HHMI Newsgroup Archives
From: Eddie Chumney
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Why Passover? Why Now?
Dear Mishpochah (family):
For at least 1,700 years, corporate Christianity has not
celebrated Passover. So, why are more believers in Messiah
celebrating Passover and doing Passover Seders now more than any other
time since the 1st century? Beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is a
sovereign move of God's Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). I was so
blessed to see how many members of the newsgroup celebrated Passover
and have had / are doing a Passover Seder this year. Many believers
in Messiah really don't know the DEEP reason why they feel like they
feel and are doing what they are doing. It is simply "in my heart"
and it is difficult to explain to others who don't understand. I am
sure somebody on the newsgroup who is reading this can relate to
these thoughts and this mindset.
I started studying about my rich Hebraic Heritage in
Messiah in
1989. At that time, I thought that I was like Elijah and the "only
one" who was feeling what I was feeling in my heart. I never
imagined during those days that give would put upon my heart to form
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l and it would be possible to read
and teach the world about our Hebraic roots in Messiah through a
global computer network. Likewise, I am sure that most if not all of
you have felt at one time in the past or currently that "I am the only
one". Is there anyone else who feels like I have in the past?
More and more CHURCHES are beginning to do
Passover Seders.
Many who don't formally recognize and celebrate the other Biblical
holidays in Lev 23 are at least having a Passover Seder. So, why
Passover? And why now?
I believe that I know the answer to this
question. I pray
that this article will give additional insight to the answer to this
question.
Many believers in Messiah who are
embracing their Hebraic
roots in Messiah and even "Jewish roots" ministries are still not
sure if they believe in the two houses of Israel or in an end-time
restoration of both houses of Israel (referred to in the OT as the
house of Israel (Northern Kingdom) and the house of Israel (Southern
Kingdom). Today, the two houses of Israel are known by the more
common names of Judaism and Christianity. Both believe in the God of
Israel. Both believe in redemption. Both believe in a personal
Messiah. Yet, there culture and their history and their customs have
been historically quite different (much like the history, customs and
worship style of the Northern Kingdom differed from that of the
Southern Kingdom).
Why are even believers who embrace
their Hebraic roots in
Messiah still having a difficult time of grasping, believing and
understanding the prophecied restoration of both houses of Israel
(Ezekiel 37:15-28). Well, I believe that there are several reasons.
The most basic reason is the
absolute emphasis within
Christianity of PERSONAL redemption. PERSONAL redemption is
emphasized so much that NATIONAL redemption is not a part of their
thought process. Meanwhile, one of the major reasons why Judaism has
a difficult time accepting Yeshua/Jesus as their PERSONAL Messiah is
the absolute emphasis on Jewish COMMUNITY and the NATIONAL redemption
of God's people as foretold by the prophets of Israel.
Another reason why corporate
Christianity and even those
believers in Messiah who are embracing their Hebraic heritage in
Messiah have to stop, look and listen and chew and rechew before they
begin to understand that THEY are a part of the restoration of BOTH
HOUSES of Israel is because the enemy (HaSatan) has sowed perversion
and distortion in the belief in the two houses from groups that most
Christians view as being outside of the mainstream of Christian
belief like the Mormans and those who espouse "British Israelism".
In doing so, Christians have failed to
understand a Biblical
principle that ISHMAEL (Morman belief and British Israelism) comes
before ISAAC (the true belief, understanding and restoration of both houses of
Israel) through a world-wide sovereign outpouring of God's Holy
Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) otherwise named the SPIRIT of Elijah who is
turning the hearts of the children (Christianity) to the fathers
(Judiasm) and the hearts of fathers (Judaism) to the children
(Christianity).
Most believers in Messiah who are
embracing their Hebraic
heritage in Messiah are IGNORANT that the restoration of both houses
of Israel is not a cultic perverted made up belief of Eddie Chumney
or Batya Wooten (author of Who is Israel and Why you need to know)
but is a FOUNDATIONAL belief of modern Orthodox Judaism.
The purpose of this article is to show
you the connection
between PASSOVER and this fundamental and
foundational belief of modern Orthodox Judaism as it relates to the
end of days and the coming of King Messiah. Orthodox Jews call the
restoration of both houses of Israel (Ezekiel 37:15-28) the
MESSIANIC REDEMPTION or the INGATHERING OF THE EXILES. It can be
otherwise seen as being NATIONAL REDEMPTION.
