Let us begin by defining some terms that we use amongst the Netzarim and are common amongst the House of Israel:

Kehila – Community
Synagogue – Church, place of worship
Tanach – Old Testament
Torah – Pentateuch – First 5 Books
Neviim – Prophets
Ketuvim - Writings
Ketuvim Netzarim – New Testament
Torah – The Law of G-d
Pentateuch – The first five books of Tanach (Also called Torah)
Rabbi – Teacher of Torah
Elohim – G-d our Father, Heavenly Father
Adonai – Lord
Yeshua – Jesus, our Savior
Maschiach – Messiah or Christ
Ruach HaKodesh – The Holy Spirit
Emunah – Faithfulness or Faith
Hashem – The Name, referencing the Name of our Father Yahweh
Tzedek - Justice

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Some people outside the Kehila ask us why we call ourselves “Netzarim” and not just “Messianic Jews.” First we must explain that the Messianic Jewish community is going through a difficult time, because some congregations are claiming to be Jewish, but are almost never truly, from the heart, observant of the Torah and the commandments of Elohim. In fact, they are more like Evangelical Christians who fail to take into account the words of Yeshua in Matthew 19:17 where he speaks to the rich young ruler: “… if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Then we tell them about Paul, the “leader of the sect of the Nazarenes” …

Acts 24:1 & 5 “And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul. … … For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:”

Which of course many profess to already know or understand, but it really means so much more than they think it does...

So why call ourselves the Netzarim, and where does that name come from anyway?

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 11:1-5:  “And there shall come forth a Khoter (Branch) out of the Geza (Stem, Stump, Stock) of Yishai, and a Netzer [Branch [see Tzemach, Moshiach Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12, Ezra 3:8 which give as Moshiach’s Namesake Yeshua; compare Mt.2:23 OJBC] shall bear fruit of his roots: And the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem shall rest upon Him, the Ruach of Chochmah and Binah, the Ruach of Etzah (Counsel [see Isaiah 9:5) and Gevurah, the Ruach of Da’as and of the Yir’at Hashem; And His delight shall be in the Yir’at Hashem: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: But with tzedek shall He judge the needy, and reprove with mishor (equity, justice) for the anvei eretz: and He shall strike the earth with the shevet of His mouth, and with the Ruach of His lips shall he slay the reshah. And tzedek shall be the ezor (belt) of His loins, and emunah (faithfulness) the ezor of His waist.”

In Matthew 2:22-23 we read (in the Orthodox Jewish Bible):

“And when Yosef [ben Dovid] heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Yehudah, Yosef [ben Dovid] was afraid to go there. And, having been warned in a chalom, he departed into the districts of the Galil. And Yosef [ben Dovid] made his home in the shtetl (Jewish village) called Natzeret, so that which was spoken by the Neviim might be fulfilled: He will be called a Natzri [i.e., Moshiach the Netzer,Tzemach, Isa 11:1; Jer 23:5; Zech 3:8; Isa 53:2; Zech 6:11-12].”

This may seem blunt at first glance, however:

1. In Tanach, there is no mention of a city called “Nazareth”.

2. In Tanach, there is no prophet who spoke about the Messiah being called “Nazarene.”

3. The Greek word “Nazoraíos” (G3480) (Nazarenes) does not come from the Greek word “Nazaréds” (G3478) (Nazareth).

It is interesting to note that some of the historians of Yeshua’s time and some years later name somewhat different things from these texts and these supposed historical accounts.

So let us take a look at some of the texts… (When speaking of early church father's, I reference those who existed between the time of the original apostles and the foundation of what has become the modern Catholic church.)

Eusebius in Church History (Book 1:7:14) speaking of the Savior’s family says, “They lived in the Jewish villages of Nazarah and Cocaba, and went all over the country explaining the genealogy given here of their lineage and quoting the book of daily records as much as they could.”

(Note: in the original in English, page 37, they placed “Nazareth”, but in the original in English and in Greek it says “Nazara”).

