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Ask the money changer for more details.
(House Of Our Father)
Welcome to our online
Congregation!
We’re happy to have you with
us today!
Exodus 12:49
One Torah shall be to him that is
home-born, and unto the stranger
that sojourneth among you.
Where does a Gentile who believes in Yeshua
start? Acts 21:25
25 "However, in regard to the Goyim who
have come to trust in Yeshua, we all joined in
writing them a letter with our decision that
they should abstain from what had been
sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is
strangled and from fornication."
Then after they see the blessings that they
can get from keeping those Laws and the
scales begin to fall from their eyes we can tell
them… There’s more blessings available,
they’re right here! There’s more of G-d’s
Laws.
They start keeping kosher and keeping
Sabbath before ya know it, they’re Jews, just
like the rest of us. If they have to work on
Sabbath, they’re excused. If they’ve done and
are doing everything they can to get Sabbath
off, but their boss wont let them, they’re
excused and no one here should give them
any flack for it.
It is a higher mitzvah to provide for your
family. Yes, keep trying to get Sabbath off and
I do believe one day G-d will work that out
for you.
Don’t try to fool G-d and go and look for a job
where you know you’ll have to work on
Shabbat. Do everything humanly possible,
but if you still can’t get that day off… you’re
excused and no one should say anything
about it to you.
Always be kind to each other, these ARE your
brothers and sisters and as Jews always say…
if you can’t say something nice, say it in
Yiddish.
NEWS
Dmitry Bogotich, the leader of a Petah
Tikva neo-Nazi gang that carried out
violent attacks against religious Jews,
foreign workers and homeless people,
was sentenced in the Tel Aviv District
Court on Thursday to a prison sentence
of five years and nine months.
NEWS
Police exposed the “Patrol 36”
gang neo-Nazi attacks in 2007, and
arrested eight gang members.
Bogotich fled to Kyrgystan, but was
extradited to Israel and arrested in
January.
NEWS
Bogotich’s mother, with whom
Bogotich had lived in Petah Tikva
before his arrest, wore a silver star
of David necklace to the
sentencing hearing. She refused to
answer reporters’ questions.
NEWS
Gang member Kirill Malenkov,
whose family are Holocaust
survivors, was sentenced to three
years.
NEWS
However, as a mitigating factor
Amsterdam noted that Bogotich had
apologized in court for his role in the
attacks.
“When I get out of prison, I will be a
loyal Israeli, either in Israel or out of
Israel,” Bogotich said during a previous
hearing.
NEWS
“The revelation that violence based on
racist ideologies is reemerging in the
State of Israel is horrifying, and
reopens the gaping wounds of those
Holocaust survivors who are exposed
to these events on radio and
television,” the judge said.
NEWS
Traditions…
I Cor 11:2
2 Now I praise you because you
have remembered everything I
told you and observe the
traditions just the way I passed
them on to you.
II Thes 2
15 Therefore, brothers, stand
firm; and hold to the traditions
you were taught by us, whether
we spoke them or wrote them in
a letter.
II Thes 3
6 Now we command you,
brethren, in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that ye
withdraw yourselves from every
brother that walketh disorderly,
and not after the tradition which
he received of us.
• We’d like to welcome any visitors.
• We have visitor cards that you can fill
out then drop into the Tzedika
(offering) box when we pass it around.
• No Hebrew class today after the service
• HaYasode Classes on Tuesdays
A little girl asked her mother, "How did
the human race appear?"
The mother answered, "God made Adam
and Eve and they had children, and so was
all mankind made.."
Two days later the girl asked her father
the same question.. The father answered,
"Many years ago there were monkeys
from which the human race evolved."
The confused girl returned to her mother
and said, "Mom, how is it possible that
you told me the human race was created
by God, and Dad said they developed
from monkeys?"
The mother answered, “Simple. I told you
about my side of the family and your
father told you about his."
“On the morning of the third
day there was thunder and lightning, with a
thick cloud over the mountain, and there was
the sounding of a very loud SHOFAR blast.
Everyone in the camp trembled.”
Please stand for the Shema
and face east towards Jerusalem.
Shema Israel Adoni
Elohaynu Adoni Echad.
Barukh shem k'vod
malkhuto l'olam va'ed.
(Remain standing for
Hatikva)
Hear oh Israel the L-rd
our G-d is one L-rd.
Blessed be the Name of
His glorious kingdom for
ever and ever.
Because Messiah said it is the greatest
Commandment!
Mark 12:28-29
28
And one of the scribes came, and
having heard them reasoning together, and
perceiving that He had answered them well,
asked Him, “Which is the greatest
commandment of all?”
29
And Yeshua answered him, “The
first of all the commandments is, Hear,
O Israel; The Lord our God is One
Lord:”
We’ll now sing HaTikva
(The Hope)
Kol ‘od balleivav penimah
Nefesh yehudi homiyah
Ul(e)fa’atei mizrach kadimah,
‘Ayin letziyon tzofiyah;
‘Od lo avdah tikvateinu,
Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim,
Lihyot‘am chofshi be’artzeinu,
Eretz-tziyon (v)'Y(e)rushalayim.
