What is Messianic Judaism? Benei Avraham Statement of Faith

Introduction

Benei Avraham stands within the faith of Israel, rooted in Torah, loyal to the God of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, and bearing witness to the revelation of Mashiach Yeshua. We affirm that our faith is not a new religion separated from Judaism, but a Torah-faithful Messianic Jewish path that seeks to walk in covenant, mitzvot, prayer, holiness, community, and faith in the Messiah.

This statement is shaped by Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith because these principles have served for centuries as one of the clearest summaries of essential Jewish belief. While Judaism is not merely a religion of abstract doctrines, but a covenantal way of life expressed through Torah, mitzvot, prayer, community, holiness, and loyalty to Hashem, Rambam’s principles help define the foundational truths that hold Jewish faith together: belief in the Creator, the unity of Hashem, the truth of prophecy, the divine origin of Torah, the unique authority of Moshe Rabbeinu, the coming of Mashiach, divine justice, and the resurrection of the dead. For Benei Avraham, these principles provide a Jewish framework for confessing faith in the God of Israel while also understanding the revelation of Yeshua within the covenantal story of Israel.

We also affirm Yeshua’s own testimony that redemption is inseparable from Israel and the Jewish people. Speaking to the Samaritan woman, Yeshua said:

“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”

John 4:22

This is important because the Samaritans were not pagans in the ordinary sense. They accepted the Torah and worshiped the God of Israel, but they did so according to their own separated tradition, centered on Mount Gerizim rather than Jerusalem, and apart from the covenantal authority preserved within Judah and the Jewish people. Yeshua did not say, “All Torah-based interpretations are equal.” He said, “We know what we worship,” and “salvation is of the Jews.”

Therefore, Benei Avraham believes that a Jewish understanding of the Bible is essential. The Torah, Prophets, Writings, and the Messianic hope were entrusted to Israel, preserved by the Jewish people, taught in the synagogue, and interpreted through the covenantal life of Judaism. This does not mean every Jewish teacher is always correct, nor that human tradition may override Hashem’s commandments. But it does mean that the Bible should not be detached from the people, language, covenant, courts, calendar, and interpretive tradition through which Hashem preserved it.

Jacob prophesied that covenantal rulership and authority would remain with Judah:

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

Genesis 49:10

Paul likewise taught that the Jewish people were entrusted with the words of God:

“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

For this reason, Benei Avraham rejects any approach that takes the Bible away from its Jewish foundation and rebuilds it according to Gentile, anti-Jewish, or self-appointed interpretations. We read the Scriptures through the faith of Israel, the authority of Torah, the witness of the prophets, the wisdom of the sages, and the revelation of Yeshua as Mashiach.

Likewise, Yeshua acknowledged the authority of the teachers of Israel when he said:

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moshe’s seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do.”

Matthew 23:2–3

By referring to Moshe’s seat, Yeshua recognized the role of Torah instruction and communal authority within Israel. While he strongly rebuked hypocrisy, corruption, and traditions that nullified Hashem’s commandments, he did not reject the Torah, the synagogue, Jewish learning, or legitimate halachic instruction.

Therefore, Benei Avraham receives Rambam’s Thirteen Principles as a vital Jewish foundation, while also affirming the Brit Hadashah’s witness that Yeshua is the promised Mashiach of Israel. The foundation of Jewish faith is the Shema — “Hear O Israel, Hashem is our God, Hashem is One” — and we must place the God of Israel and the principles of Torah above all human ideologies, leaders, philosophies, or systems.

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1 We believe in the existence of the Creator.

We believe that Hashem, the God of Israel, exists and is the Source of all existence. He alone is the Creator of heaven and earth, the One from whom all life, wisdom, truth, and holiness come.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Genesis 1:1

“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

Romans 11:36

“For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.”

Acts 17:28

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.”

Hebrews 11:3

We do not believe that the universe is random, meaningless, or self-sufficient. Creation itself bears witness to its Creator. As Paul wrote:

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.”

Romans 1:20

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2 We believe that Hashem is One.

We believe in the absolute oneness of the God of Israel, as declared in the Shema:

“Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad.”
“Hear, O Israel: Hashem is our God, Hashem is One.”

Deuteronomy 6:4

Yeshua himself affirmed this as the greatest commandment:

“The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; Hashem is our God, Hashem is One.”

Mark 12:29

Therefore, Benei Avraham rejects idolatry, polytheism, and any teaching that divides the glory of Hashem. We believe that Hashem alone is God, and in this our understanding of God’s oneness follows the Jewish reading of the Shema and differs from Nicene and Chalcedonian formulations that speak of one divine essence shared by multiple co‑eternal persons; we are not simply using different language for the same doctrine, but holding a distinct non‑Trinitarian view rooted in Israel’s faith. We do not believe that Yeshua is Hashem Himself. Rather, we believe that Yeshua is the Mashiach, the Son of God, the chosen and anointed King of Israel, the one sent by the Father, and the one through whom Hashem reveals His wisdom, word, authority, and redemptive purpose.

Yeshua repeatedly distinguished himself from the Father:

“My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me.”

John 7:16

“I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

John 5:30

“My Father is greater than I.”

John 14:28

At the same time, Yeshua also said:

“I and my Father are one.”

John 10:30

We understand this “oneness” as unity, not as Yeshua and the Father being the same person. Yeshua prayed that his disciples would share in this same kind of oneness:

“That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us.”

John 17:21

“And the glory which Thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.”

John 17:22

This shows that when Yeshua speaks of being “one” with the Father, he is speaking of perfect unity, harmony, love, obedience, mission, and revelation. He is not saying that he and the Father are the same being or the same person. In the same way, when a husband and wife marry, the Torah says they become “one flesh”:

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

Genesis 2:24

Their union is real, sacred, and covenantal, but it does not make them the same person. Likewise, Yeshua’s unity with the Father is real and holy, but it does not erase the distinction between the Father who sends and the Son who is sent.

We believe that the One God has revealed His will through His Word, His Spirit, His Presence, His Wisdom, His Shekhinah, His Torah, His prophets, and ultimately through His Messiah. Yeshua is not another god, not an idol, and not a replacement for Hashem. He is the living revelation of the Father’s will and the Messiah through whom the God of Israel is made known.

“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”

John 14:9

This does not mean Yeshua is Hashem Himself, but that Yeshua perfectly reveals the Father’s character, truth, mercy, authority, and mission. As the emissary of Hashem, Yeshua makes the invisible God known through his words, deeds, obedience, suffering, resurrection, and kingship.

Paul preserves this distinction clearly:

“To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things… and one Master, Yeshua the Messiah, by whom are all things.”

1 Corinthians 8:6

Therefore, we confess one God: Hashem, the Father, the God of Israel. And we confess one Messiah: Yeshua, the Son of God, the anointed King, teacher, servant, prophet, redeemer, and agent of Hashem’s kingdom.

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3 We believe that Hashem is not physical and cannot be reduced to an image.

We believe that Hashem is beyond human form, beyond human limitation, and beyond complete human definition. The Torah warns us not to make an image of God, because no created image can contain Him.

"Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that Hashem spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure."

