Defending The Faith Once Delivered

by MattithYah Coover, www.RealMessiah.Name

 

Within the last several years I have personally observed an increasing number of Nazarenes -- many close friends and aquaintances -- "leaving the faith once delivered" as they either convert to Judaism or else return to Christianity.  I recently received the following email from once such man whom I have known for several years as a very like-minded brother, and indeed, many key leadership figures and likeminded brethren are questioning the authority of the Apostolic Scriptures, and converting to what they wrongly believe is "Torah-based Judaism".

Because the issues which he raises against the Apostolic Scriptures represent the general consensus of those traveling down this road, I am sharing portions of his letter in this email (indented in italics, and edited for length) along with my response.

For anyone who is having these or similar questions, realize first that I have been there; perhaps not to the extent of some, but I have done my share of questioning concerning  the issues of "Messiahship", "Deity", and "Scripture" nonetheless, and the results are available in two sequel volumes -- 1. THE REAL MESSIAH: REDISCOVERED, and 2. MYSTERY OF INIQUITY: ANTI-MESSIAH, END OF DAYS, AND THE ABOMINATION WHICH LAYS WASTE --  which I am offering today without obligation on a funds availability basis to those who are wrestling with the issues of Yahshua's Messiahship, accuracy of the Apostolic Writings, and the issue of "deity".  If this describes you, and you would appreciate receiving a copy, you are welcome to contact us in response to this email message.

NAME WITHELD WRITES:

We have been on a journey for over 12 years now...which has taken us through many changes, and there will be many more in the path ahead...at least I hope there is; otherwise I'm not growing.  We as a family, have studied the Hebrew language, the Torah, Tanach, "Brit Chadasha", Talmud, etc., and the more we learned, the more...we began to see...things that did not add up and made no sense.  We thought we had really broken away into "truth" when we went into "Messianity"...but in the last few years...began to see that we were still holding on to warped "church" theologies.

For most of my life I've been a person who truly believed the "Scriptures" were inerrant.  Now, I know this to be absolutely true...but only on one sisp; This is the means of "far greater grace" than Christianity has ever had a concept of.  For us, we spent many years trying to squeeze the square peg of Christian theology into the round hole of truth that is the Torah and Torah-based Judaism.  We think very highly of your family, but it is very obvious that [this is what] you are [also]...doing.  I do know very well exactly what you believe...and am very familiar with the arguments from where you stand [for] we have formerly held that position, but now have definitely been led away from it...  It is truly amazing because now our whole family feels "more free" than we ever felt before and each of our relationships with Hashem is far stronger and richer than we've ever known before in our lives.

Worship Hashem and Hashem alone......there is none beside Him......He alone is the "Rock of my Salvation" and in Him alone (Hashem) do I am my family trust......just as he commanded us to.  This last point is not up for discussion or debate; it simply is the truth.  It is not my job or desire to talk you "into" what I know is the truth, so I will not make the attempt.  I believe if you search diligently following what Hashem has commanded and forget what you think it has to be, then you will be led to his truth.

 

MATTITHYAH RESPONDS:

What you say about "not growing without changes" sums up a trend in the "Hebraic Roots Movement" which I have observed for some time. Most involved in Christianity sit still in their segment of religion, and so for the most part, further false doctrines pose little threat. Of those who finally start walking, however, quite a few end up in the "Messy-antic" movement, and others straight off hit the historical sect and beliefs of the Nazarenes. What happens again and again, however, is that once they START GROWING, they think they have to keep CHANGING THEIR BELIEFS or they will become spiritually dead like they were before, and so they RUSH THROUGH THE TRUTH so fast that they miss the turn which leads to DEEPLY ROOTED MESSIANIC BELIEF, and even end up STUMBLING OVER THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE OF THAT BELIEF (Kepha Aleph 2:6-8). I can't help but notice your wording, that you have "definitely been LED AWAY FROM" the beliefs you formerly held, and "your whole family FEELS FREER now than they ever did before", but will refrain from commenting further. The key is simply Ephesians 4:13-15: "Until we all come to the unity of the belief and the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the completeness of Messiah, so that we should no longer be children, TOSSED AND BORNE ABOUT BY EVERY WIND OF TEACHING, by the trickery of men in cleverness unto the craftiness of LEADING ASTRAY, but MAINTAINING THE TRUTH in love we grow up in all respects unto Him who is the Head --- Messiah." Is our faith/your faith growing fuller, FIRMER, and DEEPER as Tanakh teaches -- "The tzaddik shall live through his emunah (steadiness, firmness, fidelity, or steadfastness" (Chavaquq 2:4) -- or are we/you uprooting and starting with a sapling again every few years, because we/you wrongfully think that changing our beliefs is the only way to grow?

You write that you "know very well where we are coming from, as you have been there". The reverse in this instance also applies, however, for it was my questioning of the very same issues which you raise that prompted me to begin my study of what I have come to identify as the concept of "the real Messiah". You write of "having spent many days studying these issues, and having many pages of documentation". Again, I have been there and am still, having studied THESE ISSUES virtually non-stop whenever I was not working in the four years between Sukkot 2002 and Sukkot 2006, because I had MAJOR QUESTIONS about CONCEPTS which I had no evidence were CORRECT.

