Holy Scriptures and Israel

Female Voice: Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God's Word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levytam.

Gideon Levytam: The study of First John, chapter 4. The biggest problem was in the first century, is the problem of denying the humanity of Yeshua the Messiah. Some of those teachers who believed in what you call that Yeshua was like a phantom. What is a phantom?

I took a note here, the description or definition of a phantom. They say that it is someone who was seen, who was heard and have been even sensed, yet having no physical reality. They were saying about Yeshua, the Messiah that He was like a phantom. He was seen, He was handled, He was touched, He was even sensed, but really, there is no spiritual reality to the humanity of the Lord Yeshua from Natzeret.

They didn't recognize. In fact, this was the Gnostics. They did not believe in the clear message of the Word of God about the humanity of the Messiah. And so they believed this high knowledge. They thought that they know much more than everybody else and they have kind of diverted themselves from the simplicity of the Word of God and therefore they began to teach false teaching.

And John giving warning against it. And he's saying, "Believe not every spirit but test it." Why? Because many false prophets, Nevi A Sheker in Hebrew, have already gone out into this world. They would teach false things. Let me show you a couple more verses for a moment in the scripture. Look at Second Peter, just go a couple of pages back. Second Peter chapter 2.

Peter gave the same warning. Shimon Petros gave the very same warning to whom he wrote. And he says in verse 1 of Second Peter chapter 2, he said, "But there were false prophets also among the people. Even as there shall be false teachers among you, who will privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying, listen to this, beloved brothers and sisters, denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."

"And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not." Shimon Petros, like Yohanan, gave warnings. That's, now we are talking about the beginning of the church age, of the ecclesia.

Giving these warnings to those that belong to Yeshua, the Messiah. You see, he's writing to the beloved one, to the family of God, to the Mishpachat Elohim, to the children of God, he's writing, "You be careful, don't allow yourself to be influenced by false prophets. You make sure that you test it, that you check it out, that you make sure that you not allow yourself to be saturated with that which is not Bible, that it's not simply clearly the Word of God."

And I don't have to tell you, brothers and sisters, you listen to the news, you watch the television, you look at the newspaper, you watched on the Internet, and you find out so many views about the things of God. Many deny the truth of the Word of God and that it was divinely inspired. And that's why Paul also said to Timothy, "Timothy, study the Word of God to be yourself a man that is proving the truth concerning the Word of God."

"A man that knows, search the Scripture, make sure that you learn the Word, that you find out what is true and what is false. Because many false prophets have entered into this world. Be careful." John, Yohanan, is saying to these beloved brothers and sisters to whom he wrote, "There will be false prophets that will be influenced by demonic spirits," you might say, "by Satan and his views. And they will seek to teach you things that are not found in the Word of God."

"Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth." Paul said to this younger brother by the name of Timothy, "Make sure that you learn it from the Word of God, rather than to allow somebody to tell you what he or she feel like to say that is not found in Scripture." So he gave them this warning and he said to them, "Make sure that you test the spirits, because many false prophets have entered into this world."

"And now he's directing in the next verse, verses 2, 3 and 4, he's pointing to the mark of false teachers." How do we know when somebody is a false teacher? In light of the context here, he's emphasizing the humanity of the Messiah. There are many other passages in the Bible can help us to understand how to detect a false teacher or a false prophet, but in the context of this chapter, chapter 4 of First John, John pointing out, Yohanan pointing out to the mark of the false prophet.

Now let me tell you what John is emphasizing here. He says, "You want to know how to find out if a person is really a false prophet?" He says, "A false prophet deny that Yeshua, the Messiah, came in the flesh." "You want to know a false prophet? You don't need to be a theologian," John is really saying. "You know very well yourself who Yeshua was." He says, "All what you have to know to detect if someone is a false prophet is when someone denies the humanity of Yeshua the Messiah and teach it and force it and entice others by this teaching, he is a false teacher and a false prophet."

