About Judaism and
Christianity
The Epiphany of the Messiah
Originally published on January 6th, 2016
The Epiphany of the Messiah
Originally published on January 6th, 2016
PURPOSE
Our intent with this document is to air out some conceptions and misconceptions, facts and fallacies, truths and lies about Judaism and Christianity as related to the Messianic role of Jesus (that is, about Jesus' role as God's chosen savior or liberator; "the anointed one", for such is the meaning of the word Messiah; his "Epiphany" means his manifestation or revelation to the world).
BACKGROUND
To examine and talk about the Messianic role of Jesus at this point may sound redundant, but it is not since most Jews do not practice true Judaism (as Jesus did) nor Christians practice true Christianity (as Jesus taught).
INTRODUCTION
Traditionally:
(a) Jews are thought of as being smarter and more accomplished than Christians.
(b) Jews have been the object of innumerable persecutions from almost the very beginning of
their history.
(c) Jews insist on denying the Messianic role of Jesus.
(d) Christians have demonized all Jews in the New Testament conveniently forgetting the fact
that Jesus is a Jew.
With those realities on the table, how can anyone expect a just and peaceful world at any time in history - past, present or future - without direct Divine intervention?
How can any expect a "Great King" and "Holy Pontiff" to establish justice and peace in the whole world when God, in the Person of Jesus, could not by natural means?
Anyone who does so is completely out of touch with reality - a reality confirmed by thousands of years of recorded history.
We will attempt to address this matter in a very brief form since not many words are needed to express and explain the truth.
DETAILS
Jews are thought of as being smarter, more talented and more accomplished than Christians
From birth Jews are taught (programmed) that they are the Chosen People of God; that they are
truly special.
Elemental psychology has conclusively proven that positive reinforcement leads to success. When the reinforcement is that of "one that has been chosen by God", the proverbial sky is the limit for what that individual can and will achieve.
End of the Jews are smarter and more talented myth.
Elemental psychology has conclusively proven that positive reinforcement leads to success. When the reinforcement is that of "one that has been chosen by God", the proverbial sky is the limit for what that individual can and will achieve.
End of the Jews are smarter and more talented myth.
Jews have been the object of innumerable persecutions from almost the very beginning
The persecutors did so (and still do) out of jealousy and
envy for their accomplishments and steadfastness based on the "Chosen People" belief (see above).
God allowed such persecutions in an effort to catch their attention and bring them back to the
fold (1) of the true God as Jesus tried to
do.
End of excuses for the Why me, Lord? (2) tirades.
End of excuses for the Why me, Lord? (2) tirades.
Jews insist on denying the Messianic role of Jesus
This is a manifestation of the basic and fundamental Denial Syndrome.
Jesus, a practicing Jew, admonished the Jewish Establishment of the time that they had drifted far from the course set by God and that they must come back or the consequences would be even worse than before.
It did not matter that Jesus fulfilled all Prophecies (3) regarding the expected Messiah. The problem was that He just did not tell the Administrators of Judaism what they wanted to hear.
We have looked into and inquired about as to why Jews will not accept Jesus as the Messiah and what we have been told by a Jewish Scholar is the following:
Jesus, a practicing Jew, admonished the Jewish Establishment of the time that they had drifted far from the course set by God and that they must come back or the consequences would be even worse than before.
It did not matter that Jesus fulfilled all Prophecies (3) regarding the expected Messiah. The problem was that He just did not tell the Administrators of Judaism what they wanted to hear.
We have looked into and inquired about as to why Jews will not accept Jesus as the Messiah and what we have been told by a Jewish Scholar is the following:
Concerning the prophecies that would support the belief of Jesus
as the Messiah, I have no problem with. I closely associate my Jewish beliefs with the Evyonim
(Ebionites)....
However, the zeal of the early church fathers to propel Jesus into G-d is another story. The simplest explanation would be the mistranslation of Isaiah 7:14 in which most Christian editions state "...and a virgin shall conceive..."
Most Christian editions have accepted the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "almah" as meaning a virgin. The original Hebrew word that Isaiah used was almah meaning a young woman (possibly a virgin but also possibly not).
If Isaiah had meant to say a virgin, he would have said in Hebrew "betulah" which literally meant virgin. Therefore, the concept of a virgin birth is not scriptural according to this specific chapter of Isaiah.
However, the zeal of the early church fathers to propel Jesus into G-d is another story. The simplest explanation would be the mistranslation of Isaiah 7:14 in which most Christian editions state "...and a virgin shall conceive..."
Most Christian editions have accepted the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "almah" as meaning a virgin. The original Hebrew word that Isaiah used was almah meaning a young woman (possibly a virgin but also possibly not).
If Isaiah had meant to say a virgin, he would have said in Hebrew "betulah" which literally meant virgin. Therefore, the concept of a virgin birth is not scriptural according to this specific chapter of Isaiah.
Just because early Christians chose to assume that a "young woman" meant a "virgin" and that Jesus
was called "the son of God", do not seem enough reasons to interfere with the Messianic role of
Jesus.
We see God, in the Old Testament, speaking as follows: I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son [2 Sam 7:14]. So where is the problem with God being "a father" to Jesus and Jesus being "a son" to God if they do not want to believe the truth that Jesus IS the Son of God?
But there is more. The mainstream Jews (4) (as opposed to Ebionites) claim that:
Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah because:
But there is even more!
In the same source (4) we read the definition of "Messiah" as:
Interestingly enough, their reason to deny Jesus' Messianic role confirms the Divinity of Jesus. How could He be initiated into the service of God (anointed) when He Is God Himself! Yes, He was baptized to set a living example of the requirements for a human being who would accept Him as the Messiah announced by the Baptizer himself.
