When it comes to Restoration, there is perhaps no greater subject than the Restoration of our Jewish Roots. Some might say, “How can this be?” The simple answer to that question is that our Messiah, Yeshua is Jewish, and He is the Root. When we reject our root, we reject Yeshua. By the way, Yeshua, in Hebrew, is Jesus' name, and is the same Hebrew word used for Salvation. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus said. “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (NIV) (emphasis mine)
So clearly, Scripture shows that when we reject our Jewish Root, we reject our Savior. Does this mean that everyone who does not know anything about their Jewish roots is unsaved? Of course not. If you are saved and have a relationship with Jesus you are in the Jewish root, whether you realize it or not. The concept of returning to our Jewish root is a sanctification issue, a very important one.
As Christians or Messianic believers, we are betrothed to Yeshua in marriage. We are His Bride. Just as in a Traditional Jewish Wedding, the Son has gone to the Father to prepare a place for His Bride. The time will come when the Bridal House is complete and the Father will say to His Son that it is time to go get your Bride. The Bible says that even Yeshua, does not know when this time will be, but only the Father (Matthew 24:36).
Yeshua, being fully Elohim and fully human has kept that information from Himself, and is waiting in eager anticipation for that great moment. All of creation was made for this very purpose; The Father sought a Bride for His Son! There is a Hebrew word associated with this betrothal period called kiddushin. It means sanctification and describes what the Bride is to do while she is waiting for her Groom to return. It is at this time that she would begin to fashion herself after her Groom. This is also the time that they were allowed to give their hearts to each other in love. Up until that time, they were to guard their hearts and save it for their future mate. The modern practice of dating was virtually unheard of. Sadly, there are many “sacred stones” where people in our society are unknowingly giving their hearts to principles and practices that damage their relationship with their Groom. But that is a different subject.
Throughout the centuries, satan's work of anti-Semitism has stripped the Jewishness of our faith from Christianity. What many people do not understand is that Christianity is totally Jewish. The Scriptures that we learn from were primarily written by Jews. As mentioned above, we serve a Savior who is Jewish and practiced the Jewish Religion. This should not be confused with Jewish myths as referred to in Scripture. As Yeshua would not participate in a Jewish myth any more than he would participate in a Gentile myth. Nor should we! Please note that when the Scripture speaks of Jewish myths, it is never referring to Elohim's Word in the Jewish Scriptures and the Jewish Customs He set down for them to do. Nor was He referring to all Jewish customs, as many point to the fact that Yeshua is the Messiah, even when they do not understand it, such as the Jewish wedding customs.
An important fact that all Christians should understand, is that the Bible says that Gentile believers of Yeshua are grafted into Israel (Romans 11:13-23). This makes us Jewish and no longer treated like former Gentiles. This principle can be seen in Yeshua's words to a Gentile woman who asked Yeshua to heal her daughter. Yeshua at first ignored her because she was Gentile. His disciples asked Yeshua to make her go away. He seemed to affirm their statement by saying that He only came for the lost sheep of Israel. The woman persisted in her request and then Yeshua told her that it was not right to give the children's food to the dogs. He was referring to Gentiles as dogs. The food is the miracles that belong to the children of Israel. She was very humble and instead of getting mad, she told Yeshua that even the dogs get the scraps from the master's table. She understood that even a portion of the power of the Elohim-of-Israel was enough to heal her daughter. Yeshua recognized that her faith was great and healed her daughter after she had said that. As Gentile believers, we need to have the same kind of humility that the woman had. Instead of getting mad that Elohim would call Gentiles dogs, we should understand that He loved us so much that He made a way for us to become grafted into Israel. He did this with His very life. There is no greater love than that!
