As Americans commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in July 2026, it is fitting to remember Jonas Phillips, an Ashkenazi Jewish immigrant whose life embodied both the promise and the challenges of religious liberty in the new nation.
From Germany, Phillips arrived in the American colonies in 1756 as an indentured servant in Charleston, South Carolina. Like many immigrants seeking opportunity, he began with few resources and faced the uncertainty of starting a new life in an unfamiliar land. Yet through perseverance and determination, he built a successful career as a merchant and eventually settled in Philadelphia, home to one of the largest Jewish communities in colonial America. He and his Sephardic wife, Rebecca, helped found Congregation Mikveh Israel, an Orthodox Sephardic community in Philadelphia. The couple had twenty-one children, some of whom became prominent characters in American history, and even purchased and preserved Thomas Jefferson’s estate – Monticello. The Jewish grave of Jonas Phillips’ daughter, Rachel Phillips Levy, can be visited at Monticello.
When the American Revolution began, Phillips embraced the Patriot cause. He supported independence, served in the local militia, and believed deeply in the revolutionary ideals of liberty and equality. However, as a Jew, he understood that those ideals had not yet been fully extended to all Americans.
In 1787, while delegates gathered in Philadelphia to draft the United States Constitution, Phillips wrote a remarkable petition to George Washington and the Constitutional Convention. He objected to religious tests that excluded Jews and other non-Christians from public office, as one had to attest to the authority of the New Testament to serve. He urged the creation of a government that protected freedom of conscience for all citizens. His appeal reflected the hopes of many religious minorities who sought equal participation in American civic life.
Although Phillips did not live to see every barrier removed, his advocacy helped shape the American commitment to religious liberty. The Constitution’s prohibition against religious tests for federal office became a landmark guarantee of equal citizenship.
Two hundred fifty years after the Declaration of Independence, Jonas Phillips reminds us that the American story includes the voices of Jewish immigrants who helped transform the promise of freedom into a broader reality. His journey, from indentured servant to respected merchant and advocate for religious equality, stands as a testament to the enduring Jewish contribution to the American experiment.
When we consider one of God’s many names is El Roi, which means the God who sees me, we can expect this God who sees our ways will help us see His will or way for our lives, and often reveals said ways through the physical. It’s a brilliant juxtaposition for an invisible God to use the visible to know who God is, and to learn to trust Him and His directions for our customized lives. In fact, God often asked the prophets, “What do you see?” to convey an important message to the prophets (Amos 7:7-8; 8:2; Jeremiah 1:11-13) and just as God modeled to the prophets, the prophets frequently conveyed God’s message to the people using the physical. In the Exodus account, God used the physical manifestations to reveal Himself to the enslaved Israelites in Egypt as well as Egyptians, which ultimately prompted the mixed-multitude to vacate Egypt as they followed Moses and the Israelites throughout the wilderness (Exodus 12:38). God also used signs to answer those who sought God such as King Hezekiah. In Isaiah 37, King Hezekiah prays to God for clarity, and God immediately answers when the prophet Isaiah sends a message to King Hezekiah writing, “And this is the sign for you…” (Isaiah 37:30) to which Isaiah describes physical manifestations of agriculture within a specific timeline and the interpretation of said signs. Furthermore, the prophets are called seers in Tanakh because much spiritual insight can be perceived through what we see whether in the physical, a sign, a vision, or dream. Nearly every prophet throughout Tanakh has a visual experience (i.e. burning bush, visions, dreams); hence, the label of seer. Similarly, the Levitical priest used the signs provided through the breastplate of decision when they struggled to make an important decision such as to go to war or not. Through the story of Jonah, we see another example of using the physical for clarity as the sailors cast lots to quickly determine who the problem was as the angry seas threatened their lives (Jonah 1:7). All of these examples found in Tanakh reveal that it is not only acceptable to seek God’s will or clarity for our lives and that God uses the physical human/prophet/priest as well as physical objects and or circumstances, but that said physical beings or objects can be accurate and trustworthy resources of guidance.
