Guest post by Joseph of the Yeshuanikim
When thinking about Moshiach, Jewish people generally find the idea of the Messiah both suffering and also achieving glory, hard to cope with. If he suffers he can’t be Moshiach, he must have failed! But is this really the case?
As Hannukah ended, and with Christmas approaching, I was reading about Jacob and Esau in the Torah. I reached Genesis 35:16-20, about what Jacob did after escaping from Esau and then returning to Bethel, heading towards Eprath:
Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni [Son of Sorrow]; but his father called him Benjamin [Son at my Right Hand]. So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. Genesis 35:16-20 ESV
Interestingly, on the way to Bethlehem, a son is born, who is named Son of Sorrow, but is renamed by the father as “Son at my Right Hand.” Isaiah 53 speaks of a “man of sorrows” acquainted with grief, yet later on in the chapter we are told that God will give him a portion among the great. Elsewhere, Psalm 2 promises the future king of Israel and Son of God that he will sit at God’s right hand.
Here early on in Genesis, we see a fusion of these ideas already, before Isaiah and David are even alive!
At this place, on the way to Bethlehem, death gave way to life. The death of Rachel facilitated the life of Benjamin. In a way, we can think of Yeshua, who had to die to bring us life.
The prophet Micah (verse 5:2) tells us that a ruler will come out of Bethlehem Ephrath, though the place is “small among the tribes of Judah.” This ruler will be “from eternity”:
וְאַתָּה בֵּית-לֶחֶם אֶפְרָתָה, צָעִיר לִהְיוֹת בְּאַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה–מִמְּךָ לִי יֵצֵא, לִהְיוֹת מוֹשֵׁל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל; וּמוֹצָאֹתָיו מִקֶּדֶם, מִימֵי עוֹלָם
This ruler, Yeshua, would eventually be the Son at God’s Right Hand. Like Benjamin, He was also a Son of Sorrows, and also to be born in Bethlehem. He would be renamed, in effect, also by his father, “Son at the Right Hand.”
So there you go, if you were wondering how Moshiach could both suffer and be glorified, and also be born in Bethlehem, well – your answer is already in the Torah!
Advent of Messiah 
Dear Friends;
You still have to eal with what you interpert, and what G-d said. As He made it certain that He is One, Unique and does not share His glory with another, He cannot be part of the first chapters of either Gospel.
Then, there is the Moshiac? When Jesus left for the last time at the end of his stay on earth, he promised that all he said would happen would be seen in the viewers lifetime. What G-d said would be when the Moshiac is here, the first time, also has not happened.
Also, to much of the Jesus story corrosponds to the Pagans versions. Three stricks, you are out.
1. G-d is not going to say He has no son, then have one.
2. G-d said what would happen when the Moshiac is here, and he makes one trip. Also, Moshiac is the physical decendant of David, through his father.
3. Even if you could place the first two in perspective, so that they can be accepted, even with the contradictions from the Tanach, what about the one closest to the glad tiddings? Jesus said that those who bid him shalom would witness the advent of what was promised. So are the wars, disease and other negatives the Moshiac is going to deal with illusions? As full return of the Jews to Israel, rebuilding of His Temple? Or failed to happened as promised? And you want Jews who depend on the truth of G-d to leave our faith, and go to yours?
No wonder thousands of Christians convert to Judaism each year, after reading both, Tanach and Gospel. As for the messiah suffering? Over 100, 000 humans were crusified, but not one of them could make one change. So I think your anoligy is not workable, based on the word of G-d.
Be strong in your faith, but come to the realizatioin that some effort is needed to come to terms with His truth, or in the near future, your faith shall have to witness many changes you may not like.
Shalom;
Yechiel
Yechiel, you commented [As He made it certain that He is One, Unique and does not share His glory with another, He cannot be part of the first chapters of either Gospel.]
Understanding the nature of Elohim is very important. Yehovah Elohim exists, He causes all things to come into existence. Yehovah Elohim is the self-existent One. Yehovah Elohim is the great “I AM”; who is, who was, who is to come. He is the first cause; Creator of the universe, all that is seen and unseen, all that is visible and invisible. Yehovah Elohim, the Lord our God is a unique unified one.
