Articles

Learning to forgive someone who has hurt or offended us is an essential ingredient of maintaining relationships, and guarding our hearts against bitterness. Bitterness is to the soul what metal shavings are to an engine. If they are allowed to remain, failure is inevitable. But one does not overcome...

Let us look again at Acts 15 and the decision of the Apostolic Council convened in Jerusalem. What was the issue at hand? What had brought about the need for the Council in the first place? And how should the decision of the Apostles be interpreted? What does all of this tell us about...

In our “post-Torah” era, the New Testament is read through the lenses of modern Christianity in which the issues of the Torah have long since been determined. The foundational question of the place of Torah within the life of the Christian has been so thoroughly answered by longstanding theologies...

One of the questions that inevitably arises when people began to see the beauty of the Biblical Festivals is whether or not they are for believers today. The theological categories in which many modern-day believers have been schooled insist that the Festivals were “merely shadows” of...

The recent issue of Messiah Journal (#101, Aug, 2009) published by First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ) has taken many of its readers by surprise. The article “One Law and the Messianic Gentile” (pp. 46–70) authored by Boaz Michael and D. Thomas Lancaster has boldly stated the desire of FFOZ to distance...

We’ve all had the experience of traveling to some place new and trying to find directions to a given location. With map or directions in hand, we look intently for street signs and road markers as we try to find our way. Then we come to an intersection where we must turn either right or left...

Today we have all sorts of Bible websites, apps, and software that are linked to many translations, languages, lexicons, and commentaries. You can take a virtual stroll through a seminary library on your smart phone! At times, the sheer volume of Bible-related content available at our fingertips can...

During the recent presidential campaign in the States, now President Obama utilized one primary word to focus his message: Change. The mantra was “Change you can believe in.” Now that he is the new president, his victory slogan is: “Change can Happen” and “Change has Come.” The well-worn adage is...

When we read the Scriptures, it is immediately clear that we are reading ancient literature. We are taken into a world of past millennia where language and culture differed dramatically from our own. And if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that often the greatest difficulty in...

And Yeshua came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matt 28:18) I. In His incarnation, Yeshua voluntarily set aside the use of His ultimate authority and lived as the Servant of Adonai. (Phil 2:5–11)...

The basic meaning of the verb ר ַשׂ ָבּ (basar) is “to bring news.” The context must determine whether the news is considered “good” or “bad.” The verb is found 24 times in the Tanach, while the noun, ה times. ָ ר שׂ ְבּ (besorah) is found 6...

The current debate over the Law in the NT has advanced the discussion along familiar lines. Continuity/Discontinuity continues to set the extremes of the continuum, with scholars placing themselves toward one pole or the other. Evangelical scholars have also renewed the discussion of the Law in the ...

My purpose in this paper is to explore the theological significance of circumcision within the narrative context of Genesis 17. My approach is to utilize literary methods of narrative interpretation, allowing these data to interpret the significance of circumcision found in the Abraham story....

In Acts 15:1 and 5 we are confronted by two distinct halakhot, each reflecting Jewish concern for the boundaries of the people of Israel. Though the text of verse 1 was altered by later scribes who seemed to believe both statements originated from believing Pharisees, a closer look at the Greek...

The last thing we read about Yeshua’s life upon this earth was His ascension into heaven. Our Master had gathered His talmidim together to give them their final instructions. He told them not to leave Jerusalem, but that they should wait there until they received “what the Father had promised”...

In our modern world, many voices vie for our attention. Whether it’s tele-marketers, email blasts, television, billboards, print media, or whatever, we are being called by many voices in many different directions. The situation is not much different even if we narrow the circle to the religious...

The festival of Unleavened Bread (chag hamatzot) is connected to the festival of Shavuot via the counting of 49 intervening days. This counting, according to Leviticus 23, commenced with the waving of a sheaf of grain by the priests:...

Introduction The study of the ancient Near Eastern “ covenant” or “ treaty” has had far-reaching implications for Old Testament studies in general. The past decades have given to the biblical scholar data from covenant structure and vocabulary which shed light on the biblical text itself and upon...

In this article, Michael Gonzales looks at the two most prominent ways of counting the Omer and discusses why people take each position. ...

This is a short note attempting to offer some perspective to those confused by “Hebrew word picture” proponents. Below are a few diverse images/replicas of ancient inscriptions that employ variations of the “paleo” alphabet...

As we spoke with a Jewish professor there, he reminded us that His primary difficulty with us as followers of Yeshua was “that man on the stick,” by which he meant the whole matter of Yeshua’s crucifixion and the central place He holds as the suffering Messiah for His people...

For those of us who have come to the conclusion that the Torah has not been abolished, and that, in fact, the Torah is God’s will for us as we strive to walk in the footsteps of the Messiah, a number of biblical texts pose very apparent problems. I am speaking of Mark 7:19, where it is alleged that...

The issue of the Sabbath was not an early one. Nowhere in the Apostolic Writings (the New Testament) do we find any indication that anyone questioned the validity of the Sabbath. There is not one argument between Yeshua and His antagonists over the issue of whether or not the Sabbath is a day that...

