Messianic Jewish Manifesto

by David H. Stern

Book Overview

"Messianic Jewish Manifesto" offers an ideology, theology, and program for Messianic Judaism. - A challenge to both Jews and Gentiles who honor Yeshua (Jesus) as Israel's Messiah and others involved... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9653590022
• ISBN13: 9789653590021
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Messianic Jewish Publisher
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A Prophetic and Brilliant Work

David Stern has lived a very interesting life. Born in Los Angeles, great-grandson of two of the city's first twenty Jews, he earned a his PhD in Economics at Princeton, taught at UCLA, his Alma Mater, came to believe in Yeshua in 1972, earned a Degree at Fuller Seminary where he taught their first course on Judaism and Christianity, married in 1976 and made Aliyah (emigrated to Israel in 1979). In his younger years he ran a health food store, and co-wrote Surfing Guide to Southern California, with Bill Cleary. Stern is not only interesting, he is brilliant. He wrote Messianic Jewish Manifesto in his twelfth year of Yeshua-faith. This is a prophetic, visionary book, not only describing Messianic Judaism as it existed in 1988, but forecasting how Messianic Judaism might and must develop to serve its God-given destiny. Those of us intimately acquainted with Messianic Judaism will find some his ideas and prognostications somewhat obvious, until we remember the book was written in 1987, published in 1988. Then the astonishment sets in. The book is in seven chapters with an Appendix. Chapter One, "Destiny," examines why Messianic Judaism is crucial to God's purposes for the Church, for Israel, and for the world, which is the theme of the entire book. It is a compelling chapter, with a compelling ending: ""It all depends on Messianic Jews whether the theological-ideological program outlined in this book will motivate action. If the present generation is too dull to grasp it rightly, a future, finer and better generation will arise to understand it. The Messianic Jews who try it, sparking the salvation of the Jews and the fulfilling of the Church's Great Commission, will be rewarded by an eternal weight of glory, and they will deserve it." Chapter Two. "Identity," defines Messianic Judaism. Messianic Jews, and Christians, and further explores the interrelationship between the Church and Israel and the crucial role Messianic Judaism and Messianic Jews must play. In setting a standard for Messianic Jewish identity and Messianic Judaism, he also addresses substandard expressions, and provides a nuanced review of nine terms that have been used self-descriptively by Jewish believers in Jesus, and the differences between the terms. Chapter Three, "History," begins contemplating three basic questions: (1) How can one be happy? This is the concern of psychology; (2) What should one do? This is the concern of ethics. (3) What does it all mean? This is the concern of history. Briefly, history is events interpreted. Under eight categorizations, he considers how the relalationship between the Church and the Jewish people has been and should be configured, advocating "reconciliation" as the ideal. He states, "reconciliation will involve change in both Judaism and Christianity in a direction that Messianic Judaism can help make visible, even through Messianic Judaism makes no claim to have itself already arrived at the ultimate goal." Well

How Times Have Changed

I've followed David Stern for some time and read much that has come out of the Messianic Jewish movement. I've also read many books by traditional Jews about Jesus and/or Christianity (Geza Vermes, for instance). 50 years ago, Jews didn't dare write about Jesus. Now, many traditional Jews are trying to reclaim Yeshua (Jesus) as part of the Jewish rabbinic tradition, and rightly so. How times change. It saddens me that so many (all) of the negative reviews here simply assume 1) that Messianic Judaism must be wrong, 2) Stern is a Christian masquerading as a Jew, and 3) any such people and/or attempt must be "evil." They are criticizing Stern's motives and character, but where is the critique of the content of the book itself? I doubt if most of them have even glanced at a page. Stern's reputation alone is probably enough for many people to seek him out and attack him. Sad. But before you say it is impossible to be both Jewish and to follow Jesus, please give a definition of Judaism that both allows for all current strands of Judaism (to make it easy, I'll even let you exclude Kaballah) and exludes the Messianic variety. Just don't make it circular (i.e. "anything but Jesus.") Granted, the relationship between Gentile and Jew has been ugly at times. No question. But then again, as Einstein and others have pointed out, it was only the genuine Christians who came to the aid of the Jews in WW2. Some might point today to the evangelical loyalty to Israel. All that aside, it is incredibly ironic to me that the central question for early Christians was whether or not anyone but a Jew could follow Jesus. (Read Acts, esp. Acts 10 where Peter apologizes for allowing Gentiles into the Jewish sect later known as Christianity. Look at the Jewish response, "so God has granted EVEN the Gentiles mercy.") Back then, people assumed only Jews could follow Jesus. Now the assumption is the exact opposite. Granted, this turnabout is historically mostly the Gentile's fault. However, many Messianic Jews were kicked out of synagogues for following Jesus. Militant followers of Simon bar Kochba didn't get the same treatment. Even today, one of my close friends was physically assaulted by Orthodox Jews in Israel for disclosing that he was a Messianic Jew. He was rescued from the growing mob by an Israeli soldier. So where's the book review? If nothing else, understanding this transition is reason enough to read Stern. Navigating this minefield with such aplomb is why Stern deserves a "5." His research and ample footnotes alone rate a "5." Many Gentiles today forget that Jesus was a Jew, his disciples were Jews, the first 3000 or more followers were all Jews, and the growing sect was officially recognized by the Roman Empire as a sect within Judaism. But as many Gentiles there are who forget this, there are probably more (by percentage) Jews who do the same. Where we go from there is another question. But it doesn't do any good to deny the poss

A pligram's perspective

I discovered Messianic Jews within weeks of discovering Jesus. I have straddled both the church and (messianic) synagogue ever since. This book helped clear up much of the history I was missing and seemed to lay out the entire discussion in a great way. I highly recommend it for "Christians" to learn about how we ended up in 2002 with the kind of church culture we have.

It's Time Has Finally Come!

I am Irish and Native American Annishinabe and am concluding this book in record time. Thought provoking, inspirational, and needed to begin the mending processess of twisted time.It is great to see a prespective from those treated as invisible "the Messianic Jew."As a person coming from the same time of background (a people who was almost destroyed by the "Christians" it brought me back to a time of my mind wherein it was demanded of Indians to "speak white only, cut your hair, etc" and give up you cultural heritage and become a Christian. Christian meant "death" not life.The "change or we'll kill you in the name of Christianity" is a tough pill to take...now add, give up your identity and way of life. A way of life that included a "one" Creator of all things in our daily living, tight family relations, and strong sense of community.Hello, out there...is anyone listening? If you are ever, ever going to bring mending to a slowly twisting world...read this book! Learn the how's and why's for Gentile/Jewish separations, learn to acknowledge a peoples wrongs toward a race/religion. White is not always right... How would you like to have been given a name of Jorge at birth, then have someone from the Anglo/Saxon world change it to George. You've been called Jorge by your parents, but now Phil from London starts a trend wherein you're known as George world-wide. Yep, Yeshua (salvation) by his mom, brothers, community...but, now it's Jesus whether he likes it or now. Did he quit becoming a Jew with the name change..nope, not so. He came not to abolish the Torah..but to fulfill it. The New Covenant is a strong conclusion to the Tanakh. He observed the Sabbath...(Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown). Who changed what God commanded from Sat. to Sunday. Many questions begin to be answered with this book of strong in-sight.If you feel that somethings just not right, that you don't have to give up your life to believe, that you don't have to change your very essence to come to the Messiah...READ THIS BOOK! WE CAN MEND A WORLD AND IT STARTS HERE WITH DEEP ROOTED UNDERSTANDING OR OUR ORIGINS!