In the Torah Moses writes that a man and his wife, the two become “echad” (one, a unified one) married couple, that the divided nation of Israel made up of the tribes of Judah and the tribes of Ephraim become “echad” (one, a unified one) nation and the Lord our God, the Lord is “echad” (one, a unified one) God. (See Genesis 2:24, Ezekiel 37:17-22, and Deuteronomy 6:4)
Elohim (plural Almighty God) is the triune God who is the unique unified one true living God, revealed in the Bible who created the heavens and earth; there is no other living God.
In chapter one, verse one of the book of Genesis Moses explains that God created the heavens and the earth. In the second verse Moses writes that the Spirit of God moved over the surface of the waters, the Spirit of God; is a distinct person of the triune Godhead. “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2 KJV The Hebrew word that Moses uses for Spirit is “Ruach” that means breath, wind or Spirit. The Spirit of God is involved in creation in unity and in collaboration with God our Father in heaven. Moses refers to the Spirit (Ruach) 23 times in the Torah and Ruach is referred to over 200 times in Tanakh.
In Genesis 1:26 Moses quotes Yehovah Elohim who speaks to other Persons of the triune Elohim in the plural. Why did the Spirit of God illuminate Moses’ mind to choose the word Elohim a plural noun for God and quote the triune God speaking to the triune Elohim in the plural? Moses specifically writes about the plural nature of Elohim in Genesis,
Then Elohim said,
“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”
Genesis 1:26 NASB
1. “Let Us make man” 2. “in Our image” 3. “according to Our likeness”
Moses quotes Elohim who refers to Himself in the plural three times, Elohim is speaking to other persons of the triune Godhead. One of the persons of the triune Godhead is speaking to the other two. Our Father who is in heaven, His Son and the Spirit of God are having a conversation about the creation of man being made in their image and their likeness.
The New Testament confirms what Moses wrote in Genesis that creation was a unified collaboration by Elohim the triune Almighty God who is the Creator of the universe. We read about creation from Saint Paul where he writes about the role of God’s Son, Jesus our Messiah:
“He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
For by him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:15-17 NIV
Elohim a Hebrew word for God that is a plural masculine noun with plural meaning for the Almighty God is used as a “plural intensive” referring to the unified one God of Israel. The triune God; the Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit of God, these three persons of the Godhead are a unified one.
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
John 1:1 ESV
What is the Spirit of God teaching us through the writing of the apostle John? The same thing that He taught us through the writings of Moses in the Torah. Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 6:4, “The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” The apostle John wrote that the LORD our God, the Father, and the “Word” are divine. In the Torah and in the New Testament we see that our Father in heaven is God, and His divine Son Yeshua and the Spirit of God; these three are one (echad), a unified one God (Elohim).
https://adventofmessiah.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/the-lord-our-god-the-lord-is-one-”/
Dear Mr. Cook;
Are you aware that you are contradicting G-d?
He said; “I have no father, neither do I have a son.”
Christian theology preaches a triun god at the beginning, also that Jesus was created before or at the beginning (depending which sect of Christianity you look at), thus there, by your words (Christian) G-d had a son. Now, whom do you believe? G-d who said “I have no son”; or man who has godsons running all over the place? Your theolgy has one major difference from the Hidu; they have a “trimutry”, Christianity has a “trinity”. The birth and start stories aer almost identical. So if you are a Christian, are you also a Hindu?
