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From:
James Trimm <jstrimm@n...>
Date: Mon Mar 3, 2003 12:02
am
Subject: We are the Remnant
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WE ARE THE REMNANT
by
James Scott Trimm
Society for the Advancement of Nazarene Judaism
Box 471; Hurst, TX 76053
(817) 284-7039
sanj@nazarene.net
http://www.nazarene.net
THE REMNANT IN ISAIAH 1
In the first two chapters of Isaiah we see a prophetic rebuke of each
of the Two Houses of Israel. Isaiah 1:1-23 contains a prophetic rebuke "concerning
Judah and Jerusalem" (1:1) while Isaiah 2:5-22 contains a prophetic rebuke
directed at the "House of Jacob" (2:5).
The House of Judah ("Judah
and Jerusalem") is observing Torah in some way... they are offering sacrifices
and incense and observing new moons and sabbaths and the calling of assemblies
(1:13). But note that Isaiah 1 calls them "YOUR new moons" and "YOUR appointed
feasts" but the Torah calls them "My appointed feasts" etc.. This is why
YHWH's nefesh (soul) HATES their appointed feasts (1:14). The House of Judah
is observing Torah, but in an empty way (because they have violated Deut.
18:15-18 in rejecting Messiah). Their Torah observance is empty and meaningless
because it has lost the Soul of the Torah the Messiah himself.
The House of Israel (also called the "House of Jacob") is rebuked for having
turned from the "light of YHWH" (2:5) (i.e, the Torah see Isaiah 8:20);
forsaking "your people" (2:6) and turning to idolatry (2:7).
But in Isaiah 1:9 there is a key passage:
Except YHWH of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant,
we should have been as Sodom,
and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Note that this verse takes place in YHWH's rebuke of the House of Judah.
While the House of Jacob abandons the Torah and their own people (the House
of Judah) and turn to idolatry, and most of the House of Judah observes Torah
in an empty way (having rejected the Messiah) there is a remnant of the House of Judah which has not rejected Torah or the Messiah.
In a footnote to Isaiah 1:9 the Ryrie Study Bible has the following comment:
"Quoted in Rom. 9:29 with reference to Christian Jews."
Now I do not always agree with Ryrie's comments and I certainly do not agree
with the usage of the term "Jewish Christians", what Ryrie would call "Jewish
Christians" I would identify as "Nazarene Jews" (see Nazarene Jewish Manifesto
at http://www.unjs.org ). However it is very important that Romans 9:29
does quote Isaiah 1:9 with reference to Nazarene Jews. The "remnant" of
the House of Judah in Isaiah 1:9 does in fact refer to Nazarene Judaism.
THE REMNANT IN ROMANS 9
Now lets look at the usage of Isaiah 1:9 by Paul in Romans 9:29:
Romans 9:1-23 discusses Israel as YHWH's chosen people. Then in 9:24-29
Paul quotes passages regarding each of the two houses of Israel. In Romans
9:25-26 Paul quotes Hosea 2:23 & Hosea 1:10 about a group who were
Romans 9:30-31
Lets look at this whole section of Romans 9 in context from the
Aramaic:
24. Which we are, the called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles.
25. Thus also he said in Hoshea, I will call those who were not my people,
my people, and to whom I have not shown mercy, I will show mercy.
26. For it will be [that] in the place where they were called No my
people, there they will be called sons of the living Eloah.
27. And Yesha'yahu proclaimed concerning the B'nai Yisra'el,
that even though the number of the B'nai Yisra'el should be like the sand that
is in the sea, a remnant of them will be saved.
28. He has decided and determined the matter and YHWH will
accomplish it upon the earth.
29. And according to that which Yesha'yahu previously said, If
YHWH Tzva'ot had not left us a remnant, we would have been as S'dom and
would have resembled 'Amora.
Ok now lets get some important facts from the text:
Who are the "Jews" and "Gentiles" of verse 24?
Rom. 9 begins the contrast of the "Jews" and "Gentiles" by quoting Hosea
2:25(23); 2:1 (1:10) in Rom. 9:25-26. But if we look up the context of the
people "which were not my people" which he calls "my people" in Hosea we
find that they are the "children of Israel" (Hosea 2:1 ( 1:10)) as opposed
to "the children of Judah" (Hosea 2:2 (1:11)) So if Paul is quoting Hosea
in context and contrasting Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 9:24) using Hosea 2:1-2
(1:10-11) then the "Jews" of Rom. 9:24 are the "Childern of Judah" of Hosea
2:2 (1:11) and the "Gentiles" of Rom. 9:24 are the "children of Israel" of
Hosea 2:1 (1:10). If this is true then as this contrasting pair advances
into Rom. Chapter 11 the two trees are the two Houses.