You write:

"Scripture tells us that all men can look at the creation around them and see Hashem in that creation.... now Judaism says [that a] Chinese man can look at creation around him, see Hashem, and from that, build a relationship with Hashem, acknowledging him as Creator of the Universe. According to Judaism, this man's soul is not lost..... Christianity [on the other hand] says this man....will go to hell because he did not accept "Jesus"/Yeshua. It doesn't even matter if they did look around, recognize that Hashem had created the world around them and live a morally upright life. Christianity, the "religion of grace" says these people...go to hell for something they could not help that they had never heard of."

Tanakh certainly teaches that all men can look at creation and see YHWH in that creation. But what you miss pointing out is that the sacred books of Judaism teach that since the little Chinese man is only an animal, his children are bastards (Yebamoth 98a), that when the little Chinese man robs a Jew, he has to pay him back, but if a Jew robs the little Chinese man, he doesn't have to pay him back (Sanhedrin 57a) that it is okay to for a Jew to cheat the little Chinese man in a court of law (Baba Kamma 113a), that when the little Chinese man kills the Jew who robbed him, the little Chinese man must be killed; but when a Jew kills the little Chinese man, there is no death penalty (Sanhedrin 57a); and finally, that if the little Chinese man is a Christian pastor with a secret home church, being persecuted and killed for his faith by the communist government, and his wife is risking her own life by not getting an abortion for their third child, because she reads and believes the works of the Judeo Christians, the little Chinese man and his family will go to hell along with Yeshua (Gittin, 56b,57a) and be punished there for all generations (Rosh Hashanah 17a, Sanhedrin 90a).

The Ketuvim Natsarim (or Apostolic Scriptures) on the other hand, teach, not the doctrine of "no salus extra ecclesia" (or "no salvation outside the Catholic church"), nor the doctrines of the Talmud, but the same teaching of seeing Elohim through creation, and being accountable for our own actions, as found in Tanakh.

Romiyah 1:20-32. "For since the creation of the world His invisible qualities have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, both his everlasting power and mightiness, for them to be without excuse because although they knew Elohim they did not esteem him as Elohim, nor gave thanks, but became vain in their reasonings, their undiscerning heart was darkened. Claiming to be wise they became fools, and changed the esteem of the incorruptible Elohim into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds and of four footed beasts and of reptiles. Therefore Elohim gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their heart to disrespect their bodies among themselves, who changed the truth of Elohim into the falsehood and worshiped and served what was created rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amein. Because of this Elohim gave them over to degrading passions, for even their women exchanged natural relations for what is against nature, and likewise the men also, having left natural relations with women, burned in their lust for one another, men with men, committing indecency, and receiving back the reward which was due for their straying. And even as they did not think it worthwhile to possess the knowledge of Elohim, Elohim gave them over to a worthless mind, to do what is improper, having been filled with all unrighteousness, whoring, wickedness, greed, evil, filled with envy, murder, fighting, deceit, evil habits, sorcerers, slanderers, haters of Elohim, insolent, proud, boasters, devisers of evils, disobedient to parents, without discernment, covenant breakers, unloving, unforgiving, ruthless, who although they know the righteousness of Elohim, that those who practice such deserve death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them."

Romiyah 2:1a,2,6-16. "Therefore O man, you are without excuse...and we know that the judgment of Elohim is according to truth against those who practice such wrongs...who shall "render to each one according to his works": everlasting life to those who by persistence in good works seek for esteem and respect and incorruptibility, but wrath and displeasure to those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; affliction and distress on every human being working what is evil, of the Yehudite first, and also of the Greek; but esteem, respect, and peace to everyone working what is good, to the Yehudite first, and also to the Greek, for there is no partiality with Elohim. For as many as sinned without Torah shall also perish without Torah, and as many as sinned in the Torah shall be judged by the Torah. For not the hearers of the Torah are justified in the sight of Elohim, but the DOERS of the Torah shall be declared right. For when gentiles who do not have the Torah, by nature do what is in the Torah, although not having the Torah, they are a Torah to themselves, who show the work of the Torah written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing them or even EXCUSING THEM in the day [of judgment]."

You well know the preceding paragraphs are quoting Sha'ul, and you probably are aware as well, that HE MAKES NO MENTION OF HAVING AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH, OR EVEN BEING AWARE OF YAHSHUA in his discourse concerning salvation being obtained or denied to the Chinese man and his family. If the little man in China can see YHWH in creation, he can also see Yahshua in creation, for it was through the WORD/MILTHA/MEMRA or ALEPH BEYT of his power which Elohim created the world, as taught in Torah, as well as by the Jewish sages. The little man in China cannot see every detail of YHWH/Yahshua in creation though. He cannot see the moedim, or many of the 613 mitzvot in Tanakh. He cannot see the prophecies of the Mashiyach or the end times. He cannot see, OR EVEN BE AWARE THAT HE NEEDS A MASHIYACH, but he can see that "there is someone - a 'great spirit', or however else he identifies Him - who is higher than me, greater than me, purer than me, who loves me, and whom I ought to aim to be like." This knowledge encompasses YHWH and Yahshua altogether in the simplest form, and for the man who is unknowledgeable of the Scriptures, in a very adequate form.