And yet, if it was permissible to seek out God’s guidance through a “seer” or man or woman of God and God Himself used physical signs to guide individuals, then why do we read in various Torah commands, such as Leviticus 19:26 or Deuteronomy 18:9-12, as some examples, to not consult divination, soothsayer, ghosts, mediums, or omens? Torah teaches us there are both false prophets and true prophets, who have a spiritual gift, and both the true and counterfeit can frequently perform the same physical acts or see or read a person or interpret a dream or circumstance accurately. Ponder the Exodus story as the Egyptian magicians performed the same spells as they matched the manifestations God made through Moses and Aaron (Exodus 7:22; 8:3) or how the prophets of Baal dualed the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18) or how Baalam, who was not of Israel, could also accurately see the future and was well-known throughout his region (Numbers 22) or how a different Pharoah consulted Joseph to interpret a dream (Genesis 41) and King Nebuchadnezzar consulted Daniel to interpret the King’s dream (Daniel 2) because their usual people could not do so at that time but normally could. In other words, these gifts of seeing and interpretation, or means of communication with a spiritual realm are real, prevalent, and still exist today; otherwise, there would be no need for God to document these experiences for each generation to learn from and no need to permanently command not to seek out a diviner, medium, ghost, etc. if such things weren’t real. Now that we’ve established these two groups, why is seeking out a seer or perhaps a rabbi or asking God for a sign okay, but forbidden to consult tarot cards, mediums, or psychics, to use some more modern terms?
Like all actions, it boils down to motive. What is the motive of the so-called prophet, seer, medium, psychic, or whatever label given? What is the motive of the seeker? And what is the motive of God?
First, let’s consider God’s motive in our conundrums. Why does God repeatedly welcome and encourage individuals to seek Him in Tanakh? Perhaps by allowing challenging decisions to be made, it provokes an individual to seek out and “trust in the LORD with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding” as Proverbs 3:5-6 bellows. God says in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you wonderous things, secrets you have not known.” In fact, through the prophet Isaiah, God chides the House of Israel for making plans without asking Him first (Isaiah 30:1-2). Isaiah reiterates later in 55:6, “Seek the LORD while He can be found, call to Him while He is near.” God’s motive in allowing or creating the circumstances resulting in our internal and external conflicts is to make Himself, His Name, His Sovereignty, His Voice (a.k.a. Torah, His documented voice) known to us (and others around us through our story). Subsequently, these dilemmas we find ourselves in are opportunities to build a healthy relationship of trust between the Creator and the created. But due to our days full of distraction, we often cannot see God in the chaos of our lives – we struggle to pause for anything much less to interpret the various visual clues and what God may be trying to teach us in our surroundings and circumstances. Hence, God’s love for visual reminders like the tzitzits (strings on the corners of the garment Jewish men wear), God’s words on the doorposts (mezuzah), or engraved stone tablets instructing “Remember the Sabbath”, etc. We need visual and tangible reminders because we are visual and tactile learners. Sabbath is a great day to pause and ponder all the visual clues God provided throughout the busy week as we study and learn to walk in God’s Sacred Highway, His light, a.k.a. Torah, all of which is ultimately for our benefit (Isaiah 35:8 sacred highway; Proverbs 6:23 Torah is light; Deuteronomy 6:24 beneficial). God’s motive in it all is a healthy relationship with us and loving-kindness towards us.
Second, what is the motive of the true and false prophets/seers? Throughout Tanakh, individuals failed to seek, trust, and heed God’s guidance. Hence, the role of the true prophet to reflect, correct, and direct wandering souls in God’s heart for them. No true prophet wants to be a prophet for it historically has not ended well for any prophet in Tanakh (i.e. hated, humiliated, imprisoned/captivity, cut in two, stoned, killed in other capacities). The motive of a true profit is an unadulterated love, fear, and respect for God and ultimately, the repentance of others, and ideally, the subsequent relationships others could have with God. Conversely, some prophets are motivated by profit, fame, or power, all of which is forbidden and one clear way to tell if a prophet is true or false is by if they charge for their services like psychics do, and or if they only predict good things to the seeker for they can read the idols of an individual’s heart (Micah 3:11-12; Ezekiel 13-14) whereas a true prophet is all about making God and His commands (Torah) known and that usually is not what people want to hear. In fact, the test of a true prophet is defined in Deuteronomy 13, which warns if a prophet tells you to do away with God’s law (Torah) and or worship another as if he/she/it is God, then you know that prophet is not sent by God. The fake apostle/prophet Paul, the founder of Christianity, taught precisely those violations, and I believe was sent as a test, to which many have failed. In other words, if the voice of an alleged prophet or any other source contradicts Torah, God’s documented voice, then you know that is not truth, not the correct answer. The motive of a diviner, medium, psychic, or false prophet often is rooted in self-centered objectives of financial gain, popularity, or power and control, or all of the above, and therefore, will likely provide welcomed feedback. Ponder the messages preached by mega-churches or bestselling books penned by preachers – they often propel themes of how God can serve you, not how you can serve God. Essentially, false prophets or diviners are forbidden because their motive is to profit from flattering you as they feed your soul with vain promises of prosperity. They cunningly specialize in making you feel as if you are God while they gauge your being (the visual clues you personify) and can easily mislead you into a direction not for you, but against you.
