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Dr. Rickard (Ari) Levitt-Sawyer
(ywlnb yra, Ari ben Levi)
has been privileged to serve as Professor of Systematic Theology and
Comparative Religion, Assistant Dean of Directed Individualized Studies,
and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Spring Valley Bible
College and Seminary (Alameda, CA); as Academic Dean and Vice President
for Academic Affairs at Golden State School of Theology (Oakland, CA); and
as Administrator of Grace School of Theology and Ministry (Pleasant Hill,
CA). He has also conducted numerous graduate and postgraduate courses and
seminars in Bible doctrine, church administration, comparative religion,
and the cults since 1983. He holds a Master of Theology degree in
Systematic Theology, a Doctor of Theology degree in Cults and Comparative
Religion, a Doctor of Ministry in Bible College Administration and
Curriculum Development, and a Master of Business Administration in
Church Administration (all summa cum laude).
Since 1967 he has served in
numerous Church leadership positions including Pastor, Associate Pastor,
Teaching Elder, Youth Minister, Director of Education, Church
Chairman/Administrator, Deacon, Adult Education Chairman, and Christian
Education Board Chairman, and presently serves as Pastor/Teacher of Family
Bible Messianic Ministries in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Dr. Sawyer has
authored numerous briefs and papers on Christian and Messianic Jewish
theology, church administration, world religions, the cults, and the
occult, as well as a church management handbook which has been used
successfully by numerous churches as a guide to reorganization for
increased effectiveness and efficiency of ministry. He has been an active
Bible teacher in local congregations for over 50 years, and has offered
ministry consultation services since 1983. He has known Adonai Yeshua
HaMashiach as his personal Lord and Savior since 1953.
In 1999 Adonai
laid it upon his heart to seek out his Jewish “roots,” as he is a physical
descendant of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya'akov, his ancestral name (Levitt/Leavitt)
suggesting possible relationship to the tribe of Levi. In the
course of that quest he “discovered” the so-called “Messianic
Restoration,” a rapidly growing group of Jewish and non-Jewish believers
in Yeshua HaMashiach who believe that Adonai’s
Elect, whether Jew or Gentile, living before or after the Cross, are all
one in the Body of Yeshua, and are the “true Israel.”
This
position is in conflict with the traditional Gentile Christian teaching
that “the Church” is distinct from Israel, and consists of all believers
in “Jesus Christ” from the Day of Pentecost until the Rapture. This
traditional position is the one that the author held and taught for over
40 years. However, the word “church” per se never actually appears
in Scripture. The author now believes that the word is actually an
unfortunate Gentile translation error that has caused much of the rift
between Jews and Gentiles for the past 1,800 years.[1]
(See also
here.)
The overarching goal of the
Messianic Restoration is to reunite Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua
HaMashiach into one Holy Family, and to offer to all who so desire, both
Jew and non-Jew, the opportunity to return to the style of worship that
was actually practiced by the Nazarene sect of Judaism, or “The Way,” as
the followers of Yeshua were called until well into the second century of
the Common Era. It is their belief that true Biblical faith is properly
best understood as a “completed and correct” form of Judaism, and that
true “Judaism” is that which recognizes Melech Yeshua HaMashiach as
Israel’s Messiah. This makes perfect sense if one stops for just a moment
to consider a few basic points:
-
Yeshua ben Yosef, also
known as HaMashiach, the Messiah (and erroneously called “Jesus Christ”)
was a Torah-observant Jewish Rabbi. He taught that He had not come to
destroy Torah (the “Law”), but that Torah might be fulfilled. He also
taught that “not one yod or tittle” (the smallest letter or even
the decorative flourishes on the letters) of the Torah would pass away.
-
Until the end of the
first century, the Nazarene sect or “the Way” (as the followers of
Yeshua were originally called) was almost exclusively Jewish, and
remained predominately Jewish until well into the second century.
In fact, in the early years, prior to the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15),
one was required to “convert” to Judaism before one could be accepted as
a Believer in Messiah.
-
During the Millennial
Kingdom, Yeshua HaMashiach will rule the earth from His throne in
Jerusalem. The Temple will be rebuilt and Temple worship will be
restored. This would suggest that all worship in the Kingdom may well be
patterned after Temple worship. If we intend to be a part of the
Kingdom, does it not make sense to start practicing that form of worship
that Yeshua followed 2,000 years ago, and which He will probably
institute in the future Kingdom?
-
It does not take much research to uncover a huge
amount of paganism that has been incorporated into “the Church” over the
past two millennia. Once having become enlightened to those pagan
practices, is it appropriate for a Believer to continue to observe and
participate in those practices? Or is it better to reject those pagan
practices and return to following the Scriptures in preference to the
traditions of men?
-
Once we have discovered linguistic errors in the
transmission of the Scriptures, does it make sense to cling to those
errors? [Such as the use of terms like “Jesus” and “Jehovah” — both of
which are grammatically impossible in the Hebrew language — or obvious
translation errors like the words “church” and “Holy Ghost.”]
-
When we learn that modern “Christmas” is nothing more
than a modified version of the Roman festival of Saturnalia in honor of
their pagan god Saturn, and that Yeshua was actually born
in the autumn during the Feast of Tabernacles, with absolute certainty
not on December 25, does it make sense to continue observing what has
become the most pagan holiday of the entire year next to HaSatan’s high
holy day, Halloween? Or when we have been taught that the modern
celebration of Easter is taken directly from the Babylonian mystery
religion and is in honor of the goddess Ishtar (Astarte), after whom the
Roman Catholic Church patterned their worship of Mary as “Queen of
Heaven” does it make sense to continue to observe that pagan festival
instead of celebrating the Resurrection at its rightful time on the
Feast of First Fruits, the first day of the week following Passover?
-
When we learn that there is no biblical precedent
for setting aside Adonai’s
Sabbath in favor of worshipping on Sunday, is there a valid reason for
continuing to do so? Or should we be obedient to God’s
commandment to “remember the Shabbat and keep it holy” — a commandment
which has never been rescinded by Scripture. In fact, the practice of
Sunday worship began with a decree from the Roman emperor that no work
could be done on “Sun-day” because it was to be a day of worship of the
Roman sun god (hence the name Sun-day), and carried over
into the cult which Constantine developed and called “Christianity,” the
Roman Catholic Church. Catholic leaders still mock Protestants who
worship on Sunday, because they are only doing so out of their
recognition of the Pope’s authority over them.
_______________
[1] It is
impossible to determine whether the error was intentionally or
unintentionally anti-Semitic, but more likely the work of HaSatan to
divide the Holy Community into “us” and “them” and thereby weaken the work
of Adonai’s
Elect. [RETURN]
This page was last updated on
Friday, 22 February 2013 at
06:22 AM |
