RABBI TOVIA SINGER'S CHALLENGE TO CHRISTIANS: THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD (ISAIAH 7:14)

 (12) Outraged Christian Calls Rabbi Tovia Singer the Antichrist! - YouTube

Rabbi Singer challenges Christians to "take a moment and look it up for yourselves" regarding the claim that Mary was indeed a virgin. In Christian parlance, this equates to testing the spirits or emulating the Bereans. (1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11). 

Singer's assertion: Matthew deliberately altered the Hebrew bible in order to make it appear Christological. He changed Isaiah 7:14 which refers to the virgin. 

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14).

The Hebrew word under discussion is הָעַלְמָ֗ה  hā-‘al-māh - Strongs: 5959 [e] 

הָעַלְמָ֗ה can be translated a young woman, a virgin. {1}

Unfortunately, I do not know Hebrew, but I have looked up הָעַלְמָ֗ה in several lexicons and commentaries.  

Brown-Driver-Briggs: עַלְמָה noun feminine young woman (ripe sexually; maid or newly married); — ׳ע Genesis 24:43 (J), Exodus 2:8 (E), Proverbs 30:19; Isaiah 7:14; plural עֲלָמוֺת Psalm 68:26; Songs 1:3; Songs 6:8; עַלעֲֿלָמוֺת to (the voice of) young women, either literally, or of soprano or falsetto of boys: 1 Chronicles 15:20; Psalm 9:1 (read עַלעֲֿלָמוֺת לַבֵּן [for עַלמֿוּת לַבֵּן], 'voce virginea a pueris decantandum,' Thes), Psalm 46:1; Psalm 48:15 (read עַלעֲֿלָמוֺת [for עַלמֿוּת]; translated probably to Psalm 49:1). {1} 

The word עלמה ‛almâh is derived from the verb עלם ‛âlam, "to conceal, to hide, to cover." {2} This word properly interpreted means a girl, a maiden, a virgin an unmarried young woman of marriageable age. It occurs only seven times in the Old Testament (Isaiah 7:16; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 68:25; Song of Solomon  1:3, 6:8; Proverbs 30:19. It is applied to Rebecca in Genesis 24:43, to Miriam in Exodus 2:8 and to the maidens in Psalm 68:25. Interestingly Rebecca is referred to as a virgin (bethulah) in Genesis 24:16 and also as a young woman/maiden (almah) in Genesis 24:43. It therefore appears that bethulah and almah are interchangeable terms. 

Isaiah 7:14 requires us to understand Mary as a young Jewish woman who was legally pledged to, but not yet married to Joseph. She was regarded as a virgin by default. Given the time and culture referred to, a young unmarried Jewish woman or a girl would necessarily be a virgin.

 
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:18-23).

Singer goes on to quote Genesis 3:15: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. זֶרַע zera` (zeh'-rah) = a sowing, seed, offspring {3} Singer interprets her seed as the seed of Eve i.e. her children, her progeny, her offspring. In context we are looking at two seeds; the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. The seed of the serpent denotes the wicked. In contrast, her seed i.e. her offspring, is principally identified as Christ. (Galatians 3:16; Galatians 3:19). Zera (seed) is sometimes singular as in Genesis 4:25 when it refers to Seth. There is therefore no problem in translating zera in the singular and identifying Christ as the seed.

Nineteenth-century German theologians Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch are held in very high esteem as Old Testament scholars and Hebrew experts. The following is an excerpt from their commentary on Genesis 3.