Lastly, what is the motive of the individual, the seeker, that either consults with God directly or consults a true or false prophet/seer/teacher? The seeker is motivated by wanting to avoid unnecessary suffering (healthy fear); some may be motivated by curiosity (like trying out a psychic or tarot card reading); and some may be motived by an authentic ambition to please God as they ask for God’s directions.
In conclusion, seeking God’s guidance for your life through prayer, Scripture, visual clues, or other Torah-modeled resources are not only permissible but encouraged. When seeking clarity, evaluate your motive and the motive of the source you are seeking. As for me, I have come to trust God’s answers or signs when I’ve sought Him for advice. Through it all, because of life’s conundrums and subsequent heart cries of clarity, I am grateful for and adore this God who sees, listens, and answers.
Blood animal sacrifices are not mandatory for atonement. Review the plethora of passages revealing a repentant heart will do just fine. Understand the various forms of payment (ie animals, flour, jewelry, incense, etc.) when a temple in Jerusalem exists, is based on affordability, offense, or circumstance to teach the accidental violator a lesson so as to not repeat their violation. Our court system today is based on this concept. Moreover, human sacrifice has always been forbidden (see Leviticus 18:21, 20:3; Deuteronomy 12:29-32; 18:10; 2 Kings 3:27, 16:3, 17:17; 2 Chronicles 28:3, 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31; Psalm 106:35-38; Ezekiel 16:20-21 as some examples) AND no human can die for another’s sins (see Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:1-32; 33:12-20; Jeremiah 31:29-30; Psalm 49:7). In other words, Jesus didn’t die for your sins. All you need is repentance.
When the author of Hebrews uses Psalm 40 to make the reader think a human sacrifice (Jesus) was required for atonement, he changed out what the Psalm actually says. In other words, the author lied. Intentionally deceived and still deceives unsuspecting readers. As Ronald Reagan said, “Trust but verify.” Look this stuff up for yourself.
The Hebrew Bible vaguely introduces the concept of a messiah figure expected to manifest in the future. In this video teaching, we explore 10 criterion of the final Messiah.
When an Evangelical Christian friend of ours passed away from COVID, I pondered what would become of his soul. Without realizing he was propagating idolatry, our now deceased friend had actively evangelized to others doing his best to get people to believe in and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. By all accounts, he was a “godly” guy. Subsequently, curiosity led me to research what the Hebrew Bible had to say about idolatry and potential consequences for both the apostate Jew and misinformed Gentile that perceives and worship Jesus as God.
What Is Idolatry?
According to the Bible, idolatry is defined as worshiping others, or other deities, or objects as if they are God (Exodus 20:2-4, 34:17). It’s interesting that God or other Biblical authors acknowledge there are other deities, or other concepts believed to be deities (Exodus 15:11, 20:3-4; Psalm 96:5, 97:7, 135:5). In other words, the text acknowledges the fact that mankind struggles to focus on an invisible, infinite God and instead tends to fashion finite, visual being(s) and deem them God. Remember the golden calf incident?
Additionally, idolatry is likened to adultery and considered both an abomination and even identified as hating God (Exodus 34:15-16, Ezekiel 16:15-22; Psalm 81:9-16).
These passages, however, are directed towards ancient Israelites, which now are known as Jews.
Are Only Jews Prohibited from Worshiping Anything as God or All Humanity?