(This reasoning carries on through Romans 11 M'LOA HAGOYIM = "a multitude
of nations"/"fullness of the Gentiles" (Gen. 48:19 = Rom. 11:25). The word
"etz" in Hebrew which is the word for "stick" in the two sticks prophecy
of Ezek. 37 also means "tree" tieing in with two trees in Rom. 11. In Ezek.
37 the two sticks are the two Houses of Israel.)
(The term GOYIM ("gentiles" or "nations") is occasionally used in the Tanak
to describe the House of Israel as opposed to the House of Judah (see Gen.
48:19 & Is. 9:1 for example).
So the "Jews and Gentiles" of Rom. 9 are not Jews and non-Hebrews but Jews and Ephraimites.
Now if we understand the olive tree parable of Romans 11 in light of this
information, then the "wild olive tree" (Rom. 11:17) represents the House
of Israel (Ephraim) and the "[cultivated] olive tree" (Rom. 11:17) represents
the House of Judah. The "wild branches" are Ephraimites; the original natural
branches that they were were "grafted in among" are the "remnant"
(Rom. 9:29; 11:17) and the "some of the branches" which were broken off,
but later grafted back in when they are no longer in unbelief (11:17, 23)
are Rabbinic Jews. The "wild branches" (Ephraimites) are not to boast against
the natural branches (the remnant/Nazarene Jews and Rabbinic
Jews; 11:18) and are to be fed by the root of the cultivated Olive Tree (11:17)
(that is the House of Judah). These Ephraimites join the "remnant" (Nazarene Judaism).
THE REMNANT IN REVELATION
The "remnant" show up again in the Book of Revelation in Rev. 12:17:
And the dragon was angry concerning the woman
and he went to wage war with the remnant of her seed,
those who keep the commandments of Eloah
and have the testimony of Yeshua.
Note that the "remnant" have two characteristics:
1. They "keep the commandments of Eloah" (they are Torah Observant).
2. They "have the testimony of Yeshua" (they are believers in Yeshua as Messiah).
This is very similar to the description of the ancient Nazarene Jews given by the ancient so-called "Church Fathers":
Jerome describe the Nazarenes as those from among the Jews:
"...who accept Messiah in such a way that they do not cease to observe the old Law."
(Jerome; On. Is. 8:14).
And Epiphanius gives the following description of the Nazarenes:
They are different from the Jews, and different from Christians, only in the following.
They disagree with Jews because they have come to faith in Messiah;
but since they are still fettered by the Law--circumcision, the Sabbath, and the rest--
they are not in accord with Christians....
(Epiphanius; Panarion 29)
The group with these two sets of characteristics shows up in three other passages of Revelation (6:9; 14:12; 15:3):
Rev. 6:9:
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter
the souls of them that were slain for:
1. "the Word of God" (i.e. the Torah - Is. 1:10; 2:4)
2. and "the Testimony which they held" (i.e. the Testimony of Yeshua as Messiah - Rev. 12:17.
Rev. 14:12
Here is the patience of the set-apart-ones who:
1. "keep the commandments of Eloah"
2. and "trust in Yeshua".
Rev. 15:3
1. and they were singing the song of Moshe, the servant of Eloah (i.e, the Torah)
2. and "the Song of the Lamb" (Messiah Yeshua)
Therefore the martyrs of the fifth seal of Revelation will be Nazarene
Jews and the "harpers" who are "innocent from the beast" (15:2) will be Nazarene
Jews. These "harpers" are the 144,000 who sing a "new song" (the Song of
Moses and the Song of the Lamb; i.e. the Torah and Messiah) with the Lamb
on Mt. Zion (14:1-2, 12) which relates to the three angel's messages of Rev.
14:1-12.
Why do they hear a voice from heaven that is like "thunders" (14:1-2)?
What is the meaning of the three angel's messages of Rev. 14:1-12? Are they like "thunders"?
What is the seal that this 144,000 have? Does it relate to these thunders and three angel's messages?
I will soon be giving a seminar "Unveiling the Book of Revelation" in which I will answer these questions and others like:
* What is the meaning of the seven seals?
* Who is the "beast" or Rev. 13?
* What is the meaning of the number 666?
* Who is the great whore of Rev. 17? Who are her daughters?
If you would be interested in attending this seminar (date has not yet been set) in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Area
please email us and let us know: sanj@nazarene.net
(c) 2003 James Scott Trimm
Permission to recopy is granted so long as the text is not altered including the contact information.
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