Is the Hebrew Roots Movement a False Gospel? Answering the Critics

by | Jul 24, 2026 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Episode Title

Is the Hebrew Roots Movement a False Gospel? Answering the Critics

Episode Summary

In this installment of The Messianic Torah Observer, we take up a serious accusation that has been leveled against the Hebrew Roots, Messianic, Torah-honoring, and Torah-observant communities: that we have somehow embraced a false gospel; that we have placed ourselves back under the Law; that we have fallen from grace; and that we are guilty of legalism simply because we believe the Torah of Yah remains relevant, righteous, holy, just, good, and profitable for the covenant people of the Most High.

Beloved, this is not a discussion designed to stir up offense or to answer critics with fleshly defensiveness. This is a discussion intended to help the faithful, especially those who are new to this beloved Faith, answer these claims with humility, clarity, and the Word of Yah rightly handled. The record must be made straight, not because we need to win arguments, but because Yah’s people must be equipped to give an answer for the hope and walk that is within them.

We begin by defining what we actually believe as Messianic-Hebraic believers. Yeshua Messiah is the center. Salvation is by Yah’s exceeding grace through trusting faith in the Person and ministries of Yeshua Messiah alone. Torah does not save. Torah was never given as a mechanism by which fallen humanity earns covenant standing before the Court of Heaven. Rather, Torah is Yah’s loving instruction in righteousness, and because we have been redeemed, grafted in, and made partakers of the commonwealth of Yisra’el, we delight to walk in our Father’s house rules as obedient sons and daughters.

From there, we address three common criticisms head-on. First, the claim that Torah-observant believers have placed themselves back under the Law and have been severed from Messiah according to Galatians. Second, the claim that Torah observance is inherently legalistic. And third, the claim that Messianic and Hebrew Roots believers are Judaizing Christians by imposing Judaism upon unsuspecting Gentile believers. Each criticism is weighed against the broader context of Scripture, especially Galatians, Romans, Acts 15, Matthew 5, and the apostolic witness.

The discussion then closes with a sober word to our own communities. We must never allow Torah to displace Yeshua. We must not allow our recovery of the Hebraic roots of the True Faith once delivered to produce arrogance, pride, or contempt for our cousins in denominationalism. The solution is not Torah without Messiah, nor Messiah without Torah. The solution is Torah and Yeshua held together in their Yah-ordained relationship, just as they were in the first-century Faith once delivered.

Primary Teaching Point

The Hebrew Roots and Messianic Torah communities are not preaching a false gospel when they teach that Spirit-led believers should honor Torah. The false gospel is any teaching that makes Torah-keeping, circumcision, conversion to Judaism, feast-keeping, Sabbath-keeping, or any human work the basis of salvation. But grace-motivated obedience flowing from covenant relationship is not legalism. It is the expected fruit of redeemed sons and daughters who love their Heavenly Father and desire to please Him.

Major Themes Covered

  • Why the “false gospel” accusation must be answered carefully and biblically.
  • The distinction between Torah as Yah’s instruction in righteousness and Torah as a misused mechanism for earning salvation.
  • Why Galatians must be read in its first-century context.
  • Why Acts 15 does not abolish Torah for Gentile believers.
  • The difference between legalism and grace-motivated obedience.
  • Why Yeshua must remain the center and interpretive key of the Torah-honoring life.
  • Why recovering the Hebrew roots of the Faith should produce humility, not superiority.
  • Where the Messianic and Hebrew Roots communities genuinely need to grow and mature.

Criticism #1 Addressed: “You’re Putting Yourself Back Under the Law”

The first criticism addressed in this installment is the claim that Torah-honoring believers have placed themselves back under the Law and have therefore been severed from Messiah. This claim is usually drawn from selected readings of Galatians. But beloved, Galatians was not written as a condemnation of Yah’s Torah. It was written to address a very specific crisis in the Galatian assemblies: Gentile believers were being pressured by Jewish influencers to undergo circumcision and conversion to Judaism as a requirement for salvation and full inclusion in the Body of Messiah.

Shaul was not condemning Torah. Shaul himself upheld Torah. He called Torah holy, just, and good. He asked rhetorically whether faith nullifies Torah and answered, “By no means.” So, the question is not whether Torah competes with grace. The question is what role Torah plays in the life of one who has already been saved by grace. The answer is simple: Torah is instruction for righteous living, not a ladder by which one climbs into salvation.

Criticism #2 Addressed: “Torah Observance Is Legalism”

The second criticism is that Torah observance is inherently legalistic. And here we must be honest. There is such a thing as legalistic Torah observance. There are individuals and groups who misuse commandments as tools of judgment, pride, superiority, or covenant-status measurement. That must be called out wherever it appears.

But the answer to legalism is not lawlessness. The answer to legalism is grace-motivated obedience. The obedient child does not keep his father’s house rules in order to become part of the family. He keeps them because he belongs to the family, loves his father, trusts his father, and desires to walk in a way that pleases him. Likewise, the redeemed believer does not honor Sabbath, the feasts, dietary instruction, or the righteous standards of Torah to earn salvation. He does so because he has already been redeemed by Yah’s grace through Yeshua Messiah.

Criticism #3 Addressed: “You’re Judaizing Gentile Believers”

The third criticism is that Messianic and Hebrew Roots believers are Judaizing Christians by imposing Judaism upon Gentile believers. This accusation often appeals to Acts 15. But Acts 15 does not teach the abolition of Torah for Gentile believers. It addresses whether Gentiles must be circumcised and formally convert to Judaism in order to be saved and included in the Body of Messiah. The Jerusalem Council answered that question in the negative.

Acts 15 gave incoming Gentile believers initial instructions to begin their covenant walk and then pointed to the ongoing public reading of Moses in the synagogues every Sabbath. The assumption was not that Gentiles would remain ignorant of Torah. The assumption was that they would continue learning Torah over time. Torah-learning was to be a lifelong process, not an entrance exam for salvation.

