The Hebrew Movement, Part 2  10.2007

Part 2

"I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and make you like a warrior's sword. Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south." (Zech 9:13-14)

In Part 1 of this series we mentioned that the ultimate spiritual battle will be the battle for the Bride to recover her true identity in order to be united with the Messiah to rein and rule for ever with him. This battle is described in Zechariah as the battle between the sons of Zion and the sons of Greece. There must be a shift from the Greek based thinking that was introduced by the church fathers, back to the first century Hebrew mindset of the apostles found in the Scriptures.

We must bear in mind that the assembly, the kahal [Gr. ekklesia], is built upon the foundation of the apostles (NT) and prophets (OT), all of which were Jews. The true assembly is not built on the foundation of the church fathers. Please note that the word church is not a biblical word. Unfortunately King James forced that word into the Bible wherever the Greek word ekklesia occurred. Ecclesia comes from the Hebrew word kahal and means assembly. The assembly of the Lord existed long before the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, even though it had not appeared in fullness before. (See for instance Acts 7:38 and Heb 11:39-40.) The kahal is not just a phenomenon in the so-called NT.

Many of you are familiar with the pointed outline of the past two thousand years of "Church History," "The assembly began as a movement in Jerusalem, became a philosophy in Greece, an institution in Rome, a culture in Europe and a business in America." It is the Greek influence which lies at the foundation of the deviance from our Hebrew roots.

The Hebrew movement will restore us back to where it all began. Our fountains are not in Athens, but in Zion. Ps 87:3-7 says, "Glorious things are said of you, O city of God: Selah 'I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me —  Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush — and will say, 'This one was born in Zion .' ' Indeed, of Zion it will be said, 'This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.' The LORD will write in the register of the peoples:
'This one was born in Zion.' ' Selah As they make music they will sing, 'All my fountains are in you [Zion].'"

We are living in a season when the Bride is getting herself ready for the wedding of the Lamb. This week we will begin to outline some of the changes that the Hebrew movement will bring about in the Bride of Messiah.

The Greek Thinking

After Jerusalem was destroyed, the "headquarters" of the original assembly was gone. The Jewish people began to be severely persecuted within the Roman Empire and Greek culture and thinking quickly began to take over within the more and more Gentile dominated assembly.

Bear in mind that the Scriptures describe the sharp contrast between Greek and Hebrew thinking as a spiritual battle between the sons of Zion and the sons of Greece. The changes that began to take place during the second century were deep and fundamental. Let's try to outline some of them.

First of all, the Greek influence meant a shift from an emphasis on righteous actions in obedience to God's commands, to an emphasis on the mind and correct thinking. Right doctrines became more important than how you live your life. Whereas the Jewish people can accept many different viewpoints on the Scriptures, as long as you obey what it clearly commands, the Greeks seek wisdom and insist on the correct reasoning and explanation of everything.

According to the Greek mindset, it is more important to keep to the right set of doctrines in your mind, than living according to the right set of commandments. Brotherhood is based on doctrines rather than regeneration by the Spirit into the family of God. When Paul writes about sound doctrine in his letters, it always has to do with godly conduct and relationships, espceially within the family. It is never about what you believe in your mind.

"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Tim 5:8) According to the Bible you have denied the faith if you do not take care of your family. Paul wrote from a purely Hebrew mindset, far from the Greek mindset of the church fathers. Here is an example from the Epistle to Titus of Paul's view of "sound dcotrine." Notice the emphasis on how you live, not what you think in your mind.

"You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." (Tit 2:1-5)

Secondly, the Greek influence meant a sharp break with the biblical, Hebrew worldview concerning God's creation. Greek thinking is dualistic, which means that there is an opposition between the spiritual and material. In Greek thinking the spiritual world is holy and pure. The material world is basically meaningless and evil. Living an ascetic lifestyle soon became a spiritual ideal.

