and Unleavened Bread? Well, Yeshua is the firstfruits of the harvest. He is the first to ripen in the sight of YHVH. Because of Him we are able to be counted among the harvest of YHVH. Yeshua is the first-begotten of the Father (Heb. 1:6); the Firstborn of Creation (Col. 1:15-16); the first-begotten of the dead (Rev. 1:5) and is the Firstfruits of those who are to be resurrected (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Praise YHVH! And just as He is our Firstfruits, so “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created” (James 1:18). 1 Peter 1:3- Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who, according to His great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope because of the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah from the dead.” James 1:18- He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. Revelation 14:4- These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. Our mission is this: to go into the world and preach the gospel to every living creature (Mark 16:15) and recognize that the fields are white for the harvest (John 4:35). We are co-workers in YHVH’s field (1 Corinthians 3:9).   This entry was posted in Feasts, First Fruits and tagged day of first fruits, feast of first fruits, first fruits, homeschool first fruits, Yom habikkurim. JULIE ALLEN Parshiot Vayakhel/Pekudei Parsha Shemini RECENT POSTS Recent Posts FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP! Email address: Your email address SIGN UP POPULAR PRODUCTS Joshua to Revelation- Youth Bible Reading Program $12.00 Noach's Math: Multiplication 1 $2.00 On My Way to Learning the Letter Tav $1.00 Hinei Ma Tov Reader (Hebrew with nikkud) $1.00 FREE TORAH PORTION SCHEDULE LOOKING FOR A LOCAL CONGREGATION? JOIN THE CROWD Likes 349 Followers 415 COMPLETE HOMESCHOOL SOLUTION FEASTS OF THE LORD FEAST OF WEEKS- SHAVUOT OR PENTECOST FEAST OF TABERNACLES- SUKKOT DAY OF ATONEMENT- YOM KIPPUR FEAST OF DEDICATION- CHANUKAH FEAST OF TRUMPETS- YOM TERUAH TESHUVAH & THE 10 DAYS OF AWE PASSOVER-PESACH GETTING OUT THE LEAVEN!- UNLEAVENED BREAD DAY OF FIRSTFRUITS (YOM HABIKKURIM) TORAH TEACHINGS WHAT IS BIBLICAL KOSHER? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE SABBATH DAY? WHAT IS THE TORAH? JUST WHEN EXACTLY AM I SAVED? AND WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH A GRILL? CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 1 CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 2 FIGHTING LIKE CATS & DOGS RECENT ARTICLES: Humility JANUARY 22, 2018 Coffee With Yeshua SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 My Love Story AUGUST 11, 2017 Unexplainable Joy MAY 16, 2017 In The Waiting APRIL 25, 2017 The Fear of the Lord APRIL 24, 2017 For God So Loved… APRIL 16, 2017 LATEST VIDEOS 1/17 Next» By PoseLab Show more videos» Copyright 2018 © Restoring the Way All Rights Reserved | Website Design by CNY Website Design

Unleavened Bread

Messianic Homeschooling & Hebrew Roots Homeschool Curriculum 0 Getting out the leaven! Posted on March 30, 2015 by Joel Allen 30 MAR As we head toward the season of Unleavened Bread and the Spring Feasts of the Lord I am quickly reminded as I flip through commercials on television and stroll through store isles that this is also a season that many people, whether religious or not, celebrate Easter. I want to make a disclaimer before I dig into this subject that I am a Messianic Torah Teacher today but I grew up in the Christian church being involved in several denominations for nearly thirty years of my life. I do not condemn Christianity or well-meaning Christians because God chose my journey to start through this path. Without Christianity I would not have come to know the God of Israel. I celebrated Christmas and Easter and was involved in Resurrection Sunday plays and skits depicting the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That being said, I also do not agree with all of the doctrinal stances that I have grown up to learn as “God said biblical truth,” but later after further study and revelation from God discovered were in fact doctrines and traditions of men. It was this issue that Yeshua confronted the Pharisees about in Mark 7 referring to ceremonial washing of hands, which was tradition, being taught as commandment of God: [Mar 7:5, 7, 9 KJV] 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? … 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men. … 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. I could preach this in any church today speaking against certain aspects of Judaism and I would get a hardy, “AMEN!” However, Christianity follows a similar crooked path that Judaism followed, relying on elders and church fathers to establish doctrine that puts emphasis on tradition over commandment. The Jewish people by in large reject Yeshua as the Messiah not because the Bible supports it but because the Rabbis say so and in the Talmud and Mishnah, certain “post Yeshua” teachers of Judaism wrote about Yeshua being a false Messiah and false prophet. So the words of the Rabbis trump the obvious and numerous prophesies and