Where Our Communities Must Grow

This installment also acknowledges that the Messianic and Hebrew Roots communities have areas where we must mature. Some believers fall into a “Torah-Torah-Torah” mindset that unintentionally pushes Yeshua into the background. That must never be. Yeshua is the center, the Master, the King, the fullness of Torah, and the proper interpretive key for Torah. If Torah observance causes us to minimize Yeshua, something has gone terribly wrong.

We also must resist arrogance toward our denominational and Catholic cousins. Recovering the Hebrew roots of the True Faith once delivered should not produce contempt, harshness, or spiritual superiority. It should produce humility, meekness, patience, kindness, gentleness, and love. We can answer error without becoming mean-spirited. We can defend truth without operating in pride.

Scripture References Cited and Discussed

  • Ephesians 2:8–9 — Salvation is by grace through faith, not works.
  • Matthew 5:17–19 — Yeshua did not come to abolish Torah but to fulfill it.
  • Ezekiel 36 — Yah promises inner renewal and Spirit-empowered obedience.
  • Jeremiah 31 — The renewed covenant includes Yah’s Torah written on the heart.
  • Hebrews 8, 9, and 12 — The covenantal work of Messiah and the heavenly framework of redemption.
  • Romans 11 — Gentile believers are grafted into the commonwealth and covenant blessings of Yisra’el.
  • Galatians 2:3–4 — The Galatian controversy involved pressure on Gentile believers related to circumcision and liberty in Messiah.
  • Galatians 5:2–4 — Shaul warns against seeking justification through circumcision as a salvation requirement.
  • Acts 21:24 — Shaul is portrayed as walking orderly and keeping Torah.
  • Romans 7:12 — Torah is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.
  • Romans 3:31 — Faith does not overthrow Torah; rather, it upholds Torah.
  • Colossians 2:16–17 — Believers are warned against judgment related to food, drink, feast days, new moons, and Sabbaths.
  • Acts 15 — The Jerusalem Council addresses Gentile inclusion, circumcision, and initial instructions for incoming believers.
  • Acts 15:21 — Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath, indicating ongoing Torah instruction.
  • Matthew 5 — The call to humility and meekness among Yeshua’s disciples.
  • Colossians 3:12 — Believers are to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
  • Galatians 5:22 — The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
  • Jude — The True Faith once delivered to the saints.

External References Cited

  • Answers in Genesis — cited as one of the denominational apologetics platforms that has published criticism of the Hebrew Roots Movement or related Torah-observant expressions of faith.
  • The Berean Call — cited as another apologetics platform that has published criticism of Hebrew Roots and Messianic Torah communities.
  • Grace Evangelical Society — cited as a theological platform that has published criticism related to Hebrew Roots beliefs and the charge of false gospel.
  • David Wilber — cited as a self-avowed Torah teacher and author who, along with others in the broader Torah-observant community, has addressed or distanced himself from the Hebrew Roots Movement label while continuing to operate within the larger Messianic/Torah-honoring conversation.
  • The Messianic Torah Observer — cited as the ministry platform where related teachings, including discussions on the divinity of Yeshua and other tenets of the Faith, may be found.

Key Takeaways for the Listener

  • Torah observance does not save. Yeshua saves.
  • Salvation is by Yah’s grace through trusting faith in Yeshua Messiah alone.
  • Torah is not abolished; it is properly understood and walked out through Yeshua.
  • Galatians condemns using circumcision and conversion to Judaism as salvation requirements, not Spirit-led obedience to Yah’s instructions.
  • Acts 15 does not abolish Torah for Gentile believers; it establishes initial instructions and assumes ongoing Torah learning.
  • Legalism is real, but lawlessness is not the biblical answer to legalism.
  • Grace-motivated obedience is the proper response of redeemed covenant people.
  • Yeshua must never be displaced by Torah observance. He is the center and proper interpretive key.
  • The Messianic and Hebrew Roots communities must grow in humility, unity, maturity, and love.

Suggested Listener Reflection Questions

  • Have I ever allowed criticism from others to make me defensive rather than prayerful and Word-centered?
  • Do I understand the difference between obeying Torah to earn salvation and obeying Torah because I have been saved?
  • Am I reading Galatians and Acts 15 in their proper historical and covenantal context?
  • Has my Torah-honoring walk kept Yeshua at the center, or have I unintentionally pushed Him to the margins?
  • Do I treat denominational believers with humility and patience, or have I allowed knowledge to make me prideful?
  • Is my obedience producing the fruit of the Spirit?

Call to Action

If you are new to this Faith and you are wrestling with questions about Torah, grace, Yeshua, Galatians, Acts 15, or the accusations commonly leveled against the Hebrew Roots and Messianic communities, do not allow fear, confusion, or the voices of critics to drive your walk. Open the Word. Pray. Seek Yah’s wisdom. Test every claim. And if you need help, reach out through The Messianic Torah Observer.

For a full library of teachings and discussions on the tenets of our beloved Faith, visit themessianictorahobserver.org and browse the hundreds of posts and teachings available there. And if you have not yet established a true covenant relationship with the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov through Yeshua Messiah, do not delay. Reach out, ask your questions, and begin your journey toward the Kingdom.

Closing Encouragement

Beloved, Torah-honoring faith is not a false gospel when Yeshua remains the center, grace remains the basis of salvation, and obedience remains the fruit of redeemed covenant life. Let us answer the critics with humility. Let us correct error without becoming harsh. Let us walk in truth without pride. And let us hold fast to Yeshua Messiah, the walking-talking Torah, the fullness of Yah’s revelation, and the hope of Yisra’el.

Until next time, beloved, may you be most blessed, fellow saints in training. Shabbat shalom. Shavuatov. Take care.

