Errant Teachings in the Hebrew Roots Movement Pt. 1

This video is an expose and refutation of some false and unbiblical tachings in the Hebrew Roots Movement. These include the lunar “Sabbath”, the boker to boker “Sabbath”, the conjunction new moon, polygamy and rejecting the deity of Yeshua the Messiah.

 

9 thoughts on “Errant Teachings in the Hebrew Roots Movement Pt. 1

  1. With all due respect, I disagree that some of these things are false teachings. There are many out there who are studied and convicted and can point to verses that back up their beliefs. For ex, on the subject of the conjunction…..many have changed their minds after being convicted to do so as many of us have in many areas of our journey.. I heard no verses that actually backed up the sliver theory in this teaching and felt that to just label what you disagree on as false teaching without backing up your belief and to point fingers as false teaching..is divisive. I was a “sliver-ist” (!) and after study and consideration and prayer, have changed my thinking. I do not see this as a salvation issue and therefore not worthy of argument, but do think it is rather judgmental to say that someone else’s belief is false teaching when there is nothing in Scripture that would indicate so. Many things….we simply don’t have all of the details yet and we are doing the best we can. I think it fine to say that you disagree and to teach why, but to proclaim false teaching…….eh………not so cool to me:<) Just my 2 cents:<)

    • Dr. Joe’s teaching wasn’t meant to be a full dissertation on each of the points he brought up. We have dealt with most of these issues in full detail in other online teachings that we have already done.

      May I suggest that you read my three articles on the biblical calendar at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/teaching.html#feast, and then get back to me.

      Suffice it to say, my studies on the subject of the biblical calendar over the past 35 years, and especially the last 15 years has shown that there is no biblical evidence, linguistic evidence or ancient Jewish historical evidence to support a conjunction based calendar. It was all sliver sighted based in ancient times according to the historical records. No exceptions! My articles will show this with all the sources sited. If I’m wrong on this, then I’d like to see the evidence, not just a few sketchy, hard to understand Bible verses used to make a doctrine.

      Yes, the calendar isn’t a salvation issue, yet as truth is being restored in these last days, we must prove all things. My concern is that many people are finding the truth, but then being drawn away from it by winds of doctrines being preferred by young in the faith, uncircumcised fruit “Bible teachers” who lacking in experience and who haven’t done their homework. This is causing many people to stumble in many areas spiritually.

      Yes, it does matter when we meet with YHVH on HIS appointed times (Heb. modem). In the Scriptures he talks about HIS feast days as opposed to YOUR feast days (YOUR new moons and sabbaths), which weren’t his. True, YHVH winks up to a certain point at our ignorance and sin, but when the light of truth is presented to us, he expects us to live up to it.

      Israel can’t have complete unity until they agree on the calendar. That likely won’t happen until Yeshua returns.

      Suffice it to say, none of us has all the truth one hundred percent. We’re still learning like little children and must remain humble and teachable. As the apt saying goes, “There for his grace go all of us.”

      Loving and gracious disagreements are welcomed. This sharpens us all spiritually.

      Like I said earlier, please read my three articles on the subject and then get back to me. Most people I have talked to or have heard their reasons for following either the rabbinic or conjunction calendars haven’t acquainted themselves with all the facts. If they have and still hold to another calendar than the visible new moon one, I’d love to discuss the issues with them in a loving and respectful manner.

  2. Hi again Natan:<) I have actually already considered your teachings as well as those of others, and after lots of consideration just gravitate towards conjunction. I used to agree with sliver but have changed my mind and some day Father may show me that I am STILL wrong but for now……this just makes more sense to me. Since there is no Scripture that defines New Moon as sliver or conjunction, we are left to determine it the best we can and for sure there are many ways of looking at it depending on where we've been and where we are. I have read about how proficient the ancients were at knowing the skies and much was based on stars. The NM could have been determined by the stars pointing to it rather than seeing a crescent. The conjunction is brief…..a day, whereas the sliver is celebrated for 1-3 days. How does that point to a single day as the first day? It makes sense for the full moon and the new moon to be opposites. A crescent is not the opposite of the full. History shows that the pagans used the sliver (and still do….look at the Muslim symbols!) and the Israelites were in Babylonia for quite a time and may have picked up that custom of looking for the sliver from that. Depending on what translation you read, the NM is sometimes referred to as the covered moon….and a covered moon w/b dark. Also…Father works in patterns….seemingly always going from dark to light…..not a little light to more light! I agree to disagree and have no problem with that. I agree that it is important, but….don't see how keeping a sliver for 1-3 days points to the day anyway so as important as it is, even doing it that way does not ensure that we all have it!!! Plus we are not in the land and kinda like the saying "It's 5 o'clock somewhere"….it may be NM somewhere!! We are doing the best we can. My whole point was not to argue this as it seems counterproductive, but to merely say that given that there are a lot of good reasons to see it differently, it just doesn't seem right to call the conjunction a false teaching…..it is a different teaching. I just don't think we absolutely know at this point. Thanks for the discussion!!!

    • I will have more to say on the new moon issue later. But suffice it to say for now, I would like to make a couple of points clear.

      First, the conjunction does not last for a day. It lasts for a millisecond. It occurs for a brief moment in time as the earth, sun and moon are constantly moving come into alignment momentarily. Pinpointing this exact millisecond in time before mathematical calculations and satellite technology discovered in the 20th century was likely impossible in the ancient world.

      Second, the first sliver of the new moon does not last for days. It lasts for minutes, but not days. It is easily spotted in the time between the sun’s setting and the moon’s setting afterwards. This time period can be from a few minutes up to 30 minutes or so. I have observed this countless times over the past 15 years.

