Welcome, friend. We're glad you're here.
If you love Jesus and have ever wondered what the Bible looked like through the eyes of the people who first lived it, you're in the right place.
Torah Awakenings is a podcast and blog for Christian believers who are curious about the Hebrew roots of their faith. Yeshua (Jesus' Hebrew name) was Jewish. He kept the Sabbath, celebrated the feasts, and taught from the Torah. So did His first followers. When we read Scripture in that original setting, familiar passages often come alive in new ways.
You don't have to know any Hebrew. Nobody here expects you to have it all figured out, and you don't have to agree with everything to be welcome. Bring your Bible and your questions. We'll dig in together.
5 starter episodes
Listen in any order. This order builds step by step.
- Following Jesus: What does it really mean to follow Jesus? This episode asks how Jesus and the apostles actually lived, and whether our walk today looks like theirs.
- Is Torah (The Law) Relevant To Christians?: The question underneath everything else on this site. It looks at Scripture in context to ask whether God's instructions were only for the Jewish people or for all believers.
- What Is The Gospel?: "Gospel" is everywhere in the New Testament, but ask five people what it means and you may get five answers. This episode looks at the word in context to find a solid definition.
- Connecting The Dots: Finding Yeshua In The Mo'edim: A walk through Leviticus 23 and God's appointed feasts, looking for the Messiah in each one.
- Inseparable: Commandments Of God And Faith In Yeshua: Can you follow Jesus and still value God's commandments? This teaching looks at Moses, Yeshua's own words about the Torah, and the apostles in Acts.
3 starter reads
- What Torah Is, And Isn't: Most English Bibles translate Torah as "the Law." This short word study shows why instruction or teaching comes much closer.
- Grafted In: What did Paul mean when he said Gentile believers were "grafted in" (Romans 11:17-24)?
- Why Jesus Could Not End The Law: For readers who grew up hearing that "the Law ended at the cross."
A short glossary
You'll hear these words on the podcast. Here's what they mean in plain English.
- Torah (TOE-rah): God's "instruction" or "teaching," usually the first five books of the Bible. Most English Bibles translate it as "the Law."
- Yeshua (yeh-SHOO-ah): the Hebrew name of Jesus, the name His family and disciples would have used.
- Messiah (Mashiach): "Anointed One." "Christ" comes from the Greek word with the same meaning.
- Tanakh (tah-NAHK): the Hebrew Scriptures, what most Christians call the Old Testament.
- Shabbat (shah-BAHT): the Sabbath, God's weekly day of rest, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.
- Mo'edim (moh-eh-DEEM): "appointed times," the feasts God calls "My appointed times" in Leviticus 23.
- Pesach (PAY-sahk): Passover, remembering God bringing Israel out of Egypt, and the season of Yeshua's death and resurrection.
- Shavuot (shah-voo-OHT): the Feast of Weeks, which the New Testament calls Pentecost (Acts 2).
- Yom Teruah (yohm teh-ROO-ah): the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24).
- Yom Kippur (yohm kih-POOR): the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), a solemn day of fasting and repentance.
- Sukkot (soo-KOHT): the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43), a joyful week remembering God's care in the wilderness.
- Shalosh Regalim (shah-LOHSH reh-gah-LEEM): the three pilgrimage feasts: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
- Parashah (pah-rah-SHAH): the weekly Torah portion.
- Ruach HaKodesh (ROO-ahk hah-koh-DESH): the Holy Spirit.
- Sha'ul (shah-OOL): the Apostle Paul's Hebrew name (Acts 13:9).
- Shalom (shah-LOHM): "peace," meaning wholeness and well-being.
Your next step
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