In this enlightening episode of Discovering the Jewish Jesus, Rabbi Schneider delves deep into the essential nature of messianic prophecy. As society leans increasingly towards political correctness, there remains an urgent need for believers to understand and proclaim the foundational truth that Jesus is the exclusive path to the Father. Rabbi Schneider sheds light on how messianic prophecy provides the strength and confidence to be bold witnesses for Yeshua, even when faced with accusations of being narrow-minded or bigoted.
Why am I tracing the line of blood for the Hebrew Bible when we’re talking about Messianic prophecy? Because Yeshua’s ministry climaxed with the shedding of His blood. Shalom Aleichem, peace to beloved ones. I’m continuing a study today on messianic prophecy. Let me share with you, first of all, why messianic prophecy is so important. We’re living in a culture today where more and more because of the culture of political correctness, believers in Yeshua are shrinking back and taking a posture of being politically correct. Many believers today, rather than stating their testimony rooted in God’s Word that Yeshua is the only way to heaven, instead what many believers are doing today is simply saying, well, you know, I’m a Christian, I believe in Jesus. But, you know, I don’t make any judgments about the other religions of the world. I mean, if you’re practicing this religion, that’s fine. If you’re practicing this path, that’s fine. And they’re shrinking away from standing with the word of God, which teaches there is no way unto the father, Jesus said, but through him. And so when we understand that Jesus’ claims are not only exclusive, they’re not inclusive in the sense that they include every man can find his own path to God, rather they’re exclusive because Jesus said, no man cometh to the Father but through me. When we understand that his claims are exclusive, When we understand that it’s going to take strength to stand in those exclusive claims in the culture that we’re living in today, which is so politically correct that basically society teaches that everybody’s right, no matter what path they’re on. When we understand those two things, then we can understand why messianic prophecy is so important to the believer. Because messianic prophecy will help you, beloved one, know that even though you’re living in a culture where the majority of people would accuse you of being bigoted, narrow-minded, and primitive if you said that Jesus is the only way to God, When you understand Messianic prophecy, you’ll become more convinced than ever that Yeshua is the only path to God, and you’ll have the confidence and the boldness to continue to be a witness for Him in this wicked and perverse generation in which we live. Now, you may be saying to yourself, well, I’m not ashamed of Jesus, but let me ask you this question. If you have a Facebook site, are you posting anything about Jesus on your Facebook site? Now, Baruch Hashem, I know a lot of you are. But perhaps you’re not putting your testimony of faith in the Lord out there on your Facebook site. Why? Because of the culture that we’re living in, because you don’t want to be rejected. But I want you to hear me today. All that desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. We have a mission, church, on this earth, and our mission is to be his witnesses. Yeshua said, I’m going to send forth my spirit upon you and you will receive his power and become my witnesses. As the Father sent me, so also now I send you. Messianic prophecy will help gird you in strength and in the truth of the word of God so you can fulfill your mission of being a bold witness for Jesus. Now, to illustrate my point, how important messianic prophecy is, we should take note of the fact that the New Testament begins… by showing us how Yeshua fulfills Messianic prophecy. And the way the New Testament does that is by tracing Yeshua’s genealogy all the way back to Abraham, through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, through Judah, through David, to show that Yeshua is, in truth, the prophesied one that would come, that would be the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world. Now, our understanding of Messianic prophecy needs to be expanded because some of us have the notion that when we’re speaking of Messianic prophecy, we’re only talking about predictions that the Old Testament made about what would happen when Messiah came. A prediction is something that will happen in the future that we’re anticipating to happen. And some Messianic prophecies are of that vein. But many Messianic prophecies are not that Yeshua fulfilled the prediction, but rather how he filled Israel’s history up with meaning. You see, Jesus, Yeshua, is Israel’s divine head. And Yeshua is the aim of the Hebrew Bible. So what the New Testament writers did What those that wrote the Brit Hadashah, the new covenant scriptures