Hebrew Roots

This article refers to the modern religious movement. For the Hebrew language grammatical structure, see Hebrew root

Hebrew Roots is a contemporary global spiritual movement that advocates the return and adherence to the first century faith of Jesus Christ by seeking a better understanding of the culture, history, and religio-political backdrop of that era which led to the core differences with both the Jewish, and later, Christian communities.

History

Hebrew Roots Movement

Since the early 20th century, different religious organizations have been teaching a belief in Jesus Christ (or, Yeshua HaMashiach) as one's personal savior and in keeping the Sabbath and the annual Feasts (or, Holy Days). These include Messianic Judaism (to a very limited degree) in 1916, the Sacred Name Movement (SCM) in 1937, and the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) in the 1930s, and, later, the Hebrew Roots Movement. Thus far, the WCG has had the greatest impact among all organizations in teaching these beliefs, including obedience to much of the Old Testament law, both nationally and internationally until about 1994-95 when the organization imploded after abandoning its core beliefs. Consequently, the WCG spawned numerous splinters, with most of these new churches adopting names bearing the term “Church of God” (COG) and retaining the similar structural belief system developed by WCG founder Herbert W. Armstrong. In contrast, Hebrew Roots (or sometimes, Hebraic Roots) is a grassroots movement without an ecclesiastical superstructure and does not adhere to the COG belief system, nor to Messianic Judaism, or SCM, although, as in most faiths, there are commonalities.

An investigation of Hebrew Roots groups listed below reveals that a number of their founders began teaching about the need to keep the 7th Day Sabbath, annual Feasts, and obeying Old Testament commandments years before these topics were taught and accepted by some in the Christian churches. These early teachers include William Dankenbring (1964) and Dean Wheelock (1981) (both whom had prior associations with different Churches of God), Joe Good (1978), and Brad Scott (1983)

The term “Hebrew Roots” resulted from the journey to investigate and discover the first century faith, but also to distinguish and differentiate itself from other religious organizations that may have common beliefs, which could cause identity confusion in the public eye. In 1994, Dean and Susan Wheelock received their Federal Trademark for the term Hebrew Roots®, after which they began publishing the Hebrew Roots® magazine in April/May 1998, and later a website: http://www.hebrewroots.net/. The goal of this group is “Exploring the Hebrew Roots of the Faith,” “roots” which go back to not only Jesus Christ and the Apostles, but to the Nazarene_(sect) of the first century and, ultimately, the original Hebrews ("Ivrit"), Abraham and his offspring, who were the first to “cross over” (which is what "Hebrew" means in the Hebrew language). Those who continue in this Hebraic walk seek out the history, culture, and faith of the first century believers who, like Abraham, obeyed God’s voice, charge, commandments, statutes, and laws (Gen 26:5); the 41,000, denominations of Christianity commonly (and Hebrew Roots followers say "mistakenly") believe that such obedience is no longer required.

The Hebrew Roots movement began emerging as a distinct phenomenon in the mid-1990s (1993–96). Some claim this awakening was a sovereign act of Yahweh through His Spirit. Some claim God is restoring His followers to the true path or ancient paths, and that people are independently catching the inspiration to return to forgotten truths by various means. In 1997, Dean Cozzens of Open Church Ministries (Colorado Springs, CO) published a prophecy titled "The Hebrew Movement", which revealed that God had foreordained four major moves for the 20th century, viz. 1. Pentecostalism, 2. Faith-healing, 3. the Charismatic Movement, and finally 4. The "Hebrew Roots Movement". In this prophecy, the Hebrew Roots Movement is the "final stage of empowerment" before Christ returns.

The movement has accelerated in the last few years, mainly (some say) because of a shift within the Messianic Judaism community. The Hebrew Roots movement and Messianic Judaism diverge on the issue of One Law theology (one law for the native born and the sojourner, c.f. Numbers 15:16) which Hebrew Roots subscribes to, but which Messianic Judaism denies. One Hebrew Roots teacher, Tim Hegg, responded to this issue by defending what he believes to be the biblical teaching of "One Law" theology and its implications concerning the obligations of Torah obedience for new Messianic believers from the nations.

