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Answer for yourself: Are you aware that in the Bible there is a hidden "pattern of worship" given to the Jew and "non-Jew" that overlaps and that Gentile Christianity today has totally lost the knowledge of this "pattern" and has going on 1,800 years? Are you aware that the "pattern" we read in our New Testament has its foundation in astronomy and the workings of the cosmos? Are you aware that is "pattern of worship" exhibited by the Jewish people in the Old and New Testament can be traced to ancient Egypt and the other ancient nations of the world for over 10,000 years or longer? But more importantly are you aware that Rome will "radically reinterpret" and alter this "Divine Pattern of Worship"? No, I bet you didn't. Without a lot of study it is very hard if not impossible for the traditional Christian to pick up his Bible or the New Testament and spot these "radical alteration" of this "Divine Pattern". But all of this is about to change for the reader and "truth-seeker" as we study together the fruits of my scholarly study over these last 20 years. All you need to find within yourself is a unwavering desire for truth and a deep love for God that will steer straight your course as we come to study together in order to obtain the knowledge of the truth kept from you over these last 1,800 years of Roman Orthodoxy.
Hello, pardon me just interrupting your life but I stumbled across
Biblical information that has the opportunity to change the course of your life
if you will let it. In my pursuit of holiness and love for God I was
drawn into an in-depth study of God's Word over 19 years ago. In
doing so I stumbled into a gold mine of Biblical truths long overlooked by the
Body of Christ. Following Seminary, I Pastored in Dallas, Texas, for many years
and have ministered the restoration of the Hebrew Roots of Christian faith for
over 15 years. Because of the vast information and facts that I uncovered in
such a study, long overlooked or neglected by most religious institutions,
fellow pastors, or churches, or Seminaries, I came to a point in my ministry
that I could no longer continue in the charade of a "pastor" when I
knew most of what I was teaching to be in error from the fruit of my continued
scholarly study over the first 4-5 years of my ministry following Seminary.
Seminary give me the tools to do such study but never gave me the hidden truths
behind the traditions they taught. Let us not be mistaken, the Jewish Christ-Messiah of which we
read in the New Testament was NEVER a Christian and his religious belief system
stands diametrically opposed to most of the major dogmas taught by mainline
Christianity over these last 1,800 years. One only needs to
study intently Biblical Judaism and compare their "religious dogmas"
with the "Christian dogmas" to see of which I speak. Something is
wrong why we don't follow in the steps of the Jewish Christ and his teachings
and follow another way. When I began these studies almost 20 years ago I never
dreamed that these Jewish dogmas could be traced to ancient Egypt some 10,000
years B.C.E.; dogmas by the way which will suffer a "radical
reinterpretation" by Rome during the 2nd through the 5th century.
Along the way of my studies I
learned that we should never underestimate the power of indoctrination,
tradition and legend upon the minds of the
"unlearned". The greatest exodus that a Christian
can ever experience is their personal pilgrimage from "ignorance" to
"knowledge and truth" about God. The problem with such a pilgrimage
is to learn how to discern "truth" from "error". Hopefully
you will see in our studies together that I will show you how. I thank God for
the Biblical skills and techniques I learned while in Seminary at Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas; I only wish more of those who
graduate from there used such skills in their study of the Bible. If they had
they would eventually come to see the things I discovered and uncovered but
there is a price to be paid for such knowledge. Few pastors and teachers can
remain in the pulpit knowing these discoveries from such study unless their
motives are not honest. But few I know of come to such a knowledge or
illumination of such facts of which I speak without many years of dedicated
study. Few pay the price. It is much easier to "flow with the
program" of a church than to continue to dig out hidden truths in the
original language of the Bible, let alone branch out from there in allied and
associated studies.
If you will take the time to read and study the materials provided I am sure that you will, as I did, come to a very different position concerning your religious belief system than you possibly now hold. If you would like, we at Bet Emet Ministries will be glad to help you continue your studies into the "faith once given to the saints." After covering the materials presented in this website, along with the other websites provided by this ministry, it will become sadfully evident that today's contemporary Christian does not continue in "the faith of Jesus" as practiced in the first century. In fact the stark reality of the paganism masqueraded as "righteousness" today will turn your stomach as well as break your heart. It did mine. It is a far cry from what God intended and what "the Christ" both taught, believed, and practiced since the beginning of time. I don't expect you to understand that statement now but I hope in time you will. But such facts of which I speak most Christians do not hold in their possession as of yet. But that will quickly change based upon your dedication and diligent study of the materials presented. The only requirements you need for such study is the "desire for truth" and the "courage to accept it" when it goes often against everything you have been taught by Roman Christianity and its Protestant offspring.