"Observe, too, that although in the first clause the seed of the serpent is opposed to the seed of the woman, in the second it is not over the seed of the serpent but over the serpent itself that the victory is said to be gained. It, i.e., the seed of the woman will crush thy head, and thou (not thy seed) wilt crush its heel. Thus the seed of the serpent is hidden behind the unity of the serpent, or rather of the foe who, through the serpent, has done such injury to man. This foe is Satan, who incessantly opposes the seed of the woman and bruises its heel, but is eventually to be trodden under its feet. It does not follow from this, however, apart from other considerations, that by the seed of the woman we are to understand one solitary person, one individual only. As the woman is the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20), her seed, to which the victory over the serpent and its seed is promised, must be the human race. But if a direct and exclusive reference to Christ appears to be exegetically untenable, the allusion in the word to Christ is by no means precluded in consequence. In itself the idea of זרע, the seed, is an indefinite one, since the posterity of a man may consist of a whole tribe or of one son only (Genesis 4:25; Genesis 21:12-13), and on the other hand, an entire tribe may be reduced to one single descendant and become extinct in him. The question, therefore, who is to be understood by the "seed" which is to crush the serpent's head, can only be answered from the history of the human race. But a point of much greater importance comes into consideration here. Against the natural serpent the conflict may be carried on by the whole human race, by all who are born of a woman, but not against Satan. As he is a fore who can only be met with spiritual weapons, none can encounter him successfully but such as possess and make use of spiritual arms. Hence the idea of the "seed" is modified by the nature of the foe. If we look at the natural development of the human race, Eve bore three sons, but only one of them, viz., Seth, was really the seed by whom the human family was preserved through the flood and perpetuated in Noah: so, again, of the three sons of Noah, Shem, the blessed of Jehovah, from whom Abraham descended, was the only one in whose seed all nations were to be blessed, and that not through Ishmael, but through Isaac alone. Through these constantly repeated acts of divine selection, which were not arbitrary exclusions, but were rendered necessary by differences in the spiritual condition of the individuals concerned, the "seed," to which the victory over Satan was promised, was spiritually or ethically determined, and ceased to be co-extensive with physical descent. This spiritual seed culminated in Christ, in whom the Adamitic family terminated, henceforward to be renewed by Christ as the second Adam, and restored by Him to its original exaltation and likeness to God. In this sense Christ is the seed of the woman, who tramples Satan under His feet, not as an individual, but as the head both of the posterity of the woman which kept the promise and maintained the conflict with the old serpent before His advent, and also of all those who are gathered out of all nations, are united to Him by faith, and formed into one body of which He is the head (Romans 16:20). On the other hand, all who have not regarded and preserved the promise, have fallen into the power of the old serpent, and are to be regarded as the seed of the serpent, whose head will be trodden under foot (Matthew 23:33; John 8:44; 1 John 3:8). If then the promise culminates in Christ, the fact that the victory over the serpent is promised to the posterity of the woman, not of the man, acquires this deeper significance, that as it was through the woman that the craft of the devil brought sin and death into the world, so it is also through the woman that the grace of God will give to the fallen human race the conqueror of sin, of death, and of the devil. And even if the words had reference first of all to the fact that the woman had been led astray by the serpent, yet in the fact that the destroyer of the serpent was born of a woman (without a human father) they were fulfilled in a way which showed that the promise must have proceeded from that Being, who secured its fulfilment not only in its essential force, but even in its apparently casual form." {4}

To sum up the context of Isaiah 7:1-9:7: Isaiah predicts the failure of the Syrio-Israelitish invasion of Judah and the fatal results of Judah's alliance (through Ahaz) with Assyria. The text moves forward to the distant future prophecy concerning the certainty of final preservation and the coming of the Messiah. 

Clarke: "But how could that be a sign to Ahaz which was to take place so many hundreds of years after? I answer, the meaning of the prophet is plain: not only Rezin and Pekah should be unsuccessful against Jerusalem at that time, which was the fact; but Jerusalem, Judea, and the house of David should be both preserved, notwithstanding their depressed state, and the multitude of their adversaries, till the time should come when a Virgin should bear a son. This is a most remarkable circumstance the house of David could never fail, till a virgin should conceive and bear a son - nor did it: but when that incredible and miraculous fact did take place, the kingdom and house of David became extinct! This is an irrefragable confutation of every argument a Jew can offer in vindication of his opposition to the Gospel of Christ. Either the prophecy in Isaiah has been fulfilled, or the kingdom and house of David are yet standing. But the kingdom of David, we know, is destroyed: and where is the man, Jew or Gentile, that can show us a single descendant of David on the face of the earth? The prophecy could not fail: the kingdom and house of David have failed; the virgin, therefore, must have brought forth her son, and this son is Jesus, the Christ. Thus Moses, Isaiah, and Matthew concur; and facts the most unequivocal have confirmed the whole! Behold the wisdom and providence of God!" {5}

Jesus necessarily had to be born of a virgin so that He would not inherit the sinful nature of fallen humanity. It was Adam, not Eve, who passed sin on to their descendants. (Romans 5:12). Jesus' miraculous conception by the power of the Spirit is an essential doctrine of the church. The New Testament can meet any challenge to its claim of authenticity and scriptural authority. (1 John 4:6). 

