Dangers of The Hebrew Roots Movement & Sacred Name Movement a First Hand Account
“I wanted to share with you why I feel that the Hebrew Roots Movement & Sacred Name Movement is just as dangerous as the The Latter Rain Doctrine. Coming out of both I feel confident in saying so. I grew up in the Assembly of God church, one that did not teach Latter Rain/Dominion poison. After my husband and I were married (he grew up Baptist) we began searching for something deeper ( I think that is how you get sucked into Latter Rain etc., you feel like there just has to be something more, sadly the Word of God is not enough). We began attending a non-denominational church which would turn out to be one of many disastrous church experiences.
This church was heavy Dominionist and were really into the sheperding thing so that they knew everything about everyone and would use it as a form of control. This was our first experience with the prophetic movement and we were drawn in by it. After leaving there because of the control issues (we did not notice the theology was twisted because we were deceived) we continued on in the prophetic circles including attending Bill Hamon’s church when we were able to travel there and reading everything we could from all the big NAR’s. Well after about 10 years of this running after new revelation (we had a huge box of tapes with personal prophecies!). We became really disallusioned with the hypocrisy, lawlessness and cheap grace attitudes. We decided to leave the Apostolic/Prophetic church that we were attending. This did not set well with the “Apostle”. In these types of churches you do not leave unless you are “sent out” by the Apostle which never happens by the way.
After leaving we were contacted by a couple that had left a few months before we had. Before visiting with them, I remember really clearing going to my bookshelf and taking a book off the shelf that was a study on Galatians, I know now the Lord was trying to warn me but sadly I put the book back without taking a look at it. Well we began to meet with this couple and we shared our frustrations about the lawlessness, etc. that we had left (at the time I did not know anything about Latter Rain and how it was connected to the Prophetic/Apostolic movement, it would have explained so much).
They gave us a book by Lew White called Fossilized Customs. The book has some facts but much twisted truth. We took the bait though. The whole book is about how the name Jesus is supposedly pagan along with a lot of other extreme ideas! Thus Sacred Name. These people believe that you can only use the name Yahweh when referring to God, the Father and Yeshua (some use Yahushua) all else is pagan and Satan has deceived all christians into using the name Jesus and that Jesus really means Zeus! And this has been revealed to only the remnant (notice the Gnostic elitism) which is funny because they pride themselves on staying away from anything remotely Greek!
Well this began a four year journey with these people. We backed off a bit of the Sacred name only but began studying many Jewish writings. You must understand that this was all very gradual and the leader of this group was very skilled at studying things and presenting it to us.
Sadly to say we drifted more and more from the new testament, the new covenant and the cross of Christ. That is the danger of the Hebrew Roots movement. You want so desperately to return to the Word of God but in the end it takes you away from it in it’s entirety. The leader began planting seeds such as” the new testament was not totally flawless since it had been written in Greek there were many different texts and some may not be accurate”. He began to pick and choose and before we ended up leaving he had pretty much thrown out Galatians and John because it did not reconcile to his theology! He taught that the Virgin birth was just a doctored up Catholic version of the Word. He taught that Jesus was Joseph and Mary’s natural born son even though he could not prove this scripturely that is why he brought into question the accuracy of the translations.
You are probably saying “how could you stay?” All I can say is that deception does not happen over night it is gradual, we became emotionally tied to these people and looked to them as a mother and father (I think that is why many stay in abusive churches).
We participated in the feasts of the Bible and of course we observed Sabbath religiously every Saturday (what got me is that instead of us resting we had to go to the leader’s home early that morning to hear hours of his twisted teaching!). He began to teach that we became righteous through the law and that was why Yeshua came to show us how to keep the law. He actually began to teach that we needed to keep as much of the Law of Moses that we could and it was lawlessness not to do so. In essence you basically had to convert to Judaism even though we literally did not.
We started to get a clue about a year before we actually cut all ties and we started to question him about some of the laws in the old covenant and how we were uncomfortable with some about slavery for instance, of course he came up with some justification about it. Around this time he began making references to having more than one wife. My husband and I were really uncomfortable with these continuous comments and so one day we confronted him (his wife was not present and by the way it was obvious this journey was taking it’s tole on her as well by this time.) He told us he was one of those that could love more than one woman! (There is double standard because it is unthinkable for a woman to have more than one husband in their eyes!). We told him “what about the words of Jesus (in the beginning God made male and female, etc.) but what was obvious to us was not to him. If it wasn’t in “Torah” then it didn’t count!