Luke 12:47,48. "That servant who knew his Master's desire, and did not prepare, nor did according to his desire, shall be beaten with many stripes. [48] But he who did not know, yet did what deserved flogging, shall be beaten with few. And to everyone to whom much is given, from him much shall be demanded. And to whom much has been entrusted, much more shall be asked."

This is the difference between those who are honestly ignorant of all that YHWH wants, but believe in a Supreme Creator and live moral lives, as compared to those whom YHWH entrusts with the oracles of the Torah (Romiyah 3:2), but who do not properly guard them, and knowingly reject Yahshua's atoning blood as a result of a willful and educated choice, through their rejection of Him as Messiah. If you choose to reject the Torah and its Messianic prophecies in favor of the Talmud, you are held to a higher level of accountability (Ya'aqob 3:1). The fact is that mankind cannot be a Messiah or savior to himself, for "the RANSOM of the soul is PRICELESS AND IT CEASES FOREVER" (Tehillim 49:7-9), and if you reject Yahshua as the Messiah, you reject the atonement.

You ask:

"Why is it that the Torah says NO MAN DIES FOR ANOTHER MAN'S SINS????? Yet the Church tells us Jesus/Yeshua died for us to save us from our sins.... human sacrifice is a PAGAN concept, not one from Hashem.....notice Isaac was not Sacrificed."

You cannot be more correct in that hashatan is the one who causes men to die while he continues to live. Hashatan is the god of human (and specifically, child) sacrifice -- NOT THE ALMIGHTY!!! Notice however that YHWH DID INSTRUCT Avraham to sacrifice his son, and YHWH did take the life of David's firstborn to Bathsheva, AS JUDGMENT for David's lusting, murder, and adultery. In the type of Avraham and Yitshaq on Mount Moriyah, however, notice that it was NOT Yitshaq who was sacrificed in the end, but Abraham (representative of the Heavenly Father) who DIED TO SELF, and YHWH, who provided HIMSELF as the ultimate Lamb, as you are well aware reading Bereshith 22:8 in the Hebrew -- "ELOHIM YIREH LO HASEH" or "Elohim provides Himself a Lamb". And concerning David and Bathsheva, whether we understand it or not, is it any coincidence that it was AS DAVID'S SEED through THAT LINE or THAT WIFE, that Yahshua of Nazareth was eventually born? Or is it simply another one of those "mixed accounts that in any court of law would not be allowed to stand as a witness"?

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 59:12 says "Our offences are many in your sight and our sins testify against us.  Our offences are ever with us, and WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR INIQUITIES".  Yet even after TESHUVAH IS DONE, vss. 15,16 say that "YHWH looked and was displeased that there was no justice, He saw that there was no one, and WAS APPALLED THAT THERE WAS NO INTERCESSOR; so His OWN ARM WORKED SALVATION FOR HIM, and his own righteousness sustained Him."  Therefore (vs. 20) THE REDEEMER SHALL COME TO TZIYON, TO THOSE IN YA'AQOB WHO REPENT OF THEIR SINS, DECLARES YHWH."  If doing teshuvah made atonement for our sins, why was YHWH still APPALLED that there was no one to INTERCEDE ON OUR BEHALF?  AND WHAT IS THIS SAVIOR REDEEMING US FROM???

The Psalmist's address to YHWH was not a statement that "we save ourselves by doing teshuvah to the Torah" but a petition that "YHWH give us help from distress, for the help of man is naught. In Elohim we do mightily." (Tehillim 60:11,12a) "For He delivers the needy when he cries, and the poor, who has no helper" (Tehillim 72:12) "For He Himself has said, 'I shall never leave you or forsake you,' so that we boldly say, 'YHWH is my helper'" (Ibrim 13:6). David understood this and makes it clear that an ordinary man cannot redeem the soul of another human being.

Tehillim 49:7. No man can redeem the life of another, or give to Elohim a ransom for him; [8] for the redemption of their soul is priceless and it ceases forever, [9] that He (the Messiah) should still live for ever, (and) not see corruption.

Yeshayahu 61:1,2. The Ruach/Spirit of the Sovereign YHWH is upon me, because YHWH has ANNOINTED  me (Heb. #4886 MASHACH, meaning "divine annointing", and the root of #4899 MASHIYACH or "Messiah") to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, and release from darkness to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of Yahweh's ACCEPTANCE, FAVOR, or GOODWILL (Heb. #7522 RASON, from #7521 RASAH, meaning "to accept, pay for sin, to be favored or esteemed"), and related to #7523, RASACH, meaning "to be murdered, killed, or put to death").