Deuteronomy 4:15–16

"To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?"

Isaiah 40:18

"God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

John 4:24

The word often translated "spirit" corresponds to the Hebrew concept of ruach, which can mean breath, wind, or spirit. This language is analogical. It does not mean that Hashem is literally wind, breath, or an invisible gas-like substance. Rather, like wind or breath, Hashem is unseen yet powerful, invisible yet active, beyond physical form yet able to move, sustain, speak, and give life.

Just as wind cannot be grasped by the hand but can be known by its effects, Hashem cannot be contained by an image, body, or form, yet His presence, power, wisdom, and will are made known through creation, Torah, prophecy, providence, and His work among His people.

"No man hath seen God at any time."

John 1:18

"Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see."

1 Timothy 6:16

We recognize that the Tanakh describes moments when prophets and righteous ones beheld extraordinary visions of Hashem. Moshe spoke with Hashem "face to face" (Exodus 33:11). Yeshayahu saw Hashem "sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up" (Isaiah 6:1). Yechezkel beheld "the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Hashem" (Ezekiel 1:28). Daniel saw the Ancient of Days seated upon His throne (Daniel 7:9). The seventy elders of Israel "saw the God of Israel" (Exodus 24:10).

Yet the Torah itself teaches that no human being can see Hashem in His full essence and live:

"Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live."

Exodus 33:20

Therefore, Jewish tradition has long understood that these visions are not sightings of Hashem's unknowable essence, but revelations of His glory (kavod), His Presence (Shekhinah), His likeness (demut), or a vision granted to the prophet according to what he was able to receive. The prophets did not see Hashem as He is in Himself, for no created being can contain or behold the infinite. They saw the form Hashem chose to reveal to represent Himself.

Hashem is not literally a burning bush, though He spoke to Moshe from one (Exodus 3:2–4). He is not literally a pillar of cloud or a pillar of fire, though He led Israel through the wilderness in these forms (Exodus 13:21). He is not literally the smoke and fire upon Mount Sinai, though His Presence descended in this way at the giving of the Torah (Exodus 19:18). He is not literally the still small voice that came to Eliyahu, though He spoke through it (1 Kings 19:12). He is not literally the throne and sapphire pavement beheld by the elders (Exodus 24:10), nor the wheels and living creatures of Yechezkel's vision (Ezekiel 1), nor the Ancient of Days clothed in white seen by Daniel (Daniel 7:9). He is not literally ink on a scroll, though His Torah is written in such form. He is not literally the words of a prophet, though He spoke through their mouths.

In every case, Hashem chose a form, a vision, a voice, a sign, or a medium through which to make Himself known — but Hashem Himself remains beyond the form. The form reveals; it does not contain. The vision communicates; it does not exhaust. Hashem is greater than every image, every appearance, and every channel of revelation through which He has chosen to make Himself known to His people.

This same principle helps us understand what is meant by the word "divine." In Jewish thought, "divine" means of Hashem, from Hashem, or expressing Hashem's will. It does not mean identical in essence to Hashem or sharing the uncreated nature of Hashem.

The Torah is called divine — Torah min HaShamayim, Torah from Heaven — because its source, content, authority, and truth are all from Hashem. Yet the physical Torah scroll itself is not God. The parchment, the ink, and the wooden rollers are created matter. When a Torah scroll is rendered unfit, it is buried respectfully, not worshipped. What is divine is the will, wisdom, and instruction of Hashem that the scroll contains and conveys. The scroll is the vessel; the divine content is what makes it sacred.

In the same way, the mission of Mashiach is divine because it originates in Hashem, expresses Hashem's will, carries Hashem's authority, and accomplishes Hashem's redemptive purpose. The anointing, the calling, the teaching, the suffering, the resurrection, and the kingdom of Mashiach are all from Hashem. In this sense, Mashiach is divine just as the Torah is divine — as the appointed vessel and agent through which Hashem's will is revealed and fulfilled.

Yeshua the man, like the Torah scroll, is the vessel. Hashem alone is the Source. The mission is divine because Hashem is its origin and authority. Yeshua is not Hashem in essence; he is the one through whom Hashem's divine purpose is carried into the world.

This is the same pattern by which Jewish tradition has long understood divine things in created vessels: the Shekhinah dwelt in the Mishkan and Temple, yet the building was not God. The Ark of the Covenant contained the divine commandments, yet the Ark itself was a created object. The Cohen Gadol bore the divine Name on his forehead and entered the Holy of Holies, yet he remained a man. In every case, the created vessel carries, conveys, or manifests the divine — without becoming God.

Therefore, when Benei Avraham speaks of the divine mission, divine authority, divine glory, or divine word of Mashiach, we mean these in the Jewish sense — of Hashem, from Hashem, and expressing Hashem's will — not in the sense that Yeshua shares the uncreated essence of the Father.

Therefore, we reject any attempt to reduce Hashem to a physical image, human body, idol, or created form. Hashem is not limited by matter, space, or human imagination. He is the living God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who is beyond all things and yet present to all who seek Him in truth.

At the same time, we believe that Hashem has chosen to reveal Himself in ways human beings can receive: through His words, His deeds, His Name, His prophets, His Torah, His Spirit, His Shekhinah, His Glory, and His Messiah.

Yeshua is called:

"the image of the invisible God"

Colossians 1:15

"the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person"

Hebrews 1:3

This does not mean that Hashem has taken on a body, become a man, or been reduced to a physical form. Hashem remains the infinite, invisible Creator who cannot be contained by flesh or matter. Rather, these passages mean that Hashem has made His character, will, wisdom, justice, mercy, and redemptive purpose known through the life, teaching, obedience, suffering, resurrection, and kingship of His Messiah.

Yeshua is the image of the invisible God in the same sense that a faithful servant reflects the will of his master, a true prophet reflects the word of the One who sent him, and a righteous son reflects the character of his father.

Adam was created directly by Hashem, formed from the dust by His own hand, given the breath of life from His own mouth, placed in Gan Eden, and made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:7). Jewish tradition exalts Adam as the unique prototype of humanity, of greater stature, wisdom, and radiance than all who came after him. Yet even Adam was not God. He was the highest of creatures, but he was a creature.

In the same way, Mashiach is called the second Adam:

"The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."

1 Corinthians 15:45

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Mashiach shall all be made alive."

1 Corinthians 15:22

Mashiach, as the second Adam and the perfectly obedient Son, reflects the Father's character without distortion — greater than Adam in obedience, mission, resurrection, and kingship — but he is not the Father, and he is not the uncreated God.

"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."

John 14:9

We understand this in the same way Yeshua himself explained: he reveals the Father because his words, deeds, and will are perfectly aligned with the Father who sent him. To see Yeshua's character is to see the character of the One who sent him, not because Yeshua is Hashem Himself, but because Yeshua reveals Hashem faithfully.

"My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me."

John 7:16

"The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me."

John 14:24

Thus, Benei Avraham confesses that Hashem is not physical, cannot be reduced to an image, and cannot be contained by any created form. We honor Yeshua as the one through whom Hashem has revealed His character and purpose, while affirming that the Father alone is the invisible, uncreated, infinite God whom no man has seen or can see.

