Why Christianity (though positive in itself) is forbidden to Jews (23 October, 2014, 29 Tishrei, 5775)
It is forbidden to preach Christianity to Jews. Missionizing to Jews puts the Preacher and the Jews spoken to in mortal danger!
This is a warning and an entreaty. Do not preach to Jews!
Duration 17.56 minutes. To Read Artilce Please Scroll Down!
Contents:
1. Introduction. We Should Not offend Christians.
2. The Jewish Aspect.
3. Why is Christianity Idolatry for Jews?
4. The Ten Tribes as Christians and as Non-Jews
5. Why is Christianity NOT Idolatry for Non-Jews?
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1. Introduction. We Should Not offend Christians.
We in Hebrew nations have the task of spreading the message that the Ten Tribes are now amongst Western Nations.
Most of these people are at least nominally Christians.
The more Christian they are, the more open we find them to receiving our message.
We consider Christianity to be a positive factor and to be playing a role (predicted by Prophecy) in the coming Redemption.
Most of our supporters are Christians.
We get by through selling books and from offerings.
Most of those who give us contributions are Christians.
Without this money we could not function.
For all these reasons and more, we have no reason to offend Christians. Nor should it be our task to do so.
The following article is our own perspective according to our understanding of the Bible in the light of Jewish sources.
Our wish is that:
A believing Christian will understand that according to the Bible a Jew SHOULD NOT BELIEVE IN CHRISTIANITY!
The Christian should understand that God may not want Jews to believe in it.
The Christian could conceivably hope that this will change in the End Times but for the Time being God has HIS own reasons for not wanting the Jews to believe differently than they do.
Not only that but the Christian should realize that the warnings against idolatry may apply to himself if he tries to change the belief of the Jew. They would not necessarily apply regarding his convincing non-Jews like himself.
Deuteronomy 18:
20 But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak, that prophet shall die. 21You may say to yourself, 'How can we recognize a word that the LORD has not spoken?' 22 If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.
Deuteronomy 17:
2 If there is found among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, and transgresses his covenant 3 by going to serve other gods and worshipping them, whether the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, 4 and if it is reported to you or you hear of it, and you make a thorough inquiry, and the charge is proved true that such an abhorrent thing has occurred in Israel ... 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first raised against the person to execute the death penalty, and afterwards the hands of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Deuteronomy 13:
6 If anyone secretly entices you, even if it is your brother, your father's son or your mother's son, or your own son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your most intimate friend, saying, 'Let us go and worship other gods, whom neither you nor your ancestors have known... 8 you must not yield to or heed any such persons. Show them no pity or compassion and do not shield them. 9 But you shall surely kill them... 10 Stone them to death for trying to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 11 Then all Israel shall hear and be afraid, and never again do any such wickedness.
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2. The Jewish Aspect.
Brit-Am/Hebrew Nations also has Religious Jewish supporters and sympathizers. Yair Davidiy who heads Hebrew Nations is an Observant Jew. Brit-Am/Hebrew Nations is consistent with the Jewish Religion. We use Jewish Sources in our researches and believe in them. Part of our goal is to spread the message concerning Israelite ancestry of western peoples to the Jewish nation.
According to the Jewish Religion Christianity is idolatry for Jews but not for non-Jews.
With avid Christian followers who occasionally feel an inner compulsion or doctrinal obligation to spread their faith it is obvious that seeds of a potential conflict of interest exist here.
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3. Why is Christianity Idolatry for Jews?
All Christian groups seem to believe that Jesus was God Incarnate, or part of God. Usually this belief takes the form of a trinity in which is depicted God the father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Ghost. Variations may exist.
Amongst the rank and file one may find those who consider Jesus to have been no more than a kind of Prophet or otherwise inspired religious reformer. Some (usually non-religious) Jewish thinkers have also expressed a similar opinion. There are Christian leaders who do not object to this deviation in doctrine at the practical level, as long as it is not official. They consider believing in Jesus a desirability regardless of the details.
In our opinion it should be (and probably is) forbidden for a Jew to accept Christianity in any form.
We received a letter from John Thornton. It began:
# >>> 4. Christianity for Jews is idolatry. Why Risk Condemnation? <<<
http://hebrewnations.com/features/now8/2347.html
# Interesting question. I can understand better the question in relation to Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, paganism or even secular atheism, but I think I can see where you are coming from. #
In other words John is saying that "Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, paganism or even secular atheism" may all be classified as idolatry but Christianity should not.
There may well be adherents of "Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, paganism or even secular atheism" who say the same thing about their own belief as John does about his.