O-seh Shalom Beem rue-mawv
Who yah-seh Shalom aw-lay nu
V'al kol Yees-raw-ale
B'-eem rue Eem rue Ah- main
Ya-a-seh sha-lom Ya-a-seh sha-lom
Shalom aw-lay-new V’al kol Yees-raw-ale
Sing twice 2X
May He who makes peace in
His heights make peace upon
us and upon all Israel…Amen."
He-nay maw tove oomaw nye-eem shevet
aw-heem gum yaw
hawd.
Behold how good and how
pleasant it is for brothers to
dwell in unity
Yoducha Amim Elohim
Days Of Elijah
Meet new people! Let them see that
Messianics truly understand community
and brotherly/sisterly love. Say hello to
old friends… show that you care!
We say the L-rd’s Prayer
(Our Prayer) because Yeshua told
us this is how we should pray.
We pray so G-d will hear our petitions
and grant whichever prayers are
in accord with His will. We also pray
In order to bless Him.
•
•
You can email or hand write
your prayers for Salvation of
loved ones or healing to Bob
and they will then be sent to
the wailing wall in Jerusalem
to be placed in the wall.
bobc@nwi.net
•
If you have a need for healing
or for an un-Saved loved one
please raise your hand now
and if you like, write it down
to be sent to the wailing wall
(Kotel) and give it to Bob
afterwards.
•
•
Psalms 122…
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they
shall prosper that love thee.
• Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
• Pray for unsaved loved ones
and healings.
• Pray for Salvation for the Jewish
people.
• Pray for our government and for
Social Security needs.
• Pray for Holland and other
countries that anti-Semitic laws
will not continue to pass.
• Pastors in Wenatchee to see the
truth of HaShem’s Torah and
forsake Paganism.
• For new Beit Aveinu in
Leavenworth.
• For survivors of crime.
• Prayer over our tithes and
offerings.
• Messianic Evangelistic group in
Vancouver BC
Pray for Russia
Prayer for today’s message
Pray that the UN will be
dismantled.
• Any terrorism plots to be foiled
• Continued sovereignty of Israel
pray for Netanyahu
End
This is our opportunity to render unto
G-d that which is G-d’s.
Blessing Before The Reading
Of The Torah
Va Yera Nov. 19, 2011
Cheshvan 22, 5772
Genesis 23: 1 - 25: 18;
1 Kings 1 1: 31;
1 Cor. 15: 50 - 57
Va Yera Nov. 12, 2011
Cheshvan 15, 5772
Gen 18:1-22:24
II Kings 4:1-37
II Peter 2:4-11
We’ll read…
Gen. 18:1-14
II Kings 4:1-7
II Peter 2:4-11
Gen. 18:1-14
1 ADONAI appeared to Avraham by
the oaks of Mamre as he sat at the
entrance to the tent during the
heat of the day. 2 He raised his eyes
and looked, and there in front of
him stood three men. On seeing
them, he ran from the tent door to
meet them, prostrated himself on
the ground,
Gen. 18:1-14
3 and said, "My lord, if I have
found favor in your sight,
please don't leave your servant.
4 Please let me send for some
water, so that you can wash
your feet; then rest under the
tree,
Gen. 18:1-14
5 and I will bring a piece of bread.
Now that you have come to your
servant, refresh yourselves before
going on.""Very well," they replied,
"do what you have said." 6
Avraham hurried into the tent to
Sarah and said, "Quickly, three
measures of the best flour! Knead
it and make cakes."
Gen. 18:1-14
7 Avraham ran to the herd, took a
good, tender calf and gave it to the
servant, who hurried to prepare it.
8 Then he took curds, milk and the
calf which he had prepared, and set
it all before the men; and he stood
by them under the tree as they ate.
Gen. 18:1-14
9 They said to him, "Where is Sarah
your wife?" He said, "There, in the
tent." 10 He said, "I will certainly
return to you around this time next
year, and Sarah your wife will have
a son."Sarah heard him from the
entrance of the tent, behind him.
Gen. 18:1-14
11 Avraham and Sarah were
old, advanced in years; Sarah
was past the age of
childbearing. 12 So Sarah
laughed to herself, thinking, "I
am old, and so is my lord; am I
to have pleasure again?"
Gen. 18:1-14
13 ADONAI said to Avraham, "Why
did Sarah laugh and ask, 'Am I
really going to bear a child when I
am so old?' 14 Is anything too hard
for ADONAI? At the time set for it,
at this season next year, I will
return to you; and Sarah will have a
son." END (Baruch HaShem)
Rebbes Parsha
In orthodox Judaism they have
forbidden eating meat and dairy
together. It’s not allowed in
Orthodox and Conservative
Judaism. It’s not even allowed to be
put on the table together. What did
Abraham bring these visitors?
