|
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
Messianic Fellowship Adat B'nei HaMelech and Family Bible 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 the LORD
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 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 the LORD’s Elect, the Miqra, 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 overall goal of the
Messianic Restoration is to unite 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
practiced by the Nazarene sect of Judaism, 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 recognized 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 (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 the LORD’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 Miqra into “us” and “them” and thereby weaken the work of the LORD’s
Elect. [RETURN] |
|