But why might Yeshua have chosen to speak Greek with Nicodemus? Perhaps to challenge “the teacher of Israel” on the very point of language ideology. Does Nicodemus put “Hebrew” first? Or, is he able to adapt to the needs of much of the flock of Israel, many of whom were raised on Greek Torah...

Generally, the interpretation of this passage falls to one of two sides: one which understands the passage to teach that Yeshua descended to Hades or Hell during the time He was in the grave, and the other which denies that He descended during this period...

One of the often heard arguments against the on-going viability of the Torah in the lives of those who are followers of Yeshua is that only the moral aspects of the Torah remain since the ceremonial and civil parts have been entirely fulfilled by Yeshua in His life and salvific work. To put this...

Initially, my interest in the “dividing wall” spoken of by Paul in Eph 2:14 centered on the place of the Torah in the life of the Messianic believer. Since Eph 2:14-15 is an often used text by those who hold that Yeshua abolished the Mosaic Torah by His death, I felt it warranted a concerted study...

In today’s rabbinic Judaism, a well entrenched teaching is that Gentiles who observe the seven laws given to Noah are worthy of a place in the world to come. This was explicitly taught by Rambam: Anyone who accepts upon himself the fulfillment of these seven mitzvot and is precise in their...

Only recently did I read the position paper authored by the IAMCS, dated 1/15/2014, and entitled: “One Law, Two Sticks: A Critical Look at the Hebrew Roots Movement.” The majority of this 59 page position paper deals with denouncing the so-called “Two-House” teaching, the “Sacred Name” movement...

In this article I am focusing on the etymology of the English word “Easter,” not primarily on the various traditions incorporated in the modern celebration of the Christian holiday by that name. What I mean is this: the English word “Easter,” as far as I have researched it, does not derive from the...

Do you remember Duplos (the big, clunky toys made by Lego)? My kids used to play with them when they were little. You can have a lot of fun with them, especially when the kids are into it, but the color and size options are very limited and whatever you build will soon fall apart anyway. Moreover...

The wisdom of the Sages is displayed yet again in the tra dition of reading Qohelet during the Fes ti val of Sukkot. But it is not readily apparent why Qohelet was chosen for a festival that has re joicing as its main theme! Many who read Qohelet are left with the impression that the words ...

What Paul meant by the word ‘telos’ in Romans 10:4 has long been debated. “Messiah is the telos of the law for righteousness for all who believe.” Does it imply ‘end’ in the sense of termination? Does it mark the law as ‘finished’? Or, does it mean ‘goal’ or ‘aim,’ indicating that the Torah points...

What is faith? I remember as a young boy I was sitting in a Bible class and the teacher was explaining “faith” in terms first-graders could understand. He explained: “When you sat down on your chair, you had faith that the chair would hold you and not break, didn’t you!? That’s what faith is...

Recently I’ve been re-reading The Letter Writer, a book about Paul’s background and Torah perspective I wrote in 2002. In the Prologue, I sought to express the importance of understanding “faith” and “faithfulness” from the vantage point of the biblical text itself rather than through the lenses of...

The Sages fixed the coming of the people of Israel to Mt. Sinai on Shavuot in the following manner...

The Passover Seder begins with “Kaddesh,” the first of four cups which all will drink at designated points throughout the seder. Why were four cups of wine deemed necessary for the Passover celebration? Other major festivals involve only the standard cup of wine at the initiation of the day as a...

The purpose of this paper is to make an inquiry into the tiqqun sopherim at Genesis 18:22 which is registered in the later lists of the tiqqune sopherim. Included in this investigation will be: a brief discussion of the two prominent terms used in the rabbinic lists when speaking of textual...

The question that underlies the purpose of this short study is quite simple: how did Gentile believers in Yeshua (non-proselytes) celebrate Pesach in the era leading up to the destruction of the Temple? This same question could be asked of the so-called “Godfearers” or “Sympathizers,” Gentiles in...

How is it that so many mournful events have happened to our people on this same day throughout history? Is it just an uncanny coincidence? Of course not! In fact, that Tisha b’Av is marked throughout our history as a day upon which destruction has come upon us is proof beyond doubt that the God Who...

In our times, one is never surprised. We have ceased to be surprised at the most ludicrous teachings that emanate from untrained and unstudied minds, because we live in a world of misinformation, and worse, deceitful attempts to lead people astray. Even more, we are not surprised because we live in...

I. Why this Study Fits Shavuot: the Giving of the Torah & the Outpouring of the Ruach A. Focusing on Why God gave us the Torah: To tell us about His method of forgiving sins: Gal 3:19 To tell us how He desires us to live as covenant members: Ex 24:12...

I’ll be honest: there is an area of my life where I deal with an obvious duplicity. I like technology but at the same time I cling to the past. Actually, I’m talking about books. Okay, I admit it, I’m a bibliophiliac (I don’t like the destructive sound of “bookworm”). Still, I’m very taken with the...