Rebbes Parsha
7 Avraham ran to the herd, took a
good, tender calf and gave it to the
servant, who hurried to prepare it.
8 Then he took curds, milk and the
calf which he had prepared, and set
it all before the men; and he stood
by them under the tree as they ate.
Rebbes Parsha
I’m pretty sure that was the first
cheeseburger. This is the difference
between being Rabbinically kosher
and Biblically kosher. Torah
Observant Messianics are Biblically
kosher, not Rabbinically kosher.
Torah first!
II Kings 4:1-7
1 The wife of one of the guild
prophets complained to Elisha.
"Your servant my husband died,"
she said, "and you know that he
feared ADONAI. Now a creditor has
come to take my two children as his
slaves."
II Kings 4:1-7
2 Elisha asked her, "What should I
do for you? Tell me, what do you
have in the house?" She answered,
"Your servant has nothing in the
house but a flask of oil." 3 Then he
said, "Go, and borrow containers
from all your neighbors, empty
containers; and don't borrow just a
few!
II Kings 4:1-7
4 Then go in; shut the door, with
you and your sons inside; and pour
oil into all those containers; and as
they are filled, put them aside." 5
So she left him and shut the door
on herself and her sons. They
brought her the containers while
she poured.
II Kings 4:1-7
6 When the containers were
full, she said to her son, "Bring
me another container"; but he
answered, "There isn't another
container." Then the oil
stopped flowing.
II Kings 4:1-7
7 She came and told the man of
God; and he said, "Go, sell the
oil, and pay your debt; then you
and your sons can live on
what's left." END (Baruch
HaShem)
II Peter 2:4-11
4 For God did not spare the angels who
sinned; on the contrary, he put them in
gloomy dungeons lower than Sh'ol to be
held for judgment.
II Peter 2:4-11
5 And he did not spare the ancient
world; on the contrary, he preserved
Noach, a herald of righteousness, with
seven others, and brought the Flood
upon a world of ungodly people.
II Peter 2:4-11
6 And he condemned the cities of
S'dom and 'Amora, reducing them
to ashes and ruin, as a warning to
those in the future who would live
ungodly lives;
II Peter 2:4-11
7 but he rescued Lot, a righteous
man who was distressed by the
debauchery of those unprincipled
people; 8 for the wicked deeds
which that righteous man saw and
heard, as he lived among them,
tormented his righteous heart day
after day.
II Peter 2:4-11
9 So the Lord knows how to rescue the
godly from trials and how to hold the
wicked until the Day of Judgment while
continuing to punish them, 10 especially
those who follow their old natures in
lust for filth and who despise authority.
Presumptuous and self-willed, these
false teachers do not tremble at
insulting angelic beings;
II Peter 2:4-11
11 whereas angels, though
stronger and more powerful,
do not bring before the Lord an
insulting charge against them.
Rebbe’s Parsha
This passage speaks of Lot.
I’ve heard many sermons
where the speaker rails on Lot’s
wife. How she foolishly turned
back and became a pillar of
salt.
Rebbe’s Parsha
They then go on to say how
they, themselves would never
have done such a foolish thing.
Does anyone know how many
daughters Lot and his wife had?
Rebbe’s Parsha
Lets look at the text in Gen
chapter 19:8 the men of Sodom
had surrounded Lot’s house
and Lot offers up his daughters
to them and says…
Rebbe’s Parsha
8 Look here, I have two
daughters who are virgins.
Please, let me bring them out
to you, and you can do with
them what seems good to you;
but don't do anything to these
men, since they are guests in
my house."
Rebbe’s Parsha
So we have 2 virgins here in the
house with them.
Then we see in verse 12 the 2
angles say.
Rebbe’s Parsha
12 The men said to Lot, "Do
you have any people here
besides yourself? Whomever
you have in the city - son-inlaw, your sons, your daughters bring them out of this place;
Rebbe’s Parsha
In Hebrew it says chaben
oobenacha which would
include grandchildren which
would be sons of you.
Rebbe’s Parsha
Now read at verse 14 And Lot
went out, and spake unto his
sons in law, which married
(some translations say
“pledged to marry), that word
doesn’t exist here in the original
text)
Rebbe’s Parsha
His daughters, and said, Up, get
you out of this place; for the
LORD will destroy this city.
But he seemed as one that
mocked unto his sons in
law.
Rebbe’s Parsha
What I’m saying is that there
were at least 2 other married
daughters with children besides
the 2 virgins at home.
Rebbe’s Parsha
Now, when we read that Lot’s
wife turned back when they
were fleeing looking to see if
her daughters and
grandchildren changed their
minds had made it out and she
turned as a pillar of salt. It
makes a lot more sense doesn’t
it.
Rebbe’s Parsha
How many of us would’ve
turned and looked back?
Baruch atah Adonay Eloheynu melech
ha'olam, asher bachar-banu mikol
ha'amim, venatan-lanu et torah-to.