I would advise everyone, not only Christians, to be very wary indeed of Tovia Singer's doctrine. The caller did not identify Singer as "the Antichrist" with the article, he said "antichrist" in general terms. (1 John 2:18, 4:2-3). A person who calls the apostles "liars" and who refers to the gospels as "garbage in garbage out" should expect a strong response from Jesus' followers.

1. Strong's Hebrew: 5959. עַלְמָה (almah) -- a young woman, a virgin (biblehub.com)
2. Isaiah 7:14 Commentaries: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. (biblehub.com)
3. Strong's Hebrew: 2233. זָ֫רַע (zera) -- a sowing, seed, offspring (biblehub.com)
4. Genesis 3 Keil and Delitzsch OT Commentary (biblehub.com)
5. Isaiah 7 Clarke's Commentary (biblehub.com)

RABBI TOVIA SINGER'S DISTORTION OF THE SCRIPTURES

 (5) Christian Zionism, is it possible? With Rabbi Tovia Singer - YouTube

American Orthodox Rabbi Tovia Singer is a fierce advocate for the Jewish faith, the Jewish people, and the State of Israel. Singer moved from Indonesia to Jerusalem in May 2019 and he now lives in the Jewish quarter of the Old City. He is the founder and director of Outreach Judaism, an international organization that responds directly to the issues raised by missionaries and cults, by exploring Judaism in contradistinction to fundamentalist Christianity. {1} Singer is the author of Let’s Get Biblical! Why Doesn’t Judaism Accept the Christian Messiah? 

The interviewer, Dr Roi Yozevitch, observed that an Israeli-loving Christian is an oxymoron from the Jewish point of view. This is mainly due to the historic persecution of Jews by the so-called church. A major obstacle for the Jewish people is historical antisemitism and the accusation that they are "Christ murderers". From the fundamental Christian point of view, we know that God has not rejected his people as some teach. According to the apostle Paul, at the present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace. (Romans 11: 1-12).

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. (Romans 11:28-32).

Yozevitch informed his viewers that Orthodox Jews are not allowed to read, or even to have a copy of the New Testament in their homes. We should be under no illusion that Orthodox Jews are an easy group to evangelize; on the contrary, they present a united front and are extremely hostile to the gospel.

Singer is confident and convincing, but he misrepresents the scriptural position on a number of key doctrines. In this post, I will limit my critique to Singer's misrepresentation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as "ritual cannibalism".  

Singer: "Christians teach in the eucharist that you have to eat the body and drink the blood of the messiah Jesus through eating the bread and drinking the wine..  ..to the Christian, when you eat the body and drink the blood, literally Christ dwells in you and you become Christ-like.. it is all about worshipping a God-man who died for your sins and resurrected from the dead, and if you believe in that and his body and blood dwell in you then you are saved and you gain the properties of Christ.. This is what is called ritual cannibalism.."

Singer omits to clarify the parabolic element of Jesus' teaching and his distortions are no doubt repulsive to his Jewish audience. Fundamental bible believing Christians do not believe that when they take communion they are literally ingesting the body and blood of Christ, or that his body and blood literally dwell in them. Realism i.e. the real or physical presence of Jesus in the communion i.e. transubstantiation and its variant, consubstantiation, is generally rejected by fundamental Christians. The doctrine held by many Christians is that the bread and wine consumed in communion are symbolic of the body and blood of Jesus. The elements are a remembrance of the atonement Jesus made for our sins on the cross: Do this in remembrance of me - literally, as My memorial, or, as your memorial of Me. (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24).

The New Testament scriptures teach that it is by grace through faith that people are saved, not by any outward observance. (Ephesians 2:8). When the bread and wine are taken, we do not believe that we are taking into ourselves the essence or the "life force" of Jesus into our bodies.  Believers receive the Holy Spirit when they believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:2; Acts 20:21; John 6:63).

Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”At this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever. Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. 

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:47-68).