I would be glad to place you on our weekly-article "teaching series" where our informative articles exposing such religious falsehoods along with hidden truths and these informative and provocative studies could be sent to you if you would like. I must tell you up front that we at Bet Emet Ministries are different from other Jewish or Hebrew Roots "Restoration" Ministries in that it seems our research has gone far more in-depth to the issues at hand than others and we provide a more in-depth analysis of the text of the Septuagint, the Masoretic text, the New Testament, as well as the Old Testament; both linguistically, culturally, historically, politically, and archeologically than others. We tackle the tough issues connected with Paul and the "Jesus Story" like few do. Not only that but our studies advance to great depths into the Gnostic Christianity for the first 3 centuries and its links to Ancient Egypt where it can be shown the world received its first "monotheistic" religion which lies at the base today of both Judaism and early "Chrestianity"; that's right, I spelled it right. "Chrestianity" will become "Christianity" in the 2nd through the 5th century but you don't know that yet. All that you and I received growing up in the Western Hemisphere is an inherited Roman Christianity which is a sad blurred picture of the early beliefs held by both the Jews and "non-Jews" concerning the ancient Divine Wisdom concerning the Creator and "the Chrestus", the "Krst/Karest/Christ". Little do you know that the name of "Jesus Christ" can be found written in stone in ancient Egypt some 10,000 years B.C.E. as well as the name "Yahweh". That should really make you want to know what lies behind these dogmas we are taught today are "literal" and "historical" when it appears they are not when such evidence and archeological facts come to be common knowledge. Because of such in-depth research we have been able to bring to light more information than most are giving that deal with serious omissions in Christianity's contemporary religious belief system that influences negatively one's life-styles and beliefs as Gentile Christian believers. For your information such omissions are called by both the Old Testament and the New Testament "sin". As a Pastor this is my cry; to help you avert unconscious sin because of religious error or poor teaching by your Spiritual peers who simply don't know the truth due to their lack of diligent scholarly study and repeat and parrot "inherited error". Our true and pure worship of God demands we worship God in "truth" and not in "error".
Very few have studied to this depth to see this information and these hidden messages which lie beneath the English language of our Bibles in the New Testament. Not possessing this information and having not known the need for such study often our articles are met with skepticism and emotional responses by readers defending their "inherited beliefs". Let me say up front before you voice that you "disagree" please do the studies. Respect our efforts to provide you this information by doing your own study as we have given you other websites for confirmation as well as a great recommended book list to help you in your personal study. The only defense I will give such responses by the "unlearned" is our recommended book list. You are responsible for what you read here at Bet Emet to prove to yourself what we have shown you to be the "truth". Our only fault is that we never knew we never had the truth; until now that is!
Again, we say "Shalom" and hope to help you, if you are interested at arriving at the hidden truths behind the inherited and altered texts in our Christian Bible. Obtaining such truths long held back from us will help you genuinely lay away treasure in the World to Come to a greater degree by showing you a life of greater obedience that is more pleasing to the Almighty than what you have been shown previously up to this point in your life.
I would like to begin such revelations for you as we begin to consider in summary fashion the Commandments of God and their relationship for Gentile believers, both in the first century as well as today.
For a moment, take yourself back to the first century and pretend you are
sitting on the hillside hearing the words of "the Jewish Christ".
There is no Catholicism. There is no Protestantism. There is no belief system
called Christianity and "the Christ", spoke these words:
John 14:15: "If you LOVE Me, KEEP my COMMANDMENTS"
Answer for yourself: Would there be any doubt to you then concerning what "the Christ" was talking about?
Since there is yet no
Catholicism and Protestantism, the "we are not under the Law" doctrine does not
exist in the minds of the people who heard these words.
Everybody would understand that "the Christ", was talking about
keeping the commandments in the Torah.
In Matthew 5:19, "the Christ", said these words:
Matt 5:19 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (KJV)
Once again, the commandments that "the Christ" would be referring to is the Jewish Torah. Unknown to us at this point in our study is that other nations like Babylon and ancient Egypt has their own "Torahs" long before the Jewish nation. God has always given a guidebook for mankind and his Soul to follow through is Earthly incarnation. Ancient Egypt has the first Torah called "the 42 Negative Confessions" and Babylon later responds with the Laws of Hammurabi.
In Matthew 5:17, "the Christ" said prior to these words in Matthew 5:19 to:
Matt 5:17 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (KJV)
Let me paraphrase this for you as we look deeper into what the Hebrew behind the English is really saying here.
THINK NOT that I have come to destroy (do away with / wrongly interpret) the Torah but to fulfill (rightly interpret / follow / keep / teach and do) the Torah.