I’ll be honest: there is an area of my life where I deal with an obvious duplicity. I like technology but at the same time I cling to the past. Actually, I’m talking about books. Okay, I admit it, I’m a bibliophiliac (I don’t like the destructive sound of “bookworm”). Still, I’m very taken with the ...

One of the messages that is impressed upon us each year as we celebrate Hanukkah is the call to persevere, to not give up when events and circumstances weigh heavy upon us. When we consider how our people must have felt as they suffered at the hands of the foreign governments under which...

The History – An Outline Alexander the Great conquers the Ancient Near East and defeats Persia, 334–332 BCE Alexander the Great dies (313 BCE) and his kingdom is divided among his four generals Egypt and surrounding regions are given to Ptolemy I Syria and regions north given to Seleucus I Israel...

The Hardening of Pharaoh’s heart has always been a difficult matter for those who study the Exodus story. There are a number of reasons for this. First, and perhaps primarily, it appears out of character for God to harden a person’s heart in advance of giving the message. This seems patently unfair...

In the principle texts on Rosh Hashanah (Lev. 23:23-25; Num 29:1), the festival itself is primarily marked by the blowing of the shofar. Interestingly, neither text explains why a yearly festival is centered around the blowing of the shofar. We should presume, therefore, that the meanings attached...

The Hebrew word “know” (yada’), which is a common root in the semitic languages, has a wide range of meanings depending upon the context in which the word is found. Like our word “know” in English, the Hebrew word can indicate mental knowledge, that is, that a person “understands” or “has knowledge”...

The words of Yeshua (and the parallel in Mark 9:43–48) speak of “eternal fire” and of a “fiery hell” (“hell of fire,” ESV; “fire of hell,” NIV). This language clearly signifies that Yeshua taught that there exists a place of punishment for the wicked who die in their wickedness, a place that is...

Twice in the book of Samuel the hem of the garment figures significantly into the narrative (1Samuel 15:27ff; 24:5ff). Recognizing the hem as functioning in a covenantal sense allows not only a better understanding of the two texts themselves, but also allows the interpreter to see how the hem motif...

Perhaps, after reading the title of this essay, you’re asking yourself, “Is there really a crisis within the Messianic movement over the sufficiency of the Scriptures?” Yes, there is, and I hope to alert you to it in this essay. Remember that in the March Newsletter, I wrote about this issue because...

“World view” is the manner in which Historic Christianity understands the broad plan of redemption. I’ve come to realize, however, that the “world view” of Historic Christianity is not my world view. And because of this, I’ve also come to realize that I am not comfortable in defining myself within...

The salvation that has been procured for us through the death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of our Messiah Yeshua is the greatest gift of God’s grace which we possess. Since we who have believed are “in Messiah,” we are accepted before the Holy One of Israel as righteous in His eyes and...

In a recent newsletter sent out by a Colorado based ministry, the author came to the conclusion that there are several ways God forgives sin. The whole issue arose in the author’s mind when asked “How do Jewish people think their sins are forgiven since there is no blood sacrifice without the Temple...

Some years ago, when my daughters were much younger, I built a small “Play House” for them. It still stands in our backyard, and now has become the center of activity when our granddaughters come to “Papa's house.” The nicer summer weather prompted us to clean it up a bit, and I noticed that the...

After Yeshua and His Talmidim shared their final Pesach seder, they crossed over the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives. There Yeshua engaged in prayer to the Father, and in John’s Gospel, he gives us the substance of our Master’s prayer on that night before His crucifixion. But there is something...

One of the great advantages of viewing the Christian faith from a Jewish perspective is the door it opens for looking at things from a different angle—for asking questions one would otherwise never ask. For some time I have been asking questions about the Lord’s Table, as well as the ritual of...

Some Messianic Jewish romanticists imagine that Yeshua is to be found in rabbinic literature under the name of the heavenly being/angel called Metatron (ןורטטמ) and/or Youth (רענ). They claim that Jewish mystical tradition supports their belief. [For an overview of possible etymologies for the...

Terminology, along with titles and labels, are always difficult. Consider the well-used label “Christian.” I have been confronted at my front door by Mormon missionaries who started out by identifying themselves as “Christians,” only to have the same experience a few weeks later by people from the...

In our modern times there is a growing movement of believers coming out of the Church and into a new understanding of biblical truth. The rise of Christians turning to the Torah as a means for the believer’s sanctification seems to be growing rapidly. Those coming out of the Church are usually...

A wonderful thing is happening in our times: there is a renewed awakening to the beauty of the Torah (God’s teaching found in the first five books of the Bible). Many are realizing that it is the foundation of God’s gracious covenant relationship with those He has called to be His people. Decades of...

The current renewed appreciation for the Torah among many followers of Yeshua has often met with firm resistance by traditional Christian groups. Believing that the “Law” has been abolished in favor of the New Covenant, many consider that emerging Torah Communities have simply been hornswaggled into...

Sometimes Paul’s words are “hard to understand.” For in some cases, it appears that Paul disparages the Torah, relegating it to something that has exhausted its usefulness and has been replaced by something better. The difficulty is heightened all the more when his teaching in other places seems...