This graphic metaphor caused no small controversy amongst the Jews: ..they began to argue among themselves.. After this many turned back and no longer walked with him. This speech had the effect of weeding out Jesus' superficial followers. His habit was to explain the deeper meaning of his sayings to the twelve privately. (Mark 4:34).

On other occasions, Jesus said, I am the light of the world (John 8:12), I am the good shepherd (John 10: 11,14),  I am the vine (John 15:1), I am the door. (John 10:9).

This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (Matthew 13:13).

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

1. RABBI TOVIA SINGER SPEAKER BIO | Outreach Judaism (beyneynu.com) 

DECEPTION IN THE NAR IDENTIFIED: MICHAEL BROWN + JOSEPH MATTERA

Dr Michael Brown and Joseph Mattera have recently produced a document identifying deception inside the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Incredibly, Brown has previously denied the existence of the NAR. He has been called out repeatedly as someone who facilitates and gives credibility to NAR false teachers and has been dubbed "the apostle of obfuscation". The document below seems definitive and appears to condemn various heretical NAR practices. However, Brown is someone who should be treated with extreme caution, even when he appears to say the right things. Mark and avoid those wolves who identify themselves as "apostolic". (Romans 16:17).

In light of the controversy surrounding the terms “New Apostolic Reformation” (NAR)
and “Christian Nationalism,” we are issuing this statement of clarification.1

WE AFFIRM the importance of Ephesians 4:11 ministries for the Church today and believe that such ministry functions have existed throughout Church history, even if not described in these exact terms.

WE AFFIRM that contemporary apostolic and prophetic ministries are important for the well-being and mission of the Church, just as evangelistic, pastoral, and teaching ministries are important.

• By “apostolic,” we are referring to visionary leaders who are missional, fathering, and pioneering, such as church planters, networkers, or movement leaders, often marked by their focus on gospel expansion beyond one local region. Such leaders are identified by their function, whether or not they use the term apostolic and whether or not they are Pentecostal or charismatic.
• By “prophetic,” we are referring to Church leaders who understand and declare the mind of God for specific times and seasons, helping the Lord’s people respond biblically. Such leaders are identified by their function, whether or not they use the term prophetic and whether or not they are Pentecostal or charismatic.

WE REJECT the belief that contemporary apostles carry the same authority as did the original Twelve Apostles.

WE REJECT the belief that contemporary prophets have the exact same function or carry the exact same authority as did Old Testament prophets.2

WE REJECT the belief that every church must be submitted to apostles and prophets to be in right order before the Lord.

WE FURTHER OPPOSE the possible abuse of ecclesial titles that manifests itself in self-proclaimed apostles and prophets claiming territorial authority over pastors in a community, city, or nation.

WE REJECT the belief that “new revelation” is essential for the life and growth of the Church or that contemporary apostles or prophets are the only ones privy to such “new revelation.”

WE AFFIRM the full sufficiency of Scripture for the health and mission of the Church.

WE AFFIRM that the spirit of true apostles and prophets should exemplify the attitude and lifestyle of Jesus (Philippians 2:4-12), coming alongside other church and workplace leaders to serve them, not replace them.

In short, WE DENY any affiliation with what is presently characterized as “NAR” in many circles of both Christian and secular press. We also believe that reports of an alleged conspiratorial, worldwide, dangerous “NAR” movement are highly exaggerated and misleading.

As for “Christian nationalism,” WE RECOGNIZE that for some, this simply refers to a healthy form of Christian patriotism, of loving God and loving one’s country. In that sense, the term is benign. 

WE ALSO RECOGNIZE that some media outlets put the worst construction on our words, take us out of context, falsely associate us with dangerous, fringe groups, and unfairly malign us. For those who genuinely want to separate fact from fiction, we make these clarifying statements.

WE RECOGNIZE that America has a rich Christian heritage, despite its many historic failings, and that to the extent we have honored that heritage, the nation has been blessed. And we applaud those who encourage other Americans to pattern their lives after Christian principles that have helped bring God’s favor to our nation through the generations.

In addition, WE BELIEVE that nationalism is a biblical concept in the sense of nations having defined borders and identities, as mentioned by Paul in Acts 17 and by Moses in Deuteronomy 32. God sets national borders and governments and authority spheres for a purpose. 

WE ALSO BELIEVE in the positive value of respecting national borders and national authority, in contrast with an international one-world government.