Answer for yourself: For sure, following this example, we are obligated to keep the MORAL commandments in the Torah such as not killing, stealing, lying, cheating, gossiping, committing fornication, etc.
Answer for yourself: But what about the other areas in the commandments? What about the ceremonial commandments? What are we as "non-Jews" to do with the Sabbath, the Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Rosh Ha Shannah, Yom Kippur, Tabernacles? What about these "appointed times with God" that fall at the Equinoxes and Solstices? Do they apply to "non-Jews" as well? And what are the implications to Christians today? Did the ancients observer these Celestial Times and did they contain hidden meanings concerning the Soul and its birth, life, death, and rebirth? Or do we dare look that close and only look at the Jewish cultural interpretation of them and the Exodus as is currently done? But could this Exodus have a deeper meaning concerning the Descent of the Soul and have we missed it? Where can we learn this? Did the "non-Jews", as taught by the Jews of Israel, keep and observe these "Feasts and Festivals" with the Jews up and until the 3rd century before being stopped by Constantine and the emerging antisemitic Roman Church? If so, then why don't we keep the Passover instead of Easter in our Churches today? Well, as you can see we start our studies with a with a bang! I don't expect you to understand this yet but every ancient Religious Dogma of the major religions of the World can be found in the Heavens and Sky above before it was given to mankind. WHOAA, we need to slow down but all of this will become very pain in you keep up with your studies.
Answer for yourself: What did the first century "non-Jewish" believers both "believe" and "observe and keep" in their worship of God as taught by the Jews since salvation was and is understood to be "of the Jews"? Are these "non-Jews" and the historical record important for us and is it to be considered an example to us today? Was there a "pattern" of worship that was can discerned in such Jewish records and should it serve as an example for us today? Why does Rome and Christianity not follow this "Jewish Pattern"? Does not Rome know that this "Divine Pattern" connected to the Biblical Appointed Time and festivals applied to the "non-Jew" in the commands in our Old and New Testaments? Why did Constantine decide not to follow them? This is the beginning of wisdom and what we have to learn is why everything was "changed" by Rome in the 2nd through the 5th century. Your enlightenment begins only here but let me tell you there are hard things on the horizon of your study which we will get to later.
For starters the non-Jewish believers of the earliest church kept the Sabbath, the Biblical Festivals and Feasts (celebrated the Equinoxes and Solstices), as well as many of the dietary laws. This was part of their Worship of the Creator as taught them by the Jerusalem Assembly in Acts 15
However, we must also understand that modern day Rabbinic Judaism did not
exist in the first century. Modern day Rabbinic Judaism resulted when Judaism
was restructured at Yavneh following the destruction of the Temple after 70
C.E. Some people believe that there were as many as 24 DIFFERENT sects of Judaism during the first
century. Of these sects, the only sect that continued to
exist following the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. to the present day has
been the Pharisees. This is very important and God is behind this without a
doubt. You see that from the Pharisees came the Rabbis and Rabbinic Judaism
known as Orthodox Judaism today. They are the saviors of Judaism and the
Ancient Divine Wisdom possessed by Israel in the first century which had been
handed down since ancient Egypt and before.
Therefore, calling modern day Rabbinic Orthodox Judaism and the decrees of the Rabbis as being the "same" as keeping the Biblical Laws and Commandments would not be an accurate statement; but yet the similarities are such that we can learn and must learn from them this "Ancient Wisdom" of God intended for all mankind
God has given many Rabbis great wisdom and insight regarding Biblical truth and the Rabbis have preserved many teachings and truths that are a great blessing for us to understand when we are researching and trying to study our Hebraic/Jewish Roots. Modern day Orthodox Judaism is based upon the decree's and teachings of the Rabbi's over the years. The distinction must be made between Rabbinic Judaism and Biblical Judaism and to do so requires your study and understanding of the differences. Although different again they possess "the light" that Rome tried so diligent to extinguish during the Dark Ages.
It is not my intention to teach thoroughly on this topic at this time, but let me state in summary fashion that non-Jewish believers were given Laws and Commandments to keep both as a response to their love for God as well as their respective Covenant responsibilities before God; regardless of what the Romanized Paul of Rome's invention or the New Testament says in various places.
You will soon some to see that there are many problems with the New Testament and much that it teaches; but first things first. Let me address the New Testament's teaching of an anti-Law bias.
