A Word of Caution

        Here is why you should learn to read the Old Testament in Hebrew: https://learnhebrewtogether.blogspot.com/search?q=Father&m=1 

        I have used the example of Abraham’s name and the misuse of gematria to caution us against the (so-called) teaching that “unravel the mysteries hidden in the Hebrew text” These are the influences from Judaism which are creeping into the churches.

        Some like Steve Cociolanti, Edlin Abraham and Pastor Chris Choo love to use Bible numbers and gematria to interpret the Bible and teach such rubbish. Pray that the Lord would be gracious to them and spare them, as they correct their teachings.

        Watch out, brothers and sisters! Some people just love to dwell into these wrong teachings and as believers, we ought to be extra-cautious to guard against false teachings that are extra-biblical. 

        Its influence is already felt in some churches which are trying to practise all the Jewish rites that even our born again Jewish bros and sisters do not follow. 

        We need not live as Jews because God accepts us the way we are whether Indian, Kadazan, Dayak, Aussie or Chinese. In heaven, I assure you people will be praising God in a multitude of tongues, not Hebrew or Greek. Rev 7:9

        We will hear God’s angels blowing their heavenly trumpets, not shofar. Jesus’ disciples never blew the shofar to cast out demons! It is sad that some have turned the shofar into a hype when it is only a simple trumpet made of nothing but the ram’s horn. In the book of Revelation, God chose not to even preserve the word ‘shofar’ or any form of its transliteration; instead He used a simple Greek word in Greek which is translated as trumpet in English. Nothing supernatural about the shofar.

        Guard ourselves against false teachings

        Instead, learn Hebrew and understand the Hebrew culture just enough for us to get the context in which the OT was written. Hebrew gives us the nuances that are lost when the OT is translated into other languages BUT I assure you these are just nuances, not the core truths of the gospel or God’s word as a whole. The nuances only help us to appreciate the original language which was used to write the scriptures. 

        A good example is Psalm 119 where every eight verses begin with a Hebrew alphabet. https://learnhebrewtogether.blogspot.com/search?q=Psalm+119&m=1 

        So, before you soak yourselves with anything and everything Hebrew as taught by the Hebraic roots movement, ask if this is in scriptures first. If it is not, it is what I call “rubbish” in the strongest sense of the word just like Paul called the Judaisers “dogs”.

        I sometimes think that God brought me through the journey just to show me how His people are turning the instruments into an object they hold so dearly to instead of worshipping the One who created the instruments.

        This ought not to scare you but make you more diligent in learning the truth yourself by being Hebrew and Greek literate.

Shalom!