At the same time, WE REJECT as unbiblical the belief that America is a uniquely chosen nation, similar to Old Testament Israel being the chosen nation of God. (Although God has used the USA in various ways to bless the world with humanitarian aid and military support, and although the Church of America has sent out missionaries worldwide, in the New Testament, Jesus, as the King of kings and Lord of lords has a special assignment for every nation, tribe, kindred and tongue represented on the earth.)

WE ALSO RECOGNIZE that there is a dangerous and unhealthy form of “Christian nationalism,” one that speaks of a potential Christian uprising against the government or hints at the use of force to advance God’s kingdom.

WE CATEGORICALLY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY DENY any affiliation with or connection to that form of Christian nationalism.

Because WE BELIEVE that God made one human race expressed through different ethnicities and races, all of which deserve dignity and respect as His image bearers, WE REJECT all ideologies and movements claiming ethnic or racial superiority.

WE DENOUNCE calls to violent, armed resistance in the name of Christian nationalism or as an alleged means of advancing the cause of the gospel.

WE REJECT the triumphalist, top-down, take-over of society as part of a so-called “dominion mandate,” also noting that we do not know of any major Christian movement that espouses such a top-down, take-over mentality.

WE REJECT the merging of Christian identity and national identity, as if the Kingdom of God and our particular nation were one and the same.

In contrast, WE BELIEVE the biblical way to influence society is by living the cruciform life in which believers lay down their lives in the service of others, resulting in human flourishing for the glory of God. This can include Christ-like engagement in every sphere of society.

And WE DO BELIEVE that Christians have as much right as any other group to have their voices heard in the public square and to influence society, functioning as the salt of the earth and light of the world, and we encourage such activities as good citizens of our various nations and as part of our sacred calling.

WE BELIEVE that Christians should seek to make a positive impact on every aspect of society, including education and media, along with politics, and that by acting on gospel principles, whole nations can be changed.

WE BELIEVE that Christians should be politically informed, should exercise their right to vote, should hold elected officials accountable, and when called by God, should run for political offices themselves.

BUT WE SEE IT AS SPIRITUALLY DANGEROUS IF/WHEN…

1. We wrap the gospel in the American flag (or any national or state flag).
2. We equate our country with the Kingdom of God.
3. We confuse patriotism with spirituality.
4. We compromise our ethics to keep our party (or leader) in power.
5. Our church/denomination/ministry becomes an appendage of a political party.
6. We put more trust in earthly methods than in spiritual methods.
7. We marry the cause of Christ to the cause of a political party (or leader) as if they were one and the same.
8. We become as vulgar and rude as the candidates we follow.
9. We look to the White House or any branch of government in any nation more than to God.
10. We make a human being into a political savior.
11. We equate loyalty to God (which should be unconditional) with loyalty to a party or political leader (which should be conditional).
12. Our prayers and our prophecies become politically partisan.

FINALLY, WE CONCLUDE BY CONTRASTING THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITH EXTREME NATIONALISM:

• The Kingdom of God prioritizes the advancement of the gospel. Extreme nationalism prioritizes the advancement of its ideology even at the expense of the gospel.
• The Kingdom of God produces loyalty to Christ above all else. Extreme nationalism produces loyalty to one’s nation above all else.
• The Kingdom of God raises the banner of Jesus above all else. Extreme nationalism raises the national flag above all else.
• The Kingdom of God promotes the interests of God above the world. Extreme nationalism promotes the interests of one’s nation above the Kingdom.
• The Kingdom of God views the world through a biblical lens. Extreme nationalism views the world solely through a geopolitical lens.
• The Kingdom of God is dependent upon neither an earthly kingdom nor an earthly ruler but upon Jesus as the King of kings (Revelation 19:16). Extreme nationalism is dependent upon both the ideology of an earthly nation and its ruler.
• Followers of the Kingdom of God are passionate about a Christ-centered global awakening. Adherents of extreme nationalism are focused primarily on a political/ideological awakening.
• Christ-followers are primarily identified with the Kingdom of God. Extreme nationalists derive their primary identity from their nation.
• Christ-followers derive their primary value from being children of their heavenly Father (Romans 8:14-17). Extreme nationalists derive their primary value from being citizens of their country. 

