Messianic Judaism

{{religion}}
{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[Chabad]] messianism, also called meshichism.}}
'''Messianic Judaism''' (Hebrew: יַהֲדוּת מְשִׁיחִית, ''yahadút meshikít'', or נוֹצְרִים‎, ''[[Christianity|Notzrim]]'') is a generic term given to a syncretic religion that blends [[Judaism|Jewish]] rites and rituals with the [[Christianity|Christian]] belief that [[Jesus]] is the [[Messiah]].  While the [[theology]] is largely Christian, based on the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah, which inherently brings with it a "fulfilled prophecy" eschatology and theology, it also embraces elements of Jewish practices. In a rare example of unanimity, all mainstream Jewish movements agree that it is a form of [[Christianity]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uscj.org/JewishLivingandLearning/SocialAction/SocialJustice/CurrentIssues/ReligiousIssues/JewishValues/MessianicJewsAreNotJews.aspx|title=Messianic Jews Are Not Jews}}</ref><ref>Rabbi Shraga Simmons, [http://www.aish.com/jw/s/48892792.html Why Jews Don't Believe In Jesus]. aish.com, 9 May 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://huc.edu/news/1999/08/02/missionary-impossible|title=Missionary Impossible}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724234932/https://aleph.org/faq.htm FAQ's About Jewish Renewal]. Archived from aleph.org, 24 July 2011.</ref> but Messianics themselves (and some others) continue to insist it is a form of Judaism—if not the ''most'' Jewish form of Judaism.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/why-dont-many-jewish-people-accept-jesus-as-messiah/|title=Why Don't Many Jewish People Accept Jesus As Messiah?|quote=Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Believing in Him is the most Jewish thing a Jew can do. We need to explain to our Jewish friends that when a Jewish person accepts Jesus as the Messiah he becomes more Jewish than ever before...}}</ref> The sect is thus difficult to classify. Within the Jewish community, Messianic Jews are sometimes called "Messy".<ref>Jewish English Lexicon, [https://jel.jewish-languages.org/words/2271 Messy].</ref>

It is not related to the original messianic Judaism that originated with followers of [[Judas Maccabee]] two thousand years ago and was the mainstream of Judaism in the ([[Historical Jesus|alleged]]) time of Jesus.

==History==
[[File:Messianic symbols.gif|thumb|left|60px|Wait a minute...it is "fishy" even if "gefilte"]]
The Messianic Jewish movement arose in the 1970s, though it has its origins in the {{wpl|Hebrew Christian movement|Hebrew Christian movement}} that started in the late nineteenth century as a movement dedicated to missionary work and wanting to convert as many Jews as possible to Christianity.  They decided that what drove Jews away from being converted was that Christianity did not seem Jewish enough.{{fact}}  Shocking, right?  You'd think that they were two different religions or something.

Messianic Judaism, by contrast, [[milk before meat|took on more aspects]] of Judaism, self-identifying as a Jewish community and using as little overt Christian symbolism as possible. Hence, Messianic Jews worship in "synagogues" rather than churches, services are on Saturday (the Jewish [[Sabbath]]) rather than Sunday, and during worship services the men will wear ''taleitot'' (prayer shawls).  ''Almost'' as if it were just Christianity taking on the trappings of Judaism to pull a [[bait-and-switch]]...

Sometimes Messianic Jews follow [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jewish]] traditions, with the [[Sexism|men and women separated]], prayers in [[Hebrew]], the [[Old Testament|Tanakh]] (and also, unlike Orthodox Jews, the [[New Testament]]) being read from, and a "[[rabbi]]" talking. However, a person familiar with [[Hebrew]] and mainstream Jewish practices attending a Messianic Jewish service would find much of the proceedings unfamiliar.

While the movement has not been as successful at converting Jews as it had hoped, it has been very successful at [[blowback|attracting Christians]], which has created theological divisions within the movement. Many such Christians who joined Messianic Judaism have in fact converted to mainstream Judaism.

