The Law and the Prophets Were Until John??!?

Is this what Yeshua was really teaching???? That’s what many in the mainstream church teach and believe. If so, well shame on them. This is blasphemy!

Luke 16:16, The Torah and the Prophets. Some in the church view this passage as drawing a defining line between the so-called age or dispensations of law (in the Old Testament or Tanakh) and the age or dispensation of grace (in the New Testament or the Testimony of Yeshua). This in turn, in their minds, sets the Tanakh (which reveals the law or Torah) and Testimony of Yeshua (which supposedly reveals the concept of grace) at odds with each other. Is this a correct interpretation of this passage? The evidence within the Testimony of Yeshua itself doesn’t support this notion. In no way is Yeshua annulling the Torah here, or else he would be contradicting what he clearly taught in Matthew 5:17–19. Furthermore, Yeshua’s statement here can’t possibly mean that the Torah was now obsolete in the Testimony of Yeshua, since the apostles and early believers adhered to the Torah long after the passing of John the Baptist (Yeshua, p. 41, by Ron Mosely). Additionally, Paul’s statement in Romans 3:31 that the Torah is not voided by grace should dispel any notions that Luke 16:16 implies that the Torah would pass from the scene in the life of believers.

There are a couple of ways to understand this passage without doing violence to the Torah. First, it could be understood that Yeshua is saying that the Law and the Prophets were the only Scriptures in existence up to the time that John came on the scene. The implication is that more would soon come (ibid.).

A second way to view this passage is that Yeshua is stating that the Torah and the Prophets prophesied or pointed to the time when John would come thus ushering in the Messiah at which time there would be a change in the focus of the message of YHVH’s servants. Instead of just preaching about the Torah or that the Messiah is coming, now the message of “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (see Matt 3:2; 4:17) would be preached. This is a more expansive message that focuses now more on the salvation message centered on the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua. This message also includes obedience to the Torah (e.g. Yeshua said, “If you love me, keep my Torah commandments” in John 14:15, also 1 John 2:2–6).

The data found in the actual writings of the apostles confirms what Yeshua predicted in this verse. Of the some 8,000 verses in the Testimony of Yeshua, well over one-fourth of those verses contain direct references to the Person of Yeshua, while there are only about 260 direct references to the Torah. Yeshua himself confirms his own words as recorded by the Gospel writers. In the Gospels of Matthew and John, Yeshua spoke on 136 different subjects. The number one subject he talked about was himself (316 references), followed by his Father (184 references), then hypocritical leaders (177 references). The kingdom of Elohim comes in fourth place (77 references) and the Torah is in seventh place with 44 references.

 

8 thoughts on “The Law and the Prophets Were Until John??!?

  1. As I am new to, and have been in sponge mode to, our Hebrew roots connection, (and not a ‘scholarly’ person by any means), I have been able to understand the above post, along with the multitudes of others. I thank Yah for opening my eyes as I have sought truth. I am humbled to have been led by Him to you and others teaching truth. I can’t say it isn’t coming without some frustration, which I know you say is normal; a lot of de-programming.

    My question is: If an uneducated country girl can get it, how in the world has the mainstream church and leaders missed it? Matthew and Luke state clearly, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”.

    I am grieving, or the Ruach Haqodesh is grieving through me…probably both; as I yearn for Yah’s people to “get this”. It has been such a BLESSING already to my husband and me as we step out and do what the scriptures say do.

    Thank you Natan, for your tenacity through the years to know truth and share it. May Yah’s love and liberty abound in our hearts, that others will see and desire it for themselves.

    • Look, I’m just a country boy with no formal religious training as well. My academic training is in other areas, and now I’m a retired pastor and a have been full-time small business owner arborist for more than 30 years. I grew up on the family farm being a sold out farm boy.

      Why do we get it and others don’t? Maybe it’s because YHVH is raising up the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, so that he will get the glory.

  2. Pretty straight forward to me, Im a gentile and can understand what is being said….. The Law and Prophets spoke until John….. No more speaking needed as its all there in the Tanakh. These days everyone considers themselves a prophet….. or is it profit ? lol..
    They all spoke and prophesied until John, also being the Elijah who came to show yeshua…. no more needed as Yeshua came and did what the prophets said they would.

  3. I heartily disagree. One need only look to what the Jewish apostles taught their goyim charges (from the Council at Jerusalem – Acts15, specifically verses 28 & 29));

    It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

    Not a word about the “Law”. Rather listen to what Jesus’ closest friend had to say, “Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?”

    Evidently, some feel that they know more than the Holy Spirit, and Peter.

    • Yes, yes, yes, those of us who’ve been around the block a time or two over the past few decades have heard this argument more than a few times. It’s not that someone is claiming to know more than Peter or the Holy Spirit, as you suggest. Rather, it’s that someone is failing to understand the Acts 15 passage in its full context and has defaulted to believing the traditions of men by which the Word of Elohim has been made of non-effect. Please allow me to explain.

      First, let me thank you for allowing me to address this sadly misunderstood passage of Scripture that has confused many people and led many folks, such as yourself, to come to a totally wrong and unscriptural conclusion. To take the position you are positing totally contradicts hundreds of other verses in both the OT and NT. Sadly, this is the majority position of the mainstream church. YHVH Elohim will straighten out this mess in due time. Many Christian teachers who have taught this and who have led YHVH’s people astray will be proven to be false and will have to answer before Elohim’s throne of judgment for it.

      I will post the counter argument to your position on my blog. Those who are not afraid of the truth can read the truth here:

    • https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2018/11/04/acts-15-explained-the-mainstream-church-has-lied-to-you/

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