May the Church put God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first so that He can trust true believers, who genuinely represent His heart, to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

1. By “NAR” we are referring to a phrase coined by several leaders in recent years to describe what they perceive as a new church reformation led by apostolic leaders. Because “NAR” means different things to different people, both positive and negative, we wanted to clarify what we do believe and distance ourselves from what we do not believe.

2. For further details of our view of prophetic ministry today, see the statement at PropheticStandards.com

Issued 10/10/22 

NAR & Christian Nationalism Statement – The controversy surrounding the terms “New Apostolic Reformation” (NAR) & “Christian Nationalism” (narandchristiannationalism.com)

FIVE RED HEIFERS: THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN OXYMORON

On the 25th of September Israel365 announced the news that five red heifers landed at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel. The heifers were discovered and brought to Israel with the help of the Boneh Israel (Building Israel) and its founder/team leader Byron Stinson. Stinson is an American Christian who describes himself as a "Judeo-Christian believer". {1}

In the Old Testament, the red heifer was essential for ritual purification resulting from proximity to, or direct contact with, a dead body. (Numbers 19:1-22). Since the destruction of the second temple in 70AD, the cessation of ritual sacrifices, and the absence of a red heifer, all Jews are presently considered ritually impure. The red heifer is therefore a critical component for Orthodox Jews and their hope to reinstate the Temple Service and their plan to rebuild the Third Temple on the Temple Mount. The quest for an unblemished red heifer has been underway for about a decade, with hopes raised and dashed during the process. According to 12th-century Jewish scholar Rambam, the rebuilding of the third temple will be a major sign that humanity has reached the End of Days. {2} 

Stinson: “We are not just Christian as a nation. It is Judeo-Christian. I believe that there is a bloodline for many Christians that calls us by the Spirit to be part of this land. I believe I am one and these people who are called to this, their hearts make them come.” {3} 

John Enarson, the non-Jewish Christian Relations Director for Cry For Zion, believes that reinstating the Red Heifer and Temple service would be a positive step for Christianity. Cry for Zion is a movement of Jews and Christians for Jewish sovereignty and freedom on the Temple Mount (Zion). {4} Enarson acknowledges that this is a controversial subject and that many Christians view the arrival of the red heifers and the prophetic establishment of the Jewish Third Temple with apprehension. {5}

This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. (Numbers 19:2).

 

In common with Orthodox Jews, many Christians view the building of a literal temple as a critical eschatological event. However, a significant number of Christians view the Third Temple negatively due to the prophetic material in Daniel 9 repeated by Jesus. (Matthew 24:15). Paul confirms both Daniel and Jesus in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). We therefore have strong evidence that the Antichrist will defile the temple at the close of the present age. 

Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Daniel 9:24-27). 

According to Daniel, the Third Temple sacrifices will occur during the first half of the period known as "the 70th week of Daniel" (a week of years i.e. seven years). (Daniel 9:27). The above passage describes the destruction of the second temple by Titus in 70 AD. (Daniel 9:26). Daniel goes on to describe a particular individual (the Antichrist) who will make and break a strong covenant with many for one week". The short, but devastating reign of the Antichrist will commence with the event known as "the abomination of desolation" at the midpoint of the 70th week. (Matthew 24:15). Daniel 9:27 is a critical verse that indicates that temple sacrifices will be reinstated at the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel and that the Antichrist will put an end to them at the midpoint of the week. This ties in with the Olivet discourse and Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians which describes the "man of lawlessness" (the Antichrist) who will take his seat in the temple of God and declare himself to be God at the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel. 

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. And let no one in the field return for his cloak. How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. See, I have told you in advance. (Matthew 24:15-25).

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

A covenant with death and hell. (Isaiah 28:14-18). These verses probably refer to Judah's covenant with Egypt (eighth-century BC). However, it does tie in with Israel's ultimate covenant with the Antichrist in the middle of the 70th week. (compare Isaiah 28:15; Daniel 9:27).

Red heifer typology

The sacrificial law of the red heifer is a type and shadow of the atonement of Jesus Christ. The children of Israel became ritually clean following contact with a corpse through the ashes of the red heifer. However, it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that it is possible to be cleansed from sin and death. (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Jesus' prayer in the garden at Gethsemane took place on the Mount of Olives where the red heifer sacrifice took place. In the Old Testament, the red heifer was the only sacrifice that was offered "outside the camp". (Numbers 19:3,9). Jesus Christ suffered outside the gate.. 

