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Friday, July 4, 2008

Jesus and Judaism-continued

Jesus and Judaism-continued

Part 2
It seems difficult for Christian's to hear that the man Jesus never attended church. But when we realize the biblical sources about his life, it's quite clear that he attended a "synagogue." What is a synagogue? It is the normal place of worship for the Jew, since the Temple no longer exists. Yiddish speakers used the term "shul" (school) instead of synagogue. The Greek term "sunago" (Strong's Concordance # 4863), means, to lead together, to collect or convene, which is farther explained as an assemblage of persons.

In a limited sense, it is similar to the Greek term that was rendered "church" (ekklesia), which was used by Christians for their houses of gathering to worship, but was not a reference to the building, rather to the people. Jews do not use the term church to refer to their houses of worship and study.A prophecy by Ezekiel in chapter 11 and verse 16, which mentions the scattering of Israel and inhabitants of Jerusalem far off among the heathen, has strong indication that synagogues or shuls may be "little sanctuaries." Although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.The Hebrew term for little santuaries is l'mikdash me'at. The root for mikdash is the same term used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible for the Holy Tabernacle, when God told Moses and Israel to make for Him a sanctuary that He may dwell among them (Exodus 25:8).

Thus, the term "little sanctuary" (KJV Bible), may have prophetic significance in that it relates to synagogues. Judaism has continued despite loss of Temple, or exile of Jews, and although the Temple existed in the time of Jesus, there also existed in Jerusalem about 460 or 480 synagogues, according to exaggerated Jewish traditions (Jer. Kethub. 35c. and Jer. Meg. 73d).If Jesus attended synagogues throughout Israel during his time, when did he attend them?

Our 12 sources in the Christian Gospels clarify that it was on "sabbath" day. But what is sabbath? In Hebrew, the correct transliteration is "shabbat." The word sabbath was taken by English translators from the Greek, rather than the Hebrew sources. Thus the "sh" sound is missing (shabbat/sabbath).
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