Is Neil Diamond a Christian?
Last night on American Idol Neil Diamond performed his new single “Pretty Amazing Grace” from the new project “Home Before Dark” due out next Tuesday. Well, today a lot of people are asking one question “Is Neil Diamond a Christian?” Neil Diamond was born into a Russian and Polish family and raised Jewish in New York City growing up in Brooklyn. Now, it’s not unheard of for people to convert from one to the other, but there’s been no news. Then again, that kinda thing is pretty private so…
If you missed last nights performance then check it out…
So, what do you think? And if you know anything, please, let us know… ’cause we’re curious too.
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64 Responses to “Is Neil Diamond a Christian?”
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No way! Neil is Jewish!
Pretty Amazing Grace is a love song…..
Grace is a woman’s name!
grace is not a woman here. it’s His grace.
I don’t know, I listened to it again, and to me it seems very spiritual. The words don’t really fit if he’s speaking about a woman - you have to listen to the whole song. Anyway, I hope that he’s seen the grace of Christ!
I don’t know…. it sure sounds like the words of a man who has been “Born Again”. I was saved 15 years ago and if I could pen how I felt the words in a song they would be identical. It described how I felt that day perfectly.
…Pretty amazing grace is what you should me (Who is he talking about a friend of Graace) Pretty amazing grace is who you are (the person who should him grace is the same person who is Grace (God) Stumbled in the doorway of your chapel (hope that is not a person)… Asked for amazing grace and you appeared (So he was asking for a women named grace and than she appeared??) Opened a book you live on every page (sounds like the Bible and Jesus to me) hope and grace is all he needed (so who is hope the sister of grace)…
All in all I loved the song and it was great to see him on stage. Very humble and genuine I thought.
Sorry about the spelling errors. sure glad I too know the Grace of God!
Take care
I couldn’t help but wonder after I heard the song if Yeshua had captured this Jewish boy’s heart. It was either a prolific play on words, or he has arrived home before dark. Because the culture feels the way they do about Christianity these days…he may have wanted to use wisdom and share it in a way that the world and those who’s eyes have been blinded by the god of this world might miss it, but those of us who understand “Pretty Amazing Grace” would get it and be encouraged. As for me…I’m praying and wish Elton John would be next.
“Neil Diamond Pretty Amazing Grace Lyrics
Songwriters: N/A
Complimentary “Pretty Amazing Grace” Ringtone
Pretty amazing grace is what You showed me
pretty amazing grace is who You are
I was an empty vessel
You filled me up inside
and with amazing grace restored my pride
Pretty amazing grace is how You saved me
and with amazing grace reclaimed my heart
love in the midst of chaos
calm in the heat of war
showed with amazing grace what love was for
You forgave my insensitivity
and my attempt to then mislead You
You stood beside a wretch like me
Your pretty amazing grace was all I needed.
Stumbled inside the doorway of Your chapel
humbled in God by everything I found
beauty and love surround me
freed me from what I fear
ask for amazing grace and You appear
You overcame my loss of hope and faith
gave me a truth I could belive in
You led me to a higher place
showed Your amazing grace
when grace was what I needed
look in a mirror I see Your reflection
open a book You live on every page
I fall and You’re there to lift me
share every road I climb
and with amazing grace You ease my mind
Came to You with empty pockets first
when I returned I was rich man
didn’t believe love could quench my thirst
but with amazing grace You showed me that it can
In Your amazing grace I had a vision
from that amazing place I came to be
into the night I wandered
wandering aimlessly
found Your amazing grace to comfort me.
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
pretty amazing
You overcame my loss of hope and faith,
gave me a truth I could believe in.
You led me to that higher place
showed me that love and truth and hope and grace were all I needed. ”
http://www.metrolyrics.com/pretty-amazing-grace-lyrics-neil-diamond.html
You notice how the lyrics “You”, Your”, You’re” are capitalized in the middle of sentences just like all the references to God are capitalized in the AA Big Book?
It is obvious he was talking about God with all the capitalization.
Pretty awesome song!
Dano
It is obvious that he is singing about the same amazing grace that John Newton wrote about when he wrote Amazing Grace, the hymn that is sang in many churches today.