Torah in the Constitution: What Israel’s New Basic Law Reveals About the Covenant

by | Jul 23, 2026 | Blog

Opening

On July 13, 2026, the Israeli Knesset passed something that would have been most unlikely just a generation ago. It passed a Basic Law that formally enshrines Torah studies as a foundational value of the modern Jewish state. Consequently, this is the only explicit mention of a faith-based value enshrined in any of Israel’s twelve Basic Laws.

As it relates to the modern state of Israel and her laws, a Basic Law is a statute passed by the Knesset that carries constitutional weight to it. Israel doesn’t treat or view its “Basic Laws” as ordinary laws. They define and support the nation’s governmental structure; they stipulate the powers of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches of its government; they define civil rights and freedoms; they express legally the identity and character of the state; and they form the core principles of the state of Israel.

Let’s be clear beloved: the modern state of Israel is secular. It was founded largely by Jewish leaders who deliberately set aside Jewish religious traditions aside. Nevertheless, Torah is partially embedded in the state’s constitutional DNA through these Basic Laws. One could conclude, then, that the modern state of Israel is a hybrid system, comprised of a secular democratic system and Jewish religious elements. But the bottom line on this status of the state’s government is that it does not possess a Torah-based constitution. In fact, the modern state of Israel doesn’t have a formal constitution.

But here’s the thing beloved: For those of us who are Torah-observant and Torah-keeping, this historic moment in the state’s history carries tremendous prophetic weight to it that screams for us to reflect on it.

 

The Surface Irony

The same Knesset session that enshrined Torah study as a national value also passed a companion bill at the same time that shields ultra-Orthodox men (i.e. working Rabbis and those training to become Rabbis) from mandatory military service on July 14, 2026 by a vote of 58-54. This law halts arrests of Haredi draft evaders until November 30, 2026, with an automatic extension likely due to upcoming elections.

This ruling comes at a time when the state of Israel is fighting her surrounding Muslim-based enemies on multiple fronts. The IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. General Eyal Zamir, warned publicly that the measure could cause the military to “collapse” (https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-891368?utm_source=copilot.com; March 26, 2026). Prime Minister Netanyahu, the bill’s political sponsor, quietly absented himself from the chamber when the vote was called.

But do you see the irony here? Torah on the one hand was invoked by the actions of the Knesset. Torah was exploited by the same legislative body. And this all took place on the same night.

This is not a uniquely Israeli problem, mind you. Religious language has always been available to those who would use it for political convenience. The prophets spent considerable energy addressing this situation. Isaiah’s vision, the basis for this past Shabbat’s haftarah reading for Shabbat Chazon, opens with Yehovah saying: “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? I have had enough of burnt offerings… When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you… your hands are full of blood.” (Isaiah 1:11–15) If by chance you’ve not read or listened to my teaching on Shabbat Chazon, this is the link to that post for your convenience (https://www.themessianictorahobserver.org/2026/07/17/shabbat-chazon-the-sabbath-god-shows-you-the-temple-you-lost/)

Let’s face it, beloved: Torah observance that is invoked without righteous justice is simply not Torah. It is rote performance and actions wearing Torah clothing.

 

Yehovah Is Not Finished

Something is happening in the modern state of Israel that is larger than political jiggery-pokery. The fact that Torah and the Covenant is being publicly discussed and debated, constitutionally codified, and legislatively contested in the Knesset of the modern Jewish state is certainly of prophetic significance. Because I believe that Yehovah is working something out in the bones of the state of Israel.

Most prophetically sensitive bible readers of Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones as recorded in Ezekiel 37 believe this passage is only about the nation’s physical restoration to the Land in 1948. But truth be told, beloved, the prophecy is about more than the nation’s physical restoration.

According to the prophecy, Israel’s bones came together and flesh came upon them. Furthermore, Ezekiel notes that “there was no breath in them” (Ezek. 37:8). Putting this into a present-day physical context: The physical nation exists, but it has no spiritual life to it. It lacks true spirituality. The ruach is still forthcoming. So, what we’re now watching is a nation state in the middle of its final restoration. Its bones have just about finished coming together. Its flesh is just about done enveloping its bones. Yet, the nation is reaching for something they don’t fully understand at this juncture of its history.

You see, beloved, Yehovah promised Yisra’el through His Prophet Ezekiel: “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:27; cf. Jeremiah 31) Obviously, this is a future covenant promise. At this moment in history, the modern state of Yisra’el remains a hardened secular nation that has all but forsaken its God and its keeping of Torah. But as we read, Yah’s Torah will be written but by the Ruach haKodesh upon the hearts and in the minds of a restored Yasharal. And that’s the most exciting thing, if you ask me. Indeed, the nation is not there yet. But the fact that the state is wrestling with Torah at the constitutional or Israel’s Basic Law level suggests that wrestling has begun.

 

What This Means for We the Redeemed of Yehovah Through Yeshua

For we who are the chosen and elect of Yehovah through Yeshua HaMashiyach, who steadfastly hold to the conviction that Torah has not been been destroyed or made irrelevant for God’s people by the work of Yeshua Messiah, this moment in our Jewish cousins’ history offers us both vindication with responsibility. I say vindication in that speaks to the Jewish state’s ultimate identity and destiny. And that in the future it will become the center of her national life in the age of restoration, and we are witnessing this being manifested in ways that their secular political processes are reflecting.

I say responsibility because we must teach that any keeping or revering of Torah without Yeshoshua is incomplete; regardless if you are a religious Jew or a well-meaning Christian. This is not because Torah is insufficient, although we know that Torah CAN SAVE NO ONE. It’s because Yehoshua is the walking-talking Torah (John 1:14). This One is the only one in all creation qualified to open the sealed book (Rev. 5.1-10). Indeed, He is the Rabbi whose teaching elevates and makes full for us the covenant commands of His Abba (Matthew 5:17). So then, a Torah enshrined in Israel’s Basic Laws that remains disconnected from its flesh-based manifestation is a Torah that must receive its full expression and ultimate rendering to the hearts, minds, and souls of men.

