CERTIFICATE OF TEVILAH IN MOSHIACH'S MIKVEH MAYIM

asuev juru icvu ctv oac vkhcy kg ubumu uh,umnc ubase rat okugv lkn ubhvkt vuvh v,t lurc

Baruch atah Adonoi Eloheinu Melech HaOlam ashair kidshanu bmitzvosav vtzivah-nu al tevilahbShem Adoshem vZun foon Der Oybershter vRuach Hakodesh

Name__________________________

Date___________________________

Kehilah_________________________

Compare Lev 15:16 and Ac 9:18 to see a messianic baal teshuva going under

the Mikveh as an impure religious Jew not as a zechus-earning

mitzvah but plunging under chesed of Moshiach Tzidkeinu in the orach tzedakah.

Disclaimer: thefollowing material doesnot promote thedoctrine of immersionalregeneration. However,having said that, notewell: if you are on theEgypt side of the RedSea with Pharaoh’spursuing soldiers allaround you, and

Moshiach Tzur Yisroelcommands you to take astep of faith into thewater and you refuse,rejecting Goeleinu instubborn unbelief anddisobedience, you maymiss the Promised Landof new life Hashemdesires for you. AskHashem to heal your

unbelief. Trust in theL-rd and His InerrantWord with all of yourheart and don’t rely onyour own corrupt wayof thinking. Which isbetter: the chelek of theAgam HaEish or thechelek of theResurrected Moshiach?Are you willing to

forfeit your inheritanceso casually?

THE OUTGOINGNATURE OF TRUEJUDAISM Many people do notknow that Judaism usedto be a "proselytizing"religion, and thatleaders of Judaism were

both zealous and highlysuccessful at makingproselytes. In fact, sonumerous were theproselytes in Biblicaltimes that there is evena term in Scripture forconversion to Judaism -mityahadim (see Esther8:17).The rabbis knew that

Judaism was not merelya narrow, nationalreligion. The Talmudsays that the teachingsof Judaism were freelymeant for all mankind(see BabylonianTalmud, Shabbath146a, where Devarim29:13-14 [14-15] isquoted as referring to

proselytes). And just asGentiles were saved inNoah's ark, so Ruth wasalso brought underHashem's wings (Ruth2:12). In the HighHolyDay Prayerbook,we read on RoshHashanah "Also NoahThou didst remember inlove, and didst

remember him with apromise of salvationand mercy, when Thoudidst send the flood todestroy all creaturesbecause of their evildeeds. So hisremembrance camebefore Thee, O L-rd ourG-d to increase his seedlike the dust of the earth

and his offspring likethe sand of the sea." Sohope is held out that theRighteous Gentiles ofthe world will have ashare in the World toCome. In fact,according to ancienttradition, the firstproselytes to the Jewishfaith were Abraham and

Sarah, and through theirdescendants G-dintended to proselytizethe nations (see also Mt28:19). For a few othertexts of many in theScriptures on theuniversal scope of theJewish faith, see Ps22:27; Isaiah 45:22;66:23; Zechariah 14:16.

Of course, Judaism,with the exception ofMessianic Judaism,changed when therabbis took over underYochanan ben Zakkaiin Yavneh near Jaffa inIsrael and institutedafter 70 C.E. apost-Temple,non-priestly form of

Judaism lacking bloodsacrifice and a Temple.It should beremembered here that itis the blood that makesatonement for the soul(Lev.17:11) and thatAbel's offering from thefirstborn of his flockwas looked on withfavor by the L-rd, but a

bloodless religion andworship without bloodatonement was notlooked on with favor(see Gen.4:4-5). G-dsays, "When I see theblood, I will pass overyou" (Exod.12:13). Tolack faith in Gen.22:8;Exo.12:5-13; Isaiah53:7 and in Moshiach's

necessary sacrifice, andthen to institute areligion where,gratuitously, bloodsacrifice is deemed notnecessary, is to changethe religion of Judaism,the religion of Moses.Messianic Judaism hasnot changed Judaism,the religion of Moses.