The context for this is Isaiah 56:
Isa 56:1-8 1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. 3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths (plural...festivals, feasts), and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him. (KJV)
Answer for yourself: Who are these "sons of the stranger" who had joined himself to the Lord and were keeping the Lord's sabbaths and taking hold of his covenant? Who are these eunuchs that were keeping the Lord's sabbaths? Were they "Jews" or "non-Jews"? They were "non-Jews" and an example for the Gentile Christian today which teaches us that we can move beyond the minimum requirements given us by God if we so desire for God surely teaches us here in Isaiah 56 that He does desire this of the "non-Jew".
I want to draw your attention one again to these very important statements. The references to "son of the stranger who had joined himself to the LORD" and "eunuchs that keep my sabbath, and choose those things that please me, and take hold of my covenant", as well as "also the sons of the stranger, that joint themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant" are references to the NON-JEWISH believers who go beyond the minimum of the 7 Laws of Noah (really 66 commandments) and choose to keep God's sabbaths (both the weekly and yearly Biblical Festivals at their "appointed times").
Answer for yourself: How do we know this for sure?
Well, for one thing, the "sabbath" was never a command for the non-Jew in the Laws of Noah. Thus, the picture for us is plain; going beyond minimum obedience "pleases God." Right now, let me tell you that if that is not what you want or desire, then Bet Emet Ministries is not for you! In following articles in this website, as well as the others, such a motive will compel us to reveal ruthlessly error and deception which is often sin which lies unnoticed in many Christian doctrines of the church which has been "cherished" far too long when their origin can be clearly seen upon examination to be in "literalized Sunworship" which is outright blasphemy before God! Rome is the culprit here which will later "literalized" and "historicize" the ancient Divine Wisdom which was Divine Allegory and Myths revealing the Metaphsical concepts of God and His cosmos. I don't expect you to understand this yet but God revealed Himself to mankind through the Laws of the Cosmos and often this was understood through "allegorical Sunworship" which was not sin; only when we come to "literalized Sunworship" have we violated the Commandment against idolatry which we find both in the Laws of Moses and the Laws of Noah given the "non-Jew". We will cover this concept in later articles on another site when dealing with the 3 different interpretations of "the Christ" and how Rome will, in the 2nd through the 5th centuries, "literalize" this Christ and in so doing destroy the Ancient Wisdom concerning this "Christ within" which is imparted to all God's children when they are born.
Here, in Isaiah 56, we have the explicit desire of HaShem that non-Jewish believers go beyond the minimum to take a "larger" hold of God's covenant and keep these sabbaths connected with the Equinoxes and Solstices. This concept is repeated in the Old Testament as we find "non-Jews" keeping the festivals and sabbath along with the Jews all through the Old Testament. This is often missed by the casual reader for it lies hidden in the original languages of the Bible, both the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament. We will deal with all of this in time as our studies advance. As if that is not enough the New Testament is full of examples whereby "non-Jews" attended the synagogue with the Jews and kept Sabbath and Festivals with them (the Equinoxes and Solstices). We will come to see that God gave mankind His message in the Sky/Heaven "above" and in Nature "below", and when you possess the "keys" to understand this "message of God" and His "true salvation message" connected to these Equinoxes, and Solstices, which later became the festivals and feasts of various nations, even Israel and the Jews, then you will have the most complete and clear picture of God and His message to mankind that you could ever hope to hear or see.
For our purpose now, in the beginning of such study, Acts 15 has the the reference to James referring to "non-Jewish" believers attending the synagogue on Sabbaths where Moses is read and where these other Laws and Commandments would be taught to these "non-Jewish" believers in the God of Israel.
Answer for yourself: What time is it?
The time and context of Acts 15 is critically important for the "non-Jew". We are way past the time for the Jesus of the New Testament and all implications of his death, right or wrong, were assumed to be understood by the Jerusalem Church. The context is the continual instruction of the "non-Jew" in the Torah long after the time of Jesus' supposed literal and historical death whereby the non-Jewish believer can learn of the other mitzvoth and commandments and then be able to intelligently "choose" those things above his minimum in his covenant (the Covenant of Noah) which pleases God (adopting Isaiah 56 as a life-style). The Torah, and its portions that referred to the "non-Jew", was to be taught to and kept by the "non-Jew" both before and after the time of this New Testament given for Jesus.
Answer for yourself: Do you understand this? Do you see this? So why does the Apostle Paul, supposedly, tell us that "Christ is the end of the Law"? Who is writing this stuff that goes against the Jerusalem Church and their decree in Acts 16 that send letters strengthening all the churches of Asia, Minor, where they commanded the Laws of Noah be followed by all the "non-Jews"? What changed? Who changed it? What happened, if anything, to change this religious stance regarding the "non-Jew" long after the time for this Jesus? Well nothing more than the rise of the antisemitic Roman Church and Constantine who hated the Jews and would later see to it that the Second New Testament would replace the First Gnostic New Testament!