And Yohanan now unfolded before us. Look what he says in verse 2. In verse 2, he's saying, "Confessing the humanity of Yeshua is of God." Look at this, it says here in verse 2, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Yeshua the Messiah is come in the flesh is of God." Now, brothers and sisters, listen to this. This is very important. You see, today many people have a problem with the deity of Yeshua.

I had a problem with this when I first was exposed to to Yeshua, to Jesus, I had a problem. I said to myself, "I don't know, I'm Jewish," you see. "We learned in our own home that there's only one God. And now you come and you're telling me that this man that died on the cross some 2,000 years ago is God?" I had a lot of problem with it. And somehow, God had been so gracious to unfold the Word of God, to open the scripture to me by the Holy Spirit of God, because you and I cannot do it on our own.

And somehow by the grace of God, I recognized that Yeshua is this God, the eternal Son of God. I want you to turn with me to Isaiah for a moment. The verses that we just read earlier. Isaiah chapter 6, chapter 9 and chapter 7, those chapters that we have read today in the prophet Isaiah. Just look at it for a second with me. Isaiah chapter 7 first of all. The Lord is speaking to this man by the name of Ahaz.

Ahaz was the one that was the king of Judah, the king of the tribe of Yehuda. And the Lord spoke to him, it says in verse 10, "Moreover, the Lord spoke again unto Ahaz and He said to him, 'Ahaz, ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God. Ask it either in the depth or in the height above.'" So Ahaz said, "I'm not going to ask for a sign. Neither will I tempt the Lord." So he said, "Hear ye now, O house of David." Now God went beyond Ahaz and he was not talking only to Ahaz but he was talking to the whole house of David, actually, to the whole tribe of Judah.

And he was saying to the house of David, to the whole tribe of Judah, he says, "Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?" And he said in verse 14, "Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you," the word for "you" is plural, "Lachem," it's not "Lacha," "Lachem." "The Lord will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and she will bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." God said to Ahaz, "Ahaz, listen, you ask a sign from me." And Ahaz did not want to ask a sign from the Lord.

So God is going beyond him and he's speaking to the whole family of David, the king of Israel that have already passed by, but the family of David, and the house of David, and he's saying to this family, to these people of Israel at that time, to the tribe of Judah, he says, "Listen, I am going to give you a sign. And what is this sign going to be?" He says, "Listen," he says, "the virgin is going to conceive, and she shall bear a son, and you will call His name," and listen to this, he says the word "Immanuel" is two Hebrew words, "Immanu" means with us, "El" means God.

And Jehovah is saying to the house of David, he's saying, "Listen, I'm going to show you, I'm going to give you a sign in a future day, in a certain point of time in Jewish history. The history of the people of Israel, I'm going to show you a miraculous thing that is going to happen." A woman that is virgin, Alma in Hebrew, going to bring forth a son. And this son because she was a virgin, he will be a child that will be born into this world that will be not a descendant of Adam's nature, but by the Holy Spirit of God, he will enter into this world and he is going to be called God with us.

Here was prophesied long time by the prophets of Israel, the prophet Isaiah in chapter 7 and verse 14. Look at chapter 9 and verse 6, it was also read for us today. "Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. And the government shall be upon His shoulder," singular. "And His name shall be called Wonderful," that's Pele, "Counselor," that's Yoetz, "Mighty God," that's El Gibor.

Then it says, "Father of eternity," that's Avia'ad in Hebrew. "And then finally, the Prince of Peace in Hebrew, Sar Shalom." Listen, he's saying that a child will be born, a son will be given. And I want you to pause with me for a moment, notice, when it's come to His humanity, he was born. When it's come to His divine nature, he was given. You see, he's saying, "Unto us a child is born," Yeled Yulad Lanu. But when it's come to a son, he was given, Ben Nitan Lanu. Why he was given? Because he pre-existed.

You see, the child that was born already had a pre-existence. He was the eternal Son of God. And as the eternal Son of God, he was given. But as a child, he had to be born and to enter into humanity through the virgin Miriam. And you see, like I mentioned earlier, I personally had a problem in the beginning with the divine nature of the Messiah because I couldn't grasp how could men be also at the same time God.