The early church, which consisted of both Jews and Gentiles, practiced the Biblical Holidays as commanded by Yahuwah in Scriptures, and experienced all the miracles that come when you stay in the Root. It was later, that satan's persecution of the Jews became so bad that even being a friend of a Jewish person could cost you your life. It was the spirit of anti-Semetism and total hatred of all mankind, that led the set times to be changed. Saturday Sabbath was changed to Sunday. The Biblical Holidays established by Yahuwah were replaced with Pagan Holidays. Dancing, which is very Biblical, was also prohibited. These were satanically led changes designed to pull the church away from it's Jewish Roots. These effects have lasted so long that even in today's services all that appears to be left is people lifting their hands and saying "amen." However, even this is often under attack. Proper Biblical Dance, the Biblical Holidays and Set Times are something that Yahuwah has established, as shown in Scripture, and is a part of our Jewish Roots. For this reason, and the fact that they point to Yeshua as Messiah and His plan of redemption, it is important that we practice this and not man's traditions.
Another aspect of our Jewish Roots comes in the way we raise our children. In Biblical Jewish Faith, Family is central. That holds true to the Ingrafted Branches as well. Parents are to train their children under the admonition and nurture of Yahuwah; when they sit in their house, when they walk by the way, when they lie down and when they get up. In other words, Yeshua is to be included in every aspect of our lives. This is so important that Yeshua gives us a serious warning when He says: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." (Luke 6:39 - 40) In Matthew 10:33 Yeshua said: "but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven." And yet people all over the nation who have lost their Jewish Roots are sending their children to public schools, which are federally mandated anti-christ schools. As evidenced by their refusal to allow Him in their curriculum, or prayer, or even any mention of His name at school functions. Is it any wonder that children from Christian homes are falling away from the faith by a rate of about 75 to 85% by the time they graduate from high school? And many of them who appear to stay in the faith, are so double minded that their behavior changes depending on which group they are with at the time. If they are at church and around faith filled people they tend to be at their best behavior, but while in school or with others they will often act like sons of hell. In these cases, its usually a problem with peer pressure or community pressure, and not staying in their Jewish Root or more clearly, their Messiah Yeshua. Another way to describe this would be to say they are walking in the flesh. The reasons for Family being central in the discipleship of our children is so that we, as a community of faith, will not be absorbed into the pagan culture around us. Unfortunately this culture can not only be found in the world at large but also in the church, to the extent that it follows the world's patterns.
A Jewish example of what can happen when people deny their Jewish root can be found in the records of Flavious Josephus. He lived during the time of the early Church and kept historical records of the Jews before and after Yeshua's time on earth. In Book XII, chapter 5, he records a time when some Jews went to the foreign king Antiochus and said they wanted to abandon the laws of the Jews and live according to the ways of the Grecians. They also requested that he build them a gymnasium in Jerusalem. At that time, the Grecian's worshiped the body and sports were conducted with no clothes on. Antiochus was encouraged by the gesture of these vile men who were eager to throw out their Jewish Roots. When Antiochus later came to take over Jerusalem, the gates were opened without a fight and he and his troops were allowed in. He took control of Jerusalem at that time, and killed those that were of an opposing camp. After seeing the treasures in the temple, he came back two years later to loot its wealth and killed thousands, not sparing those who had encouraged him in the first place. Fortunately the story did not stop there, and the Maccabees fought hard to restore their Jewish roots and customs and retook the Temple and land. Because of this, there was a temple standing when Yeshua came to His people during His first coming! With the victory of the Maccabees, through Yahuwah's help, came the Feast of Lights, also known as Hanukah which Yeshua also celebrated.
Believing Christians and Jews are waiting for their wedding to Yeshua, our Jewish Groom. We do not want to be like the five unwise bridesmaids who were complacent in their preparations for the wedding. And we certainly do not want to be making plans for a counterfeit wedding by practicing the pagan holidays. If we would just be bold and step away from the pressures and traditions of men, and prepare for our Jewish Wedding, our Groom will be well pleased. It should not be hard for us to understand how a Groom would be disappointed if he saw his Bride ignoring their wedding plans, and practicing those of his enemy. In the end, He may just say: “Get away, for I never knew you!” (Matthew 25:10-13 & 7:17-23) No! We are to give our hearts to Him, and give Him the Honor that He deserves. We are to prepare for the wedding to our Jewish Groom!
