Messianic

Theofilus · #1 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 02:00 AM

I have been asked in another thread to lead a Messianic thread. I'm not sure that I'm the right person to do that, but I guess I can start the thread and contribute to it. There are probably people here with much more experience than me in these things.

Let me start with a little info about where I am coming from. I became a Christian 35 years ago... No... Wait... I was 15 when I got saved (That doesn't make me sound as old). I was a member of a Presbyterian church for the first few years and then, when I moved back to Iceland (I was saved in the US), I attended a Lutheran church, which is the state church of Iceland. I first started to get interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity about 10 years ago. There are no Messianic congregations here, so I've had to get all my teachings and information on line. I am currently studying material I got from First Fruits of Zion called Torah Club Volume 1 - Unrolling the Scroll. It is a basic introduction to Torah based on the weekly reading schedule used in synogoges. I'm really still just learning. I'm not sure I'm qualified to teach Torah just yet. (In fact, I'm sure I'm not). If anybody has any questions that I can answer, I'd be happy to, but chances are that I'd do more asking than answering.

So, who else here falls into the Messianic/Hebreic Roots/Torah Movement/Whatever Else You Want To Call It category? Anybody have anything they'd like to share?

Sealed · #2 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 02:06 AM

hi theo!

as you and i have discussed recently, i would love to learn more about the torah and hebrew traditions. over and above what i read in the torah and the rest of the old testament. i am a baby in this regard and no VERY little about these things so i am quite certain i can learn alot from you and others. my experience with these types of things has come mostly from the Word, as i've said, plus i really use to love watching Zola Levitt before he went home to be with the Lord; and I love Perry Stone (on TBN) who is really good at expounding on these things. so . . . please sign me up for this "course" if you would be so kind!

thank you for stepping to the plate theo.

Theofilus · #3 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 02:11 AM

Wow! It's only been a few minutes, and already the number of people posting here has doubled.

intricatic · #4 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 02:24 AM

You'll get more than a couple, I'm sure.

I've always had a thing for Messianic Judaism, but I'm not Messianic myself, so I'll just read quietly.

Theofilus · #5 (**permalink**) 06-08-2008, 02:58 AM

Feel free to ask questions and share what you think. I'll try to answer if I can. If I don't know something, I'm sure that somebody else will come here who does.

Sealed · #6 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 12:21 AM

ok theo-i have a question to start things off, if you don't mind:

why should we observe the traditions and holidays of the hebrew people? what is the significance for today's judeo christian believers?

Theofilus · #7 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 12:55 AM

First of all, they are not Hebrew or Jewish holidays. They are God's holidays.

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies... These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times (Lev. 23:1-2, 4)

These are not days that the Jews thought would be a good time to celebrate. These are days God told us to keep. In my opinion, that in itself is a pretty good reason to keep the feasts.

Another reason is because of what we can learn from them. One of the primary reasons God gives us for keeping the feasts is to teach our children. We don't have to have children though. We can learn from the feasts as adults also. All of the feasts have some prophetic significance. For example, Passover froshadows Christs death on the cross. Practically everything about Passover - the Passover lamb, the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs and much more - has some prophetic or symbolic significance. Those who understood those symolisms were able to understand the significance of what Jesus did. All the other festivals also have some symbolic or prophetic significance. By understanding the symbols and prophecies, we will be able to better understand those things Jesus has yet fullfill.

Another reason is that Jesus kept the feasts. He is our example, and we should try to follow his example. He kept the feasts, so If we want to be like Him, we should also keep the feasts.

And then there is also the fact that the New Testament tells us to keep the feasts.

Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. (I Cor. 5:8)

Here Paul tells the (primarily) Gentile believers in Corinth to keep the feast of unleavened bread and, by extention, Passover and the other feasts. But we are not to keep them as "Jewish holidays" to remember something God did for them back in Egypt. Now that Christ has come, the festivals take on a whole new meaning and we can keep them in their full meaning.

Sealed · #8 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 02:27 AM

Excellent points Theo. Very well said too. They are indeed God's holidays, Thank you for pointing that out. And now that I think of it, while reading in the Old Testament - I do recollect God giving approval to aliens observing these holidays and festivals as well. Is that right? And yes, you are correct again by saying, our Savior also kept those traditions alive, so we should too - as seen in the New Testament writings.

I have on occasion observed the Sabbath but need to do so on a more consistent basis. Does anyone else take part in observing the Sabbath? Which, correct me if I am wrong Theo (or whoever would like to respond to this) - but that begins on sunset of Friday evening and ends on sunset of Saturday evening - right?

It reminds me of the times that Jesus stepped away from the crowds and went to the mountain to pray and had His quiet time alone with the Father. That is what I like to do, WHEN I do observe the Sabbath. It is a time of contemplation and being a rest, as the term Sabbath implies.

Now as for the prophetic significance to the feasts . . . I am a newbie there but am beginning to see the correlation bigtime-mostly because I watch Perry Stone when I can. He is very knowledgeable about these things. It's fascinating to see the connections come to life.

I think alot of people are missing a great blessing by not observing these holidays and festivals. Does anyone else feel that way? It seems as though some folks believe that since Jesus came to "fulfill" the Old Law, that now we no longer have to do these things. I don't think that is right though IMHO.

singingelk · #9 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 09:01 PM

Pops head in. I am a Messianic. I am what is called biblically Kosher as opposed to rabbinically Kosher.

I celebrate G-d's holidays rather than the traditional European holidays.

I also keep the Sabbath. I do not mow my lawn on Saturday. Rather I waited until Sunday.

Theofilus · #10 (**permalink**) 06-09-2008, 09:32 PM

Hi, singingelk. Good to see more people joining.

It is definitely much easier to keep biblically kosher than rabbinically kosher. I read somewhere that the laws of kashrut (keeping kosher) and the laws regarding the Sabbath are the most complicated and detailed of all rabbinical laws. Did you grow up in a home where the biblical holidays were kept, or did you decide later to stop celebrating the traditional holidays and do the biblical ones istead? That's how it was with me. I had a really hard time getting people to understand that I didn't celebrate Christmas.