Rabbinic Judaism haschanged Judaism.Messianic Judaism istrue Judaism. Thepseudo-Judaism of therabbis came into beingafter 70 C.E., makingRabbinic Judaism areligion that post-datesMessianic Judaism. Notonly does it lack

Biblical warrant formany of its tenets offaith, the fact is that therabbis have cooled offin their zeal to winconverts. However,Moshiach's Judaism hasalways been aproselytizing faith,eager to share theblessings of Judaism

with the whole world.In our own era, millionsof adherents toMoshiach's Judaism,including both Jews andnon-Jews from everyculture and country,have becomeborn-again spiritualchildren of Abrahamand genuine proselytes

to Moshiach’s Judaism.For true commitment toJudaism can only bethrough truecommitment to theMoshiach of Judaism,Moshiach Adoneinu.Unfortunately, not allJews nor all Goyimhave been willing tobecome proselytes to

Moshiach because noteveryone is willing tocommit himself toMoshiach. And manywho have committedthemselves to MoshiachAdoneinu are evenignorant of the fact thatwhat they call "theReligion of Messiah" isreally Moshiach's

Judaism that Goyimhave adapted to theirown culture.Nevertheless, the faithof the Brit Chadasha isstill the true, Biblical,Judaism of Moses andMoshiach, whetherevery believer inMoshiach Adoneinurealizes it or not.

JUDAISM'SINDISPENSIBLEMIKVEH

Scripturally, a Jew isanyone like Ruth theMoabitess who hasrenounced idolatry andthrown in his or her lotwith the people of the

one true G-d. Therefore,when a Gentile ladynamed Ruth clung toNaomi and her G-d,Ruth became a Jewess,even qualifying tobecome thegreat-grandmother ofKing David. However,historically, there havebeen three things

involved in thereception of proselytesto Judaism: 1)circumcision (the brismilah), 2) completeimmersion (the tevilah)in a mikveh ritual bath,and 3) a sacrifice (seeNumbers 15:14 andBabylonian Talmud,Kerithoth 9a.) This

blood sacrifice (anoffering by fire) burnedon the altar and wasindispensible, at thetime the BeisHamikdash stood, andpoints propheticallyalong with all sacrificeto the repentantproselyte's need for ablood atonement

kapparah. Rabbi Judahthe Patriarch ("RabbenuhaKadosh") comparedthis three-foldadmission into Judaismas reminiscent of theBiblical history ofIsrael, a nationcircumcised beforeleaving Egypt (Joshua5:2), immersed in the

desert in a holy washingritual (Exodus 19:10),and sprinkled with theblood of a covenantsacrifice (Exodus24:3-8) [see Sifra,Ahare Perek 12].Nevertheless, thecentral ritual ofadmittance into Judaismhas always been a

tevilah of waterimmersion. Thesacrifice offered by theproselyte was never asimportant ascircumcision orimmersion, especiallyafter the Temple wasdestroyed, makingsacrifice impossible.Furthermore, since

women converts toJudaism faroutnumbered men,circumcision couldhardly become the chiefrite of entry intoJudaism. Therefore, theone indispensable thingthat any convert,whether male or female,had to do to become a

Jew was to getimmersed in water. Ofcourse, a male had to becircumcised as well, butif we look for the onething that everynon-Jew, regardless ofgender, had to do inorder to become a Jew,the answer is: he or shehad to submit to a

tevilah. Proselytescrossed the thresholdinto Israel through animmersion bath,because Israel hadentered the promisedland through water (theRed Sea) and thereforeso must all who wouldbecome Jews. Therewas a definite concept

of cleansing built intothis decisive tevilah.Moshiach said to Kefa,“Unless I wash you,you have no chelek inme” (Yn 13:8). Aheathen who left behindthe idolatry of theGentile world to joinG-d’s people lookingforward to the Promised

