We are often asked about our use of the term “Messianic Jew.” So it is that I felt obliged to give a quantifying definition of the term, that our use thereof might be better understood by those to whom we minister.

Many people today erroneously believe the term “Jew” to refer to someone from Israel or someone who can trace his/her biological lineage to one of the twelve tribes of Israel. However, a quick look through the Bible and secular history will show otherwise.

We should begin in Romans 2: 28-29 says, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.” Here we see that even Paul, who was himself a saved Israelite, realized that to be an Israelite was not the same as being a Jew and to be a Jew was not the same as being an Israelite.

It should also be noted that history regards Father Abraham as being the first to be called a Jew. This is interesting since he was not himself an Israelite, but a Chaldean who entered into the covenant to which YHWH called him as we read in Acts 15: 14, “Simeon has reported how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. ”

The term Israelite literally refers to any biological descendent of Jacob, the patriarch who was called Israel by YHWH. Jacob was, according to Scripture, the grandson of Abraham and therefore Abraham is disqualified from claiming the title of Israelite.

By definition, both biblically and historically, if not in the common, contemporary vernacular, a “Jew” is anyone who has placed his/her absolute trust in YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This includes a full fledged faith in His own faithfulness to fulfill His promises - including His promise of Maschiach or Messiah.

While many assume the term “Jew” to have been derived from the name Judah, linguistic history actually points to it having come from the word Yah, the first half of YHWH, the covenantal name of God. It would seem that, just as the Bible illustrates, YHWH’s faithful Children have throughout the ages been hated for our faith and the word “Jew” was originally a slur made against us.

Now consider the story of a young Moabitess named Ruth. Before meeting Naomi and her family, she had little if any knowledge of YHWH and His promises, much less having put her trust in Him.

Once she learned of YHWH and His promises - including His promise of a Messiah to come - she trusted in Him, turned from her pagan ways and became obedient unto righteousness. At this point, while she remained a Moabitess in her flesh, Ruth became a Jewess in her heart, a fact which is evidenced in her declaration to Naomi in Ruth 1: 16-17, “Ruth said, "Don't entreat me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God; where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried: Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death part you and me."”

Although Ruth did not change her physical heritage, she was brought into a much greater spiritual heritage. She had become a daughter of Sarah according to I Peter 3: 6 which reads “ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror,” and the seed of Abraham, as Paul tells us in Galatians 3: 29, stating “If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise.”

Ruth was not alone in this either. In fact, the Bible records that Ruth’s husband, Boaz, was in fact only half Israelite. His mother, Rahab, was a Canaanite who, like Ruth, came to know YHWH in an intimate relationship.

This is one of the many reasons why throughout Torah, YHWH stated that His commandments are to be obeyed not only by those of us who are in the covenant, but by our children, our employees and even our house guests. For every commandment there are both blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience and Romans 2: 11-16 tells us that when those outside the covenant do the things which are commanded they too receive those blessings and this is one of the manners in which YHWH has chosen to draw non-believers into covenant with Himself.

It is also interesting to note that both Rahab and Ruth appear in the lineage given in Matthew 1: 5, for Yeshua ben David ha Maschiach, or Jesus son of David the Messiah. Yeshua came to be the “King of the Jews,” not the “King of the Israelites” and therefore it is fitting that He had both an Israelite and a non-Israelite lineage, but that even those non-Israelites in His line were Jews.

The Apostle Paul wrote of YHWH’s eternal covenant with man in Romans 11, describing it as a great olive tree. Here it is stated that many of those who were natural branches, Israelites, have been broken off of the tree due to their lack of belief in Yeshua and that many unnatural branches, non-Israelites, have been grafted in to replace those broken off.

He also noted here that those non-Israelites who have been grafted in contrary to nature should not consider themselves apart or different from the natural branches, as both are now of the same tree, partaking of the same root. In other words, those who have been grafted in from outside of Israel are now a part of YHWH’s covenant, thus making them Jews by the literal definition.

Consider then that Paul wrote of one olive tree and one covenant, which stands contrary to the common, modern “Christian” teaching which holds to the notion that Israel has a covenant with YHWH which is separate from that which He has made with the “Gentile Church.” It is also important to note that when Rahab and Ruth became Jews, they were grafted in to the same covenant as the Israelites whom YHWH used to draw them to Himself, not a separate covenant for “Gentile Believers.”

The fact is that there is no such thing as a “Gentile Believer.” The very word gentile comes from “goo,” a Hebrew word meaning someone who is not in covenant with YHWH and who has thereby rejected His promises - including His promise of Messiah.

