Beit Or ~ The House Of Light

Recently we came across a strong and in-depth review of Rabbi Isaac's book posted on Amazon.com- we thought it would be worth sharing here as the writer is a "Top 50 Reviewer" on Amazon.com. Have a read of his comments and see if you aren't motivated to get yourself a copy of "Yeshua: The Lion of Judah".

Amazon reviewer, Joburgpete writes the following in his review of Rabbi Isaac's book, "Yeshua: The Lion of Judah":

In this gripping book, the author sets out to clarify mankind's relationship with God and attempts to clear up certain age-old doctrinal issues of contention since, as he correctly observes, the Hebrew Scriptures have been manipulated by the churches. At the same time, he admits that the Bible can be confusing. The stated aim of the book is to provide order, sanity and common sense to the reader. He is very emphatic about using the Hebrew name of our Redeemer.

The first chapter, In The Beginning, deals with the creation of man, the fall and the blood sacrifice of animals that was needed to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness with skins. The explanation of the Gematria (meaning of the numerical value of the letters) in the word Adam and in the Hebrew "Beresheet" (In the beginning) is most illuminating. The next chapter, One In Purpose, addresses the issue of the Trinity which word is not found in the Bible, but please also see The Jewish Trinity by Yoel Natan in this regard.

Hierarchy Of Heaven is the title of chapter 3 which explains the relationship between the Father and the Son as well as other titles of Yeshua like Son of Man and The Anointed One. It draws heavily on the Book of Revelation. Then next, Heart To Heart, discusses the gematria of the word for "heart" in Hebrew (Lev). The author provides a detailed explanation of the structure of the letters and points out the similarities between the earthly and heavenly temples.

Chapter 5, Created To Worship, looks at the Ten Commandments as the cornerstone of Judaism, of which the highest commandment is to love God and worship Him in spirit and truth. He condemns image worship and points out the many instances of contemporary practice of this abomination, like the celebrity cult. Chapter 6 explores terms like Born Again and the issue of works and faith.

The divine and earthy priestly orders are discussed in chapter 7, all the way back to the Garden of Eden, including the purpose of sacrifice (blood covering), the Ark of the Covenant, the function of the priesthood and the role of the High Priest. This thread is continued in chapter 8 where, amongst other issues, various types of offerings and sacrifices are explained, as well as Torah and the correspondence between life, blood and the color red. Blood from heaven was required to stop animal sacrifice once and for all.

Chapter 9 is devoted to Malki-Tzedek (Righteous King). The names of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel are glimpses into the personification and qualities of Yeshua Messiah. The author explains the meaning of the name Mary (Maryam) as bitter water and elucidates the role of the Levitical priesthood with frequent references to the Book of Zechariah, also touching on the rebuilding of the Temple. The next chapter takes up the role of the prophets of Israel whose message of repentance is like a symphony of visions all in perfect harmony.

The final chapter looks at the various prophecies of Israel's suffering and redemption: Bondage in Egypt, Babylonian Captivity and the 430 years to the siege of Jerusalem. The prophet Amos is extensively discussed here. The frightening message that I gathered from this chapter is that ultimately Israel will stand alone again with all the nations of the world against her. That is when the Lion of Judah will come to save His people, restore the Kingdom and heal the earth.

Appendix A is a list of genealogies and Appendix B is a world map highlighting the Islamic nations and a list of these countries, with no explanatory text or legend. Informed people are aware that the most imminent threat to Israel comes from there but still, a short introduction would be useful. This is a bit of a non sequitur and it is to be hoped that the problem be corrected for a second edition.

I found this book extremely valuable for pointing out the many correspondences in the Bible in both the Old and the New Testaments, illuminating obscure issues and explaining matters that have always baffled me. But it is all a bit overwhelming - the book ought to be studied in depth, not read just once. I am also convinced that many Christian theologians will feel threatened by this exegesis.

The book seems to be aimed at a Messianic Jewish readership. I have observed that there is a wide spectrum of opinion and interpretation amongst Messianics on many issues. This author seems to come down on the strict side of Torah observance. As a gentile believer in Yeshua, I wish there were a little bit more love and compassion in his words. Personal names rarely remain exactly the same across different languages and in my opinion it would be improper, at the very least, to criticize sincere Christians for addressing the saviour as Jesus Christ. And, although Levy's writings illuminate, they also raise many more questions.