The title is intimidating, but this book is rich with information about the Jewish culture and history. It isn’t like a great fiction book that one wants to devour in one rainy afternoon. It’s a book to be read in small sections and pondered upon.
The author starts by giving a detailed view of the culture surrounding the period of the New Testament. He walks the reader through different events in Jesus’ life and how the Pharisees and others received each situation, based on their worldview. I found it interesting how the Pharisees reacted and how, because of their own man-made interpretations of the Bible, that they were unable to accept Jesus.
The main theme of the book is that the Jewish leaders felt it necessary to interpret what God’s Word meant to them and pass it on as “oral traditions,” much of which still survives today. They didn’t want to lose that information, so it was written down and further interpreted by scribes into what is known as the “Talmud.” According to the author, the Talmud is “God’s Word mixed with numerous and sometimes contradictory scribe-created interpretive errors based on false traditions and fanciful tales, along with new rituals and additional teachings.”
Another section of the book is titled, “Non-Christian Doctrines Taught by So-Called Christian Churches” which explains how some churches today still use “oral traditions” and their own interpretation of the Bible as church doctrines.
The author also cites the many prophecies in the Old Testament that are related to Jesus being the Savior. The odds, he states, that anyone would fulfill those prophecies are 1 in 240 trillion.
Overall, Is Yeshua the Prophesied Messiah of the Hebrew Bible is a great reference tool for anyone interested in New Testament Jewish culture and background, and also searching for information on their “oral traditions.” The prophecies section is detailed and insightful.
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