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4 We believe that Hashem is eternal.

We believe that Hashem alone is eternal in the absolute sense. Hashem has no beginning, no source before Himself, no creator, and no end. He is the uncreated Creator, the First Cause, the One who exists before all things and upon whom all things depend.

“Before the mountains were brought forth… even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.”

Psalm 90:2

“I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God.”

Isaiah 44:6

The Brit Hadashah also speaks of Hashem as eternal, immortal, invisible, and the only wise God:

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

1 Timothy 1:17

This is the first boundary of our faith: Hashem alone is eternal without beginning. He does not derive existence from anyone or anything. He is the source of all existence.

Benei Avraham does not believe that Yeshua is eternal in the same way Hashem is eternal. Yeshua is not Hashem Himself, and he is not the uncreated Father. Rather, Yeshua is the Mashiach, the Son of God, the firstborn, the chosen one, the one sent by the Father, and the one through whom Hashem reveals His redemptive purpose.

The Brit Hadashah calls Yeshua:

“the firstborn of every creature.”

Colossians 1:15

And also:

“the beginning of the creation of God.”

Revelation 3:14

These phrases show that Yeshua is not eternal in the same absolute sense as Hashem, who has no beginning. However, we do believe that the spirit, name, mission, light, and heavenly glory of Mashiach existed before his earthly birth. This does not mean that Mashiach is co-eternal with Hashem. Hashem alone — the Father, the Ein Sof (Limitless One)— is eternal without beginning, uncreated, and the source of all that exists. The spirit and name of Mashiach, like the Torah, the Throne of Glory, and the Garden of Eden mentioned in Pesachim 54a, were brought into being by Hashem before the world was created. They are preexistent relative to creation, but they are not preexistent relative to Hashem. They have a beginning in Him.

Therefore, when we say that the spirit of Mashiach existed before the world, we mean that Hashem brought forth this messianic spirit, light, and name as part of His eternal plan, before forming the heavens and the earth. Yeshua the man was born in time, in the days of Herod, in Beit Lechem of Judea, of the house of David. But the messianic spirit that rested upon him, and the name and mission appointed for him, were prepared by Hashem before creation.

Yeshua spoke of this preexistent glory when he prayed:

“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.”

John 17:5

The Brit Hadashah also says:

“He was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

1 Peter 1:20

This idea is not foreign to Jewish tradition. The Talmud teaches that “the name of the Messiah” was among the things created before the world:

“Seven things were created before the world was created… and these are they: Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehinnom, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah.”

Pesachim 54a

Midrash Rabbah connects the Spirit hovering over the waters in Genesis with the Spirit of Messiah:

“And the spirit of God hovered — this is the spirit of King Messiah.”

Bereishit Rabbah 2:4

Pesikta Rabbati presents an even more vivid picture. It speaks of the light and person of Messiah being shown before creation and describes Hashem speaking with His righteous Messiah about the suffering he would bear for the sake of Israel's redemption. In this scene, Hashem tells him:

"In that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: ‘Ephraim, My righteous Messiah, you have already accepted [this suffering] since the six days of Creation; now your suffering is like My suffering..."

Pesikta Rabbati, Piska 36:2

In this tradition, Messiah willingly accepts the suffering connected with saving God's people. This shows that the idea of a preexistent messianic mission is deeply rooted in Jewish imagination and midrashic interpretation.

Yet even in these Jewish sources, Messiah is still distinct from Hashem. Messiah is shown by Hashem, named by Hashem, commissioned by Hashem, and speaks with Hashem. The Father remains the eternal, uncreated God of Israel. Messiah is the chosen redeemer, the firstborn, the servant, the Son, and the appointed agent of Hashem’s salvation.

Paul expresses this distinction clearly:

“To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things… and one Master, Yeshua the Messiah, by whom are all things.”

1 Corinthians 8:6

Thus, Benei Avraham confesses Hashem alone as eternal without beginning, while affirming that the spirit, name, light, glory, and mission of Mashiach preexisted his earthly life and were revealed in Yeshua according to the will of the Father.

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5 We believe that Hashem alone is worthy of worship.

We worship the God of Israel alone. Hashem alone is the eternal Creator, the Supreme King, and the only One to whom divine worship belongs. We reject idolatry, occultism, sorcery, false gods, and every attempt to manipulate spiritual power apart from submission to Hashem.

"I am Hashem thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."

Exodus 20:2–3

"Hear, O Israel: Hashem is our God, Hashem is One. And thou shalt love Hashem thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

Deuteronomy 6:4–5

"Thou shalt worship Hashem thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."

Matthew 4:10

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols."

1 John 5:21

"For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God."

1 Thessalonians 1:9

At the same time, this does not mean that we may not honor, praise, bless, or call upon righteous servants of Hashem in a proper and non-idolatrous way. We distinguish between worship (avodah) owed to Hashem alone and honor (kavod), praise, blessing, or appeal directed toward Hashem's servants. Such honor must never become idolatry, prayer to another god, or worship detached from Hashem.

Jewish tradition contains many examples of this distinction. Songs of honor are sung for King David, such as David Melech Yisrael Chai V'Kayam ("David, King of Israel, lives and endures"). Prayers and songs ask for Eliyahu HaNavi to return, such as Eliyahu HaNavi, sung at the close of Shabbat. Liturgical songs are addressed to the angels, such as Shalom Aleichem, which welcomes the ministering angels on Erev Shabbat. The Machnisei Rachamim prayer, recited during Selichot, asks the angels to bring our prayers of mercy before Hashem. The traditional bedtime Shema invokes the angels Michael, Gavriel, Uriel, and Rafael as guardians around the bed. These are not acts of idolatry when they are understood properly. They are expressions of honor toward those who serve Hashem and participate in His redemptive plan.

Likewise, the Tanakh records that Hashem's servants received honor and reverence without this being treated as idolatry. Yosef's brothers bowed down to him (Genesis 43:26). The sons of the prophets bowed before Elisha (2 Kings 2:15). King Solomon was bowed before by the people of Israel (1 Chronicles 29:20, where the people "worshipped Hashem, and the king"). The Hebrew word used in such cases, hishtachavah, can mean either covenantal honor or idolatrous worship depending on the context and the heart of the one bowing. The distinction is not in the outward gesture, but in whether the act is directed toward Hashem alone or whether it treats a created being as God.

We also recognize that the Hebrew word avodah has a broader range of meaning than the English word "worship." Avodah can mean labor, service, work, agricultural tending, Temple ministry, or divine worship. Adam was placed in the garden l'ovdah — "to work it" (Genesis 2:15). Israel was commanded to serve Hashem in the Temple, and this priestly ministry was called avodah. The same root word describes a servant working for his master, a farmer tending his field, and a worshipper bowing before God. Therefore, when we speak of avodah owed to Hashem alone, we mean divine worship in the highest sense — the recognition of Hashem as God, the offering of prayer, devotion, and submission to Him as the Creator and Supreme King.

In this sense, avodah as service, labor, or mission may rightly be offered to Yeshua. We work for him, serve his commission, carry out his teachings, and labor in his name to bring the good news of the Kingdom to Israel and the nations. Yeshua himself sent his disciples into this service:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."

