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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Please note that due to the nature of this material many Christians, especially Catholics might be offended by the information contained within this essay. It is certainly not the intention of the author to offend or insult anyone or any organization. Nonetheless, the material itself might be considered rather volatile by some. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS IS AN ACADEMIC REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE AND SHOULD BE VIEWED AS SUCH. Any and all relationships to present day realities are conjecture and can be subject to change.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
After reading your essay, there is no doubt, Rabbi Bar Tzadok, that you have single-handedly proven the Bible right wherever it tells us that many "false prophets" would arise in the end times (see Jeremiah 7:4 and 27:9-10; and Matthew 7:15, 24:11 and 24:24, etc.). By suggesting that Yeshua Himself is the anti-Christ, you ARE offending every believer - not to mention GOD HIMSELF.....Furthermore, your "review" is anything BUT academic, in that you resort to quoting extra-Biblical sources - MANMADE thoughts and ideas.
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Roman culture grew and became oppressively anti-Semitic. Relations between Jews and other citizens of the Roman Empire only grew progressively worse with the spread of Christianity, which of course blamed the Jews for the death of what the Christians considered "G-d incarnate."
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Agreed. God's Chosen People have been hated everywhere they've ever gone. Why? Simply because they are God's Chosen. There was a reason that God scattered the Jews, though, and it was to allow knowledge of Hashem to be spread around the world. If the Jews had remained in tiny Israel, YHWH would have continued to be their well-kept secret - especially the fact that He was the Creator, and that He alone gave the ENTIRE world a Divine Redeemer; a final Sin Sacrifice through the One whose very Name means "Salvation": Yeshua HaMashiach.
The "Christians" were wrong in blaming the Jews for the death of "God Incarnate" because it was the world's sin that caused His death. We are ALL to blame! However, this was all part of God's grand plan for, in the end, Yeshua was to be the final Sin Sacrifice who would return to redeem His people (anyone who believes on His shed blood) who will get to live in Heaven with YHWH. Yeshua has fulfilled nearly all the Tanach prophecies, with just a few more to go.
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Pagan Europe, both past and present, have never been able to grasp the sheer nonsense of their belief that the Creator of the entire universe would possibly be born in the flesh as a mere mortal human. This concept, however, was of course, not new in Europe. Gods becoming incarnate as humans was well in line with Roman and previous Greek mythologies, which portrayed the likes of humanized gods such as Zeus, Apollo and the like.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Yeshua is NOT "sheer nonsense" and he is NOT some Greek myth! God promised us a New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:30-34, and He delivered! He gave us a DIVINE Sacrifice; not some "mere mortal". The reason traditional Jews don't "believe" in God's New Covenant via Yeshua is because He wasn't what Jewish tradition was looking for. God made good on His promise, and most are too blind to see it! Traditional Jews insist that believers are idol worshipers. Nothing could be further from the Truth!
A pagan god-man certainly is a pagan idea. However, there is NEVER any suggestion in Christianity that any deity had sex with Mary ... only, that God intervened and brought a child into the world without a physical father. Yeshua is not God's physical son; he is God's son in the same way that a natural son may resemble his father, or bear his image. (Did Yeshua weep? Then we know that God also weeps. Did Yeshua care about the individual? Then we know that God also cares about the individual. "He who has seen me has seen the father".)
Christians also believe that Yeshua has always existed (as he is supposed to have - see Micah 5:2, for example), not that his life began only in Bethlehem. Just as God's Spirit was hovering over the formless void of the earth, imbuing it with life during the Creation, so, too, was Miryam told that "the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35), in the same way.
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Nonetheless the concept of a Supreme G-d incarnate in human flesh, for the Jewish people was totally incomprehensible. After all, G-d in the Ten Commandments first and foremost forbade such graven images, meaning to portray the Creator within the image of any of His creations. Jews have never created an image of the G-d of Israel, Creator of the Universe. Such an application was just too grandiose an absurdity for the Biblical Jewish mind.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
No, they never made an image of the God of Israel, but they apparently thought nothing about making a golden calf to worship at the foot of Mt. Sinai while Moshe was in the process of receiving the Ten Commandments! This was AFTER they had witnessed God putting ten separate plagues on Egypt. AFTER they had witnessed Him parting the Red Sea for them while at the same time drowning their Eygptian pursuers....