Well that was it, I cried all weekend and we just began to think about everything and the path that we had been on and how far we had strayed from the gospel and it was heartbreaking! I take full responsibility for allowing myself to be deceived but I must say that man really messed with my mind! He was skilled in twisting scripture and to this day I still struggle with some things. I almost lost my faith in God because of my involvement with these people. My husband came through a little easier than myself.
I have to say there are many sects within the Hebrew Roots movement and not all believe what I have shared. But the core belief is that the church has strayed from it’s Hebrew roots and that God is restoring this revelation (the same theme of the Latter Rain) but only to a select few and the rest of the church is pagan. Because of this belief you begin to cut yourself off from the Body of Christ and before you know it you are isolated. You are no longer the salt of the world. You do not witness or share the gospel anymore because you don’t believe the gospel anymore!
The very thing that you think is bringing you closer to God (returning to His word) takes you further away because it is a twisted perception of the Word of God. My heart goes out to anyone caught up in this deception because it leaves you so confused. I praise God that he opened our eyes to this and for His grace and mercy and for the blood of Jesus which is our true Redeemer!”
Popularity: 17% [?]
10 Responses
Thank you “SO MUCH’ for your information. satan is the father of confustion and all deception,lies and misleading SOULS unaware.GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS.
Posted on October 14th, 2009 at 9:46 PM
I agree. There is a very small tiny % (usually scrred namers) are as you described- very dangerous- like most cults they took things out of balance and ran a legalistic amuck.
HOWEVER, there are many BALANCED groups believing basic Baptist doctrine but for us to know and understand the culture at Jesus’ time. such as JCStudies, Bridges For Peace, Jersalem Perspective, Dr Marvin Wilson (Gordan College, Our Father Abraham), Dr. John Garr (Our Lost Legacy, Bless You, Family Sanctuary, Blessings, Hem of HIs Garment, Mysteries of the Menorah, Restore Magazine), Dwight Prior ( Walk After Me! Jesus’ Call), Brad Young (Jesus The Jewish Theologian), Richard Booker (Miracle of the Scarlet Thread , Come and Dine, Blow the Trumpet in Zion), Lois Tverberg (Listening to the Language of the Bible), Tim Hegg (Fellow Heirs) , Christian Overman (Assumption that Affect Our Lives), Alfred Edersheim (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, Sketches of Jewish Social Life, David Bivin (Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus), Roy B. Blizzard (Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus), Robert Somerville, David H. Stern (Complete Jewish Bible), Robert L. Lindsey and many more.
Please don’t throw out the baby becasue of the dirty (misguided) scraed namers bath water.
Posted on October 16th, 2009 at 5:57 AM
It’s not my intention to start any doctrinal arguments with the Christians here, but I feel that as a true name Messianic/Nazarene believer I find this article abusive and offensive; and therefore must speak up. No, not all of us believe the same things; much in the same way that not all Christians believe in the same things. That can be most frustrating at times, as you may have experienced yourself. I’m truly sorry to hear that you and your hubby were seduced by what sounds like a false teacher in the movement, and am glad you are now free. As for Lew White, I for the most part consider him a teacher of much truth. You vaguely accuse him of twisting truth, yet with no specific charges of this. Speaking purely for myself, I can honestly say that I don’t believe the New Testament is void; I don’t believe in polygamy and I certainly don’t believe I am made righteous through the law. Nor does Mr. White believe in such things. In my years of choosing to walk this path, I’ve never been even tempted to believe such. I do believe that the way is narrow, the chosen are few and we are to be called out from what’s wicked. That’s a lonely path I won’t deny, but it’s scriptural and not elitist in my opinion. It’s not pride but passion that compels me to share what I hold as truth, as I’m sure probably rings true with many others here. Often we believers get a hold of the conspiracy stuff but refuse to go any further in our search for truth, yet I somehow think that we need to…
Posted on October 30th, 2009 at 2:25 AM
I’d like to share a little bit on this topic.
Yes there are real and serious dangers in the hebrew roots movement, no different than the baptist movement, or evangelical or pentecostal or catholic or lutheran for that matter. Each have their demonic apostasies that attempt to spoil the genuine inspiration of the holy spirit. With such comes great confusion as seen above. serious matters like renouncing messiah are never to be taken lightly.
