The Old Rabbi’s Vision

(Written by Cynthia Nuara)

---

There is a buzz in the Christian world concerning a rabbi who died almost eight years ago. He claimed to have seen the Messiah in a vision, and what the Messiah supposedly had to say to him.

A book and video documentary were released in November about this Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri and his vision, which Kaduri said would come to pass after the (then) prime minister of Israel’s death. That prime minister was Ariel Sharon, who was just pronounced to be close to death on January 1, 2014 after kidney failure and given no more than a few days to live. Sharon has been in a comatose state for eight years, as long as the rabbi has been dead.

The Bible does say in Acts 2:17, “And in the last days it shall be,” ‘God declares,’ “ that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.'"

But we’re also warned in 1 John 4:1: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

When I first heard the name the rabbi gave of the Messiah, I was excited at first. Further research has put a damper on that excitement. There are some definite red flags here. With that said, here is his vision:

According to his followers, he fell into a trance-like state in 2005 on Yom Kippur, the Jewish holy Day of Atonement. This happened before a room full of his students and lasted 45 minutes. Afterwards, the old rabbi lifted his head and said “I have met the Messiah…..He shall appear soon.” He somberly continued, “….The Messiah has revealed to me that He will not present Himself until after the death of our prime minister, Ariel Sharon.

Kaduri died within three months after his vision, on January 28, 2006 at the estimated age of 108. It is said that he wrote a note instructing it to be opened one year after his death, which would reveal the name of the Messiah. The rabbi’s story was first published in the April 2007 issue of Israel Today Magazine. According to that article, here is what the note said (translated from Hebrew into English):

“Concerning the letter abbreviation of the Messiah’s name, He will lift the people and prove that his word and law are valid. This I have signed in the month of mercy, Yitzhak Kaduri.”

The Hebrew sentence with the hidden name of the Messiah reads: ירים העם ויוכיח שדברו ותורתו עומדים (Yarim Ha’Am Veyokhiakh Shedvaro Vetorato Omdim).

Kaduri supposedly told his followers to take the first letter of each Hebrew word in the sentence to spell out the name. The name that was revealed is said to translate as Yehoshua.

Yeshua was a common alternative form of the name Yehoshuah (Joshua) in later books of the Hebrew Bible and among Jews of the Second Temple period. The name corresponds to the Greek spelling, Iesous, from which comes the English spelling, Jesus.

Two of Kaduri’s followers admitted that the note was authentic, but that it was confusing for his followers. One said, “We have no idea how the rabbi got to this name of the Messiah.”

Rabbi David Kaduri, the old rabbi’s son, denied that his father left a note with the name Yehoshuah before his death, saying, “Oh no! That’s blasphemy” and “It’s not his writing.” Handwriting (it is said from 80 years ago) was presented in an attempt to prove that the note was not authentic. However, he did admit that his father had talked and dreamed almost exclusively during his last year of life about the coming of the Messiah. He said, “My father has met the Messiah in a vision and told us that he would come soon.” The old rabbi’s grandson, Rabbi Yosef Kaduri, said the same thing.

It is understandable that the rabbi’s son would deny that the handwriting was his father’s. It would ruin the family’s reputation in most of Israel to say that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. It is suspected that this is why the rabbi didn’t want to reveal the name of the Messiah while he was still alive.

“…A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25b).

Here is Kaduri’s reported portrayal of the Messiah:

It is hard for many good people in the society to understand the person of the Messiah. Theleadership and order of a Messiah of flesh and blood is hard to accept for many inthe nation. As leader, the Messiah will not hold any office, but will be among the people and use the media to communicate. His reign will be pure and without personal or political desire. During his dominion, only righteousness and truth will reign. Will all believe in the Messiah right away? No, in the beginning some of us will believe in him and some not. It will be easier for non-religious people to follow the Messiah than for Orthodox people. The revelation of the Messiah will be fulfilled in two stages:

First, he will actively confirm his position as Messiah without knowing himself that he is the Messiah. Then he will reveal himself to some Jews, not necessarily to wise Torah scholars. It can be even simple people. Only then he will revealhimself to the whole nation. The people will wonder and say: ‘What, that’s the Messiah?’

Many have known his name but have not believed that he is the Messiah.

Kaduri supposedly also said, “When he comes, the Messiah will rescue Jerusalem from foreign religions that want to rule the city. They will not succeed for they will fight against one another.

I’m confused by the rabbi’s statement. Jesus isn’t making His first appearance here, and He knows exactly who He is. The documentary confirmed something else that REALLY bothers me which Kaduri said. “Hit'abra bezrat hashem nishmat mashiach b'adam m'yisrael” – translation: “With the help of God, the soul of the Messiah has attached itself to a person in Israel." Kaduri is claiming the Messiah is here now and has attached His soul to someone else! The Bible says no such thing about Jesus. However, it does tell us that the Antichrist will be empowered by Satan.

It is said that Rabbi Kaduri drew a lot of crosses in the margins of his writings in the last few years of his life. He was so popular his last twenty years that those in high places in Israel consulted him and used him to promote various political parties. However, the story of his vision received very little coverage from the news media – no surprise there. But now, years later, the Christian world has caught wind of it.