We find it amazing that traditional Jews are willing to believe that God has revealed Himself through a burning bush and pillars of cloud and fire, and that He sent a major flood to the earth in order to destroy the decadent, that He destroyed Sodom and Gemorrah, turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt, or parted the Red Sea and supernaturally fed millions for forty years – yet they find it impossible to acknowledge that YHWH has the power to present Himself in human form (so we could better identify with Him!) in order to teach us about Himself and how to live with each other – and then to offer Himself as a Divine Sin Sacrifice!
Why is it somehow easier to believe that "the soul of Machiach has attached itself to a mere man in Israel" as is the latest idea among some Orthodox in Israel? Why was it easier to believe that Bar Kochba or Schneerson could be Mashiach? Did they fulfill the qualifications of Messiah? Did they fulfill over three hundred Tanach prophecies, as did Yeshua? HOW could they POSSIBLY fulfill them when some of the prophecies HAD to be fulfilled as much as two thousand years ago?
The following are but a few examples of the Tanach prophecies Yeshua HaMashiach fullfilled.
- Isaiah 7:14 speaks of an extraordinary birth for the Messiah that will be a sign to the people.
- Daniel 9:24-25 indicates the Messiah will be killed before the destruction of the Second Temple and Jerusalem in 70 CE.
- Isaiah 49:6 declares that the Messiah will come for both Jews and non-Jews.
- Isaiah 9:6 states that the Messiah will be called Mighty God.
- Jeremiah 23:5-6 indicates the Messiah will be called Lord.
- Zechariah 12:10-11 indicates the Messiah will be God within a man.
Traditional Jews will believe ANYTHING before they will believe that the same God who created the entire universe and everything in it, would be capable of sending an aspect of Himself to earth to teach man PERSONALLY the things of God and how they should treat each other, and then to die on our behalf in order to do away with animal sacrifices once and for all!
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Roman Catholicism has stood at the pinnacle of world-wide Christianity for nearly two thousand years. In spite of it not being the only Church, it is nevertheless the greatest, wealthiest and most powerful Church. As such it has carried out the mission of its Edomite ancestor Esau and has mercilessly persecuted Jacob (the Jewish people) in the most cruel and unyielding of ways. While some wish to embrace the opinion that since World War Two the anti-Semitism of the Catholic Church has waned and that today Jews and Catholics enjoy unprecedented good relations, others however, are most weary of this.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Roman Catholicism was NOT what Yeshua had in mind while He was teaching on earth as a Torah-observant Jew. MAN twisted His words and turned from Torah. This is strictly due to man's sin nature. While traditional Jews don't believe in "original sin", the fact remains that sin has abounded on the earth since Adam and Eve: Adam and Eve disobeyed God, ate from the forbidden fruit and so have instilled Sin in all of humanity. Because Sin and God's holiness cannot dwell together, God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. Before they emerged into the world subjected to death, God taught His creatures to offer sacrifices in order to atone for their sins and so keep the holy relationship with Him (Genesis 4:4).
There was no need for animal sacrifices to atone for sin UNTIL Adam and Eve "ate of the forbidden fruit". Since those days God has given us various covenants and at one time destroyed most of mankind through flooding - and because we've become more decadent than ever, He's about to do it again (please read the Book of Revelation)! He gave us a "new covenant" through Yeshua (which abolished the need for animal blood!), and most of the world - especially the Jews - choose to ignore this fact. It's somehow easier to believe that "the soul of mashiach has attached itself" to some guy in Israel..... (If anything has attached itself to someone in Israel, it is a demon that has come to deceive the Jews who are willing to believe anything except what God has shown us in the Bible!)
