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Relating and Connecting to Other Groups of Believers
Posted by Lev/Christopher on July 4, 2008 at 10:04am
in Forum
It is quite common for independent Messianic and evangelical congregations or groups of congregations to join various 'associations' of like-minded believers that fall short of being an actual 'denomination'. One of the commonest Messianic groupings is the Messianic Jewish Association (MJA) for Messianic Jews and amongst Messianic Israelites there are the Messianic Israel Alliance (MIA), the Union of Two House Messianic Congregations (UONYC), Your Arms to Israel International Ministries (YATI), and so on. These are similar to the kinds of arrangements that evangelical organisations have, which are usually nationally based (the various Baptist and Pentecostal Unions, for example, or older Synods of the Presbyterians, Methodists, Anglicans, etc.).
Throughout it's life, MLT and its precursor (NCCG) have only ever belonged to one such association, MIA. This occurred in our early Torah-observant days when we were seeking some guidance and looking for like-minded fellowship. Today, as earlier, we are not a part of any grouping or association, except in the wider informal sense as 'Messianic Israelites'. However, we differ from all the other Messianic Israelite organisations (like YATI and UONYC) inasmuch as they, though claiming to be "Two House" (Ephraim and Judah), are Judah-led rather than Ephraim-led. MLT is the first and (as yet) the only Joseph-led Messianic Israelite grouping. Furthermore, we are not strictly speaking 'Two House' but 'One House' Messianic Israelites. However, Messianic Jews also claim to be 'One House', claiming that they 'contain' all the other tribes which have been absorbed (effectively) into Judah.
We believe in the Twelve Tribes of Israel. We also believe that they divided into Two Houses (Israel/Ephraim/Joseph 10 tribes) and Judah (2 tribes with Benjamin). We believe the Levites were scattered amongst the Two Houses with the majority in Judah. However, there are essentially two views as to what 'Two House' means. A lot of Messianic Israelites see the two house as (1) Jews converting to Yah'shua, giving Messianic Jews who are Torah-obedient, and (2) Israelites (Ephraim) who are the Christians (basically Protestant) who are slowly coming to Torah-obedience. They believe that these two wings will come together at some point into one House of Israel. The joining of the 'sticks' of Ezekiel is, by their account, ultimately a religious-political joining together in the Holy Land one day.
Our view is a little different because we primarily view this unification from a spiritual angle. Firstly, we don't believe that Two Houses equals Yah'shua-believing and Torah-observant Jews and Protestants, respectively. In fact, we believe this 'division' masks the real issues. We do not believe, for one, that the vast body of those calling themselves Jews have actually anything to do with the House of Judah but are converts to a false religion called 'Judaism'. Of those calling themselves Jews today, we believe that perhaps only one or two in twenty actually have connections to Judah, Jacob and Abraham by descent. Neither do we believe that being a 'Protestant' or an 'Evangelical' makes one an Ephraimite or Israelite whether literally or by adoption. And whilst we believe that the 10 Tribes primarily settled in northern Europe, we also believe that in fact they are to be found in every nation and that coming to a knowledge of racial origin (were that even important or desirable) is next to impossible. We believe that the 12 tribes are so thoroughly mixed up with one another and with the gentiles that there is no way physical identification can ever be made by scientific methods. Having said this, though, we believe that on the whole (but not exclusively) that true Judah, Benjamin, Levi and perhaps Simeon has broadly-speaking kept to the 'Jewish' groupings - Sephardic (primarily) and Ashkenazi (less so) (with a smattering of the other tribes mixed in) and that true Israel (the 10 tribes led by Ephraim) has kept to those groupings which have converted to Christianity in all its many forms, with Ephraim and Manasseh being in the vanguard of the Protestant Reformation (the Germanic nations for the most part - Germany, Scandinavia, Holland, Britain) with other tribes playing an important though less pronounced (and numerical) rôle like the French Huguenots (of principally Reubenite descent). Scattered amongst this Israelite House are also descendants of Judah, Benjamin and Levi. These then, very broadly and in a temporal sense, are the Two Houses. However there is another, much more important aspect of the 'Two House' concept which is hard to put into words but which must be attempted.
Yahweh is no respector of persons and is manifesting the twelve tribes in a most interesting way. He is literally 'breeding' them out of all races, kindreds and tongues where they have been scattered, meaning, He is extracting, through careful breeding wholly under His control, and without our slightest knowledge, the seed of Abraham into their twelve different types, who, when brought together, consist of every 'racial' type - Caucasian, Mongoloid, Asian, African, Amerindian, and so on. In fact by looking at them, you would never guess they were of the original Hebrew racial 'stock' (which as you know was mixed in with every other race even in the earliest days - Canaanites (e.g. Rahab), Egyptians (e.g. Asenath), Moabites (e.g. Ruth), etc.). Most never know of their origin or tribe, unless it is specifically revealed to them and in fact, until the gathering into the twelve cities of refuge takes place just before the Great Tribulation, it doesn't matter. And they will, in any case, appear from the outside to be 'multi-racial' as the world calls it.
What then, do those who are thus being 'bred out' by Yahweh have in common? (1) They have a passionate love for Yahweh; (2) They have a passionate love for and belief in the Deity of Yah'shua; (3) They have a passionate love for the New Covenant Torah; and (4) They loathe the world system and everything that is false and a lie with all their beings. They are on fire for the truth above all else and care not for man-made tradition.
