The Fringe Group Problem

For many years I have heard people within the Messianic Jewish movement complain about “fringe people.” These are people on the outskirts of the Messianic movement who are a part of the Hebrew Roots movement, the “One Law” movement, The Two House movement, and (more recently) The Pronomian movement. Each of these groups, which are identified by the leaders of Messianic organizations as fringe groups, are predominantly made up of non-Jewish leadership and membership. I want to make it clear that I am not against non-Jewish leaders or members. I know many non-Jewish people who serve effectively in congregational leadership. The greatest issue I have with these so-called “fringe groups” is that they were established as a disconnected group from the Messianic Movement. The reasons for their disconnection are numerous, but regardless of the reason for this division, the division is problematic and, in many ways, contrary to the Scriptures we all say we are trying to follow. 

Let me try to explain what I mean by looking at some verses from the Scriptures. Let’s begin with Zechariah: 

Zechariah 8:23 Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “In those days it will come to pass that ten men from every language of the nations will grasp the corner of the garment of a Jew saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

As we read the words of this prophetic verse, I believe we all would agree that when this verse uses the phrase, “In those days it will come to pass” that the verse is speaking about the end times or end of days. I also believe that most of us believe we are living in the end times spoken of in this verse. With this in mind, this verse should be particularly relevant to us today. As a matter of fact, I believe that this verse is speaking directly about the days we live in and is speaking expressly about the Messianic Movement. 

The next words in this verse talk about ten men from every language of the nations. I believe we can all agree that this part of the verse is describing non-Jewish people. These people from the nations, non-Jews, will grasp the corner of the garment of a Jew. Let’s stop here for a moment and dig into this statement a little deeper. 

The word translated as “corner” in this verse is the Hebrew word כָּנָף pronounced kanaf and defined as corner, edge, or wing. This same word is used in Numbers:

Numbers 15:38: “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael. Say to them that they are to make for themselves tzitzit on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and they are to put a blue cord on each tzitzit.

The corners of the garment or kanaf was where G-D had commanded the Israelites to wear tzitzit or fringes. This commandment was reiterated in Deuteronomy 22:12:

Deuteronomy 22:12 You are to make for yourself twisted threads on the four corners of your garment in which you cover yourself.

While this part of the verse may not seem all that important, I think it is vital to the understanding of this end time prophecy from Zechariah. Think about this for a moment. We know this prophecy is speaking about a time when men from the nations, non-Jews, will grab the corner, wing, fringe, or Tzitzit of a Jew. The Jews described in this verse are not non-Jews who have become “True Jews” by accepting Yeshua as the Messiah. These Jews are not Jews who became believers in Yeshua and fully assimilated into Christianity, subsequently divesting themselves of all Jewish traditions, culture, heritage and observance of Torah. From reading the text of Zechariah 8:23, I believe we can conclude that if this is an end time prophecy, and I believe it is, then these are Messianic Jews who are wearing the tzitzit. This means that these Jewish believers hold to the observance of Torah as their lifestyle or way of living. After all, the reason for wearing tzitzit is stated in the Book of Numbers:

Number 15:39 It will be your own tzitzit—so whenever you look at them, you will remember all the mitzvot of Adonai and do them and not go spying out after your own hearts and your own eyes, prostituting yourselves. 40 This way you will remember and obey all My mitzvot and you will be holy to your God.

There would be no reason for these believing Jews to keep the commandment of wearing tzitzit on the corners or wings of their garments if their intention wasn’t to remember all of the mitzvot of Ad-nai. Back to Zechariah 8:23, the next section of the text says these words: “saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” 

The prophecy says that these non-Jewish men from the nations will grab the corner or wing of the garments of a Jewish believer in Yeshua and say “Let us go with you, for we have heard that G-D is with you.” It is important that we understand this statement. These non-Jews aren’t asking if they can start their own movement of Yeshua followers that is similar in some ways but separate from the Jewish believers. The non-Jews were asking the Jewish believers (Messianic Jews) if they would let them go WITH them. 

This is the problem I have with the “so-called” fringe groups that exist outside of the Messianic Jewish movement. It is impossible to be the non-Jews described in the prophecy of Zechariah and not be fully connected with the Messianic Jewish movement. You can’t “go with” the Jews as described in Zechariah 8 without “being with” the Jews described in Zechariah 8. 

The primary problem with these different non-Jewish “fringe groups” isn’t their teachings and beliefs; those things are the result of the primary problem, not the problem itself. The primary problem is that these fringe groups are separated from the Messianic Jewish movement, instead of walking alongside and together with the Messianic Jewish movement. 

They choose to be a “fringe group” that divides, instead of being the “fringe group” that unites. The “fringe group” should be prophetically grabbing the fringe of a Messianic Jew and saying I want to go with you because we have heard that G-D is with you.