January 27, 2008

• My Testimony

  My Testimony

  By Aviel E. Rodriguez

   

  I believe that Yeshua min Natseret (Jesus of Nazareth) is Ha Moshiach (the Messiah), and Ha Melech Yisrael (the King of Israel).  I am seeking to follow His example.  Therefore, I’m becoming more and more Torah observant in the ruach (spirit) and in emet (truth).

   

  During my first seventeen years as a Christian- having been ‘born again’ in 1973- I felt a strong attraction to the Jewish roots of my Christian faith.  Moreover, my attraction to the Land of Israel and to the Jewish people- as a whole- became very strong.  In fact, it became so much so that I might’ve otherwise converted to Rabbinic Judaism had it not been for my firm conviction in the Messiaship of Yeshua HaNotzriy… in which I remain all the more steadfast to this day.  Wonderfully, I wasn’t alone in experiencing this Christian ‘phenomenon of attraction’ to our Jewish roots and to the Jewish people.  I’ve come to recognize that it’s been spreading around the “Christian world” for close to 40 years now! 

   

  Over the years, as I learned more about the Hebraic roots of our faith, I sought out and attended some Messianic Jewish congregations in order to express the joy of this newfound dimension of our faith with other believers of like mindedness.  Paradoxically, I eventually began to feel increasingly frustrated as a result of this very same inexplicable attraction that had drawn me and so many other “non-Jews” into returning back to these ancient paths.  This frustration that I speak of was due to a sense of unfulfillment… i.e., a sense that I (as a non-Jewish believer) wasn’t really feeling that I was being shown true acceptance as a full heir to the legacy of Yaacov (Jacob) by my Jewish brethren in the ‘Messianic Jewish community’.  Unfortunately, I never truly sensed that I was being accorded the status of “full citizenship in the commonwealth of Israel”- even though they said that I was. 

   

  I believe that they were sincere in their desire to express the unity of Jew and non-Jew… i.e., as it’s often stated… “as one new man in Messiah”.  However, that expression eventually began to ring a bit hollow in my ears as I would- on the other hand- continually hear them labeling me with the moniker of “gentile” (i.e., ‘of the nations’… as in separate from Israel).  Therefore, despite the rhetoric in the Messianic synagogues, I perceived that a non-Jew was not viewed as actually being a true “Israelite” of the seed of Avraham- despite what Galatians 3:28-29, Galatians 6:15-16; and Ephesians 2:11-13; 19 had to say about the non-Jewish believer. 

   

  I do love my Messianic Jewish brethren, and believe that they are sincere in wishing to express a spirit of unity between themselves and the non-Jewish believers.  Nevertheless, I believe that their expression of this is muddled.  Their vision for Jew and non-Jew as “one new man in Messiah” became more and more muddled to me as I continued to hear them refer to “their Jewish people”, “their Torah”, ”their Patriarchs”, “their Holy Days”, etc.  In the end, I grew to feel like a second-class citizen of the Kingdom. 

      

  Then in 1990- by Yah’s grace- I awoke to the understanding of the biblical prophecies concerning the other House of Israel… i.e., the House of Joseph/Ephraim.  These prophecies were speaking to me of that other part of Israel (historically speaking) that was separated from the Kingdom of Judah.  They spoke of the zera (seed) of this other House of Israel that had actually been scattered by Yahweh into ALL the earth; and ultimately, had become totally assimilated and seemingly “non-jewish”- seemingly lost to their brother Judah.  These prophecies also spoke of a day in which great numbers of their multitudinous descendants would yet be wonderfully reawakened, revived, and restored as ‘reborn Israelites’ in order to receive back again the fullness of their inheritance.  They would once again be joined to their brethren (the House of Judah) through the promised work of YHWH.  This work would be accomplished by the Faithful Shepherd… Yeshua HaMashiach- the Holy One of Israel- who would give his life for the sheep in order to draw them and guide them back onto the ancient paths! 

   

  For me, this revelatory information- which so impacted my life- came by way of a wonderful book entitled “Who Is Israel?”- written by Batya Wooten.  I also received some wonderful teaching on this subject from an Orthodox Rabbi who had come to faith in Yeshua HaNotzriy.  His name was Rabbi Isidor Zwirn (of blessed memory).  Around the year 1975, Rabbi Zwirn- while functioning as the “Zionist Rabbi” of his Orthodox synagogue- decided that he would teach his congregation everything that the Torah and the prophets had to say about ’the Messiah’.  At the end of a protracted period of research, he emerged from his study to make this startling statement… ”Yeshua Ha Notzriy (Jesus the Nazarene) was indeed the Messiah!” 

   

  This alone was wonderful enough; but also, through his research, Rabbi Zwirn had come to realize that the “non-Jewish believers in Yeshua” were actually the fulfillment of YHWH’s promise to restore the lost ten tribes- The House of Ephraim/Israel- back to their brethren, the House of Judah.  He realized that according to prophecy these “born-again Israelites” would one day become exactly what the Hebrew term for them (i.e., Notsrim) actually implies.  They would one day truly become “watchmen” (guardians, protectors) of the Torah and of their people, Israel; and they would no longer be the destroyers of them. 

   

  Rabbi Zwirn paid a severe price for proclaiming this testimony of Yeshua and of the planned restoration of all of Israel.  Nevertheless, he testified faithfully to the Gospel of the Kingdom and of its full restoration through Yeshua HaMoshiach for 25 years.  He did this principally through his established ‘Free Yeshiva of Zion’- until he went on to be with the Master on the eve of 2000 at the age of 85.  

   

  Having awakened to these truths; and having committed myself to their understanding… i.e., regarding the ‘Jewishness’ of our Faithful Messiah, Yeshua, as well as the promised restoration and reunification of all Israel, I, therefore, have dedicated this weblog to the dissemination of that information… by the grace of YHWH. 

   

  For anyone that might be interested, Rabbi Isidor Zwirn’s entire testimony can be read in his autobiography entitled “The Rabbi From Burbank” which can be obtained through Kenneth Copeland Ministries.  I also highly recommend the reading of Batya Wooten’s book, “Israel Revealed: Ephraim and Judah“ for starters.  May YAH richly bless you.

   

  Blessed be the name of YHWH!

   

   

  ** I invite you to view some of my other weblog entries… such as: Was Jeremiah Speaking of You? A Message To Zionist Christians  AND  Two Houses of Israel - Tract.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  • 4:19 pm
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