The issue of the Sabbath was not an early one. Nowhere in the Apostolic Scriptures do we find any indication that anyone questioned the validity of the Sabbath. There is not one argument between Yeshua and His antagonists over the issue of whether the Sabbath is a day that God commanded to be set...

Hasidic Judaism began in the 18th century with a man named Israel ben Eliezer, aka the Ba’al Shem Tov. However, to properly understand the Jewish mindset that led the Ba’al Shem Tov to easily introduce this new theological order to a substantial portion of European Jewry, we must begin much earlier...

The topic of Lashon Hara‘ (evil speech or gossip) is an important one for all of us to consider as we seek to serve our Lord, walking in His footsteps and sanctifying His Name upon the earth. I am convinced that Messianic communities intent upon living by the Scriptures face a wonderful and...

It seems that it is the destiny of all who pursue Torah-living to be labelled by some as “legalists.” If not often, at least occasionally we hear the warning (sometimes from very sincere and loving brothers and sisters in the Lord) that our view of the Torah is either legalistic or leads to it...

The Hebrew word “mo‘adim” (מוֹעֲדִים) means “appointed times,” that is, days of special significance which are scheduled to be observed. • Thus, the mo‘adim are appointed by God in order to teach us important lessons. • We first hear of “mo‘adim” in the creation account:...

Recently Rob Vanhoff and I discussed 119 Ministries backing of a group called The Copper Scroll Project (from now on referred to as CSP) on our podcast. After our show aired several of our listeners asked 119 Ministries (from now on referred to as 119) to respond to some of the objections we raised...

As I stated in the first installment of this blog series, Rob Vanhoff and I addressed some of the issues we have with the Copper Scroll Project (CSP) on our podcast, The Rob & Caleb Show. The director of the CSP is Jim Barfield. Barfield admits that he is not a scholar but rather a retired...

A quick search using Accordance shows that the words (in the original Hebrew) “Shabbat” and “day” occur, within 10 words of each other, well over 100 times in the Tanakh. The same search, replacing “day” with “moon,” yields a big fat goose-egg (for the uninitiated that means zero). Yet there are...

Mark 7:18–19 is a text to which many refer when they are arguing that Yeshua did away with the the Torah. And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot...

In some recent Christological discussions, the tripartite designation included in the standard texts of Matthew 28:19 has often been suspect. The problem is that it sounds far too trinitarian to have been included in Matthew’s original words. As a result, a few modern scholars have suggested that...

The meaning of the verb kafar and the nouns associated with it has been a matter of dispute among the scholars. The older scholarship (represented in BDB) took the view that the Hebrew verb kafar was founded upon a semitic root represented in the Arabic kafara, “to cover, conceal, deny, disbelieve...

Each year, usually a month or so before the coming festival of Pesach and Unleavened Bread, people begin, once again, to discuss the chronology of Yeshua’s last Pesach and the week of His crucifixion and resurrection. At TorahResource, we start getting emails and phone calls with all manner of quest...

Yeshua is 100% man. Of course! But when I go on to assert that He is also 100% God and preexisted the creation of the world, some will slam the brakes. “No way, man. Stop right there! We’re not polytheists!” As you might imagine, John 8:58 is one of those texts that must be navigated for those who...

One night, a captain of a U.S. Navy warship saw the light of an oncoming vessel heading straight at him. He signaled ahead: “Change course 20 degrees.” Back came the reply: “Advisable you change course 20 degrees.” The captain didn’t accept this response and sent the message, “I’m a captain. Change...

Revelation 13:18 - “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”...

A recent article was written by Russ Resnik and Daniel Juster entitled “One Law Movements: A Challenge to the Messianic Jewish Community.” In this eight page article, the authors take to task those of us who teach that God’s Torah is the privilege and obligation of all His people, Jew and non-Jew...

The Scripture is clear in defining the term and principle of torah achat or “One Torah.” It is a rock-solid biblical concept with which the Torah teaches us to think. On the other hand, Scripture does not define or teach us categories like “Christianity,” “Messianic Judaism,” “Oral Torah”...

The day of Yom Kippur comes to us with the traditions of somber reflections and introspection. The divine injunction to “humble your soul” on this day teaches us that this appointed time, more than any of the other mo’edim, is a time to stop and ponder where we each need to seek repentance...

Radio Transcript with Dr. Michael Brown - We have no business attaching pictographic meaning to ancient Hebrew than we have attaching those same pictographic meaning to the Greek alphabet or to our English alphabet as I’ll explain. But if you go back to the earliest origins of written languages...

For thousands of years, the faithful remnant in Israel had observed the Pesach festival in memory of their exodus from the slavery of Egypt. Lambs were selected, sacrificed on the eve of the 14th of Nisan, roasted and eaten with bitter herbs and matzah. Through the centuries traditions were added to...

Since 1890 when James Strong published his Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, people everywhere have used this work for their personal Bible study. By using the concordance, they could look up a verse by any word they remembered in that verse and find its location in the Bible. Before the age of...