Passover is a miqra (rehearsal) of BOTH
PERSONAL redemption
and NATIONAL redemption.
In order to show that this is a modern
Orthodox Jewish
belief and concept, I would like to include portions of articles from
Orthodox Jewish sources to show this:
+++++++++++++++++++++
From JUICE Administration (juice@jer1.co.il)
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: JUICE Basics 8
=====================================================================
WZO Student and Academic Department
Jewish University In CyberspacE (JUICE)
=========================================================
Course: JUDAISM: THE BASICS
Lecture: 8/12
Lecturer: Rabbi Reuven D. Sutnick
PASSOVER: THE GREATEST STORY YOU'LL EVER TELL!
(Question from Lecture 7)
Ted writes:
The redemption from Egypt is symbolic of our own personal
redemption, and our personal redemption comes through the
Messiah. As Job stated concerning the Messiah:
For I know that MY REDEEMER liveth, and that he
shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though
after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh
shall I see God: (KJV Job19:25-26,emphasis added)
Additionally, our redemption from Egypt is a type
and a shadow of our redemption by the Messiah who is to
come in the latter days.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet
of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace;
that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth
salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy
watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together
shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the
Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing
together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord
hath comforted his people, he hath REDEEMED Jerusalem.
The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all
the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the
salvation of our God(KJV Isaiah 52:7-10, emphasis added).
This is a wonderful contribution to a discussion which
probably does not have a definitive conclusion. Ted is
struggling with two definitions, PERSONAL redemption and
NATIONAL redemption. He structures a definition whereby
national redemption is a "type and a (fore)shadow(ing)"
of personal redemption. And this is certainly supported
by the passage from the Haggadah which reads: "A person
must see himself as if he PERSONALLY left Egypt" -- that
is, as if he had personally participated in the great
national redemption. Good thinking!
I would add that you can also see in the classical
discussion of redemption two discrete definitions which
should not be mixed. In his excellent answer, Ted quotes
from Job -- who fails to mention Israel, Zion, Jerusalem,
eyes of nations or any other indicator of a national
context. He quotes from Isaiah -- who fails to mention
worms, bodily decay or any other indicator of a personal
redemption from death. To me, the unique and definitive
aspect of Jewish Messianism is the promise of national
redemption -- even when human history winds down.
BASICALLY, as Jews, our personal entity takes on meaning
as we take part in the national entity. And by the way,
this makes sense.
++++++++++++++++++
Notice that there is a concept of PERSONAL redemption and
NATIONAL redemption and the celebration of Passover is still a
rehearsal for the FUTURE NATIONAL redemption which is seen being the
work of the King Messiah in modern Orthodox Jewish thought.
Next, I would like to include a part from a weekly Torah
portion which was sent by the webmaster at (http://www.moshiach.com)
which is a Chassidic (Chabad) website.
+++++++++++++++++++
Date: 14 January 2000, 11:24:07 EST
From Menachem M. Elishevitz
Subject: Moshiach.com Newsletter - Bo
The prophet says, "As in the days of your going out from Egypt, I will
show [the people] wondrous things." (Michah 7:15) This means that the
exodus from Egypt is a paradigm for the future redemption by Moshiach.
Remember: Moshiach is on his way! - The Lubavitcher Rebbe
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A few weeks ago, I received an article from the
authors of
the Judean Voice from the West Bank in Israel. Here is what they
write about Passover and the future MESSIANIC (NATIONAL) redemption.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Judean Voice
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2000 12:15 AM
To: Judean Voice
Subject: from Haggadah of the Jewish Idea
The following is a transation from the Haggadah of the Jewish Idea,
commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane:
"It happened that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar Ben
Azariah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarphon were reclining (at a Seder) in
Benei Berak. They were discussing the Exodus all that night, until
their students came and told them: "Rabbis! It is time for the morning
prayer "Shma!"
The obvious questions which have already been asked are: How could the
rabbis not have paid attention by themselves that the time for the
reading of the "Shma" had arrived? In addition, what were these rabbis
doing sitting together on Seder night, when each had a family and a
yeshiva of his own in different parts of the country? Why were they
sitting in Bnei Berak, the place of (the student) Rabbi Akiva?
Before giving the answer, some historical background is necessary.