Matthew 28:19–20

Paul called himself a doulos — a servant or bondservant — of Mashiach Yeshua (Romans 1:1), and the early disciples understood themselves as laborers in his vineyard. This is avodah as service to the appointed King, not avodah as divine worship of God.

The distinction is one of intention, direction, and context. To serve Yeshua as Mashiach, to labor for his Kingdom, to obey his commandments, and to carry out his mission is righteous and holy. To worship Yeshua as God, to address him as the Creator, to pray to him instead of the Father, or to give him the divine worship that belongs to Hashem alone — this would be idolatry. The same outward act of avodah can be holy service or idolatry, depending on whether it is directed to Hashem as God or to a created being treated as God.

In the same way, Benei Avraham may praise Yeshua, bless his name, proclaim his greatness, and pray for his return — not because Yeshua is Hashem Himself, but because Hashem has exalted him as Mashiach, King, Son of David, Son of God, heavenly intercessor, and final judge.

"God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name."

Philippians 2:9

"That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father."

John 5:23

"The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son."

John 5:22

"God hath made that same Yeshua, whom ye have crucified, both Master and Messiah."

Acts 2:36

We note carefully that even in Philippians 2, where Yeshua is highly exalted and given the name above every name, the passage concludes that this is "to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:11). The honor given to Yeshua does not redirect glory away from Hashem; it returns glory to Hashem. This is the pattern of all true messianic honor: the Son is honored, and through that honor, the Father is glorified.

We believe Yeshua was raised from the dead and taken up into heaven, where he is with the heavenly beings and serves at the right hand of God.

"He was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."

Acts 1:9

"This same Yeshua, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

Acts 1:11

"Yeshua the Son of God… passed into the heavens."

Hebrews 4:14

This idea of a righteous servant being taken into heaven is not foreign to the Tanakh. Chanoch (Enoch) was taken by God:

"And Chanoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."

Genesis 5:24

And Eliyahu ascended heavenward:

"And Eliyahu went up by a whirlwind into heaven."

2 Kings 2:11

Jewish tradition continued this hope. The prophet Eliyahu is said to appear at every brit milah and at every Pesach Seder, where a cup is poured for him and the door is opened in expectation of his coming. We pray Eliyahu HaNavi… bimheirah yavo eileinu — "Eliyahu the prophet, may he come to us speedily." This is not idolatry. It is the expectation that Hashem will send His servant at the appointed time. In the same way, praying for the return of Yeshua as Mashiach is not idolatry. It is the expectation that Hashem will send His Anointed One to complete the redemption He has promised.

"Even so, come, Master Yeshua."

Revelation 22:20

"Blessed is he that cometh in the name of Hashem."

Matthew 23:39

Yet our worship is never detached from the God of Israel. We do not worship Yeshua as a second god, as an idol, or as a replacement for Hashem. We do not pray to Yeshua instead of praying to Hashem. We do not offer the Shema to Yeshua. We do not address the Amidah to Yeshua. We do not call upon Yeshua as the Creator of heaven and earth. Yeshua himself prayed to the Father, taught his disciples to pray to the Father, and directed all glory to the Father. We follow the same pattern.

Rather, we honor Yeshua because Hashem has appointed him. Through Yeshua, we are brought nearer to the Father.

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name."

Matthew 6:9

"No man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

John 14:6

"For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."

Ephesians 2:18

Thus, Benei Avraham worships Hashem alone as God, while giving proper honor, praise, blessing, and messianic devotion to Yeshua as the exalted Son, King, and Messiah whom Hashem has sent and will send again. All glory returns to the Father, from whom and to whom are all things.

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6 We believe in prophecy.

We believe that Hashem has revealed His will through true prophets, and that prophecy is a real foundation of Jewish faith. The Torah, Prophets, and Writings were not produced merely by human imagination, but through divine revelation given to Israel.

“Surely Hashem Elohim will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.”

Amos 3:7

“The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

2 Peter 1:21

At the same time, we affirm the traditional Jewish understanding that the era of classical biblical prophecy ended with the last prophets of Israel. Therefore, no later teacher, rabbi, apostle, prophet, mystic, or spiritual leader may overturn the Torah of Moshe or add a new Torah. All spiritual claims must be tested by Torah, by the prophets, by wisdom, by fruit, and by fidelity to Hashem.

“To the Torah and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Isaiah 8:20

We believe Yeshua and the Brit Hadashah stand within the prophetic hope of Israel, not against it. Yeshua did not come to abolish Torah or the Prophets, but to fulfill them.

“Think not that I am come to destroy the Torah, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

Matthew 5:17

“These are the words which I spake unto you… that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Torah of Moshe, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”

Luke 24:44

We also recognize that the Brit Hadashah speaks of gifts of prophecy, visions, dreams, and the activity of the Ruach HaKodesh among Yeshua’s followers. However, these are not equal to the authority of Moshe or the canonical prophets. They must be weighed, tested, and submitted to Torah.

“Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

1 Thessalonians 5:20–21

Therefore, Benei Avraham makes a clear distinction:

Classical prophecy: foundational, canonical, authoritative, and ended with the biblical prophets.

Ruach HaKodesh, spiritual insight, visions, dreams, and prophetic gifts: possible, but must be tested and cannot override Torah.

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7 We believe that Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest of the prophets.

We believe that Moshe Rabbeinu is the supreme prophet of Israel, the one through whom Hashem gave the Torah. No later revelation may nullify, replace, or overturn the Torah given through Moshe.

“And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moshe, whom Hashem knew face to face.”

Deuteronomy 34:10

The Brit Hadashah honors Moshe and does not dismiss him. Yeshua himself taught that faith in him should be connected to faith in what Moshe wrote:

“For had ye believed Moshe, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.”

John 5:46

“Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moshe, in whom ye trust.”

John 5:45

Yeshua is not against Moshe. Yeshua reveals the goal, depth, and fullness of what Moshe wrote. The early Messianic Jewish community also continued to honor Moshe as the prophet through whom Hashem spoke to Israel.

“Moshe truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall Hashem your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me.”

Acts 3:22

“This is that Moshe… to whom our fathers would not obey.”

Acts 7:37–39

At Benei Avraham, we do not pit Moshe against Messiah. We follow Yeshua as the Messiah who upholds Moshe, fulfills the prophets, and calls Israel and the nations into obedience to Hashem.

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8 We believe that the Torah is from Heaven.

We believe that the Torah was given by Hashem through Moshe Rabbeinu and remains the supreme covenantal foundation of Israel's life. The Torah is not a burden to escape, but a divine gift to love, study, guard, and live.

The Torah has a unique authority above the rest of the Tanakh and above all later writings. The Torah was given directly to Israel through Moshe at Sinai and in the wilderness. It contains the covenant, commandments, priesthood, calendar, sacrifices, courts, standards of justice, holiness, and national identity of Israel.

The Nevi'im and Ketuvim — the Prophets and Writings — were later received, preserved, and recognized within Israel by the authority of the Torah-appointed leadership, sages, prophets, priests, and courts of Israel. They are holy and inspired, but they do not replace, overturn, or stand above the Torah. Their authority is measured by their faithfulness to the Torah.