did, is they took scriptures from the law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms, and they showed that Yeshua fulfilled them, not because he was necessarily fulfilling something predictive, but that he was filling them up with meaning. And so I use the example in Matthew chapter two. In Matthew chapter two, we read about how that when Yeshua was born, Herod the king heard that a king had been born. And so in fear of losing his place, Herod started killing the male Hebrew children. As a result of this, an angel came to Joseph, Yeshua’s father, and said, take the child to Egypt. Then when Herod died, the Lord led Joseph to take Jesus back into Israel. And then Matthew says, thus fulfilling, there’s messianic prophecy, Matthew records in Matthew 2, 13 through 15, thus fulfilling the word that was spoken to the prophet. So when we read this, that… When Joseph took Yeshua back in to Israel, he was fulfilling what was written by the Hebrew prophet. Out of curiosity, many of you will say, well, what Hebrew prophet wrote that? And if you did some research, what you’d find is that there’s only one place in the Hebrew Bible where we have that statement being written. Out of Egypt did I call my son. It’s in the book of Hosea, chapter 11, verse 1. When you go to Hosea 11, verse 1, and read that scripture, out of Egypt did I call my son, you say, wow, that doesn’t really look like it was Messianic prophecy, according to the way many of us understood Messianic prophecy, because we understood, many of us, Messianic prophecy to be about predictions of the future. But Hosea 11.1 is not a prediction of the future. Instead, what’s happening, church, in Hosea 11.1 is God is simply talking about Israel’s past. He’s talking about how Israel was a slave in Egypt under Pharaoh and how God called his son Israel out of Egypt, out of the oppression of Pharaoh. So how then, with that being said, knowing that Hosea 11, 1 was not predictive and in fact it had already been fulfilled, how then does Matthew use that saying that Yeshua fulfilled it? Matthew is using it, beloved ones, in a way by showing how Yeshua, Jesus, as Israel’s divine head, brought Israel’s history up to its fullest meaning in his life, ministry, and person. And so even as Israel was called out of Egypt under Pharaoh, so too God called Yeshua out of Egypt after Herod had passed away.
SPEAKER 01 :
You’re listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus, and Rabbi Schneider will be right back. But first, I want to invite you to take Rabbi’s teachings with you wherever you go. With the Discovering the Jewish Jesus podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many more, you can listen to all of Rabbi’s powerful messages anytime. Stay rooted in God’s Word. Just search for Discovering the Jewish Jesus on your favorite podcasting platform today. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Friends, this verse in Romans shows us that when the Jewish people come to Christ, we too will be blessed. The church will experience a spiritual awakening. Help us fulfill this calling to reach Israel. We can’t do it without your faithful support. So partner with us today by visiting us online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now back to Rabbi Schneider.
SPEAKER 02 :
Messianic prophecy comes in many narratives. But understand that the entire Hebrew Bible, once again, is pointing to Yeshua. And so I’m going to be covering types and shadows in the Hebrew Bible. And then after we cover types and shadows in the Hebrew Bible and messianic prophecy of that texture, then what I’m going to do is I’m going to move in to specific texts. measurable predictions of the future that the Old Testament or Tanakh made regarding the life and person and ministry of the Messiah. With that said, I want to give you another example of this to help you even fully comprehend my point here. I’m going now to the book of Matthew, chapter number 13. Yeshua’s speaking here, and he says this, therefore I speak to them in parables, because while seeing, they do not see. And while hearing, they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case, the prophecy of Isaiah, notice that word prophecy, because we’re talking about messianic prophecy. So Yeshua says here, in their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, and then he quotes the word in Isaiah, you will keep on hearing, but will not understand. You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive. Now, where in Isaiah is Yeshua pulling this from? Beloved, he’s pulling this from Isaiah’s calling. The Lord comes to Isaiah and calls him. So I’m going to read of this now, beginning in Isaiah chapter number six, verse eight. Isaiah speaking, he says, “‘Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “‘Whom shall I send and who will go for us?’ And then I said, here am I, send me. He said, go and tell this people, keep on listening, but do not perceive. Keep on looking, but do not understand. And so once again, a similar instance is taking place. The instance that Yeshua said is being fulfilled in him in Matthew 13, that originally happened in Isaiah chapter 6, was not a prediction in Isaiah 6. What was happening in Isaiah 6 was God had simply called Isaiah into ministry. God said, go. Isaiah said, I’m going to go, Lord. And then the Lord said to him, Isaiah. You’re going to speak. They’re not going to hear. They’re not going to understand. They’re not going to see. And so Yeshua is ministering now. He’s speaking in parables. As he’s speaking in parables, the people don’t understand. They don’t see. They don’t perceive. And Yeshua said, in this instance, the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled. So once again, the scripture in its initial historical context in Isaiah was not a prediction. Yeshua, being the fulfillment of Israel’s history, experiences the same thing that Isaiah experienced and brings the word that Isaiah experienced into its climactical fulfillment. And so Jesus says, this word that was spoken through Isaiah, it’s finding its ultimate fulfillment in me. It’s happening once again, Yeshua said, in my ministry, and thus it’s being fulfilled even to the maximum place. And so Jesus fills Israel’s history up with meaning here. This practice of taking scriptures in their original historical context and then adding interpretation and adding levels of revelation and meaning to them, beloved, this is not something that originated in the New Testament. This has been the rabbinic way for thousands of years. I shared with you last time that today, young children that are being educated in yeshivas are learning this from an early age. As they mature, towards adulthood and continue with their study in the yeshiva, which is like a Jewish seminary, each boy will have a partner and they’ll sit across the table from each other studying the Talmud, a Jewish compilation of writings dealing with how to apply the Torah and commentary on the Torah, the yeshiva partners will look at a verse in the Talmud and they will try to give it as many new meanings and interpretations as possible. The imagination is the limit. And as you look at rabbinic writings, you’ll find that oftentimes they took scriptures in the Hebrew Bible and gave them a whole new meaning. And it was accepted within Israel. So what the New Testament writers did here in taking sections of the Hebrew Bible out of their original historical context and applying them to Yeshua, beloved, this has been the Jewish way for thousands of years already. What I’d like to do now is move forward and I want to talk about specific types and shadows in the Tanakh that pointed to Yeshua. Again, we’re taking a broad brush now. Later on in the series, we’re going to look at specific verses, predictive verses, but first we’re going to look at these typological incidents in the Tanakh and how they all were being fulfilled in the ministry of Messiah Jesus. It’s very deep, very beautiful, and very full of meaning and insight. Let’s begin with the whole concept of blood in the Hebrew Bible. The book of Leviticus, chapter 17, verse 11 says this, that the life of the flesh is in the blood. And I’ve given it to you on the altar, saith the Lord, to make an atonement for your soul. For it’s the blood, by reason of its life, that makes atonement. All through the entire Hebrew Bible, we see how important blood is. So that, for example, Israel’s birth as a nation oftentimes is referred to as taking place when God delivered them out of Egypt. How did God deliver them out of Egypt? Beloved, it was through the blood of the lamb that they applied on their doorpost. Then the Lord took them out of Egypt through the blood of the lamb, brought them to Mount Sinai. Moses went on top of the mountain. He was there, as we know, for 40 days and 40 nights. He received Hashem. He received Father God’s divine revelation and covenant. He came down from the mountain. And when he came down from the mountain, he assembled all Israel before him, and he read the covenant to Israel. And Israel said, after Moses read the covenant, Israel said to Moses in the presence of Hashem, in the presence of God, all that he has said, we will do. And when Israel accepted the covenant, the Bible tells us Moses then, listen, sprinkled them with blood. Notice, I’m tracing now the line of blood through the Hebrew Bible. Why am I tracing the line of blood through the Hebrew Bible when we’re talking about Messianic prophecy? because Yeshua’s ministry climaxed with the shedding of His blood. And all these incidents of the blood in the Hebrew Bible, they were all pointing to Yeshua, to whom the entire Hebrew Bible aims. What continues to happen in the Hebrew Bible as it relates to blood? Well, as Moses begins to teach Israel about certain holy days that must be celebrated to Father God, to Yahweh, to the