Baruch atah Adonay, noten hatorah.
Blessed are You, LORD our God, king
of the universe, who chose us from all the
peoples and gave to us His Torah.
Blessed are You, LORD, giver of the Torah.
•The Youth & Children are
dismissed
• unmute mic for video!
The Nazarenes
Part 3
By Rabbi Stanley
This teaching will actually have one
more part. There’s just so much to
look at that I couldn’t get it all into
one last teaching so next week we
will still continue our study of the
Sect of the Nazarenes.
We’re going to be covering a lot of
concepts and information today for
those who are avid note takers,
which is great, I highly encourage
that but if you find that it’s still a lot
for you, I post these teachings
online.
I am completely up to date with
that. I usually get each teaching
posted within a day or two after
Shabbat. You may want to go to the
Beit Aveinu website and re-read the
material if you feel you’re not
taking everything in during the
services.
I also have printed up the
summery for this teaching if
you’d like to come and get one
after the benediction please
feel free.
In this teaching we’ll look at what
the New Testament says about the
Nazarene Sect and why the Sect of
the Nazarenes still made animal
sacrifices in the Temple even after
the resurrection of the
L-rd. We’ll also look at the
migration of the sect from Israel to
Pella after the Bar Kochba war and
We’ll also discover that the
Nazarenes and the Jews
worshipped side by side each other
at one time in peace. So, what does
the Brit Hadasha actually say about
us?
Well the first thing we notice is
that it’s called a sect. A sect of
what? A sect of Judaism! We see
it called a sect in Acts 24, we
read this last week… (slide)
5 For we have found this man a
pestilent fellow, and a mover of
sedition among all the Jews
throughout the world, and a
ringleader of the sect of the
Nazarenes.
Most Believers today just read over
that and don’t really contemplate
what it means.
A sect of Judaism. In other words it
wasn’t a different religion. Years
after Yeshua came and died on the
cross we don’t see any hint of a
different religion that Yeshua or His
followers had instituted.
It’s not there! The first believers
were all Jews! Many
commentators will try to say
differently. They point out that
Paul was out killing these
followers of Christ and the only
way that he’d do something like
that is if they were of an
opposing religion.
Well, look at the Sunnis and
Shiites, they’ve been fighting for
a millennium and they’re both
Muslim. They’re the same faith.
Just because 2 different sects
may violently disagree with each
other doesn’t mean they can’t
be from the same religion.
“Well Christians wouldn’t do
that”… what’s been going on in
Ireland since 1919. The Catholics
and the Protestants there have
been fighting for a long time and
they both call themselves what?
Christians.
In the approximately 25 year
period the book of Acts took
place in, if we study the
Nazarene congregation in Israel,
we see only 5 recorded conflicts
with other sects of Judaism (5 in
25 years isn't bad).
The point is, these were all
disagreements within Judaismno one was claiming the
Nazarenes weren't a legitimate
part of Judaism.
Same as when Yeshua argued
with the Pharisees-they too
were "in house" arguments and
He was harsh with them because
He was close to them
theologically and felt they could
best understand His views.
After Yeshua rose from the
dead, the sect of the
Nazarenes didn’t change
much. We read in Acts 3
verse 1 (slide)
1 Now Peter and John went
up together into the
temple at the hour of prayer,
being the ninth hour.
The ninth hour???
That’s 3:00pm, that’s when
we daven mincha!!!
Afternoon prayers!
That’s one of the times in the
day when we recite the
Amidah. We’re going to be
learning about the Amidah
next week.
So nothing had changed, they
were still going to the Temple
for their prayers, continuing
to do the Amidah and the
followers of Yeshua were still
doing sacrifices even. How do
we know they were still
sacrificing?
(Slide) We’ll start here… Acts 21… 24
Them take , and purify thyself with
them, and be at charges with them,
that they may shave their heads: and
all may know that those things,
whereof they were informed
concerning thee, are nothing; but that
thou thyself also walkest orderly , and
keepest the law.
If Paul kept the Law then that would
include making Sacrifice. Because if
he didn’t make sacrifice, there’s no
way he could be considered to be
keeping the Law. He’d be considered a
heretic!
It goes on… (slide) 26 The next
day Sha'ul took the men, purified
himself along with them and
entered the Temple to give notice
of when the period of purification
would be finished and the
offering would have to be made
for each of them.
I do want to quickly point out
here that you’d think this rumor
that had been told about him not
keeping the law would’ve been
put to rest after all this. But that
very same rumor is still passed
around about him to this very
day.
Have you ever felt that there was
a rumor about you going around
that you thought would never go
away? How about if it stuck for
another 2,000 years? Even
worse… were you ever one of
those people who passed that
rumor about him around?
I can imagine Paul looking down
from heaven saying What, it’s
been 2,000 years let it go. Even
at the time I could see Paul when
he was accused of this saying…
“C’mon? All I did was talk to a
few gentiles,
What about Peter, he talked to
Cornelius… nobody ever said
anything to him!” I can see his
Jewish paranoia going out of
control.