"To the Torah and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Isaiah 8:20

When the Brit Hadashah speaks of "Scripture," it is speaking primarily of the Tanakh — the Torah, Prophets, and Writings — because there was no completed Brit Hadashah canon in the days of Yeshua and his first disciples. Yeshua, the apostles, and the early Messianic community reasoned from the Jewish Scriptures already received by Israel.

"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

This statement refers first to the sacred writings Timothy had known from childhood — the Tanakh, especially the Torah. Therefore, we do not use this verse to erase the distinction between Torah, the rest of the Tanakh, and later apostolic writings. Rather, we receive it as affirming that the Jewish Scriptures are inspired and useful for teaching righteousness.

Yeshua himself upheld the Torah and the Prophets:

"Think not that I am come to destroy the Torah, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

Matthew 5:17

"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Torah, till all be fulfilled."

Matthew 5:18

Yeshua did not come to create a new religion detached from Torah. He came as a Torah-faithful Messiah of Israel, calling Israel back to the heart of Hashem's commandments and revealing their fullness.

Paul also upheld Torah:

"Do we then make void the Torah through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the Torah."

Romans 3:31

"Wherefore the Torah is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good."

Romans 7:12

On the History and Transmission of the Brit Hadashah

We receive the Brit Hadashah as sacred witness to Yeshua as Mashiach. However, we recognize that its history of transmission is very different from the history of the Tanakh, and this difference matters for how it must be read.

The Tanakh was given to Israel, preserved by Israel, copied by Israel, debated by Israel, and transmitted through an unbroken chain of Jewish sages, priests, prophets, and Torah-appointed leadership across many generations. From Moshe at Sinai through the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah (the Men of the Great Assembly), through the Tannaim, Amoraim, Geonim, and Rishonim, the Jewish Scriptures have remained in Jewish hands and have been read within the covenantal life of Israel.

The Brit Hadashah did not follow this same path. In the first century, the original followers of Yeshua were Jewish disciples who walked in Torah, kept the festivals, prayed in the Temple, observed Shabbat, and saw Yeshua as the Mashiach of Israel — not as the founder of a new religion. They produced gospels, letters, and writings that bore witness to him within a fully Jewish framework.

However, the early Messianic Jewish community was scattered and marginalized in the centuries after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE and the failure of the Bar Kochba revolt in 135 CE. Communities such as the Nazarenes and the Ebionites continued to follow Yeshua while keeping Torah, observing the Sabbath, practicing circumcision, and maintaining Jewish identity. They produced gospels written from this perspective, including the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Gospel of the Ebionites, and the Gospel of the Nazarenes. These Jewish gospels were known and quoted by early writers but were later rejected, suppressed, and lost. Today they survive only in fragments quoted by their opponents.

The canonization of the Brit Hadashah as it exists today was carried out not by the Messianic Jewish community, but by the Gentile Christian church over several centuries. Athanasius of Alexandria listed the 27 books in his Festal Letter of 367 CE. The Councils of Hippo (393 CE) and Carthage (397 CE) formally recognized this canon. These councils were Greek-speaking and Latin-speaking, Gentile-dominated, and shaped by theological currents that increasingly distanced the church from its Jewish roots.

By this period, much of the institutional church had embraced replacement theology — the false teaching that the Gentile church had replaced Israel as the people of God — as well as antinomianism, the false teaching that the Torah had been abolished by Mashiach. Many of the church councils that shaped Christian doctrine in this era passed laws restricting Jewish practice among believers, forbidding the observance of Shabbat, the keeping of the festivals, and other Torah commandments. Some councils, such as the Council of Laodicea (around 363–364 CE), explicitly forbade Christians from resting on the Sabbath or observing Jewish customs. Later councils intensified this separation and at times produced openly anti-Jewish legislation.

Therefore, while we receive the Brit Hadashah as inspired witness to Mashiach, we recognize that it has come to us through a transmission process shaped, in significant ways, by Gentile institutions that did not always preserve the Torah-faithful Jewish context in which Yeshua and his disciples lived and taught. We do not reject the Brit Hadashah — it remains essential testimony to Yeshua, and Hashem in His providence has preserved within it the witness needed to know His Messiah. But we read it carefully, in its original Jewish setting, under the authority of the Torah, and with awareness of the theological pressures that shaped both its canonization and its later interpretation.

This is one reason Benei Avraham reads the Brit Hadashah in proper order: Torah first, then the Prophets and Writings, then the Brit Hadashah as messianic witness. If a teaching drawn from the Brit Hadashah appears to nullify Torah, abolish Israel, or replace the covenant given at Sinai, we know that the interpretation has departed from what Yeshua himself taught, what the original Jewish followers of Yeshua practiced, and what Hashem has revealed through Moshe.

The Proper Order of Authority

Therefore, Benei Avraham receives the whole Tanakh as sacred Scripture, while affirming the Torah as the highest legal and covenantal authority. The Prophets and Writings interpret, warn, encourage, and call Israel back to Torah. The Brit Hadashah bears witness to Yeshua as Mashiach and records the early Messianic Jewish community's proclamation, but it must also be read through the foundation of Torah, not against it.

The proper order is:

Torah first. Then the Prophets and Writings. Then the Brit Hadashah as messianic witness.

We honor the Brit Hadashah, but we do not use it to abolish the Torah. We honor the Prophets and Writings, but we do not use them to overturn Moshe. The Torah remains the covenant constitution of Israel.

The class material emphasizes that Jews must approach the world through Torah principles and place Torah values above secular ideologies. Rambam also lists knowing God, affirming His unity, loving Him, learning Torah, reciting the Shema, wearing tefillin, and placing mezuzah among the mitzvot rooted in the Torah.

Thus, Benei Avraham affirms that the Torah is from Heaven, that Moshe is the supreme prophet of Israel, that all later revelation must be tested by Torah, and that faith in Yeshua must lead us deeper into Torah obedience — not away from it.

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9 We believe that the Torah will not be replaced.

We believe that Hashem’s Torah is not abolished, replaced, or rendered obsolete by the coming of Messiah. The New Covenant writes Torah upon the heart; it does not erase Torah from the life of Israel.

“This is the covenant that I will make… I will put my Torah in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.”

Jeremiah 31:33

The Brit Hadashah echoes this promise:

“I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.”

Hebrews 8:10

Yeshua warned against relaxing even the least commandments:

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:19

James taught:

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.”

James 1:22

John wrote:

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.”

1 John 5:3

Revelation describes the faithful remnant this way:

“Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Yeshua.”

Revelation 14:12

Therefore, Benei Avraham rejects replacement theology, antinomianism, and every teaching that separates faith in Messiah from faithfulness to the commandments of God.

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10 We believe that Hashem knows all human thoughts and deeds.

We believe that Hashem alone possesses perfect and unlimited knowledge. He knows every heart, every intention, every act of obedience, every injustice, every hidden sin, every sorrow, and every secret. Nothing is hidden from Him.

“Hashem searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts.”

1 Chronicles 28:9

“I, Hashem, search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways.”

Jeremiah 17:10

“The eyes of Hashem are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

Proverbs 15:3

“Hell and destruction are before Hashem: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?”

