Your “Hebraic” or “Jewish” Roots
As Jewish believers, we have always had an understanding of Jesus (“Yeshua” in Hebrew) and the New Covenant that reflects our cultural and religious background. However, in December of 1990, I had a life changing encounter with the Lord in which he told me of His intention to reconcile the Church to her Jewish Roots and to the Jewish people.
This is exactly what the Lord said:
“I intend to accomplish four reconciliations:
I intend to reconcile the Church to her Jewish Roots.
I intend to reconcile the Church to the Jewish people.
I intend to reconcile the Jewish people to their Messiah, and
I intend to reconcile the Messiah to planet Earth.”
He then opened the Scriptures and showed me those four reconciliations throughout the Bible. He explained to me that they were an outline of His plan to return the Messiah to rule and reign over the earth. He also showed me how fiercely Satan would resist us and all those who would participate in any kind of reconciliation ministry between the Body of Christ and the Jewish people.
Learning about our authentic Biblical “Jewish Roots” is not about being “Jewish.” It is about understanding the Biblical foundations, the “roots” of our faith, that go deep into the “soil” of the revelation God has given in the Hebrew Scriptures. As we understand that we have a spiritual inheritance that is built upon that foundation – those “roots” – we are given a perspective on life and faith that will help us to live a life that “bears fruit in every good work” so that we can “increase in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
Sometimes when people refer to the “Hebrew Bible” as the “Old Testament” they think it is no longer important or relevant to their faith as “Christians.” This is a serious error considering that the Hebrew Scriptures were the only “Bible” Jesus, the Disciples, Paul, and the entire early church had.
The great Jewish Apostle Paul taught that we should study the “Old Testament” because it is “inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). These “Jewish Scriptures” also give us “encouragement and hope” (Romans 15:4) because they are “holy, righteous and good” (Romans 7:12).
In fact, the Hebrew word “Torah” – which is another name for the Hebrew Bible (though specifically referring to the first five Books of Moses), often translated as “Law” or “Commandments,” simply means “Instructions.” Why would we reject the very instructions given to us by God? Proverbs 3:1, 17–18 teaches us that God’s instructions, His Torah, are a “Tree of Life.” We don’t reject them, we rejoice in the gift they are to us as we seek to live a life of faithful obedience and fruitfulness.
We have an apostolic and prophetic perspective on the “Jewish Roots” of our faith. Therefore, as we endeavor to study the Scriptures and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit, we understand that God has given us the “liberty of the Holy Spirit” to “work out our salvation” (2 Corinthians 3:17, Philippians 2:2), as the Holy Spirit leads us (John 14:26, 16:13, Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18) as the servants of the King (Romans 14).
As we study Jewish Roots issues, we must always remember three foundational truths that will enable us to keep a balanced center focused on the person of our Messianic King Jesus, and the expansion of His Kingdom. Firstly, the Jewish Messiah did not come to start a new Gentile religion called “Christianity.” He came to open the Kingdom of God to all the nations of the world (Matthew 11:11–13; 28:19, Luke 16:16, 24:47). Secondly, based on that, we must never forget that the proclamation and demonstration of the Kingdom of God is what the Gospel is all about (Luke 4:43; Matthew 24:14; Acts 28:23,31). Thirdly, we must always welcome and obey the Holy Spirit who was sent to teach, guide and empower us, so that we would live a life of faithful fruitful obedience as trustworthy stewards of all He has entrusted to us (Luke 24:49; John 14:26, 16:13; Acts 1:8).
We do not teach Jewish roots from a legalistic or Judaistic perspective. We do not teach that believers in Jesus “come under the law,” (Romans 6:14–15, Galatians 5:18, 1 Corinthians 9:20). We do not teach that they, as Gentiles, should try to become culturally or religiously “Jewish,” or seek to interpret or apply the Scriptures according to Jewish traditions or Rabbinic interpretations, or follow modern day traditional expressions of Judaism as their model.
While we recognize that Jewish traditions and Rabbinic interpretations are not authoritative for us, we are also not rejecting those traditions and interpretations. They can potentially be, and often are, very valuable sources of wisdom, insight, explanations and understanding of the Scriptures that help us in our walk with the Lord.