Kaduri was a kabbalist. The religion of Kabbalah denies the deity of Christ and the necessity of faith in Him as the only means of salvation. Kabbalists believe that only a select few were given the secret knowledge from God as to the true meaning of Scriptures. The Kabbalah approach is mystical—magic plays a part—and they use numerology to find hidden meanings. They believe in reincarnation and believe there are two messiahs – one from the lineage of Joseph and one from the lineage of David. These are just some of the strange things they believe. To put it plainly, it is a false religion.

This is from the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM):

Are we to conclude that the philosophy taught through Kabbalah is godly? If it contradicts both Old and New Testament teaching, then how can it be from God? We conclude that it is not from God but is in reality yet another deception that proceeds out of the Garden of Eden where Satan said ‘you will be like God’ (Genesis 3:5). The Edenic lie echoes through the hearts of mankind and has taken root in the philosophy of Kabbalah.

God’s Word tells us there is only one Messiah:

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

God’s Word tells us there is no reincarnation:

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Kaduri was referred to as "the senior kabbalist" because he was the last of a generation of Sephardi Jewish mystics. Kaduri is said to have been one of the few known living kabbalists who used “practical kabbalah,” a type of Jewish magic aimed at affecting change in the world. His blessings and “charmed” amulets were widely sought to cure people of illnesses, infertility and to bring success.

The Bible says, “There shall not be found among you anyone who…practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium…for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord…” (Deuteronomy 18:10-11).

I do know that God can work through anyone He chooses to fulfill His purposes. However, we must ask ourselves, “Is EVERYTHING the rabbi said spiritual truth about the Messiah?” No.

As far as what Kaduri said about the Messiah not being revealed until after (then) Prime Minister Ariel Sharon dies, he may have had reason to believe that Sharon would soon meet an unfortunate end. I’ll explain this shortly, but I’d like to give some background information on Ariel Sharon first.

During his military career, Ariel Sharon was considered the greatest field commander in Israel's history and one of the country's greatest military strategists. The Israeli public nicknamed him, “The King of Israel” and “The Lion of God.” Yes, I know – not a good thing to say. The only one who fits that description is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But I digress. Then, as prime minister in 2003, Sharon endorsed the Road Map for Peace put forth by the United States, the European Union and Russia.

This opened a dialogue with Mahmud Abbas and announced his commitment to the creation of a future Palestinian state. Sharon even made a speech in which he claimed the Jews were occupying territory that belonged to the Palestinians, and said this needed to be changed. Towards this goal, Sharon implemented The Gaza Expulsion Plan. This plan was welcomed by both the Palestinian Authority and Israel’s left wing as a step towards a final peace settlement.

The expulsion began on August 15, 2005, the day after Tisha B’Av, which is known as the saddest day on the Jewish calendar due to all the calamities that have befallen them on this date in history. Knowing the implications of expelling the Jews on Tisha B’Av, the expulsion was deliberately postponed until the next day. Tisha B’Av was certainly a sad day for those Jews who had refused to leave their homes and knowing they would be forcefully removed beginning the next day. 9,480 Jewish settlers were expelled from 21 settlements in Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank.

When is the world going to realize that appeasement and giving up Israel’s land for peace has never worked! But, getting back to the subject, the kabbalists were among those who were quite upset with Sharon after this.

It is said that on the night of July 23, 2005, just weeks before they knew the Jews were to be expelled, a group of rabbis led by Rabbi Yosef Dayan, who was an expert in Kaballah, gathered at a cemetery in the Israeli town of Rosh Pina - all but one wrapped in black prayer shawls and holding black candles in their hands. They put an ancient Kabbalistic curse on Ariel Sharon called the Pulsa da-Nura (“Lashes of Fire”), calling on the angel of death, or demons, to intervene. Supposedly, Rabbi Kaduri didn’t go this far with his “magic,” but surely he must have known about it, since he was their leader.

In December of 2005, four months after the Gaza Expulsion and just over two months after Rabbi Kaduri’s supposed vision, Ariel Sharon suffered a minor stroke. However, he was under stress at the time because he had been accused of some underhanded financial dealings. Also, his expulsion plan had made him some enemies, and this surely must have added to his stress.

A second massive stroke occurred less than three weeks later from which he has never recovered. He is now 85 years old. His brain shows robust brain activity when shown pictures of his family and recordings of his son's voice. So, obviously his brain is doing some processing. It sounds like he’s been in a living hell, and I pray that somehow he is able to turn his life over to Christ before he dies.

In closing, I’d like to say that I respect Reverend Gallups and Rabbi Cahn. But I have some serious reservations about Rabbi Kaduri, his vision and his religion. What he says about Yehoshuah does not all mesh with the real Yeshua Jesus.

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24).

“For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many’” (Matthew 24:5).

Let us pray to God for discernment to know that which is good and that which is evil.

“Teach me good discernment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments” (Psalms 119:66).

“Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:20-23).