Prayers for Yom HaZikaron

 

Yom HaZikaron ceremonies in Israel are generally not perceived as religious observances, but they are part of Israel’s national and civil culture. Yet many observant Jews on this day say prayers for the souls of fallen soldiers. Although it is clear that as Messianics and as adherents to the theological position of Conditional Immortality we are unable to follow this practice, we still can recite prayers in commemoration of the fallen for the State of Israel. We can for instance observe the custom of reciting the Mourners’ Kaddish, since this doesn’t imply the notion of praying for the dead. And we can add some special commemoration prayers. The following Collects are intended as a messianic expression of our commitment to the State. They can be recited during the daily prayers of Yom HaZikaron. Their contents and formulations are in accordance with the biblical demands of not praying to or for the dead.

Commemoration of All the Fallen of the State of Israel

We give thee thanks, O HaShem, our God, for all who have died that others may live, for all who endured pain that others might know joy, for all who made sacrifices that others might have plenty, for all who suffered imprisonment that others might know freedom. Turn our mourning into determination, and our determination into deed, that as men and women of the State of Israel died for peace, we all may live for peace for the sake of the Prince of Peace, even Yeshua HaMashiach our Lord.

Commemoration of the Fallen of the Israeli Armed Forces

Almighty God, our Refuge and our Rock: Defend and protect the soldiers of the State of Israel who fall victim to the forces of evil, and as we remember this day those who endured depredation and death because of who they were, not because of what they had done or failed to do, give to the Armed Forces the courage to defend the State of Israel against all aggression, hatred and oppression, and to seek the dignity and well-being of all. This we beg for Yeshua the Messiah’s sake, our Saviour and Defender.

Prayer for the State and People of Israel

O Lord God Almighty, who hath made all peoples of the earth for thy glory, to serve you in freedom and peace: Grant to thy nation, the House of Israel, a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that they may use their liberty in accordance with thy gracious will; through Yeshua HaMashiach our Lord, who liveth and reigeth with thee in the unity of the Ruach HaKodesh, now and throughout all ages, world without end.

The Confusion of Protestantism

 

An interesting article, written by Niels Ebrup, was published last Sunday (March 18th) on the ScienceNordic website about the relation between Protestantism and the decline of religion in our Western civilization. When read from a Messianic perspective, it makes clear how essential external observances are for maintaining a religious culture and lifestyle. Catholicism has always recognized this essential place of the external. The Protestant Reformation was the first major religious movement which began to depreciate the external as an accidental or even superfluous aspect of Christianity. This has led to a considerable diminishing of a particular, distinct lifestyle, and to a loss of the sense of religious identity.

As Messianics we share the Protestant perception that many Catholic religious forms are irreconcilable with biblical Christianity. Protestantism, however, has thrown away Catholic forms without (re)introducing biblical ones. It created an empty space in which “faith” was the only important thing. Historically, Protestantism thus became an important starting point for the modern, secular view of life. By neglecting the basic biblical idea, expressed in the Torah, that all the domains of life have to be sanctified in particular ways, and by accepting life as it is (meaning: as it commonly met with), Protestantism in the long term has contributed to the decline of religion in modern culture.

Without introducing the idea of Torah observance, the article nevertheless implicitly demonstrates the problematic status of a culture without religious laws and outward rules and observances.

Ebrup’s observations are based on a recent Danish PhD dissertation by Matias Møl Dalsgaard, entitled: Det Protestantiske Selv (2012). The cover of this dissertation is shown in the picture above.

View: Niels Ebrup, “Protestantism has left us utterly confused”, at: ScienceNordic.

Permanent Messianic Halachic Authority Taking Its Seat in Jerusalem

 

From our special reporter, M. Charbonah

Under the inspiring and energetic guidance of Rabbi Mordechai ben Benyomin, the city of Jerusalem now seems close to enjoy the establishment of a Center of Halachic Authority for Messianics. The new institute, comprising a Beth Din, a Synagogue, and a Yeshivah, will take its residence at Hadassah Street, in a magnificent modern architectural building. The building can be easily recognized, seeing that it is surrounded by a white fence, reminiscent of the Mishkan, to protect its sanctity (view the picture above). “Good fences make good neighbours”, says Rabbi Benyomin, when asked about the function of this enclosure.

“Although we had some legal difficulties during the building process, and faced opposition from diverse corners, notably from a certain non-Jewish trouble maker, Mr. H.A. Man, all this now belongs to the past”, the Rabbi informs us. “Even this Mr. Man has offered us his services. Coming Thursday he will bring me on horseback through the main streets of the city and make a proclamation, so that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will have the opportunity to welcome me before my installation, which will be on Friday”.

In a special ceremony, planned on coming Friday, Rabbi Benyomin will be formally invested as the First Messianic Posek HaDor (Deciding Authority of the Present Generation) “with unlimited authority”,  according to the wording of the official installation documents.