Beloved, this is the prophetic moment for Messianic witness in the state of Israel. I’m not talking about condemning the imperfect way Torah is being handled in the Jewish state politically. I’m simply pointing toward HaMashiyach/the Messiah who alone can cause Torah to be lived from the inside out (Jeremiah 31).

 

Closing

Beloved, shout Halleluyah for Torah is back in the headlines amid what seems to be a wholesale rejection of Israel and anything having to do with Yeshua Messiah among the nation peoples of this world. Think about it: the very secular state of Israel is fighting within itself over the Torah should have in the nation. And this is something indeed to write about.

The Ahloah of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov—the very One who spoke down His Covenant to us from the top of Mount Sinai has not lost the plot of the story He’s been writing about us since the start of Creation. Rather, He is writing a story that will end with His Torah being written on every Hebrew heart — both Jewish and Gentile alike — in the coming age of the restored Kingdom.

Until that day, beloved: let each of us teach Torah faithfully, pointing others to Yeshua with clarity and intentionality. And let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Shabbat Shalom.

One Messianic’s Perspective on Tisha B’Av: What Matters and What Doesn’t Matter

by | Jul 22, 2026 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Episode Title: One Messianic’s Perspective on Tisha B’Av — What Matters and What Doesn’t Matter

Episode Summary: Beloved, in this second installment of our brief two-part discussion on Tisha B’Av, we consider what should and should not matter to the modern-day Messianic, Hebrew, Netsari disciple of Yehoshua HaMashiyach. Tisha B’Av is not one of the mandated Feasts of Yehovah, and therefore we are not commanded to keep it. But that does not mean the day is spiritually meaningless. If our Master wept over Yerushalayim and prophesied the coming destruction of the city and the Temple, then we who belong to Him should at least understand the grief, covenant lessons, prophetic weight, and restoration hope attached to this solemn memorial day.

Main Point of the Discussion: Tisha B’Av is not a commanded holy day for the redeemed of Yehovah through Yehoshua HaMashiyach. Nevertheless, it remains an opportunity for remembrance, humble mourning, repentance, solidarity with our Jewish cousins, and hopeful anticipation of the restoration of all things lost through Messiah.

Key Themes Covered in This Episode

  • Tisha B’Av as a Jewish memorial day rather than a mandated Feast of Yehovah.
  • Why the day still carries spiritual relevance for Messianics, Hebrews, Netsarim, and Nazarene Israelites.
  • The prophetic promise of Zechariah 8:19 that the fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will one day become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the House of Judah.
  • Why Yeshua’s lament over Yerushalayim should inform how His disciples regard the Temple’s destruction and the suffering of our Jewish cousins.
  • How Tisha B’Av can become a day of introspection, remembrance, repentance, and eschatological anticipation.
  • What we should avoid: triumphalism, supersessionist attitudes, careless appropriation, and treating Jewish grief as irrelevant to our covenant walk.
  • How I personally intend to observe or remember the day without placing rabbinic obligation upon myself or upon the brethren.

Scriptural and Historical Anchors

Zechariah 8:14–23: This is the prophetic foundation for the discussion. Yehovah declares that the fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will be transformed into joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the House of Judah. This gives us a prophetic window into the future restoration of Judah, Yerushalayim, and the worship life of the covenant people.

Deuteronomy 4:25–40: This traditional Tisha B’Av Torah reading confronts the covenant consequences of idolatry, disobedience, exile, and judgment. Yet even in the severity of warning, there is mercy, because Moshe declares that if Yisra’el seeks Yehovah with all heart and soul, He will be found.

Jeremiah 8:13–9:23: This traditional haftarah reading gives prophetic voice to the sorrow, covenant breach, and devastation associated with the destruction of Zion. Jeremiah’s lament helps frame the day not merely as historical memory, but as a call to sober reflection and repentance.

Lamentations: The reading of Eicha or Lamentations has long been central to Tisha B’Av observance. It forces the reader to sit with the tragedy of Yerushalayim’s fall, the anguish of exile, and the desperate need for covenant restoration.

Luke 19:41–44: Although not a traditional Tisha B’Av reading, it is indispensable for the disciple of Yehoshua. Our Master wept over Yerushalayim and prophesied her coming destruction. That reality alone should keep us from treating the day with indifference, disdain, or theological arrogance.

What Should Matter to Us

Repentance and introspection should matter. Tisha B’Av gives us another opportunity, if so led by the Ruach Kodesh, to examine ourselves before Yehovah. We are not saved by memorial days. We are not made righteous by Jewish traditions. But we can certainly use a day such as this to ask Abba to reveal where we have been reckless, disobedient, prideful, indifferent, or covenantally careless.

Solidarity with our Jewish cousins should matter. We do not mourn as outsiders peering into someone else’s tragedy. We have been engrafted into the commonwealth of Yisra’el. Our Jewish cousins have carried historical grief, persecution, exile, and covenant memory in ways that many of us are only beginning to appreciate. So, beloved, humility is essential.

Hope in Messiah’s restoration should matter. Zechariah’s prophecy tells us that mourning will not have the final word. Yehovah intends to turn the fasts into joy and gladness. That does not erase the grief. It redeems it. It places the grief under the sovereign promise of restoration, the coming Kingdom, and the righteous reign of our glorious Master and soon-returning King.

The prophetic writings should matter. The prophets help us see that covenant unfaithfulness has consequences, but they also reveal that Yehovah’s mercy, promises, and purposes for Yisra’el endure. Tisha B’Av, therefore, becomes a solemn reminder to take the prophets seriously and to align our lives with truth and peace.