I would hope that Neil is a Christian. He certainly said the album was personal. If he has not made that decision he probably did not write that song. I cannot imagine that song is about anything else. A couple of the song titles on the new album look like they may be of the same Christian tone. Being Jewish or a Christian are not mutually exclusive. You can be both.
Being Jewish or a Christian are not mutually exclusive - yes they are. Neil is not a Christian he is jewish. Jewish people do not worship Jesus, otherwise they would be Christians. And why would you “hope that Neil is a Christian” billions of people aren’t.
A lot of Neil Diamonds songs speak about the spiritual nature of the union between a man and a woman. He uses spiritual and religious imagery to convey the idea that love between two people is as life transforming as a religious experience. Holly Holy is about a man who has a religious experience with a woman as opposed to a deity.
I am a Jewish Christian, Jesus is Jewish, the disciples were Jewish, and many prophecies in Scripture tell us that God will graft many Jews back in — there will be more Jewish Christians someday!
Neil was “pretty amazing”. Can’t be Jewish and a Christian? When the Jewish Messiah (Greek - the ‘Christ’) comes, what will Jews be called then? - Whether we are ‘Jews’ or ‘Gentiles’, we are all called Christians because we follow the Jewish Messiah (Christ). Being Christian is a spiritual union, not an ethnic one.
Regardless, Neil sang a song that will always resonate with ‘Christ followers’ for its clarity of the message, and others for its sincerity of heart.
The title of his album alone shows he’s had a salvation experience late in his life. The 2005 album “12 Songs” is defiantly a Christian (more like Catholicism) album. But this new one really sounds like he has had a real experience with Christ. Just look at the song titles. You can go to Amazon and listen to samples of all the songs on this album.
The Only way to really know if he has a real and true relationship with Christ will be when he professes it with his mouth for all to hear.
I am Jewish and became a Christan 20 years ago when I was 21 years old. Being a Christian has made me more Jewish. BTW- LOTS of Jews have become Christian! Millions!! Maybe Neil found his Messiah.
Love the man.See him three times in concert and he is awesome.
As Khristians, with a “k” are false profits, they are the ones telling the lies that sell god to men like opium to the dumb & impressionable masses, while preachers become wealthy and own their churches and cannot be removed. God is within every man, not alive in some mere building made of brick or metal, modern Khristians are wolves in sheeps clothing, as they use fear to control the masses and pick and choose who can have their elitist salvation, while ignoring the poor and hungry and livin’ high on the materialistic hog!
Surely Hades waits for these so called super-sized church inhabitants, surely he who is first shall be last, at least you think you are first, just wait, all things in my time!
Better that Christians should convert to pagans or Jews, rather than the sad and self-serving body they have descended to becoming.
Blessed be!
Well kids. Read Romans 11, where Paul a Jew prophecies about how the Jewish people will experience a hardening until the time of the end, when ALL of Israel will be saved. We Christians have been grafted into the olive tree (Israel) and we have nothing to brag about. All glory belongs to Yahweh and His Son Jesus (a Jew) for bringing us into salvation. If Neil is a Christian, then praise God, but rather he may be a “completed Jew”, who has finally recognized his Messiah. See Israel and see how God is calling them out one by one for His purpose. And by the way, let’s all pray for the above entry, God knows him by name.
The question isnt ” has he converted to Christianity” the question is has this man accepted Jesus as the Messiah. The Lord of his life. One thing Neil doesnt need is the bondage of denomination, just the amazing grace.
Amen brother.
OK, all you non-theologians, let me make this PERFECTLY clear. GRACE is a theological compontent of Christianity, NOT found in Judaism, which is LAW based. So anyone singing about a “HE” or “YOU” in “Amazing Grace” can ONLY be singing about the amazing grace found in Jesus Christ. PERIOD.
I’ve been a fan of Neil for 38+ years. Though I haven’t followed Neil’s career closely in the last 15 yrs, he’s always had a huge influence on me as a songwriter. Neil wrote BIG hits for many stars before becoming a huge star himself…the latter found his songs were often filled with spiritual imagery that dabbled in non-defining Christian and/or Catholic themes.
But NOTHING like this song. Not even close.