==Theology==
Messianic Jews take their theology from both Christianity and traditional Judaism, though there is no doubt that the Christian influence is stronger.{{fact}}

As with most religions, there is a range of views about the theology.  As many Messianic Jews were raised Jewish, their views might be closer to Judaism, while others who were raised Christian and "became" Jewish carry Christian views of much of the theology.{{fact}}

Conventional beliefs within Messianic Judaism include the following:
* There is one [[God]] ([[YHVH]]). The majority of Messianic Jews accept the [[Trinity]], with it also being the stance of the official bodies.<ref>[http://www.bmja.net/ The British Messianic Jewish Alliance].</ref> However, other Messianic Jews profess only a strict view of monotheism, rejecting Trinitarian doctrine, but this is not common.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080719071526/http://www.lightofmashiach.org/ Light of Mashiach]. Archived on 19 July 2018.</ref>
* The Messiah has come; Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah ([[Jesus#Jewish_views_of_Jesus|even if he wasn't qualified to be the Messiah]]).
* With a few exceptions, Messianic Jews believe that the [[Torah]] is still law and that it remains in effect. The Christian argument that Jesus fulfilled the law, thereby abrogating large parts of the Mosaic code, is not held by most Messianic Jews.
* The Children of Israel are and remain God's chosen people.
* The holy scriptures include the Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvim (the Tanakh), as well as the books of the [[New Testament]], and [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]]'s writings about the changes to the Church.  A minority of Messianic Jews do not follow Paul's writings, only [[Gospel|the four books directly about Jesus]].{{fact}}
* There is a view of the [[Second Coming]] and "[[Last Judgement|end days]]".
* Belief in the [[Satan|devil]] opposing God.
* Belief in [[Hell]] as a place of eternal torment.
* Some Messianic Jews see [[sin]] in the way that is traditionally taught in Judaism, but include the concept of [[original sin]] as understood by most Christians<ref>[http://messiahyeshua.blogspot.com/2008/01/yetzar-hara-original-sin.html Yetzar Hara & Original Sin]. messiahyeshua.blogspot.com, January 2008.</ref>
* Atonement, Repentance, and [[Yom Kippur]] are important to some Messianic Jews, however others say that it is unnecessary because of the sacrifice of Jesus.
* Faith and works are not separate issues as they are in [[Protestantism]].
* Most Messianic Jews do not use traditional English [[Bible|Bibles]] for their Tanakh, but rather use their own translations.<ref>[https://free.messianicbible.com/ Messianic Bible].</ref>
* Messianic Jews mostly reject the [[Halakha|laws]] and literature of Rabbinic Judaism, such as the {{wpl|Mishnah||,}} [[Talmud]], Midrashim, the Zohar, etc.  Some other Jewish denominations take the same position, e.g. the Karaites.
* Messianic Jews observe Jewish customs, forms of worship, [[Kosher|dietary restrictions]], rites and festivals, and believe that Jesus and the [[Apostle]]s would have done the same.  This conflicts with mainstream Christianity, and most [[biblical scholarship]], which takes the view that the Apostles (Paul in particular) broke with Jewish customs and traditions in order to promote Christianity among gentiles.

==Messianic Judaism and the Israeli Law of Return==
Like most non-mainstream religions, Messianic Jews have had to defend their rights to religious freedom.  However, some of the Christian converts have tried to use their new "Jewish" identity to claim the right to live in [[Israel]]. The state of Israel has consistently held that a Messianic Jew may not take advantage of the Law of Return as it is considered to be a form of Christianity and not Judaism.  As such Jews that have converted to Messianic Judaism may not use the law of return, just as Jewish converts to any other religion than Judaism are barred.<ref>Joshua Pex, [https://lawoffice.org.il/en/can-you-make-aliyah-after-conversion-to-christianity Can you make Aliyah after conversion to Christianity?] lawoffice.org.il.</ref>

Tensions between Messianic Jews and other Jewish communities are on the rise in Israel, occasionally resulting in incidents of violence.  Like they say, know 
Jesus
 God, no peace.  Or did we get it wrong?

==See also==
*[[Chabad]] &mdash; orthodox Judaism but with a Messiah
*[[Jews for Jesus]]
*[[Black Hebrew Israelites]]
*[[Hebrew Roots]] &mdash; basically the inverse ("Judaized" Christians rather than "Christianized" Jews)
*[[Jewish Voice]] A Messianic organization that pretends to be Jewish.

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category: Christianity]]
[[Category: Judaism]]
[[Category: Misnomers]]

Categories:  Christianity,  Judaism,  Misnomers