If your life is
not in jeopardy for what you believe, you’re probably on the wrong side!
If you don’t believe Genesis 1:1-11:32, how can you
possibly believe John 3:16?
“Indeed, all who want to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted.” (2Tim 3:12)
It is what you actually believe that determines how you walk out your faith,
“but avoid stupid controversies, genealogies,
quarrels and fights about the Torah; because they are worthless and
futile.” (Titus 3:9)
Please Note: Absolutely nothing on this website should be taken as anti-Church or anti-Rabbinic. I am not anti-anything or anyone. I am only pro-Torah and pro-Truth (see “Philosophy”), but sometimes the Truth upsets our long-held beliefs. I know it certainly upset mine! For example, see “Why Isn’t My Theology Consistent Throughout the Website?”
What I Believe
The Basics
This list does not begin to scratch the surface of what I believe, but only covers the very basic tenets of faith. These beliefs are greatly expanded and explored in great detail in the Theology section, and in the other 2,500 or so pages of this website. A more detailed discussion of my beliefs may be found in my Doctrinal Position Paper (pdf).
Bible
I believe that that the Bible, consisting of the Tenakh (the Hebrew Bible containing Torah [Divine Instruction], Nevi’im [Prophets], and Ketuvim [Writings]) and the later writings commonly known as the Ketuvei HaShalichim (Apostolic Writings, B’rit Hadasha, Newer Testament), is the only infallible and authoritative word of God. I recognize its divine inspiration, and accept its teachings as the final authority in all matters of faith and practice (Deut. 6:4-9; Prov. 3:1-6; Ps. 119:89,105; Isa. 48:12-16; Rom. 8:14-17; 2Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17). I believe that there are two pages in most English translations of the Bible that are absolutely not inspired: one says “Old Testament” and the other says “New Testament.” I believe that the Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim, and Ketuvei HaShalichim should be understood as one continuous, cohesive continuum of God’s revelation of Himself to His creation.
God
There is one, and only one, true and living God as declared in the Sh’ma (Deut. 6:4), Who is Echad (one, a compound unity), an indivisible, infinite, and intelligent Spirit Who is the source of all being and meaning, and Who eternally, simultaneously, and distinctly exists as God the Father (HaAv or Abba), God the Son (HaBen Yeshua), and God the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh), one in essence and attributes, yet three in distinct “Person,” work, and purpose; each of Whom possess all the attributes of absolute Deity and is indivisible, infinite, eternal, unchangeable, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, personal, and perfect in wisdom, power, holiness, righteousness, justice, goodness, truth, mercy, and love (Isa. 43:10-11; Isa. 48:16-17, Gen. 1:1-2, Exod. 3:6, Prov. 30:4, Eph. 4:4-6).
He is the Creator of heaven and earth, of all living beings, and of everything both visible and invisible (Gen. 1:1-31, Col. 1:15-17). He exists outside of the physical universe that He created and is thus not bound by any of the physical laws of time and space that He created; thus there is nothing within His creation to which He may be accurately compared. His true nature is thus far beyond the ability of the mind of man to adequately or accurately comprehend. Although He is limitless in power, authority, time, matter, and space, He has chosen, in His infinite wisdom, to reveal His nature to humanity in perceivable and comprehensible manners.
Although there are numerous examples of HaShem revealing Himself to humanity in various ways and forms, of all those many ways and forms, He has chosen to refer to Himself in the following primary contexts: as the Father (HaAv), as the Son (HaBen) Yeshua, and as Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit/Breath). What makes these primary contexts important is not only the fact that HaShem used these forms to reveal Himself to humanity, but in doing so, He refers to Himself in these primary contexts as the one and only true and living God.
I therefore believe and teach that Abba is all the fullness of HaShem invisible (John 1:18); that HaBen is all the fullness of HaShem manifested (John 1:14-18)[1]; and that Ruach HaKodesh is all the fullness of HaShem acting immediately upon the creature (Gen. 1:2, 1 Cor. 2:9-10).[2]
That HaShem refers to Himself in these three primary contexts can in no way can be said to imply that there are three separate
God the Father (Abba)
Just as I would never dream of addressing my earthly father by his given name, so much more I would neither address nor speak of my heavenly Father by His revealed name except on the rarest of occassion and for the most compelling of reasons. God first revealed His covenant name to Moshe (Moses) as “I AM” or “I AM Who I AM,” represented by four Hebrew letters, hwhy (yod-heh-vav-heh, YHVH). In deference to the absolute holiness of that Name, we (that is, most Jewish people and non-Jewish Messianic Believers) use a number of circumloqutions, the most common of which are HaShem (the Name) and ADONAI (or LORD). See John 6:27b; 1Cor. 1:3; Gal. 1:1; Rev. 3:5,21; Jer. 3:4, 19; 31:9; Mal. 1:6; Matt. 6:9, 32; Luke 10:21-22; John 1:14; 4:23; 5:17-26; 6:28-46; Rom. 8:14-15.