“Our first objective”, explains R. Benyomin, “is to to bring strict halachic unity and purity to the Messianic movement. At the moment we have competing visions — ‘Divine Invitation’, ‘One Law’, ‘Noachide Volunteers’, and so on — and this must all end. As soon as I’m invested with the sacred authority granted to me, we’ll start separating the wheat from the tares”. After a thoughtful pause he adds: “And I can tell you that within a year from now, the world will see our first magnificent results. A person may be as goyish and treif as a dead shrimp, but ‘unlimited authority’ is able to change even that hopeless condition”.

Since the Rabbi is a great admirer of the mystics of the Kabbalah and engages in deep meditation each day for several hours, his residence (view the picture below and mark the mystical atmosphere!) will be separated from the institute and from the rush of business of the city. Nevertheless, his quiet home will be accessible to all seekers of truth. From all sides we hear that he is a very approachable man, and one of the rare public personalities in our days that succeed in combining an easygoing affability with a stern and frum mindset.

At the end of our short conversation the Rabbi declared his great delight in the contents of the Messianic613 website and forgot not to express his good wishes and a happy Purim to us and our readers. We are glad to join the Rabbi and wish all Messianics joyful days of Purim.

If? The End of a Messianic Lie

 

We would like to draw the attention of our readers to a new book by Uri Marcus: If? The End of a Messianic Lie. In its 550 pages the author presents to us a clear refutation of the Trinity doctrine of the Christian Church. With arguments based on the Hebrew Bible, ancient Jewish tradition and the writings of the Sages, and the Apostolic Scriptures, Marcus shows that the legitimate historical continuity of the faith of the Patriarchs, the nation of Israel, and the first followers of Messiah Yeshua, is found in the doctrine that HaShem is One Person and that only the Father, not the Son,  is HaShem. Within a foreseeable time we intend to give a review of this important work. For those interested, it can be ordered at:  Above & Beyond Recommended!

Tu B’Shevat and Passover: The Cross is our Tree of Life

 

by Geert ter Horst

Tu B’Shevat, the New Year of Trees, is the first sign on the Calendar that the solemnities of Passover are approaching. Passover always falls in the Spring season and Tu B’Shevat is the earliest indicator of Spring. It is the time when in Eretz Yisrael the tree fruits become visible, and here, in the North-West of Europe, the first buds shoot up. The Sages have determined this date, the 15^th of Shevat, as the beginning of the agricultural “fiscal year”. The annual and triennial tithings, and the laws of orlah, are to be reckoned from this date.

In the course of time Tu B’Shevat developed into a minor festival, and in the 17^th century some kabbalistic groups have introduced the idea of a Tu B’Shevat Seder, in which the seven fruits of the Land — wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates — and numerous other tree fruits are consumed in a ritual order.

Tu B’Shevat is also the natural starting point for the big annual job that must be performed before we are able to properly celebrate Passover: the thorough cleansing of the house and the removal of chametz from all parts of our domain.

Although I don’t look favourably on kabbalistic philosophy and certainly don’t want to follow kabbalistic ritual symbolism, yet I have to admit that the basic thought of a Tu B’Shevat Seder as a special meal marking the tithing date and introducing the time of preparation for Passover is sensible from a messianic viewpoint. The Passover of Messiah is about leaving the realm of sin and death, symbolized in chametz, through Yeshua’s sacrifice, and about introducing the realm of purity and immortality, symbolized in matzah, through Yeshua’s resurrection. Sin entered our world by an act of eating from a tree. The victory over sin also was obtained by means of a tree, on that day when Messiah hung on a tree and took upon himself the curse on sin pronounced by the Torah (Dt. 21:22-23; Gal. 3:13).

What is the relation between the introduction of sin by means of a tree, the tree of knowledge of good an evil, and the victory over sin by means of another tree, the Cross of Messiah?

Through his Cross and Passion, Messiah became the Tree of Life for all those who put their trust in him. According to an old legend, Seth, the son of Adam, after his father died, received from the Cherubim guarding the Garden of Eden, a branch of the tree of good and evil from which Chavah had eaten the forbidden fruit, as a warning reminder against the path of evil. The pious Seth planted this branch on the burial place of Adam, which later would be named Golgotha. It is said that the Cross of Messiah was made from the wood of this tree.

The legend makes sense. Essentially it tells us the same truth as the biblical story, namely that Messiah took upon him the consequence of sin, which is death, and thus through his death destroyed the power of death, because as completely sinlesss, he was worthy to be resurrected to eternal life. As a result of his work the destructive forces of evil in the end will be removed from the universe. When the Apostle Yochanan in the Apocalypse tells us about his vision of the City of God, he mentions the tree of life: “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life” (Apoc. 22:2). While in the midst of the Garden of Eden there were two trees (Gen. 2:9), here is only one. In the beginning there were two, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In the end there will be only the tree of life.

In the beginning man had access to both trees. He didn’t have to die because he had access to the tree of life. By his wrong choice to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil he lost his access to the tree of life and was subjected to the power of death. Through Messiah’s death and resurrection the effects of this wrong choice were reversed, and the dead wood of the Cross in a sense became our tree of life. In the renewed creation of the resurrection the tree of knowledge of good and evil is no more.