"Thus says YHWH, the Sovereign of Yisra'el, AND HIS REDEEMER, YHWH of Hosts: 'I am ALEPH TAW (the Beginning and Ending); there is no deity besides ME'" (Yeshayahu 44:6) In that day declares YHWH..... [10b] they shall look on ME (YHWH) whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as One mourns for His only Son. (Zecharyah 12:4a, 10b)

Even non-messianic rabbi, Yitshaq Ginsburgh, of www.inner.org, for example, describes the Messiah as "A manifestation of primordial Divinity.... the archetypal soul of Mashiach.... (and) the Divine 'Intermediate' " between YHWH and mankind. The belief which you have embraced, that Yahshua was not YHWH, and therefore not the Messiah, is not based on "true Judaism", as you must be well aware if you have studied the Targums,Talmud, Zohar, and Kabbalah (cf. b.San. 38b; Pesita Rabba 54a, 118b, 161b, 162a; Sukkah 52a; Midrash Tehillim 2; Yal. l.c.; Zohar 1:16b,129b; 2:43, 105a,115; 3:191b, 227; Targum Jonathan, Gen 1:27, 19:24, Hos 1:7, Isa 45:17,25; Jerusalem Targum, Ex. 3:14; et al ), but on core humanistic philosophy which is the teaching that man does not need YHWH because he can save himself by living a moral life, which nature itself will teach him.

You ask:

"Why is it we've been taught that blood was required for the atonement of ALL sins? That is what Christianity tells us. THAT IS NOT WHAT THE TORAH/TANACH SAYS!!! We are told that blood only provided atonement for UNKNOWN SIN. There were three ways to get atonement for KNOWN SIN, and what was the primary method to get atonement for intentional sin... the Tanach tells us, it is through our words/prayers of repentance!!!"

This ties back into the little man from China, and your choice to willingly and knowledgably reject Yahshua. First, YHWH is a loving Elohim who does not desire that ANY should perish, and to this end, He ordained that atonement be made for unintentional sin through an offering of blood.

Bemidbar 15:27. If a being sins by mistake, then he shall bring a female goat a year old as a sin offering, [28] and the priest shall make atonement for the being who strays by mistake, when he sins by mistake before YHWH, to make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him. [29] For him who does whatever by mistake, there is one Torah, both for him who is native among the children of Yisra'el and for the stranger who sojourns in their midst.

Second, YHWH ordained that atonement be made for KNOWN SIN by an offering of blood, ACCOMPANIED BY TESHUVAH -- not just words or prayers saying your are sorry, but turning from that sin in genuine repentance. Your statement that "blood only provided atonement for unknown sin", IS NOT BASED ON TANAKH.

Bereshith 2:16 And Elohim commanded the man, saying "Eat of every tree of the garden, [17] but do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall certainly die".... [3:4] And the serpent said to the woman, "You shall certainly not die, [5] for Elohim knows in the day you eat of it your eyes shall be opened and you shall be like Elohim, knowing good and evil." [6] And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, and she took of its fruit and ate, And she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. [7] Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made loin coverings for themselves....[11] (And YHWH said) "Who made you know that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you that you should not eat?... [19b] for dust you are and to dust you return"... [21] Therefore Elohim made garments from skins for the man and his wife, and dressed them [22] And Elohim said, "see the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever [23] Therefore Elohim sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

YHWH said "DO NOT eat of a specific tree, for IN THE DAY YOU EAT OF IT you will certainly die. Adam and Chava willfully, knowingly eat of that specific tree, whereupon YHWH makes garments from skins (obtained from slaying an innocent animal) to make KIPPUR or atonement or covering for their transgression and subsequent knowledge of their nakedness. Yet YHWH still sends them out from the garden that they may not "eat from the tree of life and live forever".... his mercy at this time, and in this place will only go so far.

Wayyiqra 19:20 And when a man has intercourse with a woman, a female servant betrothed to a man, and who has not at all been ransomed or redeemed, there should be an inquiry. But they are not put to death because she was not free. [21] And he shall bring his guilt offering to YHWH to the door of the Tent of Meeting, a ram as a guilt offering, [22] and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before YHWH for his sin which he has done and the sin which he has sinned shall be forgiven him.

Wayyiqra 6:2 When any soul sins and commits a trespass against YHWH, or has lied to his neighbor about a deposit, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or shall extort from his neighbor, [3] or has found what was lost and lied concerning it, or did swear falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of all these that a man does, [4] then it shall be when he sins and shall be guilty, that he shall return what he took by robbery, or what he has extorted, or the deposit which was deposited with him, or the lost item which he found, [5] or all that about which he swore falsely. He shall repay its total value, add one fifth more to it, and give it to whom it belongs on the day of his guilt offering. [6] Then he brings his guilt offering to YHWH, a ram, a perfect one, from the flock with your valuation, as a guilt offering to the priest. [7] And the priest shall make atonement for him before YHWH and he shall be forgiven for whatever he did that made him guilty.

Bereshith 9:5 But only your BLOOD FOR YOUR LIVES I REQUIRE, from the hand of every beast I require it, AND FROM THE HAND OF ADAM/SON OF MAN. From the HAND OF EVERY MAN'S BROTHER I REQUIRE THE LIFE OF MAN.

Wayyiqra 17:11 For the nephesh/life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the alter to make atonement for your lives/souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement for the life/soul.

The list of known sins in these verses includes willfully committed sins against YHWH and against man, which are atoned for by blood, when accompanied by confession and repentance.

YHWH is the same yesterday, today and forever, for which cause He entered the world in the similitude of a Man, AS THE BROTHER OF EVERY MAN (Bereshith 9:5), that He might make atonement for unintentional sin and willful sin which we have forsaken or turned away from (or done teshuvah to Torah) through His own blood at the stake.

