How should Christians respond to the Arab-Israeli conflict?
October 7, 2023, introduced some of the worst violence seen in decades in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Yet conflict over the region known as Palestine has evolved constantly since the end of World War I. The tragic discord between Jewish and Arabic people includes facets of religion, territory, ethnicity, economics, and politics. Our age…
If the Jewish people do not offer animal sacrifices, how do they believe they can receive forgiveness from God?
For all intents and purposes, the Jewish practice of animal sacrifice ended in AD 70, the year that the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. With the temple gone, there is no longer a place for the sacrifices to be offered according to the Mosaic Law (see Deuteronomy 12:13–14). Repeatedly in the Old Testament, the…
What is Messianic Judaism?
Messianic Judaism is the term given to the belief system of Jewish people who believe and have accepted Yeshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus) of Nazareth as the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures. These Jewish people do not stop being Jewish, but they continue to remain strong in their Jewish identity, lifestyle and culture,…
Who are the Natsarim?
The Natsarim (Hebrew for “Nazarenes”) are a religious sect that mixes biblical truth with the Torah, the Jewish festivals, and the philosophies of men. They are part of the Hebrew Roots movement. The Natsarim claim to follow the Jesus defined in the four gospels, and they refer to Him as Yeshua HaMashiach (“Jesus the Messiah”).…
Should Christians support the nation of Israel?
Christians should definitely support the nation of Israel. We must remember that Israel, the nation, is very special to God. We read in Deuteronomy 7:6-8 these words: “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the…
What is Torahism?
R. L. Solberg from Williamson College coined the term Torahism to sum up what is known as the Hebrew Roots Movement, or Torah-observant Christianity. Basically, Torahists teach that Christians must keep the rules and regulations found in the Torah, or the books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible. So, Torahism teaches that…
What is the Hebrew Roots movement?
The premise of the Hebrew Roots movement is the belief that the Church has veered far from the true teachings and Hebrew concepts of the Bible. The movement maintains that Christianity has been indoctrinated with the culture and beliefs of Greek and Roman philosophy and that ultimately biblical Christianity, taught in churches today, has been…
Who were the Masoretes?
The Masoretes were a group of Jewish scribes who helped preserve the text of the Old Testament Scriptures and developed notes on the text based on Jewish traditions. The word Masorete comes from the ancient Hebrew word for “bond,” used to refer to the Jews’ obligation to keep covenant with God. The individual writings that…
What is Conservative Judaism?
The traditional religion of the Jews is Judaism. Modern Judaism is a religion that emphasizes lifestyle and values more than beliefs, so doctrine is not emphasized nearly as much as behavior. Many Jews maintain their connection to a synagogue and continue to observe certain Jewish practices and traditions while rejecting many of the doctrines that…
Do Jews believe in hell?
There is no one thought among Jewish people about any topic, including heaven and hell. Some Jews believe in hell; most don’t. Most Jews have been more influenced by Eastern mysticism and liberal secularism than by the tenets of Judaism. The concept of heaven and hell is not only denied by the secular and intellectual…