Monday, November 29, 2021

Christmas. Jewish-Hebraic concerns about this holiday

 

Christmas also has pagan roots, just like Easter does. It was a Winter Solstice holiday. During this season, the pagans celebrated Saturnalia and Sol Invictus. Aspects of these two festivals were merged and cleaned up somewhat by Christianity. You can read about these festivals on the internet.

The main problem with current Christmas, is that it has become super commercialized with billions of dollars worldwide going to the merchants; money is not always used for good in this world, but sometimes, it is. Unfortunately, it isn't a happy time for everyone due to poverty/debt, illness, isolation, work or family problems. However, there are many beautiful things about Christmas. 
 
It is hard to undo a cultural celebration with centuries of traditions built up around December 24-25th. Some Mormons do somehow recognize that Jesus/Yeshua was born on April 6th (see D&C 20). We would be interested in hearing how it is observed by those few, in April. 
 
There are different opinions about when Jesus - Yeshua was born. It was lambing season when he was born (which suggests Spring). Also, when Jesus went to the temple at Passover, he was twelve.  He met with the teachers and elders of the Law. This suggests something similar to a Bar Mitzvah type event. The Bar Mitzvah is typically on one's (Hebrew) birthdate or near that date. Maybe boys' Bar Mitzvahs were at age 12 back then. They were not lavish back then.

Some Hebraic minded people reject Christmas trees for this reason:
Jeremiah 10:1-5

1 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

 

What was Jeremiah, receiving through God, objecting to?  Was it the super commercialization which would come into Christmas?  The trees themselves are beautiful, and when the tree is real, the home smells wonderful and memories are made.  Even Hanukkah has become more commercialized in response to Christmas.

***

People really love their celebrations.  It is hard when there are people "not on the same page" within one's own household.  It is important to not have celebrations destroy relationships, if that can helped.  Some compromise may be needed.  You decide.

Easter. Jewish concerns regarding the Date and Customs of Easter

 

Easter is wonderful.  It is around Spring.   There are so many colors coming to life, and sunshine and warmer air.  If a person is a believer in Christ, this can be a very uplifting time of appreciation, and time to enjoy family or friends.

From a Jewish perspective though, Easter has pagan roots, with pagan, non-kosher Ham food.  It has also become too secular and commercialized.  From a Jewish perspective, Easter is also on the wrong date, making it hard for Jews to recognize the fulfillment of prophecy in the life and death of Jesus the Messiah.
 
Easter was always supposed to be celebrated in conjunction with Passover. Yeshua - Christ died on the evening observance of Nisan 14, at the Spring Passover. He rose on First Fruits, 3 full days later, on the 17th of Nisan. He was the first to be resurrected from the grave. See 1 Corinthians 15:20. Good Friday, being only a day and a half away from Easter morning, is another reason why the Jews find contraindications in Christianity. They are looking for things to line up on their criteria list. If the Gentiles are in error in so many ways, why should they look even further?


Monday, November 22, 2021

Restore the House of Israel through Scriptures

 

 
"Nephi" scriptural references are in the Book of Mormon.
 
Public domain source for Mormon scriptures:
 
 
 
 
EZEKIEL 37: 16-20
16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
18 ¶ And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
20 ¶ And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

Please Read 2 Nephi 29: 10-14 also. We will eventually have all scripture. It sounds like a complimentary version of Ezekiel 37; it will touch your heart!
 
1 Nephi 5: 14-19 implies that we will have the Brass plates with the pre-Babylonian captivity Old Testament -- oldest copy!!  
1 Nephi 13:23 says it has more prophecies than the book that came from the Jews {Bible}.
 
This will settle some disputes over the texts, and also it probably will have missing books which will help bring the House of Israel to the True Messiah and message!!! These may be Jews here in the West. How great it will be if Jewish believers in the Messiah and the Book of Mormon help translate the Brass Plates!
 
My understanding is that the Brass Plates will be in old Hebrew, and any additional Nephite scriptures will be in Reformed Egyptian (which is a Hebrew grammar structure combined with Egyptian lettering). Ancient Egyptian had several styles, not just the famous hieroglyph style on monuments. Is anybody willing to learn the old Egyptian script also?
 
These two links briefly explain the old Egyptian alphabets 



Special Note: We would like to see people with understanding of both the Mormon doctrine and Jewish teachings and culture, write discussions for teaching Jews who are willing to listen. It's our belief that others hands are tied by certain issues, and so this mission of reaching Jewish people needs to be done by regular people who act independently. Mormons familiarizing themselves with Hebrew teachings will better be equipped or suited for sharing the Gospel with Jewish people.
 

Become One Nation in Their Own Land..and really Be the People of God

 

 

Mosaic of the 12 Tribes of Israel


EZEKIEL 37: 21-24
21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will GATHER them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22 And I will make them ONE NATION in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
24 And David {i.e. beloved one} my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
 
Who is the Holy One of Israel, their God?  Who is the Davidic Servant?

Matthew 3:17 And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 
 
In the Greek, for "beloved" it uses the word agapetos, relating to the highest word for love. 
 
However, beloved son in the Orthodox Jewish Hebrew Bible, is written in Aramaic, "Bar Enosh/Enash" {Son of Man}. Bar Enosh is used also, for example in Daniel 7:13-14, when the Son of Man with the clouds comes to the Ancient of Days on His throne.
(This information came from Biblehub.com) 
 
In Hebrew, Son of Man means Son of Man or Son of Adam.
 
These scriptures (with an understanding of the Ancient prophecies and the New Testament) show that the exalted Yeshua (who came into human form and later was, and is, exalted King) who leads us to God Heavenly Father.