About the Author


About the Author Dr. Rickard (Ari) Levitt-Sawyer (ywlnb yra, Ari ben Levi) has been privileged to serve as Professor of Systematic Theology and Comparative Religion, Assistant Dean of Directed Individualized Studies, and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Spring Valley Bible College and Seminary (Alameda, CA); as Academic Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Golden State School of Theology (Oakland, CA); and as Administrator of Grace School of Theology and Ministry (Pleasant Hill, CA). He has also conducted numerous graduate and postgraduate courses and seminars in Bible doctrine, church administration, comparative religion, and the cults since 1983. He holds a Master of Theology degree in Systematic Theology, a Doctor of Theology degree in Cults and Comparative Religion, a Doctor of Ministry in Bible College Administration and Curriculum Development, and a Master of Business Administration in Church Administration (all summa cum laude). Since 1967 he has served in numerous Church leadership positions including Pastor, Associate Pastor, Teaching Elder, Youth Minister, Director of Education, Church Chairman/Administrator, Deacon, Adult Education Chairman, and Christian Education Board Chairman, and presently serves as Pastor/Teacher of Messianic Fellowship Adat B'nei HaMelech and Family Bible Ministries in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Dr. Sawyer has authored numerous briefs and papers on Christian and Messianic Jewish theology, church administration, world religions, the cults, and the occult, as well as a church management handbook which has been used successfully by numerous churches as a guide to reorganization for increased effectiveness and efficiency of ministry. He has been an active Bible teacher in local congregations for over 50 years, and has offered ministry consultation services since 1983. He has known Adonai Yeshua HaMashiach as his personal Lord and Savior since 1953. In 1999 the LORD laid it upon his heart to seek out his Jewish Уroots,Ф as he is a physical descendant of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya'akov, his ancestral name suggesting possible relationship to the tribe of Levi. In the course of that quest he УdiscoveredФ the so-called УMessianic Restoration,Ф a rapidly growing group of Jewish and non-Jewish believers in Yeshua HaMashiach who believe that the LORDТs Elect, the Miqra, whether Jew or Gentile, living before or after the Cross, are all one in the Body of Yeshua, and are the Уtrue Israel.Ф This position is in conflict with the traditional Gentile Christian teaching that Уthe ChurchФ is distinct from Israel, and consists of all believers in УJesus ChristФ from the Day of Pentecost until the Rapture. This traditional position is the one that the author held and taught for over 40 years. However, the word УchurchФ per se never actually appears in Scripture. The author now believes that the word is actually an unfortunate Gentile translation error that has caused much of the rift between Jews and Gentiles for the past 1,800 years.[1] (See also here.) The overall goal of the Messianic Restoration is to unite Jewish and Gentile believers in Yeshua HaMashiach into one Holy Family, and to offer to all who so desire, both Jew and non-Jew, the opportunity to return to the style of worship practiced by the Nazarene sect of Judaism, as the followers of Yeshua were called until well into the second century of the Common Era. It is their belief that true Biblical faith is properly best understood as a Уcompleted and correctФ form of Judaism, and that true "Judaism" is that which recognized Melech Yeshua HaMashiach as IsraelТs Messiah. This makes perfect sense if one stops for just a moment to consider a few basic points: Yeshua ben Yosef, also known as HaMashiach, the Messiah (Jesus Christ) was a Torah-observant Jewish Rabbi. He taught that He had not come to destroy Torah (the Law), but that Torah might be fulfilled. He also taught that Уnot one yod or tittleФ (the smallest letter or even the decorative flourishes on the letters) of the Torah would pass away. Until the end of the first century, the Nazarene sect or Уthe WayФ (as the followers of Yeshua were originally called) was almost exclusively Jewish, and remained predominately Jewish until well into the second century. In fact, in the early years, prior to the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), one was required to УconvertФ to Judaism before one could be accepted as a Believer in Messiah. During the Millennial Kingdom, Yeshua HaMashiach will rule the earth from His throne in Jerusalem. The Temple will be rebuilt and Temple worship will be restored. This would suggest that all worship in the Kingdom may well be patterned after Temple worship. If we intend to be a part of the Kingdom, does it not make sense to start practicing that form of worship that Yeshua followed 2,000 years ago, and which He will probably institute in the future Kingdom? It does not take much research to uncover a huge amount of paganism that has been incorporated into Уthe ChurchФ over the past two millennia. Once having become enlightened to those pagan practices, is it appropriate for a Believer to continue to observe and participate in those practices? Or is it better to reject those pagan practices and return to following the Scriptures in preference to the traditions of men? Once we have discovered linguistic errors in the transmission of the Scriptures, does it make sense to cling to those errors? [Such as the use of terms like УJesusФ and УJehovahФ Ч both of which are grammatically impossible in the Hebrew language Ч or obvious translation errors like the words УchurchФ and УHoly Ghost.Ф] When we learn that modern Christmas is nothing more than a modified version of the Roman festival of Saturnalia in honor of their pagan god Saturn, and that Yeshua was actually born in the autumn during the Feast of Tabernacles, with absolute certainty not on December 25, does it make sense to continue observing what has become the most pagan holiday of the entire year next to HaSatanТs high holy day, Halloween? Or when we have been taught that the modern celebration of Easter is taken directly from the Babylonian mystery religion and is in honor of the goddess Ishtar (Astarte), after whom the Roman Catholic Church patterned their worship of Mary as УQueen of HeavenФ does it make sense to continue to observe that pagan festival instead of celebrating the Resurrection at its rightful time on the Feast of First Fruits, the first day of the week following Passover? When we learn that there is no biblical precedent for setting aside the LORDТs Sabbath in favor of worshipping on Sunday, is there a valid reason for continuing to do so? Or should we be obedient to GodТs commandment to Уremember the Shabbat and keep it holyФ Ч a commandment which has never been rescinded by Scripture. In fact, the practice of Sunday worship began with a decree from the Roman emperor that no work could be done on УSun-dayФ because it was to be a day of worship of the Roman sun god (hence the name Sun-day), and carried over into the cult which Constantine developed and called УChristianity,Ф the Roman Catholic Church. Catholic leaders still mock Protestants who worship on Sunday, because they are only doing so out of their recognition of the PopeТs authority over them. _______________ [1] It is impossible to determine whether the error was intentionally or unintentionally anti-Semitic, but more likely the work of HaSatan to divide the Holy Community into УusФ and УthemФ and thereby weaken the work of the LORDТs Elect. [RETURN] This page was last updated on Monday, 16 April 2012 at 12:08 PM