So the passage we just read
says… an offering would have
to be made. So why am I saying
it’s a sacrifice? Maybe it was
just some money being passed
along to the Temple.
In order to come to the correct
conclusion we have to understand a
little about Jewish Law of the first
century. There was only one reason
why a Jewish male was ever
allowed to shave his head due to a
vow.
That vow was the vow of the
Nazorite. We read in the Mishna
(Jewish Law of the First Century)
that after a man had completed his
Nazorite vow he was then to shave
his head and then make a sacrifice.
(slide) Well that’s the Talmud, that’s
not in the Bible.
Ok then lets look at Numbers 6:18…
18 The nazir will shave his
consecrated head at the entrance
to the tent of meeting, take the hair
removed from his consecrated head
and put it on the fire under the
sacrifice of peace offerings.
And let me tell ya about the peace
offering sacrifice, two little baby
lambs were brought and their necks
were slit and blood went
everywhere. How do we know they
ever used lambs… Lev 23 says
… (slide) 19 Offer one male goat as
a sin offering and two male lambs
one year old as a sacrifice of peace
offerings.
So there was Paul, Rabbi Shaul still
making bloody sacrifices AFTER the
death and resurrection of Yeshua.
He wouldn’t do such a thing if it
was bad would he? What happened
to that great little saying “Jesus was
our last sacrifice?”
“Well Paul was wrong sometimes.”
Really? Let’s remember it wasn’t
just Paul that was a part of this,
James and all the first Church was
telling him to go and do this. If Paul
was wrong, they were all wrong. All
those individuals who wrote the
New Testament.
The fact is, none of them were
wrong! They were supposed to
keep doing sacrifices. When the
temple is rebuilt in the last days,
we’ll be doing sacrifices again.
(slide) Ezk. 45 16 'All the people in the land
are to present this offering to the prince in
Isra'el. 17 The prince's obligation will be to
present the burnt offerings, grain offerings
and drink offerings at the feasts, on RoshHodesh, and on Shabbat - at all the
designated times of the house of Isra'el. He is
to prepare the sin offerings, grain offerings,
burnt offerings and peace offerings to make
atonement for the house of Isra'el.'
So there we are, we’ll be doing
sacrifices once again. “But I thought
Jesus finished all that on the cross.” If it
was finished we wouldn’t still be doing
it would we? Why were the Disciples
still making sacrifice after the
Resurrection. Because they were doing
it as a memorial.
They understood that Yeshua had died
for our sins. In fact Yeshua is the only
sacrifice for the cleansing of sins. The
blood of bulls and goats never washed
away our sins, it was only for
atonement. We’ll talk about atonement
in the last days in a moment.
The sacrifices will be reinstated and
nothing changed for the Disciples as far
as how they interacted in the Temple
after Yeshua rose from the dead. They
simply had the knowledge of Yeshua as
the Messiah and that He had died for
their sins.
(slide) But I thought G-d doesn’t delight
in sacrifices? Doesn’t it say in
Isaiah 1:11-13
"The multitude of your sacrifices - what
are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have
more than enough of burnt offerings, of
rams and the fat of fattened animals; I
have no pleasure in the blood of bulls
and lambs and goats….
(slide) When you come to appear before
me, who has asked this of you, this
trampling of my courts? Stop bringing
meaningless offerings! Your incense is
detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths
and convocations - I cannot bear your
evil assemblies."
(slide) One may say, See, G-d takes no
pleasure in sacrifices or new moons or
Sabbaths etc”
Ok, then what do we do with
Leviticus 1:9 He is to wash the inner
parts and the legs with water, and the
priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is
a burnt offering, an offering made by
fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
Sure looks like He likes it here. Is this a
contradiction in Scripture? No, so then
we have to reconcile it don’t we? How
do we do that? We think. We look at
both sides of the possibilities. First side,
G-d is against sacrifice so we shouldn’t
do it. but he commanded us to do it.
Well that cant be right then
Second side… maybe he was saying he
doesn’t like sacrifice when it’s being
done with the wrong heart motivation.
Maybe he doesn’t like that sin has
entered the universe and now we have
to do it because of that. Well that
makes sense and both scriptures can be
reconciled.
We cant just say, G-d hates sacrifices so
we shouldn’t do them and not address
the other scriptures that say otherwise.
Too many times I see individuals and
even entire denominations take a stand
on a particular Scripture and do not
even attempt to address other passages
that seem to oppose it. They simply
ignore them.
No, all scripture must be reconciled or
else you have a faulty theology. One last
point on this passage where we see Paul
going after the vow and making an
offering. It says “offering” why didn’t it
just say sacrifice? If they would’ve said
sacrifice rather then offering,
that would’ve cleared up a lot of
misinformation, people would've easily
seen that Paul was still making animal
sacrifices after the resurrection of
Yeshua. So why didn’t it just say sacrifice
instead of offering?