Tehillim 40:6. Slaughtering and meal offering You did not desire; You have given Me a Body; burnt offering and sin offering you did not ask for. [7] Then I said, See, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is prescribed for Me. I have delighted to do Your pleasure, O My Elohim, and Your Torah is within my heart.

Here the Jewish scribes CHANGED the text to read "you have given me open ears", in order to hide the clear Messianic prophecy. That the original text read, "a body" is verified both by the DEAD SEA SCROLLS (WHICH ARE OLDER THAN THE MASORETIC TEXT), the LXX and Shaul's quotation of the verse in:

Ibrim 10:5. Therefore coming into the world He says, "Slaughtering and meal offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for Me. [6] In burnt offerings and offerings for sin You did not delight. [7] Then I said, See, I come - in the scroll of the book it is written concerning me - to do your desire, O Elohim...." [12] For He, having one slaughter offering for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of Elohim.... [14] for by one offering He has perfected for all time those being set-apart.

Again, Yeshayahu 53:11 in the Dead Sea Scrolls and LXX reads "After the suffering of his soul he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many...because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors". This reading is also verified by the LXX. The Masoretic text, however, reads "He will see the result of the suffering of his soul and be satisfied", altering the Messianic prophecy to fit their theology. Does the Torah not say that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word will be established? The same holds true for the other prophecies you say the church changed to read in a way that fits their theology... so I ask, will you base your salvation on a text which older manuscripts (DSS) and later manuscripts (Peshitta Tanakh, LXX, Apostolic Writings, etc.) all prove through the Torah's own principle of two or three witnesses has been corrupted?   "This is what each one says to his neighbor, and each one to his brother: 'What has YHWH answered?', and 'What has YHWH spoken?' But the message of YHWH you no longer remember, for every man's message is his own word, for you have CHANGED THE WORDS of the living Elohim, YHWH of Hosts, our Elohim. (Yirmeyahu 23:35,36)  "How do you say, 'We are wise and the Torah of Hashem is with us?' But look, the FALSE PEN OF THE SCRIBES has worked falsehood. The 'wise' shall be put to shame, they shall be broken down and caught. See, they have REJECTED THE WORD of YHWH, so what wisdom do they have? (Yirmeyahu 8:8,9) 

YHWH is not an Elohim who would damn you or I to eternal death for sin committed in ignorance. At the same time, He is a just Elohim, whereby He states that there is NO ATONEMENT made for DEFIANT TRANSGRESSION (TRANSGRESSION WITHOUT TESHUVAH -- REPENTANCE OR TURNING AROUND FROM YOUR SIN TO THE ATONEMENT WHICH YHWH HAS MADE).

Bemidbar 15:30. But the being that does whatever defiantly, whether he is native or a stranger, he reviles YHWH, and that being shall be cut off from among his people. [31] Because he has despised the word of YHWH, and has broken His command, that being shall certainly be cut off; his crookedness is upon him.

Ben Sirach 5:5. Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. [6] Do not say, "His mercy is great, He will forgive the multitude of my sins", for both mercy and wrath are with Him, and His anger will rest on sinners. [7] Do not delay to turn back to YHWH, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of YHWH will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish. (Apocrypha)

This then ties into the following questions which you asked:

"Tanach prophets all have a picture of the Nations being blinded to Hashem's truth... Why do you think the 'New Testament' has the opposite picture.... that of 'the Jews' being blinded.... Why do the prophets...have pictures of the nations coming to the Jews and asking to be taught because 'Hashem is with them'??? Why is the picture put forth by the 'New Testament' that of the poor wayward 'Jews' finally in the end making repentance and coming to the truth of 'Jesus'/Yeshua? I say it is the hand of the Catholic Church creating a pagan-based religion that over and over again literally gives us pictures and teachings that go directly against the Torah itself."

The teachings of the Natsarim (whom the catholic church, as you well know, has always considered heretics and apostates), are such as we again find in the "Brit Chadasha", which is based on Tanakh, and in Tanakh, there is no anti-semitism, although there is a powerful picture of "poor wayward Yisra'el" -- all 12 tribes.

Devarim 9:4-7. Speak not thou in thine heart after that YHWH thy Elohim hath cast them our from before thee, saying, For my righteousness YHWH hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations YHWH doth drive them out before thee. Not for thy righteousness or the uprightness of thy heart, but for the wickedness of these nations YHWH doth drive them out before you and that he may perform the word which YHWH sware unto thy fathers, Avraham, Yitshaq, and Ya'aqob. Understand therefore that YHWH thy Elohim giveth thee not this goood land to possess it for thy righteousness, for thou art a stiffnecked people. Remember and forget not, how thou provokedst YHWH thy Elohim to wrath in the wilderness, from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Mitsrayim until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against YHWH.

Hoshea 4:6. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because they have rejected knowledge,... seeing that they have forsaken the Torah of YHWH,... [5:4b] and have not known YHWH."

Hoshea 11:7. My people are bent towards backsliding from Me, (says YHWH). Though they call on the Most High, He lifts none of them up..... [12] Ephraim has surrounded Me with lying, and the house of Yisra'el with deceit.... [13:1] When Ephraim spoke, there used to be trembling; he was lifted up in Yisra'el, but through Baal, he became guilty and died.