Let's close with Yeshua's words again, as found in Revelation 22:16-17:
I Yeshua have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Rev 22:16-17
Copyright Myron L. Martin 2009
All Rights Reserved
Used with Permission
So clearly, Scripture shows that when we reject our Jewish Root, we reject our Savior. Does this mean that everyone who does not know anything about their Jewish roots is unsaved? Of course not. If you are saved and have a relationship with Jesus you are in the Jewish root, whether you realize it or not. The concept of returning to our Jewish root is a sanctification issue, a very important one.
As Christians or Messianic believers, we are betrothed to Yeshua in marriage. We are His Bride. Just as in a Traditional Jewish Wedding, the Son has gone to the Father to prepare a place for His Bride. The time will come when the Bridal House is complete and the Father will say to His Son that it is time to go get your Bride. The Bible says that even Yeshua, does not know when this time will be, but only the Father (Matthew 24:36).
Yeshua, being fully Elohim and fully human has kept that information from Himself, and is waiting in eager anticipation for that great moment. All of creation was made for this very purpose; The Father sought a Bride for His Son! There is a Hebrew word associated with this betrothal period called kiddushin. It means sanctification and describes what the Bride is to do while she is waiting for her Groom to return. It is at this time that she would begin to fashion herself after her Groom. This is also the time that they were allowed to give their hearts to each other in love. Up until that time, they were to guard their hearts and save it for their future mate. The modern practice of dating was virtually unheard of. Sadly, there are many “sacred stones” where people in our society are unknowingly giving their hearts to principles and practices that damage their relationship with their Groom. But that is a different subject.
Throughout the centuries, satan's work of anti-Semitism has stripped the Jewishness of our faith from Christianity. What many people do not understand is that Christianity is totally Jewish. The Scriptures that we learn from were primarily written by Jews. As mentioned above, we serve a Savior who is Jewish and practiced the Jewish Religion. This should not be confused with Jewish myths as referred to in Scripture. As Yeshua would not participate in a Jewish myth any more than he would participate in a Gentile myth. Nor should we! Please note that when the Scripture speaks of Jewish myths, it is never referring to Elohim's Word in the Jewish Scriptures and the Jewish Customs He set down for them to do. Nor was He referring to all Jewish customs, as many point to the fact that Yeshua is the Messiah, even when they do not understand it, such as the Jewish wedding customs.
An important fact that all Christians should understand, is that the Bible says that Gentile believers of Yeshua are grafted into Israel (Romans 11:13-23). This makes us Jewish and no longer treated like former Gentiles. This principle can be seen in Yeshua's words to a Gentile woman who asked Yeshua to heal her daughter. Yeshua at first ignored her because she was Gentile. His disciples asked Yeshua to make her go away. He seemed to affirm their statement by saying that He only came for the lost sheep of Israel. The woman persisted in her request and then Yeshua told her that it was not right to give the children's food to the dogs. He was referring to Gentiles as dogs. The food is the miracles that belong to the children of Israel. She was very humble and instead of getting mad, she told Yeshua that even the dogs get the scraps from the master's table. She understood that even a portion of the power of the Elohim-of-Israel was enough to heal her daughter. Yeshua recognized that her faith was great and healed her daughter after she had said that. As Gentile believers, we need to have the same kind of humility that the woman had. Instead of getting mad that Elohim would call Gentiles dogs, we should understand that He loved us so much that He made a way for us to become grafted into Israel. He did this with His very life. There is no greater love than that!
The early church, which consisted of both Jews and Gentiles, practiced the Biblical Holidays as commanded by Yahuwah in Scriptures, and experienced all the miracles that come when you stay in the Root. It was later, that satan's persecution of the Jews became so bad that even being a friend of a Jewish person could cost you your life. It was the spirit of anti-Semetism and total hatred of all mankind, that led the set times to be changed. Saturday Sabbath was changed to Sunday. The Biblical Holidays established by Yahuwah were replaced with Pagan Holidays. Dancing, which is very Biblical, was also prohibited. These were satanically led changes designed to pull the church away from it's Jewish Roots. These effects have lasted so long that even in today's services all that appears to be left is people lifting their hands and saying "amen." However, even this is often under attack. Proper Biblical Dance, the Biblical Holidays and Set Times are something that Yahuwah has established, as shown in Scripture, and is a part of our Jewish Roots. For this reason, and the fact that they point to Yeshua as Messiah and His plan of redemption, it is important that we practice this and not man's traditions.