The majority of the professing Church today teaches what is commonly called “Two House” or Two Covenant” theology. This is based upon a misunderstanding of a single word in Scripture and the desire of many people to cling to their anti-Semitic feelings, despite their profession of having come into covenant with the God of the Jews.

The word in question is Kaheenos and, as with many words, it can have multiple meanings. Kaheenos can mean “new,” “made new,” “made fresh,” etc.

The verse which is most commonly used to teach “two covenant” theology is Matthew 26: 27-29, which says, “He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, "All of you drink it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." While this passage can be translated to say “New Covenant,” it can just as rightly be rendered “Covenant made new,” or “Covenant refreshed.”

Kaheenos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Margayaw. Margayaw appears many times in the Old Testament, and in prophesying the coming of Messiah, Isaiah 28: 11-12 says, “No, but by men of strange lips and with another language will he speak to this people; to whom he said, This is the rest, give you rest to him who is weary; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”

Notice also that Yeshiva’s “New Covenant” is said to be an everlasting Covenant and the only way in which we can enter into Heaven. However, all through the Old Testament we read of an “everlasting Covenant” which we are also told is the only manner in which we can enter into eternal life.

While many claim that the “First Covenant” failed and that it has been replaced, this leads to the next logical question of “what if the ‘second covenant’ fails.” Where then is the eternal security of the believer?

What brings this all into clarity is the fact that the Everlasting Covenant contains a promises of YHWH which cannot fail. It is in all actuality we fallible human beings who fail and because of that we cannot partake of the full riches of the Covenant unless someone else, a sinless person, stands in the place of the High Priest, which Hebrews 9 tells us Yeshua did for us.

If then the “Old Covenant” has not failed, then why are we being constantly told that there are two covenants? Jesus said in John 14: 6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me,” so either there is only one Everlasting Covenant by which we may enter into Heaven, or Yeshua is a liar in which case He sinned, is thereby imperfect, cannot suffice as the perfect High Priest and everyone who has trusted in Him as the promised Messiah is going to burn in Hell.

Another important point in the debate concerning One House and Two House theology is the fact that never once in Scripture do we read where YHWH said He had two houses for His Children. In John 14: 2, we read that Yeshua said “In my Father's house are many mansions. If it weren't so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you,” and He went so far as to quote Isaiah 56: 7 in Luke 19: 46, saying “It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of robbers'!”

These and so many other times, YHWH and Yeshua referred to a “house,” rather than “houses.” It stands to reason that the only logical reason why a Child would want to live in a house separate from that of his/her Father’s other Children, would be if s/he believed that life in the second house would be easier or perhaps have less rules.

This can be seen to be the case among many professing Christians who say things such as, “Yes, I am in covenant with God, but I don’t think He expects me to keep His commandments. Those were just rules for Israel. After all, I‘m just an adopted Child.”

First off, any parent who has a natural born child and an adopted child, but makes separate rules for the adopted child, does not deserve to be a parent in the first place. Secondly, as is discussed elsewhere in this section, Abraham was himself redeemed from among the Chaldeans and therefore all who are Abraham‘s seed are in fact adopted by YHWH, not only those who are none Israelites.

Consider for a moment that this is much like saying that I have a natural born son and an adopted son and

Scripture clearly states, that the earliest followers of Yeshua understood that theirs was the one, true faith, not merely some sectarian teaching thereof and certainly not a whole new belief system. However, all of the Pharisees, Sadducees and many others at the time were calling themselves “Jews,” despite the fact that Yeshua Himself had said that they were not Children of YHWH but were in fact the children of Satan.

History also tells us that the first century followers of Yeshua were not at first called Christians. Scripture tells us in Acts 11: 26 that this word did not come into use until the true Gospel was preached in the city of Antioch and up to that time history records that the group was referred to most commonly as Maschiacraha, or “those shepherded by the Messiah.”

In like manner, we utilize the term Messianic. In biblical scholarship, this term refers to any and all prophesies referring to YHWH’s promise of a Messiah and we include it here, not because we believe there are different types of Jews, but because today there are many religious sects among the Israelites, such as the Orthodox, Ultra-Orthodox and Reform “Jews,” each of which claims to be the true Jewish movement.

We believe, however, that none of these are in fact true to the Word of God, as they have denied the person, power and priesthood of Yeshua. For this reason we wish to express without question that we are true Jews, having placed our Faith in YHWH and that we know His promised Messiah has come in the person of Yeshua, that He died upon a cross for our sins and that by His Blood alone we have received absolute atonement.

For this reason I have included the following section which will explain in detail the exact nature of Salvation according to the Bible and how you may enter into covenant with YHWH through His Son, Yeshua.

For more information, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.