We as believers are fruits of the Tree of Life, i.e. fruits of the Cross of Messiah. The resurrected Messiah himself is the first fruits, because he inherits eternal life by his own merit. As included in him we are sanctified in the first fruits, and inherit eternal life by his grace.

The festival of Tu B’Shevat for Messianics thus highlights our inclusion in Messiah as the first fruits (cf. I Cor. 15:20). In him who is fully dedicated to HaShem we are acceptable too (cf. Lev. 19:23-25).

For the liturgical year Tu B’Shevat has an important function. By reminding us of the approaching season of Passover, it encourages us to start the process of cleansing, which not only applies to our houses but also to our hearts and our daily walk of life. The time between Tu B’Shevat and Passover is particularly fit to help us in identifying with the sufferings of Messiah and making us ardent in our efforts of removing all traces of sin. The festival of Purim, which occurs during this time of preparation, is in line with it and gives it additional weight. Historically, the fast of Esther was right before Passover (cf. Est. 3:12; 4:15-16), and the hanging of Haman the wicked occurred at Passover (cf. Est. 5:1-8; 7:1-10). Purim has thus its own close connection to Passover, and the defeat of the wicked Haman symbolizes and anticipates the defeat of the serpent and his seed, i.e. the devil and all the forces of evil.

That the crucified Messiah is our Tree of Life is beautifully expressed in a famous hymn of Venantius Fortunatus (VI^th century), which can be sung at the Tu B’Shevat Seder.

Faithful Cross, above all other,
One and only noble Tree,
None in foliage, none in blossom,
None in fruit thy peer may be;
Sweet the wood, and sweet the iron,
And thy load, most sweet is he.

Bend, O lofty Tree, thy branches,
Thy too rigid sinews bend;
And awhile the stubborn hardness,
Which thy birth bestowed, suspend;
And the limbs of heaven’s high Monarch
Gently on thine arms extend.

Thou alone wast counted worthy
This world’s Ransom to sustain,
That a shipwrecked race for ever
Might a port of refuge gain,
With the sacred Blood anointed
Of the Lamb for sinners slain.

The Afternoon Service (Minchah) for Weekdays

 

We have already presented a number of liturgical texts on this blog, and our efforts in developing a messianic liturgy have now resulted in a first contribution for the daily service. We are able to publish a messianic version of the Afternoon Service (Minchah) for Weekdays. Minchah is the shortest of the three daily prayers, and it has a relatively simple structure. That’s the reason why we have chosen it as the first part of our larger project of developing a Messianic Siddur. We hope to publish the texts of the daily Shacharit and Maariv services in the foreseeable future.

The translation of the Hebrew text mainly follows the English translation of the Standard Prayer Book (1915) by Simeon Singer, which is freely available on the web as an open online source. Our text is not freely available, however, since it is an original liturgical composition of its own. Insofar as our text differs from Singer’s and our liturgy deviates from the orthodox Minchah service and shows its own features, it is subject to copyright. It may not be reproduced without our written permission. The text can be viewed by clicking on the following link.

The Afternoon Service for Weekdays

Some Basic Contours of a Messianic Lectionary

 

Many messianic congregations have adopted the orthodox Jewish practice of an annual Torah reading cycle. In Orthodox Judaism the Torah is read in a lectio continua and the sequence of the weekly sections is only interrupted at the major feasts, which have their own Torah portions. According to the traditional practice a second lesson, taken from the prophets, concludes the Sabbath morning reading service. In messianic congregations this Haftarah reading is often followed by a third reading taken from the Apostolic Writings.

The traditional practice is recommendable, and should not be lightly set aside. Yet it has some disadvantages and problems. Its principal disadvantage is that only a small section of Holy Scripture is publicly read. While the Torah is completely covered, only some fragments of the majority of the other Books are heard in the weekly Sabbath liturgy.

In a messianic setting there are three important aspects to the question what to read which could lead to a reconsideration of this orthodox liturgical lectionary. The first of these is our emphasis on the primacy of all Scripture, not just of the Books of the Torah, in communicating G-d’s revelation to us. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “All Scripture is given by the inspiration of G-d, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of G-d may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Tim 3:16-17). The messianic emphasis on Scripture as the prime and supreme source of divine revelation conflicts with the orthodox theological model, which has elevated the Oral Torah, i.e. rabbinic authority, to a position of overriding authority, at least in practice. For Messianics it should only be natural to undergird their emphasis on Scripture by customs of public reading that are in line with their doctrine. Although this doctrine doesn’t necessarily lead to a schedule that has all the Scriptures read in the Synagogue, it should be acknowledged that there are important arguments in favour of it.

If we as Messianics want to be a biblical people, devoted to the exclusion of selective, one-sided and erroneous theological developments, then an excellent way to do so is to stimulate a culture of scriptural study in the broadest sense of the word. More specifically this means that no part of Scripture is negligible for the discipline of interpreting and applying the precepts of the Torah. Oftentimes one sees Messianics jumping to principles found in talmudic and post-talmudic halachic sources, without duly considering the possibility that other parts of Scripture, for instance the Book of the Proverbs, may contain important clues or interpretional principles for the study of the Torah. This is not to say that the Talmud or later halachic sources shouldn’t be consulted. It is to say that Scripture comes first and that the post-scriptural and non-scriptural sources should be given their due place under the primacy and authority of Scripture.