And yet the Bible teaches us that God would enter humanity through the virgin Miriam and he will become a human being, yet without sin. So while we have the problem today to recognize that Jesus is divine, that he's God, that Yeshua is God, many years ago there was another problem. The problem that they had, that John is warning against here in verses 2, 3 and 4, is not so much the divine nature of Yeshua, but is the humanity.

Of Yeshua. Notice again, back to First John chapter 4, verse 2. "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Yeshua the Messiah have come in the flesh is of God." In other words, every one of us that recognize that Yeshua came in the flesh. He became literally a man, a human being, a man that would live here in this world. You see, at that time, 2,000 years ago, in a time of John that he wrote to the family of God, to the Mishpacha, already then those Gnostics did not believe in the humanity of the Messiah.

Now listen to this, brothers and sisters, Yeshua is not half God and half man. Yeshua is completely, entirely, totally the eternal Son of God. And when he enter humanity, he became completely, entirely a human being, a man. He had spirit, soul and body just like you and I. The only difference between him and you and I is that he was sinless, and you and I are sinners.

He never had a beginning as the eternal Son of God. You and I have had a beginning because we have been created. And so we have to understand he was totally eternal Son of God and he became totally a human being. And why is it so important? You see, why is it so important to believe that Yeshua came in the flesh? The Hebrew word for flesh is Basar. You know there is often time an expression that we use, you see John was a Hebrew, and he knew those expression that the Jewish people often time use even up till today.

When we talk about a human being, he says, "Oh, you are only flesh and blood, Basar VaDam." Flesh and blood, we say. "What do you know?" This is an expression that we use. When we want to talk about a human being, we say, "You are only a flesh and blood, Basar VaDam." So when we want to express someone who is a human being, who is a person, we say, "You are Basar VaDam, flesh and blood." And John is wanting to emphasize this to his readers and he's saying, "Listen, how do we know that a person is truly confessing what God says? He believe that Yeshua the Messiah came in flesh."

He have enter into this world in order to become a human being just like you and I. And now the question is why? You see why, brothers and sisters? You see, God could never save sinners by simply not dealing with the problem that sinners have. God could never say, "Listen, I am God. I can brush your sins aside. I can put everything aside and I'm just because I'm God is love, you see. I love you so much and I'll bring you into my presence. I will restore a relationship with you and not deal with sin."

He couldn't do so because he is holy. You remember First John chapter 1 and verse 5 we read, "God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all." So if God is going to deal with darkness, with sin, He had to do something about it. Well, what could He do? What could He do? Well, the only thing for God to do is to enter humanity and to become a man, yet never cease from being God.

And yet at the same time, He himself will take the punishment that we deserve upon himself as men. That's why it was so important for the humanity of Yeshua the Messiah. He could never save mankind unless he became as mankind. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 2. Let me show you this verse. I think this is one of the most important verses to understand the humanity of the Messiah and the reason why Yeshua became a man, why God became a man.

Hebrews chapter 2, verses 14, 15 and 16. And you notice the writer to the Hebrew was a Hebrew believer who wrote to his Hebrew brethren about some things that they knew from history. And he said to them in verse 14, "For as much that the children are partakers of flesh and blood." Notice this expression, Basar VaDam in Hebrew. This is a Hebraic expression. "For as much as the children are partakers of the flesh and blood, He," this is the Messiah, God the Son.

"He also Himself likewise took part of the same, that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil." You see, if God is going to save the human race, He had to become a human being without sin, and that He himself as man now, could go to the altar and to be punished on behalf of the human race. That's why the writer says, "He took part of the same because the children are partakers of flesh and blood."

All of us have flesh and blood. All of us are human beings. Well, He also took of the same in order that through death, when He suffered for us on the tree, on the cross, and He died as the Lamb of God for our sins, He destroyed totally the one that had power over death, that is the devil. Satan had power over those sinners that were away from God. And so God decided to come down to this world and take humanity.