Paul taught from a completely different Hebrew perspective where the material world is not viewed as something evil. "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving." (1 Tim 4:4) "For the Scripture says, 'Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages.'" (1 Tim 5:18) "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Tim 6:17)

The influence from this Greek based dualistic thinking on Christian doctrine and practice has been with us for the past 1800 years. Classic Christianity is a Greek religion, far removed from the Biblical, Hebrew mindset of our Messiah and the apostles and the prophets. "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." (Eph 2:20-21)

The Roman Influence

When the Roman Emperor Constantine grabbed the reins over the church in the fourth century, it meant a further sharp deviation away from the original, Hebrew foundation of the faith. In the first Church Council, which Constantine called together, not one Jew was invited and he completely banned every connection between the church and the Jewish people, the very people who has given us the Scriptures, the Savior and the faith once for all entrusted to the saints.

From now on, the correct doctrines were enforced by the sword of the Roman Empire rather than the sword of the Spirit. The persecuted church became the persecuting church, eventually drunk with the blood of the saints, the Jewish people and true believers.

The Roman influence created an emphasis on institutionalism and a professional hierarchy instead of family, home and brotherhood. The ordinary believer became a passive spectator and receiver instead of an important participant. Official ceremonies replaced the pure worship of every believer in spirit and truth.

Modern Western church life is not only steeped in Greek thinking but also in Roman practices. The masses are kept under control by sophisticated, professional performance, programs and entertainment. All of its many denominations are more or less patterned after an imperialistic system dominating over the people. "Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" (Matt 20:25-28)

In the Hebrew culture every home is a sanctuary, every father is a priest. The dinner table is an altar and every meal an act of worship. The synagogue is not a place of entertainment but foremost a place of corporate prayer, reading of the Scriptures and study.

European Culture

The European Christian culture is founded on a mixture between the gospel and a Christianization of pagan customs. It is centered around Sunday worship and the Christian holidays rather than the Feasts and calendar of the Lord that our Messiah and his apostles followed.

Psalm 45:9-11 says, "…at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir. Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord." If we are to be married to the Messiah to sit by his side and rule and reign with him we must take on his identity and his ways.

When Yeshua reigns as King from Jerusalem in the kingdom of God the Torah will go out from Zion and rule all the nations. Sunday will not be the day of worship, but the Sabbath. "'As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,' declares the LORD, 'so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,' says the LORD." (Isa 66:22-23)

Today many Christians are beginning to discover again the original faith and the Biblical culture. It is a preparation for the great feast at the wedding supper of the Lamb.

American Business

Over the past century the USA has had the foremost influence over the Body of Messiah. Much of this has been a great blessing, but we must now get ready for the final move out to Zion, where the finale will take place.

"'The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,' declares the LORD. …'Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isa 59:20-60:3)

As the darkness increases over the nations of the world, we must begin to follow the light and the glory arising over Zion. In many ways the culmination of the past 1800 years of Christian culture and teaching is today finding its ultimate expression in America. This is both good and bad. In these times of change and restoration we must be aware of the dangers and the pitfalls, something which is not always so easy.

One thing is clear; we must never be motivated by money and demand instead of obedience to God's word and his commandments. Money can do a lot of good, but also has its dangers. Popularity is not the ultimate measuring rod of right and wrong. It is important that we ask for discernment.

Yeshua said that if we do not believe in what Moses wrote, we cannot believe in what he said, see Jn 5:47. The Hebrew movement will restore an emphasis on the Torah and the commandments of God, rather than on doctrines for the mind. It will replace institutionalism and power structures with an emphasis on the family and the home, brotherhood and community. Rather than continuing to hold on to all the Christianized pagan customs of the Church we will embrace the Biblical, Hebrew culture with the Sabbath and the Feasts of the Lord. The Bride of Messiah will be motivated by obedience and holiness instead of what is popular and in demand.

Read: "The Hebrew Movement, Part 3"

 

"Prepare the Way for the LORD"