In Exodus, chapter 20, we have this quote from G-d;
1 And God spoke all these words, saying: {S} 2 I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. 3 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 4 thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; 5 and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments. {S} 6 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. {P}
7 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 8 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; 9 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; 10 for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. {S} 11 Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. {S} 12 Thou shalt not murder. {S} Thou shalt not commit adultery. {S} Thou shalt not steal. {S} Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. {S} 13 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house; {S} thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. {P}
14 And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off. 15 And they said unto Moses: ‘Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’ 16 And Moses said unto the people: ‘Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before you, that ye sin not.’ 17 And the people stood afar off; but Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. {S} 18 And the LORD said unto Moses: Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 19 Ye shall not make with Me–gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you. 20 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto Me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come unto thee and bless thee. 21 And if thou make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast profaned it. 22 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto Mine altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered thereon. {P}
Also, Deut.5; Deuteronomy Chapter 5
1 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and observe to do them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. 4 The LORD spoke with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire– 5 I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare unto you the word of the LORD; for ye were afraid because of the fire, and went not up into the mount–saying: {S} 6 I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. 7 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, even any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 8 Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me, 9 and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
Mr. Cook, there is much more. However, since the discussion is over a son, and G-d said He has none, that pretty well sums it up. The physical items, He left for you to worship, He alone are we to even awcknoledge. I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Christian, so I cannot even accept the possibility of tese-to us-idols.
Have a good day, Mr. Cook.
Shalom;
Yechiel
Yechiel, you wrote; [Are you aware that you are contradicting G-d?
He said; “I have no father, neither do I have a son.”
Christian theology preaches a triun god at the beginning, also that Jesus was created before or at the beginning (depending which sect of Christianity you look at), thus there, by your words (Christian) G-d had a son. Now, whom do you believe? G-d who said “I have no son”;]
Yechiel you quoted God as saying, “I have no father, neither do I have a son.” Where does it say this? Please give the book, chapter and verse. (Although, you may be looking for a long time because it’s not in the Bible)
Actually the Tanach says that the Lord (YHVH) does have a Son. In the Tanach In Psalm 2 we read about the Lord and His Moshiach;
He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,
6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”
In Psalm 2:7 the Moshiach is quoted saying;
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.’
So who should we believe Yechiel, you or the Moshiach?
Should we take your word for it or should we believe what is written in the Tanach?
Isaiah wrote in the Tanach that God’s Son the Messiah will be called, “Mighty God”, “Prince of Peace”!
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6-6 NASB
Yechiel you raised the question will Messiah only come once? Or will He come and then go back to His Father in heaven and then return; [Then, there is the Moshiac? When Jesus left for the last time at the end of his stay on earth, he promised that all he said would happen would be seen in the viewers lifetime. What G-d said would be when the Moshiac is here, the first time, also has not happened.]
The angel Gabriel told Daniel (in Daniel 9:24-27) that Moshiach would come atone for iniquity and then be put to death before the (Second) Temple and the city of Jerusalem were destroyed. As you know, the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed in 70 AD. Therefore Messiah had to come and atone for iniquity and be put to death before 70 AD. Messiah’s atoning death was also foretold by Isaiah in Isaiah 53 and by King David in Psalm 22. Yeshua did fulfill many of the prophecies about the Moshiach. But as He promised He will return and set up His kingdom on earth and fulfill all the remaining prophecies in both the Tanach and the New Testament; God is faithful and does not lie. Believers pray for this in “the Lord’s Prayer”.
Yechiel you raised this question; [Also, Moshiac is the physical decendant of David, through his father.]
Even though the rabbinic experts state this and teach this God had a different plan, namely that Messiah would be a physical descendant of His mother. (Although, He is also a “legal” descendant of his adopted earthly father Joseph.)
Messiah is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. [1] Yeshua is the perfect Lamb of God who was offered up as our sacrifice for our sin and is Himself without sin. [2][3] Yeshua was not born a sinful man, but instead He was born with the righteous nature of His Father in heaven. [4]
[1] John 1:29
[2] Hebrews chapter 10
[3] 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
[4] Romans chapter 5
Dear Mr. Cook;
I am giving you a PS on the above, complements of Mr. Lewis Loftin, a fins Christian man with eyes wide open. This is a snipit of his posts. Enjoy.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id2/philo1.htm
sullivan-county.com is the website, and I went to his archieve to find this interesting piece of history. It is not for discussion, as we would be walking around these ancient men, but to give you more to work with in your studies, and a hint as to why I have the view I do; friendly towards Christians, but still strongly Jewish.