Another aspect of our Jewish Roots comes in the way we raise our children. In Biblical Jewish Faith, Family is central. That holds true to the Ingrafted Branches as well. Parents are to train their children under the admonition and nurture of Yahuwah; when they sit in their house, when they walk by the way, when they lie down and when they get up. In other words, Yeshua is to be included in every aspect of our lives. This is so important that Yeshua gives us a serious warning when He says: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." (Luke 6:39 - 40) In Matthew 10:33 Yeshua said: "but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven." And yet people all over the nation who have lost their Jewish Roots are sending their children to public schools, which are federally mandated anti-christ schools. As evidenced by their refusal to allow Him in their curriculum, or prayer, or even any mention of His name at school functions. Is it any wonder that children from Christian homes are falling away from the faith by a rate of about 75 to 85% by the time they graduate from high school? And many of them who appear to stay in the faith, are so double minded that their behavior changes depending on which group they are with at the time. If they are at church and around faith filled people they tend to be at their best behavior, but while in school or with others they will often act like sons of hell. In these cases, its usually a problem with peer pressure or community pressure, and not staying in their Jewish Root or more clearly, their Messiah Yeshua. Another way to describe this would be to say they are walking in the flesh. The reasons for Family being central in the discipleship of our children is so that we, as a community of faith, will not be absorbed into the pagan culture around us. Unfortunately this culture can not only be found in the world at large but also in the church, to the extent that it follows the world's patterns.
A Jewish example of what can happen when people deny their Jewish root can be found in the records of Flavious Josephus. He lived during the time of the early Church and kept historical records of the Jews before and after Yeshua's time on earth. In Book XII, chapter 5, he records a time when some Jews went to the foreign king Antiochus and said they wanted to abandon the laws of the Jews and live according to the ways of the Grecians. They also requested that he build them a gymnasium in Jerusalem. At that time, the Grecian's worshiped the body and sports were conducted with no clothes on. Antiochus was encouraged by the gesture of these vile men who were eager to throw out their Jewish Roots. When Antiochus later came to take over Jerusalem, the gates were opened without a fight and he and his troops were allowed in. He took control of Jerusalem at that time, and killed those that were of an opposing camp. After seeing the treasures in the temple, he came back two years later to loot its wealth and killed thousands, not sparing those who had encouraged him in the first place. Fortunately the story did not stop there, and the Maccabees fought hard to restore their Jewish roots and customs and retook the Temple and land. Because of this, there was a temple standing when Yeshua came to His people during His first coming! With the victory of the Maccabees, through Yahuwah's help, came the Feast of Lights, also known as Hanukah which Yeshua also celebrated.
Believing Christians and Jews are waiting for their wedding to Yeshua, our Jewish Groom. We do not want to be like the five unwise bridesmaids who were complacent in their preparations for the wedding. And we certainly do not want to be making plans for a counterfeit wedding by practicing the pagan holidays. If we would just be bold and step away from the pressures and traditions of men, and prepare for our Jewish Wedding, our Groom will be well pleased. It should not be hard for us to understand how a Groom would be disappointed if he saw his Bride ignoring their wedding plans, and practicing those of his enemy. In the end, He may just say: “Get away, for I never knew you!” (Matthew 25:10-13 & 7:17-23) No! We are to give our hearts to Him, and give Him the Honor that He deserves. We are to prepare for the wedding to our Jewish Groom!
Let's close with Yeshua's words again, as found in Revelation 22:16-17:
I Yeshua have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. (17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Rev 22:16-17
Copyright Myron L. Martin 2009
All Rights Reserved
Used with Permission
Restoration of Our Jewish Roots
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