Often - VERY often - I come across people that wonder why I make such an issue out of the alleged deity of Yeshua (Jesus). Many are puzzled and feel I am "sowing discord" by attacking what I see as THE most profound error in all of Christianity. They seem to feel I am a modern "chicken little" going around screaming that the sky is falling when, to them, there is no danger. They fail to grasp the far-reaching effects of the deity doctrine and are unaware of the historic and continual spiritual warfare being waged in the heavens over this issue. This warfare, however, is covert in many respects; therefore, they are not aware of the losses that are being incurred in the battle. Such was not the case in the early centuries. In fact, the warfare was very OVERT and bloody at times as the church forced with lance, sword, laws, and torture its doctrines upon all. The "church" has been very successful in concealing this as an issue. Well, the time of concealment is fast approaching an end.
There is an unexplainable and widespread lack of knowledge regarding the immense implications of this doctrine. The casual, almost flippant response many seem to have regarding Messiah's alleged deity is astounding and betrays a gross lack of understanding about just how extremely important the issue actually is. I am perplexed at how the very definition of "God" seems to be nonchalantly considered a non-redemptive issue.
Additionally, there appears to be a clear strategy being widely adopted by counterfeit Messianic and Nazarene organizations to ignore this issue. Many Messianic sites are intentionally evading discussion of Messiah's alleged deity or even eliminating mention of it on their sites! Yes! Over the past months many Messianic sites have removed from their statements of faith any reference to the fact that they consider Messiah to be "God in the flesh." Others have rephrased their clear mystery Babylon opinion that Messiah is God in such a way as to make their stance on this issue unknowable.
THIS IS NO ACCIDENT! THEY ARE HIDING THEIR BELIEFS FOR FEAR THE LIGHT OF TRUTH WILL SHOW THEM TO CLEARLY BE EMBRACING THE GREAT HARLOT. They are clearly trying to distance themselves from the fact they are actually traditional Constantinian Christian organizations masquerading as "Judaic" or "Hebraic." My article discussing whether or not God has ever been literally seen presents a few examples of the typical deceptions most Messianic groups employ. The fact that many of them are simply Constantinian Christian wolves in Hebraic sheep's clothing is something they hope people will not discover. They are running for cover behind other issues and clearly show that they do not feel knowing the True God of Israel that was proclaimed by Moses is of any importance! In short, they are afraid of the restoration of Truth that is coming. Some are also sitting on the sidelines waiting to see which way the pendulum swings, after which they will then be able to once again clarify their statements of faith to suit what they see as being the most profitable position.
Obviously, since the majority of my web site is devoted to this issue, I feel some explanation is required as to why I see this as, perhaps, THE most crucial issue in all of religion. At the very least it is the most crucial in Christianity, and as you will see in my explanation, it is also crucial to Judaism - despite the fact many within Judaism do not see it as such. The countless false doctrines resulting from this single issue are incredible. In fact, I see it as the most crucial single issue in the world since it involves the God of all Creation and His chosen Messiah.
My approach will be to first list 5 reasons why I see this as an issue of unequalled importance. I will then elaborate somewhat on each item in the list. My discussion will be necessarily limited due to the shear volume of data that can actually be referenced. I will not involve myself in proofs or disproofs of the doctrine since I provide ample proof that Yeshua is NOT God elsewhere on this site. Instead, I will simply place before you clear reasons why you should seriously "study to show thyself approved" with regard to exactly who God is. My reasons are as follows:
First, I am FORCED to focus on this issue! Despite what most Christians believe, the vast majority of Christian and Messianic groups REQUIRES one to accept that Yeshua is God in order to be "saved;" therefore, according to the creeds and statements of faith of Christianity and its modern Messianic daughter you will be "damned to eternal death" if you do not accept Yeshua as "God in the flesh." Therefore, I am actually not alone in considering this issue so important. However, unlike traditional Christianity and Christianized Messianic Judaism, I bring to the surface an issue they hope remains quietly "accepted."
Secondly, Yeshua the Messiah himself declares this to be the "foremost" doctrine of Scripture.
The alleged deity of Yeshua Messiah is THE number one reason why Jews have historically rejected the "Christ" of Christianity. There are of course other issues; however, they all revolve around the "replacement Christ" (antichrist) doctrines on which traditional Christianity and counterfeit Messianic Judaism are based. The foundation of those antichrist doctrines is the Trinity or deity of Messiah.
