In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Here’s what jumps out at me from this text:
- To Yeshua belongs everything. Echoes the gospels when Yeshua says, “All power in heaven & earth have been given unto me.”
- The universe was made through Yeshua.
- Yeshua is the exact representation of God.
- Yeshua was not a created being, but has always existed.
- Yeshua is God’s glory.
- Yeshua sustains all. I take this to mean life, seasons, humanity, even natural laws.
- Yeshua provides purification for sins.
- Yeshua is at the right hand of God.
- Yeshua exists in the heavenlies.
- Yeshua is divine.
- Yeshua is God’s own son.
Judah:
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out the implications of these verses in this and in Part 1. Many people who are uncomfortable with talk of Yeshua's deity: (a) conveniently omit the import of these scriptures and (b) misunderstand Nicaea and traditional Christian doctrine. Nicaea is not saying Jesus is the Father, but that he is the Son who radiates from the Father (distinct but having the same nature). The simplest objection is "the same being cannot have more than one person." Cannot is not a good word for God, though, and we should follow the evidence even if it leads to places that contradict our reason and experience.
Derek Leman
Hi Judah,
ReplyDeleteIn case you never caught it, the Greek word polumerōs which is translated in your verse as "many times" has as its primary meaning "in many portions".
So the verse could read: In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets in many portions and in various ways.
The writer to the Hebrews is stating that God has been revealing himself to us in the Torah since the beginning of time.
Lemme throw this shpiel out there.
ReplyDeleteThe Jesus Christ figure is an idol. A forbidden image and idol of wood. He is an idol set up as the Creator of the universe.
His persona is just as bad, and is a creation made by Christian doctrine, it is hideous and detestable altogether, and he is an abomination. People who worship him fall into idolatry, which is not only forbidden to all Israel, but to all nations as well by the Noahide Laws.
Let's make sure he is not in any way associated with the actual (and divine, but not HaShem) Rabi Yehoshua` ben Yosef.
Here's a simple proof:
HaShem is the One and only God (if you say, 'no, there's two' or 'no, there's a trinity', you are denying the Torah, the statement of the Shema` which is simple and straightforward--and therefore you do not believe the Torah/truth), He is the Creator of the whole universe and no one else. The Tanakh tells us in many instances that by His wisdom and by His word the universe was created. "He spoke and it was, he commanded and it stood", as the Psalm says. His word is not Him, yet His word is responsible for creation, because of He who spoke it. If I say something, I am not my word.
Barukh she-amar wehaya ha`olam, Barukh Hu. (Blessed is He who spoke and the universe existed, Blessed is He.)
The sun, which has the power to bring day to earth, warm the earth, which sustains all life--without it creation could not live, and therefore [the sun] is responsible for the sustenance of all life, is not the be worshiped, it is only a tool in the hand of HaShem. Why praise the Word of HaShem as HaShem Himself? A Torah scroll is sacred, to be kissed, read from, learned from, and followed completely--yet no one praises it as HaShem.
Aaron,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of Derek's statement above:
Nicaea is not saying Jesus is the Father, but that he is the Son who radiates from the Father
Its all in Kabbalah, the mystical aspects of Torah. That statement makes sense based on a Kabbalistic perspective. But even so, in actuality, everyone is a part of HaShem since our souls are His breath. In fact, our souls will ultimately return to their Source, whether directly or after purification in Gei Hinom.
ReplyDeletePlease see http://www.petahtikvah.com/Articles/metatron.htm
In fact, in terms of "emanations" of God--that's exactly the preferred translation of the Hebrew term "Sefiroth" used in Kabbalah, which are used for the 7 lower and 3 upper "Emanations"/"Spirits" of HaShem listed in the Tanakh.
ReplyDeleteTake note, these emanations are not separate entities in themselves from HaShem.
Now combine this with what the Zohar, the central book of Torah-spirituality which contains teachings much older from the time of Bar Yohhai when it was written.. like the Talmud, it is only a written down version of a long-time collection of orally-transmitted Torah teachings which were never to be separated from the written Torah.
So, I mentioned what the Zohar says. So what does it say?
Out of the 10 Emanations arranged in 3 pillars (or 3 side branches and the middle branch, in terms of the Menora), the "middle pillar" is called the Son of Yah, since Y is the right pillar which is masculine, and H is the left pillar which is feminine (the "Mother and Father", so-to-speak. The combination of the two produces the "Son" which is W (or "V"). "Let Us make adam/mankind in Our own image", that was Y and H conversing (figuratively speaking), their union brought W which is said to be "Adham Qadhmon" (the Original Adam), the prototype for the creation of the actual first man, Adam. This is why Rabi Yehoshua` was called "the Son of Man", since "ben Adam"/"son of Adam/man" means 'human being' in Hebrew, it was obvious Rabi Yehoshua` was a human being. They were saying "THE human being" (THE "ben Adam/son of man") which is a term meaning Adham Qadhmon, the original prototype of mankind.
