What is the Messianic Belief?

The Messianic faith is the original biblical faith in the God of Israel and his Messiah. It is belief in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah of Israel, as promised by God through the prophets. The Messianic belief is a result of love for, and faith in, the God of Israel.

What defines the belief of the Messianic Jew?

  • Belief in the authority of the Word of God – the Bible – which includes four parts: Torah, Prophets, Writings and the New Testament.
    1. As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him (Psalms 18:30)
    2. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:8)
    3. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)
    4. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12)
  • Ever since sin entered the world, through Adam and Eve, every human being suffers from the yetzer hara (evil inclination) and his heart always desires to go its own way – a way that inevitably leads far from God and to everlasting death. Therefore every human being needs salvation and forgiveness of sin.
    1. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Psalms 14: 2-3)
    2. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
    3. Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2)
    4. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12)
    5. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6)
    6. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
  • We can only achieve forgiveness of sin through a sacrifice. Yeshua the Messiah was the unique and perfect sacrifice who took upon himself all of our sins on the cross. Therefore, we can only achieve salvation through him (it cannot be achieved through teshuvah, tefillah and zedaka – repentance, prayer and good deeds)
    1. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (vaYikra/Leviticus 17:11)
    2. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5)
    3. Yeshua saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (Yochanan/John 14:6)
    4. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (Yochanan/John 3:16)
  • Faith in the Messiah as our Savior, and belief in his divinity
    1. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isaiah 43:11)
    2. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (Yochanan/John 20:28-29)
    3. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
    4. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Jeremiah 23:6)
    5. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (Yochanan/John 14:9-10)
  • We believe that Yeshua is the savior and redeemer because of what the Word of God says about him.
    1. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (Yochanan/John 5:39)
    2. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
  • Only through the Holy Spirit and the personal contact between the beleiver and God is it possible to rightfully understand the scriptures. Not through human interpretations. Every beleiver has a personal responsibility to examine every teaching that he hears against the Word of God.
    1. How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. (Jeremiah 8:8)
    2. But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. (Dvarim/Deutronomy 4:29)
    3. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
    4. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1st Yochanan/John 4:1)
    5. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)
  • Belief in the uniqueness of the People of Israel as The Chosen People, and that God has not replaced or forsaken them
    1. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. (Psalm 94:14)
    2. I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. (Romans 11:1-2)
    3. What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1-2)
  • Zionism and love of the Homeland, and belief that the establishment of the State of Israel is the beginning of the fullfillment of the biblical prophecies, and it is „reshit tzmichat ge’ulatenu” – the commencement of the growth of our redemption
    1. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. (Dvarim/Deutronomy 30:4-6)

Our belief is in true Judaism which did not turn away from God’s way. Our faith is in the God of Israel, and it is rooted in the prophecies of the Tanakh (Old Testament). Our faithfulness to our Jewish heritage and to the faith of our forefathers does not contradict our faith. On the contrary – our love and faithfulness to the People of Israel is a direct result of our faith. Some of us were assimilated amongst gentiles before we came to faith in Yeshua the Messiah, and our belief in Yeshua restored our Jewish identity.

There are many Messianic non-Jews in the world. This is in accordance to the prophecies:

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)

for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. (Isaiah 56:7)

Most Messianic Jews in Israel see themselves as brothers in the faith with non-Jewish Messianics. One of the main differences between the Messianic Jews and the Messianic non-Jews (or „Evangelical Christians”) is their affinity for the People of Israel and the faith of our forefathers, celebrating the Feasts of Israel, and sanctifying the Shabbat instead of Sunday.

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