There are not, therefore, two 'groupings' in true Messianic Israel, not now, at any rate, not since the Sukkot anointing of 2006. They consist of twelve different types of people representing the twelve tribes united under one echad banner of Messianic Israel led by the House of Joseph as the legitimate firstborn who are in turn led by one Judahite, the Lion of Judah, Yah'shua, who is the glory of Judah and of Israel. The glory of Judah is the Messiah, and the glory of Joseph is the Theocratic Governance of Israel as a whole.
What, then, is our relationship to other messianics and evangelicals? That depends 'where they are' spiritually, because we believe that true 'One House Josephite Echad Messianic Israel' has a seven-fold grading as represented by the Seven Festivals and the Seven Ruachs. Thus all true born-again evangelical Protestants who have the anointing of the Rishon haQodesh or Ruach haRishon (the first of the Ruachs) are Messianic Israelites in the first degree or grade. All those who believe in holiness and removing sin from their lives of this order, and are actively striving in this direction, are also true Messianic Israelites of the second order or House of Shanee. All those who have been 'baptised in the sea' by immersion and are truly separating themselves out from the world, even if they are lawless as Messianics understand the term, are also true Messianic Israelites of the third order of the House of Shleshi. These are, broadly-speaking, what one might term 'holiness evangelicals' and are to be found in many denominations. Those who repent of their lawlessness and antinomianism and start embracing true New Covenant Torah are also true Messianic Israelites of the fourth order of the House of Revee.
It should not necessarily be assumed that Torah-observant Jews are automatically of the House of Shleshi simply because they have accepted the Messiah. The foundation of Messianic Israel is laid upon Rishon, Shanee and Shleshi and all must enter by the same gate, Jews as well as 'gentiles' (so-called). Yah'shua is not an 'add-on' to Judaism. Those coming from Judaism must start from the beginning and enter by the door of the sheepfold. There are far too many robbers and thieves amongst 'Messianic Jews' who bring in their élitist and false traditions, many of whom reject the Deity of Messiah, who allow their traditions to define Elohim (like Kabbalism) instead of Yah'shua. And though Yah'shua is truly subordinated to Yahweh the Father, to Him - until Yahweh claims the authority back as Paul taught - has all authority beeen given. Entrance to Messianic Israel begins NOT with Torah but with YAH'SHUA. It begins and ends with Him. Torah belongs to the fourth stage, not the first three. And whilst New Covenant Torah is important (as opposed to the Old Covenant version), it is not the primary thing. The Old Covenant and the Levitical Priesthood are dead. That is why three of the Ruachs have nothing whatsoever to do with Torah at all. Torah is added in the middle at stage #4. First must come the Two Great Commandments. There must be a total immersion in experiential love. There must be direct heart-contact with the Ruach haQodesh.
What, then, did Paul mean when he said that there is a great advantage in being a Jew? Well, for a start, he was referring to the bona fide Judahites who are today in a minority amongst the 'Jews'. Secondly, though Rabbinical Judaism was already well established and a new cycle of apostacy resulted in the majority rejecting the King-Messiah (Yah'shua) and the Kingdom (Messianic Israel), they were closer to the authentic Torah then than they are today. Torah was a precious inheritance, giving a great advantage to those accustomed to living it (like the rich young ruler). But (as the story of the rich young ruler showed) Torah is not enough. It has its vital place, when truly understood through the lens of the New Covenant of Messiah (as opposed to the corrupt Rabbinical and Talmudic one), but it is not the chief thing. Torah was made for us, not man for Torah as Yah'shua reminded the Judahites of His time. We do not worship Torah but the Elohim.
There is a great advantage to being a holiness Evangelical, far greater than being a Messianic Jew, because the foundation is right. Judah must submit to this true Messianic order and bring with him his gifts of Torah-knowledge to bless his Josephite head. It is more important to be true to Messiah than being true to Torah even though the one is not without the other.
We do not, like a lot of Messianics, see Messianics and Christians as 'us' and 'them'. That is a wholely artificial, man-made and carnal division, and not pleasing to Yahweh. We therefore receive people where they are and promote the importance of all seven steps of salvation. Both the 'gentile' and the 'Jew' have strengths and weaknesses and we must labour in different though overlapping areas with them. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, we take you back to the beginning - to Rishon - and guide you along the Way of Life. Whether Evangelical Protestant or Messianic Jew we welcome you. And what of Catholics, Orthodox and others? Well, naturally, we welcome them too, and indeed people from every religious and non-religious background because everyone possesses some sort of advantage and some gift. Our own revelations speak positively of the Catholic contribution which Yahweh permitted to exist, along with the Orthodox and Coptic faiths, as the sole representatives of Christianity for centuries in spite of its abuses and apostacy (OB 172). There are people coming from every religious and denominational background united by one thing: a passionate love. It may be confused, undirected and hidebound by lots of false tradition, but it is love that counts, it is how a true Israelite is identified, and it is upon this love that the whole of Messianic Israel is built. His people are everywhere to be found scattered in the darkness of the world. Our job is to shine the beacon of truth and invite them home.
As more groups accept the truths that we are preaching, we hope they will join this association under the leadership of Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon. We hope this outline of our beliefs has been helpful.
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Reply by Lev/Christopher on July 11, 2008 at 1:52am
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Reply by Lev/Christopher on August 8, 2008 at 1:31am
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Reply by Lev/Christopher on May 7, 2009 at 4:08am
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Reply by Lev/Christopher on May 23, 2009 at 7:58am
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Updated on 3 January 2011
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