Yes Jews can believe in Christ Jesus. Many do. That said, Neil is of Russian and Polish descent, but raised Jewish. Who cares?
As it is written: “Whosoever will….” That means ANYBODY.
I can’t say for certain if Neil Diamond HAS accepted Christ, and I don’t need that to be a fan of his. That said, as has been pointed out already- considering the words, and HOW they are written (not to mention the subject matter implied) this new song has an extreme high probability factor that he in fact HAS had a conversion, and is now a Christian, in the true New Testament, biblical definition.
A true songwriter (in the classic sense) that takes their craft seriously is HIGHLY thoughtful of the wording they choose, as well as in constructing the thoughts or scene they wish to paint with music & words. I can’t believe that these words were recklessly or casually penned before submitting the final draft. To my ears, it is a clearly defining message.
It is my opinion, (and his chart records agree) that Neil Diamond is one of the last “classic” songwriters of the 20th/21st century.
Bravo, Mr. Diamond.
If I don’t get to meet you here, I hope to meet you on the other side.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men
Pretty AMAZING Grace - ’nuff said!
I love that it seems the most definite representation of Christ in song of his so far. I would hate for him to have used such accepted and obvious references for Jesus just to be clever in singing about a relationship with a woman. I think that would be low for anyone. At least it is a great song and I hope we are right that he sings for Christ!
It’s obvious from many of Neil Diamonds songs that he has come to know Jesus, (Yeshua) as Lord. When a man is brought to tears singing about the birth of The Savior, it’s pretty clear who owns his heart. As far as not being Jewish, because he has come to know the savior to the Jews, that makes no sense. The early church was Jewish as were the apostles. The Christian faith has been perverted throughout it’s history by many major denominations. Many of these so called christian churches have been very anti Jewish, with the Roman church being the worst offender. Read about the Inquisition. I attend a Christian church with many Jewish believers. They are Jewish and they are Christian, just like the apostles.
Larry,
Read Romans chapter 4.
What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
…David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed are those whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
…Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham.
[...] week when I saw Natasha Bedingfield & Neil Diamond grace the American Idol stage, I wasn’t sure what we were in for. I’ve heard over the [...]
It’s called a “Messanic Jew”….meaning they have come to believe that Jesus is the MESSIAH !
For decades, his songs have been dotted with FAITH and they were not about women. He even has names a book of the bible in Holly Holy…..Song of songs…….ISRAEL is refered to God’s beloved….(SHE). Talks about the lame being healed and flying….one talks about his mother’s preacher man…but make no mistake………GRACE……..AMAZING GRACE….being SAVED as his words say: IS ABOUT CHRIST our SAVIOR. AND FOR THAT I rejoice …yes !
It’s not about the religion… it’s about the relationship.
Sounds like a completed Jew to me…hope for him that’s true.
Scott,
You are right it’s not about religon, but about the way, the truth the life. Jesus is the ONLY way…Mormons, Muslims, Buddhists, and Jewish people will not go to heaven. Without Christ they cannot.
I hope and pray that the song was personal and is working in his life, if not We serve a big God who loves to have devine appointment in the hungery hearts.
[...] Marcia Brady. Neil Neil Neil Neil. Ever since his appearance on American Idol last week, singing Pretty Amazing Grace, the tubes have been abuzz with the question about his faith and whether or not he’s found [...]
We’ve posted an update to this story just in case you missed it.
http://www.stereotruth.net/?p=651
Back in my undergrad days, I went to a group called Jews For Jesus because I was very curious as a Christian to see Jewish people’s heart for Jesus and many of them said they were Jewish as in their “heritage or nationality” but also said they were Christians so of course you can be Jewish and Christian.
This new song of Neil Diamond is very Christian sounding. It would be so wondrful if it is indeed true and he has found the Saviour Jesus as Lord. I would love to hear and know for sure if this is so. I also think Dolly Parton is a born again Christian….the contestants on Idols sang a Hillside song, one which is very worshipful to our living Lord. This is amazing! I am a South African and have been a Christian for over 35 years. Amen!