Epiphanius in his book Panarion in Chapter 29:1 and 2 says, “For these people did not put on themselves the name of Christ or the name of Yeshua, but of ‘Nazarenes.’ but at that time all Christians alike were called Nazarenes. They were also known as “Isaians” for a short time, before disciples began to be called to Christians in Antioch. They were called “Isaians” because of Isai, I suppose, since David was a descendant of Jesse and Mary was a linear descendant of David. This was in fulfillment of Holy Scripture, since in the Old Testament the Lord says to David, “From the fruit of your womb I will configure your throne.”

Based on these two historical notes and on Luke 1:26 of the Sinaitic Code (350 AD) which says verbatim “a city of Judea, called Nazara” we can deduce the following:

1. If the name “Isaians” comes from Isaai, the grandfather of David, then the prophet mentioned in Matthew 2:23 corresponds to Isaiah 11:1, which says, “And a sapling shall spring forth from the trunk of Jesse, and a stem of his roots shall bear fruit.”

2. The word for “stem” in Hebrew is: netzer נֵ֫צֶר (H3342) meaning “branch.” And the word that comes from it is “Netzarim” or “Branches”.

3. Nazara is from Judea, not from Galilee, which is a different province. Therefore we are “Netzarim”, branches of the stem planted in the wild olive tree (Israel). Let’s look at the words of the Apostle Paul speaking to the Jews in Romans 11:16-21, remember:

Wild Olive Tree = Israel (Jews)
Root = Yeshua and
Branches = We the converts to Yeshua, the Netzarim

Romans 11:16-21 (NKJV) “For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.”

That is why we followers of Yeshua, grafted into Judaism, observants of Torah and the Mitzvot of Elohim, are called “Netzarim.”

The first-century community of the Netzarim was founded by Rabbi Yeshua. The Netzarim were the original Torah followers of Rabbi Yeshua in the first century of the common era. As was the case in ancient times, the Community today has specific doctrines that the first-century spiritual leaders disseminated and died for. The true religion of Torah produces a major change in the life of any sincere convert and the fruits they produce are always manifest.

We have a modern-day Prophet who has come to the world to restore the Gospel of Yeshua to the earth and to its people, the process was begun by Yosef ben Yosef (Joseph Smith Jr.), as he showed great obedience to our Elohim Yahweh and to our Savior Yeshua in bringing forth the Stick of Ephraim in the hand of Joseph (The Book of Mormon). This dear Prophet was taken from mortality before being able to reveal all that the Father would have had him to reveal, had the Saints of that day been ready to receive those revelations. Joseph said that should he reveal much of what he had been given, the Saints would rise up and kill him.

The community of Netzarim was established in faith and is instructed to stand fast in the faith that its founder gave to it (Acts 16:5). It was Rabbi Yeshua’s mission to do the will of the Father, to help provide a means for humanity to be saved from destruction and to destroy the evil one’s works, and Rabbi’s true disciples follow their supreme teacher’s example.

While around 200 years have passed since this prophet lived and died, and there have been others who have come and taken his place to lead and guide the people of the Church, there has been little given by either way of revelation or restoration since the time of Yosef, and my personal study and communion with our Father has been to teach me that much of what was to be restored is contained within Torah and the writings of the Prophets. When we read of Nefi (Nephi) and his brothers getting the plates of brass before embarking upon their journey across the sea, they retrieved the records of their people – including the works of the Torah, and the Tanach, I am very certain – at least those works that had been completed by the time that they left Jerusalem. This is evidenced by Nefi heavily quoting from Isaiah in his own writings, which he must have been familiar with.

It is with certainty that I know that Yeshua taught the people of this new world to also be Netzarim, and we will in the Stick of Joseph also find many ways to return to the teaching of Torah, since Torah leads know our sin, which leads us to Mashiach and Mashiach leads back us to Torah

We encourage you to read John 6:38; Luke 19:10; Daniel 9:24.