Again, if you know Greek, you see that this word "end" in this verse does not mean "caput" or "ended" but actually means "goal". Christlikeness is the "goal of these Laws and Commandments of God"! Think on that for a while. No wonder James tells the Gentile world that these Laws of Noah are "necessary" and "seemed good to the Holy Spirit"! Speaking of these Laws of Noah for the "non-Jew" he says:
Acts 15:28 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; (KJV)
I think you get the picture by now. But these things seem foolish if we believe, as others say, that the Law has passed away and those who say this only show their inadequacy in interpreting these Hebrew and Greek passages in their Bibles properly.
Answer for yourself: Besides, how can we, "non-Jewish" believers in God, ever expect to have communion and fellowship with the Jewish people if we don't refrain from eating unclean foods or observing and worshipping with them at God's appointed times, His Biblical Feasts and Festivals?
You must study to understand the truths in these matters as well as the corruption of the religious documents that Rome gave us that were crafted and intended to separate the "non-Jews" from his Jewish Roots and the ancient Divine Wisdom that Judaism contains.
This may be news for you but history is not always as it is depicted. Winners of wars rewrite history and Rome won the war with the Jews and the Jews lost. Never forget that! Having said that understand that not every Jew in Israel in the first century believed that this Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. The Hebrew Scriptures today lay unfulfilled in spite of what the New Testament is made later to say by purposefully misquoting, mistranslating, and taking out of context many Hebrew passages to make it appear that these Messianic prophecies were fulfilled by this Jesus of Rome's New Testament. I don't expect you to believe what I said but until you do the studies and compare the Hebrew with the Greek and later the English New Testament then you will never understand and know for certain why the Jewish people for over 2,000 years wont' and cannot accept this Roman Messiah as the Jewish Messiah. Understand that I can prove and have proven this beyond any doubt because comparison of the Hebrew texts with the later forged Greek, Latin, and Greek passages make such forgery evident to all. You just have to see it for yourself and they all debate is futile. In spite of this in the first century, a time of Messianic fever when "non-Jews" started turning to the Jewish faith and faith in the God of Israel, there was a great controversy regarding the role and position of the "non-Jew" in a Jewish faith. Some felt that to be accepted the non-Jew had to convert; others felt that they did not. Judaism was divided.
Although Peter was supposedly a disciple of this Jesus, even after the death of of this Jesus, according to the account in the New Testament, Peter still believed that he would become ritually unclean if he allowed a Gentile into his house. This is the issue in Acts 10. In Acts 10, God gave a vision to Cornelius, a non-Jew, to visit Peter who was Jewish. As Cornelius went, God gave Peter a vision of all manner of fowls beasts. This happened three times. Many in Christianity have ended the story there and taught that we are now free to eat anything we want as God said in Acts 10:15: "And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common".
This is where Christianity ends the story. But if we continue reading the rest of Acts 10 it says in Acts 10:17: "Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate".
In Acts 10:23: "Then called he them in and lodged them ..."
Peter got much rebuke for letting a non-Jew into his house.
In Acts 11:2-3: "And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him. Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and did EAT WITH THEM"
So, the "non-Jew" became quite a controversy. Finally, there had to be a meeting and a ruling decided. This happens in Acts 15. It was a current Jewish belief that in order for the "non-Jew" to receive righteousness from God that the "non-Jew" needed to be "converted into Judaism" and keep the Torah as the Jews kept the Torah (all 613 Laws). This is our background for Acts 15. Understand that whether the "non-Jew" would keep the Torah was NOT an issue; the issue was only "how much" and "which parts" of the Torah was to apply to them. What was at issue was HOW the "non-Jew" would keep the Torah and how much of it (only the 66 Laws of Noah in the Torah or all 613 Laws of the Torah and make full conversion). Judaism was divided between the School of Shammai who advocated that the "non-Jew" had to keep all of the 613 Laws and make full conversion while the School of Hillel advocated the "non-Jew" was responsible for only 66 Laws in the Covenant of Noah. The same issue concerning the Law confronts the "non-Jewish" Christian believer today whether he knows it or not.
However, God began to pour out the Ruach HaKodesh / Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles as He did to the Jews in Acts 2 and this caught the attention and influenced the doctrine of the Apostles.
In Acts 10:44-45, Peter tells this story: "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the CIRCUMCISION which believed were ASTONISHED as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost"
Answer for yourself: Why was Peter and the "Jews" astonished? What happened?