And so notice in verse 15 and 16, "And He delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Verse 16, "For verily He took not of himself the nature of angels, but He took upon himself the seed of Abraham." You see, when God enter humanity, or when God wanted to save men, He didn't take upon himself the nature of angels. God the Son didn't become an angel, but He became a man because He was not going to save angels, He was going to save the human race.

And He became a man. And a man, and you notice which descendants He took upon himself not the nature of angels, but He took upon himself the seed of Abraham. He became a Jewish man, a Hebrew man. In view of all what the Hebrew prophets spoke about that when the Messiah will come to this world, He will become a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through the tribe of Judah and the family of David.

And so He didn't take upon himself the nature of angels. Now can you imagine if God would become an angel, for example? What would it help you and I? Angel cannot die for your sins and for mine. Good person, unless he's divine, could not die for your sins or mine. You and I cannot die for the sin of another because we are sinners. Angels cannot save sinners. Angels are ministering spirits, they are serving God's people, but they cannot save us.

They cannot forgive our sins. And so Yeshua, this is God the Son, took upon himself humanity. And, brothers and sisters, what is human being? Spirit, soul and body. Human spirit, human soul, human body. When Yeshua entered into this world, He became a human being, spirit, soul and body. And yet He was sinless because He was not an offspring of a relationship between Yosef and Miriam, but He was born of the Holy Spirit of God.

The seed that had been placed in the womb of Miriam, therefore He was the holy one, not the innocent one, but the holy one. The sinless one, the undefiled, the one that was separate from sinners. And so John giving this warning, and he's saying, and I'm back now in First John chapter 4 and verse 2, that he's pointing out, "Confessing the humanity of Yeshua the Messiah is really of God. Confessing that He came in the flesh is really of God."

Now when someone tell you, according to this text, that Yeshua is not human being, spirit, soul and body, that he's a phantom, immediately you know that this person is not of God. He's teaching false teaching. Some of those Gnostics already taught these things in first century. Others teaching this today. They're teaching the very same thing that he's not really fully God, he's not really a human being, he's like a phantom. You know, by the way, you, for example, the Jehovah's Witness today.

You read the Gospel of John, it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." But you know what they say? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a God." In other words, He had been created as far as they were concerned. They don't realize that they don't confess the truth that He was literally equal with the Father, the God and man in one.

If He was only a creature, He could never deal with your sins and with mine. No creature can deal with the sin of this sinful world in which we live in, with my sins and with yours. That's why it is so fundamental, brothers and sisters, to confess the fact that Yeshua the Messiah has come in the flesh. Let me read you one more verse in First Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16. "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness." Listen to this. "God was manifest in flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world and received up into glory."

It is a mystery, but it's a great mystery. And God does not want your opinion and my opinion. He wants us to simply accept what He said in His Word. Even though we cannot fathom that, but it is found in the Scripture. And it's truly indeed something that we cannot quite grasp, but we accept it because the Spirit of God revealed this to us from the Word of God. Now listen to this, brothers and sisters, as he continue, and I'm back in First John chapter 4 and now verse 3.

After he established the truth concerning Yeshua coming in the flesh, and the flesh, he became a man, and that which is of God, the spirit that is of God is recognizing that Yeshua came in the flesh. Then he says in verse 3, look at the opposite. "Not confessing the humanity of Yeshua is not of God. Not confessing or rejecting the humanity of Yeshua is totally not of God." Verse 3. "Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, is come in the flesh is not of God."

"And this is the spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world." Now two things he's saying here in verse 3. The first thing of course he's saying that not confessing that Yeshua became that Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah, entered humanity, became flesh and blood. Not confessing it is really not being of God. If somebody going to come to you and I and I'm going to say, "Listen, I don't believe that Yeshua is a real man, spirit, soul and body, sin apart."

Well, if somebody does not confess this and reject it, this person have to question his salvation. This person have to ask himself or herself whether they even belong to the Lord because why? If they reject the perfect humanity of the Messiah, what are they really saying that someone else have died for their sins, that another human being but a sinner have died for them. And that is wrong. That is not what the Bible teaches us.