What Should Not Matter or Should Be Avoided

Triumphalism must be avoided. We have no business standing over Jewish suffering with an “I told you so” attitude. That spirit is not of Messiah. Our Master wept. He did not gloat. He lamented. He did not celebrate destruction. If we claim to follow Him, our posture must be humble, compassionate, and prayerful.

Supersessionism must be avoided. We must reject the claim that the Church has replaced Yisra’el or that the covenant promises given to the fathers have become irrelevant. Sha’ul taught that we Gentile believers are grafted in, not that we became the root. We stand by faith, and that should produce fear, reverence, and gratitude, not arrogance.

Careless cultural appropriation must be avoided. We should not grab hold of Jewish mourning customs as novelty, performance, or spiritual cosplay. If one is led to participate in readings, prayers, or communal observances, then do so respectfully, soberly, and with informed humility.

Rabbinic obligation must not be imposed upon the brethren. Since Tisha B’Av is not one of the mandated Feasts of Yehovah, I will not bind the consciences of the saints where Scripture has not bound them. If you are led to fast, mourn, pray, read Lamentations, or sit quietly before Abba, then do so unto Him. If you are not so led, then do not allow anyone to place a yoke upon your neck.

How I Intend to Remember the Day

I do not intend to keep Tisha B’Av as though it were Yom HaKippurim. I do not intend to bind myself to every rabbinic prohibition or nuanced custom associated with the day. But I do intend to remember. I intend to set aside time for introspection and retrospection. I intend to consider what we as a people have lost because of disobedience, rebellion, covenant negligence, and sin. I intend to read and reflect on Lamentations, Deuteronomy 4:25–40, and Jeremiah 8:13–9:23. And, as always, I intend to pray as the Ruach Kodesh directs.

Practical Takeaways for the Saints

  • Remember that Tisha B’Av is not commanded of us as one of the Feasts of Yehovah.
  • If you are led to observe or remember the day, do so with humility and not compulsion.
  • Read Lamentations with an eye toward covenant loss, repentance, and hope.
  • Pray for Yerushalayim, for Yisra’el, and for our Jewish cousins around the world.
  • Reject triumphalism and any attitude that treats Jewish suffering as proof of our superiority.
  • Reject supersessionism and remember that we are grafted in by grace.
  • Let the day point you forward to Messiah’s restoration of all things lost.

Cited References and Resources

  1. Why Tisha B’Av Is the Day Yeshua Wept — And Why Every Believer Should Know It, The Messianic Torah Observer. https://www.themessianictorahobserver.org/2026/07/16/why-tisha-bav-is-the-day-yeshua-wept/
  2. Lexham English Bible. W. Hall Harris III et al., eds. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012. Zechariah 8:14–23.
  3. org, “When Is Tisha B’Av in 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030?” This source lists the Jewish-calendar observance for 2026 as beginning at sundown on July 22 and ending at nightfall on July 23.
  4. Hebcal, “Tish’a B’Av 2026.” This source lists Tish’a B’Av 5786 as beginning at sundown Wednesday, July 22, 2026, and ending at nightfall Thursday, July 23, 2026, and provides the traditional readings for the day.
  5. Bible Hub, “Zechariah 8:19.” This source provides multiple English translations of Zechariah 8:19, including the prophetic declaration that the fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the House of Judah.
  6. org, “Tisha B’Av Order of the Day.” This source summarizes traditional Tisha B’Av practices, including the reading of Lamentations, the morning Torah reading from Deuteronomy 4:25–40, and the haftarah from Jeremiah 8:13–9:23.
  7. Sefaria / Voices on Sefaria, “Tisha B’Av Torah & Haftarah Readings.” This source explains how Deuteronomy 4:25–40 and Jeremiah 8:13–23 frame the day around loss, lamentation, covenant warning, repentance, and hope.

Closing Thought

Beloved, the point of this discussion is not to make Tisha B’Av into something Scripture never commanded us to keep. Nor is it to dismiss the day as though it has no bearing on our walk with Messiah. The point is to remember well, mourn humbly, repent sincerely, reject arrogance, stand compassionately with our Jewish cousins, and look with blessed expectation toward the day when Yehovah turns mourning into joy and restores all things through Yehoshua HaMashiyach. Shalom. Shalom.

 

When God Says Stand Alone: The U.S. – Iranian Escalation through the Lens of the Hebrew Prophets

by | Jul 21, 2026 | Blog

 

 

Opening

Well, it appears the tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has come to an inevitable end.

As of this writing, the United States has expanded its military campaign against Iran’s IRGC. This go-round, the Strait of Hormuz, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran’s underground nuclear program are simultaneously in play. Consequently, the geopolitical situation revolving around this conflict is hastening. But for those of us who read the headlines through the lens of Yeshua-focused Torah Living, the pace of these events should not produce panic. It should produce within us a very specific kind of sobriety and reality. It is the sobriety and reality of someone who recognizes that we are living inside a developing story we’ve already read.

Allow me, beloved, to state my case by briefly tapping a portion of the prophetic texts.

 

The Isolation of the modern nation of Israel Is a Prophetic Certainty

To truly understand the geopolitical situation taking shape around the Jewish state of Yerushalayim, truth seekers must consume and understand Zechariah 12. For it is one of the most geopolitically precise prophetic texts in the whole of the Tanach. Here, the prophet describes one of the final phases of history in which Yerushalayim becomes “a cup of trembling” for all its surrounding nations and “a burdensome stone for all peoples” (Zech. 12:2–3). This cup of trembling, aka the cup of drunkenness, is symbolic of the divine judgment that Abba Yah will bring upon His and His people’s enemies. Yehovah’s judgment reduces the enemies to what can only be described as “a state of helplessness and misery similar to that of a drunken, staggering, intoxicated man.”[1] The mention of her in addition being “a burdensome stone or heavily weighted stone for all peoples” “describes a stone that injures those who try to lift it. Those nations that attempt to attack Yerushalayim will find the task too difficult and will end up injured.[2]

But this text is certainly not describing an Israel that is popular among the civilized Western and Middle Eastern nations. It is for all intents and purposes describing an isolated Israel that is surrounded, pressured, cut off from any would be allies, including the United States. Yet she is miraculously preserved by the strong and irresistible arm of YHVH.