Shalom;
Yechiel
Yechiel you raised these objections and asked; [Even if you could place the first two in perspective, so that they can be accepted, even with the contradictions from the Tanach, what about the one closest to the glad tiddings? Jesus said that those who bid him shalom would witness the advent of what was promised. So are the wars, disease and other negatives the Moshiac is going to deal with illusions? As full return of the Jews to Israel, rebuilding of His Temple? Or failed to happened as promised?]
Hindsight is 20/20, the future is more obscure.
Many people around the world are looking for and longing for the coming of the Messiah and the era of peace He will bring upon the earth. We read in the Gospel of Matthew;
Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:1-3 NASB
So as Yeshua (Jesus) was sitting on the Mount of Olives He gave His disciples these three categories of signs of His coming, and of the end of the age;
The beginning of Birth Pangs (Matthew 24:8)
Tribulation (Matthew 24:9)
Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21)
Gabriel explains about the 70th week in Daniel 9:27
27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” Daniel 9:27 NASB
The prince who is to come “will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering”. A future prince will make a firm covenant with many (Israel and other nations) for seven years. Or he will “confirm a covenant with many” is how it is translated in the New International Version. It is possible this prince will confirm and or revise an existing covenant or peace agreement for an additional seven years. In the middle of the seven year covenant or three and a half years after the covenant is enacted, the prince “will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering”. Who is this future prince who will make a covenant with the rulers in Jerusalem? Who is this prince who will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering?
Dear Mr. Cook;
Each culture, natioin, religion, ect. has a view of it’s own. We differ in two basic ways; we are the only anceint nation still here, speaking our language. We are the only Anceint people whose faith is basically as it was from the beginning, with the lessions added on (Talmud). A third way, we are the only nation which has been abused in every generation. Poor, sharesuckers, rich, money grabbers. Many join some Christian cuilt, intruders; stay true to G-d, stucked up.
And you wonder why the Moshiac has not made a showing-yet. Maybe he is afraid he might be killed by the godloving pagans?
Maintime, the number of Christians who read the whole Bible is incrasing, and the number of them who convert to Judaism is also increasing. 1 million in the past century, ut as the educatioin and need for G-d increases, so has the number of conerts to Judaism; dispate our trying to tell them they do ot have to.
Why are they? Gev, Joseph, and people like you have greased the skids by your dishonesty and twisting of the Word of G-d. Stop the greassing, and the number of converts shall decrease. Also, be honest why there are differences between THE Tanach and the Gospel. It would help a lot of good people, who are by their loyalty to G-d, show themselves to be good Chriatians. Four times I have been told I am the most Christian person the person knows, even though he knows I am a hard-headed Jew.
I shall moniter these websites as I have done. Sometimes, I come across a person who, when he reads that G-d said He has no son, he takes G-d seriously, and we both learn. Much of what I commuicate to you-all I picked up in searching for the reason these people said what they have. How I learned about Hindu and Christian being basically the same recipe, if not the same faith.
Shalom;
Yechiel
Yechiel, regarding [we (the Jewish People) are the only anceint nation still here, speaking our language.]
The Jewish people are unique and God made a covenant with Abram long ago and promised that He would give birth to Messiah who would bless the nations!
YHVH Elohim promised Abraham;
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:18
Abraham’s seed or descendant will bless “all the nations of the earth”!
Saul of Tarsus (Paul) wrote this commentary on Genesis 22;
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. Galations 3:16 NASB
Messiah Yeshua is the “Seed” promised to Abraham by God who would bless the nations of the earth.
Abraham was the tenth generation from Noah through Shem and was born 352 years after the Deluge, in 2018 B.C.E. Don’t you think that Abraham already spoke the language of Chanaan at the time of his migration? Or having first spoken Assyrian or Aramaic, he later adopted the language of the country in which he established himself? “The language spoken by the clan of Abraham was a dialect closely akin to those of Moab, Tyre, and Sidon, and it bore a greater resemblance to Assyrian and Arabic than to Aramaic.”
http://mishkantorah.org/parasha/5763/jews_of_iraq.htm
“It is one of the class of languages called Semitic, because they were chiefly spoken among the descendants of Shem.