Land of abundant newlife had indeed passedfrom sin to a whole newlife and inheritanceshare (chelek). When hecame up out of thewater, he wasconsidered rituallyundefiled, beginninglife all over with a cleanbill of goods, like a

child newly born(Babylonian Talmud,Yebamoth, 48b). Hehad begun a new life asa ben berit, a son of thecovenant, a Jew.Towards the end of thefirst century, C.E., theleading rabbis of theschool of Hillel claimedthat a man was Jewish

as soon as he wasimmersed, the tevilahbeing as decisive a ritein the case ofdetermining whether aman had become a Jewas it was for making thesame determination fora woman (MishnahAboth 1.12). Later, inMoshiach's Judaism,

circumcision was notimposed on Goyim (ICorinthians 7:18; Acts15:5-11), since there isno salvation inbecoming a physicalJew but only inbecoming a benAvraham by emunah,that is, a spiritual childof Abraham through the

circumcision of theRuach Hakodesh(Gal.3:7-14;Col.2:11-17).Therefore, Moshiach'stevilah became theindispensable ritual forall who would becomeadherents of Moshiach'sJudaism. THE IMMERSION

PRACTICED BY THEJEWISH PROPHETYOCHANAN HAMAHTBEEL

Rabbi Akiba said:"Blessed are you, 0Israel. Before whom areyou made clean andwho makes you clean?Your Father in heaven.

As it is written, 'And Iwill dash clean waterupon you and you shallbe clean' (Ezekiel36:25). And again itsays, 'O L-rd, themikveh (meaning eitherthe word 'hope' or theword 'font') of Israel(Jeremiah 17:13); as themikveh cleanses the

unclean, so does theHoly One cleanseIsrael"' (Mishnah Yoma8.9). The Jewishprophet Ezekiel speaksof G-d's cleansing hispeople in the last days:"For I will take youfrom the nations, andgather you from all thecountries, and bring you

into your own land, Iwill dash clean waterupon you, and you shallbe clean from all youruncleannesses, andfrom your idols I willcleanse you . . . and you. . .shall be my peopleand I will be your G-d.And I will save youfrom all your

uncleannesses" (Ezekiel36:24-28). Zechariahtoo saw this final timeof national repentance:There shall be afountain opened to thehouse of David and tothe inhabitants ofJerusalem for sin anduncleanness"(Zechariah 13:1).

Proselyte tevilahimmersion symbolicallywashed the uncleannessfrom the heathen onentering Judaism. Thusnon-Jews were graftedon to the people of G-dby a water immersionwhich gave themceremonial purity. TheJewish prophet

Yochanan (John)HaMahtbeel (theTevilah Immersionist)called on all Israel tolikewise confess sinfuluncleanness and take amikveh ritual bath "as atoken of their teshuva"(Mark 1:4) and resolveto keep themselves holyas they awaited the

coming Moshiach. Thenas the last days began toapproach, the Jewishprophet Yochananannounced that theMoshiach was on hisway to pour out theRuach Hakodesh onsome and the fire ofGehinnom on others.Therefore, all must

heed the Word of G-d,turn from their ownways, look to G-d andhis Moshiach for mercyand deliverance fromjudgment, be cleansedwith clean water, and besaved from G-d'sburning wrath (seeMark 1:4, Matthew 3:7,Luke 3:9). Sensing by

the Ruach Hakodeshthat the Moshiach'spresence on the earthwas very near and thatthe need for preparingthe Jewish people tomeet their G-d hadreached the crisis point,Yochanan HaMahtbeelcalled upon all G-d'speople to seek the

forgiveness of Hashemby submitting to apurifying tevilah. Forthis great Jewishprophet saw that thecoming Moshiachwould judge the wickedwho had not turnedfrom the "Egyptian"evils of this world bytaking a "Red Sea"

immersion of separationand repentance in theJordan River. G-d gaveYochanan the foresightto see that those whodid turn to G-d wouldbe given the RuachHakodesh by theComing One, theMoshiach. LaterYochanan must have

had inspired intimationsof how G-d would savehis people and thekapparah Moshiachwould bring. Yochananpointed to MoshiachAdoneinu and said,"Look, there is theLamb of G-d; it is hewho takes away the sinof the world. This is he