The days between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur are traditionally referred to as yamim nora’im, “days of awe.” For rabbinic Judaism, these days offer a person time to repent of past sins. But only genuine repentance will be accepted by God, so there is a sense of anxiety as to whether a person has...

In BeMidbar (Numbers) 6:22-27, the Lord commands the Aaronic Priests to bless the people by invoking His Name upon them. He further gives to the priests the beautiful and poetic words by which they would convey His blessing upon the congregation of Israel. Here, in this text, we have the happy...

1. Any of the five grains or flour made from them, to which water has been added and allowed to sit long enough to begin the fermentation process (18 minutes is the accepted time according to the Sages) are prohibited. The five grains are: wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye. If fermentation occurs ...

It was early in the afternoon. Once again I was sitting next to Mr. H’s bed in his home, but this time we were not talking as usual. Mr. H loved to talk, but now he was silent. I had visited with him many times in the past months as he battled the cancer that was slowly taking his life. He had...

In ancient controversy has surfaced once again in our times. It revolves around the text of Psalm 22:16 (verse 17 in the Hebrew). In the Hebrew Masoretic text, the verse reads: “For dogs have encircled me, an evil congregation surrounded me; like a lion my hands and my feet.” The Lxx translation...

The title of this article seems quite simple and straightforward and you, as the reader, no doubt anticipate a survey of the relevant historical materials that will help paint the picture of a 1st Century synagogue service, and particularly the reading of the Torah and Prophets during that service...

The wisdom of the Sages is displayed yet again in the tradition of reading Qohelet (Ecclesiastes) during the Festival of Sukkot. But it is not readily apparent why Qohelet was chosen for a festival that has rejoicing as its main theme! Many who read Qohelet are left with the impression that the word...

The command to “blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven” is playfully fulfilled each Purim in the reading of the megillah—when the scroll that contains the story of Hadassah (Esther) is read to the community. In the Book of Esther, the first time Haman is mentioned he is described as “Haman...

I wish I had it on video. It was November 2012 at the Society of Biblical Literature’s (SBL) annual conference in Chicago. David Rudolph, a respected scholar within Messianic Judaism was at the podium speaking to the audience of about 80 people or so. “Baruch Hashem,” I thought. “Here we are in an...

I became increasingly saddened as I read through The Return of the Kosher Pig (hereafter, RKP), by Yitzhak Shapira. The title was clever enough, sure to get the attention of anyone who would recognize the oxymoron. In the book there seems a sincere desire to convince readers that a divine Messiah is...

In the course of dialog over issues that we, as Messianic believers, hold to be essential, the Sabbath is a regular subject. Yet as part of the larger body of Messiah we recognize that the majority of our brothers and sisters in the Christian church have been taught that the Sabbath has been...

The fact that sin no longer is master (kureusei “act as lord or master”) is because the old man has been crucified and no longer has the power to direct sin within the sinful nature to deeds of unrighteousness. Left without “leadership,” and with the renewed man now “in charge” and longing to follow...

“The name of Adonai is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). So the Wisdom literature of the Tanakh teaches us. But what exactly does this mean? How is the Name a strong tower? Does the very speaking of the Name have some kind of innate power? If one knows how to...

“And the New Testament, as the new Thora, the completive half of God’s revelation, must be translated into Hebrew; if we intend to make it a reading book for the Jews of all countries and a constituent part of the worship of the future Israel, who shall be saved after the entering in of the fulness ...

The description of mankind’s basic nature, as given in the Scriptures, is that of depravity. Following Adam and Chavah’s fall into sin and rebellion against their Creator, mankind was plunged into that same rebellion. The proof of this, as noted by Paul in Romans 5, was that death passed to all...

As we celebrate the week of Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread), our attention has been drawn particularly to the death and resurrection of our Messiah, Yeshua. Surely the unspeakable gift of salvation which He has won for us is our meditation the whole year long, but now, at this time of...

On this Yom Teruah we are called, once again, to reassess, to reconsider our priorities in light of God's rule. We are asked by HaShem to remember that even though it often does not appear to be so, He actually is reigning upon His throne, and He is bringing to pass those things which accomplish His...

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extant data, both biblical and extra-biblical, to determine as far as possible the manner in which the Most Holy Place is separated from the Holy Place in the Tabernacle (mishkan) and subsequent Temples (heichal). Such a determination is valuable not...

In this short paper I will trace seven “hermeneutical” steps that are behind the assumption that the Hebrew word “et” points to Yeshua the Messiah. For those interested in understanding its place in Hebrew grammar and syntax “et”) is used in the Tanakh for 1) the definite direct object marker...

The last day of Chag HaMatzot (Festival of Unleavened Bread) is designated in the Torah as a day of gathering (mikra qodesh) as well as a Shabbat: “you shall not do any laborious work” (Lev 23:8; Num 28:25). Until the return of our Messiah Yeshua, and the restored Temple in Jerusalem, we celebrate...