writings that support that Yeshua is in fact the Messiah. To Christians this seems absurd. It’s so obvious! Why can’t they see it? Well setting aside the fact that “blindness in part has happened to the Jewish people until the fullness of the gentiles comes in” (Romans  11:25), there is a huge reliance on false information and sources. Now lets turn this around because the problem also exists in Christianity as much as in Judaism. When someone tries to explain the Torah or the Feasts of the Lord to the average Christian doctrines and sources being relied on are not biblical but that of “church fathers.” Instead of relying too much on the rabbis like Judaism, they are relying too heavily on church fathers to shape and form their interpretations and conclusions of the bible. When the question is asked, “when was Jesus crucified?” the knee jerk reaction is- “Good Friday!” Then when you ask when Jesus was resurrected, again the resounding, tested by the ages response of “Easter Sunday!” Does the Bible support this claim? No. Is it even possible for three days and three nights to exist between Friday at 3pm and early Sunday morning? No. Where did it come from? Church fathers and their writings, not the Word of God Himself. To someone that keeps the Passover and the Feasts of the Lord it seems obvious, just like the Christian explaining Jesus to Jews, but again the walls go up, defenses are raised and the blindfold that the Jews are accredited to having in part is partially pulled over the eyes of Christians as well. The bible says that the Old Testament is veiled to the Jews when they read it but is taken away when they come to Messiah Yeshua (2 Corinth. 3:14-16) but is that veil being cast over the New Testament when read by many Christians because of falling into the same sin of willful ignorance and pride? Listen to Paul’s warning in Romans 11 when speaking to the “wild olive branches,” who are non Jewish believers being grafted into the tree of Israel: [Rom 11:18-21 KJV] 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest he also spare not thee. We, as New Covenant brethren, whether Jewish or not, have to be very careful not to fall into the same sin as unbelieving Israel or the judgment will be the same upon us. Paul uses the words, highminded and boast. Take a moment and think about your walk with the Father. Does this describe you? Do we think we have all of the answers just because our Pastor said so or some church father wrote a paper hundreds of years ago? So why did I take this time to go over these concepts? Because whenever I talk to a lot of Christians about Christmas and Easter and the deceptions associated with them, I get a boastful and highminded response instead of being like the Berians and searching the scriptures to see if it is true. I plead with you to please study for yourself: [2Ti 2:15 KJV] 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. So what does all of this have to do with leaven? It is at this season that God calls and requires a removal of leaven from all of Israel’s households. What is leaven and why is it symbolized as something bad to remove before the Passover? [Exo 12:15 KJV] 15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. [Exo 13:7 KJV] 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. [Lev 2:11 KJV] 11 No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire. Leaven is the agent that causes bread to rise. Without leaven bread is flat in an unrisen state. What sin causes someone to be puffed up? PRIDE! Pride is the leaven I believe God wants us to focus on getting out of our lives and our homes. Pride is the root of all kinds of sin. In fact, most if not all sins could be traced back to pride. Remember Paul’s warning: “Do Not be highminded!” This is what blocks us from receiving revelation from God Himself or through the agents He sends in our path to deliver messages we wouldn’t hear for ourselves from His Word. Yeshua took issue with the Pharisees and Sadducees  mostly I believe because of the pride and haughtiness they possessed. [Mat 16:11 KJV] 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake [it] not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Paul also spoke of this concept in 1 Corinthians 5 as he rebukes the assembly for allowing sin in their midst and being arrogant and puffed up about it instead of humbling themselves and repenting: [1Co 5:2, 6-8 KJV] 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. … 6 Your glorying [is] not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened [bread] of sincerity and truth. What do we do when approached with teaching that challenges us to repent and change? Do we study for ourselves and seek truth with a humble unleavened spirit or do we get puffed up and resist any correction, boasting in our old leaven (doctrines). This season of Unleavened Bread lets get the leaven out! Let us keep the feast with unleavened bread  of sincerity and truth. Chag Sameach Hamatzot (Happy Feast of Unleavened Bread)! This entry was posted in Feasts, First Fruits and tagged chag hamtzot, chametz, leaven, matzah, pride, puffed