This new song of Neil Diamond is very Christian sounding. It would be so wondrful if it is indeed true and he has found the Saviour Jesus as Lord. I would love to hear and know for sure if this is so. I also think Dolly Parton is a born again Christian….the contestants on Idols sang a song from Hill songs a Christian group, one which is very worshipful to our living Lord. This is amazing! I am a South African and have been a Christian for over 35 years…I hope Mr Diamond is too. Sadly some of the comments above are upsetting….we as Christians should never say outloud that other people who believe in other religions are NOT going to heaven….it is a bad advert for God….because it sounds judemental and accusing….we should show those unbelievers by our walk in the Lord and how much we love them….that they could change their minds….Jesus loves every sinner. Amen!
NEIL DIAMOND IS JOHN THE BAPTIST! Forgive the caps but I am a sincere and devout believer who knows the compositions of Diamond very well and I wanted to emphatically state that NEIL DIAMOND IS JOHN THE BAPTIST!
I will expound more as witness so that you will take my claim seriously; however, I will not respond to any queries in this thread. On Neil’s latest album is a slew of not only Christian songs but songs about the blessed Second Coming. The song “One More Bite of the Apple” is about the Second Coming. The song “The Power of Two” is about the relationship of the Baptist and the Christ in regard to the Second Coming. These are just a few of the songs on this theme from his new album. As in the First Coming, Jesus is baptized by John. Said event has already occurred. I can tell you this with full authority given that Mr. Diamond’s body of work can be divided into two sections. The first section is before his contact with the Christ. The second is of a post-contact nature–after the baptism of the Christ, i.e. after “the second” baptism. Incidentally, Neil also has numerous songs in his body of work that pertain to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on the earth at the time of the Second Coming. Good day and canta libre!
I LOVE YOU GOD and I look forward to these glorious times in which the two great commandments as espoused in both the blessed Bible and “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show” are made manifest upon the earth. As Neil sings in one of his wonderful songs: “It’s not about ‘you,’ it’s not about ‘me,’ love is all about WE.” God bless us all!
Once again after listening to the Amazing Grace song….I would like to know if Neil Diamond has become a Christian in faith by will remain a Jew by birth….as our Lord Jesus Christ. Mr Diamond if you happen to read this….please let us know….so we as Christians can rejoice with the Angels in Heaven….Another one for the Kindom…Amen.This is Cheryl from South Africa
The Lady who wrote that he is John the Baptist need to read her Bible. Come on be real!!!!!!
What you mean to say is “your” interpretation of the bible, pastor jeff. I for one will not be closeminded, and I will consider the matter further as I hope others will, and then share. I do know as a Diamond fan that not only do his songs have reference to John the Baptist but even the titles of his albums do. Such album titles are “September Morn,” which happens to share the same name of a famous painting. “Primitive,” is another album name and its title song is very similar to a composition called “Mama Don’t Know.” Another album and song title called “On the Way to the Sky” is chilling in its implications. Earlier in his career, his lyrics often spoke of being lost and now we have a very provocation album entitled “Home Before Dark.” And also, in another song of his called “Amazed and Confused,” Neil writes: “Somebody’s waitin’ on the river Jordan, somebody’s waitin’ on the other side. Cast my stones on the way to heaven. For on the way you know that I will abide.” I would be quite distraught if I jumped to any conclusions and found that indeed the most miraculous event in human history is happening and I have mocked and ridiculed that possibility.
To anyone interested, I think you can find most of the songs I just noted on utube or youtube–whatever it’s called. Obviously he is a Christian, he has two Christmas albums and they are not about Santa and his reindeer. I think the real question we must ask is whether he might be or at least claim to be John the Baptist. Maybe he is just a prophet but we must look closer into this man. If he is a false prophet or wrongly preaching the faith, then he needs to be exposed as well.
The words to MISSA written by Diamond and on his 1970 album
Note: 1970
Kristo, Kristo, Kristo
Nitakutana nayeye
Nitakutana nayeye
Atakutana nami
Atakutana nami
Kristo, Kristo, Kristo
Sina budi kwenda sasa sasa
Sina budi kwenda sasa sasa
Lazima nisichelewe
Mtoto amezaliwa
Mtoto amezaliwa
Mtoto amezaliwa
Kristo, Kristo, Kristo
Gloria
[English Translation:]
Christ, Christ, Christ
I shall meet him
I shall meet him
He will meet me
He will meet me
Christ, Christ, Christ
I must go now,
Now I must go now
I must not be late
A child has been born
The child has been born
Christ, Christ, Christ
Gloria
sounds like you have an idol in your life - now Neil is John the B. come on he is just a man who may have had a encounter with Christ, don’t make him into your idol - that would make what God is doing in his life cheapened, if he is a believer.
p.s. is Tonyt and imabeliever the same person?
