In recent years, an increasing number of Christians have adopted teachings associated with the Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM). Who are they and what do they believe?

The Hebrew Roots Movement is not a monolithic organization that dictates what everyone within the movement believes and teaches. So you will find some variations within the movement. Not everything in this article will apply equally to every sect of this movement, but I’m going to try my best to give you a fair and accurate overview of the movement.

However, if you feel like I have left something out or misrepresented some aspect of the movement, please let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you and better understand where you are coming from.

What is the Hebrew Roots Movement?

The term “Hebrew Roots Movement” seems to have become the most popular term used for this movement, but there are alternative names that some people within the Hebrew Roots Movement may prefer:

Torah-keepers
Torah-observant Christians
Messianics
The Torah Observant Movement

Two other movements that are closely related to the Hebrew Roots Moment are:

The Sacred Name movement
Messianic Judaism

If you are a part of any of these related movements but prefer a different name than those I just mentioned, let me know in the comments below.

As I mentioned earlier, there is not one single organization governing the Hebrew Roots Movement. There are actually many different organizations and ministries that are a part of this movement. Here are a few examples:

First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ): A Messianic Jewish ministry that focuses on teaching the Torah and its relevance to believers in Yeshua (Jesus).
Hebrew Roots University: An institution offering online courses and resources for those interested in studying Hebrew Roots theology and lifestyle.
119 Ministries: A Messianic ministry that produces teachings and resources emphasizing obedience to the Torah and understanding of Hebrew Roots principles.
The Torah Observant Messianic Assembly (TOMA): A community of believers who adhere to Torah observance and follow Yeshua as the Messiah.
Ancient Paths TV: An online platform providing teachings and resources on Hebrew Roots theology, Torah observance, and understanding the Jewish roots of Christianity.
Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA): An organization that seeks to unite Messianic Jews and Gentile believers in Yeshua while promoting Jewish identity and the observance of Torah principles.
Hebraic Roots Network: A multimedia ministry offering teachings, conferences, and resources focused on Hebraic Roots theology and lifestyle.

What Does the Hebrew Roots Movement Teach?

They believe that the Church has veered far from the true teachings and Hebrew concepts of the Bible.

They believe that Christianity has been indoctrinated with the culture and beliefs of Greeko-Roman philosophy and because of that, Christianity as taught in churches today has been corrupted with a pagan imitation of the New Testament gospels.

They teach that if you want to understand the New Testament you must have a Hebrew perspective and that the teachings of the Apostle Paul are not understood clearly or taught correctly in the church today.

Foundational to their teachings and belief system is their belief that the death of Christ on the cross did not end the Mosaic Covenant but instead renewed it, expanded its message, and wrote it on the hearts of His true followers.

They teach that every believer is to live a Torah-observant life. This means that the ordinances of the Mosaic Covenant must be a central focus in the lifestyle of believers today as it was with the Old Testament Jews of Israel.

Therefore, Christians should:

Keep the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week (Saturday)
Celebrate the Jewish feasts and festivals such as:

Passover
Feast of Unleavened Bread
Feast of Weeks
Feast of Trumpets
Day of Atonement
Feast of Tabernacles
Hanukkah
Purim

Keep the Old Testament dietary laws
Be circumcised
Avoide "paganism" in Christianity (Christmas, Easter, etc.)
Learn to understand the Scriptures from a Hebrew mindset

How Do They Come to These Conclusions?

From what I can tell, they do this in three main ways:

#1 They point to the eternal nature of the Law.

Depending on your translation, these laws are referred to as “lasting ordinances” or “statutes forever.”

Referring to the Passover the Bible says,

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.” (Exodus 12:14 | ESV).

When addressing the lighting of lamps in the Tabernacle the Bible says,

“In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.” (Exodus 27:21 | ESV)

Speaking of the Levitical priesthood of Aaron and his sons the Bible says,

“…and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.” (Exodus 29:9 | ESV)

These are just a few examples, and many other verses refer to “lasting ordinances”:

Washing before entering the tent of meeting (Exodus 30:20–22)
Not eating the fat or blood (Leviticus 3:17)
Priests abstaining from alcohol (Leviticus 10:9)
The yearly Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16)
Sacrifices only being brought to the priests at the tabernacle (Leviticus 17:1–7)
The yearly Jewish festivals (Leviticus 23)
Lamps olive oil, and bread before the Lord in the Tabernacle (Leviticus 24:1–9)
The blowing of trumpets when the community was to move (Numbers 10:1–10)
Offerings (Numbers 15:15)
The call for Levites to oversee the work of the Tabernacle (Numbers 18)
Rules related to ritual cleansing (Numbers 19)

#2 They point to Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:17–18

“‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.’” (Matthew 5:17–18 | ESV)

They claim that since heaven and earth have not passed away, every iota and every dot of the Mosaic Law is still binding on people today.

#3 They point to Gentiles being grafted into Israel

They say that the Mosaic Law is not only binding on Israel still but on all Christians also, including Gentile Christians. They support this claim by pointing to Romans 11, where Paul says that Gentile Christians have been grafted into Israel. Since they were grafted into Israel, they need to obey the law of Israel.

So when you put it all together, the Hebrew Roots Movement believes that God’s Mosaic Law is everlasting and since Gentiles have been grafted into Israel, Christians must follow the Mosaic Law.

If you are part of this movement, did I get it right? Let me know in the comments below.

So the question for us is, is the Hebrew Roots Movement correct? Do Christians really have to live a Torah-observant lifestyle?

If you would like an in-depth analysis of the core teaching of this movement, you can check out our series of videos on the Hebrew Roots Movement here.

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