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
What makes the Christian term "anti-Christ" so ironic is that the Armilus "anti-Christ" is to be the one who is to confront G-d's true Mashiah. The Christians who believe their Christ is messiah are destined to be led and ruled over by one who heads the Church as their Christ, but who in reality will be their own anti-Christ. During his political reign none of this is to be apparent, at least until the true Mashiah of Israel comes and destroys both Church and Christ (who is the Armilus, anti-Christ). How ironic that the one whom the Christians believe will lead them to world dominance will be none other than the archetype antagonist of both G-d and Israel. To say it bluntly, the coming Christ will be the anti-Christ. How ironic and unfortunate this will be for sincere, moral and otherwise good Christians around the world.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
If he was the Anti-Christ why are we still in this period of time and not in the Millennium - and exactly WHEN did he fulfill the prophecies of the Anti-Christ?
Yeshua, who has fulfilled over 300 Messianic prophecies from the Tanach, is NOT the "anti-christ" - and to even suggest such blasphemy is an outrage for which you need to repent immediately! Tell us, Rabbi, HOW will a mere mortal "mashiach" for whom YOU are waiting, take on YHWH's admitted adversary, Satan (the same, distinct adversary personality spoken of in Zechariah 3:1 and Job 1:6-8, to mention just a couple)? Since when have mere mortals been able to conquer anything in the spiritual realm? If we mere mortals can accomplish anything and everything, then why is the world in the shape it's in? Why are there wars, rapes, murders?....
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
The identity of Armilus, anti-Christ, with Christ himself must be explained. For the Christians are waiting for what they believe will be a second coming of Christ and indeed they will have this. Christ will come again. Yeshu will indeed return, and he will continue his mission as before. Yet, now that I have introduced this concept, let us review the matter of Yeshu, who he really was and is, and how it is that he is to return to lead his Church in the final and ultimate battle against his brothers, the Jews.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Let's get one thing straight: God Incarnate on this earth named Himself "Yeshua", not Yeshu (which means "may his name be blotted out"). Could you please provide Chapter and Verse from the BIBLE where Yeshua's name is supposedly "Yeshu"?
Isaiah 9:6 states that His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There is nothing about "Yeshu"....
Isaiah 7:14 says "The Virgin will be with child and will call him Immanuel." Immanuel means "God With Us".
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
In Kabbalistic literature, it is explained that the soul of Yeshu, whom the Christians embrace as their messiah had a number of previous incarnations prior to his famous life in Second Temple times. Yeshu is revealed to be the reincarnations of both Esau, Jacob's brother as well as Kayin, Abel's brother.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Yes - let's discuss Kabbalistic literature, which is a man-made concept: It's no secret that Kabbalistic mysticism contains magic - and what does the Bible tell us about magic, astrology, and the occult? If you adhere to Kabbalah, then you are guilty of divination and the use of demonic forces! Throughout the Bible God calls the "opinions and traditions of men" vain, and by their working they make void the word of God (Micah 6:16, etc.).
- Isaiah 47:13-14: All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by.
- Deuteronomy 4: 19 "Be careful that you don't worship the sun, moon, and stars."
- Deuteronomy 17:2-5 in the Old Testament says that those who worshipped the sun, moon, or stars were to be stoned.
- Leviticus 20:6 says God will separate himself from those who go after mediums and familiar spirits.
- Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says that practicing witchcraft, sorcery, soothsaying, interpreting omens, making spells, and being a medium or spiritist, are all terrible sins to God.
- Daniel 2:27-28 talks of how God kept King Nebuchadnezzar's dream and its interpretation secret from the astrologers, magicians or dream interpreters, and soothsayers. However, he revealed it to his prophet Daniel.
- Deuteronomy 18:9-11 "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft..."
- 2 Chronicles 33:5-7 "He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
- Revelation 3:15-17 "So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
- Matthew 7:22-24 "Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Be sure and read that last one very carefully, as it pertains to you!
Talmud is completely man-made, as are the things it espouses. The Bible tells us Moshe wrote down ALL the words of ADONAI (Exodus 24:3-7), so please explain how that left room for an "Oral Torah"!