This issue, perhaps more than any other, reveals a plague of gross Biblical ignorance among Christians. There is no single doctrine that so brightly illuminates the level of Biblical ignorance, blind acceptance of tradition, and demonic deception that infest the Christian world. It is depressing to see such blind-faith acceptance, since I fear it may result in an unpleasant surprise for most Christians when the Heavenly court is called into session to decide their eternal fate.
Finally, and most importantly, I MUST speak Truth or Risk Denying the TRUE God and TRUE Messiah.
One of the most well kept secrets of Christianity - a fact few Christians even realize - is that Traditional Christianity DEMANDS one accept that "Jesus" is God in order to be saved. The same demand is present in Christianity based Messianic Judaism. Some of you may wonder why I say this is a secret. You may already know that the belief Yeshua (Jesus) was "God in the flesh" is "required" for salvation. Well, you are not necessarily in the majority.
Many Christians and counterfeit Messianics believe that in order for Yeshua to be Messiah he must be "God in the flesh." Many actually feel that proof of Yeshua being Messiah, and a requirement for his being Messiah, is that he be "God in the flesh." This is a completely FALSE assumption and FALSE doctrine. There is ABSOLUTELY NO requirement for Messiah to be God. NONE! Those that teach otherwise are grossly in error and promoting a "replacement Christ" (antichrist). I am amazed at the level of ignorance present among the Christian laity regarding this doctrine. The reason for this chronic lack of information is twofold:
Evidence for the confusion over what "Messiah" actually means or what requirements "Messiah" must meet is illustrated by the fact some Christians and Messianics believe Messiah must be God in the flesh while, at the same time, not believing one must necessarily accept that Yeshua is God. This obvious contradiction is proof of the ignorance of "Messiah" that exist within Traditional Christianity. It is one of numerous clear contradictions within Traditional Christian doctrines that go unnoticed and ignored by the vast majority of Christians.
I grew up in the church of Christ and cannot remember a single sermon in which this was discussed. No doubt it was discussed, and I simply do not recall the sermons. However, the common response I get when I ask others from various denominations about the alleged deity of Messiah proves to me few have clear insight into its importance. In fact, many Christians openly state they never really thought much about it, and a significant percentage even admit to not believing Yeshua is God, despite the fact the organization they worship with very much REQUIRES they accept Yeshua's deity.
Despite the lack of knowledge regarding the requirement within Christianity and counterfeit Messianism that one accept Yeshua as God, the requirement IS nonetheless firmly entrenched. If you doubt this, I suggest you reference the many church creeds, which can be easily found on the internet, and take note of the many "anathemas" against all that deny the deity of "Jesus." Furthermore, I suggest you do a simple search for web sites that discuss "false" doctrines, cults, Christian essentials, etc. You will find that often organizations that do NOT accept Yeshua's deity are labeled "cults" due to this single issue. You will also discover, possibly to you surprise, that Christianity DOES require the acceptance that Yeshua is God.
So, consider my position. I am facing an entrenched doctrine that openly condemns those that believe as I to eternal death! I and others like me are "damned to hell" for our firm conviction that Yeshua is NOT God but IS Messiah, and that Yeshua worships the same God we should. So, since it is undeniably true that Traditional Christianity DOES make this a redemptive issue, I am FORCED to defend my beliefs and, in the process, present the actual truth. In fact, I would be denying truth - or more importantly - denying God and Messiah if I did not present opposition to the age-old lie of a false religion that seeks to "change times and laws" as well as deceive mankind into worshipping a "God" other than the true God of Scripture.
There are untold numbers of references in Hebraic literature which discuss the all-important doctrine of the UNITY (TRUE Unity vs. Triunity, duality, or Trinity) of God. The Shema (Deut. 6:4) represents THE foremost passage in ALL of Hebraic thought, and guess what? Yeshua the Messiah taught it to also be THE foremost (greatest) of all commandments (Mark 12:28-31 and Matthew 22:36-40)! The Soncino Press Torah Commentary The Pentateuch and Haftorahs by J. H. Hertz makes the following statement in a discussion starting on page 920 of that outstanding publication:
"'Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is One.' These words enshrine Judaism's greatest contribution to the religious thought of mankind. They constitute the primal confession of Faith in the religion of the Synagogue, declaring that the Holy God worshipped and proclaimed by Israel is One; and that He alone is God, Who was, is, and ever will be. That opening sentence of the Shema rightly occupies the central place in Jewish religious thought; for every other Jewish belief turns upon it : all goes back to it; all flows from it. ...."