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. (Hebrews 13:12-13).

And it shall be a statute forever for them. (Numbers 19:21).

Gill: And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them,.. To the children of Israel, throughout their generations, unto the coming of the Messiah, when the ceremonial law, which stood in divers washings and purifications, was abolished: {6} 

(4) Is the Third Temple the Temple of the Antichrist? - YouTube

The above video gives some insight into the thinking of John Enarson, and presumably other Christian supporters of the Third Temple. 

The group of three men discussing this subject are Josh Wander (Jewish author), Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz (Israel365 News), and John Enarson. Enarson begins by stating that the Antichrist or "the ultimate false Messiah" is not a concept known within mainstream Judaism. This is a very significant point that effectively positions the Jews in an extremely vulnerable position. 

Enarson claims to understand the prophecies of both Jesus and Paul regarding the defilement of the future temple as explicit references to the Jewish story of Hannukah in Maccabees i.e. the Jewish revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes IV (167 BC). Enarson: "Both Jesus and Paul say something like the Hannukah story will repeat itself". Most New Testament scholars agree that Antiochus Epiphanes IV is a significant type of the Antichrist. (Daniel 11:21-35). A number of teachers believe that Daniel 11:36-45 goes beyond Antiochus and refers to the future Antichrist. (Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:1-18; Daniel 10:14; 12:1).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown: "The wilful king here, though primarily Antiochus, is antitypically and mainly Antichrist, the seventh head of the seven-headed and ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-18, and the 'beast' of Armageddon (Revelation 16:13, 16; 19:19)."  {7} 

Enarson views the belief that the Third Temple will be "the temple of the Antichrist" as a misconception even though he admits that both Jesus and Paul anticipate a repeat of the Hannukah story.

Enarson: "It is the temple of God, it is holy to the God of Israel, the God of the bible not say that it is a temple of antichrist that will be built for the antichrist! The “man of lawlessness” can only defile something that is holy to God." {8}

Paul speaks about "the temple of God" without any other qualification in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. It appears that the Third Temple will ostensibly be "God's temple". The concern that many Christians have is that the Antichrist will initially deceive the Jews into thinking that he is their powerful ally. He will make a "strong covenant with many" (including or primarily Israel) for seven years, and he will probably facilitate the construction and function of the Third Temple. However, halfway through this period he will put sacrifice and offering to an end. (Daniel 9:27). At the midpoint of the week, the Antichrist will reveal his true agenda and will openly blaspheme God and he will exalt himself against every so-called God, including false gods with the true God. (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). My present view is that the Antichrist will not be Jewish since he will rise up from the sea i.e. the nations. (Revelation 13:1).

Enarson: "The New Testament in the book of Hebrews says clearly that the temple on earth.. and all the sacrifices there, were never meant to save your eternal soul for the world to come. It served a different function..    Unless you make personal shuva (repentance) then the sacrifice is meaningless." 

The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were used to offer atonement for sins, albeit they were a temporary covering until Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. The animal sacrifices foreshadowed the complete, perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. It is regrettable that Enarson did not explain this clearly to his Jewish friends during the discussion. 

Enarson submits that just as it was God's mandate for the Jews to rebuild the Second Temple (Haggai 2:1-5; Zechariah 4:8-10); Nehemiah 1:9), it is unequivocally God's mandate for the Jews to build the Third Temple. In other words, the prophetic mandate to rebuild the Second Temple has been reapplied in order to justify the existence of the Third Temple. There is a mountain of evidence in the New Testament to refute this view. Jesus' prophecy concerning the destruction of the Second Temple and the establishment of the new covenant in His blood absolutely negates the necessity for a Third Temple and the reinstatement of the Mosaic system.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:37:39).

But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”(Matthew 24:2).

These appear to have been the last words Jesus spoke as he left the temple, never to re-enter it again. Jesus abandoned the temple following his denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees earlier in chapter 23 and their fate is duly sealed. The only future hope for Israel from now on is the time when they repent of their rejection of Jesus Christ, their Messiah.  