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Both Esau and Kayin were men of violence, and indeed so was Yeshu. Yeshu's violent nature comes through loud and clear in the Christian Bible and is openly acknowledged by many honest Christian scholars. Yet regardless of what is clear truth average layman Christians with the Catholic Church at their head consistently reinterpret Yeshu's violent acts and speech, and "white-wash" them to appear most benign and non-violent. Indeed, the Church has always portrayed Christ has being the ultimate pacifist who "turns the other check." This fantastical reinvention of Yeshu is so very far from the historical truth.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
YHWH's "violent nature" is evident throughout the Tanach, too! How often did He send men to destroy entire towns and villages, to kill all the men and forcefully take the women into captivity? He killed Aaron's sons for offering "strange fire". How many people did Yeshua kill?
Is there a reason you didn't provide chapter and verse about Yeshua's "violent" nature? Yeshua taught NON-violence, as evidenced throughout the B'rit Chadasha. The only time Yeshua ever displayed any violent behavior at all was when He threw the "money-changers" out of the Temple on a Sabbath.
So much for your supposed "historical truth"....
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
The Christian Bible documents how one of Yeshu's closest students, Simon the Zealot (one of the twelve disciples) was a member of a political party which in those days were known as terrorists.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Again - CHAPTER AND VERSE would be helpful!
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Indeed, Yeshu's right hand man Simon Iscariot was a member of a group of assassins/murderers.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
We are guessing that you are referring to JUDAS Iscariot, son of Simon? Which Scripture tells us that he was "Yeshu's right hand man"? Is that something from the Talmud? God used the antics of Judas in order to make His ultimate plan happen - which was that Yeshua HAD to die in order to offer Himself up as the final SIN Sacrifice.
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Yeshu himself said (Matt. 10:34; Luke 12:51) that he came not to bring peace, but a sword and no apologetic attempts can honestly counter the violent intent in this clear message. Yeshu actually ordered all his disciples to purchase and carry swords (Luke 22:36). Indeed, Yeshu's disciples were quick and expert in using their swords as the story of Peter in Gethsemane proves.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Isaiah 34:2-6 For the L-rd is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their hordes; he has doomed them, and has given them over for slaughter. Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise; the mountains shall flow with their blood...The L-rd has a sword; it is sated with blood, it is gorged with fat....
Has it ever occurred to you that the disciples carried swords for self-defense?
When Yeshua HaMashiach was in the garden praying before His crucifixion, Judas Iscariot came with all the priests and soldiers to arrest the Messiah. When Peter tries to defend Him physically with a sword and misses Malchus' head, cutting off his ear instead, Yeshua says to Peter: "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" (John 18:11). The point here is that Peter's use of violence was to prevent soldiers from taking the Messiah, who is the Truth, Light and the Way (John. 14:6). The Messiah told Peter that He could protect Himself by calling a legion of angels, but that would prevent the Scriptures from being fulfilled (Matt. 26:53).
By spreading Yeshua's message, the Apostles were taking their lives into their own hands. As a matter of fact, of all of the apostles, only John died a natural death! And what about the Messiah who Himself suffered a violent death in the hands of the religious leaders of Israel? The weapons were not the cause for the violence. We must remember, it was the Messiah's violent death that brought an end to the the Law of Moses (Rom. 10:1-4: Heb. 10th chp.; Col. 2:14-21).
Let's examine Matthew 10 in context: 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
Those with the Holy Spirit residing in their hearts can understand these verses with no problem. What Yeshua is trying to tell His disciples is that, once we accept Him into our hearts, we can prepare for and accept hostility from family and friends. He is not literally talking about purposely causing problems; He is saying that once someone accepts Him, there WILL be strife.
In passages such as Luke 22:36 Yeshua is comparing the instructions he gave to his talmidim when he was with them to those he is giving to them now that he will no longer be with them.
"When I sent you (i.e., previously, when they had gone throughout the country preaching, and he had instructed them to take nothing with them) without purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?" 'Nothing,' they answered. "He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.'"