Just as God instructed Jews to not worship other gods early on in the Book of Exodus, God also gave the Egyptians in the same story the opportunity to repent from worshiping their plethora of false gods and to worship the One and Only True God instead. At one point, Pharoah repented and the LORD relented in the plague (Exodus 10:16-17). Unfortunately, Pharoah repeated old patterns and refused to let the Israelite people go to worship God. Through it all, however, God’s motive was to reveal Himself as the One True God to not just the Israelites, but the Egyptians as well. Consequently, many realized the gods they worshiped were false ones and chose to enjoin themselves with the Israelites and fled alongside them (Exodus 12:38). In other words, God’s mission and subsequent use of the plagues weren’t just to relieve and rescue the Israelites from oppression but was to also make His name and authority known to thousands so that they could intimately know God and how He defines covenant relationship with Him. Essentially, God removed them from bondage to a polytheistic culture so they could know the bond of Oneness. In light of this revelation, ponder the concept that Jesus’ statements of being one with the Father didn’t mean he is proclaiming himself as God or part of a godhead, rather Jesus conveyed the bond of covenant relationship with God- oneness. Hence, praying to God that others could also be one with God (John 17). If Jesus were saying he was God, then his prayer would mean he was praying others could also be God.
Through His prophets, God repeatedly stated He is it – there is no other nor will be.
Another similar opportunity of oneness with God was presented to the Ninevites, who were Gentiles, in other words, not Jewish for Ninevah was a populous capital city in the Assyrian Empire. Commissioned by God to deliver this important message, Jonah reluctantly arrived to warn the aggressive Ninevites to repent from their many sins, presumably including idolatry or there would be dire consequences (Book of Jonah). Unlike Pharoah, the Ninevites repented and God’s grace was given. He delighted in forgiving these Gentiles (non-Jews) just as God would have the Egyptians. While dwelling on God’s grace towards the Ninevites, notice no human needed to die for their sins, no blood needed to be shed, and yet, God forgave them. Tragically, the Ninevites must have reverted to their pagan tendencies because later the prophet Nahum warned of God’s judgment specifically for their idolatry (Nahum 1:1,14).
Interestingly, passages foretelling the future reveal idolatry, or worshiping anything but the One and Only God, will be forever banished from all the Earth, meaning for both Jew and Gentile (Zechariah 13:2, 14:9,16-21). It should be noted in Zechariah 14:16-21, in the future, the nations that choose not to worship God in the way He instructed, specifically by coming to the temple for the Feast of Trumpets/Sukkot, will suffer consequences. It’s interesting because that is one of the three holy holidays God taught the Israelites they must celebrate by coming to the temple. He did not command that to everybody, just Jews, and yet, in the future, everybody must participate regardless if they are a Jew or of the nations (Exodus 23:14-17, 34:18-23; Deuteronomy 16:1, 9-10, 13, 16-17). All of which validates the Israelites, or Jews, are chosen to lead the nations to God’s teachings found in Torah, which is referred to as “light” (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6; Psalm 119:105-106; Proverbs 6:23).
How Are Jews to Handle Idolatry?
Not to intermarry with those of another faith (Deuteronomy 7:3, 20:16-18; 1 Kings 11:1-2; Ezra 9)
To divorce those of another faith (those who worship other gods) (Ezra 10)
To tear down, destroy, toss out, remove all evidence of idols in one’s territory (Exodus 34:13; Isaiah 27:9)
To continue to lead in love as they guide other Jews and non-Jews to Torah’s teachings, which is God’s teachings of what He loves and hates; moreover, the faithful Jew uses God’s Torah, which means “teaching”, to teach others what love is and isn’t.
What Are the Consequences of Idolatry, If Any, for Jews & Gentiles?
Below is a list of the specific consequences for Jews, but to rephrase in a modern-day reality, Jews that worship Jesus (or any other god):
Cursed (Jeremiah 17:5)
Makes Jews/Israel vulnerable to physical attacks such as war and disease (sent by God as a means to discipline the Jews – Judges 8; Psalm 81:9-17; historical and Biblical siege of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria for their idolatry as well as siege of Southern Kingdom by the Babylonian Empire for doing the same. Both events were warned by the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah)
For the Gentile, the Hebrew Bible details similar consequences:
Early death or destruction (Nahum 1:13)
Will become like the idols they worship – mute, blind, deaf, lifeless, no breath, (spiritually) dead (Psalm 135:15-18)
Moreover, for both the Jew or Gentile, or in broader terms, all of humanity, it does the following:
Idols of one’s heart cannot be hidden from God (Psalm 44:21-22; Ezekiel 14:1-11)
Vexes God prompting rebuke (Deuteronomy 32:19-24)
Makes God jealous (Exodus 34:15; Isaiah 42:8; 48:11)
Makes God angry (Psalm 106:34-46)
Activates TRUE prophets to advise otherwise/warn (Judges 8:7-10; Hence, prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, and Nahum warning Jews and Gentiles of such destructive choices)
Cursed (Jeremiah 17:5)
Activates severe consequences such as fire, plagues, war, aggressive beasts (Ezekiel 14:12-23- Notice the language in verse 13 “if a land”, not specifically, the land of Israel so any land that worships another god, similar to what the future prophecy Zechariah 14:16-21 conveyed)
In conclusion, while digging through these passages, it became grossly evident to me that idolatry causes God pain, severs any hope of oneness with God, and produces significant consequences as God enforces His boundaries of love. It is too late for our deceased Christian friend, but perhaps the most recent plague of COVID and its many variants along with these compelling Scriptures could invoke repentant hearts as we cast down our idols and indeed make our hands clean.