However, significant growth in the Hebrew Roots movement derives from those abandoning mainstream Christianity who are in search of deeper understanding of what it means to be "grafted in" to Israel, as well as a desire to follow the teaching of the Torah (or, the Pentateuch) as the Messiah did.

Theology

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Dancing is a form of worship in Hebrew Roots Fellowships. The Season of Our Joy Feast of Sukkot (above photo) is one of many Festival sites nationwide. .

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Men also partake in worshipful Dance.

It has been noted that Hebrew Roots theology includes at least seven distinct core differences from Protestantism, Seventh-day Adventism, Rabbinic Judaism, and Messianic Judaism

1. Both the Old and New Testaments are followed. In particular, it is believed that the Torah serves as the foundation to all subsequent understanding and interpretation of Scripture. A foundational distinction of the Hebrew Roots movement is the manner in which Scripture is translated and interpreted so that later testimony (particularly the New Testament, or "Brit Chadashah") does not conflict with Torah commandments. It is believed by those in the Hebrew Roots movement that Jesus Christ did not come to establish a new religion or to “do away” with the law, as mainstream Christianity teaches. Followers of the Hebrew Roots movement advocate a return to the Torah/Christian Torah-submission.

2. Salvation derives from the belief in Jesus Christ as personal savior, not from commandment/Torah keeping; however, believers are rewarded according to their fruits, works, and obedience.

3. The Jewish Oral Law (the Talmud) does not represent Scriptural requirements to be obeyed, but can provide deeper understanding as to how some have applied the Scriptures to practical life. Pagan traditions adopted by Judaism and Christianity are to be avoided.

4. Old Testament/Torah Laws and the teachings of the New Testament are to be obeyed by both Jews and Gentiles.

5. The Hebrew language is generally studied because it amplifies an understanding of the Scriptural text.

6. Unlike traditional Christianity, followers of the Hebrew Roots movement actively study the Scriptures as well as the history, faith, and culture of the first and second century, to understand how traditional Christianity diverged from its Hebrew roots. The arguments against Torah observance for Christians, for example, are examined by using the work of recent Protestant Christian scholars and early historical church records to establish alternate (and more accurate) interpretations of Scripture. A good representative of this kind of study can be found at House of David Fellowship, a Hebrew Roots based religious educational fellowship with headquarters in Richmond, VA. At least 12 distinct differences between Protestant Christianity and Hebrew Roots concerning Torah observance are identified in their "Hebrew Roots of Christianity" section.

7. The "moedim" or appointed times listed in Leviticus 23, including the 7th day Sabbath and the Feast days, foreshadow the 1st and 2nd comings of the Messiah and the Creator's plan of salvation for the world.

8. Many Hebrew Roots sects are forsaking the Messiah Yeshua as the fullness of the Godhead bodily claiming that He is the Living Torah, the Torah in the flesh, or one with the Torah, because they cannot reconcile the Shema with the teachings of the New Testament. Some teachers have reconciled these teachings by showing that the Messiah is the Countenance of YHWH and is literally "one" with God, being the manifest presence of YHWH (the image of God). It is the Messiah that we must be grafted into, not Israel or Judah.

Other Beliefs

Hebrew Roots teachers emphasize the adoption of all Christians into the faith of Abraham, often called in the Bible the unified "House of Israel" (Leviticus 10:6), (Jeremiah 37:11), (Ezekiel 39:25), (Romans 11:13–26), (Ephesians 2:10–14). This unified "House of Israel" consists of Jews and Non-Jews who maintain faith in the Messiah and a Spirit-led adherence to the Torah, God's teaching and instruction, as a lifestyle of faith and love. Hebrew Roots followers believe that Christians have the "testimony of Jesus," but are often found innocently to be living lawlessly (1John 1:9) according to the erroneous idea that Jesus died to do away with the Torah, thus abolishing it and any requirements to "guard" or "keep" it, which is contrary to Scripture.

