Hebrew Israelites & Kyrie Irving

Backdrop

famous Basketball player (show pic) Kyrie Irvin tweeted support of a movie

People said movie spouted anti-semitism (anti-Jewish), and caused huge controversy

I did not look at movie, but Kyrie did apologize was suspended for a few games, and is now back to playing

don’t want to talk about Kryie (earth was flat) . . . but at his first game back a group of black men showed up outside the arena in support of him

tonight is about the movement behind those men, behind the movie

Hebrew Israelites, IUIC (Israel United in Christ)

These same groups are known to protest outside of large black churches. Get microphone and set up shop on the corners of black neighborhoods

Basic Beliefs of Hebrew Israelites

People of color (African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Native Americans, and Latinos) are the true descendants of the ancient Israelites in the Bible. People of color are the Jews of the Bible. Direct descendants of Abraham

Only people of color can be saved

they have to repent and follow Old Testament laws and practices to be saved (not saved by grace)

believe in Jesus, but have different ideas about him

The believe that typical Christian church has everything all wrong

ex. they don’t believe in baptism

and they say that the Bible backs up everything they believe.

in my eyes, they are a cult

What is a cult?

online definition - a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.

Christian cult - religious groups whose beliefs “come from the Bible”, but are not Biblical.

crucifixion is in the Bible, but you are not supposed to go around crucifying people (Philippines)

Hebrew Israelitess beliefs come from the Bible, but they are not Biblical

Tonight is about them, but even more so about what to watch for in all cults.

First, a review of commonalities between cults: so that you can apply this to just more than the Hebrew Israelites

Cults teach truth mixed with lies.

use SOME truth to get your attention and lure you in

many Cults often use scriptures, and misinterpret them (good bait for Christians)

Cults add details to history that are unfounded, unlikely, or simply not true

ex. Every president of the U.S. is related to George Washington by birth or marriage, look it up (of course, most won’t look it up)

and was he related to???? King George of England

George Washington was the secret son of King George . . . hence the name George

The English Monarchy still rules America . . . that’s why Harry ran away, and his mother before him

Truth mixed with lies . . . real people and real facts, but taken all out of context

then thrown in some outright lies

Hebrew Israelites - again, black people (African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Native Americans, and Latinos) are the true descendants of the ancient Israelites in the Bible. People of color are the Jews of the Bible

Israelites were God’s chosen/special people (truth).

You are the biological descendants (lie)

there are blacks of Jewish descent to be sure, but being of color doesn’t make you Jewish

Cults offer “vast and secret knowledge”

they have a key/understanding that no one else has . . . they have all these “great facts”!

often a founding leader had a special revelation (that founder becomes the highest authority)

Hebrew Israelites will throw scripture after scripture at you, jump around the Bible with rapid fire, it can sound impressive

they have hidden meanings and revelations to share (wake up my brother)

Cults feed upon your hurts/insecurities

someone did you wrong - family, society, a particular group (race, nationality, gender)

appeal to the emotions to make intellectual points and convince you

Nation of Islam used to say that white people were devils

and if in the 50’s/60’s all of your interactions with thites where negative, your pent up anger an frustration would tempt you to conclude that it was true

offer an outlet for that hurt

Hebrews Israelites feed upon the hurt of black people in the U.S.

racial history in this country

black people looking for identity (insecurity)

One of their popular challenges to black people, “What’s your nationality?”

whites can say Italian, German, Russian, French, Irish, English . . . .

brown - India, Pakistan, Iran

others - korean, Japanese, Chinese, vietnamese

blacks just have a continent, so we say “African American, Black, African”

they response, “that’s not a nationality!”

then they start to lure you in

Cults offer chance to be special

that’s usually feeding off of the hurt

they are the only group that has salvation in many cases

with Hebrew Israelites, only people of color can be saved

dress in purple and gold, Biblical type robes, and march together . . . now you’re somebody

Cults often attack the established church

These pastors are teaching you wrong

These pastors are hiding stuff from you, they don’t want you to know

They are not even the real church

Hebrew Israelites will tell you all of these things

churches make easy targets (people often have church hurt too)

it appeals to people, because it takes the blame off of the individual

“I don’t need to straighten up and do better . . . those pastors do!”

In Cults, salvation is usually worked for or earned.

lifestyle change because I am trying to get to heaven by following this list of rules

in Christianity, there is a heart change that causes to a lifestyle change

Hebrew Israelites you have to follow Jewish Customs and laws from the BIble

They misuse so many scripture, but we will look at just a few to give you an idea

What is meant by context?

That’s cold!

What did I mean?

the temperature of something is very low

what that person did was mean spirited

what that person did was good

I only had one meaning, not all three. Context will give you the answer!

I drank the slushy, and got brain freeze and said . . .

She told him, you mamma is ugly, and when I heard it, I said . . .

He broke 6 tackles and scored a touchdown, so I said . . . .

