Many Jews are deceived into believing that if they obey the Torah as best they can they will be assured of a place in the world to come. Rabbinical Judaism is not the religion of Moses and the prophets. It is a humanistic religion based upon man-made laws and traditions which teaches that salvation depends upon self-effort rather than on the Saviour of Israel sent by God.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem when he prophesied the destruction of the city and the temple, which came about because the people had failed to recognise the Messiah. (Luke 19:44) He warned his disciples to flee from Jerusalem as soon as they saw it being surrounded by armies. In 70 AD many Jewish believers fled before the enemy besieged the city. They were regarded as traitors by their fellow unbelieving Jews, but they were spared from the destruction that came upon the city because they heeded the words of Jesus, which came to pass exactly as he had prophesied. This is the test of a true prophet according to the Torah.
“But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)
Moses said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him,” and the LORD said of that prophet, “If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.” (Deut. 18:15,19)
When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain and spoke with Moses and Elijah, an event that was witnessed by Peter, James and John, God spoke to them audibly and said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5). Everything in Moses and the prophets points to Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” If we obey his word and remain in him he will purify our hearts and cleanse us from within. This is the true holiness that God desires. “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you” (2 Cor. 6:17).
CALLED TO BE SEPARATE
God’s chosen people were called to separate themselves from the pagans. They were forbidden from indulging in pagan religious customs or from worshipping their false gods. The Torah makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles which is evident even in what they are permitted to eat. Jewish people were called to bear witness to the one true God, to declare His praises, to observe His laws and to shun the philosophies of the world. “Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean,..” (Leviticus 11:43,44,47)
God requires his people to make a distinction between that which is holy and clean, and that which is unholy and unclean. Many Jewish people maintain a kosher diet but carelessly embrace philosophies and ideas which are foreign to the Word of God. This is evident in the modern day fascination with mysticism and New Age philosophy which are rooted in paganism.
Many people maintain an outward appearance of holiness through what they eat, wear etc. but fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean in more important matters of truth and sound doctrine. To really keep kosher is to keep ourselves from being polluted by the false philosophies of the world which deny the word of God.
The gospel of Luke (ch. 8:26-39), records an incident where Jesus, after casting out many demons from a man, gave them permission to enter a large herd of pigs. When they entered the herd of pigs, the pigs rushed down a steep bank and were drowned in a lake. Some people have attempted to malign the character of Jesus by suggesting that he was cruel to animals, but there is much more to this than what is evident at face value.
Demons are angels who rebelled with Lucifer and were thrown down to the lower earthly realms. Pigs are regarded as unclean animals and we can understand why when we see that they will consume almost anything. The herd of pigs served as an example of the destruction that will come upon those who reject God’s word and fail to make a distinction between clean and unclean, between truth and false teachings which are teachings of demons. The lake represents the ultimate destruction of those who have carelessly indulged in doctrines of demons, when the wicked will be cast into the lake of fire together with the demons that deceived them.
Saul, Israel’s first King, was afflicted by an evil spirit because he failed to obey the word of the LORD. Although he tried to feign innocence Samuel pronounced the Lord’s judgement on him: “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king” (1 Sam. 15: 23). From that day on Saul was headed for destruction. The LORD has not changed since then. He remains a Holy and jealous God and will not tolerate disobedience and unfaithfulness among his people.
The teachings of demons do not seem evil at face value. They may even appear to us as enlightened and spiritual. Only by examining them in the light of God’s word is their falsehood exposed. Those who uphold the truth of God’s word counter the influence of demonic doctrines in the world, but Scripture warns that a time will come when God himself will send a powerful delusion so that those who have not loved the truth will believe the lie. This will be Satan’s final attempt to appropriate God’s place of worship, as the truth of God’s word and his authority is undermined. Those who have been undiscerning through a neglect of God’s word will all too readily be deceived by false philosophies, religions and mystical teachings.
Paul prophesied by the Spirit of God: “in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). The Apostle Peter referred to ignorant and unstable people who distort the Scriptures to their own destruction. A distortion of the word of God or a departure from sound teaching inevitably leads to destruction. Paul expressed concern that even the believers might be led astray by false teachings: “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Messiah, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Messiah” (2 Cor. 11:2)
FAILURE TO BUILD UPON THE CORRECT FOUNDATION
Failure to build upon the correct foundation will result in disaster on the day of testing. Jesus said: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)
This echoes the severe warning God gave the people of Israel through the prophet Ezekiel: Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations…. Because they lead my people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, ‘Where is the whitewash you covered it with?’ (Ezekiel 13:8)
Jesus is the Messiah and the true Cornerstone of the Jewish faith promised through all the prophets. Although many Jewish people are open to New Age philosophies which are generally derived from eastern mysticism, there remains a strong resistance to accepting Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. They are bound by a strong tradition that “Jesus is not for Jews.” Many rabbis believe that Jesus is okay for Gentiles, but not for Jews. If Jesus is not the Jewish Messiah then he must be an impostor and a liar and could hardly be a Messiah to the Gentiles. God called the Jewish people to be bearers of the truth and if a way is destructive for Jews, how can it not be so for Gentiles?