God the Son (HaBen)
God does have a Son [Ps. 2; Prov. 30:4-6 (cf. Heb. 1); Luke 12:35-37; John 1:29-34, 49; 3:14-18].
The Son, named Yeshua (Jesus), meaning salvation, came to this world born of a virgin [Isa. 7:14 (cf. Luke 1:30-35)].
The Son is God (Deity), one (echad) with the Father and the Spirit, and worshipped as God, having existed eternally [Ps. 110:1 (cf. Heb. 1:13); Isa. 9:6-7; Matt. 28:18-20; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-19; Rev. 3:21; Heb. 1 (worshiped by angels); Rev. 4:8, 5:5-14].
He is the promised Mashiach (Messiah) and soon returning King of Israel [Is. 9:6-7; 11:1; Dan. 9 (esp. verses 20-26); Isa. 53; John 1:17,40-41,45,49; Mark 8:29].
He is the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star (Num. 24:17; Rev. 22:16).
He is our Passover, the Lamb of God (1Cor. 5:7; Rev. 5; John 1:29).
In His humanity He was a Jewish Rabbi who He lived a perfect and sinless life, never violating the smallest provision of Torah which applied to Him. He did not start a new religion, but rather instructed his talmidim (students, disciples) how they could best prepare themselves and others for the coming Kingdom of God on earth. He was executed on Passover, resurrected on First Fruits, ascended bodily into the Third Heaven (the throne room of God), and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He was born, lived His entire human life, and died as a fully Torah-observant Jew, and when He returns He will rule and reign as a Jewish King over a united earth, with Israel as its seat of government, Jerusalem as its capital city, and Torah as the Constitution of His kingdom.
God the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh)
Introduced in Gen. 1:2b, He is Deity, one (echad) with the Father and the Son. He not “an invisible force” [a la “Star Wars”]; He is a “Person” having the essential elements of personhood: mind (intellect), will (volition), and emotion.
In the Tenakh, the Spirit of God came upon individuals during the times of our forefathers, like Moses, David (see 2Sam. 23:1-3), and the Prophets, for the performance of specific purposes on HaShem’s behalf.
In the Ketuvei HaShalichim, or Apostolic Writings [the so-called “New Testament”], Messiah Yeshua promised His disciples that “the Comforter” would come to them after He was gone, described as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17,26), who was with them and would be in them. Yeshua further declared that the Spirit of Truth, would guide us into all truth and would glorify Him – the Messiah – not Himself (John 16:13-15). He empowers us (Acts 1:8). He seals us (Eph. 1:13; 4:30). If we do not have the Spirit, we are not His (Rom. 8:9). He leads us and teaches us (Rom. 8:14-17). His indwelling enables us to live a godly life. Acts 2:38 says, “Repent … be immersed … and receive the … Holy Spirit.”
Man
Created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), but:
Through disobedience, man fell from his first state and became separated from God (Gen. 2:17; 3:22-24). Therefore, according to the Scriptures, all men are born with a sinful nature (Ps. 14:1-3; 49:7; Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:9-12,23; 5:12).
Man’s only hope for redemption (salvation) is through the atonement made by the Messiah (Lev. 17:11; Isa. 53; Dan. 9:24-26; 1Cor. 15:22; Heb. 9:11-14,28; John 1:12, 3:36), resulting in regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5), which is the new birth (John 3:3-8). We are saved by grace through faith (trusting), and that faith itself is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9).
Resurrection and Judgment
I believe in the resurrection of both the redeemed and the lost: the former to everlasting life and the latter to eternal separation from God, a state of everlasting punishment (Job 14:14; 19:25-27; Dan. 12:2-3; John 3:36; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6,10-15; 21:7-8).
The Messiah – The Redeemer
The Scriptures promised two “comings” of the Messiah:
First Coming – Promised in Dan. 9:24-26. Its purpose was to make an atonement for sin (Dan. 9:24-26; Isa. 53; Rom. 3:21-31; Heb. 9-10; John 3:16-17).
Second Coming – Promised coming in the air to receive the believers to Himself (1Thess. 4:13-18; John 14:1-6; 1Cor. 15:51-57).
The Messiah’s return to the earth: The Redeemer shall come to Zion (Isa. 59:20-21; Zech. 14:4). Israel’s spiritual redemption [Zech. 12:8-13; Rom. 11:25-27; Heb. 9:28; Jer. 31:31-40 (the New Covenant)]. Israel’s national restoration is to recover the remnant of His people Israel from the four corners of the earth, and restore the Davidic Kingdom (Isa. 11 – to re-establish the throne and kingdom of David, which will last forever) [Isa. 9:6-7 (cf. Luke 1:30-33); Jer. 23:3-8].
