The Hidden Orchard

New Testament Insights

Video: Pharisees, Oral Torah, and the World of Jesus

What if the Pharisees weren’t the villains many were taught to hate? What if they served an important position in Jewish society, religious observance, and Biblical interpretative tradition that Jesus himself affirmed?

New Testament Insights

Peter's Vision: Is Acts 10 About Dietary Law?

Peter’s vision in Acts 10 is often interpreted as evidence of the nullification of the Torah’s dietary laws. Yet a closer reading reveals a different story. Further, this episode reads like a Midrash on Gentile inclusion, shaped by Biblical imagery and a distinctly Rabbinic style of storytelling.

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Mysticism and Spirituality

Seven Heavens: Does the Bible Speak About More Than One Heaven?

Jewish tradition envisions Heaven as a multi-layered realm. The seven Heavens, (Vilon, Rekia, Shechakim, Zevul, Ma’on, Machon, and Aravot) serve different functions in the cosmic order. And though many assume this to be Rabbinic innovation, the Apostolic writers share this understanding.

New Testament Insights

The Jewish Version of the Rapture. First Fruits of Zion Repost

This is a repost of an excellent article by D. Thomas Lancaster, Director of Education at First Fruits of Zion, who unpacks the "Rapture" against Jewish eschatology. He challenges the late interpretations that have influenced Christian theology in the modern era.

Mysticism and Spirituality Featured

The Way of the Chasid Rediscovering the Ancient Path of Spiritual Growth

Long before Chasidic Judaism, the Bible and the sages spoke of the chasid, one who serves the Creator with love, humility, and holy intention. In this article, we begin an exploration of this concept and examine how it may have shaped the spiritual worldview of Jesus.

New Testament Insights Featured

The Accidental Apostle: The Story of Pseudo-Dionysius

What if one of the most influential thinkers in church history turned out to be a case of mistaken identity? We'll look at how an anonymous Neoplatonic writer slipped into the stream of Apostolic tradition and shaped the Church's understanding of heaven, hell, angels, and salvation.

Holidays and Festivals

The Good Shepherd and the Chanukkah Connection

Did Jesus celebrate Chanukkah? When we look closely at the elements in John, chapter 10, familiar themes from the prophets emerge, giving us a clue to the messianic tradition behind this winter holiday.

New Testament Insights

Traditions and Commandments: Understanding Jesus's Teaching in Mark 7

Did Jesus reject Jewish dietary laws, declaring all foods clean? In this article, we unpack the discussion in Mark 7 to challenge the popular tradition that Jesus abolished Torah-given commandments, and reflect a misreading of first-century Judaism.

New Testament Insights

The Living Heavens: Angels, Stars, and Biblical Cosmology

Materialistic science emptied the heavens of meaning, but Scripture and Jewish tradition insist the cosmos is alive, conscious, and populated by angelic beings as numerous as the stars.

New Testament Insights

Replacement Theology and the Test In Our Time

In our time, the world is being tested. The prophets speak of a time when the nations will turn against Israel, and if you read ahead, it does not end well for them. This was largely the case in Europe in the 1930's and this test has emerged once again in our time.

Wellness

Soul Refinement - Judging Others Favorably

There is one practice of character development that can radically transform your spiritual development, yet it may be one of the more challenging to correct. Fortunately, we have an ancient tradition with tools and tricks to help us judge others favorably.

Midrash

eBook Available | Rabbinic Metaphors and Symbolism

I've recently made an eBook that contains the most common metaphors, symbolism, and numbers that are found in the Rabbinic literature and Midrash.

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Torah

The Children of the East: The Connection Between Eastern Religions and Abraham

Are all religions connected to an original source? In this article, we explore the surprising parallels between Jewish and Eastern traditions, the surprising path to redemption, and Abraham’s lasting legacy.

Videos

Video: Reading the Wedding at Cana as Midrash

The New Testament is often misread due to a lack of understanding of its rabbinic nature. What can we take away from this story when we view it through the lens of Jewish midrash?

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New Testament Insights Featured

The Crucifixion of Isaac

Years ago, I heard a lecture by an Orthodox Rabbi who shared some deeper insights about the event known in the Torah as the "Akeidah", the "Binding" of Isaac. I found incredible parallels in this story that match the Gospel narrative of Jesus's crucifixion and teachings.

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Mysticism and Spirituality

The Merit of the Righteous.
Abraham, Sodom, and the Scales of Justice

Can a few good people bring salvation to others? For some, salvation is solely the work of Messiah, but the Torah teaches us something different - an empowering lesson of quiet faith.

Mysticism and Spirituality

Beyond Simulation. Reexamining the Biblical Blueprint of Reality

In this article, we explore the nature of reality, looking at a few striking parallels between simulation theory, the Bible, and Jewish thought. Is it possible this new idea on reality is not so new after all?

New Testament Insights

Video: Reading the Woman at the Well as Midrash

In this video, we walk through, in depth, the idea posed in an earlier article that the Gospel of John's account of the Samaritan woman conforms to the Midrashic tradition, revealing a hidden meaning.

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Torah

Lost Civilizations: Exploring the World Before Adam

What if the story of creation in Genesis isn’t the beginning, but a continuation? In this article, we explore the Rabbinic tradition on lost generations and earlier civilizations that may have existed before Adam.

New Testament Insights

Render Unto Caesar: The Rabbinic Discourse on Idolatrous Coins

When Jesus said, “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” he wasn’t only sidestepping a political trap, he tapped into a rabbinic debate on coins bearing idolatrous images. But beneath the surface lies a deeper theme: coins as symbols of the soul, each human being stamped with the divine image.

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Holidays and Festivals

Hoshana Rabbah and the Living Water: Jesus's Teaching During Sukkot

What did Jesus mean when he mentioned the "living water" during the festival of Sukkot? What is Hoshana Rabbah? Discover how this final day of Sukkot connects ancient Jewish rituals, the pouring of living water, and Jesus’s words in John 7.

New Testament Insights

The Woman At the Well. John's Midrash on Ezekiel and 2 Kings

In this article, we explore John 4 through the lens of Rabbinic Midrash and its links to Ezekiel 16 and 2 Kings 17. Is the Samaritan woman a creative representation of Ezekiel's prophetic narrative, and if so, how does this change the way we read the Gospels.

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Mysticism and Spirituality Featured

Nephilim, Azazel, and the Backstory of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Behind Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur lies a hidden tradition of the Nephilim, the angels who fell, the giants who corrupted the earth, and the restoration of creation that shapes the meaning of the High Holy Days.

New Testament Insights

Rosh Hashanah & the Kingdom: Uncovering the Context of the Gospel Message

When most readers of the New Testament think about biblical holidays, Passover and Shavuot usually come to mind first. In this article, we'll see how Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur may be the most important for understanding the Gospel message.

Torah

Hastening Messiah | A Conversation with Efraim Palvanov

Efraim Palvanov is an author, teacher, and speaker who blends deep Jewish tradition with his background in science. He is savvy, with degrees in biology and education, and even served in the Canadian Armed Forces.