For those Hebraic-hating Christians who may say, "So? I'm a Christian, not a Jew, and I don't care what is 'Judaism's greatest contribution to the religious thought of mankind ... '", I should remind you that MESSIAH (who happens to be a Jew) CLEARLY DECLARES THE SHEMA TO BE THE FOREMOST, GREATEST, MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL TEACHINGS OF GOD! Therefore, IF you really "follow Christ", then I suggest you begin to take note of this most important of all teachings.
Here is what most amazes me. Even though Yeshua the Messiah and Hebraic tradition unambiguously state that the doctrine of the unity of God (the Shema of Deut. 6:4) is THE foremost of all Scriptural teachings, most self-proclaimed Messianic Torah promoters ignore this issue! They do this either because they are grossly ignorant of its importance, are counterfeit Messianics and do not want too much attention focused on it, or because they fear the onslaught of condemnation that comes to those (like myself) who "take up the cross" to rebuke the pagan mystery Babylon man-God Messiah - the false Messiah of Constantinian Christianity and counterfeit Messianism that directly contradicts this foremost teaching. It is amazing how in-depth these Messianic Torah "scholars" will get on the minutiae of the "Oral Torah" or other manmade Rabbinic traditions and "advanced" subjects as they expound on the Divine Law (torah); yet, at the same time, spend virtually no time on this central, all-important, simple torah principle! Even those who agree with me usually refuse to recognize THE central importance of promoting the TRUE God. They are either ignorant of the importance or purposely ignore this issue, and I don't think they are ignorant.
It is time for the TRUE followers of the TRUE Messiah who worship the One and only TRUE YHVH Elohim (God) to prove their faith by their works - to prove that they stand with the anointed One (Messiah) of God in declaring the Shema to be THE central, foremost, greatest teaching of Scripture!
To the many that ask me why I choose to "stir up trouble" or "offend" by forcefully opposing the anti-Messiah of Constantinian Christianity and counterfeit Messianism, I simply respond that I am promoting what Messiah said I should promote. I am emphasizing what Messiah emphasized! If anyone has a problem with the effort I put forth on this issue, then their argument is with the Messiah (Christ) who promotd it as being THE most important of all issues!
I honestly know of few other Messianic web sites that focus upon this "Foremost" commandment more than this site, and that troubles me. I have searched and searched and found few Monotheistic Messianic (versus counterfeit Messianic) sites that seem interested in teaching what Hebraic truth and the Hebraic Messiah firmly state as being THE most important of all doctrines. It seems that the promotion of truth has become feared even by those that know it in these times of ear tickling!
One of the final COMMANDS Messiah gave to his original followers as he was about to depart from them was to go out and teach all that he had commanded them, making disciples (students) of others. Doesn't it seem a bit strange that the very teaching he states is THE FOREMOST of all is hardly ever discussed in Traditional Christian organizations? It certainly is strange to me and causes me to question the real desire of those claiming to follow Messiah to actually do as he commands if such teaching brings persecution, which it DOES bring from the historically brutal and intolerant "church."
In 1263 there was a "debate" between Nachmonides (Rabbi Moses ben Nachman - the Ramban), the greatest torah scholar of the 13th century, and church officials. Of course, as with most "debates" between the church and Rabbis during that time, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. If the Rabbi proved too powerful in Scripture and made the church leaders look like the fools they were, he and his associates were either killed, exiled, or in some other manner made to feel less than "appreciated." In that debate Nachmonides stated that the primary objection to "Jesus" concerned the deity issue. This exemplifies a common and tragic barrier that historically stands between the Jewish people and Yeshua, their Messiah.
If you study Judaic literature you will find the deity issue constantly surfaces as THE primary reason Jews - even to this day - cannot possibly take the "Christ" of Christianity seriously. It is also why many knowledgeable Jews today cannot take the false Messiah of counterfeit Messianic Judaism seriously. This is why counterfeit Messianic leaders must hit the "ejection button" of Kabbala mysticism to "prove" Yeshua's deity in their efforts to "convert" Jews to their false Messianic faith. They, like the church, know the Holy Scriptures do not provide adequate proof. In fact, the Scriptures provide no proof at all when read from the Hebraic perspective and without biased interpretation! This is why the "proof" offered by Christianity or counterfeit Messianic Judaism ALWAYS ends up based upon unsubstantiated "mystery" and "mysticism." "Mystery," not common sense Scriptural interpretation, is the foundation of the Trinity and other doctrines that promote the false concept of a "God in the flesh" Messiah.