Shabbat HaGadol is the Sabbath immediately preceding Pesach. It gained this title through rabbinic interpretation of the exodus events themselves. The Sages had determined that the 10th of Nisan fell on a Shabbat during the time of the exodus. According to the Torah, the people of Israel were to...

Hanukkah means ‘dedication” (chanukkah from the Hebrew root, chanach, “to dedicate”). Of course, “dedication” in and of itself may not be praiseworthy. A thief may be fully dedicated to his thievery, or a false teacher to his error. Our society is full of people who dedicate their time and energy to...

Once again we celebrate the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah (as it is usually called in more modern times). And, as is often the case, our celebration overlaps and coincides with the celebration of Christmas by the Christian Church. As Messianic believers, we once again are faced with the question...

Once again we celebrate the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah (as it is usually called in more modern times). This year, however, the first day of Hanukkah coincides with the US holiday of Thanksgiving! While we usually find Hanukkah occurring near the time of Christmas, this year the Feast of...

Yom Teruah, the day for sounding the shofar, is also referred to in the Torah as ןוֹר ְ כִז ןוֹתָ בּ ַשׁ, shabbaton zichron, a Shabbat of remembering, as noted in Lev 23:24. The NASB translates the verse: Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the f irst of the month you shall...

Shabbat Parah, or Sabbath of the (Red) Heifer, is an important reminder of the upcoming festival of Pesach. In ancient times, the slaughter of the Red Heifer and the mixing of its ashes with water for purification, was done in advance of the Pesach, of all the pilgrimage festivals the one drawing...

One can only imagine what the soul’s outlook was for the talmidim of Yeshua as they entered into the Shabbat that week of Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) that had seen the death of Yeshua. Dead, and now secured in the tomb for two days, the confusion and despair of His followers was...

In the synagogue traditions that have been developed since the post-destruction era, the Festival of Sukkot, concluding as it does with the celebration of Shemini Atzeret (the “eighth day”), gives way to Simchat Torah, “Rejoicing in the Torah.” Since the yearly cycle (widely adopted by the Jewish...

This Shabbat, the one immediately preceding Purim, is designated as Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat of Remembering. This is taken from the additional Torah reading (Deut 25:17-19) in which the command is given to remember Amalek and what he did to us as we came out of Egypt. The fact that the earlier...

Yom Teruah, the day for sounding the shofar, is also referred to in the Torah as שַׁבָּתוֹן זִכְרוֹן, shabbaton zichron, a Shabbat of remembering, as noted in Lev 23:24. The NASB translates the verse: Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall...

What is curious about the wording of this verse is the phrase “on this very day” ( הֶ זּ ַ ה םוֹיּ ַבּ , bayom hazeh), which seeks to mark a specific day, yet without describing exactly which day is being referenced. Since the only other calendar reference in the verse is “in the third month,” the...

The name Shemini Atzeret is taken from Num 29:35, “On the eighth day [shemini atzeret] you shall have a solemn assembly, you shall do no laborious work.” Yet the word atzeret does not mean “day” but “concluding meal” or “festival.” Thus, the Rabbis understood this language to indicate that this...

On Shabbat I worship at Beit Hallel, a messianic congregation in Tacoma. As one of the teachers in this congregation, I field questions and concerns, especially from those who regularly visit our services or festival celebrations. Usually the questions of on-lookers have to do with Judaism in...

One of the most commonly raised objections to pronomian theology is related to the temple service. Even among pronomian believers, the debate over a future temple and the reinstitution of sacrifices continues to be a point of contention. Dr. Greg Bahnsen specifically referenced this debate when he...

In the opening chapter of Hebrews, the author goes to great lengths to show that Yeshua is the exalted divine Messiah, the very one spoken of by Daniel the prophet, Who is seated on the throne of God, worshipped even by the angels. It was necessary for the author of this great epistle to begin in...

The study of calendars from the Ancient Near East is fraught with difficulties. Not only are there wide divergencies between calendars, but we often lack sufficient data that plainly describe how various calendars were constructed and put into practice. Even when we narrow our study to calendrical...

In the Hebrew calendar, certain Shabbats are designated with special names to commemorate events in the history of the Jewish community. These Sabbaths may include some additions to the liturgy as well as additional readings from either the Torah or the Prophets. Of the 13 “Special Sabbaths,” four...

Discussions on the place of Torah in the believer’s life often surface other, significant issues. One of these is the question of spirituality. Specifically, since the coming of Messiah Yeshua and the giving of the Spirit at Shavuot (Acts 2), have we moved to an era of greater understanding and...

Certainly all of us relish the story in Mark 12 of the scribe who approaches Yeshua, asking for the “first commandment in the Torah.” The first commandment – ha-mitzvah ha-rishonah. Matthew 22 reads, “the first and great commandment.” There are other differences here as well, but I’m not now going...

We all have to admit that our understanding of what the Bible says, and what it means, has been greatly affected by the English translations we read. Since most of us are not able to read the Scriptures in their original languages, it stands to reason that our understanding of the Bible’s message...