up, unleavened bread, what is leaven?. JOEL ALLEN Pesach | פסח | “Passover “ Sh’mini | שמיני | “Eighth “ RECENT POSTS Recent Posts FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP! Email address: Your email address SIGN UP POPULAR PRODUCTS Joshua to Revelation- Youth Bible Reading Program $12.00 Noach's Math: Multiplication 1 $2.00 On My Way to Learning the Letter Tav $1.00 Hinei Ma Tov Reader (Hebrew with nikkud) $1.00 FREE TORAH PORTION SCHEDULE LOOKING FOR A LOCAL CONGREGATION? JOIN THE CROWD Likes 349 Followers 415 COMPLETE HOMESCHOOL SOLUTION FEASTS OF THE LORD FEAST OF WEEKS- SHAVUOT OR PENTECOST FEAST OF TABERNACLES- SUKKOT DAY OF ATONEMENT- YOM KIPPUR FEAST OF DEDICATION- CHANUKAH FEAST OF TRUMPETS- YOM TERUAH TESHUVAH & THE 10 DAYS OF AWE PASSOVER-PESACH GETTING OUT THE LEAVEN!- UNLEAVENED BREAD DAY OF FIRSTFRUITS (YOM HABIKKURIM) TORAH TEACHINGS WHAT IS BIBLICAL KOSHER? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE SABBATH DAY? WHAT IS THE TORAH? JUST WHEN EXACTLY AM I SAVED? AND WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH A GRILL? CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 1 CONVICTION OR COMMANDMENT PART 2 FIGHTING LIKE CATS & DOGS RECENT ARTICLES: Humility JANUARY 22, 2018 Coffee With Yeshua SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 My Love Story AUGUST 11, 2017 Unexplainable Joy MAY 16, 2017 In The Waiting APRIL 25, 2017 The Fear of the Lord APRIL 24, 2017 For God So Loved… APRIL 16, 2017 LATEST VIDEOS 1/17 Next» By PoseLab Show more videos» Copyright 2018 © Restoring the Way All Rights Reserved | Website Design by CNY Website Design

Pesach

Messianic Homeschooling & Hebrew Roots Homeschool Curriculum 0 Passover-Pesach Posted on February 24, 2015 by Joel Allen 24 FEB Passover/Pesach The Feast of Freedom Pesach or Passover is a treasured feast of the LORD and falls in the winter/spring time of the year. Passover is also called the Feast of Freedom as Israel remembers their freedom from slavery from Egypt. It is a part of what is known as the “Spring Feasts of the LORD,” and is followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits culminating up to the Feast of Shavuot which usually is at the end of spring and beginning of the summer season. Passover is the first of the spring feasts and marks the end of the winter which usually symbolizes death and darkness and the beginning of the spring which symbolizes newness of life. The seasons tell us a lot about how YHWH has setup the universe and the changing of the earth from year to year. The feasts of the LORD also tell us about the timing of the universe and the prophetic time piece of where we are from year to year. This is why scripture tells us to keep these feasts in their “seasons.” Lev. 23:4 “These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.” The Facts: What do the Scriptures say about it? Exd 12:11 KJV – And thus shall ye eat it; [with] your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it [is] the LORD’S passover. Exd 12:3 KJV – Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth [day] of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of [their] fathers, a lamb for an house: Exd 12:6 KJV – And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Exd 12:8 KJV – And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; [and] with bitter [herbs] they shall eat it. Exd 12:11 KJV – And thus shall ye eat it; [with] your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it [is] the LORD’S passover. Lev 23:5 KJV – In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD’S passover. When is it? Lev 23:5 KJV – In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD’S passover. What should you do? 1.- A lamb of the first year is selected on the10th day of the first month (Exod. 12:3) 2.- The lamb is to be roasted in fire (Exod. 12:8-9) 3.- You are to eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs in the evening of the 14th (Exod. 12:6,8) 4.- All leaven or yeast should be removed from your home before the meal. (Exod. 12:19) The First Passover- The sons of Jacob (Israel) came down into Egypt and settled in the land of Goshen. Scripture tells us that a new Pharaoh rose up that did not know Joseph or the God of Joseph. This Pharaoh saw the blessing of God upon Israel because they prospered at all they did. Their cattle and their crops were greater and even their sons and daughters multiplied greatly. Pharaoh became fearful that the children of Israel would try to take over Egypt so he devised a plan of putting them under slavery to keep them from multiplying any further. For 400 years the children of Israel served Mitzrayim (Egypt) and it became known to the Pharaoh that a deliverer was coming to set the people of Israel free who would be born among the Hebrews. Moshe (Moses) was that deliverer and through 10 judgments or plagues the hand of God through the prophet Moshe slew the “Goliath” nation of Egypt and cut off the head or posterity of the King of the known world. It was at the 10th judgment that the children of Israel would be set free. It was the judgment of death to the first born and the