These aren't preparations for a battle - they're instructions for a road trip.
There are some scholars who want to remake the Yeshua of the Gospels into the concept of a more traditionally "politically-correct" Jewish warrior-messiah, and they hunt for evidence of this. But the evidence of the Gospels is that Yeshua did NOT intend to establish his kingdom by force. ("My kingdom is not of this world.")
"For all who draw the sword will perish by the sword. Do you not think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how, then, would the Scripture be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
Doesn't sound like Yeshua has given up; rather, he understands what is happening. (And, in fact, this is what he has been predicting and announcing will happen for some time.) He expects it, because he believes that the Scriptures which speak of a suffering messiah must be fulfilled. Modern Judaism may not believe in the suffering of the messiah, but this does not mean that Yeshua did not.
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
It is documented clearly in Torah literature that the reason why our holy Rabbis rejected Yeshu so completely was not because of any religious perversions he taught or any messianic illusions of grandeur that he held, rather he was rejected so out rightly because he was a man of incredible violence, anger and hatred.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
The Refiner's Fire challenges you to present Chapter and Verse! Since traditional Jews insist that Yeshua was not foreshadowed or in any way mentioned in the Torah, how can Torah literature "clearly" state the reason for His rejection? Was this from your MAN-MADE thoughts in the Talmud?
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Yeshu exemplified the worst of what a human being was supposed to be. Our holy Rabbis witnessing this in Yeshu's personality and behavior clearly saw within him the incarnate soul of the ancient enemy Kayin/Esau. For no Jew could or would ever act with such violence and enmity as did Yeshu.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Your "holy rabbis" were mere mortal men who, like the rest of us, have limited, human mindsets. Your "holy rabbis" rejected Him because He spoke Truth directly from God! He came to show them how their "rabbinical" mindsets have completely screwed up the Word of God and had even made the Sabbath a burden.
No Jew could ever act with such violence? Please re-read your Tanach! It is FULL of Jewish violence and forcing people into slavery, including women and children. Even the act of animal sacrifice is violent! If no Jew could ever act with such violence, then how come Jews are capable of killing the "Palestinians" today? No, Rabbi Tzadok - we are ALL capable of violence! It's part of our sin nature....
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
So regardless of his blood-line (which was not of Davidic descent, but apparently Jewish from his mother), Yeshu's soul and behavior revealed him to be Edom.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Actually, He WAS of Davidic descent! The very first verse of the New Covenant reads: The book of the genealogy of Messiah Yeshua ("Jesus Christ"), the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1). Who were Abraham and David?
Abraham was the first Hebrew. God changed his name from Abram (Gen. 17:5). In Gen. 14:13 he is called Abram the Hebrew. So we can see that Yeshua is descended from "Abram the Hebrew." Even to this day, Jews are also called "Hebrews", and the language of the Jews is "Hebrew."
Abraham and his descendants were given the unconditional covenant of the Promised Land (Gen. 17:8) and the covenant of circumcision (Gen. 17:10). Abraham is the father of the Jews (Acts 3:12-25). Isaac was his son and Jacob was his grandson (Matt. 1:2). Thus, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are known as the Patriarchs, the fathers of the Jews.
Jacob's name was changed by God to "Israel" (Gen. 35:10-12) and he had twelve sons (Gen. 35:23-26) from whom come the Twelve Tribes of Israel. All of their descendants are known collectively throughout the Bible as the Children of Israel (Ex. 1:6-7).
One of those twelve sons was Judah (Gen. 35:23, Matt. 1:2) and it is from his name that we get the word 'Jew'. Although Yehudah (Judah) was only one of the twelve, by 700 BCE, because of the course of Israel's history, the word Yehudee (Jew) came to mean any person descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Jer. 34:9). So, for instance, Saul haShaliach (the Apostle Paul) was of the tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1) yet he self-identified as a Jew (Acts 22:3).
Nevertheless, according to the Bible, the Messiah must be descended from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10) as King David was (1Sam. 17:12, 1Ch. 28:4) and descended from King David himself (2Sam. 7:12-13, Isa. 9:6-7, Jer. 23:5-6). That is why the Messiah is called Son of David (Matt. 21:9).