Proverbs 15:11

“O Hashem, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.”

Psalm 139:1–2

“For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Hashem, Thou knowest it altogether.”

Psalm 139:4

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith Hashem. Do not I fill heaven and earth?”

Jeremiah 23:24

The Brit Hadashah affirms the same truth:

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him.”

Hebrews 4:13

“God shall judge the secrets of men by Yeshua the Messiah.”

Romans 2:16

At the same time, Benei Avraham distinguishes between Hashem’s unlimited knowledge and Yeshua’s received authority and knowledge as Messiah. Yeshua is not Hashem Himself. He is the Son, the Messiah, the appointed judge, and the one to whom the Father gives authority.

Yeshua himself taught that there were things he did not know:

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”

Mark 13:32

He also taught that his authority, teaching, judgment, and mission were given to him by the Father:

“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.”

John 5:19

“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge.”

John 5:30

“My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me.”

John 7:16

“The word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”

John 14:24

“All things are delivered unto me of my Father.”

Matthew 11:27

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

Matthew 28:18

Therefore, when the Brit Hadashah says that Yeshua knew people’s thoughts or knew what was in man, we understand this as the prophetic and messianic insight given to him by Hashem, not as proof that Yeshua is Hashem Himself.

“Yeshua knew their thoughts.”

Matthew 12:25

“He needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”

John 2:25

The prophets also received supernatural insight from Hashem without being Hashem. Elisha knew what Gehazi had done in secret:

“Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee?”

2 Kings 5:26

Daniel revealed hidden dreams and mysteries, yet he made clear that the knowledge came from God:

“There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets.”

Daniel 2:28

Likewise, Yeshua’s knowledge of hearts reveals his prophetic and messianic authority, but the Father remains the all-knowing God of Israel.

Because Hashem sees the heart, our faith must be sincere. External observance without humility, justice, mercy, and love is not enough.

“Woe unto you… for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Torah, judgment, mercy, and faith.”

Matthew 23:23

“Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

1 John 3:18

Thus, Benei Avraham confesses that Hashem alone is omniscient, knowing all things by His own eternal nature, while Yeshua knows, teaches, judges, and acts by the authority and revelation given to him by the Father.

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11 We believe that Hashem rewards obedience and judges disobedience.

We believe that Hashem is just. He rewards righteousness, faithfulness, repentance, mercy, and obedience; and He judges wickedness, rebellion, cruelty, idolatry, and hidden sin. Judgment is not contrary to God’s mercy. Rather, Hashem’s judgment is the expression of His truth, holiness, justice, and covenant faithfulness.

The Torah teaches that Hashem rewards covenant obedience and judges rebellion:

“Know therefore that Hashem your God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations; and repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them.”

Deuteronomy 7:9–10

“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil… therefore choose life.”

Deuteronomy 30:15, 19

The Prophets and Writings also teach that Hashem judges every person according to their deeds:

“Also unto Thee, O Hashem, belongeth mercy: for Thou renderest to every man according to his work.”

Psalm 62:12

“Hashem shall judge the people: judge me, O Hashem, according to my righteousness.”

Psalm 7:8

“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Ecclesiastes 12:14

“I, Hashem, search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

Jeremiah 17:10

“Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Daniel 12:2

Jewish tradition strongly preserves this doctrine of divine judgment. The Mishnah teaches that the world is judged at appointed times, and on Rosh Hashanah all human beings pass before Hashem in judgment.

“On Rosh Hashanah, all who come into the world pass before Him like sheep.”

Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:2

The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 16a) connects judgment with God’s knowledge of every deed, expounding Psalm 33:15:

“He Who fashions their hearts alike, Who considers all their deeds.”

Pirkei Avot 3:16 gives a vivid image of accountability before Heaven:

“The store is open, the storekeeper gives credit, the ledger is open, the hand writes… and the collectors go round continually every day and exact payment from man, whether he realizes it or not.”

The High Holy Day liturgy also proclaims Hashem as the Judge of all creation:

“You are Judge and Arbiter, Knower and Witness; You write and seal, count and measure; You remember all that is forgotten… and all who enter the world pass before You like sheep.”

Unetaneh Tokef

The Zohar also speaks of Rosh Hashanah as a time when the heavenly court is prepared and the King judges the world (Zohar III:231a).

The Brit Hadashah agrees with this Jewish foundation:

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Galatians 6:7

“Who will render to every man according to his deeds.”

Romans 2:6

“Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

Romans 14:12

We also believe that Hashem has appointed Yeshua as the Messiah through whom judgment will be carried out. Yeshua does not judge independently from Hashem, but as the Son and emissary to whom the Father has given authority.

This pattern is deeply Jewish and biblical. When Hashem gives someone authority to judge, this does not make that person Hashem. It means that the person judges as Hashem’s appointed representative.

The Torah commands Israel to appoint judges:

“Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates… and they shall judge the people with just judgment.”

Deuteronomy 16:18

These judges were required to judge righteously because judgment ultimately belongs to God:

“Ye shall not respect persons in judgment… for the judgment is God’s.”

Deuteronomy 1:17

Moshe judged Israel, and later appointed others to share that authority:

“And Moshe sat to judge the people.”

Exodus 18:13

“And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moshe, but every small matter they judged themselves.”

Exodus 18:26

King David also exercised judgment over Israel:

“And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.”

2 Samuel 8:15

Solomon likewise received wisdom from Hashem to judge the people:

“Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad.”

1 Kings 3:9

And Israel recognized that Solomon’s wisdom for judgment came from God:

“They saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.”

1 Kings 3:28

Therefore, when the Brit Hadashah says that the Father has committed judgment to Yeshua, this does not mean Yeshua is Hashem Himself. It means Yeshua is the supreme messianic judge appointed by Hashem, just as Moshe, the judges, David, and Solomon judged by delegated authority — but Yeshua does so in the fullest messianic sense as the Son of Man, Son of David, and King Messiah.

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”

John 5:22

“And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”

John 5:27

“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

Matthew 16:27

We believe in grace, mercy, repentance, and forgiveness, but not in lawlessness. Hashem’s mercy calls us back to obedience, not away from it.

“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

Romans 6:15

“Not every one that saith unto me, Master, Master, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father.”

Matthew 7:21

Therefore, Benei Avraham affirms that Hashem is the righteous Judge of all the earth. He sees every deed, weighs every heart, rewards every act of righteousness, and calls every soul to repentance. Yeshua, as Mashiach, participates in this judgment by the authority given to him by the Father.

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12 We believe in the coming of Mashiach.

We believe that Mashiach is promised in the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. This belief is not foreign to Judaism; it is one of the foundations of Jewish hope. Rambam includes belief in the coming of Mashiach among the essential principles of Jewish faith, and in the Mishneh Torah he teaches that the Messianic king will restore the kingdom of David, rebuild the Temple, gather the dispersed of Israel, and restore Torah observance in its fullness.

The Torah itself points toward a coming ruler from Israel:

“There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.”

Numbers 24:17

Jacob prophesied that rulership would remain connected to Judah:

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

Genesis 49:10

The Prophets describe a Davidic king who will rule with righteousness, gather Israel, and bring peace:

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.”

