By the time of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D., the stage was set for an historically significant change from both the ancient teachings of Moses (the “Torah of Moses”), and the first century teachings of Yeshua (also of the Torah) and His disciples who would follow in His footsteps.
Judaism
For Judaism the principle sects consisted of the Sadducees, Zealots, and the Natzarim (1), along with a few other minor sects. These had been decimated or scattered by the Romans, along with destruction of the Temple. The only identifiable sect remaining was the Pharisees. It was the Pharisees who survived the Roman assault by negotiating an agreement which permitted them to establish a new religious center located in Yavneh.(2) This center became the new religious base replacing the former one, which prior to destruction of the Temple had been headquartered in Jerusalem. Physical relocation was one thing, but with the establishment at Yavneh came the beginnings of the redefinition of Judaism itself.
Prior to the Temple’s destruction it was the Sadducean sect which had predominated through its role in overseeing the Temple, its affairs, ceremonies, sacrifices and worship. The Sadducees were comprised mostly of the aristocratic and well-to-do of Jerusalem, who had by the time of Yeshua, corrupted the religious observances and leadership presiding at the Temple. With the destruction of the Temple (3) the Sadducees were essentially unable to continue by virtue of no Temple at which to conduct worship and sacrifices.
The Pharisees represented the sect having the most numerous followers at the time, but with less power than the Sadducees. Once the Sadducces were unable to continue in their role of predominance, the Pharisees rose to power and in conjunction with relocation to Yavneh, became the compelling force behind reconstituting Judaism. This was the critically significant point in history where Rabbinic Judaism was birthed and rather quickly rose to the forefront. It was the Pharisaic Rabbis who subsequently assumed control over interpretation of the Torah, and ultimately over the people of Judaism.
Today Judaism generally claims to follow the same faith as ancient Israel, but this is simply not true from both an historical and Biblical standpoint. Modern Judaism indeed has very old roots. But its roots are not wholly of the Torah anciently taught by Moses. Modern Judaism has been infused with the customs and traditions of the oral law sourced primarily in the Pharisees, and later codified in the form of Talmudic Law developed by the Rabbis, beginning from about the Second Century on, with the impetus occurring in conjunction with the move to Yavneh. Although many modern-day adherents to Judaism will deny it, through the intervening centuries the oral laws and Talmudic customs have in practice taken on a weight of authority equal with, or exceeding, that of the Written Torah and Tanakh. It is interesting that even at the time of Yeshua there was a rebuke leveled at the Pharisees for neglecting the commandments of God. This is recorded in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 15:3:
“Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your traditions?”
For more information and background surrounding these influences, the reader is referred to Chapter 6, on Law, and specifically to the sub-headings entitled Oral Law, Pharisaic Law and Customs, and Talmud.
Christianity
The religion known today as Christianity began to be formed early in the Second Century, and by the time of the reign of Constantine (306 – 337 A.D.) the First Century original faith and practices of the Natzarim had largely morphed into another religion of man. Its name, derived from the Greek Christos, meaning Christ or Messiah, took on the form of today, Christianity; or the faith of those who follow the teachings of the Christ (Yeshua). Since that era what has been largely taught in the mainstream of Christendom is that the then Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity from Mithraism (Sun God worship). In fact, his “conversion” was actually a politically driven move to salvage a then declining empire, coupled with an effort to bring about some semblance of unity among the then competing religious factions within the Roman Empire. At this time in history religion and government were heavily co-mingled. From this move came a declaration of Christianity as the official state religion of Rome. We know this today as what became the forerunner to the Roman Catholic Church.
Despite his claims of conversion to Christianity, Constantine continued to practice Mithraism. It is telling that Constantine had a coin minted depicting himself on one face, and on the opposite side of the coin the words: “Soli Invicto Comiti,” Committed to the Invincible Sun. What had actually occurred in his “conversion” was a purposed act of syncretism; that is, a blending of the faith and practices of the Natzarim (from First Century followers of Messiah Yeshua) with the Sun God worship of Mithraism.
In his book entitled Come Out of Her My People, by C.J. Koster, published by the Institute for Scripture Research (1998), M. Turretin is quoted (Pg. 65) in describing the state of Christianity by the Fourth Century, saying “…it was not so much the [Roman] Empire that was brought over to the Faith [of Christianity], as the Faith was brought over to the Empire; not the pagans who were converted to Christianity, but Christianity was converted to Paganism.” This particular form of Paganism was the long standing Mithraism, or worship of the Sun, that had been so prevalent in the ancient world.