It’s really simple, even with the Bible

Background on Deuteronomy 28,

I am giving you . . . context

Children of Israel were freed from Egypt, and finally about to go into the promised land after 40 years in the wilderness

Moses is basically reviewing the covenant that they have with God

If you keep your end of the bargain . . . you will be blessed in the city, in the field . . . head and not the tail, a lender and not a borrower, one will put 1 thousand to flight, 2 will put 10K to flight

if you follow after other gods . . . you will be cursed in the city . . . all kinds of troubles . . . you will be the tail, you will be the borrower . . . 1 enemy will chase a thousand of you!

other nations will come and scatter you (no more country

The short version of the story - over the course of a few hundred years, the people continually forsook God, and all of these curses came upon them

Deuteronomy 28:46–47 NASB95

46 “They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever. 47 “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things;

they interpret this verse (46) - when you see a people going through a lot of bad things, always treated bad, it is a sign that those people are the Israelites.

black people have suffered, treated bad

black people have been scattered across the globe

We know we are the Israelites because we have been treated so bad, cursed

interpretation of the scripture in context - when you see these bad things happen to you, remember that is is because you broke the covenant. ‘

NOT that these things will remind you that you are Israelites. They didn’t need any reminding, they took great pride in their lineage

Reading in context of the whole Old Testament - People were alway playing dumb

why has God forsaken us? Why hasn’t God kept his promise

in Malachi “How have we robbed God?” . . . playing dumb

this was a warning against that bad thinking

just like a Parent to child, “When I get you, don’t act surprised”

means don’t pretend I didn’t warn you, don’t say I am mean

NOT “When I get get you, it will help you remember that you are my child in case you forget

just small twist out of context and they have deceived people with it

another verse

They only use the KJV of the next Scripture

Deuteronomy 28:68 KJV 1900

68 And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

Hebrew Israelites say

The Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again - because you didn’t obey, you will become slaves again! . . . .he is talking about American slavery, that’s “our Egypt”

with ships . . . this describes the Middle Passage from Africa to the America

and there ye shall be sold . . . we were sold!

Hebrew Israelites say, “this describes us!”

Correct Interpretation

1. Can you find the most obvious problem with their interpretation?

and no man shall buy you . . . we were definitely bought!

Hebrew Israelites try to say this means redeem back from slavery, but the Hebrew language is clear that this means buy . . . outright lie example

2. Into Egypt means Egypt. This is not a symbolism for slavery in general or slavery in AMerica

sometimes the Bible uses symbolism, but more often than not, the Bible makes it clear

Revelation 11:8 KJV 1900

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

that’s a Spiritual Egypt, clear to see . . . . but in Deuteronomy, this Egypt means Egypt

back to our scripture

Deuteronomy 28:68 KJV 1900

68 And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

let’s talk about Egypt and the ships, “bring thee to Egypt with ships”

At least two times in history, there was a large deportation of Israelite slaves by ships to Egypt (66 AD & 135 AD) . . . so it literally happened in literal Egypt, just like God promised

this came to pass almost 1800 years before American slavery . . .

also

KJV says ye shall be sold, but more modern translators with more info and knowledge say a better translation is

Deuteronomy 28:68 NASB95

68 “The Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships, by the way about which I spoke to you, ‘You will never see it again!’ And there you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.”

Deuteronomy 28:68 NLT

68 Then the Lord will send you back to Egypt in ships, to a destination I promised you would never see again. There you will offer to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves, but no one will buy you.”

Biblical slavery was often the type of slavery where you offer to work as a slave in order to receive food and shelter

Did Africanz say, “we can’t find food in AFrica, so let’s sell ourselves in the New World so that we can survive”?

But this did happen in the real Egypt, the slave market was overcrowded, so no one would buy the Israelite slaves

Lastly reading in context (Exodus to Deuteronomy)

God is saying, when I freed you, I told you that you wouldn’t have to worry about the Egyptians making you slaves ever again as long as you follow me

but if you break this covenant, it will get so bad that you will WANT to be slaves in Egypt. You will volunteer to come back just in order to survive . . . and even that won’t be an option

Jesus is not white

I agree with this claim, based on his Genealogy and the region he was from, I believe he looked like the people of the middle east.

but it provides another example of how they misinterpret Scriptures

they say Jesus is black based on a verse in Revelation

In Deuteronomy that took a literal scripture and made it symbolic. Here they take a clearly symbolic scripture and make it literal

Revelation 1:14–15 NASB95

14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.

feet like fine brass as if burned into the furnace - that’s dark skin!

hair like wool - describes hair of black people!

Jesus is black!!!

ok so they want to be literal, so let’s take the scripture literally and see how it plays out. So when Jesus was walking around on earth . . .

Revelation 1:14 NASB95

14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.

His head and his hair were white . . . first problem

his head was white, not just his hair

and not white man white, but white like wool . . . . so his face was albino like?

and his eyes were like a flame of fire

so white face, white hair that was wool like, fiery eyes

Revelation 1:15 NASB95

15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.

feet were bronze color, a glowing bronze

white face, white hair, fiery eyes, glowing feet, voice louder than anything you’ve ever heard

Revelation 1:16 NASB95

16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

white face, white hair, fiery eyes, glowing feet, voice louder than anything you’ve ever heard, he could hold starts in his hand, a sword came out of his mouth, face shining like the sun

Do you think Jesus walked around on earth like this?

Or if it is referring to a heavenly Jesus form, does this describe a black man?

can’t just focus on the bronze, glowing feet . . . his face is white!

This is quite clear that the text is not about skin color or race. This text is describing Jesus Christ’ character, might, power

Lessons

a clear reading of the scripture verse will usually disprove the claims of people from cults. . . . . won’t even have to do much research

reading the verse in context will certainly disprove their point

Don’t get flustered easily when someone brings up a “good point” against Christianity.

usually, a little thought, study, or research will settle everything

warnings - practice experts in arguing with Christians, loud talk you over a microphone, have their brothers with them.

I would offer a chance to sit with one and talk a couple of scriptures at a time

Announcments

CHristmas play notification

teach some truth with a lie -