Only a few years had passed since the Destruction of the Second
Temple, and the Land of Israel was controlled by the Romans. But
secretly, the planning of the revolution had begun - a revolution
which saw Rabbi Akiva play a central role as the "armsbearer" of
Bar-Cochba (see Rambam, Hilchot Milachim). The rest of the Rabbis were
also quite active in the rebellion, as the Rambam writes: "and he
(Rabbi Akiva) and all the rabbis of his generation thought that he
(Bar-Cochba) was the Messiah".
And so the rabbis with Rabbi Akiva were sitting together on the Seder
night to learn and discuss the fundamentals of the redemption and to
make preparations for the rebellion. They were learning in secret,
covertly, perhaps in the famous Caves of Bar-Cochba. If so, it would
be clear why their students would need to inform them that morning had
broke. (It is worth pointing out a nice explanation for "the time for
'Shma' has arrived : "Shma Yisrael" is a symbol for "Kiddush Hashem",
and the students were saying to their rabbis: Our Rabbis! The time for
Kiddush Hashem has arrived! - Rebel against the Romans and bring the
redemption!)
Here is the crucial lesson: The rabbis understood that the purpose of
the Seder night was not just to retell a story that once was. The
exodus from Egypt is the source and inspiration for the FUTURE
REDEMPTION as well, and that is why our sages tell us that the first
redemption is a sign for the final Redemption. Since the rabbis
believed that there was a real possibility then to bring the FINAL
REDEMPTION (and that Bar-Cochba was a feasible candidate for Messiah),
they sat on the Seder night to plan the tactics and natural stages of
the redemption, which they hoped would come through this planned
rebellion.
On Passover night, we must not only discuss the past, but the
following two items as well:
1) We must contemplate the miracles which
we have witnessed in our generation, with an understanding that it is
G-d's Hand and the expression of His Will to bring us the FINAL
REDEMPTION ...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In the past month or so, I ordered an Orthodox Jewish book
from the
barnesandnoble.com website which are insights on the weekly Torah
portion based upon the teachings of the Chabad (Chassidic Jews) and
the late Rabbi Menachem Schneerson. The book is entitled: "Torah
Studies" by the Kehot Publication Society: ISBN: 0-8266-0493-5.
On page 77 of the book which is a commentary on the Torah
portion "Shemot" from the book of Exodus it reads:
THE
TWO REDEEMERS
"After G-d has repeatedly asked Moses to return to Egypt and lead
the Jewish people out of their captivity, Moses finally says, 'Send I
pray You, by the hand of whom You will send.' The Midrash says on
this verse, 'Moses said before Him, Master of the Universe, send, I
pray You, by the hand of whom You will send --- by the hand of the
Messiah who will be the future redeemer .. It can be inferred from
the Midrash that there is a special connection between Moses and the
Messiah and it was because of this that Moses wanted the Messiah
himself to be sent to Egypt. Nonetheless, the redemption from Egypt
was the task of Moses; the mission of the Messiah belongs to the
FINAL EXILE [so it is called the MESSIANIC REDEMPTION]"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Furthermore, several months ago, I was able to get a copy of
book which is out of print entitled, "The Messianic Idea in Israel"
by Joseph Klausner. Joseph Klausner was a Professor Emeritus of
Hebrew literature and Jewish history at the Hebrew University in
Jerusalem. The book was printed by the MacMillan Company, New York,
1955.
In talking about the Messianic prophecies in the book of Hosea,
on page 47-48 of the book it says:
"But we find in Hosea also clear indication of an INDIVIDUAL MESSIAH
... And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be
gathered together and they shall appoint themselves one head, and
shall go up out of the land; for great shall be the day of Jezreel
(Hosea 1:11) ... we see clearly that the prophet means by 'the day of
Jezreel' that the day of redemption since it will come after the
ingathering of the exiles ... the 'one head' which the children of
Israel will appoint in order to go up from the land of their exile
must be, without doubt, a strong redeemer, a PERSONAL MESSIAH ...