only judgment that offered instruction for those that would obey to escape this death penalty. Through the blood of a spotless yearling lamb placed on the door posts and lintel anyone (Hebrew or non-Hebrew) would be saved from death. The blood was a sign so that the death angel would “pass over” the homes that had it and only enter the homes that did not have the sign. The Passover meal is a remembrance of this day and includes elements that are to remind and teach future generations about the deliverance of the children of Israel with a “mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” Yeshua the Lamb of God- Ever since Avraham laid Isaac upon the altar and offered up his only begotten son there has always been an awareness and expectation of the son of God that would be the perfect Lamb sacrifice. Just as Isaac carried the wood of the sacrifice on his shoulders up the hill, so the Son of Man carried his own cross on his shoulders up that same hill. Intuitively, Isaac asked where the sacrifice was going to come from. Avraham answered with prophetic confidence that “God would provide his own sacrifice.” From generation to generation Hebrews looked and waited for this perfect Lamb of God, the one that would take away the sins of the world. Scholars say that after the prophet of Malachi finished his written scroll there was approximately 400 years of “silence” when no prophet spoke to Israel and the land was void of a voice from heaven. During this 400 years Israel was taken over by the Babylonians, the Medio-Persians, Greece, Egypt, Syria, and finally Rome. Instead of slavery to one nation they were slaughtered and pillaged by many nations and during the reign of King Herod (not from the lineage of David) there arose a rumor of a King of the Jews and deliverer to be born at this time. Like in the days of Moshe, the ruler of the Jews decreed for the slaughtering of innocent male children in a futile attempt to debunk the Sovereign’s plan. In fact the similarities don’t stop there. Joseph and Miriam were told by the Angel of the Lord to flee to Egypt and to return when it was safe. Miriam was the Hebrew name of Mary and in the Tanakh Miriam was the young sister of Moshe that hid him in Egypt. Egypt of all places and by a damsel named Miriam! The time came and Joseph and Miriam returned to Jerusalem during the Feast of Sukkoth in the fall when all of the inns were full for the festival and in a stable under a Sukkah (temporary dwelling) Yeshua was born. This isn’t the typical place where kings were born but perhaps lambs instead. Yeshua grew up in a town called Nazareth and when he had become of age and the time had come He approached Yochanan (John) the Baptist or Immerser. It was at this particular time while he was “baptizing” at the Jordan River that Yochanan looked up and saw Yeshua coming from the wilderness and exclaimed, “behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).” Then when the disciples were called we can read that they had recognized Yeshua as the Messiah as already written in the scriptures: John 1:45 “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Yeshua of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” There was an expectation of the Messiah to come and Yeshua fit the bill. He later confirms this over and over again throughout his ministry and ultimate death and resurrection. It is through the final Passover of Yeshua that this prophetic fulfillment comes to a head. Let’s look at the Pesach feast and the final days of Yeshua until the cross and see the magnificent fulfillment of prophecy in the heart of the holy city: 10th of Nissan/Aviv: On the tenth day of Nissan/Aviv, the month of Passover a lamb is to be selected and for the next six days it is to live in your home and be scrutinized and picked over to find any blemishes or flaws. As prescribed by the Torah the lamb is not to be sickly or unfit in any way. [Exo 12:3, 5 ESV] 3 “Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. … 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats…” It was at this time that Yeshua rides into town and is heralded by “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest,” as palms were waved. This was the time when the Cohenim (Levitical Priests) would triumphantly walk into town with the selected lamb but this Passover Yeshua beats them to the punch and as the people cheer for the Lamb, the Son of Man enters instead, symbolically representing the chosen Lamb of God (Matt. 21:9-10) Yeshua went straight way into the Temple and for the next six days the Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Lawyers all tried to find fault in Him. Just like the Paschal Lamb, Yeshua was scrutinized and tested but was found without fault. No blemish of character or doctrine. Perfect. 13th of Nissan/Aviv: As Yeshua was taken on what was probably the evening of the 13th of Nissan He continued to be tested, beaten, and examined all night but fulfilling the words of the Prophet, [Isa 53:7 ESV] 7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” Yeshua was questioned by Caiaphas the High Priest, King Herod, and finally Pilate the Roman Governor over Judea. 