Dear Refiner's Fire...

Shalom Webmaster,

Here is a question that I need an answer to:

In the sermon on the mount Yeshua affirmed the authority of the Torah and the Prophets (Matt. 5:17)

In what way, or how did Yeshua fulfill the Tora or Law?

(1) Was it because that Yeshua was the only Jew that kept all of the 613 commandments perfectly, since the Christian bible tells us he was sinless and therefore a perfect human being, not stained with sin.

(2) Or is it because He now holds the office of Kohen Gadol in heaven?

I've never fully understood this passage in Matt. 5 : 17, because it can't mean He nailed the Laws to the cross, thus throwing it into the garbage can. I believe in the Torah and agree we should be living up to what ever laws we can and to observe the seven festivals as best we can so perhaps you or your Rabbis can shed additional light on this subject.

Harold

Our Response....

Dear Harold,

In what ways did Yeshua fulfill the Torah?

The answer is - both of your comments above are correct. He has fulfilled Torah in that He was foreshadowed through all the feasts - and has fulfilled so far, the first four of the seven. He was preordained to come to earth in the form a man in order to teach people about God, to us show how God demands to be worshiped, and then to offer Himself as the Final Sin Sacrifice; thus doing away with the need for animal sacrifices.

Rather than to try to outline here all the prophecies Yeshua fulfilled, we're going to ask you to read the following articles which summarize what He did:

Qualifications of Messiah, Ten prophecies He has already fulfilled, and Ten More, prophecies Explanation as to How He Fulfilled Them, Yeshua's second coming, the The Sacrificed Lamb of Passover.

Let's examine Matthew 5:17 and the verses AFTER, which most people seem to ignore....

Matthew 5: 17 Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah – not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot (words/commands) and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Please ask yourself: Has everything happened that must happen? Have heaven and earth passed away yet? If not, then what makes us think we can ignore Torah?

Also, please read our article about how the writings of Paul have been misunderstood - and have therefore caused some major problems in Bible interpretation, causing mainstream Christians to lose out on the blessings of YHWH.

We, at The Refiner's Fire believe one of the biggest obstacles to Christians believing that Torah was somehow nailed to the cross, is because they don't know what Torah was/is. Please read our article in which explains Torah in simple terms.