Netzarim Judaism (?)

The Weird and the Whacky

The latest offering in the messianic arena comes from a brand of Mormonism called Messianic Mormonism which styles itself closely to Nazarene Judaism. The lengths to which these groups go to justify their ‘beliefs’ go beyond the staggering to the weird and wacky. Take for example one group of Messianic Mormons known as “Answering Nazarene Judaism” who believes that amongst many other things that Quantum Theory is a way of combining the two houses Judah (Jews) and Israel (idolatrous gentiles) and ending up with the obvious agenda:

“The restoration of Israel is within us when we accept Y’shua as our Messiah and receive the Holy Spirit as our comforter. When we choose to seek truths of our Creator, we enter into that path with other truth seekers and we compliment each other, although we may not all agree, while on our journey towards divine truths. We need each other. We are divinely entangled. We won’t see eye to eye until each house is willing to move outside their own boxes and consider truths we have never considered before. This would be a marvelous work and wonder when we are unblinded to the opposing houses divine authority and revelations.

When the two houses become united once again, time no longer exists, as there is no need for time after the path has been travelled to the realm of pure abstract divine self aware consciousness. This is divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding that we arrive at together!” https://www.facebook.com/AnsweringNazareneJudaism/posts/102984766504336

Such formulations are not new of course in the varied attempts by messianic groups to make Jesus / Yeshua fit the Jewish scriptures, however the messianic groups try to paint him theologically. In the end it is just the same, yet some are more articulate than others. Such formulations are easily assessed by the Jewish scriptures;

Ezekiel chapter 37 is one of many verses in the Jewish Scriptures that both Jews and Christians of all stripes can agree is a messianic passage dealing with a future messianic age[1].

Ezekiel 37 has many empirically provable features; the resurrection from the dead of the whole family of Israel (v11), the return of the whole family of Israel to the land of Israel (v14, 21, 25), the specific details of the two estranged family members/ nations of the whole family of Israel (House of Israel and the House of Judah) being re-gathered and joined together (v15-28) by Hashem and Hashem being the G-d of rejoined Israel (v24, 27), Israel being led by a Servant King/ Shepherd (v24), living in peace (v26), the people observing Hashem’s ordinances and decrees (v24) and Hashem’s forever present Sanctuary among Israel as a knowable and visible sign for the Nations to see that Hashem sanctifies his people Israel (v28).

An honest question to the above empirically provable features is how they were fulfilled to any degree in Jesus and his followers claim that he is the Messiah? In what appears to be a deliberate attempt to avoid the obvious problematic claims by the New Testament of over 300+ Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, along with the faulty genealogy of Jesus[2]. Jesus/ Yeshua cannot be dovetailed into the Jewish Scriptures.

Looking in more detail, take for example Hashem’s forever present Sanctuary among Israel (Ezek 37:28) as a knowable and visible sign for the nations (see also Isaiah 2:3)[3]. In the Messianic age according to Revelation, however, John does not see a temple building:

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. (Rev 21:22)

The New Testament does not have a Temple building in a future messianic age unlike Ezekiel 37:28 and Isaiah 2:3!

Jesus himself contradicts the teachings of Isaiah 2 and Ezekiel 37 when a Samaritan woman quizzes Jesus as to where the correct place of worship is:

 “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. (John 4:20, 21)

According to New Testament teaching in Hebrews 10, sacrifices are no longer needed since Jesus’ once for all self sacrifice is forever and perfects forever those who accept it[4]. Hebrews 10 adds further, that the sacrifice of animals can never take away sins[5].The messianic age described in Jeremiah 33:14-18 has a messianic figure (David A Branch of Righteousness), a promise fulfilled to Israel and Judah who along with Jerusalem will dwell safely and a Levitical Priesthood offering the sacrifices prescribed by the Torah:

‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: ‘In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgement and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. “For thus says the LORD: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; ‘nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.’ ” Jer 33:14-18

Conclusion

A discerning Jew who weighs all things equally with respect to missionary formulations to convince Jews to accept Jesus will know that missionaries have a burden of proof for their missionary formulations. The burden of proof being set against the empirically provable facts as outlined in the Jewish Scriptures with respect to a future messianic age. The empirically provable facts of the messianic age as described in the Jewish Scriptures stand in stark contrast to the very words of Jesus and the writers of the New Testament, a major weakness on the missionary’s part with respect to convincing Jews to accept Jesus! Added to the major weakness is an emotional desire. The emotional desire based on the collective experiential experience of Jesus, by believers of Jesus, to make Jesus fit the Jewish Scriptures. The emotional desire conveniently ignores animal sacrifices continuing in the messianic age by a Levitical priesthood as well as a temple building in Jerusalem, to offer them in. The emotional desire conveniently ignores that Jesus himself rejected the idea of Jerusalem playing any significant place in a future messianic era.

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Notes  

[1] See also, Isaiah 2, 11, 42; 59:20, Jeremiah 23, 30, 33; 48:47; 49:39, Ezekiel 38:16, Hosea 3:4-3:5, Micah 4, Zephaniah 3:9, Zechariah 14:9, Daniel 10:14 

[2] https://menashedovid1.wordpress.com/geneology/

[3] Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Ya`akov; And he will teach us of his ways, And we will walk in his paths. For out of Tziyon the law shall go forth, And the word of the LORD from Yerushalayim. (Isaiah 2:3)

[4] Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Heb 10:8-14

[5] Ibid cf 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Lev 17