When Abraham entered Canaan it is obvious that he found the language of its inhabitants closely allied to his own. Isaiah (19:18) calls it “the language of Canaan.” Whether this language, as seen in the earliest books of the Old Testament, was the very dialect which Abraham brought with him into Canaan, or whether it was the common tongue of the Canaanitish nations which he only adopted, is uncertain; probably the latter opinion is the correct one….
The Hebrew is one of the oldest languages of which we have any knowledge. It is essentially identical with the Phoenician language… The Semitic languages, to which class the Hebrew and Phoenician belonged, were spoken over a very wide area: in Babylonia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine and Arabia, in all the countries from the Mediterranean to the borders of Assyria, and from the mountains of Armenia to the Indian Ocean. The rounded form of the letters, as seen in the Moabite stone, was probably that in which the ancient Hebrew was written down to the time of the Exile, when the present square or Chaldean form was adopted.”
http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4767725/k.5687/Did_Abraham_Speak_Hebrew.htm
China is one of the world’s ancient civilizations; and has been around for more than 5000 years,
http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/china-history.htm
China is one of the oldest nations, but their faith is Buddaism. It is much younger than Judaism/belief in One G-d.
We have to come to the Americas to find faiths as old as Judaism.
Shalom;
Yechiel
Yechiel, what would cause you to make this kind of statement; [How I learned about Hindu and Christian being basically the same recipe, if not the same faith.]?
Neither Messiah Yeshua nor His apostles quote the Hindu Holy Books (The Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Bhagavad-Gita, Srimad Bhagvatam, Ramayana, Laws of Manu, Puranas.) in any of the four gospels nor the New Testament books.
Conversely, Yeshua and the New Testament authors frequently quote the Jewish Tanach.
Which of the thousands of Hindu gods are you comparing the true and living God to? The Christian Bible which includes the Tanach believes that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the true and living God, maker of heaven and earth.
Are you not aware that the the Christian Bible includes the Jewish Tanach? None of the writings of the Hindu Holy books are included in the Christian Bible.
[Hinduism has no central book, like the Bible. Instead, it has many sacred texts. Together, these books are called the Vedas. They contain hymns and religious instruction. They also discuss how to live a good life and achieve union with Brahman. Hindus have great story poems, too, such as the Mahabharata. One small part of this very long poem is called the Bhagavad-Gita. It contains some of the core teachings of Hinduism.]
http://religiondilama.blogspot.com/2009/04/when-did-hinduism-begin.html
The Messiah was born in Bethlehem and lived in Israel. Yeshua was not born in New Delhi and He did not carry out His earthly ministry in India (although He certainly have many followers there today).
Hindus believe in reincarnation with many lives, Christians believe in one life and then resurrection from the dead and judgment of non-believers and eternal life for believers in Yeshua the Messiah.
Hindus believe in good and bad Karma, Christians believe in salvation by grace through faith in Yeshua the promise Messiah.
[Hindus believe every living thing has a soul. They say that after death, each soul gets born again into a different body. This is called reincarnation. People are rewarded for each good deed and punished for each bad one, Hindus say. The reward or payback may come in another lifetime, however. So, each person carries a load of rewards or punishments they are owed for past deeds. This is called karma.
Everything people do adds to their karma. Those who have been good are reborn into a higher form in the next life. Those who have been evil are reborn into a lower form. Over countless lifetimes, a soul can rise until it escapes the cycle of death and rebirth. It can finally rejoin Brahman, the Supreme Being.]
http://religiondilama.blogspot.com/2009/04/when-did-hinduism-begin.html
Yechiel why would make such a ludicrous statement that Christianity and Hinduism are basically one in the same, if not the same faith?
Christianity is not like Hinduism in its belief in the nature of God, its Holy Book nor any of the New Testament doctrines.
Dear Mr. Cook;
You show again your weakness, or ignoring of how Hebrew works. Ever since we first spoke the language, “seed” is either immdiatte, as your children, or national, as in an agricultural society a plant (founders) produce many decendants.
So your statement is hyperphial. We are more pertinate.
Have a good day.
Shalom;
Yechiel
Yechiel,
The Jewish people are unique and God made a covenant with Abram long ago and promised that He would give birth to Messiah who would bless the nations!