This is called the "Gentile Pentecost" because as in Acts 2, when Jews, both naturally born Jews and "converted Jews" (who were once Gentiles) came from all over the world (different nationalities and different dialects) in obedience to the Torah to observe the Festival of Shavuot (Pentecost), heard Peter preach in Hebrew and their ears and understanding was opened and they "understood" what Peter spoke in his native Hebrew tongue. These listening to Peter did not possess the ability to understand Hebrew before that day. But miraculously their "understanding" was opened and they comprehended what Peter was speaking in Hebrew although they did not understand the language previously to his speaking and this miracle or "hearing". This is mistakenly called and understood as "strange tongues" in the New Testament as if they all "spoke" in other tongues. The Rabbis teach this differently and teach us that this is not so much a miracle of "tongues", as in glossolalia, but a miracle of "hearing". This, mind you, is the reverse of curse of Babel. This very same miracle, once experienced only by the Jews, now occurred before Peter and other Jews with the Gentile Cornelius. Now, in their amazement, this supposedly " unclean god, this unclean Gentile" had his "ears and understanding" opened to Hebrew as did the Jews and other converted Jewish-Gentiles in Acts 2. Some 17 years later this supposedly "unclean Gentile" named Cornelius experienced this same grace from God as did previously the Jews and Jewish pilgrims in Acts 2. This was a big revelation to Peter and other Jews present for testified to the the truths taught by the School of Hillel who was not the majority house of the Pharisees in the first century. It was the School of Hillel that taught that God accepted the "non-Jew" without total conversion to Judaism which was diametrically opposed to the teaching of the School of Shammai.
Therefore, Peter says in Acts 11:17-18 "Forasmuch then as God gave them (the "non-Jews"
the gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ: what was I,
that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace
and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted
repentance unto life"
This brings us to Acts 15 where the issue "Jew-Gentile" problem is debated and decided. Judaism remained split on how to handle these "unclean Gentiles" and in the wake of what happened to Cornelius those Jews allied to the House of Hillel pushed to change the "status-quo" that existed in the Judaism of their day. No longer could those Jews who had learned of what God had done to Cornelius any longer maintain allegiance to the School of Shammai, and in so doing, continue to believe that Gentiles, in order to be included into the Israel of God and be "saved" had to experience full conversion and adhere to all the 613 Laws given the Jews. Instead, in repentance, a multitude of Jews arose that advocated that no longer Gentiles were required to be full converts to Judaism "to be saved". This again shows the influence of R. Shammai and his school of Pharisees at this time in Jewish history. This caused a great dispute that culminated in the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. In Acts 15:1-2 it is written:
Acts 15:1-2 1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. (KJV)
In Acts 15:7-10, Peter gave His testimony of what God had done and what he had seen (that God had anointed Cornelius, a Gentile believer in God, with the Holy Spirit...even before Peter had preached "Jesus" to him). This is important for we see that "salvation" came to the house of Cornelius before he had "Jesus" preached to him!
In Acts 15:8-10 it is written: "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost (Cornelius, a Gentile, had his mind opened to understand Peter speaking in Hebrew and no longer needed an interpreter...the reverse of Babel just like in Acts 2 some 17 years earlier at the Jewish Pentecost) even as he did unto us (Acts 2, the Jewish Pentecost); And put no difference between us (Jews) and them (Gentiles) (the same miracle for both the Jew and the "non-Jews"), purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples (requiring the Gentiles to be fully converted to Judaism (613) when God never required this of them in the Covenant of Noah (only 66 Laws), which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"
This scripture is commonly quoted erroneously as a decision to the question posed in Acts 15 giving reasoning that the "yoke upon the neck of the disciples" was the Torah itself and it was being advocated in this passage that the Gentiles were not responsible to keep the Torah. But that is not true, and if we continue reading we can see that this was not so. The issue is not that the Gentiles were given the Torah but "how much of the Torah" to be a part of the Israel of God and accepted into fellowship with Jewish Israel.
In Acts 15:20, the MINIMUM requirements are given to the "non-Jews" in summary form by James (Gentile believers like you and me) which they are expected to observe if they were to be accepted in the Israel of God without full conversion.