Isaiah 11:1

“With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”

Isaiah 11:4

“And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah.”

Isaiah 11:12

“Behold, the days come, saith Hashem, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.”

Jeremiah 23:5

“My servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd.”

Ezekiel 37:24

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion… behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass.”

Zechariah 9:9

Jewish tradition also speaks of Mashiach as preordained in the divine plan. The Talmud teaches that “the name of Messiah” was among the things created before the world, citing Psalm 72:17: “May his name endure forever; his name existed before the sun.”

“The name of Messiah was created before the world was created.”

Pesachim 54a

Midrash Rabbah identifies the Spirit hovering over the waters in Genesis with the Spirit of the Messianic King:

“And the spirit of God was hovering — this is the spirit of the King Messiah.”

Bereishit Rabbah 2:4

The Talmud connects the suffering servant language of Isaiah 53 with Messiah:

“The Rabbis say: The leper scholar is his name, as it is written, ‘Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried…’”

Sanhedrin 98b, citing Isaiah 53:4

The Zohar also speaks of the revelation of King Messiah, linking his appearance with upheavals and wonders in the world. One passage states that “the King Messiah will appear in the land of Galilee,” referring specifically to “the King Messiah [who] will appear in the land of Galilee … and he is called Messiah son of Joseph” (Zohar Vayera 478). Another tradition elaborates that “when [Mashiach] rises to be the only ruler on earth… [he] will arise and be revealed in the land of Galilee, because this was the first place in the Holy Land that was destroyed by Assyria. That is why Mashiach would be revealed in Galilee, and from there, he would provoke wars over the whole world” (Zohar, Shemot, as cited in later kabbalistic commentaries). This reflects a broader Jewish expectation in mystical literature that Mashiach is not merely a moral teacher but the redeemer through whom Hashem brings a final, cosmic transformation of Israel and the nations.

We believe Yeshua of Nazareth is this promised Mashiach: the Son of David, the suffering servant, the righteous teacher, the resurrected one, and the one appointed by Hashem to return, judge, gather Israel, restore the kingdom, and bring final redemption.

Jewish tradition contains more than one messianic pattern. One is Mashiach ben Yosef, also called Mashiach ben Ephraim, the suffering Messiah associated with rejection, affliction, battle, and in some sources, death before the final redemption. Another is Mashiach ben David, the royal Davidic Messiah who reigns, restores Israel, gathers the exiles, rebuilds the Temple, and establishes the kingdom. Benei Avraham understands Yeshua’s first coming as corresponding to the suffering role of Mashiach ben Yosef, and his return as the revelation of Mashiach ben David.

The Talmud speaks of Mashiach ben Yosef being killed and connects this with the mourning of Zechariah 12:10:

“Granted, according to the one who said that the mourning is for Messiah ben Yosef who was killed…”

Sukkah 52a

This shows that the idea of a suffering or slain Messiah is not foreign to Jewish tradition. The same discussion connects the mourning over the pierced one in Zechariah with the death of Mashiach ben Yosef.

The Talmud also preserves the striking image of Messiah sitting among the suffering outside the gates. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked Eliyahu where the Messiah could be found, and Eliyahu directed him to seek the Messiah himself:

"Where does he sit?" "At the entrance of Rome." "And by what sign shall I recognize him?" "He sits among the poor who are stricken with illness. The others loose all their bandages at once and bind them up again together; but he looses and binds each one by itself, for he says: Perhaps I will be needed, and I must not be delayed."

Sanhedrin 98a

This passage is famously known as "the Messiah at the gates of Rome." The word in the text (Romi) is read as "Rome" by the Vilna Gaon and most translations, though some editions preserve a variant reading, "the city" (karta), and Rashi and the Maharsha understand it as "the southern gate." For Benei Avraham, this can be read symbolically as Messiah being hidden among the nations, and even within the world of Christianity, until the time of his full Jewish recognition.

Sanhedrin 98b also connects Messiah with Isaiah 53, calling him “the leper” or afflicted one, based on the verse:

“Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

Isaiah 53:4

The Talmud says:

“The Rabbis say: The leper scholar is his name, as it is written, ‘Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried…’”

Sanhedrin 98b

This does not mean Messiah is spiritually impure or rejected by Hashem. It means he is identified with the suffering, afflicted, rejected, and wounded condition of Israel. Benei Avraham sees this as deeply connected to Yeshua’s suffering, rejection, and crucifixion.

Pesikta Rabbati also speaks of Ephraim, My righteous Messiah, a suffering messianic figure who accepts suffering connected with Israel’s redemption. In Pesikta Rabbati 36–37, Hashem speaks with this righteous Messiah about the suffering he will bear for the sake of Israel, and the Messiah accepts this mission. This gives Jewish precedent for speaking of a Messiah whose suffering participates in the redemption of God’s people.

Thus, when we say Yeshua is Mashiach, we do not only mean that he is the royal Son of David. We also mean that he fulfills the suffering messianic pattern known in Jewish tradition as Mashiach ben Yosef or Mashiach ben Ephraim. Like Yosef, he was rejected by his brothers, handed over to the nations, hidden among the Gentiles, and later revealed as the one through whom life and redemption come.

“God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.”

Luke 1:32

“We have found the Messiah.”

John 1:41

“Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

“Yeshua of Nazareth… whom God hath raised from the dead.”

Acts 4:10

“God hath made that same Yeshua, whom ye have crucified, both Master and Messiah.”

Acts 2:36

We believe that Yeshua will return as Mashiach ben David. This is not separate from Jewish messianic hope, but part of our conviction that Hashem will complete the redemption He promised through the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. In his first coming, Yeshua came in suffering, humility, rejection, and resurrection. In his return, he will come in royal authority to complete the work of redemption: gathering Israel, judging the nations, restoring the kingdom, and bringing the knowledge of Hashem to the whole earth.

“This same Yeshua… shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:11

“The Master, Yeshua himself, shall descend from heaven with a shout.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16

“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.”

Revelation 1:7

Rambam writes that the Messianic king will arise from the House of David, restore the Davidic kingdom, rebuild the Temple, and gather the dispersed of Israel. He also says that if such a king succeeds in these things, he is considered Mashiach with certainty. This describes the completed mission of Mashiach ben David.

We await the day when Israel recognizes her Messiah, the nations turn to the God of Israel, the exiles are gathered, the kingdom is restored, and the knowledge of Hashem fills the earth.

“And so all Israel shall be saved.”

Romans 11:26

“Blessed is he that cometh in the name of Hashem.”

Matthew 23:39

“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our God, and of His Messiah; and He shall reign for ever and ever.”

Revelation 11:15

As the prophet Zechariah declares:

“And Hashem shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall Hashem be one, and His name one.”

Zechariah 14:9

Thus, Benei Avraham affirms the classical Jewish hope for Mashiach while bearing witness that Yeshua is the Messiah appointed by Hashem. He was revealed first in the pattern of Mashiach ben Yosef — suffering, rejected, hidden among the nations, and raised by Hashem — and he is destined to return in the fullness of Mashiach ben David, to complete the redemption of Israel and the nations.