Would love to hear from Neil himself about the question of being a Christian.
Ok, Jeff, regarding your last entry, I’ll be kind given there will be enough “wailing and gnashing of teeth” in the near future. (Perhaps I can recommend a dentist at a later date?) Am about to head to that land of dreams blessed God provides, but thought I’d share this link before I do:
http://www.cootiehog.com/?p=4390
(See the end of the thread.)
I’ll be quite busy starting tomorrow–today, actually–but probably won’t stop back later anyway. Be of good cheer, and to quote the title of one of Neil’s songs: “The Good Lord Loves You.”
The obvious to me–and that which I look solely toward–is that this man possesses a beautiful soul with the divine gift of songwriting and the ability to channel his passion into those words through song…. He has clearly found “the peace that passes understanding” whatever name one wishes to attach to that. Bless him for sharing such beautiful music with the world.
I think the term is Messianic Jew! . . . First for the Jews then the Gentiles..” as it was written! He’s come a long way from the days he wrote ” . . if it feels nice, then don’t think twice. . ” He’s clearly had a spiritual awakening and there is NO CONFLICT between being JEWISH and believing in Jesus Christ!
Send up some KNEE MAIL today! God Bless!
I watched a short clip of Neil Diamond performing some of his new songs. I was in no doubt and very excited about the fact that Neil has met with the Lord personally. It was so obvious that it made me search the net to see if there was any news regarding this. All I can say is ‘Praise the Lord’. Unfortunately those who don’t know Christ as their Saviour think Christianity is a religion. It’s wonderful if Neil has met the Messiah(which seems pretty obvious) and makes him no less Jewish but makes him complete.
Well I reckon he has had an encounter with the saviour. Looking at the lyrics, they can all be equated to scripture. I’ll illustrate as best I can:
Pretty amazing grace is how You saved me
(saved me is clearly a refrence to the message of salvation which is evident throughout the New Testament)
and with amazing grace reclaimed my heart
love in the midst of chaos
(Yea tho i walk through the valley of the shadow of death)
calm in the heat of war
showed with amazing grace what love was for
You forgave my insensitivity
and my attempt to then mislead You
You stood beside a wretch like me
(A reiteration of the song Amazing Grace by W. Wilberforce)
Your pretty amazing grace was all I needed.
Stumbled inside the doorway of Your chapel
humbled in God by everything I found
beauty and love surround me
freed me from what I fear
ask for amazing grace and You appear
(I dont think i need to comment here, this says it all)
You overcame my loss of hope and faith
gave me a truth I could belive in
(Jesus tells us that faith is belief and trust in him, also he calls himslef “The Way the Truth and the Life”)
You led me to a higher place
showed Your amazing grace
when grace was what I needed
look in a mirror I see Your reflection
(A reference to Gal. 2:20, “I am Crucified with Christ”, we are dead as believers, but we are inhabited by Christ (I am in you and you are in me) and if we can consider yourselves as Christ we can see him in us)
open a book You live on every page
I fall and You’re there to lift me
share every road I climb
and with amazing grace You ease my mind
Came to You with empty pockets first
when I returned I was rich man
(A reference to the “Riches/Wealth of christ”)
didn’t believe love could quench my thirst
(If Christ is love then…”I am the water of life”…so Christ would quench his thirst.)
but with amazing grace You showed me that it can
In Your amazing grace I had a vision
from that amazing place I came to be
into the night I wandered
wandering aimlessly
found Your amazing grace to comfort me.
(”I shall be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path”)
I really believe he has found Christ. Praise the Lord for he is good.