of whom I spoke when Isaid, `After me a man iscoming whose status ishigher than mine; forbefore I was born, healready existed.’ Imyself did not knowwho he was; but thevery reason why Icame, immersing inwater, was that he

might be revealed toIsrael" (Yochanan1:29-31). However, thetevilah immersion ofYochanan went beyondproselyte immersion inseveral ways. It wasdirected toward hisfellow-Jews. It was acollective act ofrepentance and included

the whole nation. It hada "last-chance" ethicaland spiritualsignificance that wentfar beyond the mereceremonial cleansing ofproselyte tevilahimmersion. Yochananasserted that throughhis water ordeal theremnant of the true

Israel of G-d was beingcalled out from all thespiritually dead whorefused to preparethemselves by tevilahimmersion for thecoming of theMoshiach. Therefore,all strata of Israel'ssociety responded to theimmersion of

Yochanan. What wasunique about Yochananwas that he saw byinspiration from theG-d of Israel that, inview of the coming ofthe Holy One, theMoshiach, Jews werejust as unprepared andsinfully unclean and inneed of ultimate

kapparah (Yochanan1:29) as were heathenproselytes, and musttherefore preparethemselves by the sameact of repentance -submitting, to a tevilahimmersion for theuncleanness of sins.Yochanan preached,"Do not presume to say

to yourselves, 'We havethe yichus (proudlineage), we have thezechut Avot (merit ofthe Fathers) ofAvraham Avinu (ourfather Abraham).' For Isay to you that Hashemis able to raise up fromthese avanim (stones)banim (sons) of

Avraham" (OJBCversion, Matthew 3:9).Yochanan knew that theessential thing for hisfellow Jews was thatthey humblethemselves, turn fromprideful wickedness andprepare to adhere to theMoshiach, throughwhom they would

escape judgment andreceive theall-important gift ofHashem, the RuachHakodesh. Therefore,he saw that the wholenation of Israel mustturn to G-d with thehumility of a sinfulnon-Jew submitting to amikveh of repentance

for the sins of hisunholy former life. Inpointing toward the SehhaElohim (the Lamb ofG-d, Isaiah 53:7,Genesis 22:8),Yochanan pointedtoward a new meaningfor the tevilahimmersion as thestandard means of

making proselytes toJudaism. This newmeaning would includea perfect blood sacrificefor sin, an eternalkapparah for all whowould receive theRuach Hakodesh andthus be circumcised asspiritual bnei Avrahamthrough immersion in

the name of the G-d ofIsrael. The tevilahimmersion towardwhich Yochanan waspointing was theimmersion of MoshiachAdoneinu, experiencedby Moshiach himselfand then by himcommanded for allpeoples of the world.

THE TEVILAH OFTHE JEWISHMOSHIACHADONEINU

The tevilah ofMoshiach Adoneinuwas his first public actof identification withthe sins of men,

showing that althoughhe was himself sinless,he was willing toidentify with sinnersand bear their sins asthe Lamb of G-d, evenif to do so would costhim great suffering andanguish, even death.When MoshiachAdoneinu went under

the water in his owntevilah, he knew he wasanticipating his owndeath (see Luke 12:50).At his tevilah, theheavenly voice ofElohim haAv (Mark1:11, Matthew 3:17,Luke3:22) affirmedMoshiach Adoneinu'sSonship but in words

that alluded to hisMessianic role (Psalm2:7) in terms ofsuffering servanthood(Isaiah 42:1; 44:2) anddeath (Isaiah 53).Therefore, in his singleaction of being buriedin water and risingagain, MoshiachAdoneinu summed up

and signifiedprophetically what hewould do to save theworld: he would bringin the Brit Chadasha(New Covenant) of theMalchut Hashem(Kingdom of G-d) byhis death, burial, andresurrection; and hewould lead all who

would follow him to asimilar experience ofdeath and new life --death to the old life ofsin, and rebirth to a newlife of eternal sonshipthrough the gift of theRuach Hakodesh. InMoshiach Adoneinu'simmersion, he wassubmitting his own

willing obedience to thewill of his Father. Whenwe likewise followMoshiach Adoneinuinto the water and havea similar spiritualexperience ofsubmitting our will tothe Father, we arecircumcised -- that is,cleansed and

consecrated -- in ourwill by the RuachHakodesh and thusbecome spiritual bneiAvraham, spiritualJews. Whereas before,our life was under thecontrol of the law of sinand death (Romans8:2), now our lifecomes under the

