1. We believe Rabbi Yeshua MiNatzeret (Jesus of Nazareth) is the Messiah, the Son of G-d (Yokhannan / John 20:31a, 1 Yokhannan 5:1)…
…anointed by G-d with His Spirit to rule the nations (Tehillim / Psalms 2, Yeshayahu / Isaiah 11:1-2, Mattityahu / Matthew 3:13-17, et al.)…
…and who ascended with the clouds of Heaven to the Ancient of Days in order to receive dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him (Daniyel / Daniel 7:13-14, Ma’asei / Acts 1:9).
We therefore confess that he is lord, to the glory of G-d, the Father (Romans 10:9, Philippians 2:9-11), and submit to his teaching, as transmitted by his first disciples and emissaries in their writings (Mattityahu 28:18-20, Yokhannan / John 17:18, 20:21-22, Ma’asei 2:42, 1 Yokhannan / John 4:6).
2. Accordingly, we believe all Scripture, including the entire Tanakh (a.k.a. the “Old Testament”), is breathed out by G-d and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of G-d may be complete, equipped for every good deed (2 Timotheos / Timothy 3:16-17).
As R’ Yeshua says, his purpose is not to dissolve the Torah and the Prophets, but to fill them to fullness (Mattityahu 5:17), and those who do and teach the commandments will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven (ibid. v.19b).
Furthermore, those who would enter into the Life of the World to Come must keep the commandments (Mattityahu 19:17b), since it is those who keep the Torah who will ultimately be declared righteous (Romans 2:13), and that by the grace of G-d (Ephesians 2:8-10).
All of the Torah and the Prophets depend on loving G-d and neighbour (Mattityahu 22:37-39). The love of G-d and neighbour is in keeping the commandments of G-d, which are not burdensome (1 Yokhannan 5:2-3).
3. Foremost and greatest among the commandments according to R’ Yeshua is the Shema: ‘HaShem is our G-d, HaShem is one; and you will love HaShem your G-d…’ (Mark 12:29-30, Mattityahu 22:36-38).
As Shaul a.k.a. Paulos (Paul) says, for us, there is one G-d, the Father (1 Corinthians 8:6), Whom R’ Yeshua loves (Yokhannan 14:31); his Father and our Father, his G-d and our G-d (Yokhannan 20:17), the only true G-d (Yokhannan 17:3).
‘Blessed be the G-d and Father of our lord Yeshua the Messiah’ (1 Kefa / Peter 1:3, Ephesians 1:3, Colossians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:3).
As the Torah says, HaShem is the Most High G-d / the Highest Power (Bereishit / Genesis 14:22), the G-d of gods / powers (Devarim / Deuteronomy 10:17), whereas R’ Yeshua has a G-d (Mattityahu 27:46, Hitgallut 1:1, 1:5, 3:12, et al.), being the beginning of G-d’s creation (Hitgallut / Revelation 3:14), the Firstborn Son of G-d (Yokhannan 3:16, Colossians 1:15, Tehillim 89:26-27).
We therefore renounce the senseless idolatry foisted on the nations by Rome in the form of the trinity, which twists the title ‘Son of G-d’ into ‘G-d the Son’—which never once appears in the writings of R’ Yeshua’s first disciples and emissaries—and mindlessly says the Spirit of Truth, who does not speak on his own authority (Yokhannan 16:13) is also the Most High G-d, HaShem.
As Shaul says, HaShem ‘who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.’…
…’Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal G-d into a likeness of an image of mortal man…’ (Romans 1:22-23a).
No man of the dust has ever seen nor can see the face of G-d (Shemot 33:18-23, Yokhannan 1:18, 1 Timotheos 6:16).
4. As established in the Torah, Yisrael (Israel) is HaShem’s Firstborn and therefore pre-eminent Son among the nations by adoption (Shemot / Exodus 4:22b, Romans 9:4), an irrevocable calling of G-d (Romans 11:29).
HaShem is with Yisrael, being synonymous with the Yehudim (Jewish people; Yokhannan 3:1,9-10, Ma’asei 22:3, Romans 11:1, Philippians 3:5), of which He actively attests by returning the Jewish exiles to the Promised Land (Zekharyah 8:1-8,23, Bereishit 48:21).
And it will no longer be said, ‘As HaShem lives, Who brought up the Children of Yisrael out of the land of Mitzrayim’, but ‘As HaShem lives, Who brought up the Children of Yisrael out of the north country, and out of all the countries where He had driven them.’