So, what we are presumably seeing with the U.S.–Iran military escalation, combined with the ongoing international pressure to divide the covenant land, is the early formation of exactly that prophetic landscape described by the prophet some 2,500 years ago. American guarantees of an unbreakable alliance are uncertain and unreliable. The so-called Iran deal or MOU/Memorandum of Understanding has, for all intents and purposes, miserably collapsed. All the while, Hezbollah, entrenched in Lebanon, remains armed to the teeth in the north. The surrounding nations seem to be on the move in one form or another.

All things considered, Israel is being forced to learn that its security rests not in its own power or wherewithal to sustain itself; nor by any alliance-based provisions she may receive. But in the covenant faithfulness of the Ahloah of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov.

 

Persia in the Prophets — This Is Not New Conflict

The conflict between Israel and Persia (modern Iran) is not a 21st-century invention. Ezekiel 38 describes a great coalition forming against Israel in the “latter years” (Ezek. 38:8) — led by a figure called Gog, from the land of Magog, drawing in allies including Persia (Ezek. 38:5). The text is explicit: Persia is listed by its ancient name among the enemies of Israel in the end-time alignment.

I am not claiming that what we are watching today is the final fulfillment of Gog and Magog. Theological humility requires that we hold prophetic application loosely. But we would be negligent not to notice that the prophetic framework — Persia opposing Israel, a northern power gathering force, international coalitions forming — is precisely the shape that current events are taking.

Daniel 8 adds another layer: the vision of the ram (Persia/Media) and the goat (Greece) — a vision about the collision of great powers, their pride, and their ultimate subjugation to the purposes of the God of heaven. What Daniel saw in vision, we see unfolding in the news cycle. Every empire that has set itself against Israel has eventually broken. The God who said “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who dishonor you” (Gen. 12:3) has not changed His posture.

 

Jeremiah’s Word — Saved, But Not Without Cost

Jeremiah 30 pairs well with Zechariah 12. But it also strongly stands on its own merits as an all-consuming prophecy of what’s ahead for national Yisra’el. And what’s ahead for Yisra’el according to YHVH through the pen of the prophet Jeremiah is nothing short of miraculous. But despite Yah effecting the final redemption of Yasharal, the nation will endure a time of trouble. Speaking of what Yah through the Prophet calls “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” But in the same breath, Yah sends comforting words to the nation by declaring: “Fear not, O Jacob my servant… For I am with you to save you… I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end.” (Jer. 30:10–11)

Despite the braggadocios and threatening talk of the nations, Yasharal/Yisra’el will remain. She will not be destroyed. But she’s going to have to endure a time of hardship and discomfort before she reaches her final redemption while in the Land of Promise. Indeed, she will be isolated. Her military will be tested. Politically, she will be abandoned. In fact, all that the nation state of Israel is presently experiencing is part of her correction and refining. Contrary to the hopeful lies believed and spread by the anti-God and antisemitic souls of this modern world, Yah has not nor will he ever abandon His Covenant children.

This is the foundational word that the chosen and elect of Yehovah, watching and praying through current world events involving Yisra’el, need to be firmly cognizant of: Yehovah Sabaoth has not taken His strong and mighty hand off Israel. Because you see, beloved, our God is not afraid of Iran, nor is He surprised by any stunts they may pull. He is certainly not alarmed by Iran’s foolish acts over the Strait of Hormuz. You see, beloved, Abba Yah is accomplishing His divinely appointed purposes that are beyond the understanding of the legacy media. Indeed, our God declared through the mouth and pen of the prophet: “For just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and they do not return there except they have watered the earth thoroughly and cause it to bring forth and sprout, and give seed to the sower and bread to the earter, so shall be My word that goes out from My mouth. It shall not return to Me without success (or it shall not return to Me void) but shall accomplish what I desire and be successful in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55.9-10; LEB)

 

What Messianic Believers Must Do Right Now

The Messianic-Hebraic-Netsari community is uniquely positioned for this moment in time. As the redeemed of the Most High Ahlohim through Yehoshua Messiah, we are emissaries of the Kingdom of God—the Malchut Elohim. Thus, we are by default privileged to be faithful witnesses for the Kingdom. So, here is what this moment in time requires of each of us:

First, it is incumbent upon us that we pray for Yisra’el with full covenant understanding and bearing. Consequently, our prayers and petitions on behalf of Yisra’el must not be that of mere political sympathies. The command to pray for the peace of Yerushalayim (Ps. 122:6) has intentionality attached to it. That intentionality comes from it being a covenantal obligation rooted in our engrafting into the Commonwealth of Yasharal (Romans 11:17).

Second, let us read the prophets again and again so that their words resonate within us and we as the righteous remnant of Yasharal, live by our Faith (Habakkuk 2.4). Indeed, the headlines of legacy media unwittingly serve as a commentary on the words of the holy prophets. There’s wisdom in letting the scriptures interpret the headlines, not the other way around. Our Master, when confronted by the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to test Him declared to Him: “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather because the sky is red,’ and early in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy weather, because the sky is red and darkening.’ You know how to evaluate correctly the appearance of the sky, but you are not able to evaluate the signs of the times. And evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Yonah!” (Matthew 16.2-4; LEB) So, let us not be like the erring Jewish religious leaders of Yeshua’s day. Instead, let us learn how to discern the signs of the times through the writings of the prophets of old.