Why is the Festival called “Shavuot”? Why are we to count the days and weeks between Pesach and Shavuot? What were the historical events which occurred on Shavuot and how do these reveal the lessons we are to learn as we celebrate the Festival? All of the appointed times offer us a special...

Sukkot (Festival of Booths) is known by the Sages as וּני ֵתַחְמ ִ שׂ ן ָ מְז, z’man simchateinu, “the time of our rejoicing.” This comes from the commandment to rejoice at Sukkot: ‘Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy ...

In Deut 23:1–4 [Heb: 23:2–6], those excluded from “the assembly of YHVH” include (1) a male who has crushed testicles or whose male organ has been severed; (2) no one who is of illegitimate birth, which appears to mean “one born of an incestuous or adulterous relationship, (3) a descendant of one...

The pages that follow comprise an Excursus found in my Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Vol. 2, pp. 463–94, TorahResource, 2008). Apart from these opening comments and a few additional comments added at the end of the Excursus, these pages are identical with the Commentary pages. I have simply...

When discussing the Last Supper it is only natural to begin with the debate over the chronology and nature of the meal. Many books and much scholarship has been dedicated to this specific aspect of the Last Supper. So much so that Charles C. Torrey wrote:...

Within the New Testament, we see the Apostles observing the festivals. For instance, the events of Acts 2 and the giving of the Holy Spirit take place on the festival of Shavuot, Paul spends Passover in Philippi and then hurries back to Jerusalem so he can celebrate the festival of Shavuot...

Recently a lengthy email was forwarded to me in which the author of the email was giving numerous reasons why the name “Yeshua” ( ַע וּ שֵׁי) was a deliberately “shortened” form of the original “Yahshua” (supposedly ַע ֻשׁ ו הָי) by those who wanted to remove any reference to Yah (הָי) in the name of...

The role of women in the Messianic Assembly has become a very important topic in our times—and rightly so. After all, this issue involves people. More than that, it involves the Kehilah (Congregation) which belongs to Messiah and therefore enters upon the question of His glory. Further, the Scriptur...

Traditionally, in Christian circles, the Ten Words are called the “Ten Commandments.” However, the biblical text uses the expression ‘aseret hadevarim, “Ten Words” when referring to what God inscribed on the two tablets which Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai. In fact, referring to these as Ten Word...

In this paper I want to investigate the claim that the the term Rabbi is anachronistic in the Gospels. In The Gospels and Rabbinic Judaism,¹ the authors outline the premise that the term “Rabbi” was not used until after the destruction of the Temple (70 C.E.) and therefore...

Purim (םיִרוּפּ), meaning “lots,” celebrates the victory which God gave to the Jews when it appeared that Haman, an evil officer in the Persian court, had gained the authority to attempt their mass destruction. The book of Esther is the biblical account, and lays the basis for the yearly festival....

In the Tanach, the concept of a “month” is usually represented by the word, chodesh, formed on the noun, chadâsh, “to make anew,” “to renew” or on the noun, châdâsh, “to be new.” The new moon (the reappearance of the thin crescent) marked the beginning of the month for the Hebrew calendar...

In Exodus 19:1 we read: In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on this very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. What is curious about the wording of this verse is the phrase “on this very day” (bayom hazeh), which seeks to mark a specific day, yet with...

What is meant by "zicharon" in Lev 23:24? The word itself is formed on the verb “zachor”, “to remember,” and is usually translated a “memorial,” a “remembrance,” or a “reminder.” Thus, Yom Teruah is a day on which the shofar is to be blown, and the purpose of blowing the shofar is to evoke...

As the disciples of Yeshua, each year as we celebrate Pesach we see the remarkable ways in which the themes of the festival are fulfilled in Yeshua’s death and resurrection and why, the divine calendar of the universe, Pesach was chosen as the time when our Savior, our Pesach sacrifice (1Cor 5:7)...

Introduction The purpose of this paper is (1) to give a brief overview of what constitutes the Qere/Ketiv in the Masoretic notes of the extant codices, (2) to survey the history of interpretation as to the origins, purpose, and classifications of the Qere/Ketiv and to offer a brief evaluation of the...

In the emerging Torah Movements, we rightly desire to distinguish between holy and profane. This desire has become all the more intense since we have realized how much paganism was intertwined with some of the religious rituals in the Christian Church, which, for most of us, was the place of our...

The issue of tongues is one which is quite brood in scope. From lexicographical studies one must proceed to exegesis, theology, church history, philosophy of religion, psychology and so cio-psychology. What was once a fairly small and somewhat localized occurrence has now crossed nearly all cultures...

What does it mean, “But to this one I will look?” The obvious reference is to the Aaronic Benediction given to the priests in order to bless Israel (Numbers 6:22-27). This blessing of the Almighty upon His people is couched in terms of God “turning His face” toward His people, or “shining His...

A phenomenon is occurring in our times that has been labelled the Two-House Movement, sometimes also called the Ephraimite Movement. It is based upon the theory that essentially claims the following to be true...

