Q:
I would really like your imput on Rabbi Ralph Messer from
www.torah.tv . I went to his
seminar last year, and something just didn't seem right. It wasn't
what he was saying, so much as what he wasn't saying. Also, he
alluded several times in the meetings that Jesus was not coming
back, and we weren't going to heaven. Yet Thessalonians saying that
we will be caught up in the air with Him and every eye shall see
Him.
Also, he appeals
to the uneducated and really focuses on the black race. He also
alluded to an earthly Armageddon where gentile and Jew
will meet and become one in Israel at the rebuilt temple.
Apparently, this man is very influential.
A:
I didn't know anything about Rabbi Ralph Messer, but now I have at least
read about him on this page:
http://www.torah.tv/about/about_us.asp
Here are some troubling statements. Each raised
questions in my mind:
"With an
Apostolic and Evangelistic anointing, Rabbi Messer actively
teaches the Hebrew Roots of the Christian Faith, fulfilling the
great commission to '…make disciples of all the nations' (Matthew
28:19). As the founder of Simchat Torah Beit Midrash, Rabbi Messer
is pioneering a work to bring the 'Good News' of Yeshua (Jesus
Christ) in the Torah to the ends of the earth."
When he refers to the Torah
above, is he referring just to the first five books of the Bible or does
he include many oral traditions and human guidelines?
"Through the
vision of Rabbi Messer, STBM launched the International Center for
Torah Studies (ICTS) – teaching a truly unique Discipleship
methodology called, the “Kol-Bo ‘Walking with Yeshua’ Discipleship
Program”. This Discipleship Program is a multi-level, multi-media
curriculum facilitating college-style courses in classrooms
internationally, including online Biblical studies. The Kol-Bo
Discipleship Program is currently comprised of over 150 hours of
Rabbi Messer’s teachings available on VHS, CD, DVD, Audio, and
video-streamed by internet..."
What
is he seeking beyond what we already have in Christ and His
Word?
"For
more than twenty-five years, Rabbi Ralph Messer has facilitated
inter-faith discussions between denominations, cultures, and
various groups, throughout Colorado, across the country, and
internationally as a popular keynote conference speaker and minister.
Rabbi Messer’s television program '“Maximizing Life' is
expanding across broadcast and satellite networks...."
Does he understand how inter-faith dialogue builds religious synthesis? (See
Evangelism )