Moshiach. As we dailymortify the old carnalman, we continuallywalk in the newness oflife. Therefore, it is nota rule that constrains usbut a Person, who lovedsinners enough to diefor us in order toforgive our past andbring us the hope of an

eternal future withHashem, one into whichwe walk each day withMoshiach (see IICorinthians 5:14). ThisPerson is the Torah whowrites himself upon ourwills (Jeremiah 31:33).This inward life-givinglaw is none other thanMoshiach Adoneinu (I

Corinthians 9:21).Through the RuachHakodesh, MoshiachAdoneinu lives in thelives of all believersand producesrighteousness and lovein devekus(communion) withthem. The BenHaElohim's selfless

ahavah for ElohimAvinu, this kind oflove, is what the Torahwas aiming for(Deuteronomy 6:5), andwhen we receive theWord become Man,Moshiach Adoneinu,the Torah hits its markin us and we becometrue Torah-keeping bnei

Avraham, whose willsare circumcised and setin step with the RuachHakodesh. To be a trueben Avraham is firstand foremost a spiritualmatter of the will andhaving the right hearttoward G-d, and thatcan only be a heart ofhopeful and loving faith

(Galatians 5:6) in whatG-d has done for men inMoshiach Adoneinu.Only the Dvar Hashemwho became Moshiachand who through theRuach Hakodeshbecomes the indwellingWord (Yirmeyah 31:33)could endow men witha new principle of life.

This principle of life issufficient to create anew humanity (ICorinthians 15:20, 45;Yochanan 20:22), anew family of whomMoshiach Adoneinu isthe head. To understandthis "bris milah ofMoshiach" (Colossians2:11), one must recall

that the covenant ofcircumcision operatedon the principle of thespiritual union of thehousehold in its head.The covenant is"between Me and theeand thy offspring afterthee" (Genesis 17:7).From Galatians3:16,26-29, it becomes

apparent that both theoffspring and head ofthe new humanity isMoshiach, into whoseBody believers areincorporated at theirtevilah. The Bris Milahis the token or sign bywhich G-dacknowledges hispeople. It is the stamp

of the covenant. Thecircumcision of theheart is the inward signwherein G-d's Spiritwitnesses to a humanspirit that it belongs toG-d. This inward markof possession is theRuach Hakodesh whocuts himself into ourwill, molding us into

the image of G-d's Sonand marking us out asthe spiritually cleansedproperty of G-d, just asthe external mark ofcircumcision in theflesh had marked out aJewish baby boy as theproperty of G-d. But, asboth the Torah andTanach show, G-d

intended to "mark off"as his own not merelypeople who werecircumcised physicallybut "in their hearts"(Deuteronomy 10:16).So strong is thisteaching, that G-dthreatens to destroy anyJew who is notspiritually circumcised

(Jeremiah 4:4). Such aone will be shut out ofJerusalem (Isaiah 52:1),as well as the L-rd'ssanctuary (Ezekiel 44:7,9) and salvation(Deuteronomy 30:6).For not all G-d'sphysical people are hisspiritual children(Romans 9:6). In

Genesis chapter 17,circumcision is thecovenant sign of G-d'schoosing out andmarking off men for hisown. So in the BritChadasha Scriptures,the gift of the RuachHakodesh, withoutwhich a man does notbelong to the Moshiach

(Romans 8:9), isoffered in connectionwith Moshiach's tevilah(Acts 2:38), which isidentified withMoshiach's way ofcircumcision(Colossians 2:11-12).Jeremiah, the Jewishprophet, foresaw theage of the Ruach