So the Zohar says the "middle pillar" is the "Son of Yah". It says more. It says that the chief Malakh called Metatron is the the middle pillar, the "Son of Yah". There are tons of details about the spiritual being called Metatron. Basically, the Zohar describes him as being the Kohen HaGadhol in the Heavens, or in the spiritual realm, as well as being the head and keeper of all creation (since he is the Word of HaShem by which all creation came into being).
In fact, after Rabi `Aqiva realized Bar Kokhba was not Mashiahh, he ascended into Heaven with two other Rabim. As they beheld the revelation of Metatron (AKA Rabi Yehoshua`), one went insane, the other became a heretic saying there is more than One Creator in Heaven, and Rabi `Aqiva beheld the immense glory of Metatron but knew that he was not HaShem and did not worship him as HaShem.
Thus, Rabi `Aqiva beheld the real Mashiahh after he erred in naming Bar Kokhba as it.
There is much more to be explained about all of this, but I'll leave it at that. I'm just asking people don't reject that in ignorance or just because they have some faulty misconception in their head about Jewish/Torah-mysticism, or a bias and dislike of observant Jews and Judaism. I think if Messianics really didn't want to create their own religion in righteous rebellion to one religion (Christianity) but yet unrighteous rebellion to the faith of Rabi Yehoshua`, Judaism, then they would embrace the fact that Rabi Yehoshua` is known full well and taught in Torath HaSod/Kabbalah, and that HaShem has kept the Jewish people as the sole light of Torah in the world (mimicking and following suit after Rabi Yehoshua`).
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ReplyDeleteThat begs the question: is Judaism perfect? No, but its much more perfect than any other religion, because no other religion holds the beliefs (and therefore action, based) in the complete Torah of HaShem.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest thing now threatening the "sheep" among the Messianic movements is Protestant and Karaite errors (which are much alike). Sola Scriptura is great, but only when you actually do it. Sorry to say, every Messianic under the influence of such false doctrines and who doesn't follow the rulings of the authoritative Sanhedrins that used to exist (their rulings are recorded in, but definitely not the entirety of the Talmud and other early Rabbinic sources) is in error. You can't just make up your own way to keep written Torah without the guidance, explanation, and truth of the Oral Torah.
The other thing is Messianic organizations who make MJism seem like conservative Judaism. Very institutionalized, very dry. Most MJs from a Christian or similar background think these certain MJs are all big Rabbinic legalists, which is funny because usually they're not anywhere near an actual completely observant lifestyle (which I hope they're aiming for, at least).
I've heard people find fault with members of the FFOZ congregation that Daniel Lancaster runs, because they won't go to certain peoples' houses to eat, nor eat from what they bring, because they don't have a kosher kitchen. I found it ridiculous that such ignorant people accusing these really-trying-to-be-observant people of being stuck up, haughty, or giving a cold shoulder. Hogwash, its a fact: if you're gonna be involved with a Messianic organization, you probably can't keep complete Torah entirely, or even close. If you do, you're persecuted. How dare someone call themselves a follower of Rabi Yehoshua` and find fault with people keeping Torah in an Orthodox/observant Jewish way. That's ignorance and is compeltely ridiculous; not to mention goes against what Rabi Yehoshua` did and taught.
So some people who realize some of this, they feel, are left with no option but to go solo. Most of these kinds of people end up doing nothing different than the Karaites and Protestants who they most closely mimic, and that is splitting into various and assorted groups and having no union whatsoever, which leads to self-righteousness. Sectarianism. Its ugly.
Still yet people think that's necessary, "we can't settle for this, we can't call ourselves this, we have no choice but to be our own thing in our own way". Sorry, but Rabi Yehoshua` were extremely closely associated and active within two major groups of Judaism in that day, the two groups who believed in the Written Torah with the Oral Torah. Sorry, but the Karaites and Protestants and all sola scriptura people are wrong. So are the pseudo-Conservative-Jewish Messianic organizations.
It was really simple what a follower of Rabi Yehoshua` would be, back then, but now people have extremely overcomplicated it, and its almost like people like it and are addicted to it, or something.
And the reason people like it? It gives them the power to create their own personalized religion. The association and influence of Protestant Christianity allows for people to say its fine to rebel against everyone and everything. Its a mess, its an identity crisis, because people don't know if they're Christian or Jewish. So they make up terms like "Israelite" and the like, as if they consider Judaism null and void (haha!).
ReplyDeleteTrust me, everyone reading this, I made these mistakes myself, I can tell you exactly, I used to be a cookie-cutter Sacred Name, Two-House Messianic Israelite. Hated Talmud, hated Kabbalah, thought Jews/Pharisees are evil or corrupted severely. Like Karaite stuff, thought it was real and original.
What changed? After being broken I just called out to HaShem for the ultimate truth, and quit assuming I knew it all. That's simple hithbodeduth with humility that they'll teach you in Breslov Hhasiduth.
Its not actually that hard to get out of the confusion, it just takes realizing you're probably wrong about a lot (trust me, I'm sure I am--I'm not perfect!) and being in a constant search and drive for truth.
Enough with the novel. People should give what I just wrote here a read and at least consider. I can't say I'm 100% correct, or that I'm the most learned person--but I have been there and done that, and I am finally out from underneath all the confusion. I thank HaShem for that.