Nevertheless, according to the simple literal meaning of the Bible there is only ONE God and HE has no internal divisions.
Deuteronomy 6:
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD is ONE
or as otherwise translated;.
Deuteronomy 6:
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.Exodus 20:
1 Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
3 you shall have no other gods before me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,
6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:
6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
Now some Christians will try to say that the words do not really mean what they say or that the God of Israel was Jesus himself or all kinds of other things. These other explanations go against the simple meaning of the text and how the text was understood since time immemorial.
The simple message is that the Israelites were commanded to believe in God and obey Him and Him Alone.
This does not leave room for any person or thing to share in HIS Divinity.
Sources.
For an explanation in Hebrew of the view that Christianity is idolatry see:
http://www.yeshiva.org.il/wiki/index.php?title=%D7%A0%D7%A6%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA
Maimonides, Forbidden Foods 11;7.
For the officially accepted view that Christianity is NOT idolatry for non-Jews see:
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, Rama 151;5 Mishna Brurah
ShaC (Siftei Cohen) 151;7
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4. The Ten Tribes as Christians and as Non-Jews
The Ten Tribes are amongst western Nations.
They follow the Christian religion.
See:
Christianity as an Identifying Sign. The Ten Tribes were to Become Notsrim meaning Christians
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/biblical-proof/attributes/rolenotsrim.html
The Ten Tribes at the present time have the religious status of non-Jews.
They were exiled because of their sins (Jeremiah 3:6-7 cf. 2-Kings chapters 17 and 18).
The exiled tribes had been divorced by God (Jeremiah 3:8). Legislatively, their membership in Israel as a collectively obliged body was suspended.
Temporarily they are no longer legally obligated by the Mosaic Code (cf. Hosea 1:9, Yebamot 17). This will change in the future.
See:
Separate from Judah
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/biblical-proof/attributes/roleseparate.html
Unknown to Judah.
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/biblical-proof/attributes/roleunknown.html
The Identity of the Ten Tribes was to Remain Unknown to Themselves and Judah Until the End Times
This means that they are not obligated by all the technical requirements of the Law though in the future they may be.
As descendants of Israel who were exiled for a reason and had a task of their own to fulfill they have rights and national duties beyond those applying to ordinary Gentiles.
That however is another matter and the subject of a separate study.
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5. Why is Christianity NOT Idolatry for Non-Jews?
There are forces in the world through which the Almighty governs the Universe.
Deuteronomy 4:
19 And when you look up to the heavens and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, do not be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven. 20 But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron-smelter, out of Egypt, to become a people of his very own possession, as you are now.
It says above that the forces in question have been "allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven". BUT the Israelites are different.
So too, all the nations have angels of their own.
See Daniel 10:13 where the Prince of Persia refers to an angelic being opposed to Daniel.
Israel also had its angel:
In Exodus 32:34, God says to Moses: "my angel shall go before thee."
cf. Psalm 91:11: "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" (Cf. Psalm 33:8 and 34:5).
Both Israel and the Gentiles have angels BUT again Israel is chosen and differentiated.
Moses asks God to go with Israel and that Israel should receive different treatment.
Exodus 33:
15 And he said to him, 'If your Presence will not go [with us], do not carry us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.'
This is what Israel is.
Israel has received a MORE DIRECT connection to God than other peoples.
This also incurs obligations and may become a liability, cf.
Amos 3:
2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.3 Do two walk together unless they have made an appointment?....
7 Surely the LORD God does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.
Since the Lost Ten Tribes are in the religious sense not obligated by the Law for the time being in many ways they are not expected to be any different from the Gentiles.
Since God is less close to the Gentiles than HE is to the Jews then less is expected of them.
God allows them to worship HIM through intermediaries since in many cases their cultural development does not allow them more than that.
It is a known phenomenon in Anthropological studies that the rank and file of primitive religions believe in multiple deities. The holy men amongst them however in many cases may have developed a degree of Monotheism finding the presence of ONE God behind all the other forces they recognize.
In common language the idea of One God may be too heavy for Ephraimites at the present time. They need some type of intermediary. The Christian Messiah serves this purpose and through this they may draw closer to the truth. At the least they will already be familiar with the concept of the God of Israel when they be summoned to acknowledge HIM.
They may therefore be excused for serving at a lower level at present BUT not for trying to impose this lesser level on those who are commanded to serve at a higher one. I understand that some of you may be offended by what I have written but it probably needed to be wrote. Our supporters in general are tough, selfless, and generous. They can swallow a few blows to their pride the same as we sometimes have to. We have a common cause that is good and compatible with Scripture. May the God of Israel bless all of us.
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