Hakodesh when thecreation of a new heartand spirit in humanitywould be the essence ofa Brit Chadasha (NewCovenant) that G-dwould make with Israel.Therefore, Jeremiahcried out to his people,"O Jerusalem, wash thyheart from wickedness

that thou may be saved"(Jeremiah 4:14).Moshiach's Bris Milah(Circumcision) inColossians 2:11-12 is aperiphrasis for thehitkhadeshut(regeneration) of whichMoshiach's tevilah ismeant to bear testimonyand whereby both Jews

and non-Jews becomein Moshiach spiritualBnei Avraham initiatedinto covenantmembership in thecultivated Olive Tree ofElect Israel(Rom.11:24; 9:6;Jeremiah 11:16), theIsrael of G-d and theJerusalem above.

According to the Torah,circumcision is morethan a minor surgicaloperation -- it is also amajor spiritualoperation. The Torahcommands,"Circumcise theforeskin of your willand be no longerstubborn . . . and the

L-rd your G-d willcircumcise your will(that is, cleanse andconsecrate your will) ...so that you will love theL-rd your G-d with allyour heart and with allyour soul that you maylive" (Deuteronomy10:16; 30:6). In theJewish Brit Chadasha

New Covenant, G-ddeclares that you arenot a true Ben Avrahamin the Ruach Hakodeshunless you have thisinward circumcision ofyour will (Romans2:28, 29) and youworship G-d in spiritwith your confidence inMoshiach Adoneinu

and not in anythingexternal (Philippians3:3). Consequently, G-dhas provided his peoplewith a hitkhadeshut(regeneration), to whichthe tevilah immersionof purification bearstestimony, whereby theimpure foreskin of ourevil urgings in our old

humanity in Adam canbe buried and drowned,even washed away byG-d's Ruach Hakodesh(see Ezekiel 36:25-27).This bath symbolizesboth a spiritual mikveh(Jewish purificationbath) and a spiritual brismilah (circumcisioninto Avraham). It is

Moshiach's tevilah, andis a token of turning toG-d through emunah(faith) in MoshiachYehoshua/Yeshua (HisHebrew/Aramaicname). There is acontrolling sinful naturethat lives in every man.The circumcision of theMoshiach is the

spiritual cutting away ofthis rebellious sinfulnature, a miraclewitnessed to by ourpublic burial in themikveh mayim with atevilah immersion.True, this carnal selfmust be reckoned asdead every day, butHashem reckons us

legally dead withMoshiach when we turnto him in faith. Wewitness in the tevilah toour submitting our willto die to our formersin-prone way of life.Only by a submissionof our will inrepentance may we bemade alive by the

resurrected, living DvarHashem, the DvarHashem who cameamong us as a Man andwants to write himselfupon our wills, asJeremiah foresaw:"Then I will make aBrit Chadasha with thehouse of Israel ... I willput my Torah in their

inward parts and I willwrite it in their hearts"(Jeremiah 31:31-34).Therefore, Moshiach'sTevilah means manythings. It witnesses tothe cutting free of thedownward pull of ourlower natures in themiracle of the newbirth. It is our Red Sea

exodus from thebondage of sin anddeath to the inheritanceof an eternal PromisedLand. It symbolizes the"circumcision madewithout hands" wherebywe become sons of theBrit Chadasha as weenter into faith-unionwith the Jewish

Moshiach as membersof his bride, theworld-wide Chavurahfellowship of theJewish Brit Chadasha.Just as a Jewish girltakes the ritual bath inthe mikveh inpreparation for herwedding, so we who arewedded to Moshiach

Adoneinu by faith takea mikveh to bringourselves into teshuvahand devekus withMoshiach. "In him alsoyou were circumcised,not in a physical sense,but by the surgicalremoval of of the lowernature; this isMoshiach's way of

circumcision. For inMoshiach's tevilah youwere buried with him,in Moshiach's tevilahyou were raised to lifewith him through yourfaith in the power ofG-d who raised himfrom the dead. Andalthough you were deadbecause of your sins

and because of theuncircumcision of yoursinful nature, he hasmade you alive withMoshiach" (Colossians2:11-13)