      Third, the new moon possibly could be calculated by the stars. I need to see scientific proof of this, and I’m still researching this out. However, whether the new moon sliver is visible at the end of the 29th day or the 30th is not predictable by calculation —— mathematical, astronomical or otherwise —— due to cloud cover, dust or haze conditions in the land of Israel.This is something that has to be physically observed.

      Fourth, Gen 1:14 speaks of the moon being a sign (Heb. word owt) meaning “a visible sign.” That is the meaning of owt. Look it up and study it out. A conjunction isn’t a visible sign. It’s an invisible sign, which by biblical definition isn’t a sign.

      Fifth, the Bible does define what the new moon is, but not in the scientific, Greco-Roman, logical terms that those of us in the west are familiar with. As already noted, Scripture uses the Hebrew term owt in referring to the moon when it determines seasons or moedim — a reference to the biblical feasts. Also, the Hebrew word chodesh linguistically means new visible moon. It never has meant a moon that can’t be seen according to all the best lexical references I know of. These are the facts.

      Sixth, the covered moon is not a reference to the new moon. This is a misunderstanding of Hebrew linguistics. I will address this another time.

      Seventh, not using the visible new moon because the pagans use it as a symbol for themselves is like saying because the cross was a pagan symbol, Yeshua wasn’t crucified on one. That’s like saying because someone counterfeits a dollar bill, the real dollar bill is false. The fact is, Satan has counterfeited and corrupted nearly everything that YHVH has made that was good.The moon was good and he determined it for signs and seasons (Gen 1:14). Man’s corrupting something that was good is man’s problem or error, not Elohim’s or mine. Do you realize that the witches celebrate the time of the dark moon as well when the moon is in its conjunction?

      It is a challenge to disagree without being disagreeable. This is a test of our charity. Having a friendly discussion is one thing (which this discussion is), arguing and debating is another. I appreciate the tone of this discussion, and it’s important that we discuss these issues. We’re all the better off for it. Truth has to be thrashed out so to speak.

      Calling something a false teaching is obviously a judgment call by someone. This is what the prophets of old spent their time doing! John the Baptist and the apostles did this. Yeshua and Malachi indicate that the spirit of Elijah/John the Baptist is a precursor to his first and second coming. This spirit should be alive on the earth today to help sort out truth from error. Yeshua’s elders and leaders are tasked with this responsibility. The problem is that there is little respect nowadays for true Spirit-led elders and leaders in the body of Yeshua. Most spiritual leaders, sadly, are self-appointed and haven’t been discipled and don’t meet the biblical criteria for eldership. If no one stands up and calls a spade a spade, then spiritual anarchy will exist within the body of Yeshua. If an elder or prophet is wrong about calling something false which ends up not being false, then they’ll need to repent and make the corrections. This we will gladly do. Nathan the prophet made a false prophetic pronouncement to David and corrected it. YHVH didn’t reject the true prophet for his one error. Truth is our friend, not our enemy.

      Thank you for not walking in offense but in love when we may disagree on what is or is not a false teaching. The fact is that some of us have been studying these issues for years or decades and have already studied out and resolved the difficulties you bring up above. These are not new ideas or arguments to us. As seasoned veterans in this spiritual “fight” for truth, we feel that we’re in a position to state what is false or not. The fact is that there are new people including leaders who are encountering these issues for the first time, so it’s new to them. Instead of sitting back for ten or 15 or 20 years and learning, they’re putting out their teachings after only a few years of study and they haven’t considered all the issues because of their lack of experience. For example, in my own family, my grandparents and mother started keeping the feasts according to the rabbinical calendar more than 60 years ago. I kept them on that calendar for the better part of 40 years before changing to the visible new moon calendar 15 years ago after years of study. This is not something we have come to quickly.

      Anyway, blessing to you all and thanks for staying tuned in and being part of the discussion, even if you disagree. This blesses the Father’s heart to see his love among his children. Keep up the good work!

      • Oops! I need to clarify something I said that has been misunderstood because of the poor way I expressed it! I realize that the conjunction isn’t a “day,” and that it lasts only VERY briefly…….I meant to convey that the conjunction could be contained in a day whereas the sliver might be considered more than that based on what the person us able to SEE because they are going on what is visible to them as a sliver. My hubby has done some research on this (he is way more of a scientist than I am!!) and depending on the way you look at it, the dark moon can be seen..it is simply not lighted, so-to-speak:<) So many ways of considering. Anyway…………I did NOT say that we shouldn't use the sliver because the pagans did. I merely said that perhaps that is where the custom if the sliver came from!! Just a possibility! I hope I am not creating opposition here………..We are all on the same road trying to get to the same place………….but let me suggest that 119 Ministries has also done a lot of research on this and they have a teaching that makes many good points, and Zach Bauer has made some interesting personal observations about this subject as well. Everyone including Natan makes good points and we all just have to read and search and ask for conviction and mostly…………..not get in a tither in the process!!! . The one thing we can be sure of is that we won't have all the answers until we get them from The One with all the answers to give!!

  3. Well written drbetsill. I hear a lot of the teachers claiming that other teachers are teaching false teachings on subjects that we simply do not truly know.We have our best guesses based on years and years of study and research but at the end of the day we are all called to study and show ourselves approved and remain teachable and humble along the way no matter how long we have been seeking and walking in His Ways or how much we think we know.His Word guided by His Spirit. None of the teachers are going to be standing next to me or anybody else for that matter on judgement day. Only my Master and Way of Salvation Yeshua, who is the first and last and only Rabbi any of us should be concerned about pleasing and emulating.

    YHWH bless you and keep you all under His wings,

    Shalom,

    Robert

  4. The longer I follow your blog, the more I respect and appreciate your balanced and clear perspective. Maybe that just means you agree with me, but I always like that in a Person.

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