Yeshua is from the Tribe of Judah (Heb. 7:14). His earthly father was descended from David (Matt. 1:6-16) and His mother was as well (Luke 1:27, 32-34, 3:23-31).
In addition, Yeshua was born King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2). The King of the Jews must Himself be Jewish (Deut. 17:15). His aunt Elizabeth was Jewish (a descendant of Aaron, Moses' brother) and His uncle Zacharia was a Jewish priest (Luke 1:5, 36). Yeshua was circumcised according to Jewish law (Luke 2:21, Lev. 12:2-3), and redeemed according to Jewish law (Luke 2:22-23, Num. 18:15). His mother atoned according to Jewish law (Luke 2:24, Lev. 12:6-8). He is called The Consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25) and The Glory of Thy People Israel (Luke 2:32). Yeshua was born a Jew.
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Yeshu's followers continued in their violent path ultimately provoking the Roman Civil War and leading to the destruction of Jerusalem and the death of over one million Jews. These facts are not very well known by most Rabbis.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Could this be because they are lies? Again, could you please provide CHAPTER AND VERSE from the BIBLE???? Where does GOD verify your outrageous allegations?
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
According to ancient Midrashic sources, there is said to be a secret meeting place under the city of Rome. In this place is said to be a life size statue of a beautiful young woman. It is said that "priests" come and spill their seed into this statue. The statue is said to become impregnated with this seed and to bring forth a child. This child is Armilus.....Now, whether this story is metaphor or if there really is such a statue or such a ritual spilling of seed is irrelevant. We must understand this story of the birth of Armilus within the context of what it is trying to teach us.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
In other words, you are willing to use HERESAY in order to prove your point....
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
The city of the statue is obviously Rome; the association of a statue of a woman to this place is a not-to-subtle reference to the Madonna, the so-called virgin Mother Mary. The child who comes forth from the statue sired by the priests, who in this case would be interpreted as Catholic, would be none other than Yeshu himself. What the ancient prophecy is apparently telling us is the true secret identity of Armilus. Armilus is none other than Yeshu himself reincarnated.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
The Tanach foreshadowed Yeshua; the B'rit Chadasha tells us about His miraculous birth, His death and His resurrection; He fulfilled over 300 Tanach prophecies; He died in exchange for our sins - and yet you wish to deceive the world into believing our Savior was "sired by priests" who had sex with a statue? You're willing to believe that hogwash, but yet have a problem believing that Yeshua was the Messiah?
Please read and educate yourself with the following articles: Yeshua was a Jew, Yeshua is God Incarnate, and Old Testament God.
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
Judging from this Midrash, the Christians will have their long awaited second coming, only their Christ and anti-Christ will actually be one and the same person. Now here is the greatest stroke of historical irony, Yeshu the Christian messiah will reincarnate to lead a modern day religious/secular new European empire under the banner of what will become a re-organized Church. Yeshu / Esau will sit upon his throne and as in the past lust to usurp the position of his brother Jacob....Thus, Armilus will attack Israel and Jerusalem. The Mashiah of Israel (Ben Yosef) will rise up to face him. A great battle (Gog & Magog / Armageddon, Part 1) will occur. Ben Yosef is destined to fall and Armilus is destined to wreck havoc on all those Jews who did not accept him as their messiah. Much is to happen during this period of great travail. Yet, in the end, Armilus will meet his fate at the hands of the true Mashiah HaShem? (Ben David).
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
You make many unfounded allegations, NONE of which you can actually prove!
Instead of making ludicrous allegations ripped from something that sounds as if it were taken from some sci-fi magazine, perhaps you should open your eyes to today's news headlines: Has it ever occurred to you that ISLAM - not Christianity - is our greatest enemy? Revelation 20:4 shows that, in the end times many will be beheaded (not shot, knifed, or choked, but BEHEADED!) for their belief in Christ. Who are the ONLY people in the world who still behead? It's the Muslims - and they have already started beheading the "infidels" of the world....Islam is slowly taking over, and most people (including you) aren't even aware of it!