MOSHIACH'STEVILAH: YOURADMITTANCE TO

MOSHIACH'S SEDER,THE SEUDASMOSHIACH So long as a Gentilehas not had his tevilah,he is still a Gentile"(Babylonian Talmud,Berakoth 47b).Likewise, if a Jewishperson has not hadhitkhadeshut

regeneration, a spiritualmiracle witnessed to byMoshiach's tevilah, heis also ceremonially andspiritually in theuncircumcision of hissinful nature, becausehe has not submitted tothe circumcision doneby Moshiach(Colossians 2:11). For,

in the same way that anon-Jew coming up outof the water of histevilah was consideredat that moment to be aJew, when a personcomes up from themikveh of MoshiachAdoneinu, he crosses aceremonial thresholdand becomes a ben

Avraham by faith. Therabbis said that aproselyte was like onewho had touched acorpse. Touching acorpse meantcontracting seven daysof uncleanness(Numbers 19:16).Therefore a proselyte,like a ritually unclean

Israelite, needed to takea tevilah immersion inwater as he approachedG-d, particularly if hewere to share in thePassover (see MishnahPesachim 8.8).Likewise Rabbi Saulwarned that those whoeat and drink theSeudas Moshiach

unworthily, withoutobeying the L-rd (inthis case by taking themikveh), eat and drinkjudgment on themselves(I Corinthians11:27-30). Therefore,no one may partake ofthe Seudas Moshiachuntil he has obeyed theL-rd by submitting in

teshuvah (repentance)to the Moshiach'stevilah. Jewishproselyte tevilahimmersion has its rootsin the leviticalimmersions of theTorah (see Numbers19). These purificationbaths were for rituallyunclean Israelites who

had defiled themselvesby touching a corpse orother taboo object. Bothpagans and rituallyunclean Israelites wereexcluded from Pesachor the Passover,because both wereritually unclean, onebecause he was notcircumcised and

immersed in themikveh, the otherbecause he had nottaken a tevilahimmersion to removehis ceremonialuncleanness, andneither, of course, hadthe sacrificecommanded by theTorah (see Leviticus

15:13-25). A sacrificewas required of bothpagans becoming Jewsand unclean Israelites,and was offered by bothafter they took theirtevilah immersions.Therefore, in order togain entrance to thecovenant meal of thePassover Seder, the

same three conditionswere required ofproselytes as naturalborn, yet ceremoniallyunclean Jews. Thesethree conditions werecircumcision (requiredon the eighth day of thelife of a natural bornJew), water immersion,and sacrifice. (See the

reference to ritualimmersions, theprototype of Moshiach'stevilah, in the Torah:Leviticus 15:13;Numbers 8:7-8;Leviticus 14:1-32.) Inthe Jewish BritChadasha Scriptures, aswe have seen, none ofthese three aspects of

incorporation into thepeople of G-d isomitted. For wherethere is faith, waterimmersion intoMoshiach's Judaism inthe name of the G-d ofIsrael includes aneternal (spiritual)circumcision(Colossians2:11-13), an

eternal (spiritual)purification bath (Titus3:5), and a perfect,eternal blood sacrificefor sin (Hebrews 9:12).Only those BneiAvraham who havecovenanted themselvesto the MoshiachAdoneinu in the mikvehmay sit at the table of

Moshiach's BritChadasha Pesach andpartake of its blessing. AN ETHICALIMPERATIVE FROMTHE G-D OF ISRAEL Taking or not taking theMoshiach's tevilah isreally not an option, forthe decision meansobedience or

disobedience to a divinecommand from the G-dof Abraham, Isaac, andJacob. And who wouldargue with the risenMoshiach Adoneinu,G-d's mighty Wordcome among us as anindestructible man?Certainly not the firstadherents of Moshiach's