(slide) Well, ya know what… it does say
that in Greek. The word there in Greek
is prosfora Προσφορά
It can mean offering or sacrifice
depending on the context. The context
here is about a Peace sacrifice and it
should’ve been translated into English
as such.
But they didn’t choose the word
sacrifice, they chose the word offering
instead in English to better fit their
theology.
(slide) Now let’s get back to the word
atonement. I know in English it has this
connotation of always having to do with
sin. But lets look at it from a Hebrew
standpoint. The word in Hebrew is
‫ כִּ ּפּור‬You might remember that
from Yom Kippur.
What it means is “covering”. Can it be
used in a context meaning covering
one’s sins? Yes, but it can also just mean
covering depending on the context. The
word kippa comes from this same word.
We cover our heads with a kippa. In the
last days we will be doing sacrifices as a
memorial and these sacrifices will be a
covering for us. Not a covering for sin,
but a covering, a kippur.
So there’s no problem with doing
these sacrifices as a memorial. It’s
not for sin, it’s simply a kippur.
This idea that the commentators try to
impose that after Yeshua died,
everything changed isn’t only incorrect
historically, it’s incorrect theologically.
But “Jesus came and saved us from the
Law it’s all different now”. No, He didn’t
save us from the Law He actually added
more laws to it.
And that’s exactly how the sect of the
Nazarenes understood it. Not only
during the first century, but for
centuries to come. We read from the
Church Father, Epiphanius what the Sect
of the Nazarenes believed clear down
into the 3rd century, 300 years after
Yeshua.
(slide) I’ve shown this to you before, let’s
read it again… (Epiphanius 370 AD
Panarion 29)
"But these sectarians... did not call
themselves Christians-but "Nazarenes,"
... However they are simply complete
Jews. They use not only the New
Testament but the Old Testament as
well, as the Jews do...
(slide) They have no different ideas, but
confess everything exactly as the Law
proclaims it and in the Jewish fashion-- except
for their belief in Messiah, if you please! For
they acknowledge both the resurrection of
the dead and the divine creation of all things,
and declare that G-d is one, and that his son is
Y'shua the Messiah.
(slide) They are trained to a nicety in
Hebrew. For among them the entire
Law, the Prophets, and the... Writings...
are read in Hebrew, as they surely are
by the Jews. They are different from the
Jews, and different from Christians,
(slide) only in the following. They
disagree with Jews because they
have come to faith in Messiah; but
since they are still fettered by the
Law -- circumcision, the Sabbath,
and the rest-- they are not in accord
with Christians...they are nothing
but Jews...
(slide) They have the Good News
according to Matthew in its entirety
in Hebrew. For it is clear that they
still preserve this, in the Hebrew
alphabet, as it was originally
written."
This is our Statement of Faith!
But what we also see here is a
sharp division between the
Christians and the Sect of the
Nazarenes (the first Church).
The first church and the first
Christians were 2 very different
groups of people. Jews who
followed Yeshua were called “Jews”.
In Antioch some Gentile followers
of Yeshua were called Christians.
This was a name they were labeled
with by unbelievers.
Christian was a name of derision.
I’ve said before that Dr. David Stern
the translator of the complete
Jewish Bible has stated this. He’s
not the only one though. There are
Christian scholars who are also
beginning to see this.
(slide) A footnote in the MacArthur
Study Bible says that “the name
Christian was originally a term of
derision”.
It’s becoming known.
So there were these huge differences
between the early Christians and the
sect of the Nazarenes, the first believers
in Yeshua.
The sect of the Nazarenes wouldn’t
have anything to do with the
growing Christian population
because they felt they were law
breakers. I’m not talking about
those few in Antioch in the very
beginning, I’m talking about the
ones right after them.
Now, one may say, “The sect of the
Nazarenes must have created a
different religion from Judaism,
look how the Jews were against
Peter and John in Acts 4 starting in
verse 1
(slide) 1 Kefa and Yochanan were
still speaking to the people when
the cohanim, the captain in charge
of the Temple police, and the
Tz'dukim came upon them,
(slide) 2 very annoyed that they
were teaching the people the
doctrine of resurrection from the
dead and offering Yeshua as proof.
3 The Temple police arrested them;
and since it was already evening,
they put them in custody overnight.
“So see they were against them.”
Well think for a moment, what
were they preaching about? The
resurrection. Who were Peter and
John having problems with? The
priests, which party were the
priests with? Did that party believe
in the resurrection of the dead?
Any Pharisee would’ve had the
same problem there. That doesn’t
prove didly that the Sect of the
Nazarenes were a different religion
from Judaism.
So, what and when was the schism
between the Nazarene Jews and
Rabbinic Judaism? That happened
at the time of the Bar Kochba War.
The Bar Kochba war was in 135 AD.
What happened was the Jews
revolted once again against Rome.