From the ever-increasing Muslim terrorist attacks throughout the world and the fact that they are the ONLY people in the world who still behead it would seem that God is using the Spirit of Islam to usher in His end-time scenario. Islam seems to be slowly taking over the world. Lately, there have been all kinds of articles showing how the Bank of Islam (which recently changed its name to the more "Western" sounding Arcapita) is taking over several U.S. companies/corporations, - one at a time - including Church's Chicken, Loehmann's Department Store, and the Caribou Coffee chain. The Bank of Islam (Arcapita) has made it clear that they will NOT be doing business with people who refuse to adhere to Sha'ria Law/the Koran - That could be where the "no one will be able to buy or sell" (Rev 13:17) comes in. If Islam owns all or most of the businesses and we can't be hired because we refuse to bow down to Allah, they can make it VERY rough on those who refuse to "take the mark".
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Excerpt from "The Legend of Armilus":
It is my purpose and hope that by bringing to the public this material; it might become a point of warning and realization that we do not have to choose the old paths of violence.
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Messianic Judaism's Response:
Previously you insisted that Jews weren't violent.....
Rabbi, here is a question for you since you keep suggesting people read and adhere to man-made thoughts/literature: Judaism believes we should follow the rulings of the sages! But which sages? And on which issues? The sages often disagreed with one another. And they missed the boat once when they looked for a messiah and proclaimed the wrong one (Bar Kochba). This led to immense loss of life and destruction, and the practical end of hope for an independent Jewish state for 1,800 years. If a sage of the rank of Akiva could make such a mistake, what can we say about the judgment of lesser scholars? Are we only to hope that they will be able to do better the next time? Consider the following:
A Jew, sincerely believing that Bar Kochba is messiah, is killed by the Romans.
A Jew, sincerely believing that Yeshua is the messiah, is killed by the Romans.
What is the fate of each of these two men, according to Judaism? Does ONE get to enter Gan Eden, while the other is considered an apostate?
And who decides? The sages?
Speaking of the "sages", let's see what they have to say about a resurrected Messiah:
The rabbis said, "If he (messiah) is among those who are living now, then he is like our holy master (Yehuda the Prince); and if he is among those who have died, then he is like Daniel the well-loved. (San. 98b)
The rabbis said, "King Messiah, if he is among the living, David is his name; and if he is among those who have died, David is his name...." (Ber. 5a, Yerushalmi)
"Why will permission be given to Armilus (i.e., the devil) to kill Messiah ben Yusef? So that those of Israel who have no faith may have their hearts broken, and so that they will say, 'This is the man for whom we were hoping; now he has come and been killed, and there is no redemption left for us....'"
"When Messiah ben Yusef is killed, for forty days his corpse will be left (in the streets), but nothing unclean will touch him, until Messiah ben David will come and restore him to life, as the L-rd commands." (Responsum of the Hai Gaon)
In Zechariah 12:10 the people look on one whom they have pierced, and mourn for him. Evidently they must have seen him before, in order for them to recognize him.
Thus the idea that a messiah may be resurrected from the dead is not excluded in Judaism.
In Psalm 16:10-11, the Bible talks of God's refusal to let His "Holy One" remain in a grave after death. This Psalm is believed to have been written about 1000 years before Jesus was born. New Testament writers believed that this Psalm foreshadowed the death and resurrection of Jesus. Resurrection means "brought back to life." There are several reports in the New Testament that say that Jesus was killed and placed in a tomb, but that God brought Jesus back to life a few days later. (See Matthew 28:5-8, Mark 16:5-6, Luke 24:1-7, or John 20:1-18)
Psalm 16:10-11: because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Rabbi Tzakok - please open your eyes and repent of the fact that you are being used as an end-time "false prophet" to lead your brethren away from Messiah. The Bible tells you all you need to know. Why believe man-made literature? And why take the chance of eternal damnation for spreading false rumors about YHWH's Son?
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