I admit that another reason for Jewish rejection of Messiah is the false teaching of Christianity that promotes the idea "Jesus" did away with the need for God's Eternal teachings (torah). In this area I applaud even counterfeit Messianic Judaism, since it properly proves such is NOT the case. I will not delve into this issue except to say that I do realize the deity issue is not the ONLY reason for rejection of Yeshua by the Jews. However, I still find in my study that it is a PRIMARY reason. There are other peripheral issues; however, the false teachings surrounding "Jesus'" deity and approach to torah rank far and away as the major obstacles preventing Jewish acceptance of Yeshua. Frankly, I wholeheartedly support them in their rejection of the false "Christ" of Christianity and her "Messianic" offspring and am constantly trying to promote the TRUE Messiah. I am firmly convinced that once the TRUE Yeshua that actually meets Jewish expectations of the coming Messiah begins to be presented, many Jews will realize him to be their promised Messiah.
At the time of this writing (Feb. 2004) I have now had the Torah of Messiah web site active for about 3 years. Prior to that I would often discuss the deity issue with others. I have also sent out untold numbers of emails to Christian friends to solicit discussion. What I have discovered is shocking. With only a few notable exceptions that can be counted on one hand, all I get in the way of discussion is silence.
Within my own family the situation is typical. I have 3 sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, etc. I sent them numerous emails, articles, etc. wishing for them to discuss this. My nephew-in-law is a Baptist minister; however, not even he bothered to respond a single time! My family is composed of either Baptist or church of Christ members. With ONE exception - my younger sister - they did not respond AT ALL to any of the countless emails or pleas for them to study with me. My younger sister only responded a couple of times and in each case did not appear interested in studying. All she did was partially and briefly state her position.
As I said, my family is typical. I have had "friends" at work express interest in having me participate in Bible studies with them. BUT, that was before they saw my web site. Once I "warned" them of where I stand, which I felt obligated to do, their invitations to Bible study suddenly disappeared and I realized they shunned me at work. Hmmm? What does that suggest about how sincere they were in study? Were they truly wanting to study, or were they actually wanting to socialize and seek to confirm their bias? The answer is fairly obvious.
This has happened lots of times and represents a common reaction. I work with a minister of a local evangelical church, and he has also avoided the issue. In fact, he avoids me completely, will not even engage in polite conversation, and clearly considers me an enemy. Whenever I see him in the hall he either diverts his eyes from me or gives me a cold stare. The basic reaction of most traditional Christians is to shun those like me, and almost never do I see a desire to further investigate from Scripture. Of course, they also rarely seem interested in undertaking the task of "correcting" my "heretical" beliefs. In the rare cases where they may wish to discuss the deity issue, I always suggest that they first view my web site to understand my position before I will participate in discussion. I actually do this to benefit them because I don't want them to be unprepared for what I will bring up in their alleged "study" of Scripture. Apparently, when they do this, they realize I have already addressed and refuted most of their arguments. Realizing this, they almost always back-down and avoid the discussion they may have originally sought. Those like myself who possess an arsenal of Scriptures and common sense arguments to refute the mystery Babylon, pagan man-god teachings that Christians and counterfeit Messianics embrace are usually avoided like an anthrax package and judged as "eternally lost" without even being given the chance to provide evidence for our firmly held convictions.
Christians HATE to come across those like myself who actually DO "study to show thyself approved." The elitist "know it all" salvation attitude of many Christians makes them extremely uncomfortable around those who cause them to realize they are actually ignorant of Scripture and clinging to nonsensical beliefs. Instead of humbling themselves, acknowledging their ignorance, and seeking to acquire deeper knowledge, Christians all to often run from those who cause them to have to face their lack of Scriptural understanding. Instead of facing the problem, they avoid it. Christians and counterfeit Messianics are in a state of denial regarding the fact they generally are horribly ignorant of the bulk of Scriptural truth and enslaved to tradition.
What does this prove? There are ONLY three possible reasons why a supposedly sincere Christian or Messianic would avoid discussion of this topic.