Judaism, for, upon hisauthority, severalthousand MessianicJews were submitted toMoshiach's tevilahwithin the first fewweeks after theresurrection ofMoshiach. Just asGoyim had to get intothe water to commit

themselves to Judaism,so now that theMoshiach has come andis coming again,everyone must get intothe water andpersonally commithimself to MoshiachAdoneinu in order toremain in themainstream of true

Biblical Judaism.Where there is no trueadherence to theMoshiach of Judaism,there is no trueadherence to Judaism.Anyone who refuses totake the Moshiach'stevilah automaticallyremoves himself fromtrue Biblical Judaism,

for as the Talmud doesnot fail to notice, "Theworld was only createdfor the Moshiach"(Sanhedrin 98b) and"All the prophetsprophesied of nothingbut the days of theMoshiach" (Sanhedrin99a). If you wantblessed, read what

Moshiach Adoneinusays to do: "Anyonewho loves me will obeywhat I say; then myFather will love him,and we will come tohim and live withinhim" (Yochanan 14:23).Taking the Moshiach'stevilah is no magicinsurance policy freeing

people to live as theyplease without thoughtof the consequences.Taking the Moshiach'stevilah is a moralmatter, and it meanscoming under theethical direction andcontrol of the JewishMoshiach Adoneinu. Tolive otherwise is to

make a mockery ofone's tevilah. To refuseto take the Moshiach'stevilah is in factunethical behavior,since it is disobedienceof a mitzvoh of the G-dof Israel and hisMoshiach (see Matthew28:19). The spiritualJew spends the rest of

his life working out theimplications of hisMoshiach's tevilah andwhat it meansspiritually and ethicallyto be living a Jewishlife under the leading ofMoshiach. Without theintention of such a vitalfaith, the ceremony ofthe Moshiach's tevilah

is empty andmeaningless. MoshiachAdoneinu saves usthrough the tevilah(immersion) "of rebirthand renewing of theRuach Hakodesh" (Tt3:5). This does notmean that there is aquid quo pro betweennot submitting to

Moshiach's tevilah andgoing to Gehinnom, butit does mean thatanyone who says thathe believes in Moshiachand yet refuses tosubmit to theMoshiach's tevilah is indanger of coming underthe judgment of theword of G-d: "The man

who says 'I know him,'while he disobeys hismitzvot, is a liar and astranger to the truth" (IYochanan 2:4).Moshiach Adoneinucommanded, "Maketalmidim for Moshiachof all the nations,giving them a tevilah ina mikveh mayim in

Hashem, the Name ofHaAv, HaBen, andHaRuach HaKodesh,teaching them toobserve all that I havecommanded you,And--hinei!--I(Moshiach) am withyou always, even untothe Ketz haOlam hazeh(Mt.28:19-20 OJBC).

Here is a Tefillah whichyou can daven: G-d ofAbraham, Isaac, andJacob. I am a Jew andI'm going to die a Jew.But I've decided to stopliving as I please. Ipromise to live by yourWord in both theTanach and the BritChadasha. Elohim

Avinu, I know that youcan forgive my sinsonly through thekapparah of the SehhaElohim MoshiachYehoshua/Yeshua.Yehoshua/Yeshua, Ibelieve that youovercame death toprove that you are BenHaElohim, my

Moshiach and my L-rd.Come into my life.Forgive my sins. Takecontrol of my life. AndI'll obey you forever, tothe glory of ElohimAvinu and in the powerof the Ruach Hakodesh.In Yeshua’s/Yehoshua'sname, amen. Are you willing to pray

that Tefillah and meanit? Acts 2:41-42explains what MoshiachYehoshua requires ofhis talmidim: "Andthose who accepted theBesuras Hageulah tookthe Moshiach's Tevilah,and they metpersistently to hear theteaching of Moshiach's

Shlichim, to experienceMoshiach's Chavurah,to celebrate theMoshiach's Seder, andto daven."For all the disciplingmaterials, of which thiscopyrighted material ispart, seeEVERYTHING YOUNEED TO GROW A

MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE athttp://www.afii.org/texts/eyntgams.htm