Our faith is based on what the Messiah did for us and on the revelation of the Holy Spirit as He opens both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. He leads us in the way in which we should understand and obey His Commandments, His instructions, His Torah. We are only answerable ultimately to Him (Matthew 16:17; Colossians 3:23–25; 1 Peter 11:17; Romans 14:10–12). This understanding brings us all to places of great personal responsibility where our integrity is tested. God knows your heart. Are you obeying Him? Are you making excuses for your disobedience? God is looking for obedience, simple obedience. Obedience brings blessings! (Deuteronomy 28:2). Obedience is the proof that you love the Lord! (Matthew 19:17; John 14:15; 1 John 2:4, 3:22).
If you are a Jewish believer in the Messiah, you are free to maintain whatever kind of “Jewish” lifestyle you feel pleases the Lord. Gentile disciples, of course, are also free to be led by the Holy Spirit in the matter of lifestyle choices. Romans 14 teaches us that each disciple has a personal responsibility, authority and freedom to be led by the Holy Spirit as they “work out their salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12–13). Everyone is free to choose the lifestyle they feel pleases the Lord. Pleasing God is the most important reason you should make any decision! (2 Corinthians 5:9, Colossians 1:10).
As we study the Scriptures we also understand God’s present prophetic purposes for the Jewish people, the nation of Israel and how central the Jewish people are for ushering in the return of the Messiah. God has not rejected the Jewish people and replaced them with the Church. On the contrary, He has grafted Gentile believers in the Jewish Messiah into Israel’s “Olive Tree” and made them “citizens in her commonwealth” who can receive from the “rich root of the Olive Tree,” and “provoke the Jews to spiritual jealousy” (Ephesians 2: 12–19, Romans 11:11, 14, 17).
History shows us how the Church disobeyed the Apostolic warnings clearly laid out in Romans
11:17–22, and arrogantly rejected her relationship to the Jewish people and her connection to the Roots of Israel’s “Olive Tree.” Suffering the Judgment of God, the Apostle warned about, the religion that came to be known as “Christianity”
(not to be confused with the authentic Body of Christ – which always maintained a witness in the world), descended into centuries of spiritual darkness, as it adopted a distorted and perverted mix of Greek philosophy, Roman forms of government and Pagan beliefs.
This religion of “Christianity” eventually became the established religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine and made the rejection of the Jewish people and its Jewish roots official doctrines. Instead of being the Holy Spirit filled dynamic Body of Christ empowered to provoke natural Israel to spiritual jealousy (Romans 11:11,14), this “Church” became the enemy of the Jewish people. It embraced many doctrines of demons, especially the pernicious lie known as “replacement theology.” This evil doctrine teaches that the Church has replaced Israel in the purposes of God. This lie spawned centuries of “Christian” anti–Semitic propaganda that is responsible for centuries of murderous hatred and horrific persecution of the Jewish people. It also formed the spiritual foundations that culminated in the Holocaust. This demonic doctrine continues to spread its evil effects throughout much of “Christianity” to this day.
This “religion” also rejected many truths of the New Testament. For example, it forbade the reading of the Bible by the so called “laity.” Personal faith was replaced by lifeless ritual; Biblical truths were compromised and even replaced with pagan practices and by doctrines of demons. The organic Body of Christ was replaced by a religious–political organization with worldly motives for riches and power that sinned greatly against God and humanity. Jesus was no longer Jewish, and Jews were not welcome into this “Church” unless they “converted” to this version of “Gentile Christianity.” This kind of “conversion” was forced upon the Jewish people at the point of a sword and demanded that they reject their divinely inspired Holy Torah, their cultural and religious identity as Jews, and even their own people.
But, thank God, we are living in a time of restoration. The Holy Spirit is stirring the hearts of believers around the world to understand and partake in God’s original purposes for “the grafting in of the wild branches among the cultivated ones (Romans 11:17, 24). They are awakening to the great importance and deep spiritual significance of the “Jewish Roots” of their faith, and their Biblical relationship and responsibility to the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.
As believers discover the significance of their “Hebraic Roots,” many are realizing just how “aberrant” much of western “Christianity” is. They are seeing how much the “Church” continues to be influenced by Greek philosophy, Roman governmental concepts and pagan beliefs and practices.
Part of our ministry involves exposing and removing those influences and helping those who are seeking for ways to live and minister as authentic disciples of the Kingdom and be part of communities of faith that are endeavoring to function as true expressions of the Body of Christ. These spiritual dynamics are also part of God’s plan for maturing the Body of Christ and the return of the Messiah.
Our prayer and hope are that our teaching materials will help you:
- Discover the riches of your “Jewish Roots,”
- Find and fulfill your gifts, calling and destiny,
- And participate in God’s End Time Purposes for the Body of Christ and the Jewish people.