Sheila Crawford of Shofar Ministries defines the aim of the Hebrew Roots movement as: "We seek to inspire believers in Yeshua (Jesus) to study the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, and thus make God number one in their lives and to be fully equipped with the whole armor of God, to increase in the knowledge of God through an understanding of our previously lost, Hebraic Roots." She believes that Hebraic Roots is not a movement, but a move of God on the hearts of believers, drawing them deeper into an understanding of the culture and times the scriptures were written, in order that followers of the Messiah may know him more deeply by more clearly understanding how he upheld and affirmed obedience to the Torah, the Law of God.

The Hebrew Roots movement emphasizes the completion of the unified "House of Israel" in Jesus, which includes both Jews and non-Jews. Its followers believe they are co-heirs and equal members of the chosen people of the god of Israel through the blood of Jesus, and that returning to a 1st-century mindset provides deeper and more authentic insights into the Hebrew idioms of the New Testament (which are often garbled after their translation to Greek), which provides deeper cultural understanding of Scripture. Also of importance is a greater understanding of the dispersion of tribes of Israel, and the future regathering of those tribes according to prophecies of Scripture.

Some Hebraic Roots congregations encourage the use of Hebrew-based forms of the sacred names, but this is generally a minor emphasis.

Christian Hebrew Roots Movement

The Hebrew Roots movement is related to a subgroup known as "Christian Hebrew Roots." This subgroup follows the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:3-17) and the feasts of the Lord (Lev 23:1-44), but like mainstream Christianity believes that all other Old Testament requirements have been "done away".

The Christian Hebrew Roots movement rejects many of the same practices of mainstream Christianity that the Hebrew Roots movement rejects. In particular, they reject the Catholic Church's "transubstantiation" doctrine, and instead follow what it sees as the biblical teachings set forth in the New Testament regarding the "nature of Communion" as a symbol of Christ's body instead of the literal body and flesh of Jesus. This, they deduce from the words Jesus spoke to describe what they call an "amendment" to the Passover service being symbolic and not literal (in accordance with how they interpret the New Testament Greek).

The Christian Hebrew Roots movement does not teach a return to the law as dispensed by the scribes who Jesus rebuked as hypocrites. They interpret the "law" as pertaining to the Torah, and not the Jewish Oral Law, as the Hebrew Roots movement interprets it. Instead, the Christian Hebrew Roots movement follows what it claims is the worship pattern of Jesus, whom they claim freed mankind from the yoke of the letter of the law; and, in fulfilling the law, Jesus taught Christians to practice only the Ten Commandments and feasts of the Lord which make up "the acceptable year of the Lord" in his speech inaugurating his personal earthly ministry.

This main distinction between the two groups is that followers of the Hebrew Roots movement understand the word "fulfill" (Matthew 5:17) to mean to place the commandments of God "on a firmer footing by interpreting them correctly in terms of God's ultimate will as He originally intended for His commandments to be obeyed", and not dispensing with them as something that has been "done away" by the atoning work of Jesus Christ, as Christian Hebrew Roots followers define it.

Both movements include adherents who are of Jewish heritage as well as Gentile heritage. The Christian Hebrew Roots movement is completely nondenominational, consisting of persons from many different religious backgrounds and teaches adherence to the health laws of the Torah but not the portions of the Torah which it believes were abandoned by Jesus. As such, they function as a sort of "bridge" between true Hebrew Roots theology and mainstream Christianity.

See also

• Early Christianity
• Messianic Judaism
• Nazarene (sect)
• New Perspective on Paul
• Paleo-orthodoxy
• Primitive Apostolic Christianity (Sabbatarian)
• Christian views on the old covenant

External links

• Our Hebrew Roots, Heart of Wisdom Publishing
• Pam Dewey, Hebrew Roots Movement (Field Guide to the Wild World of Religion)
• Vicky Dillen, The Pentecostal, Faith-Healing, Charismatic & Hebrew Movements
• Hebrew Roots 101