A second aspect to be given due attention is the fact that one of the criteria of the traditonal selection of Haftarot has been the deliberate exclusion of all passages that could easily lead to Christian associations or interpretations. Almost nothing can be ascertained here with rigid historical proof, but it is remarkable that passages which have a prominent meaning for Messianics, such as Isaiah’s chapters LIII and LXI (cf. Luke 4:16-20), were left out of the later Synagogue liturgy. This is especially noteworthy in the case of Isaiah 61:1-2, because the chapters closely preceding and following it were made part of the seven Haftarot of Consolation, which are read after the Fast Day in Commemoration of the Destruction of the Temple, Tisha B’Av. The sixth of these is Is. 60:1-22 (Haftarah Ki Tavo) and the seventh is Is. 61:10-63:9 (Haftarah Nitzavim). It is completely legitimate for Messianics to seek a correction of this state of affairs in some way or other. And an impartial way of doing is by endorsing a non-selective reading of the prophetic books.

A third aspect to be considered by Messianics in this context is the question what passages should be read from the Apostolic Scriptures. If traditional Judaism has made its choice of Haftarah passages, should Messianic Judaism do the same with the Apostolic Writings? Or should we perhaps follow a less selective policy and read them all? However, if it should appear that we are unable to make a convincing liturgical selection, and instead decide to read them all, should we then not apply the same procedure to the Prophets, and also to the third category of Scripture contained in the Tanach, the Writings? And if it is our best option to read all the Scriptures, how are we to put this into practice? Many congregations nowadays have an overloaded schedule of readings already, caused by the addition of a third reading, taken from the Apostolic Scriptures, to the readings of the Sabbath morning service. From a traditional halachic viewpoint, a third reading during Shacharit causes certain technical inconveniences. It is problematic, for instance, to recite the traditional Haftarah blessings. These blessings indicate that the reading section of the service is concluded. Adding a third reading is a denial of this and requires the abrogation or modification of these blessings and the introduction of new ones specifically relating to the apostolic readings. It also demands for some corresponding modifications in the concluding blessings of the entire reading section, when the Torah Scroll is returned to the Aron HaKodesh.

Another question that has to be answered is: Is it possible to develop a consistent program of reading all Scripture, and yet to be faithful to the format of the liturgical year by having the passages read in their proper seasons? Naturally, this particularly applies to the readings from the Gospels, since Messiah’s life is the spiritual centre or axis of the entire orbit of the liturgical year. Diverse congregations try to find tenable solutions for this problem. The following outline is a detailed proposal for your consideration. As is obvious, it has its own presuppositions, some of which may not be shared by all Messianics.

At Messianic613 we favour a liturgical model which includes the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at the evening services of Shabbat, New Moon (Rosh Chodesh), and the major annual festivals. According to a long-standing Christian tradition in these eucharistic services two passages of the Apostolic Scriptures are read — which by their traditional names are called the “Epistle” and “Gospel” readings.

We discovered that the practice of having the Apostolic Scriptures read in the evening service has the advantage of not overburdening the Sabbath morning service with additional readings. Due to the Torah and Haftarah readings, and the Mussaf prayers, this service is already of considerable length.

The first problem we had to solve was: How should we read the Torah, in a one-year or a three-year cycle? Since both traditions have their ancient roots as well as their specific merits, we have sought to combine them and have found the following solution. During the Shmittah- or Sabbath-years we follow the annual cycle of Orthodox Judaism. During the six normal years we follow the triennial cycle. Thus we have always two triennial cycles alternated by an annual cycle. This solution has the merit of giving a distinctive mark to the Shmittah-years. Below we’ll see that it also has certain advantages as an architectural principle for ordering the remainder of the scriptural readings.

For the Haftarah reading we propose a schedule of reading all the prophetic books in sequence. Now, because the prophets are a large body to read, it is obvious that this cannot be done in one year on a weekly basis. We have made a timeframe of seven years, based on the twofold division we find in the prophetic books: the former or early prophets (i.e. Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings), and the later prophets (i.e. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) which are concluded by the so called 12 minor prophets (i.e. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi). The former prophets are to be read as Haftarot during the first triennial Torah cycle, the later prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, during the second triennial cycle. The minor prophets should according to this schedule be read as Haftarot during the year of the annual cycle, i.e. during the Shmittah years.

The next problem for us was how and when to read from the other Scriptures, the Writings or Ketuvim. After some trial and error we developed the proposal to read from these Scriptures during the Sabbath and festival Minchah services. Several of the Books of the Ketuvim already have an annually fixed season of public reading. According to this the Book of Canticles should be read during Passover, Ruth at Shavuot, and the Lamentations of Jeremiah at Tisha B’Av. The Book of Ecclesiastes is to be read during Sukkot, and Esther is the Megillah to be read at Purim. If we add to this that it is appropriate to read the Book of Daniel during Chanukah (at Maariv), the books that remain are Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles. From these the Psalms can be excluded from public reading, however,  since they are already used in the liturgy as the main hymnal. We have developed a format for the daily Shacharit and Minchah services in which the Book of Psalms is used in a manner that follows its traditional division into thirty sections, according to the maximum of days of the Jewish month. The Psalms are thus recited or sung in a monthly cycle. And in the Maariv services of Shabbat and Yom Tov Psalms are used as intermediate hymns between the Epistle and Gospel readings.

