Have you seriously considered that Jesus can come back any day or thought about what that even means, or would look like? Although this is not always the case, many preachers do not teach from the Old Testament. The Torah and Prophets (Old Testament) are the foundation of our faith, and they give details about Jesus’ return. Some of the basic teachings of salvation can be misunderstood if not placed into the correct context from the teachings in the Old Testament. For example, while Jesus was talking to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus, He explained the redemption message by starting with Moses and all the Prophet’s teachings (Luke 24:27).
If we want to follow the examples of Jesus’ life, why are not more people using Moses and the Prophets to explain Jesus? Everything in the Bible has to have a direct reference to the Torah and the Prophets, if not, the teaching can possibly become a false teaching. If you believe the New Testament is saying something in contradiction to the Torah, then you need to keep searching the matter out. The New Testament cannot be in conflict with the Torah and Prophets. Jesus cannot be disconnected from the Torah, and everything about what a Messiah is must be verified in the Torah and the Prophets. If we believe something about Jesus that is not written in the Torah or Prophets, then we might find ourselves disqualifying Jesus from being a Messiah. For example, if we believe Jesus did away with the laws of Moses, then that would automatically disqualify Jesus as Messiah. Moses said in Deuteronomy God would send someone like him, and if a person does miracles but does not keep the Torah that they are a false prophet.
This podcast is dedicated to understanding the Messianic Era from the perspective of the Temple:
The following statements can be misunderstood if they are not taught with foundational truths from the Torah:
- Jesus is a Jew who died for our sins, and He was rejected by His own people (Luke 4:14-30), and He was killed for our sins (Isaiah 53:5). The Jews are blinded until the time of the fulfillment of the Gentiles (Romans 11:25).
- Jesus was our sacrifice who atoned for our sin because we could not even try to be good enough to please God. (1 John 2:2, Romans 3:10)
- Jesus came to take away the sins of the world, and according to John 3:16, He came so that the whole world can be saved.
- We are saved by faith and grace alone. (Ephesians 2:8)
- We need to confess with our mouth to receive Jesus as our Savior. (Romans 10:9)
Although the statements above are truths, without a strong foundation of a Messiah from the Torah, they may lead a person in the wrong direction in life and miss the entire goal of redemption. The following are helpful resources to help build a solid foundation on.
The Torah says in Leviticus 26:9-12 the goal is for God to dwell with us on this earth. God said that when Israel repents for all their sins, He will remember His Covenant with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham (Leviticus 26:40-42). As an example of not having a solid Torah foundation about the Covenant that God made with Israel and the consequences for them not keeping it, many preachers have taught incorrectly that the Old Testament and New Testament are two different covenants. They have said we are already fully living under the New Covenant. Many have even taught the Old Covenant is no longer valid. Many people are unaware the New Covenant is written in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31:31-37, Ezekiel 36:24-30). The New Covenant says that God will change our heart so that we will keep God’s commandments. If the Covenant that God gave through Moses at Mount Sinai is not valid, why would God need to change our heart to keep it? The New Covenant speaks about a time where the world will follow the Torah, and the whole world will know God. Is the world really there today? Does everyone follow the Torah and know God?
To answer these questions here is a great resource to learn more on this subject: What About The New Covenant
If people do not have a solid understanding of the Torah and Prophets they do not:
- Worry about their sins (they believe there is not consequence for sin)
- Pay attention to nor try to follow God’s commandments
- Understand the importance of a Messiah
- Fully understand what the responsibilities of a disciple are
Some people are fully convinced all they have to do is believe in Jesus, and that they are under grace to live how they feel and are “Ok”. However, even Paul says in Romans 2 we will be judged for our works. The very foundation of what Jesus taught was to repent (Matthew 4:17). It is also sometimes taught we do not need to worry about our deeds, but Jesus was asked what must a person do to inherit eternal life and He answered by saying keep the commandments (Matthew 19:16-22 / Mark 10:17-22.) The very death of Jesus dying on the cross was a deed. How is it that our Messiah had to keep the commandments, and we are told not to worry about any of them?
If all there was to do is believe in our mind that Jesus is Lord, and then stand in line and receive a reward for not participating in anything, we would find that in the scriptures. It scripturally is not accurate. The process of repentance includes learning and applying God’s commandments.
You are not saved by your deeds, but your deeds are fruits of repentance, and they reveal you are a child of God. The judgment Paul referred to in Romans 2 should be viewed as a good thing. The judgment will validate who you are in Messiah.
The Bible explains what God required of man in Micah 6:8. It says
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
We find what it means to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly through a lifelong journey of repentance, studying the Bible, and living what we learn.
What can we expect when Jesus is the king of the world?
People often say they cannot wait for Jesus to come back, but the problem with this statement is many people have never heard what the Torah or the Prophets say will happen when the Messiah comes. The best commentary on this subject is from the Torah Club ‘Shadows of the Messiah’, by FFOZ. This post is in no way a complete commentary on the subject of Jesus’ return, but for the purpose of this 30-day journey we are going to list six major points about His return that is suggested for you to search out. We are only putting a few scriptures listed below, but the Torah and Prophets have a plethora of information on this topic:
- The Messiah will be like Moses and He will teach and live according to the Torah (Deuteronomy 18:15, Acts 3:21-23)
- The Messiah will bring the children of Israel out of Exile and return them to the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 30:1-10, Isaiah 11:12)
- The Messiah will fight a huge battle in Egypt and Jerusalem (Isaiah 19, Zechariah 14)
- The Messiah will bring the resurrection of the dead. What will it be like when there are resurrected and non-resurrected people living in the same city (1 Corinthians 15:50-53, Ezekiel 44)
- The Messiah will rule from Jerusalem and enforce the Torah (Micah 4:1-4, Isaiah 2:1-4)
- What can those who do not repent expect (Luke 17:34-37)
Here are some other resources about what it will look like when our Messiah comes back, and we are in the Messianic Age.
Jesus did not say He came so that you do not need to go through the repentance process. In fact, Jesus said just the opposite, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” This 30-day journey was created to help you do just that, to repent and understand it is a life long journey. We should at the very minimum go through an inventory of where we are at once a year, and then do something to improve ourselves.
A good resource to know Jesus at a much deeper level from the teachings of the Torah and Prophets is JesusMyRabbi.org. Also, take some time to learn about the 7 Noahide Laws, and listen to Daniel Lancaster’s teaching about them below.
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