YHVH Elohim promised Abraham;
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:18
Abraham’s seed or descendant will bless “all the nations of the earth”!
Saul of Tarsus (Paul) wrote this commentary on Genesis 22;
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. Galations 3:16 NASB
This commentary on Genesis 22:18 was written by Saul (Paul) who was a Pharisee. Saul knew Hebrew he was schooled by Gamaliel. Saul was sent to Jerusalem to receive his education at the school of Gamaliel,[Acts 22:3] one of the most noted rabbis in history. The Hillel school was noted for giving their students a balanced education, likely giving Paul broad exposure to classical literature, philosophy, and ethics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle
Paul was by birth a Roman citizen, as was his father.[Acts 22:25-29] [cf. Acts 16:37] His was a devout Jewish family in the city of Tarsus—one of the largest trade centers on the Mediterranean coast.[22] It had been in existence several hundred years prior to his birth. It was renowned for its university, one in which students could receive a superior education. During the time of Alexander the Great, Tarsus was the most influential city in Asia Minor.[23] Stoicism was the dominant philosophy there. In addition to his becoming steeped in Orthodox Pharisaic Judaism, his early life in Tarsus allowed him to learn “Classic Greek”, Greek philosophy, and Koine Greek which was the lingua franca of the Roman Empire, spoken by the common people.[24]
In his letters, Paul reflected heavily from his knowledge of Stoic philosophy, using Stoic terms and metaphors to assist his new Gentile converts in their understanding of the revealed word of God.[25] He would also rely heavily on the training he received concerning the law and the prophets, utilizing this knowledge to convince his Jewish countrymen of the unity of past Old Testament prophecy and covenants with the fulfilling of these in Jesus Christ.[24] His wide spectrum of experiences and education gave the “Apostle to the Gentiles”[Rom. 1:5] [11:13] [Gal. 2:8] the tools which he later would use to effectively spread the Gospel and to establish the church solidly in many[26] parts of the Roman Empire.[24]
Paul referred to himself as being “of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee”.[Phil. 3:5]
He was born about the same time as Jesus (c. 4 B.C.) or slightly later. He was converted to faith in Jesus Christ about A.D. 33. He died c. A.D. 62-64, most likely in Rome.[7]
However, the Bible reveals very little about Paul’s family. Paul’s nephew, his sister’s son, is mentioned in Acts 23:16. Acts also quotes Paul indirectly referring to his father by saying he, Paul, was “a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee”.[Acts 23:6] Paul refers to his mother in Romans 16:13 as among those at Rome. In Romans 16:7 he states that his relatives, Andronicus and Junia, were Christians before he was and were prominent among the apostles.
The family had a history of religious piety.[2 Timothy 1:3][27] Apparently the family lineage had been very attached to Pharisaic traditions and observances for generations.[Philippians 3:5-6] Young Saul learned how to make the mohair with which tents were made.[Acts 18:1-3] Later as a Christian missionary, that trade became a means of support for him, one that he could practice anywhere. It also was to become an initial connection with Priscilla and Aquila with whom he would partner in tentmaking[Acts 18:3] and later become very important teammates as fellow missionaries.[Rom. 16:4]
While he was still fairly young, he was sent to Jerusalem to receive his education at the school of Gamaliel,[Acts 22:3] one of the most noted rabbis in history. The Hillel school was noted for giving their students a balanced education, likely giving Paul broad exposure to classical literature, philosophy, and ethics.[24] Some of his family may have resided in Jerusalem since later the son of one of his sisters saved his life there.[Acts 23:16] Nothing more is known of his background until he takes an active part in the martyrdom of Stephen.[Acts 7:58-60;22:20] Paul confesses that “beyond measure” he persecuted the church of God prior to his conversion.[Gal. 1:13–14] [Phil. 3:6] [Acts 8:1-3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle
Saul of Tarsus (Paul) wrote this commentary on Genesis 22;
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. Galations 3:16 NASB
Messiah Yeshua is the “Seed” promised to Abraham by God who would bless the nations of the earth.