Yehezqel 3:5. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and of difficult language, but to the house of Yisra'el, [6] not to many people of foreign speech and of difficult language, whose words you do not understand. If I had rather sent you to them, they would have listened to you. [7] But the house of Yisra'el is going to refuse to listen to you, for they refuse to listen to Me. For ALL THE HOUSE OF YISRA'EL are hard of head, and hard of heart. [8]See, I shall make your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. [9] Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I shall make your forehead. Do not be afraid of them, nor be discouraged at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. [10] And he said to me, Son of Adam, receive into your heart all my words that I speak to you and hear with your ears [11] and go! Come to the exiles, to the children of your people, and speak to them and say to them, 'Thus said the Master YHWH', whether they hear or whether they refuse.

Yeshayahu 30:9. These are a rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to YHWH's instruction. [10] They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. [11] Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Set-Apart One of Yisra'el....

Yeshayahu 65:1. I have let Myself be inquired of, not by those who asked; I was found, not by those who sought Me. I said. "Here I Am, here I Am," to a nation not calling on My Name. [2] I have held out My hands all day long to a stubborn people who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts; [3] the people who provoke me continually to My face, who slaughter in gardens and burn incense on altars of brick; [4] who sit among the graves and spend the night in secret places, who eat the flesh of pigs, and the broth of unclean meat is in their pots. [5] Who say, "Keep to yourself, for I am holy to you!" They are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day. [6] See, it is written before Me: I am not silent, but shall repay.... [8b] yet for my servants' sake, I do not destroy them all."

Yeshayahu 6:8 And I heard the voice of YHWH saying, "Whom do I send, and who would go for US?" And I said "Here I am, send me". [9] And he said, "Go and you shall say to this people, 'Hearing you hear but do not understand, and seeing you see but do not know.' [10] Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and shall turn and be healed." [11] Then I said, "YHWH, until when?" And He answered "Until the cities are laid waste, and without inhabitant, and the houses are without a man, and the land is laid waste, a ruin, [12] and YHWH has removed men far away, and the forsaken places be many in the midst of the land [13] But still there is a tenth part in it and it shall again be for a burning like a terebinth tree and like an oak, whose stump remains when it is cut down. THE KODESH SEED IS ITS STUMP!"

Romiyah 11:1. I say then, has Elohim rejected His people? Let it not be, for I also am an Yisra'elite, of the seed of Avraham, of the tribe of Benyamin. [2] Elohim has not rejected His people whom He knew before hand... [17] And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, have been grafted in among them, and came to share the root and fatness of the olive tree, [18] do not boast against the branches. And if you do boast, remember, you do not bear the Root, but the Root bears you... [24] You were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more then shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own tree? For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this secret brothers, lest you should be wise in you own conceits, that blindness in part has come over all Yisra'el, that the fullness of the nations/gentiles might come in. [26] So all Yisra'el shall be saved, as it has been written, The Deliver shall come out of Tzion, and He shall turn away wickedness from Ya'aqob. [27] And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.

Zecharyah 8:23 "Thus said YHWH of Hosts, In those days ten men from every nation under heaven shall take hold of the tassel of ONE YAHUDI'S garment (Heb. lit. trans.) and say, 'Show us the way to Zion, for we see -- Emmanuel -- that Elohim is with you.'"

This is one of many clear references in the Tanakh to the GREATEST JEW, THE MASHIYACH. In Zechariah's prophecy, there are ten men from every nation under heaven, a clear reference to the ten assimilated tribes of Yisra'el or Ephraim. This indicates that Judah has recognized the Messiah at this point in time, even before many Ephraimites (or Christians) have recognized the Torah! And this is why the ten men come to the ONE Yahudi and grasp hold of his TZITZIT or blue tassel -- to learn Torah! So much for "the poor wayward 'Jews' finally in the end making repentance and coming to the truth of 'Jesus'(sic)/Yeshua". As Yahshua said:

Yahchanan 4:22. You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is of the Yahudim.

You say "As I've learned the Hebrew and began to grow a vocabulary I could see there were MAJOR problems all over the "New Testment"  I have spent hundreds of hours studying these things and anyone who says they are not there is blinded to the truth.  Why do we get mixed accounts from each gospel that IN ANY COURT OF LAW WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND AS A WITNESS?  Which one will you believe: the Tanach or the New Testament with Catholicism's fingerprints all over it?  If the Tanach is not true then you certainly have no truth in the NEw Testament."