Every verse of each section of Psalm 119 has some reference to the Torah. The rich array of vocabulary used as synonyms for “Torah” includes ‘eidut, “decree,” piqud, “precept,” chuqah, “statute,” mitzvah, “commandment,” dereq, “way or path,” davar, “word,” mishpat, “ordinance,” and others. One of...

Have you ever heard a Bible teacher say that the “et” is a mysterious, untranslatable word that holds all sorts of hidden meanings? I have. And at one time I believed it because I didn’t have the proper framework for evaluating the claims I was hearing. In this short article I hope to explain to you...

Since the rise of rationalistic theology in the 19th Century, the approach to discussing the person of Yeshua has seen a marked change. While the Christian Church had for centuries begun her inquiry into Christology “from above,” humanistic rationalism required that such inquiry begin “from below”...

Each year as we approach Pesach, we begin the arduous task of cleaning our homes in order to remove anything that contains leaven. We wash the cupboards, shampoo the carpets, sweep and vacuum all of the rooms, and remove all of the leavening agents from our kitchens. In short, we do everything human...

As we approach the coming of Passover, we are preparing our homes and our hearts to celebrate this annual festival of our redemption, z’man ch’ruteinu,” the time of our freedom.” As we consider the rich history of this appointed time, we recognize that the primary focus of our celebration is the...

The issue of “The Law and the Believer” continues to foster debate among evangelicals and challenges us to look again and again at crux texts which inform this debate. One such text is Matthew 5:17-20, the words of Yeshua in which He corrects an erroneous teaching about His own position on the...

Our author has emphasized the fact that God is a God of shalom, and in the closing salutation of the epistle, he will refer to the Almighty by that very Name (13:20). We have seen that Melchizedek is the “king of shalom,” and thus Yeshua, our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, is the very...

In Exodus 4 we see reference to Israel as God’s Firstborn Son (4:22). And in verse 23 God tells of His plan to kill Pharaohs firstborn son. In verse 24-26 the story turns and for two verses relates a story that seems out of place, but in actuality shows the promise of the coming seed, the Messiah...

The title I have chosen for this study is a “tongue-in-cheek” attempt to highlight something that seems to be missed by many, namely, that the Mishnah did not exist as a written document in the pre-destruction era, so it is quite obvious that no one, including Paul, could have possibly read ...

In the fractured Messianic Movement, there are still some of us who confess the supremacy of the Scriptures as the final authority for faith and halachah. Though we are sometimes viewed as having a naïve approach to Scripture, reading and studying it outside of its literary context, just the...

“Everything is right at Christmas.” I quickened my pace and studder-stepped around the last corner for home. Stooping, I looked through the trees toward the house with hopes of seeing Grandpa's 1950 Buick. Being a Junior Higher, I fettered the little-boy impulse to run and maintained my “grown-up”...

My friend Aaron just called “Messianic”, Messi-Antics. When I have said Messianic in the past, I mean someone that believes the Torah is God’s way of sanctifying His elect unto Himself, whether Jew or Gentile. But recently I have realized that the term Messianic is beginning to carry a lot more...

The argument itself would most likely indicate that women wearing tzitzit was not the majority practice, but this is only speculative. It might as easily be argued that a situation where women were failing to wear tzitzit brought upon the halachic discussion. The fact that someone of such high...

The Torah parashah chosen for reading on Yom Kippur contains the instructions for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and particularly the manner in which the Cohen Gadol (High Priest) was to perform the sacred ceremonies of the day. We should first note the strategic placement of this chapter as...

Within our modern culture and societies there are a plethora of different beliefs. Christianity has many different branches, and even within those branches we see offshoots. A Baptist is no longer just a Baptist, but must define what type of Baptist they are. Southern, reform, seventh day, etc...

The centrality of the Person and Work of Yeshua is at the core of who we are. Whether we call ourselves “messianic believers,” “Jewish believers,” or simply “believers,” clearly our primary confession of faith centers in the historical person we call Yeshua. Though not unique, in our times the...

This study began as my own notes and not for publication. I was troubled with the fact that I had not taken seriously the words of Yeshua in Matthew 5:17-20. I had to admit that I did not understand them, and so I decided to study the text for my own benefit and growth in the Lord. During my study...

The Messianic movement today is, in many ways, an expression of a dilemma that faced the early communities of believers in Yeshua and, to one extent or another, has faced believing communities throughout the centuries. This dilemma may be couched in various ways, but the essence of it may be summed...

The Torah parashah chosen for reading on Yom Kippur contains the instructions for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and particularly the manner in which the Cohen Gadol (High Priest) was to perform the sacred ceremonies of the day. We should first note the strategic placement of this chapter as...

Twice the Holy One repeats the injunction that we are to “humble our souls” on this appointed day. Traditionally we fast on Yom Kippur as one of the means by which we might “humble our souls” by way of deeper reflection and introspection. Fasting and humbling one’s soul has good biblical precedence...

Introduction Among the many groups that fall within the broad spectrum of the “Messianic Movement,” questions regarding Torah halakhah abound. Some within the movement consider the Torah to be more or less abolished, and therefore are not concerned at all about questions of how the Torah should be...