According to the chiastic structure of the Writings as found in the Jewish canonical order, it would be proper to have Proverbs and Job read at Minchah during the first triennial Torah cycle, and Ezra-Nehemia and Chronicles during the second triennial Torah cycle. This leaves open the question what to read during the Sabbath Minchah service of the Shmittah year. We would suggest for this the traditional Haftarot of the annual cycle. This is in accordance with the tradition that in the early times of the Synagogue the Haftarot were read at Minchah.

Now about the reading schedule of the Apostolic Scriptures. In order to follow the liturgical year and to have the reading sections in harmony with the major festive seasons (Yamim Tovim) of Messiah’s birth (at Sukkot), his death and resurrection (at Pesach), and the outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh after his Ascension (at Shavuot), the readings from the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles have to be divided over the two halves of the year. Our proposal is to read each year one of the Gospels in a lectio continua during the first half of the year (from Shabbat Bereisheet to Pesach), thus covering Messiah’s earthly life, and to read the Acts of the Apostles during the second half of every year (from Shavuot to Rosh HaShanah), thus covering Messiah’s post-resurrection activity. The seven Sabbaths of the Omer can be used to repeat important Gospel lessons (e.g. the parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Mathew) in preparation of the festival of Shavuot. We intend the Yamim Tovim to keep the privilige of having their own distinctive readings and on these days the lectio continua schedule is to be interrupted. However, the normal Shabbat readings should properly lead up to the major feasts and from one festive season to next.

The above made alternation between the triennial and annual Torah cycles can be used as a key for allotting the Gospels their place in our liturgical framework. The main distinction in the Gospels is between the synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. This would suggest that the Gospel of John should be read during the Shmittah years and that the three Synoptic Gospels should be read in tune with the triennial cycle. This results in two cycles of readings from Matthew, Mark and Luke successively, alternated with a year in which the Gospel of John is read. In this manner each Gospel has its own years of reading.

The reading of the Epistles allows for a similar division. The Epistles can be divided in three sections: the general Epistles and Hebrews, the earlier Epistles of Paul, and the later or prison Epistles of Paul. According to this division each group of Epistles can be assigned to one of the synoptic Gospels: The general Epistles, including Hebrews, to the Gospel of Matthew; the early Epistles of Paul to the Gospel of Mark, and the prison Epistles of Paul to the Gospel of Luke.

The only remaining book which has yet to find a place is the Apocalypse of John. I suggest its reading as replacing the Epistle reading during the Shmittah year, thus accompanying the reading of the Gospel of John.

While it is clear that this whole schedule is not a necessary consequence which follows from undisputed and universally accepted principles, yet we think that it should be given due weight and consideration. It shows both simplicity and elegance in combining the two demands of having all of Scripture read and of having an order of reading which is in harmony with the seasons of the liturgical year.

It remains to be seen of course whether this schedule is practical enough to maintain and whether its details can be ordered in such a manner as to establish sensible connections between the diverse cycles of reading interfering with each other. Will it be possible to have the four readings — Epistle, Gospel (or Acts), Torah, and Haftarah — occuring on any given Sabbath to illuminate each other under the conditions of a lectio continua? We hope to explore this question further in our efforts to develop a truly messianic liturgy.

On the Divine Prerogatives of Messiah

 

by Geert ter Horst

For many believers who once were Trinitarians, the discovery that Scripture doesn’t support the traditional Christian teaching that Messiah is G-d, has the initial effect of a certain disenchantment, an experience of their Lord and Saviour being relegated to a less exalted status. Oftentimes, their first reaction is: So Yeshua is a mere man?

Although this reaction is understandable, it is by no means correct. To describe Yeshua as “a mere man” is detrimental to his unique position. It evokes the wrong suggestion that — perhaps apart from his sinlessness — Yeshua wasn’t importantly different from other human beings or from the other prophets who had a divine mission to fulfil in Israel.

To get a better perspective on Yeshua’s position, we have to distinguish between the essential features of human nature, which are shared by Yeshua and us alike, and the specific prerogatives of the office of Messiah, which are uniquely his, and which imply huge differences between him and all other human beings, because of the gifts bestowed upon him by the Father.

It is well-known that after his resurrection Yeshua was given all power in heaven and earth (Mt. 28:18). And already during his earthly life he was not only the perfect man through the property of sinlessness. He was granted the power to work miracles and to forgive sins, as appears from the Gospels (Mt. 9:1-8).[1] He was also granted special knowledge (Mt. 17:24-27 & Jn. 1:47-51), although he was by no means omniscient (Mk. 13:32).

Before and after his resurrection, however, all the special powers and prerogatives of Yeshua were and are derived from G-d.[2] The Messiah sent by G-d is always totally dependent on the Father (Jn. 5:19). The essential difference between G-d and creature is thus fully maintained in the case of Yeshua. Only creatures are dependent beings, G-d never is dependent on anything in whatever way.