I’m compelled to defend the holy spirit in this article, as the testimony suggests, it is easy to leave this article feeling that manifestation of the spirit in prophecy, gaining knowledge and understanding of the word of God, refraining from sin, and making efforts to obey our father are in some way deception and or perversion of the truth.
Rather, we are as individual believers charged and admonished to specifically seek after and practice each of those. better to prophesy than to speak in tongues, …covet the best gifts. proverbs is packed full of admonitions to gain knowledge, understanding and wisdom. our saviour himself rebuked the evil one with the word of scripture! how then does one battle if one is not trained in the word? his great commission is to train up disciples.
sin=transgression of the commandments and voice of God, so then, how is someone who is learning and trying to stop sinning in the wrong? how is one who hears and does become a pitfall of deception? no, not even, this opposing wind and confused testimony is that which is false. it is the deception indeed. his word has never changed. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. I’ve clearly and easily judged for you between the right and wrong by definition of the scriptures. Messiah showed mercy and grace how many times? and right afterward said ‘go and sin no more’. wise up!
This article does unnecessary slander to level headed and faithful believers that gather in various denominations. These deceptions are from not abiding in messiah, and taking ones eyes from him and looking to men to take his place as teacher. there are equally evil deceptions within all christian and not-so-christian denominations. Woe to the one that calls cursed what God has called holy! Woe to the one that calls what is clean unclean! Woe to the one that calls truth a lie!
Posted on October 30th, 2009 at 11:58 AM
After 3 years of praying with a friend, Jesus opened our eyes to the deception we were seeing in a Messianic Shul I have attended various shuls for over a period of 10 years, @ after noticing the continued absense of reference to Jesus and the constant teaching of Torah only, It really became dead and repititious. No annointing on the teaching, the same dry stuff year after year. When there began mention of animal sacrifices and rebuilding of another Temple and the heresy of Christian Zionism, I finally realized I had to leave, my friend also. I feel set free, and the Brit Chadasha New Testament is brighter and more clear than ever. We had to stand and face Jerusalem at prayer Think about it. Jesus destroyed the Temple, even Jews still prayed there even though the Presence of God was not there. It became an idol. I realized by facing Jerusalem we were no better than those that worshipped on the high places. At any rate, I will never go back.
Posted on December 26th, 2009 at 4:39 AM
This is so very true…my fiance is currently blinded by the teachings that “Yeshua” is the holy name and Jesus is wrong. Her parents are in it and all and its scary because I’m losing her…I pray for her constantly but she is too blind to see the Truth and Light of the true Christ not the name that they have made for Him…Please pray for them…
Posted on January 27th, 2010 at 1:12 PM
I shall Paul! Fast also, the results are powerful. Much love brother!
Posted on January 27th, 2010 at 3:56 PM
@ Esther – Thank you, Esther, for sharing your story. I am so encouraged when I see folks come out of a belief system that is deceiving many precious Christians today.
@ Robin – The resources you have posted are rife with false teaching, albeit more subtle than those experienced by the writer of the post above. All take away from the completed work of Christ at the Cross and put a burden on man that neither Christ nor the Apostles sought to put. ‘Sacred Namers’ are not the only fringe . . . any teaching which seeks to minimize Who Christ is and what He accomplished is fringe. Your Heart of Wisdom sites are a prime example of subtle deceit. Not only that, but the fruit of the HRM is bad. Fruit is fruit . . . sooner or later it identifies with the vine from which it comes, no matter the shine one tries to put on it!
@ Phatittyahu – Do some objective homework on Lew White and his sources (primarily The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop) and you will find shoddy scholarship, and false ‘historical’ connections. Perhaps you could start here: http://www.ralphwoodrow.org/books/pages/babylon-mystery.html
Back @ Esther – Blessings to you and your family as you walk in the freedom of the Gospel!
-JGIG
http://www.joyfullygrowingingrace.wordpress.com
Posted on July 5th, 2010 at 11:36 PM
Really, how dare those heretics! Don’t they know the Old Testament is full of lies and deception? Don’t they know that Malachi was a liar when he prophesied that Jesus will come suddenly to his temple (the one standing when he returns) and cleanse the Levites (who were replaced) and make the scarificial offerings acceptable again as in the days of old”?
And as for that dirty old disgusting Sabbath, doesn’t it just sicken you that they should keep it Holy? Just because it was good enough for God and good enough for Jesus, it’s certainly NOT good enough for us!
Posted on February 28th, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Sorry for the sarcasm.
Posted on March 1st, 2011 at 5:54 AM
Add A Comment