Download these Scriptures to study this important topic for yourself.
As a former Christian, all of the errors and misquotes I have found were while using my Christian Bible (old and new testaments). I did not go to some random special resource to discover this fraud. Look up these verses to see it for yourself in your own Bible.
Here in Hebrews 10 compared to Psalm 40 we can see several errors. Not only did the author intentionally replace God’s word, which it is a sin to add or subtract from Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32/13:1; Jeremiah 26:2), by subtracting the text “My ears you have opened” and replaced it with “But a body You have prepared for Me..” in attempts to deceive the unsuspecting reader into thinking Jesus’ body was the final sacrifice, but in addition to this blatant alteration of God’s Scripture, the author of Hebrews, presumably Paul, removed “You did not require” and replaced it with “you had no pleasure” to further his agenda.
As discussed in my article “Why Jesus Didn’t Die For Anyone’s Sins”, sin and trespass offerings can only transpire in the temple within Jerusalem, which no longer exists, nor existed at the time the psalm was penned; moreover, those offerings are designed to be a tangible lesson to learn God’s instructions of loving Him and others as they were exclusively for unintentional/accidental sins, not rebellion or intentional sin. When a temple is not present or should the offender be not in Jerusalem, sin and trespass offerings are not required for the remission of sins despite what Christian doctrines purport. We see in 1 Kings 8, King Solomon prays and declares that even when no temple is present or people are not in the land of Israel, God will forgive those who repent and return to His Torah. In other words, all God has ever wanted was for people to hear His documented voice, being His instructions on how to love God and others throughout the Torah; hence, the psalmist praise of “my ears you have opened”. God eagerly forgives those who repent and return to His instructions. As Scripture reveals and repeats in numerous places, all God wants is those with circumcised hearts, willing to listen, trust, and obey (see 1 Kings 8, Psalm 50, 51, 103, 119, Proverbs 3, Isaiah 1:16-17, and many more!). As if all of these intentional and deceptive misquotes weren’t bad enough, the author of Hebrews also left off a key element validating God’s Torah by removing the phrase, “And Your law is within my heart.”
Furthermore, we see in a future era, sin and trespass offerings, as well as other sacrifices, and all of Torah, will resume in God’s presence once the final temple is erected (see Ezekiel 40:38-43; 43:4-46:24; Zechariah 14:16+; Isaiah 56:6-8; Isaiah 2:3).
These errors are clearly intentional as the author of Hebrews is leading the reader to believe 1) A sin blood sacrifices were required (for atonement), 2) God doesn’t want ongoing sacrifices, but just one final sacrifice being Jesus now and 3) by leaving off Torah is within my heart it leads the reader to believe God’s laws are done away with or no longer relevant, a myth the Church has propagated for centuries in attempts to distance themselves from anything remotely Jewish. The author of Hebrews goes on to repeat his grave sin by rewriting it for emphasis in verses 8-9 AND claiming God’s Torah, part of what Christians label “OLD” Testament is removed. Out with the old and in with the new Hebrews 10:9 claims; hence, the birth of Replacement Theology. However, Deuteronomy 13 warns us that anyone that comes along and says God’s law, His Torah, His instructions, His voice is done away with, or steers others to not obey Torah is a false prophet and in dangerous error. This person or doctrine was sent as a test to see if you believe in God or man-made doctrines like Replacement Theology and the Book of Hebrews. Fascinating that the author could not even pen his name to this manuscript just as the alleged authors of the Gospels did not pen their names either.
Evidently, some Apostles disagreed with Paul’s perspective taught in Galatians regarding the law is a curse if you attempt to obey it, but rather agreed with Proverbs 28:9. #BlessingNotACurse