They realize they cannot defend their beliefs adequately,
They do not see the issue as important enough to "waste time" with it, or
They do not care enough to "save" me from the eternal damnation they feel is promised to those that do not believe "Jesus" is "God in the flesh." So, in short, they have no love in their hearts for the "lost."
IF they felt they could defend their position from Scripture why don't they? Why, instead, do they intentionally distance themselves from those of us who CAN show Scriptural proof? Even those Messianic "rabbis" who claim to possess special knowledge of the Kabbalistic En Sof and the "mystic" nature of God's emanations refuse to provide SCRIPTURAL evidence to my Scriptural arguments! The simple fact is they CANNOT prove their beliefs from Scripture but are forced to delve into unsubstantiated mystic garbage. They particularly dislike how I expose the way they take "hints" and present them as "facts". They also wish to avoid how I point out their standard practice of ignoring what is NOT said as they jump to blasphemous assumptions using their "hints". I might reconsider my opinion of these "elite" leaders if they would ever respond with Scripture, but they are afraid of using only Scripture because they know I can show their distorted and biased interpretations to be false! It is for this reason they focus SO much of their efforts towards getting others to accept their completely unscriptural mystic theories. The bottom line is if Scripture proves their teachings they certainly do not know of the evidence, because if they did I would be presented with it. I have a particular revulsion towards those John describes in Revelations as "those that say they are Jews but are not" - leaders of counterfeit Messianic Judaism - because they seek to convince people of the grotesque lie that the Trinity is Hebraic. It is NOT Hebraic at all, but instead is an attempt by them to introduce other gods that the TRUE Hebraic faith has no evidence of!
I am not the only person who has experienced these typical reactions from Christians and Messianics or their leaders. ALL those I know who share my belief have had similar experiences. So, what is proven is that the majority of Christians - even Christian ministers - have no real Biblical basis for their belief in the Trinity. Their belief is usually ENTIRELY based upon church tradition and unexplainable "mystery" - a tradition founded upon their emotional attachment to the church instead of Scriptural evidence. Of course, they sometimes provide Scriptural "proofs"; however, in every single case, their "proofs" are actually "hints" or "clues" that have been grossly expanded upon, taken out of context (a favorite tactic they use), or are based on poor renderings from the original Hebrew or Greek texts. Eventually, they are forced to resort to the ejection button of "mystery" or "mysticism" to support their Trinity beliefs. Again, this proves they do NOT have adequate Scriptural support, or, at the very least, are grossly ignorant of the Scripture that they claim provides such support. It also shows that their arguments lack common sense.
By focusing on the issue I apply a good pressure. I apply pressure for those I come in contact with to learn Scripture. Even if we end up disagreeing, I feel I would have accomplished a good work if the communications heightened one's knowledge of God's Holy Word.
The final reason I feel driven to forcefully oppose the false Trinity and false religious teachings of Christianity and her modern counterfeit Messianic daughter is that to do less would be to surrender to Satan. Furthermore, I would be openly discarding God's and His personal emissary's ,Yeshua, direct commandments if I kept my belief to myself. In short, I would be denying the TRUE God and TRUE Messiah if I did not promote truth in the face of serious traditional, widespread deceptions.
I ask, what is more important than God? What doctrine, of all doctrines, can possibly be considered of more crucial importance than knowing who God is and who He is not? How can anyone with any sense of Scriptural knowledge possibly argue that it doesn't matter what a person believes regarding knowing the TRUE God? Why is it deemed irrelevant to many people for God to be grossly misrepresented? Why, also, is it deemed irrelevant for Messiah to be misrepresented by those preaching a replacement Messiah (the antichrist)?
I will NOT rest until the Truth flourishes or I die. I'll be satisfied with either situation since I know upon my death I will die promoting the TRUE God and fighting the soldiers of the Beast. Having done so I feel assured of receiving a reward for my struggles.
I hope you now see why the debate over the deity of Messiah IS an issue of enormous, possibly unparalleled importance. I could have listed other reasons why this is so; however, I do not feel it should be necessary. If the reasons shown above are not enough to convince you of the need to TRULY study this issue; then, I feel nothing will convince you.
My hope is you are convinced, and whether you agree with me or not, that you will at least decide to start sincerely pouring through a lifelong study of YHVH's (God's) eternal teachings. If I can contribute to your doing that, I will have accomplished the primary objective of my personal ministry.