Post by Mark on Oct 27, 2008 6:09:02 GMT -8
This phrase that Messiah speaks in John 2:19 was destined, possibly even designed to be misunderstood. When on trial, this statement would be misquoted by His accusers to suggest that Messiah Yeshua intended to destroy and rebuild a Temple of His own (Matthew 26:61, Mark 14:58). He did not say that He would destroy the Temple; rather acknowledged that "The" Temple would be destroyed by them (the Pharisaic and Saducciac authorities who would both condemn Messiah to death and also would rally behind Bar Kokba in 67 AD, resulting in the destruction of the Herodian Temple by Rome).
Even in His audience, on the Temple mount, there would be two different understandings of His statement. The ultra-Orthodox of that day did not recognize the Herodian Temple as the "Temple of God" because it was built by Herod, a gentile. Instead, they taught as the apostle Paul would later declare, that the Temple (or dwelling place of Adonai) was within the heart of each individual Jew who was committed to living according to His Covenant in faith (2nd Corinthians 6:15-17).
The Greek word for "Temple" is na-hos and specifically distinguishes a shrine or a place of worship. In Hebrew it’s not quite so simple. The word Messiah may have used is "beit" which means "house" or "mishkan" which means tent or dwelling. He may have used the word "hay-kahl" which represents a large public building. Yet, the Hebrew language does not allow us to isolate Messiah’s meaning by simply the word He used. Context is vital to our interpretation; therefore, we must trust the testimony of those who recorded the text to mean that He was speaking of His own body (John 2:21).
The entire position of faith in Yeshua as Messiah hangs upon this statement: either He rose from the dead of He did not. This is the position whereby He would consistently declare His validity as Messiah, His power over death. If He remained in the grave after three days, then He was not the Messiah, even by His own testimony. Yet, if this prophecy concerning Himself is true, then all the arguments that deny His credibility are empty. If He is not dead, then He is Messiah.
The Judaic position that invalidates Yeshua as Messiah is based upon what He has not done. He did not rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 37:26-28). He did not gather all Jews back to the land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6). He did not usher in world peace (Isaiah 2:4). He did not spread a universal knowledge of the God of Israel throughout the whole world (Zechariah 14:9). We counter, "not yet." The Messianic position is that He must first come to the world as "Messiah Ben Joseph" (the Suffering Messiah) before He will reign as Messiah ben David. Modern Judaism suggests that the suffering Messiah is describing the nation of Israel, ,herself, rather than the Messiah who will come to redeem Her. The text of Isaiah 53 underwent a dynamic shift in interpretation in the fifth century to accommodate this view. We believe that this was a response to the overwhelming evidence that Yeshua must be the Messiah.
The cryptic nature of Messiah’s statement is difficult to understand. It could be that He needed to withhold from the authority that His plan was to be sacrificed from the beginning. If they knew that this was His agenda; they would have had a much harder time pursuing that course of action on their own. It could be that He was withholding that information from His own disciples, knowing that they were not yet ready top take such revelation: there was so much they needed to understand first. Yet, the clarity of what He was saying, in His own mind, was without question.
To walk in the Messianic halakha is to understand what Messiah must have known concerning His own future: the destination of His course, the difficulties of the journey and the unwavering confidence in its conclusion. Messiah spoke in absolute, emphatic terms: "[You will] destroy this temple. In three days I will raise it again, Myself." To live as a follower of Him means to live in confidence: to follow the same path, understand the same risks and arrive at the same conclusion.
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15).
The unlikelihood of the resurrection is the greatest evidence of Yeshua’s credibility. Yet, at the same time, it is the hardest pill to swallow. The fact that we don’t often see someone rise from the dead cause us to doubt its feasibility. Yet, if anyone could do it, it would not validate Messiah Yeshua’s argument.
The mystery of death and the lack of physical evidence of life beyond is decidedly uncomfortable for us.
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
(1Co 15:12-17 KJV)
We want proof that these unbelievable things that we have heard of are true. We want evidence. We want testimony.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)… (1Jo 1:1-2 KJV)
The New Covenant Scriptures are full of eye-witness accounts that validate the claim of Yeshua: that He would be destroyed then would revive Himself after three days in the grave. The rabbinical and political arguments that rebut these evidences and testinonies are hollow. To suggest that Messiah’s followers would steal His body and claim that He had risen would be plausible for a short time; but to suffer torture and execution for something that they knew to be a lie is inconceiveablem, not only for twelve men; but to the hundreds that were martyred during that first fifty years of their ministry.
Three thousand gullible converts during the first year after Messiah’s crucifiction may be possible; but the conversion and testimony of the highest ranking members of the Sanhedrin (John 3:1-2) and many of the priesthood (Acts 6:7) would seem highly unlikely.