Father God of all creation, he gives us a calendar, and the holiest day in the calendar is called Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. And Moses told the children of Israel in the book of Numbers exactly how Yom Kippur needed to be celebrated. The priest needed to take the blood of a bull and the blood of a goat. And the high priest took the blood of the bull and the blood of the goat He brought it inside the most sacred place in the earth, the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, which was later developed into a permanent temple in Jerusalem. And inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant, Inside the Ark of the Covenant were the Ten Commandments. The high priest on Yom Kippur took the blood of the bull and the blood of the goat, brought it into that Holy of Holies, and poured it on top of the Ark of the Covenant, oftentimes referred to as the mercy seat. And when the Lord saw the blood of the innocent animal on top of the Ark of the Covenant, where the Ten Commandments rather were kept, he forgave the sins of the children of Israel because the life of the flesh is in the blood. And the Lord gave it to us to make an atonement for your soul. Do you see why Jesus had to die on the cross and why his blood need to be shed? Why they needed to take that spear and thrust it in his side so that the blood came out, so that final atonement could be made? Because the only way that man could ever have access to God is when blood was shed, indicating that an innocent one had died in the place of the guilty. All the sacrifices in the Hebrew Bible, all the blood that spilled was just a shadow that was fulfilled in King Jesus, who fulfilled all the messianic prophecy in the Torah and in the Tanakh. Thank you for tuning in today. Beloved, I’ve been praying that Father God would continue to subject me and that I would cooperate with His subjection and come under the blade of His Word. The Word is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword, and it’s ministered to us in the power of the Holy Spirit through Messiah Jesus. In order for this process to take place, I have to be willing to come under His authority. And when we come under His authority, it affects our disciplining of our thoughts, our attitude, our words, everything in life, including how we use our finances. I want to encourage you. Surrender your finances to God, to Hashem, because we can’t enter into the fullness of His presence without being surrendered to Him in every area of our lives. If the Lord is blessing you and feeding you through this ministry and you feel Him urging you to make a donation to Him through it, beloved, just be obedient.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you, Rabbi Schneider. And friends, if the Lord is leading you to financially support this ministry with the gift of any amount, call us right now. Our number is 800-777-7835. You can also automate your giving online by going to our website. That’s discoveringthejewishjesus.com, or you can send a gift of any amount in the mail. Our address is Discovering the Jewish Jesus, P.O. Box 777, Blissfield, Michigan, 49228. And you know, today’s message, it was a fascinating topic. And that’s why Rabbi’s written a book that complements this study. It’s called Messianic Prophecy Revealed. and it’s available right now on our website. I’m telling you, I believe this book is really going to enhance your understanding of Scripture because Rabbi takes us through God’s Word to show us how the New Testament writers proved that Jesus was the Messiah. And it’s also designed to help us share the truth of who Jesus is with our friends and our family. It’s really encouraging and it goes through many of the Messianic prophecies that are found throughout the Old Testament and even New Testament prophecies for things to come. To get your copy, call 800-777-7835. You can also visit discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Once again, the book is called Messianic Prophecies Revealed, available at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now here’s Rabbi Schneider to speak God’s sacred blessing over us right now.
SPEAKER 02 :
In the book of Numbers chapter 6, the Lord gave instructions to Moses and Aaron to speak this blessing over his people. And the Lord said, When you speak these words over my people, I will place my name on them and bless them. Receive the impartations of the Lord’s blessings.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with His countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, His peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 01 :
I’m your host, Dustin Roberts, and this program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. Join us again tomorrow when Rabbi Schneider shares that all paths don’t lead to God and why Jesus alone is the ultimate mediator. That’s Friday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