There are thus some perfections found in Yeshua, which are not normal human perfections, such as knowing things about the future, having the power to resurrect the dead and to be the Judge of all men, &c (Jn. 5:25-27). These are perfections Yeshua received because of his special position of being the Messiah, the second Adam, the cornerstone of the new creation. These perfections do however not in any manner imply that Yeshua himself is G-d. As I said, all these perfections are received —  and thus created — perfections.

The perfections and prerogatives bestowed upon Yeshua can be called “divine”, because they are in themselves superhuman, or supernatural. The prophets did at times share in some of them. Think for instance of Moses, to whom were given special miraculous powers when he appeared before Pharao. Yet it is clear as daylight that the “divine” powers that were shared by Moses in no way elevated him to the status of Deity. These powers indicated that he fulfilled a divine mission, i.e. a special mission proceeding from G-d. Similarly, the divine prerogatives and powers shared by Yeshua don’t make him G-d. They make him the special agent of G-d.

Since, ultimately, Yeshua is our only Mediator with G-d, the only one through whom we can receive atonement for our our sins and restoration to the status of being in full communion with G-d, he has a position which is incomparable to any other prophet. All the blessings relevant for our spiritual life come to us through him. Only on account of his merits are we able to become the children of G-d.

Being a creature thus in no way diminishes Yeshua’s unique status or his high exalted position.[3] It makes him the perfect agent of G-d, the one and only Mediator for all mankind.

_____________

[1] Cf. “If Jesus Isn’t God, How Did He Forgive Sins?” at: Biblical Unitarian.

[2] Cf. “How Did Jesus Do the Amazing Things He Did?” at: Biblical Unitarian.

[3] Cf. “Does the Teaching that Jesus is the Son of God, Not God Himself, Demean Him?” at: Biblical Unitarian.

The Yahrzeit of Rachel Imeinu

 

Today, the 11^th day of the month Cheshvan, is the Yahrzeit, the annual remembrance day of Rachel Imeinu (i.e. the Matriarch Rachel). Many in Israel travel to Bethlehem on that occasion and say prayers at her tomb. There is a story connected to this practice, which attempts to give a deeper motive why Rachel was buried there and not in Hebron, where all the other Patriarchs and Matriarchs are buried. The story tells us that this happened with a purpose. When in their later history the Israelites were led into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, they would pass Rachel’s tomb and have the opportunity to say prayers there. Rachel would hear her children praying at her gravesite and she would cry and plead to G-d on their behalf [1].

A disturbing thing about this story is the mentioning of a dead person pleading to G-d on behalf of the living. This is not a concept found in Scripture. It is wholly contradictory to the teachings of Scripture. The Bible tells us again and again that the dead are really dead and not alive [2]. They cannot intercede for us with G-d or help us in any way. Only living people can help others or intercede for them in prayer. Accepting the concept of the dead pleading for the living easily leads to the acceptance of the closely related concept of the living praying to dead saints as intermediaries with G-d. This last mentioned concept is expressly and definitely prohibited in the Torah (Dt. 18:11).

Praying at a gravesite of a dead saint with the intention that these prayers should be heard by him in order to gain his intercession is dangerously close to transgression of the prohibition of praying to the dead, even if one directs these prayers to HaShem. The first error, that the dead are somehow alive and can help the living through intercessory prayers, naturally leads to the second, that it is proper to seek the intercession of the dead and ask them to act as intermediaries with HaShem [3].

If one wants to avoid the error of praying to the dead, one should first avoid the misconception that the dead are somehow alive, having knowledge and being able to interfere in the affairs of the living. The biblical teaching is that the dead have no knowledge or power at all. Death according to Scripture is simply the end of existence. For that reason, all practices that suggest otherwise or that can lead to misunderstanding and confusion should be avoided.

At this point it is perhaps good to remind ourselves that, from a Torah viewpoint, a gravesite is an unclean place and a major source of uncleanness. One can ask oneself what sense it does make to perform the ritual of handwashing (Netilat Yadayim), required before prayer, and then to say one’s prayers at a place of unclean contamination. [4].

It is certainly proper to honour the memory of the faithful departed, and to remember the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of Israel is a way of fulfilling the commandment to honour one’s parents (Ex. 20:12). It is also proper to honour the memory of the deceased of one’s family or nation. There is nothing wrong with observing their Yahrzeit and marking this day by burning a Yahrzeit candle. But one should avoid erroneous or confusing practices. One should not pray for the deceased. This is senseless, since the deceased are no longer in existence. For the same reason, and because of the prohibition found in the Torah, one should not pray to the dead. One should also avoid all prayers which seek the intercession of the deceased.

A proper prayer for the occasion of a Yahrzeit consists in thanksgiving for the lives of the deceased persons and for their contributions to the life of later generations.