14th of Nissan/Aviv: It would be prophetically announced through Pilate, what the High Priest announces when the final examination is complete of the Paschal Lamb and declares it is ready to sacrifice: [Jhn 19:6 ESV] 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” This was the sixth hour (noon) on the 14th of Nissan/Aviv, the day of preparation for the Passover meal (John 19:14) to be eaten that evening just before sunset. Yeshua was taken and carried OUR cross outside of the “camp,” where the Torah prescribes is where the refuse and garbage is to be buried and/or burned (Deut. 23:12-14). This is also where the mysterious Red Heifer sacrifice is slaughtered according to the Torah (Num. 19). As in many cases throughout the Bible oftentimes there are many layers of fulfillment of prophecy and the Passover prophecy is no exception. Yeshua is hung on a Roman cross or stake. Some believe that He only carried the cross beam and it was then fastened to a rooted tree; an Olive tree. In any case I am sure it was extremely painful and humiliating, especially hung in the company of criminals, knowing fully that the Torah declares (Deut. 21:23) that anyone who is hung on a tree is cursed: [Isa 53:12 ESV] 12 “Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” That last part of Isaiah 53:12 rang true as Yeshua asked for forgiveness for those that mocked Him and ignorantly crucified Him; [Luk 23:34 ESV] 34 And Yeshua said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” From the sixth hour (noon) to the ninth hour (3pm) the whole land was darkened by what theologians believe was an eclipse (Matt. 27:45). It was at this exact time that the Cohenim (Priests) were slaughtering the Lambs for Passover and placing them in the ovens to be roasted. Thousands if not millions of Jews filled the streets the Jerusalem as Passover was one of three pilgrimage feasts that required all males to report to the Temple with tithes and offerings and the passover lambs for the priests to prepare. As the Cohenim would tirelessly slaughter one lamb after another, covered in blood, they would declare, “I thirst!” as a servant would bring them a drink to refresh them. It was then that Yeshua, our great High Priest, declared, “I thirst,” and  a sponge full of sour wine was pressed against His blood stained lips. When all of the Lambs were finished being slaughtered and the last one placed in the great ovens the Cohenim would declare, “IT IS FINISHED!” It was at this exact moment that many believe that Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, “IT IS FINISHED!” And then He died. Not a single bone in His body was broken just as commanded of the Pashcal Lamb (Exd. 12:46). Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy righteous Jew, asked Pilate for the body of Yeshua (Luke 23:50-53) and placed Him in a rich man’s tomb, again fulfilling prophecy: [Isa 53:9 ESV] 9 “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.” 15th of Nissan/Aviv: Yeshua was wrapped in a shroud and placed in a tomb with a stone rolled over the entrance as ordered by Pilate to prevent anyone from stealing or vandalizing the body. Scripture tells us that this happened just before sundown which would have started the 15th of Nissan/Aviv which was the first day of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) and it is a Sabbath according to the Torah: [Lev 23:6-7 ESV] 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. Many scholars have read this in [Luk 23:54 ESV] 54 “It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.” and have come to a wrong conclusion that this meant the weekly Sabbath so “Jesus had to have been crucified on a Friday.” After all, that’s where we get the term “Good Friday” from which is the Friday before Easter Sunday, when supposedly Jesus rose from the grave? The only problem with this conclusion is that Yeshua declared a sign of His authenticity as the Messiah, that He would be in the grave just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Let’s take a look at that scripture: [Mat 12:40 ESV] 40 “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” So the great mystery is this… How can you get three days and three nights from Friday evening to Sunday morning? This is impossible in any time zone and even in a leap year (a little humor sorry). I know God can do anything He wants with time but why would He give a clear sign and then break it? God is not a liar so we should stop showing Him a liar by making things up to fit times and seasons that are NOT biblically inspired. Take a look at this infographic of the Passover fulfillment of Yeshua Messiah and the critical error of Good Friday to Easter Sunday (click to enlarge): This entry was posted in Feasts, Passover and tagged christian passover teaching, hebrew roots passover teaching, messianic passover, messianic pesach teaching, passover, pesach. JOEL ALLEN What does the Bible say about the Sabbath day? Unleavened Bread- Chag Hamatzot RECENT POSTS Recent Posts FREE NEWSLETTER SIGNUP! 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