Israel in Prophecy
I believe in God’s end-time plan for the nation of Israel and for the world. A central part of Messianic Judaism is the belief in the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel, as taught in the Scriptures. The greatest miracle of our day has been the re-establishment or rebirth of the State of Israel according to prophecy (Ezek. 34:11-31; Ezek. 36; Ezek. 39; Hos. 3; Amos 9:11-15; Zech. 12-14; Isa. 11; 43; 54; 60-62; 66; Rom. 11:1-34) (see also Scriptures under “The Messiah–The Redeemer” above). No other nation or ethnic group has recovered from a single dispersion, yet Israel has recovered from three: by the Asserians in 722 BCE, by the Babylonians in 608 BCE, and by the Romans in 70 CE. In 1948 Israel was restored as a nation (in fulfillment of Isaiah 66:8), and now dwells in the same land, with the same capital city, the same enthnicity, the same religion, and the same language as 3,000 years ago.
Messianic Judaism
I recognize that Jewish people (physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, whether through the mother’s or the father’s blood-line) who place their faith in Israel’s Messiah, Yeshua, continue to be Jewish according to the Scriptures (Rom. 2:28-29). Gentiles who place their faith in Yeshua, are “grafted into” the Jewish olive tree of faith (Rom. 11:17-25) becoming spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham (Gal. 3:28-29) and full citizens of the Commonwealth of Israel with all the rights and responsibilities of that citizenship, as defined in the Constitution of that Commonwealth, God’s Torah.
I observe and celebrate the Feasts of ADONAI according to Leviticus 23, given by God to Israel, with their fulfillment in and through the Messiah Yeshua. I believe that true “Biblical Judaism,” the faith of first century believers, which I seek to practice, acknowledges the continuity of faith in the one true God, revealed throughout the Scriptures, and ultimately manifested in God’s Son, Yeshua the Messiah. I believe that salvation has always been “by faith,” and that works of law, or righteous acts, have never saved anyone [Gen. 15:6 (cf. Rom. 4:3,20-22); Rom. 2-6; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 11:6,39].
I acknowledge that the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31, not to be confused with “New Testament”) body of believers is composed of both Jews and Gentiles who have received Yeshua the Messiah as the Promised Redeemer. The “middle wall of partition” has been broken down and now we worship the God of Israel together (1Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:13-14).
I stand by these basic Bible truths:
• I believe in only one true and living God as declared in the Sh’ma (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 6:4), Who is Echad (one, a compound but indivisible unity), and Who eternally and simultaneously and distinctly exists as God the Father (Abba), God the Son (HaBen Yeshua), and God the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) (Yesha`yahu [Isaiah] 48:16-17, B'resheet [Genesis] 1:1-2, Sh'mot [Exodus] 3:6, Mishle [Proverbs] 30:4, Ephesians 4:4-6).
• I believe in Messiah Yeshua’s eternal deity (Yesha`yahu [Isaiah] 9:6, Yochanan [John] 1:1-4,10-14), His virgin birth (Yesha`yahu [Isaiah] 7:14), His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), His atoning death (Yesha`yahu [Isaiah] 53, Tehillim [Psalms] 22), His bodily resurrection, His ascension, and His future return in power and glory to rule the world from the throne of his ancestor David.
• I believe that the whole Bible-- consisting of both the TaNaKh (the “Hebrew Scriptures”) and the Ketuvei HaShalichim (Apostolic Writings)-- is the one and only inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God (Tehillim [Psalms] 119:89, Mishle [Proverbs] 30:5-6, 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
• I believe
in
• I further believe that the Messianic Restoration Movement is the beginning of the fulfillment of the Biblical prophecies concerning the Restoration of Israel that will be completely fulfilled in the Messianic Age, when HaMelech Yeshua HaMashiach will reign physically on earth from His throne in Jerusalem, and that it is also the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecies in Zekharyah [Zechariah] chapters 6 and 9 concerning the Gentiles who will worship alongside the Jews in the Temple of HaShem (see especially 8:20-23), which will also be completely fulfilled in the Messianic Age.
1. That is, HaBen is HaShem made physically manifest in any form. Thus, any and all physical manifestations of HaShem are in the “Person” of HaBen, with the exceptions of the dove form in which Ruach HaKodesh was manifest at Yeshua’s immersion (Luke 3:22, et al) and the tongues of fire at Pentecost (Acts 2:3). [BACK]
2. Paraphrased from Boardman, cited in The Great Doctrines of the Bible, by William Evans. Chicago: Moody Press, 1912, 1949, p. 28. [BACK]
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