For He is bringing them back to their own land, which He gave to their fathers (Yirmeyahu / Jeremiah 16:14b-15).
As at first, it is not through the righteousness and uprightness of heart of the Children of Yisrael that HaShem puts them in possession of the Promised Land, but for the sake of His Name, in establishing the word that He swore to Avraham, to Yitzkhak, and to Ya’akov (Devarim 9:5, Yekhezkel 36:22-27).
For HaShem will inherit Yehudah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Yerushalayim, where He has put His Name even to the World to Come, and where His eyes and His heart are all the days (Deuteronomy 12:5, 2 Melakhim / Kings 21:7, 2 Divrei HaYammim 7:11-12,16, Zekharyah 2:16).
5. Firstborn implies other Sons among the nations yet to be adopted, of which Creation is eagerly awaiting (Romans 8:19b),…
…not through conversion to Judaism (1 Corinthians 7:17-20, Galatians 5:11), but being blessed in the seed of Avraham (Bereishit 22:18, Galatians 3:8,16), becoming the Commonwealth of Yisrael among the nations,…
…who were once distant but are brought near and reconciled to G-d through the blood of the Messiah (Ephesians 2:11-22, Colossians 1:20).
It being understood that the First Temple was destroyed because of idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed (Yoma 9b),…
…those among the nations who by the grace of G-d through Yeshua turn from idolatry, immorality, bloodshed, and also eating blood, in accordance with the initial instructions transmitted by the first elders of the assembly of R’ Yeshua in Yerushalayim to the nations (Jerusalem; Ma’asei 15:20),… …
are being made a habitation for G-d in spirit (Ephesians 2:22).
For HaShem will be King over all the Earth; in that day, HaShem will be one and His Name one (Zekharyah 14:9).
6. Nevertheless, HaShem will rebuild Booth of David that has fallen, that the remnant of mankind may seek HaShem there, and all the nations who are called by His Name (Ma’asei 15:16-17).
The Branch, who branches out from below him, will rebuild the Temple of HaShem with those who were distant (Zekharyah / Zechariah 6:12,15).
For those who are one with R’ Yeshua are zealous for HaShem’s House in Yerushalayim (Lukas / Luke 6:40, Yokhannan 2:17), which will be a house of prayer for all nations (Yekhezkel 37:26-28, Yeshayahu / Isaiah 56:7, Mark 11:17).
The mountain of the House of HaShem will be confirmed as the highest of the mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills.
And all the nations will flow to it, and many peoples will come, and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of HaShem, to the House of the G-d of Ya’akov, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For Torah will proceed from Tziyon, and the Word of HaShem from Yerushalayim.
He will judge between the nations, and will decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and will not learn war anymore (Yeshayahu 2:2-4).
7. The House of Yehudah is leader in Yisrael and HaShem’s lawgiver through its judges, the members of the Great Sandhedrin, being the high court of Yisrael (Bereishit 49:10, 1 Divrei HaYammim / Chronicles 28:4, Tehillim / Psalms 60:7, 108:8).
This court most recently included the scribes and the Perushim (Pharisees) who sat down on the judgement seat of Mosheh (Moses), whom Yeshua instructs his servants to obey, whether native born or grafted into Commonwealth of Yisrael among the nations (Shemot 18:13-26, Mattityahu 23:1-3, 28:18-20).
Today, until the Great Sandhedrin is reconstituted by the Messiah, this applies specifically to the rulings of the Great Sanhedrin recorded and transmitted by the Jewish people in the Mishnah.
These rulings should be understood in light of the discussions in the Gemara in general, and the disciple-servants of R’ Yeshua will ultimately hold to his teachings, being the the Son of David (Mattityahu 1:1, 21:9, Luke 18:38-39, Romans 1:3), who is head of the House of Yehudah and king over all Yisrael (1 Divrei HaYammim / Chronicles 28:4).
Beyond these, the nations are not obligated to live according to Jewish customs (Galatians 2:14), while Jews are not instructed to forsake them (Ma’asei 6:13-14, 21:21).
The above Faith Statement was provided by and reprinted with permission courtesy of Kingdom of Heaven Embassies, one of our faith partners in Jerusalem, Israel. Please visit their homepage by clicking here: http://malkhut.com/