Of course anyone who looks will find what appears to be "discrepancies" and "contradictions" in the "NT", just as you will find "discrepancies" and "contradictions" in

• Tanakh geneologies and the course of Yisrael's journey in the wilderness (cf. Ex 16:1; Num 33:10,11, etc. etc.)
• Confusion between YHWH and hashatan (cf. 2 Sam 24:1-4; 1Chr 21:1-4)
• YHWH saying to Mosheh "'Go return to Mitsrayim, for all the men are dead who sought your life'....and (then) it came to be along the way in the lodging place, that YHWH met him and sought to kill him." (Shemoth 4:19,24)
• YHWH forbidding marrying sisters (Wayiqra 18:18), yet blessing the earth with the twelve tribes through Ya'aqob's marrying Rachel and Leah, and having intercourse with their female servants.
• YHWH forbidding false scales (Way. 19:36, Yehez. 45:10), and false witness (Shem 20:16, 23:2, Dev. 5:20), yet blessing people, such as Avraham, Yitshaq, and Ya'aqob who practiced deceit, saying their wives were their sisters (Ber. 12:11-19, 20:2-13), stealing the blessing (Ber. 27:1-36) and birthright, and subtley increasing their own riches (Ber. 25:29-33, 30:27-31:2).
• Torah tells us that YHWH is "not the son of man that He should repent" (Bemidbar 23:19), and Tanakh teaches us that "there is no wickedness in him" (Tehillim 92:15), yet Torah also teaches us that YHWH repented he had made man (Ber 6:6,), repented of evils he had planned for Yisra'el (Shem 32:14, 2Sam 24:16, Yirmeyahu 26:13), etc.
• YHWH forbids the cutting (Way. 21:5), piercing, or tattooing (Way 19:28) of ones body as pagan worship practices, and says that no one is to enter the congregation of YHWH who is wounded in or has the sexual parts of his body cut off (Dev. 23:1), yet commands a Hebrew servant's ear to be pierced through with an awl (Shemoth 21:6; Devarim 15:16,17), and commands the skin surrounding the end of the male sexual organ to be cut off all infants on the eighth day (Ber. 17:10-14).
• Their nakedness was the first sin which Adam and Chava were aware of after partaking of the knowledge of good and evil (Ber. 3:7-10) Yet the prophet Micah said "I will go about barefoot and naked" passing on in nakedness and shame" (Mic 1:8,11) and Yeshayahu was commanded by YHWH to take off his minimal sackcloth covering and walk naked and barefoot for the space of three years (Yesh. 20:3), with buttocks exposed (vs.4) as a prophetic sign.
• YHWH says that He hates divorce (Malakhi 2:16), says that a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife (Bereshith 2:24), and says that you do not make a Hebrew brother serve as a slave, yet identifies a Hebrew servant's wife and children as another man's property which can be taken from the husband at will (Shemoth 21:4)
• YHWH says you do not prostitute your daughter (Wayyiqra 19:29) yet in Shemoth 21:7-11 speaks of a daughter being sold as a "female servant" to a man who "does not find her pleasing to his eyes" after "engaging her to himself", takes another, and sends her out of his house, dealing deceitfully. Other than not being allowed to sell her, however, there is no disciplinary action taken. Furthermore, possibility is left by Wayyiqra 19:20 for other men to have voluntary or involuntary sex with her while she is owned by this man, without the death penalty.
• YHWH forbids murder (Shem 20:13), coveting your neighbors wife (Shem 20:17), and taking multiple wives (Dev 17:17), yet calls David "a man after His own heart" (1 sam 13:14, Ma'aseh 13:22).
• YHWH says "There is no one beside me" (Dev. 32:39) and "you shall have no deity set against/beside my face" (Shem. 20:3), yet then says "Let Us create man in OUR image (Ber. 1:26).. The man has become as ONE OF US (Ber 3:22)...... let US go down and confuse their language (Ber 11:7).... And YHWH (which the Jewish writings interpret as the MEMRA or Incarnate Word) rained fire and brimstone from YHWH in the heaven (ber 19:24)... (and) Thus says YHWH AND HIS REDEEMER-YHWH of Hosts, besides Me there is no Elohim (Yesh. 44:6) etc.
• YHWH says "You are unable to see my face, for NO ONE DOES SEE ME AND LIVE" (Shemoth 33:20), yet in Bereshith 32:30 Ya'aqob says "I have seen Elohim face to face and my life is preserved", in chapter 24:9, seventy of the elders see the Elohim of Yisra'el, and eat and drink with Him", in chapter 33:11 YHWH speaks with Mosheh face to face as a man speaks to a friend, in Numbers 12:8 YHWH says he speaks with Mosheh mouth to mouth and he sees the form of YHWH, and the prophet, Micah, declares in chapter 5:2 that His appearances (UMOOTSOTAV)have been of old, from everlasting (ME-KEDEM MEMAY OLAM) or from "before the days of this world" or from "eternity past". That is what the Hebrew says in the literal PASHAT.
• YHWH forbids the pagan act of child sacrifice and "causing your sons to pass through the fire" (Way. 18:21 Dev. 12:31, 2 Mel 17:16,17, 21:6), yet instructs Abraham to slay his firstborn son as a burnt offering to YHWH on the very mountain overlooking the valley where sons and daughters of the goyim were being burned in the worship of Molech. (Ber. 22:1-18)
• Torah says that "whoever kills someone has to be put to death as a murderer...and take no ransom for the life of a murderer...for the land is not pardoned for the blood that is shed in it except by the blood of him who shed it (Bemidbar 35:30-33) and Tanakh says that the son will not die for the sin of the father (Yehez 18:20), yet YHWH kills David's infant son as punishment for David's lusting, murder, and adultery, saying "YHWH has put away your sin, you shall not die, but the child who is born to you shall certainly die.... and YHWH smote the child...and on the seventh day it came to be that the child died" (Shemuel Beyt 12:1-19)
• Tanakh says that each man bears his own sins (Yehez 18:4,20), and then turns around and says that Yahweh's righteous servant "was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him...and YHWH has laid on him the iniquity of us all...for the transgression of my people he was stricken and assigned a grave with the wicked...though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was YHWH's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, making his life a guilt offering; for he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors... justifying many and bearing their iniquities...because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. (Yeshayahu 53:6-12)

