Types?

You Are Not My Type!

By Menashe Dovid ©

In the ongoing saga to convert Jews to a belief in Yeshua or Jesus, a number of ridiculous questions are often posed by missionaries with an equally ridiculous answer! Take for example the following question and answer:

“Ask yourself the question: Why did Hashem disperse the Jewish people?

Ans: It was because there was no love for Yeshua, unbiased hatred, not for other Jews but for your Messiah. “He was hated without cause”[1].

“To exact vengeance on the gentiles,” reads the message, which was scrawled across the torso of a figure of Jesus. Torso recently erected in view of the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

Now here are number of points to be noted with respect to the above question and answer. The first point is the almost universal attitude of most missionaries to ask questions which ignore the actual context, content and testimony of the Jewish scriptures. Like as if the scriptures never really played themselves out in the lives of a real people/ nation. King David, a real King being the author who relates his experience of being hated without cause is just lost on those missionary types.

A scripture never really applying to a real people is because the NT compilers themselves decide what part[2] of the ‘Old’ Testament Yeshua is quoting as a ‘fulfillment’. In Christian theological terms ‘fulfillment’ is in the sense that the ‘fullest’ possible meaning may only derived in the life and teachings of Yeshua. Here is another point; a subtle way of you accepting the idea of ‘typology’. Typology in Christian theology and Biblical exegesis is a doctrine or theory concerning the predictive relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament. Events, persons or statements in the Old Testament are seen as types pre-figuring or superseded by antitypes, events or aspects of Yeshua or his revelation described in the New Testament. The problem of course is that ‘typology’ is completely a NT invention; you simply cannot find such an idea of ‘typology’ in the Jewish Scriptures however. Without Jesus/ Yeshua fulfilling those Jewish scriptures Jews and Judaism are irrelevant!

So how is the apparent gap as presented by the missionary mindset to be filled in without the missionary trying to fill the gap for you? What could possibly be the real reason that Jews are dispersed throughout the world? Could it be that G-d has an answer? The good news is that indeed there is an answer:

30 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations Deut 30

Simply put the blessings and curses are realized as part of G-d dispersing Jews among the nations. A read prior to verse Deut 30:1 above shows that the dispersion is due to lack observance to the words of the covenant:

Observe therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may make all that ye do to prosper. Deut 29:8

And that the reason for the dispersion among the nations is expressed by the nations themselves:

23 even all the nations shall say ‘Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger? 24 then men shall say: ‘Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of Egypt; 25 and went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods that they knew not, and that He had not allotted unto them; 26 therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curse that is written in this book;

Not a peep from those nations about the Jews not accepting a messiah or Jesus/ Yeshua!

A feature of the blessings and courses along with the dispersion ignored by missionaries is that prophetically speaking, the dispersion brings about the repentance of Gentiles[3] and their acceptance[4] of the G-d of Israel! Another feature ignored by missionaries is that the recorded history of Israel shows that Israel did indeed follow after other gods[5]. Yet another feature the blessings and curses as part of G-d’s plan to disperse Jews among the nations is that the dispersion brings about the repentance of Jews shown by their observance of the laws of the Torah and their return to the land:

2 and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. 4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back. 5 He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. 6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 7 The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. 8 You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, 10 if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deut 30

The repentance of the Jewish people and return to the land of Israel is not predicated on believing in a messiah but only to keep G-d’s commands and decrees that are written in the Book of the Law (Torah) and turn to the Lord God with all our hearts and with all our souls! It really is that simple, even the absence of a temple and sacrifices are fully anticipated too:

4 For the children of Israel shall sit solitary many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim.

The highly emotional idea of a ‘wonderful does it all savior’ projected onto the ‘old’ testament by missionaries from the ‘new’ testament serves as a strong delusion for the Christian mind! The strong delusion insists that the program must be completed within the 490 year time-frame mentioned in Daniel 9 by Jesus. With respect to the context of Daniel 9, as it has always been, is for an individual and a community to repent and keep G-d’s teachings (lit G-d’s Torah), commandments and ordinances (v5). The strong delusion also ignores the description of the destruction of the temple and city by the ruler (Dan 9:26), which should be within the 70 weeks or 490 years. According to Christian calculations, half way between the 69th week and the 70th week corresponds with the year 30CE or 33CE. The temple was in fact destroyed in the year 70CE some 40 years after 30CE!! Closer examination shows that the 490 year time-frame is a probationary period which must precede the implementation of God’s program. The probationary period of seventy weeks is a possible opportunity for the people:

“to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to forgive iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place.” V24

So God’s program continues in Daniel 11 verse 31, where Daniel describes the violation of the sanctuary and G-d’s people using the same terminology that he uses in the passage under discussion (9:26, 27). The violation of the sanctuary and G-d’s people is to take place at the close of the 490 years (Dan 11:31, 32), followed by a refining process (Dan 11:33-35). The refining process represents God’s program for the ultimate expiation of sin and for the salvation of mankind. The refining process by ‘flame, by captivity and by spoil‘, is for ‘many days‘; (verse 33) and continues ‘even to the time of the end‘, (verse 35).

A further point to consider is if sacrifices are finished why do sacrifices continue in the messianic age? 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 [Heb 10:8-14]. Hebrews 10 adds further, that the sacrifice of animals can never take away sins. 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 ofIsrael; ‘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

So much for a once and for all Sacrifice and Jesus/ Yeshua your not my type either!!

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[1] 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason. John 15

[2] Psalm 69:4 Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.

Psalm 35:19 Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

[3] 19 Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good. 20 Do people make their own gods?     Yes, but they are not gods!” Jer 16

[4] 23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’” Zech 8

[5] Amon, the chief god of Egypt See also Jer 46:25

Asherah, a Canaanite goddess Ex 34:13-14 Asherah was the consort of El, the chief Canaanite god. Wooden poles, perhaps carved in her image, were often set up in her honour and placed near other pagan objects of worship. See also Dt 7:5; Jdg 6:25-30 Gideon destroys an Asherah pole; 1Ki 14:15,23; 1Ki 15:13; 1Ki 16:33; 1Ki 18:19 Elijah summons 400 prophets of Asherah to Mount Carmel. King Josiah’s reforms: 2Ki 23:4-7,13-16

Isa 27:9; Jer 17:2; Mic 5:14

Ashtoreth, a goddess of war and fertility Jdg 2:12-13 Ashtoreth, the consort of Baal, was associated with the evening star and was worshipped as Ishtar in Babylon and as Athtart in Aram. To the Greeks she was Astarte or Aphrodite and to the Romans, Venus. See also Jdg 10:6; 1Sa 7:3-4; 1Sa 12:10; 1Sa 31:10; 1Ki 11:5,33

Baal, a Canaanite and Phoenician god of fertility and rain Jdg 2:10-13 Baal, meaning “lord”, was pictured standing on a bull, a popular symbol of fertility and strength. Baal was associated with Asherah and Ashtoreth, goddesses of fertility.

Baal-Zebub, a popular deity of the Philistines meaning “lord of the flies”. See 2Ki 1:1-6,16-17

Bel, the chief deity of Babylon Isa 46:1 Bel was another name for the sun god, Marduk. Nebo, the god of learning and writing was the son of Marduk. See also Jer 50:2; Jer 51:44

Chemosh, the chief god of Moab 1Ki 11:7 See also Nu 21:29; 1Ki 11:33; 2Ki 23:13; Jer 48:7,13,46

Dagon, worshipped in Babylonia and Philistia Jdg 16:23 See also 1Sa 5:2-7; 1Ch 10:10

Molech, the chief deity of Ammon 1Ki 11:4-5 See also Lev 18:21 The practice of sacrificing children to Molech was common in Phoenicia and the region; Lev 20:2-5; 1Ki 11:7,33; 2Ki 23:10 Josiah destroyed the area where the altars for child sacrifice were located; 2Ki 23:13; Isa 57:9; Jer 32:35; Jer 49:1,3; Zep 1:5.