Third, let us resist the temptation to set dates or make doctrinal prophetic claims about the events we see transpiring around us. Let us learn to be humble in our assessment of the signs of the times. Wise in our interpretations and not put ourselves in positions to fail by making sensational claims. We must learn to testify to the prophetic framework in scripture and in our heart, but we leave the specific timing of things and events to the very capable hand of God Almighty.

And fourth, allow Yah to provide the means to speak to your communities via our congregations; our online platforms; and even around our Shabbat tables about what the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov is doing. The nations are in confusion, but the Body of Mashiyach should not be.

 

“

The nations are in uproar, the kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts.

”

(Psalm 46:6)

 

Yah is shaking the world at large because the world must know that He is Yehovah, Creator of the Universe. But we who are the redeemed of the Most High should not be shaken.

 

Closing

Indeed, we are meant to be witnesses and intercessors for this moment in human history. We are called to read the times with prophetic discernment, to hold the covenant promises with both hands, and to speak with clarity when the nations are in chaos.

The present iteration of the U.S.–Iran conflict is not the end. But it may be part of the beginning of the end. Maybe a form of birth-pangs that will precede the final restoration of Yisra’el and the advent of the coming Malchut haShammayim (aka the Kingdom of the Heavens).

 

“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains… and all nations shall flow to it.” (Isaiah 2:2)

 

Indeed, beloved: That day cometh upon creation as an ocean torrent slams against an open beachhead. Until it does, let us as a Body and as individuals watch, pray, and speak the Words that will change the lives and souls of the lost of this world.

Shabbat Shalom.

 

[1] Walter C. Kaiser and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, vol. 23, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1992), 415.

[2] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Zec 12:3.

From Mourning to Comfort: Our Biblical Calendar Queue for the Week of July 20–26

by | Jul 20, 2026 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Episode Title

From Mourning to Comfort: The Biblical Calendar Signal for the Week of July 20–26

Opening Word

Greetings Saints. In this installment, we are dealing with a week on Yah’s reckoning of time that is not simply another week on a religious calendar. It is the week that pivots. It is the week that moves from the solemn remembrance of Tisha B’Av — the ninth day of the fifth month — into the tender, prophetic, covenant-rooted comfort of Shabbat Nachamu, the Sabbath of Comfort.

And beloved, hear me on this: mourning is not the final word for Yah’s chosen and elect. It never has been. Even when Yah’s people are sitting in the rubble of their losses, even when we are forced to reckon with the consequences of unbelief, rebellion, sin, and stiffneckness, Abba’s calendar is already moving His people toward comfort.

Episode Summary

This teaching considers the unique spiritual movement that takes place in the Jewish calendar from Tisha B’Av to Shabbat Nachamu. Tisha B’Av memorializes the destruction of both Jerusalem Temples, along with other tragedies tied to Judah’s grief and the long history of our people’s rebellion and unbelief. Yet, within Yah’s reckoning of time, the grief of Tisha B’Av does not stand alone. The very next Sabbath opens with the words of Isaiah 40: “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people.”

So, in this discussion, we walk through why Tisha B’Av is not a mandated Feast of Yehovah, why it still carries tremendous spiritual significance for those in covenant with Yehovah through Yeshua Messiah, and why Shabbat Nachamu should matter to Netsari, Nazarene, Messianic, and Hebraic believers who understand that Yah’s calendar is not mere chronology. It is curriculum.

We also examine the Torah reading Vaetchanan, Moshe’s denied petition to enter the Land of Promise, the Shema, the Seven Weeks of Consolation, and the prophetic connection between Isaiah 40, Yochanan the Immerser, and the advent of our Master Yeshua Messiah — the One who embodies Yah’s promised comfort.

Key Theme

Beloved, the theme is simple, but it is not shallow: Yah moves His people from mourning to comfort. He does not ignore sin. He does not wink at rebellion. He does not pretend that destruction, judgment, exile, and loss have not happened. But neither does He leave His elect in the ashes. After Chazon comes Tisha B’Av. After Tisha B’Av comes Nachamu. After warning and mourning comes comfort.

And that, dear saint, is the mercy of our Elohim. He wounds, but He also binds up. He corrects, but He also restores. He calls His people to repentance, but He also speaks tenderly to Jerusalem and declares that her warfare — her compulsory labor — is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that it has been paid in full.

Major Points Covered in This Teaching

1. This Is the Week That Pivots

This week in the Jewish calendar moves from grief to comfort in the space of roughly 48 hours. It begins with Tisha B’Av and its complete fast, beginning at sundown on the eighth day of the fifth month, and it moves into Shabbat Nachamu, the Sabbath of Comfort. That movement is not incidental. It is Yah’s calendar preaching to us, beloved.

2. Tisha B’Av Is Not a Mandated Feast of Yehovah

Tisha B’Av is not one of the mandated Feasts of Yehovah. I repeat, it is not a commanded moedim of Yah. It is a Jewish holiday and memorial, much like Purim and Hanukkah. The redeemed of Yah through Yeshua Messiah are not required to keep it. Nevertheless, like Purim and Hanukkah, Tisha B’Av holds tremendous spiritual significance for those who are in covenant with Yehovah and in Yeshua Messiah.

3. Yah Has Not Given Up on Judah, Ephraim, or the Nations

Abba Yah has not given up on Judah, just as He has not given up on those of Ephraim and the Gentile nations who, through the Person and ministries of Yeshua Messiah, have been lovingly grafted into the Commonwealth of Yasharal. We have not always produced the fruit our Master instructed us to produce. We have squandered time and resources. Yet Yah has preserved a remnant — branches of the graft — who seek to bear fruit, promote the Kingdom of Yehovah, make Judah jealous, and image Yehovah in all the earth.