Great to see such support here too!
http://www.cadz.net
Hope he is a Christian
As I listened to his words and enjoyed the song, Pretty Amazing Grace, I felt like Neil was singing both to God and to his partner, Rachel. He’s a complex man and his songs are not that simple. You have to read into what he is saying. He is a very spiritual man and he doesn’t have to be a Christian to make it into the kingdom of heaven, for you Christians out there and he doesn’t have to be Jewish (although I realize he was born into his faith) either to make it. All he has to do is acknowledge God and if you listen to all his other songs he writes about God and is unashamed. That’s why his critics make fun of him. Anyway I feel that Neil is searching and knows his God in a personal way. He is right where he is supposed to be, getting closer and closer to his Messiah, Jeshua!
A beautiful song from a beautiful man who is simply singing in spirit and in truth and his proclamation is bold and clear and non-speculative to anyone that would know the voice of the good Shephard.
If you’re familiar with his earlier songs, it is evident that he was searching for truth very early. Being Jewish, he was not exposed to the Gospel. However, I believe his song, “I Am I said” illustrates his search for G-d. In Exodus when Moses asked G-d Whom he should say sent him, G-d told him to tell them “I Am” sent him.
The lyrics of the song suggest that Neil was crying out to G-d but the only response was silence. “I Am I said, to no one there, and no one heard at all not even the chair.”
Also, the Jews are very careful not to take G-d’s name in vain. In the lyrics of his song, Neil says, “Well I’m not a man who likes to swear, but I never cared for the sound of being alone.” A Jew may well consider how he uses “I Am” in his song as taking G-d’s name in vain, although it is not the Hebrew for G-d’s name, it may be considered the English translation. (Most Jews will even spell G-d with a hyphen or underscore intead of the vowel, for the same reason.)
Jesus said no one cometh unto the Father but by Me, so any effort to reach out to G-d that ignores Christ is fruitless, unless of course by the Grace of God it leads to Christ that they might know the Father.
I sincerely hope that after so long a time, he has found the rest his soul has searched for for so long a time.
According to Judaic thinking, Jesus did not uphold the two primary elements of the Messiah and the messianic age: justice and peace. Injustice and corruption are still rampant today, long after he was crucified, are they not?
Jesus also failed to fulfill the prophecy of world peace. We have not had world peace since his death, have we not? Where are our soldiers today? Not in this country, where they should be.
A final note, the Second Commandment (Exodus 20:3-6): “You shall have no other gods beside Me.” Do Christian’s just ignore this? To worship the Trinity is said to be polythesitic, not monotheistic. Worshiping the Son, or the Holy Spirit, or the Virgin Mary (who was Egyptian), or Saints is worshiping something or someone other than G-d Himself. The Trinity is not one and the same. Jesus was a man, a rabbi. Jews worship only G-d and no one else, for no one else is worthy of Him.
We believe Jesus was indeed a divine man, worthy of respect from the Jews, and that though he may have walked with G-d, he was not the Messiah.
My point being Neil is Jewish. He doesn’t need radical Christians hoping and praying that he has “found peace” or “found salvation” when they fail to accept the truth about Jesus. Christians believe only they are worthy and that everyone else who does not accept Jesus will go to hell. Wow, what a Holy thing to say to people of other religions. Doesn’t it bother you at the end of the day, that you actually damn people because their religion is not yours? Don’t bother telling me that because I’m Jewish, I’m going to hell, it’s not true. But I will say a prayer for you.
Micah,
Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with bearing false witness? Your post is filled with deception. You haven’t even scratched the surface of the matter and I’m sure you know far less about Christianity than I do Judaism, just from the accusations in your post.
I don’t have time to go into Messiah Ben Joseph and Messiah Ben David, but you know as well as I do that Jewish scholars don’t even understand just exactly what the Scriptures teach about Messiah. Consider the testimonoy of Isaiah 52, “So shall He sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.”
Suffice to say, that when Messiah returns for His Bride, He will indeed bring peace - after all He is the Prince of Peace. He brought it the first time to those who would accept Him, the next time He will end the war against Himself, vanquishing His enemies and establishing an abiding peace and His eternal kingdom.