It is by no means excluded by the foregoing that HaShem grants us blessings because of the faithfulness, piety and righteousness of saints who lived in earlier generations. And accordingly, HaShem may still answer prayers which they in their time offered on our behalf. But these things are secrets of which we cannot have accurate knowledge. It is sufficiently certain, however, that we can no longer actively seek the assistence and intercession of the departed. Their earthly tasks and responsibilities have ended. They have gone out of existence and will not be restored to life again before the resurrection [5].

The only person who can now intercede for us is Messiah Yeshua, our living High Priest in heaven, who is always prepared to pray to the Father on our behalf. That’s why we should offer our prayers to G-d the Father in his name.

Rachel the Matriarch is connected to Yeshua’s life through the terrible event of the slaughter of the innocent children of Bethlehem by the cruel king Herod. In his account of this Mattityahu quotes the prophet Yirmeyahu (31:15):

Mt. 2:17-18: Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying, In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Rachel is introduced here in a figure of speech, as a personification of the nation of Israel, because she is a mother of Israel and because her tomb is situated in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem, in Ramah. Israel is the intended mother of this personification, bereft of her children through exile and slaughter. Rachel died in giving birth to Benyamin, and thus she literally gave her life for one of her children. Her self-sacrificing care for her children would grow utterly bitter and without purpose, if these children, or their posterity, should be murdered or sent into exile.

About the time of the Maccabean revolt and the rise of Pharisaism, belief in the immortality of the human soul was introduced in Judaism. And thus it became possible to interpret Yirmeyahu’s words, cited above, in a literal manner and to understand them as speaking of the immortal soul of Rachel. This interpretation afforded the foundation for making the person of Rachel into a kind of national mediatrix with G-d for Israel. This was a wrong spiritual development in Judaism, which shows uncanny analogies to the excesses of later Catholicism as to the status and position of Miryam, the virgin mother of the Messiah.

We should avoid all these excesses, and honour the memorial of our ancestors on a biblical basis and within the limits provided by the Torah. This we can do by not only giving due attention to their Yahrzeit days, but above all by following their walk and example of faithfulness. We believe that the following Yahrzeit Prayer is in accord with this duty.

 

Yahrzeit Prayer:

O G-d, the King of saints, we praise and magnify thy Holy Name for all thy servants who have finished their course in thy faith and fear; for the blessed Virgin Miryam, the Mother of our Lord; for the holy Patriarchs and Matriarchs, for Rachel the Matriarch; for the Apostles and Martyrs; and for all other thy righteous servants known to us and unknown;  and we beseech thee that, encouraged and inspired by their examples we may with them be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, in that great Day of the Appearing of our Lord and Saviour Yeshua the Messiah, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Ruach HaKodesh, world without end. Amen. [6]

____________

[1] “11 Cheshvan – Rachel Imeinu Passes Away” at: Orthodox Union.

[2] View the article:  “The dead are dead until the Rapture or Resurrection” at: Truth or Tradition.

[3] That the intercession of Rachel is actually sought is clear from the following quote from the Kever Rachel Imeinu website: “Since the time of her burial- more then 3000 years ago,  the Tomb of Rachel has always been a special place for prayer.  To this very day, men and women go to Rachel’s Tomb to shed tears and beg “Mother Rachel” to intercede with G-d on their behalf — for the health of a loved one or for Divine Intervention for those in need.”  “Rachel’s Tomb. The Jewish Second Holiest Site.” at: Kever Rachel Imeinu.

[4] Cf. Rav David Brovsky, “Washing Hands upon Waking and before Prayer” at: The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash.

[5] View footnote [2].

[6] An adapted version of the prayer found on page 489 of The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church, Edition 1979, The Seabury Press.

The Yahrzeit of Charles H. Welch (5728)

 

[Footnotes and additional information on Welch's works will follow.]

Charles Henry Welch (1880-1967) was born and raised in London, in an areligious and atheistic home. In November 1900 he attended an address on the subject “Sceptics and the Bible”, given by an American, Dr. L.W. Munhall, m.a., d.d., at Exeter Hall, Strand. In a second address by the same Dr. Munhall the Gospel was preached and Welch accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour. Shortly afterwards, his father also came to faith and in the course of time his mother and sisters followed.

Welch soon became an ardent student of Scripture and discovered that, contrary to what was taught in traditional Church doctrine, the restoration of Israel and the coming of the Millennial Kingdom were a main theme of the New Testament, not of the Gospels only but also of the Acts of the Apostles and many of Paul’s letters. By his biblical studies he came to conclusions that were very similar to results earlier obtained by Ethelbert W. Bullinger, an Anglican clergyman who emphasized that “the Church” — meaning the Assembly of believers which is now and which historically became separated from the Jewish nation — did not legitimately begin at Acts ch. 2, but at Acts ch. 28.

Bullinger had discovered that during the time of the Acts of the Apostles the Millennial Kingdom, which was offered to Israel during the earthly ministry of the Lord Yeshua, was re-offered to them by the resurrected Messiah and his Apostles. When this offer was finally rejected and national repentance did not occur, the verdict of Isaiah ch. 6 was solemnly pronounced by Paul in Acts 28:25-27, and it was declared that from then on “the salvation of G-d is sent unto the Gentiles” (Acts 28:28). According to Bullinger this declaration implied the setting aside of the nation of Israel. In his interpretation it was a dispensational boundary that marked the starting point of the predominantly Gentile Christian Church.