Hosea: prophesies that the FUTURE REDEMPTION will be LIKE THE
REDEMPTION FROM THE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE: 'Therefore, behold, I will
allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly
unto her. And I will give her vineyards from thence, And the valley
of Achor for a door of hope; And she shall respond there as in the
days of her youth, AS IN THE DAY WHEN SHE CAME UP OUT OF THE LAND OF
EGYPT (Hosea 2:14-16). This strenthens the view which I expressed in
the second chapter of this book, that the ancient traditions about
the exile in Egypt and the deliverance from this exile were the
initial stimulus to the formation of the entire Messianic idea, which
is fundamentally the idea of redemption from exile."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In analyzing the prophecies in the book of Malachi, Jacob Klauser
writes on page 74 of his book, "The Messianic Idea in Israel":
"For, like Hosea 2:14-16, Micah stresses the great similarity between
the expected redemption and the exodus from Egypt in the time of
Moses: "AS IN THE DAYS OF THY COMING FORTH OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT
will I show you marvellous things" (Micah 7:15), says the prophet ...
the hope of redemption was influenced by the old tradition which
Israel had concerning the Egyptian exile and the deliverance from
this exile and that the belief in the Messiah was brought into being
by the early portrayal possessed by Israel of the gigantic figure of
Moses --- 'the first redeemer' and the 'savior of Israel', according
to the Sages in the Talmud."
On page 77, Joseph Klausner continues:
"In other words, the redemption will begin after the Messiah is born
and after the return of the Judahites (who even at that time were in
large measure dispersed) TOGETHER with the Northern Israelites in
their land ..."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Therefore, the MESSIANIC REDEMPTION or the NATIONAL REDEMPTION of
BOTH HOUSES of Israel (Ezekiel 37:15-38) is seen by the Orthodox
Jews and the prophets of Israel as being a REPEAT of the Egyption
redemption but on a GLOBAL scale in the end of days. So, TODAY'S
PASSOVER is a REHEARSAL of this NATIONAL REDEMPTION.
Most non-Jewish believers in Messiah DO NOT identify themselves
with being at Mount Sinai and a part of this historical redemption or
a part of a future national redemption but the Apostle Paul told us
to NOT BE IGNORANT of this truth and TO IDENTIFY with the historical
(and future) redemption from exile. In I Corinthians 10:1 it is
written:
"Moreover, brethren, I would NOT that you should be IGNORANT, how
that ALL of OUR FATHERS were under the cloud, and ALL passed through
the sea ..."
The Apostle Paul (Rav Sha'ul) was conveying the Jewish concept
that you are to see yourself as if YOU were at Mount Sinai and
redeemed from Egyptian bondage.
In Exodus 13:8 it is written:
"And you shall show your son in THAT DAY (future), saying, This is
done because of that which the Lord did unto ME when I came forth out
of Egypt"
In other words, ALL future generations are to see as if they were
personally redeemed from Egypt with their forefathers and they are to
REHEARSE this EVERY YEAR as a preparation for the FUTURE MESSIANIC
REDEMPTION (otherwise known as the ingathering of the exiles which
includes BOTH houses of Israel) which is seen as being NATIONAL
REDEMPTION.
For believing as the Orthodox do on this subject and as is
written by the
prophets of Israel of this future NATIONAL REDEMPTION and the
restoration of both houses of Israel (as told in Ezekiel 37:15-28), I
was recently "excommunicated" (given the left foot of fellowship)
from another "Jewish roots" ministry because this concept was so
foreign to them that they interpreted this as I was believing in
"replacement theology". I hope that all of our newsgroup members can
see from this article that this is CURRENT Orthodox Jewish belief as
is CONFIRMED by the writings of the PROPHETS of Israel and I can
guarentee you with 100% surety that Orthodox Jews DON'T belief in
"replacement theology" so if you belief what they belief on this
issue and this belief is written and explained by the prophets of
Israel, you are in no form or fashion are believing in "replacement
theology" by believing in the restoration of both houses of Israel.
Because of the advanced stage of the current
Middle East
peace process and because this current Middle East peace process is
connected with the future Messianic or NATIONAL redemption of BOTH
HOUSES of Israel (Ezekiel 37:15-28), God through His grace and mercy
upon His people is encouraging believers in Messiah all over the
world to embrace their Hebraic heritage, do a Passover Seder,
celebrate the historical redemption of our forefathers, our personal
redemption in Messiah and REHEARSE for the coming future Messianic or
NATIONAL redemption which the Orthodox Jews also call the
'ingathering of the exiles' which they see as being BOTH the "lost"
Northern Kingdom as well as themselves, the Southern Kingdom or Judah
- the Jewish people.
I pray that this explanation of WHY PASSOVER
and WHY NOW will
encourage you to do a Passover Seder each year and encourage others
to participate with you until the time of this NATIONAL / MESSIANIC
redemption of God's people.
If you would like to study the issue of the
restoration of
both houses of Israe in more detail, I would encourage you to get my
latest book, "Restoring the Two Houses of Israel".
May you have a blessed Passover and holiday
season,
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
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