Dr. Ron Mosley - Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church

Magen David

The Magen David (Shield of David, or as it is more commonly known, the Star of David) is the symbol most commonly associated with Judaism today In the 17th century it became a popular practice to put a Magen David on the outside of synagogues to identify them as Jewish houses of worship. The Magen David gained popularity as a symbol of Judaism when it was adopted as the emblem of the Zionist movement in 1897.

Menorah

One of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith is the menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum used in the Temple. It has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel and our mission to be a light unto the nations. (Isaiah 42:6).

Messianic Seal

This ancient symbol was found on Mount Zion, and is believed to have been created and used by the early Jewish believers who called themselves Nazarenes in the first Messianic Congregation. It consists of three separate but integrated symbols: a menorah at the top, a Star of David in the middle, and a fish at the bottom.

Torah Scroll

The word Torah refers to the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy The Torah is dressed and decorated because it is holy and is considered the core of Gods communication with Israel. The manner in which it is dressed and decorated is symbolic of the garments worn by the High Priest of old when he served God in the sanctuary of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Chai

This symbol, commonly seen on necklaces and other jewelry and ornaments, is the Hebrew word Chai (living), with the two Hebrew letters Chet and Yud attached to each other. Some say it refers to the Living G-d; others say it simply reflects Judaisms focus on the importance of life. The concept of chai is important in Jewish culture. The typical Jewish toast is lchayim (to life).

T his refreshing new book by Dr. Ron Moseley opens up the history of the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Every Christian should read this book.

Brad Young, Ph.D.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Oral Roberts University

R on Moseley is a gifted educator of the Jewish roots of Christianity. Every disciple of Yeshua, the Rabbi from Nazareth, will find Rons latest work valuable and stimulating reading, as it illuminates the Jewish background to Jesus and His Jewish movement, the Church.

Dwight A. Pryor

President, Center for Judaic-Christian Studies

W ritten as a study text with useful review questions at the end of each chapter, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church is must reading for all serious students desiring to explore the historical and biblical linkage between synagogue and church. I enthusiastically recommend this enlightening study of origins.

Marvin Wilson, Ph.D.

Ockenga Projessor of Biblical Theological Studies
Chairman of the Department of Biblical Studies,
Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts
and one of the translators of the
New International Version of the Bible

At last theres a common-sense, well researched approach to one of the most fascinating, yet controversial questions of the modern religious world Just how Jewish was the historical Jesus, and how Jewish was the Church that came forth from His teachings? I believe that this book goes a long way toward enlightening the public about the reality of the birth of Christianity, and the pivotal days of Roman Palestine which forever changed the religious framework of the modern world.

Kenneth L Hanson, Ph.D.
University of Texas
President, Kedem, Inc., Tulsa, OK

W e are living in the prophetic season in which God is calling Christianity back to the Jewish roots of the faith. In this book, Dr. Ron Moseley has done an excellent job helping us to understand the Jewishness of Christianity. I encourage every serious Christian to read this book.

Richard Booker

International Bible Teacher and popular author of
The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread,
Blow the Trumpet in Zion and other hooks.

D r. Ron Moseleys new book may prove to be a one-stop shopping source for students seeking easily accessed information related to the Jewishness of Jesus and the Hebraic roots of nascent Christianity.

Randall A. Weiss, Ph.D.

Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies,
Greenwich University
ICI University, Irving, Texas

Copyright 1996 by Ronald Wayne Moseley

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher, except for brief reviews in magazines, or as quotations in another work when full attribution is given.

All quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible, unless otherwise noted.

ISBN 978-1-936716-00-5

Library of Congress Catalog Control Number: 99227069

Lederer Books
a division of
MESSIANIC JEWISH PUBLISHERS
6120 Day Long Lane
Clarksville, MD 21029

Distributed by
Messianic Jewish Resources International
Order line: (800) 410-7367
E-mail:
Website: www.messianicjewish.net

T he earliest decades of Church history are both the richest and most complex of any period from antiquity to this present day. If one desires to be radically Christian, a thorough understanding of the Jewish origin of the Church is, by no means, optional; it is foundational. Ron Moseley has provided a great service for his readers by helping them to sort out the key players, struggles, and issues which emerged during this revolutionary period. Regrettably, many Christians think and live as though their Christian faith was invented out of whole cloth, like it came directly out of Heaven on a parachute. By using an abundance of Scriptures and other valuable sources, and by carefully outlining his work, Ron Moseley sets forth with clarity the Jewish background of the emerging first-century Church. Written as a study text with useful review questions at the end of each chapter, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church is must reading for all serious students desiring to explore the historical and biblical linkage between synagogue and Church. I enthusiastically recommend this enlightening study of origins.

Marvin Wilson, Ph.D.

Ockenga Professor of Biblical Theological Studies

Chairman of the Department of Biblical Studies

Gordon college, Wenham, Massachusetts

T he primary problem that arises in the historical analysis of the proto-rabbi, proto-Judaism, and the practices of the early Church (the pre-A.D. 70 period) is that previous histories of Christianity have generally left out the Jewish factor. By beginning their research with the later second- and third-century Church, after it became predominantly a Gentile organization, they have lost the history of the first hundred years and the necessary understanding of Jewish roots. Many difficult Hebraic phrases and theological dilemmas can be understood by investigating the original Jewish context of the early Church.

Today, scholars agree, on the most basic level, that Jesus was a Jew who was born, lived, and died within first-century Judaism. His teaching methods, parables, proverbs, and symbolic style were characteristic of the Judaism of that day. Since both the Old and New Testaments are highly Hebraic, with the background, writers, culture, religion, traditions, and concepts being Hebrew, any analysis should be done from this perspective.

Although the assumption exists that because the New Testament was largely communicated in Greek, the study of its Greek roots should take priority over the Hebrew, contemporary scholars are turning with renewed interest to the Hebrew origins. Scholars Roy Blizzard, Jr. and David Bivin point out that 78 percent of the biblical text was written in Hebrew and only 22 percent in Greek.Bible has a definite Hebraic texture. Aside from these startling percentages, all of it was written with a Hebraic mind-set.