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10 cf. Hosea 3:4-5).

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture).. (John 19:28).

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. (Matthew 27:50-51).

by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, (Ephesians 2:15)

Strongs: "I make idle (inactive), make of no effect, annul, abolish, bring to naught, (b) I discharge, sever, separate from." {9}

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthains 11:25 cf. Hebrews 9:15-22).

Reinstating animal sacrifices and rebuilding the temple is viewed by many Christians as tantamount to rejecting what has been accomplished on the cross by Jesus Christ. Technically the Mosaic Law has been fulfilled i.e. it has been rendered inoperative and its requirements no longer apply. For all practical intents and purposes, the Mosaic Law is therefore abolished. (Romans 3:31). 

Jesus Christ declared himself to be the completed, atoning sacrifice: It is finished. (John 19:30). 

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve tee living God. (Hebrews 9:11-14 cf. 1 Peter 1:2)).

Ezekiels Temple - Ezekiel 40-48

The proposed Third Temple should not be confused with the Millennial Temple i.e. Ezekiel’s Temple. The book of Revelation speaks of vast topographic changes on the earth when the seventh angel pours out his bowl. The "great city" is probably Jerusalem. (Revelation  16:19; 11:8).

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. (Revelation 16:1-720).

The land area dedicated to the Millennial temple and to its service will be one-mile square. It appears that the temple will be situated on Mount Zion and will measure approximately one mile in height. The land surrounding the Millennial temple will measure approximately 52 miles long and 21 miles wide. The proportions of the proposed third Jewish temple have not been divulged, but clearly, the Third Jewish Temple will not be remotely comparable to the vast proportions described by Ezekiel. 

The reinstatement of animal sacrifices during the Millennium is a subject that has puzzled many bible scholars. (Isaiah 56:6-7; 60:7; Ezekiel 43:18-27; 45:17-23; Zechariah 14:16-21). Some hold the view that Millennial sacrifices will be a memorial in much the same way that the Lord's Supper is a memorial. An interesting theory is that animal sacrifices during the Millennium will serve as ritual purification. Mark Hitchcock: "During the Millennium, a holy God will be dwelling on earth in the midst of people in their glorified bodies but also in the midst of sinful people living in natural, unglorified bodies. These sacrifices prevent these worshippers from defiling God’s holy Temple when they come to worship Him. It is a matter of ritual purification. Sacrifices during the Millennium will not be a substitute for Christ’s atoning work. Instead, they will provide ritual purification for unglorified people on earth who approach the holy God in worship." {10} 

John Enarson's skewed logic. 

Berkowitz points out that even if the Third Temple is a setting for the Antichrist, it is not something that Christians should "prevent" because it is actually part of the prophecy. Enarson: "If you are working for the ultimate redemption to bring it closer, then are you thereby bringing something bad into the world by troubles that are promised to come? 

This is tantamount to saying "The end justifies the means". 

And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. (Romans 3:8 cf Romans 6:1,15).

I do not imagine that Christians can prevent the construction of the Third Temple. However, we would be remiss if we fail to warn the Jewish people that their present course of action will lead to the devastating time known as "Jacob's Trouble". (Jeremiah 30:7 cf. Zechariah 13:8-9). Christians who actively support the Third Temple are facilitating Satan's ultimate plan to deceive the Jews, and ultimately the entire world. (Revelation 13:3).     

 

Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes. (Matthew 18:7).

The mandate given to believers is to make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19). 

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. (1 Corinthians 15:1-7).

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16).

1. ISRAEL365 EXCLUSIVE: Red Heifers arrive in Israel [WATCH] (israel365news.com)
2. Will God or the Messiah Build the Third Holy Temple? - Israel News (israel365news.com)
3. Christians weigh in on the relevance of the red heifer (israel365news.com)
4. Temple Mount | Cry For Zion
5. Christians weigh in on the relevance of the red heifer (israel365news.com)
6. Numbers 19 Gill's Exposition (biblehub.com)
7. Daniel 11 Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary (biblehub.com)
8. What About the Temple of Antichrist? (cryforzion.com)
9. Strong's Greek: 2673. καταργέω (katargeó) -- to render inoperative, abolish (biblehub.com)
10. Millennial Sacrifices - (apologeticanswers.org)