Although Welch had once seen a copy of Bullinger’s monthly journal: Things to Come, he arrived at these conclusions largely independently from Bullinger’s works. When later on he saw again an issue of Things to Come and found an article which could have been composed from his own notes, he started a conversation with Bullinger about the consequences of the hypothesis that Acts 28 was the starting point of “the Church” for the interpretation of Paul’s letters. Welch saw an inconsistency in Bullinger’s approach. If Bullinger was correct and the verdict of Acts 28 marked the end of the Kingdom Offer and the beginning of a new dispensation of “the Church of the One Body” as he called it, then — Welch pointed out to him — Paul’s epistles could no longer be treated as one corpus. The conclusion was inevitable that they belonged to two groups. Under that presupposition the epistles written before Acts 28 were written at a time when the Kingdom Offer was still in force. The epistles written after Acts 28 — the prison epistles — however, reflected a theological situation in which the Kingdom Offer had expired and the new reality of a Church in which the national prerogatives of Israel had been set aside was initiated.

Bullinger’s and Welch’s discovery of a Kingdom Offer during the period of the Acts is of the utmost importance for Messianic Judaism. It makes clear that the New Testament Scriptures continue the story of Israel not only during the earthly ministry of Messiah recorded in the Gospels, but also during the Acts of the Apostles. Acts ch. 2 doesn’t report the birth of the later Church. It reports the birth of an entirely Jewish Assembly of Messiah, which functions as a missionizing agency with the purpose of bringing Israel to national repentance from its sin of crucifying Messiah, in an effort of convincing the nation to accept him after all.

Welch’s main contribution to the idea of a re-Offer of the Kingdom during the Acts was his keen insight that this idea required a division of Paul’s letters into two groups which would have to show different features and accents. The merit of his contribution may be that Welch perhaps shaped a useful tool for reconciling some apparent discrepancies within the corpus of Paul, a tool that seems particularly relevant for those whose study of Paul is guided by a Torah-observant perspective. This aspect of Welch’s work still awaits further study and evaluation.

A shadow-side to their discoveries is that both Bullinger and Welch erred in interpreting the Kingdom Offer and the boundary of Acts 28 within a dispensationalist hermeneutical framework. Both concluded that between the verdict of Acts 28 and the future national restoration at the Second Coming Israel was no longer G-d’s people. Consequently they interpreted the status of the present community of believers (“the Church”) as one wholly separated from the Abrahamic and Sinaitic covenants. They forgot what so many have forgotten, that Paul’s announcement of the verdict of Isaiah 6 operated within the context of the covenantal blessings and punishments of the Torah and that for that reason his announcement pre-supposes the continuing existence of Israel as G-d’s nation.

Bullinger and Welch didn’t adequately distinguish between the basic constitution of Israel as G-d’s nation since the Exodus and Sinai events, which always remains intact and is not subject to change, and its fruitful instrumental role in fulfilling G-d’s purposes in bringing in the Kingdom Age, which is subject to change and failure. Through disobedience Israel can temporary fail in being useful for HaShem in bringing in the Kingdom. But this fact doesn’t change its basic constitution of being G-d’s chosen nation.

Despite these errors there remains much to be admired and explored in Bullinger’s and Welch’s writings which could be relevant to the present conundrums faced by the messianic world. One of these is the never-ending discussion on Jewish and Gentile identity. If we re-interpret Welch’s vision of the present Church in a non-dispensational and pro-Torah context, a picture emerges according to which the Assembly of Messiah is composed of individual Jews and Gentiles on a basis of strict equality. The nation of Israel (i.e. the Jewish people) is another thing. It exists apart from this Assembly and cultivates the preservation of Jewish identity in its separation from the community of believers. Both communities are partial realizations of the full reality of “Israel”, and will not merge before the Second Coming of Messiah, when the Millennial Kingdom will be established.

Welch’s writings deserve a careful study and interpretation. By his analytical exploration of the Bullinger’s idea of the Kingdom Offer, Welch has contributed to a better understanding of the New Testament Scriptures. When his works are studied in a context which is detached from their original dispensationalist setting, fruitful insights are to be expected. That’s the reason for drawing attention to his Yahrzeit here.

Charles Welch died on November 11, 1967, which according to the Hebrew calendar was the 8^th of Cheshvan, 5728. Upcoming Shabbat is his 44^th Yahrzeit. May his memory, and the study of his works, be a blessing.

 

Yahrzeit Prayer:

O G-d, the King of saints, we praise and magnify thy Holy Name for all thy servants who have finished their course in thy faith and fear; for the Blessed Virgin Miryam, the Mother of our Lord; for the holy patriarchs, apostles and martyrs; and for all other thy righteous servants known to us and unknown; and also for our teacher — in thee and for thee — Charles Henry Welch; and we beseech thee that, encouraged and inspired by their examples, and strengthened by their fellowship here on earth, we may with them be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, in that great Day of the Appearing of our Lord and Saviour Yeshua the Messiah, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.