Ultimately, each person must decide for his or herself. Did Messiah rise from the dead or not? Yet, with the conclusion one makes, he or she must also determine what he or she will do with that information. If Yeshua has come as Messiah we msut receive Him and follow His halakha. If we are unwilling to do this we must reject His validity. To accept the reality of His resurrection without pursuing His teaching is to live in contradiction.
Even in His audience, on the Temple mount, there would be two different understandings of His statement. The ultra-Orthodox of that day did not recognize the Herodian Temple as the "Temple of God" because it was built by Herod, a gentile. Instead, they taught as the apostle Paul would later declare, that the Temple (or dwelling place of Adonai) was within the heart of each individual Jew who was committed to living according to His Covenant in faith (2nd Corinthians 6:15-17).
The Greek word for "Temple" is na-hos and specifically distinguishes a shrine or a place of worship. In Hebrew it’s not quite so simple. The word Messiah may have used is "beit" which means "house" or "mishkan" which means tent or dwelling. He may have used the word "hay-kahl" which represents a large public building. Yet, the Hebrew language does not allow us to isolate Messiah’s meaning by simply the word He used. Context is vital to our interpretation; therefore, we must trust the testimony of those who recorded the text to mean that He was speaking of His own body (John 2:21).
The entire position of faith in Yeshua as Messiah hangs upon this statement: either He rose from the dead of He did not. This is the position whereby He would consistently declare His validity as Messiah, His power over death. If He remained in the grave after three days, then He was not the Messiah, even by His own testimony. Yet, if this prophecy concerning Himself is true, then all the arguments that deny His credibility are empty. If He is not dead, then He is Messiah.
The Judaic position that invalidates Yeshua as Messiah is based upon what He has not done. He did not rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 37:26-28). He did not gather all Jews back to the land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6). He did not usher in world peace (Isaiah 2:4). He did not spread a universal knowledge of the God of Israel throughout the whole world (Zechariah 14:9). We counter, "not yet." The Messianic position is that He must first come to the world as "Messiah Ben Joseph" (the Suffering Messiah) before He will reign as Messiah ben David. Modern Judaism suggests that the suffering Messiah is describing the nation of Israel, ,herself, rather than the Messiah who will come to redeem Her. The text of Isaiah 53 underwent a dynamic shift in interpretation in the fifth century to accommodate this view. We believe that this was a response to the overwhelming evidence that Yeshua must be the Messiah.
The cryptic nature of Messiah’s statement is difficult to understand. It could be that He needed to withhold from the authority that His plan was to be sacrificed from the beginning. If they knew that this was His agenda; they would have had a much harder time pursuing that course of action on their own. It could be that He was withholding that information from His own disciples, knowing that they were not yet ready top take such revelation: there was so much they needed to understand first. Yet, the clarity of what He was saying, in His own mind, was without question.
To walk in the Messianic halakha is to understand what Messiah must have known concerning His own future: the destination of His course, the difficulties of the journey and the unwavering confidence in its conclusion. Messiah spoke in absolute, emphatic terms: "[You will] destroy this temple. In three days I will raise it again, Myself." To live as a follower of Him means to live in confidence: to follow the same path, understand the same risks and arrive at the same conclusion.
"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15).
The unlikelihood of the resurrection is the greatest evidence of Yeshua’s credibility. Yet, at the same time, it is the hardest pill to swallow. The fact that we don’t often see someone rise from the dead cause us to doubt its feasibility. Yet, if anyone could do it, it would not validate Messiah Yeshua’s argument.
The mystery of death and the lack of physical evidence of life beyond is decidedly uncomfortable for us.
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
(1Co 15:12-17 KJV)
We want proof that these unbelievable things that we have heard of are true. We want evidence. We want testimony.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)… (1Jo 1:1-2 KJV)
The New Covenant Scriptures are full of eye-witness accounts that validate the claim of Yeshua: that He would be destroyed then would revive Himself after three days in the grave. The rabbinical and political arguments that rebut these evidences and testinonies are hollow. To suggest that Messiah’s followers would steal His body and claim that He had risen would be plausible for a short time; but to suffer torture and execution for something that they knew to be a lie is inconceiveablem, not only for twelve men; but to the hundreds that were martyred during that first fifty years of their ministry.
Three thousand gullible converts during the first year after Messiah’s crucifiction may be possible; but the conversion and testimony of the highest ranking members of the Sanhedrin (John 3:1-2) and many of the priesthood (Acts 6:7) would seem highly unlikely.
Ultimately, each person must decide for his or herself. Did Messiah rise from the dead or not? Yet, with the conclusion one makes, he or she must also determine what he or she will do with that information. If Yeshua has come as Messiah we msut receive Him and follow His halakha. If we are unwilling to do this we must reject His validity. To accept the reality of His resurrection without pursuing His teaching is to live in contradiction.