As we continue this statement is made which is very important in the very next verse in Acts 15:21: "For Moses (the Torah) of old time hath in EVERY CITY them that PREACH HIM, being read in the SYNAGOGUE every SABBATH DAY"
Let me paraphrase. In other words the ruling was this: DO NOT require the "non-Jew" to keep the ENTIRE Torah like the Jews were required. The "non-Jew" was not given or required of God to accept and adhere to all 613 Laws in the Books of Moses. But, because the "non-Jew" was attending synagogue services on the SABBATH with the Jews in the synagogue, they will learn that they were given the 66 Laws of Noah and it was there, in the synagogues of the Jews that these "non-Jews" would learn that God had given them the Covenant of Noah as the MINIMUM requirements to be accepted in the people of God, the Israel of God. Adherence to these Laws of Noah would allow them to be accepted into fellowship with the Jewish people of God since these very same Laws are TAUGHT in the Torah and given to the Jews as well. In reading "Moses" these very Law would be taught to the "non-Jews" in the SYNAGOGUE EVERY SABBATH (for Moses hath in every city them that preach him ...). In such reading of "Moses" the Torah would enlighten and teach these "non-Jews" how they are to be more and more Torah observant as they acquire Mitzvoth and take upon themselves more of the Torah as a Godly life-style. The Gentiles, in the synagogue, will also as well, slowly learn of Isaiah 56 and hopefully come to desire over time to take upon themselves more mitzvoth, Laws, and Commandments. A case in point is the Laws concerning the Sabbaths, Festivals, Feasts, and dietary Laws of God. Although many Laws in the Laws of Moses were not "required" of the "non-Jew", choosing "those things that please God" over and above the minimum requirements given the Gentile ensured that the "two sticks" in Joseph's hand will become the "one people of God" (Jew and Gentile).
Now lets get real.
Answer for yourself: Is the above passage indicative of your experience in your Christian Church? Has the Roman Church and her Protestant offspring taught these things to you as were done to other "followers of the Christ" and have they done this according to this "pattern" set for us in Acts 15? Why not? Remember that this is what was mandated to be taught to the "non-Jews" long after the time of Jesus by the Jerusalem Church!
Answer for yourself: Are you fellowshipping with Jewish people, are you meeting to worship God on the Sabbath, are you keeping the seven Biblical Festivals or Feasts, are you learning the hidden message in them concerning your Soul? Is the Old Testament being taught in your church and is Moses being read, are you learning of your Covenant with God (Covenant of Noah), are the Commandments and the Laws given you by God being taught to you to mature you Soul, are you following in this pattern given us in the Book of Acts? Then if not, then your experience is an anomaly and not according to the "pattern" of the earliest church and followers of "the Christ".
Answer for yourself: If this seemed good to "the Holy Spirit" and "necessary" then how can we improve upon this let alone change it? Well, you will have to ask Rome that question.
Answer for yourself: Are you aware that since ancient Egypt God has commanded a special message be given all mankind at these special "appointed times", these Equinoxes and Solstices and these Appointed Times parallel the Jewish Biblical Feasts and Festivals? Do you know what this message is? Are you aware that behind the Hebrew and Greek of your Christian Bibles it can be shown that "non-Jews" were keeping the Sabbath and observing the Biblical Festivals, these Equinoxes and Solstices, right along with the Jews according to this Acts 15 pattern? Are you aware all of this will change in the 2nd through the 5th century because of the influence of Constantine and the Roman Church and "new radically different interpretations" will be given to almost everything Jewish including the identity of "the Christ"? Dear one the train jumped the track in the 2nd through the 5th century and it is time go get back on the right path and return to the pathway given mankind since the beginning of time and as held sacred in Judaism yet today.
Answer for yourself: Why not break from the mold of error and antisemitism and repent (teshuvah) and return to the real faith of this "Jesus", this Jew, and learn what was in "this mind of Christ" in order to really be a "follower of this Christ". Is time we wake up and find out the truth behind our Christian faith and all that this means and restore these lost truths to your life and your family's life today.
By continuing to read the book of Acts, you will discover that long after the time of Jesus that in various cities both Jews and Gentiles were worshipping on the Sabbath day in the Synagogue. That means in Asia, Minor, "Moses is being read" in their churches and assemblies (synagogues).
Acts 13:14-15, 42: "But when they departed from Perga, they came
to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the SYNAGOGUE on the SABBATH day and sat
down. And after reading of the TORAH and the PROPHETS ... and when the Jews
were gone out of the SYNAGOGUE the GENTILES besought that these words might be
preached to them the NEXT SABBATH"
Acts 14:1 "And it came to pass in Iconium, they went both
together into the SYNAGOGUE of the Jews and so spake that a GREAT MULTITUDE
BOTH of the JEWS and also the GREEKS believed"
Acts 17:1-2, 4: "... they came to Thessalonica, where
there was a SYNAGOGUE of the JEWS, And Paul as his MANNER was (HE DID IT
REGULARLY) went in unto them, and THREE SABBATHS DAYS reasoned with them out of
the scriptures ... and some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas
and the devout GREEKS a GREAT MULTITUDE ..."
Acts 17:10, 12 "... Paul and Silas ... went into the
SYNAGOGUE of the Jews ... therefore many of them BELIEVED ... which were GREEKS
..."