Christianity today sadly contains considerable of the vestiges of Constantine’s influences from the Fourth Century. And, for example, it clearly is not the same assembly of believers that comprised the Talmudim (students) of Yeshua in the First Century, or those in Jerusalem who received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the time of Shavuot (Pentecost) that we read about in Acts Chapter 2. From a Torah based beginning, but soon corrupted through syncretism, Christianity today is a religion of man that has continued the practice of syncretism instilled by Constantine in the Fourth Century.
Summarization
Thus we have two religions, Judaism and Christianity, both of which lay claim to the same God, share identical roots, acknowledge the same original writings (Tanakh), albeit only give credence to portions of the whole, plus have allowed themselves to become divided and adversarial, one to the other. Yet, as they have stumbled down through the corridors of time to this point in history, they are more and more finding their destinies beginning to converge – just as the prophecy we read about in Ezekiel 37: 15-28 foretells – the two sticks becoming one.
What has been overlooked for centuries is that the two houses of Israel cannot both be serving the same God in two distinct and separate manners. Moreover, neither one, or for that matter, any other religion, cannot be used of God by purporting to serve Him in their own, man-made fashion. Scripture provides clear instruction in how to serve him in accord with His instruction – not man’s self-made religious contrivances.
The Apostle Paul has made it very clear concerning the unity of the body of believers (4), when he stated in Ephesians 4:4-6:
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of you calling,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in you all.”
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Paul also stated:
“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body,
being many, are one body, so also is Messiah. For by one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been
made to drink into one Spirit.”
Paul further stated in Philippians 1:27, and 2:2
“… stand fast in one spirit, with one mind,” and be “… of one accord, of one mind.”
This oneness or unity of mind and purpose can come only through one source (leading of the Holy Spirit), and on one foundation (Torah), not many as man would have it, and historically has demonstrated. This theme of oneness is found throughout the Scriptures. The people of God, His Kahal, were never meant to be divided into separate nations, houses, religions, sects or denominations. For example, we read in Exodus 12:49:
“One Law [Torah] shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”
From the above, and many other verses like it, we see that anyone who sincerely wanted to worship the Creator God of Israel, and dwell in His kingdom, and among His people, were to be subject to the same Torah as the native-born Israelite. There was no distinction made within the Torah or Tanakh regarding how people worshiped God – they all were to do it the same way – His way, not man’s ways.
The Torah – God’s written instructions to man for how to live a redeemed life in accord with God’s will – was not given to an elite, privileged group of people. It was given as a gift to anyone who will accept it and strive to live it out. It is not culturally directed, ethically oriented, religiously biased, or racially slanted; it is for all mankind, a gift in love and compassion. But it must be followed as instructed, not selectively observed or segregated as to whom it applies. This is the stated will of God.
It is through the Biblical covenants (5) that God has operated in wooing mankind to Himself, not the multiplicity of man’s religious factions, which have largely operated to distract man from the truth of God’s Word.
The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) spoken of by the Prophet Jeremiah is in reference to the culmination of a future event from today, when the renewal and reinstitution of the prior covenants between God and His people Israel (6) will occur. Both Judaism and Christianity have misunderstood and misinterpreted the Biblical covenants. The whole of the Scriptures clearly record that this Covenant will be with Israel – not the modern State of Israel, a political entity, a particular ethic group, or religious sect or denomination. Israel Biblically defined is a set apart people who strive to obey the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and have taken hold of His Covenantal terms. Israel is all those being regathered from the four corners of the earth (see Isaiah 10:20-22; 11:1-2, 10, 12-13, 16) under the banner of the Messiah Yeshua – those who are the Redeemed of all Israel.
(1) A term derived from the Hebrew text of Isaiah 11:1-3. The “Branch” in Hebrew is Netzer, meaning sprout or branch, and is also the root word for the City of the Branch (Netzeret), or Nazareth. The reference here is to Messiah Yeshua (cf. John 15:5, Acts 24:5). The Natzarim Faith was considered a sect of Judaism in the First Century, as it was comprised of Jewish believers in Yeshua as Messiah.
(2) See Chapter 11, under the sub-heading Canonicity of the Tanakh. Yavneh was located in the coastal plain of Israel south of what today is Tel Aviv.
(3) The direct result of God’s judgment upon Israel for its deviation from Torah instructions through its corrupt leadership at the time.
(4) That is, the Assembly or Kahal in Hebrew, is comprised of those who follow the commandments of God, and walk in the way that Yeshua walked. Anything else is a corruption of God’s instructions found in Torah.
(5) See Chapter 7 for an in depth discussion of the principal Biblical Covenants.
(6) That is, Israel defined Biblically; not the Jews alone, but all those who keep the covenants and Law, and walk in the ways of Yeshua.
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