Lest you misunderstand me, I AM NOT QUESTIONING THE INSPIRATION OR ACCURACY OF THE TANAKH. ALL I AM POINTING OUT IS THAT THERE ARE EVERY BIT AS MANY, IF NOT MORE, PROPHETIC, AND EVEN MORAL "CONTRADICTIONS AND INCONSISTENCIES" NEEDING TO BE RECONCILED IN TANAKH AS THERE ARE IN THE APOSTOLIC WRITINGS. And so I ask, do you allow the Apostolic writings the same lenience and the same manuscript evidence as you allow the Tanakh? I ask because I had the same questions, and I found no answers in Christianity -- I didn't even find the questions addressed -- until I dug into the Aramaic and Hebrew to find the answers and the evidence. Put simply, Roman Christianity and their Greek NT manuscripts have effectively buried the historical evidence they would need to prove ANYTHING they believe as correct, and the reason they buried it was because, more than anything, it was evidence against them and in favor of the Nazarenes.

• Tanakh says that "YHWH is not a man to lie....has He spoken and will He not do?" (Bem. 23:19), and promises that the reign of Yisra'el would never be taken from David's family line (2 Sam 7:12-16). Tehillim 132:10 and Yirmeyahu 23:5, however, say that it is David's offspring or seed who reigns, Yehezqel 37:24, says that David himself will reign, and YeshaYahu 11:10, says that it is David's root or progeniter who reigns, while Yeshayahu 6:13 says that the stump or progeniter is the kodesh seed! 
  
  In the course of two successive generations, however, YHWH's anger is aroused by Shelomoh, and then Rehoboam, leaving David's descendants only 1/6th of the original reign, which is quickly taken captive to Babylon, afterwards crushed by Rome, and again by Germany, with 6 million of "David's subjects" being brutally murdered and long left without the land promised to Abraham, let alone a king to rule it, where without Yahshua as the fulfillment of YHWH's promise to David, the Tanakh prophecies have been long broken/proved untrue.

Rabbi Moses Abraham Levi wrote:

"I have examined and searched all the Holy Scriptures and have not found the time for the coming of the Mashiyach clearly fixed, except in the words of Gabriel to the prophet, Daniel, which are written in the ninth chapter of the prophecy of Daniel" (The Messiah of the Targums, Talmuds and Rabbinical Writers, 1971).

Indeed, according to Judaism itself, the Messiah was to exit by 33 CE (Midrash Bereshith Rabah, p. 243 Warwaw Edition).

• Sanhedrin 97a-97b Soncino English Edition ---- "The school of Eliyahu teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years. In the first two thousand there was desolation; two thousand years the Torah flourished; and the next two thousand years is the era of the Messiah, [He will come within that period] but through our many iniquities all these years have been lost. [He should have come at the beginning of (it); the delay is due to our sins.]"
• Babylonian Talmud, chapter 4 folio 37 ------ "When the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death, a general consternation took possession of them: they covered their heads with ashes, and their bodies with sackcloth, exclaiming: 'Woe unto us for the scepter has departed from Judah and the Messiah has not come'"
• Sanhedrin 97b ---- "The Sanhedrin wept and said, 'Woe to us! Where is the Messiah? He had to have come by now.....Perish all those who calculate the end, for men will say, since the predicted end is here and the Messiah has not come, he will never come!.....All the calculated ends have already passed, and now it depends entirely on repentance and good deeds.'"

Again I ask, Do you allow the writings of the disciples of Yahshua the same lenience and manuscript evidence as you allow the writings of Mosheh and the prophets? Or is it both the prophet's and apostles "ýÿÿÿ‚ ƒ „ … † ‡ ˆ ‰ Š ‹ Œ � Ž � � ‘ ’ “ ” • – — ˜ ™ š › œ � ž Ÿ   ¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¦ § ¨ © ª « ¬ ­ ® ¯ ° ± ² ³ ´ µ ¶ · ¸ ¹ º » ¼ ½ ¾ ¿ À Á  à þÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿfallacy" in which you also have determined to believe?

Your last point, you say, is not open to discussion or debate; it is simply the truth:

"Worship Hashem and Hashem alone......there is none beside Him......He alone is the 'Rock of my salvation' and in Him alone (Hashem) do I and my family trust......just as he commanded us to."

Truly there is no debate as I and my family concur..........only a question:

Who is the Messenger which the Torah prophesied to come in HaShem -- The Name (Shemoth 23:20,21) -- who, while He makes atonement (Tehillim 130:3), will not pardon defiant transgression (or sin without making teshuvah to the Torah, Nevi'im, and Kethuv'im which reveals who this Messenger is)?

SELAH --- Pause and consider the path which you are on.

His servant
MattithYah  Coover

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