Acts 18:1, 4: "After these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth ... and he reasoned in the SYNAGOGUE every SABBATH and persuaded the JEWS and the GREEKS ... "
Therefore, we are seeing that in many Greek towns (for Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him being read in the synagogue every sabbath day ... Acts 15:21) that the Jews and Gentiles were worshipping TOGETHER in the SYNAGOGUE on the SABBATH day and learning from the TORAH and the Prophets. So, this should make it more clear that the issue wasn't "IF" the "non-Jews" should keep the Torah but "WHAT" and "HOW MUCH" of the Torah should they keep.
Once again Acts 15:20 states the MINIMUM requirements that God expects of the non-Jewish believer in Him.
Answer for yourself: How can we do this correctly unless we "understand what we are doing" and "why" we are doing it?
In Zechariah 14:16, God will require the nations to keep the Feast of Tabernacles during the 1,000 year Messianic Age.
Answer for yourself: Does your church keep the Festival of Tabernacles the way the Jews do?
In Isaiah 66:22-23, God will require "all flesh" to keep the sabbath and new moon during the time of the "new heavens" and the "new earth". New Moon? What is this? When was the last time you did this? We have to look to Ancient Egypt for such a pattern and the hidden Wisdom behind the "Osiris and Isis" pattern to know its implications for us today. But that is another study entirely and not for now.
Isaiah 66:22-23: "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make ... saith the Lord ... and it shall come to pass that from one NEW MOON to another and from ONE SABBATH to another shall ALL FLESH come to worship before me, saith the Lord"
Therefore, we are seeing a "pattern", a "pattern" that shows over and over again that God desires that the "non-Jew" go beyond the minimum and keeps His Sabbaths, Festivals, Feasts, New Moons, Equinoxes and Solstices for all Eternity. Therefore, God HAS NOT done away with the Torah, the Law, the Commandments, the Festivals, the Sabbath for the Jew, "non-Jew" & Gentile believer regardless of what Roman antisemitic Pauline writers and forgers will later write in this Roman New Testament in opposition to the "non-Jew" keeping that part of the Torah that refers to him!
We keep the Spirit of the Torah because it gives life and we want to LOVE God by keeping the commandments. For the non-Jew this is purposing to eat healthy, keep the sabbath and the festivals. It should be our desire as well.
Answer for yourself:
Do we keep the Torah for salvation? No!!!!!
Because as a Christian you LOVE God you should want to keep His commandments (John 14:15) and by keeping, teaching and doing the commandments you will be great in the Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:19).
Most of my life I lived a life of disobedience toward God and never knew it; but went to church. I had simply been taught wrong or not at all. Too much preaching and so little teaching, knowledge, and truth flows from our pulpits of our churches today. All we hear is about giving money to this institution called the church which has lost its way and the true message of God with it. Because I did not know my Hebraic/Jewish Roots I allowed myself to be led astray; even worse, later in life led others astray thinking what I was "preaching" was correct. That was until I began serious personal study into my faith and its Jewish Roots where I experienced my exodus from such religious darkness and deceit. Now, nineteen years on the other side of naiveness and ignorance, I know the difference and want to atone for my sins of ignorance by setting the record straight for others. So, with God's help I began this ministry and have dedicated my life to it where I publish many articles that teach the truths that are dug from deep study of the Word of God and past history of this Ancient Spiritual Wisdom which Rome tried to destroy. This is my supreme gift to HaShem and to you in hopes you recover truths long hidden from you whereby you might make come to learn and see the need of repentance in your life in areas where the church has failed to teach you correctly or deceived you on purpose. The problem began way back in the second and third centuries; the ones to blame are long gone. But their legacy of ignorance and deception yet abound and it appear that it has no limits. By God's grace and illumination we can dispel a lot of it together. The question for you to answer is if you love God enough to look into these matters and have the courage to continue such a search for truth.
In closing these Laws and Commandments given the "non-Jew" in the Covenant of Noah as well as those given the Jew in the Covenant of Moses concern themselves not only with moral and ethical issues of life but many of them concern "ritual" and "ceremonial" issues that lie at the heart of one's proper worship of God. When we get to the Antioch Incident this becomes very apparent for this is a watershed event in the New Testament. Only in further study will the evidence mount to prove to the reader that the earliest Gentiles, in obedience to James and the Jerusalem Church, followed this "pattern of worship" that was part of the Covenant and Laws of Noah. I pray this becomes more clear to you as your studies advance and then being totally convinced in time that you make the necessary changes in your life and worship whereby we all come to the "unity of 'the' faith", "the faith" once given the saints, and worship the Creator in Spirit and in Truth.
Baruch HaShem!