They had done so in 70 AD and now
they were revolting again
Rabbi Akiva had declared a man
called Bar Kochba the Messiah and
they started to make these plans to
go against the Romans. Bar Kochba
and Rabbi Akiva decided that in
order for any Jews to fight with
them against Rome they also had to
declare Bar Kochba as the Messiah.
The sect of the Nazarenes wouldn’t
do it. They knew who the Messiah
was and even though they wanted
to fight against Rome, they weren’t
willing to lose their souls to do so.
Barcochba and Rabbi Akiva weren’t
very happy with this and they
began killing many of the
Nazarenes.
(slide) The Church Father Justin
wrote… Justin, First Apology 31.5-6
For in the present war it is only the
followers of Christ whom
Barchochebas, the leader of the
rebellion of the Jews, commanded
to be punished severely, if they did
not deny Jesus as the Messiah and
blaspheme him.
(slide) The Church Father Eusebius
wrote… Cochebas, the duke of the
Jewish sect, killed the followers of
Christ with all kinds of persecutions,
when they refused to help him
against the Roman troops.
(slide) Eusibius also writes… The Jews
were at that time led by a certain
Barchochebas, which means 'star' a
man who was murderous and a bandit,
but relied on his name, as if dealing with
slaves, and claimed to be a luminary
come from heaven and was magically
enlightening those who were in misery.
(slide) The war reached its height in
the eighteenth year of Hadrian in
Betar, which was a strong citadel
not very far from Jerusalem. The
siege lasted a long time before the
rebels were driven to final
destruction by famine and thirst
and the instigator of their madness
paid the penalty he deserved.
(slide) Hadrian then commanded
that by a legal decree and
ordinances the whole nation should
be absolutely prevented from
entering from thenceforth even the
district round Jerusalem, so that it
could not even see from a distance
its ancestral home.
(slide) Just before the Bar Kochba
war, the Nazarenes fled Israel to
Pella. This is attested to by
Epiphanius in Panarion 7:7. It is
confirmed by the Church Father,
Eusebius AD 263 – 339…
(slide) "But the people of the church
in Jerusalem had been commanded
by a revelation, vouchsafed to
approved men there before the war,
to leave the city and to dwell in a
certain town of Perea called Pella. "
(History of the Church 3:5:3)
So when Bar Kochba started killing
members of the sect of the
Nazarenes, they started to flee.
Thousands were killed before they
got out. After they left, the rest of
the Jews declared war on Rome and
they lost.
Where’s the region of Pella? We
can narrow it down a little more…
Epiphanius writes…"The Nazoraean
sect exists in Beroea (buh-ree-ah)
near Coele (see-lee) Syria, in the
Decapolis in the region of Pella.
Well, we know where Beroea is
In the heart of the ancient Amorite
kingdom of Yamkhad was a town
called Alep, we now know it as
Aleppo. (Aleppo has had many
other names, including Beroea and
Halab.) (slide)
They stayed there for the next 60
years according to Eusebius.
As I mentioned the Romans
completely kicked the Jews out of
Jerusalem. Only Gentiles were
allowed. The Romans even changed
the name of Jerusalem to a Roman
name “Aelia Capitolina”
So there was no head of the Church
left there so the few Gentiles who
were allowed to go there named
their own “bishop” Eusibius wrote
about this…
(slide) In Jerusalem the first bishop
was appointed from among the
gentiles, since bishops ceased to be
appointed from among the Jews.
and he was a Gentile. His name was
Marcus (The history of the decline
and fall of the Roman empire,
Volume 1 page 225
By Edward Gibbon)
He was from Italy and immediately
he renounced the Mosaic Law
without any authority from the sect
of the Nazarenes. This is when
these Gentiles started calling
themselves “Christians”.
These huge changes were made in
Jerusalem and they began to
incorporate Greek paganism with
the little they knew about Yeshua.
They started by changing Yeshua’s
name to Iesous which is where we
get the name Jesus from.
and they no longer even
resembled the sect of the
Nazarenes. Even before 200 AD,
roughly 100 years after the war
after other Christian Churches
had spread even to Rome, a
famous leader of this new
religion named Clement of
Alexandria,
a man regarded to this day as
one of the greatest Church
Fathers to ever live,
he gave this characterization of
this new faith called
Christianity…
(slide)“All the churches were Greek
religious colonies.
Their language was Greek,
their organization Greek,
their writers Greek
and their ritual Greek.
(slide) Thus the church at Rome was
but one of a confederation of Greek
religious republics rounded by
Christianity”. He said this between
150-200 AD.
Kind of like the way Voodoo is
rounded by Catholicism.
It’s got some stuff about Jesus
in it but it’s voodoo!
The original group of Believers now
living in Pella continued as they
always had, keeping the Laws that
G-d had given us as well as belief in
Yeshua as the Messiah of Israel.
What’s important to note is that
before this horrible Bar Kochba
situation, the sect of the Nazarenes
lived and worshipped with the
majority of their brothers and
sisters in Israel…
(there were some sects that they
didn’t get along with, but that was
universal in Israel and only among a
minority) but they worshipped side
by side with their fellow Jews.