However, if we need an "anointing equivalent" we have the magi who....
Let us review the meaning and significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh (5) that the magi presented to Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew.
Furthermore, it is claimed that Jesus did not fulfill Messianic prophecies because:
In other words, they have the same expectations of those Catholics who are looking forward to the already mentioned "Great King" and "Holy Pontiff" - "a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God"
Such claims, position and expectations would be laughable if they would not have brought, and will still bring more, misery to so many misled Jews and Catholics.
We see God, in the Old Testament, speaking as follows: I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son [2 Sam 7:14]. So where is the problem with God being "a father" to Jesus and Jesus being "a son" to God if they do not want to believe the truth that Jesus IS the Son of God?
But there is more. The mainstream Jews (4) (as opposed to Ebionites) claim that:
Jews do not accept Jesus as the Messiah because:
(a) Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies.
(b) Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah.
(c) Biblical verses "referring" to Jesus are mistranslation.
(d) Jewish belief is based on national revelation.
But there is even more!
In the same source (4) we read the definition of "Messiah" as:
The word "Messiah" is an English rendering of the Hebrew word Mashiach, which means "anointed." It
usually refers to a person initiated into God's service by being anointed with oil. [Exodus
29:7, 1-Kings 1:39, 2-Kings 9:3]
Interestingly enough, their reason to deny Jesus' Messianic role confirms the Divinity of Jesus. How could He be initiated into the service of God (anointed) when He Is God Himself! Yes, He was baptized to set a living example of the requirements for a human being who would accept Him as the Messiah announced by the Baptizer himself.
However, if we need an "anointing equivalent" we have the magi who....
... entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his
mother, and falling down they adored him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts;
gold, frankincense, and myrrh. [Matthew 2:11]
Let us review the meaning and significance of the gold, frankincense and myrrh (5) that the magi presented to Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew.
These valuable items
were standard gifts to honor a king or deity in the ancient world: gold as a precious
metal, frankincense as perfume or incense, and myrrh as anointing
oil.
In fact, these same three items were apparently among the gifts, recorded in ancient inscriptions, that King Seleucus II Callinicus offered to the god Apollo at the temple in Miletus in 243 B.C.E.
The Book of Isaiah, when describing Jerusalem's glorious restoration, tells of nations and kings who will come and “bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” [Isaiah 60:6]
In fact, these same three items were apparently among the gifts, recorded in ancient inscriptions, that King Seleucus II Callinicus offered to the god Apollo at the temple in Miletus in 243 B.C.E.
The Book of Isaiah, when describing Jerusalem's glorious restoration, tells of nations and kings who will come and “bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” [Isaiah 60:6]
Furthermore, it is claimed that Jesus did not fulfill Messianic prophecies because:
One of the central themes of biblical prophecy is the promise of
a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God.
[Isaiah 2:1-4, 32:15-18, 60:15-18; Zephaniah 3:9; Hosea 2:20-22; Amos 9:13-15; Micah 4:1-4;
Zechariah 8:23, 14:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34]
In other words, they have the same expectations of those Catholics who are looking forward to the already mentioned "Great King" and "Holy Pontiff" - "a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God"
Such claims, position and expectations would be laughable if they would not have brought, and will still bring more, misery to so many misled Jews and Catholics.
Christians have demonized all Jews in the New Testament conveniently forgetting the fact that Jesus is a Jew
How can anyone expect children being brought up in the Christian Faith not to develop an ingrained
hatred for Jews?
There is no way, as the New Testament is written, that Jews can come across in any other way than as "the really bad guys"; the assassins of a gentle and loving Jesus.
Elemental psychology has also conclusively proven that rejection, in the best of cases, and hatred, in the worse of cases, would be the logical result of such brainwashing.
Expecting anything else would be contrary to logic and the way the brain works.
There is no way, as the New Testament is written, that Jews can come across in any other way than as "the really bad guys"; the assassins of a gentle and loving Jesus.
Elemental psychology has also conclusively proven that rejection, in the best of cases, and hatred, in the worse of cases, would be the logical result of such brainwashing.
Expecting anything else would be contrary to logic and the way the brain works.
CONCLUSION
Only those who have Ears, will Hear, and have Eyes, will See, that Jesus Is the Messiah and only when He returns He will indeed initiate the "age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God" after:
... he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts. And who shall be able to
think of the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see him? for he is like a refining fire,
and like the fuller' s herb: And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall
purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer
sacrifices to the Lord in justice. And the sacrifice of Juda and of Jerusalem shall please the
Lord, as in the days of old, and in the ancient years. [Malachi 3: 1-4]
Humanity was given a chance to learn, the easy way, how to attain "... a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God":
Living what Jesus taught and lived... but humanity rejected it.
God then sent Mary repeatedly for the last 200 years (6) in the hopes that we would finally respond to the teachings of Her Son. That effort was commercialized and its urgent spiritual message ignored. Now, finally mankind will learn - just as Malachi announced. Such will the pain be!
NOTES
(1) Pain is the megaphone God uses for the deaf to hear
(2) Why Lord? Why Do You Allow This?
(3) Fulfilled Prophecies
(4) Source: Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus
(5) Source: Why Did the Magi Bring Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh?
(6) Marian Apparitions - A Summary
En Español: Sobre Judaísmo y Cristianismo - La Epifanía del Mesías
Published on January 6th, 2016 - The Epiphany of the Lord
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