4. Yah’s Calendar Is Curriculum

Yah’s reckoning of time is not simply a list of dates that we blindly acknowledge from one yearly cycle to the next. His set-apart calendar is curriculum. And yes, many in this beloved Faith are weary of calendar discussions. I get it. But hear me on this: the Calendar matters to our Father. And if it matters to our Creator, it must matter to us. So let us not tire of honoring Yah’s reckoning of time to the best of our understanding.

5. Shabbat Chazon Warns Before Tisha B’Av Mourns

The previous Sabbath was Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision. It stands as a prophetic warning before the mourning of Tisha B’Av. If you have not had the opportunity to listen to or read that discussion, I promised I would place the link in the show notes for your convenience, and here it is: https://www.themessianictorahobserver.org/2026/07/17/shabbat-chazon-the-sabbath-god-shows-you-the-temple-you-lost/

6. Tisha B’Av Reminds Us That Grief Is Real, But Not Final

This year, according to Abba’s Observational Calendar, Tisha B’Av falls on Friday, July 24, the ninth day of the fifth month of Yah’s sacred calendar year, while most Jews around the world will keep Tisha B’Av on Thursday, July 23. This memorial is heavy on Yah’s reckoning of time. It forces us to face destruction, loss, unbelief, rebellion, sin, and stiffneckness. But here is what Yah’s calendar understands and what our undiscerning hearts need to remember: mourning is not the final word.

I also promised to place the Tisha B’Av discussion in today’s show notes for your reference and convenience. That discussion may be found here: https://www.themessianictorahobserver.org/2026/07/16/why-tisha-bav-is-the-day-yeshua-wept/

7. Shabbat Nachamu Opens With Double Comfort

Shabbat Nachamu is the Sabbath immediately following Tisha B’Av. This year it falls on July 25, 2026, the tenth day of the fifth month of Yah’s sacred calendar year. It is named for the opening words of the Haftarah in Isaiah 40:1–26: Nachamu, nachamu ami — Comfort, comfort ye My people, says your Ahloah.

Beloved, the word comfort is doubled there. Yah is applying an intensive, urgent comfort. He is not whispering indifferently from some distant place. He is speaking tenderly to Jerusalem. He is declaring that her warfare, her compulsory labor, is accomplished; that her iniquity is pardoned; that it is paid in full; that she has received from YHVH’s hand double for all her sins.

8. Isaiah 40 Points Us to Messiah

Isaiah 40:3, the so-called forerunner’s call, is quoted in all four Gospel accounts as the announcement of the ministry of Master Yeshua. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all connect that voice in the wilderness to the coming of Messiah. Therefore, the comfort of Isaiah 40 is inseparable from the advent of Mashiyach. Yochanan the Immerser, along with the Prophet Isaiah, points us to the Comforter and to the One who is greater than the Temple.

9. Vaetchanan Calls Us Back to Covenant Renewal

The Torah reading for this coming Sabbath is Vaetchanan, contained in Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11. It includes Moshe’s plea to enter the Land of Promise — a plea Yah denied — and it also includes the Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6:4–9. The Shema prepares us for covenant renewal, reminding us that our comfort is not sentimental. It is covenantal. It calls us to hear, obey, love, and remain steadfast before Yehovah our Elohim.

10. The Seven Weeks of Consolation Move Us Toward Yom Teruah

Traditionally, Shabbat Nachamu begins the Shivah D’Nechemta, the Seven Weeks of Consolation — the seven Shabbatot between Tisha B’Av and the Day of the Blowing of Trumpets, Yom Teruah. During this period, the haftarot are drawn from Isaiah 40–66, often referred to as the Book of Comfort. Thus, the arc of Shabbat life from late July into mid-September is comfort-saturated.

11. Yeshua Is the Embodiment of Isaiah 40 Comfort

For the Messianic, Hebraic, and Netsari communities, Yeshua is the embodiment of Isaiah 40’s comfort. The movement from Tisha B’Av grief to Shabbat Nachamu comfort points us from the Temple’s destruction to the presence of the One who is greater than the Temple. And beloved, that is where our hope rests. Not in brick and stone alone, but in the Person, ministries, and reign of our Master Yeshua Messiah.

Scripture and Reference List

  • Isaiah 40:1
  • Isaiah 40:1–26
  • Isaiah 40:3
  • Isaiah 40–66
  • Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11
  • Deuteronomy 6:4–9
  • Romans 11
  • Romans 11:26
  • Romans 11:29
  • Matthew 3:3
  • Mark 1:3
  • Luke 3:4
  • John 1:23
  • Matthew 10:22
  • Matthew 24:13
  • Mark 13:13
  • Matthew 12:6

Promised Links and Related Teachings

  • Shabbat Chazon: The Sabbath God Shows You the Temple You Lost — https://www.themessianictorahobserver.org/2026/07/17/shabbat-chazon-the-sabbath-god-shows-you-the-temple-you-lost/
  • Why Tisha B’Av Is the Day Yeshua Wept — https://www.themessianictorahobserver.org/2026/07/16/why-tisha-bav-is-the-day-yeshua-wept/

Closing Exhortation

Wherever you are this week, dear saint, and whatever burdens, losses, griefs, or disappointments you may be carrying, Shema — hear — our covenant-making God speaking the same words He spoke through Isaiah:

Nachamu. Nachamu ami. Comfort ye. Comfort ye My people.

Indeed, beloved, Yah is not done with Yasharal. He is not done with Judah. He is not done with Ephraim. He is not done with those from the nations who have been grafted in through Yeshua Messiah. And He is certainly not done with you.

Stay well and abundantly blessed, dear saint. Until next time, shalom, shalom.

AI, Spiritual Authority, and the Image of Elohim

by | Jul 2, 2026

Episode Title AI, Spiritual Authority, and the Image of Elohim: A Messianic Torah Perspective on Artificial Intelligence Opening Thoughts Shalom and greetings, beloved of the Most High. In this installment of The Messianic Torah Observer, we step slightly outside our...

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