As to what bothers me, it bothers me that the Jewish leaders in Jesus’s day deceived their own people about His resurrection; and it bothers me that there are Jews so blinded by their pride and so unfamiliar with their own Scriptures that they cannot recognize their Messiah. However, there are many Jews who have embraced Jesus Christ as their Messiah, and it doesn’t seem to bother Jews to suggest that they are damned. How about you? Does it bother you? Why not?
Then perhps you understand my point whether you agree with it or not. However, some day all men shall know the Truth and those who embrace it in this life will be free indeed.
I will also pray for you.
My point from my original post was that I believe Neil Diamond’s song, “I Am, I Said” illustrated that he had not found fulfillment in Judaism. I pointed out that his cry, the very title of the song, and the lyrics suggest that Judaism still left him empty and alone; and his efforts in vain. ie “I Am I said, to no one there and no one heard at all not even the chair. Leaving me lonely still”
My point was also that the lyrics of the song clearly evidence the intent of the words “I AM”, I quote, “Well I’m not a man who likes to swear, but I never cared for the sound of being alone.” Can you find any curse words in the song? It’s obviously an allusion to a desecration of the Holy Name, and also an expression that it was not his intent to take it in vain - however he was crying out for Truth and spiritual fulfillment.
Regarding Judaism, no one practices the Law today, not even the Orthodox Jews. There are no blood sacrifices.
Jeremiah prophesied of a “new covenant” that G-d would make with His people, and not according to the covenant He’d made with their fathers, because their fathers did not continue in His covenant.
Regarding Jesus as Messiah, and Judaic teachings, just who is David talking about in Psalm 22? One could hardly find a more apt description of a crucifixion and in fact even a picture or a movie would fall short of the effectiveness of the Psalm, since it expresses sensory images that cannot be depicted visually. However, the Psalm concludes, “A seed shall serve Him. They shall come a declare His righteousness to the people that shall be born, that He hath done this.”
Isaiah 53:8 begins, “He shall be taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare His generation?” The answer is His Jewish followers who were persecuted by the leaders of their own people; and interestingly enough, the Genntiles who willingly accpeted Jesus Christ as Messiah (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 32:21 They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is not G-d; they have provoked Me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.”) Who is not a people? The Christian Church! They aren’t a nation; they aren’t a people, they are from all nations.
If you read the remainder of the of Isaiah 53 it will tell you why there are no more Jewish sacrifices for sin, and how G-d provided the blood for the remission of sins, once for ever, and also for the consummation of the covenant that Jeremiah spoke about.
I think Neil is singing about God, his Jewish and yes he believes in God, so do i.
Bridget not Brudget sorry.
I believe that Neil Diamond has met his Messiah and should rightly be called a Messianic Lew
Don’t know if anyone has picked up on it yet but… Neil Diamond has previously released a CHRISTMAS album! I kid you not!
Why would a Jew release a Christmas album?
http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Album-Neil-Diamond/dp/B0000028R7
most people approaching that magic Biblical age of 70 or 80(stated, if one is healthy), start to reflect on their life and know the end is in sight. No one declares being righteous and is. No one declares to be a Christian and just is. The one called JOSHUA (if properly translated from the Hebrew to the English) declares HIS MERCY and upon WHOM HE will have MERCY. We are a dead race in ADAM. Dead (SPIRITUAL) means completely DEAD towards GOD. Have you ever heard the phrase ” DEAD MEN DON’T TALK “? Well, they don’t DECLARE CHRISTIANITY either. You have left out the ONLY MERCY GIVER and somehow resurrected your own life. If, Neil Diamond, has been shown that MERCY through the judgment taken in the separation, JOSHUA, took for him, he is a recipient of RENEWED LIFE.
Wow, awesome discussion. Bottom line: If one hasn’t converted to Christianity, how can he/she speak as if to know what it is. I also have known Jews that have converted to Christianity. Every one of them did this after much study and after NOT being able to discount the fact that Jesus IS indeed the Messiah that the Jews are waiting for. The problem is that many don’t want to relate to a person who was whipped, beaten, etc. They just don’t understand that for the most powerful entity in the Universe (God) to show the ultimate love and sacrifice, there is no better way than to have done this through the suffering of His Son. If you haven’t gotten there spiritually, at least study the scriptures. It makes intellectual sense as well.