One day, we’ll talk more about that
and what that means. But until
then, I’ll leave that part with you to
ponder as we move on.
After the Bar Kochba war, some of
the Jews who were left at the
mercy of the Romans and survived
became bitter towards those who
fled to Pella. They felt the
Nazarenes had abandoned them.
But the Nazarenes were right to do
so.
(slide) Not just because they
couldn’t declare Bar Kochba the
Messiah but because Yeshua TOLD
THEM TOO FLEE! Luke 21:20 says…
"When you see Jerusalem being
surrounded by armies, you will
know that its desolation is near.
(slide) 21 Then let those who are in
Judea flee to the mountains, let
those in the city get out, and let
those in the country not enter the
city. 22 For this is the time of
punishment in fulfillment of all that
has been written.
(slide) 23 How dreadful it will be in
those days for pregnant women and
nursing mothers! There will be great
distress in the land and wrath against
this people. 24 They will fall by the
sword and will be taken as prisoners to
all the nations. Jerusalem will be
trampled on by the Gentiles until the
times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Times of the Gentiles. You may have
heard that phrase used before in
various sermons. What is generally
taught by the Commentators and across
denominational lines is that Jesus
reached out to the Jews when he was
here but because the Jews rejected him
this ushered in the time of the Gentiles.
“Now it’s our turn” they say
They say things such as “Aren’t ya glad
this is our time? Jesus reached out to us
Gentiles after His death on the cross
and brought us close to Him.” As if G-d
never cared about any Gentiles before
Jesus came, because remember (their
underlying message is) the G-d of the
Old Testament is a bigot. That’s what
these teachers would have you believe
And now this is our time they say, the
time of the Gentiles.
So the Jews got 3 and a half years and
the Gentiles got 2,000 years (and still
going), that’s fair. No anti-semite alive
would see a problem with these kinds
of numbers.
However, in First Century Judaism, the
phrase “time of the Gentiles” was not
an unknown idiom.
We see it throughout Rabbinical
literature of the first century but it
never had a good connotation. Each and
every time that the phrase is used it is
meant as a time of persecution against
the Jewish people. It is not known as a
phrase to be proud of, but a phrase to
be feared.
Well that’s only in Rabbinical literature
Rabbi. Ok, well let’s look at this next
Biblical passage first in English… (slide)
Ezekiel 30:1 The word of the LORD came
again unto me, saying , 2 Son of man,
prophesy and say , Thus saith the Lord
GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! 3
For the day is near, even the day of the
LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be
the time of the heathen. (slide)
Guess what that word “Heathen” is
there in the original Hebrew?
It’s obviously talking about a not so good
time! But the translators weren’t about to
make it look like the time of the Gentiles
was a negative thing so they changed the
word to heathen rather then Gentiles.
You have to watch translators, they will
change the meanings of things.
So, the phrase the time of the Gentiles
was not a good thing. It’s also called the
age of the Gentiles or the “Church Age”.
But it was known to the Jewish people
as a time of persecution.
The Nazarenes knew this time
would come and they fled to the
mountains just like Yeshua had told
them to do. In Pella they continued
to run the Sect as they always had.
They had direct authority from
Yeshua via the various heads of the
faith.
Now, before the Bar Kochba war
we even know who was running
the sect of the Nazarenes. First
of course was James the Just,
the brother of Yeshua but then
there were 14 more Jews who
ran the sect after him. They are
called the Desposyni,
(slide) Eusibius names them…
James, the Lord’s brother,
Symeon,
Justus,
Zacchaeus,
Tobias,
Benjamin,
John,
Matthias,
Philip,
Seneca,
(slide) Justus II,
Levi,
Ephres,
Joseph,
and Judas.
We don’t know a lot about these men
but we know that most of them, if not all
of them were related to Yeshua.
After that, the Nazarenes fled due to the
Bar Kochba war and the Gentile Marcus
took over and that’s when a new religion
called Christianity began.
(slide) Let’s summarize
1. The sect of the Nazarenes was exactly
that, a sect of Judaism.
2. After the resurrection of the L-rd the
sect continued as they always had even
still giving animal sacrifices
3. Spreading rumors is bad, just ask Paul
(slide) 4. Kippur means covering
5. There was a sharp difference between
the Christians and the sect of the
Nazarenes from very early on.
6. The Bar Kochba war is what caused the
division between the sect of the
Nazarenes and the rest of their Jewish
brothers and sisters
(slide) 7. After the sect fled Israel, the
Gentiles started a new Greek religion
called "Christianity
8. The time of the gentiles was never
considered a good thing, but a time of
persecution against the Jewish people
9. the Desposyni were the first leaders
of the sect of the Nazarenes.
That concludes this teaching…
(slide) Also don’t forget Tuesday
nights. If you don’t go you are
missing out on learning.
Let’s stand for the benediction.