The Prophetic Mission of Yeshua` of Nazareth

The Sefer Yeshua seeks to place Jesus of Nazareth wholly and completely within the tradition of Jewish prophets. The picture of Jesus portrayed in the Séfer Yeshua is quite different from that of the Christian gospels. In the New Testament, Jesus alone is the message, and his atoning death the object of his message; in the Séfer Yeshua`, it is God and the ways of Gods Kingdom which become central, and Jesus merely becomes the messenger.

Talmidaism understands Yeshua of Nazareth wholly within the tradition of Israel’s prophets. Yeshua is therefore viewed as a Jewish tribulation prophet — one called by God to warn, instruct, and call the nation to repentance in the period leading up to a national catastrophe, just as earlier prophets did before the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles.

Yeshua’s prophetic ministry must therefore be understood in the context of the Roman Exile, initiated by the Jewish–Roman War (66–70 CE) and finalised by the defeat of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (135 CE). As such a prophet, Yeshua was sent to recall Israel back to God’s ethical, covenantal ways, which were being neglected by both political and religious leaders, thereby placing the nation in grave danger.

Within this framework, Yeshua’s mission may be understood in the following twelve dimensions:

1. To announce the imminence of the ‘Kingship of God’ – a soon-to-come period of divine judgement and national tribulation, realised historically in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (‘Kingship’ and ‘Kingdom’ are the same word in Aramaic, malkhūtā – the word actually has four meanings, all utilised differently throughout Yeshua’s teachings). Mark: 1:15, 9:1, 13:29–30, Matthew: 3:2, 4:17, 10:7, Luke: 10:9, 11
2. To avert the worst aspects of national catastrophe by calling Israel back to the ways of peace (so that the time of tribulation could be shortened, Mk 13:20), warning that violent offensives (by “those who live by the sword”) would lead to exile and devastation at Roman hands. Mark: 9:50, 12:1–9, Matthew: 5:9, 5:44, Luke: 19:41–44
3. To proclaim the immediacy of God’s Kingdom in the here and now, enabling people to experience God’s living Presence in this world, and to cultivate a close, personal, active relationship with their Heavenly Father that made faith relevant to daily life. Mark: 3:34–35, 12:29–34, Matthew: 6:6–9, 11:25–26, 18:3–4, Luke: 17:20–21
4. To prophesy the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, and the profound suffering and mourning that would follow for the Jewish people. Mark: 13:1–2, 14–20, Luke: 19:43–44
5. To identify the moral causes of this coming tribulation, namely the widespread neglect of justice, righteousness, and covenantal faithfulness, resulting in social fracture and the desecration of the reputation of God’s Name. Mark: 7:6–13, 12:38–40, Matthew: 23:23–28, 24:45-51, Luke: 16:14–15
6. To defend the God-given rights of the poor and vulnerable, particularly through emphasising debt forgiveness and economic justice as integral to Torah faithfulness. Mark: 10:21, 12:41–44, Matthew: 6:12, 18:23–35, 25:34–40, Luke: 4:18–19, 12:15, 16:19–31
7. To proclaim that salvation comes through repentance and returning to God, by obeying God’s commandments and walking in the ways of the Kingdom of God. Mark: 1:15, 10:17–19, Matthew: 7:21, Luke: 13:5, 18:9–14
8. To call Israel back to the original ideals of Yahwism (the Way of YHVH), the ancient Israelite faith, affirming that renewal lies not in novelty but in faithful restoration (“the old wine is good enough”). Mark: 7:8–9, Matthew: 5:17–19, Luke: 16:16–17
9. To teach the true heart of Torah as justice, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness, promoting an inward, ethical internalisation of Torah rather than mere ritual observance or legal formalism, the inner holiness of the heart and mind is more important than ritual holiness. Mark: 12:30–33, Matthew: 9:13, 12:7, Luke: 10:33–37
10. To affirm that the righteous would endure and be vindicated, teaching that those faithful who died during the tribulation would be rewarded with eternal life, while the wicked would face divine judgement. Mark: 9:43–48, Matthew: 25:31–46, Luke: 20:35–36
11. To expose and condemn religious corruption by religious leaders, and hypocrisy by religious people, warning that oppressive or abusive religion profanes God’s Name, and predicting the demise of leadership structures built on power, wealth, and misrepresentation of God. Mark: 7:6–13, 12:38–40, Matthew: 23:1–36, Luke: 11:43–52
12. To restore the original intent of the Written Torah, speaking against the excessive burdens imposed by the Oral Law where it obscured justice, mercy, and the ethical purposes of God. Mark: 2:27, 7:13, Matthew: 11:28–30, Luke: 11:46, 13:15–16