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13 We believe in the resurrection of the dead.

We believe in techiyat ha-metim — the resurrection of the dead. Death is not the final word. Hashem will raise the dead, judge the world, vindicate the righteous, restore Israel, and renew creation in the Messianic Era and the Olam Haba.

There are many beliefs about death and the afterlife in both Judaism and Christianity. Some traditions teach eternal conscious torment in hell. Some Jewish sources speak of Gehinnom as a temporary purification, often described as lasting up to twelve months for most souls. Some streams of Jewish mysticism teach gilgul neshamot, the reincarnation or cycling of souls. Other traditions speak of the soul's ascent, Gan Eden, Gehinnom, or other spiritual states after death.

Benei Avraham acknowledges that these views exist in Jewish and Christian tradition. However, we affirm that the clearest, most historically grounded, and most biblically solid doctrine is this: death is like sleep, followed by resurrection, judgment, and life in the Messianic Era and the Olam Haba. This is the view most firmly rooted throughout the Tanakh, affirmed by Yeshua and the Brit Hadashah, preserved in Jewish liturgy and rabbinic tradition, and included by Rambam as one of the essential principles of Jewish faith.

Daniel describes the dead as sleeping in the dust until they awaken:

"Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

Daniel 12:2

Job expresses hope that after death he will yet stand and see redemption:

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth."

Job 19:25

Isaiah speaks of the dead rising:

"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust."

Isaiah 26:19

Yechezkel's vision of the dry bones gives Israel a national picture of resurrection and restoration:

"Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel."

Ezekiel 37:12

Yeshua taught the same hope of resurrection:

"The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth."

John 5:28–29

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

John 11:25

Yeshua also described death as sleep. When speaking of Lazarus, he said:

"Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep."

John 11:11

Paul proclaimed this same Jewish hope:

"There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."

Acts 24:15

"If Messiah be not raised, your faith is vain."

1 Corinthians 15:17

"But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."

1 Corinthians 15:20

We believe Yeshua's resurrection is the firstfruits and guarantee of the resurrection to come:

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Mashiach shall all be made alive."

1 Corinthians 15:22

"The dead in Mashiach shall rise first."

1 Thessalonians 4:16

Jewish prayer also preserves this faith. The Amidah praises Hashem as the One who raises the dead:

"Blessed are You, Hashem, who resurrects the dead."

Amidah, Gevurot

Rambam includes belief in the resurrection of the dead among the essential principles of Jewish faith. Therefore, Benei Avraham does not treat resurrection as a side issue or metaphor only. It is central to Jewish hope.

What Benei Avraham Affirms and What Remains Open

We affirm clearly: death is sleep, and resurrection is the true hope of Israel and the nations. This is the doctrine most firmly grounded in Tanakh, most consistently taught by Yeshua, most clearly preserved in Jewish liturgy, and most necessary for the integrity of the Messianic hope.

Beyond this core teaching, other traditional views about the afterlife exist in both Judaism and Christianity. Some of these views may contain partial truth; others may be speculative, metaphorical, or shaped by later philosophical influences. Benei Avraham does not require uniform agreement on every detail beyond the central doctrine of resurrection. We offer the following clarifications:

On eternal conscious torment. The doctrine of unending conscious torment in hell, as classically taught in much of Christianity, is not strongly grounded in the Tanakh. The Hebrew Scriptures speak of Sheol as the realm of the dead, of Gehinnom as a place of judgment, and of the unrighteous being cut off, perishing, or facing destruction — but the picture of endless conscious torture is largely a later development. Some passages in the Tanakh and Brit Hadashah use vivid imagery of fire, smoke, and weeping, but it is not always clear whether these are literal descriptions of unending torment or prophetic and metaphorical depictions of judgment, destruction, and loss. We do not require belief in eternal conscious torment, and we hold that judgment, accountability, and the consequences of wickedness are real — but the precise nature of final judgment for the wicked is not fully revealed and need not be taught dogmatically.

On souls speaking after death. The Tanakh contains accounts where the dead seem to speak or appear, such as Shmuel appearing to Shaul through the medium at Ein Dor (1 Samuel 28). The Brit Hadashah includes the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16). These passages may be literal descriptions of conscious existence after death, or they may be metaphorical, parabolic, or prophetic in nature. Faithful Jewish and Messianic interpreters have read them in different ways. Benei Avraham does not require a literal reading of every such passage. What we require is faith in the resurrection.

On reincarnation and the return of souls. Some streams of Jewish mysticism teach gilgul neshamot, the reincarnation or cycling of souls through multiple lives. Benei Avraham does not affirm this as a general doctrine, and we hold that ordinary souls sleep in death until the resurrection.

However, the Tanakh and Brit Hadashah do contain passages that speak of certain unique servants of Hashem returning or appearing in another generation. The prophet Malachi declares that Hashem will send Eliyahu HaNavi before the great day of Hashem (Malachi 4:5). Yeshua spoke of Yochanan the Immerser as fulfilling this role:

"And if ye will receive it, this is Eliyahu, which was for to come."

Matthew 11:14

"But I say unto you, That Eliyahu is come already, and they knew him not."

Matthew 17:12

Yet Yochanan himself, when asked directly whether he was Eliyahu, answered: "I am not" (John 1:21). The angel Gavriel said that Yochanan would come "in the spirit and power of Eliyahu" (Luke 1:17), not that he was Eliyahu reincarnated.

We therefore acknowledge that some unique servants of Hashem may come "in the spirit and power" of earlier prophets, fulfilling an Eliyahu-like role in their generation. Whether this involves any deeper sense of soul-continuity is a mystery and not a doctrine we require. What we reject is the broad teaching that all souls are continually cycling through new bodies. The biblical pattern is death, sleep, and resurrection — not endless reincarnation.

On the limits of speculation. Anything outside the core teaching of death as sleep and the resurrection of the dead is, in our view, speculative, unprovable, and beyond what Hashem has clearly revealed. The Tanakh sometimes uses vivid imagery — fire, voices from below, the bones of the dead, the shades of Sheol — and the Brit Hadashah continues this prophetic and visionary tradition with similar imagery, such as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), the souls beneath the altar crying out (Revelation 6:9–10), the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15), and the outer darkness (Matthew 22:13). These may be metaphorical, prophetic, parabolic, or visionary depictions rather than literal descriptions of the afterlife. Faithful Jews and Messianic Jews have historically held differing views on these matters, and Benei Avraham does not require uniformity on what Hashem has not made plain.

What we do require is faith in the resurrection — that Hashem will raise the dead, judge the world, restore His people, and renew creation in the Olam Haba.

We believe that the righteous dead are not forgotten, lost, or destroyed. They sleep in death, awaiting the voice of Hashem and the resurrection appointed for the age to come. At the resurrection, Hashem will judge the world, restore His people, and bring creation into its promised renewal.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death."

Revelation 21:4

Thus, Benei Avraham affirms that death is sleep, Yeshua is the firstfruits of resurrection, and the final hope of Israel and the nations is not escape from creation, but resurrection, judgment, restoration, and eternal life in the Olam Haba under the reign of Hashem.

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