In 1648, a Jew named Mordecai of the Jewish sect of Kabala was brazen enough to say aloud the unspeakable name JHWH. Kabala is a mystical Jewish sect with secret knowledge of the Torah. Mordecai changed his own name to Sabbatai Zevi and said that Judgement Day would come in 1666.
Over the subsequent years, he performed what would appear to be “miracles” and with the following of many wealthy Jews, he became credible. To shorten the story, he was accepted the world over as the Jewish “Messiah,” the One that they have been expecting since the beginning of time.
Sabbatai claimed himself “King of the Jews,” but Jerusalem already had a sultan “king,’, so Sabbatai founded a “New Jerusalem” in Gaza because some Jews did not want him in that already sacred city. Jews from around the globe celebrated the arrival of the “Messiah” and his Ukrainian prostitute, the daughter of a priest, who was called “by God” to be his bride.
As the “holy” couple arrived in Istanbul, they sought for him to become emperor — the King of kings — and unfortunately, of sultans as well. The self-proclaimed “emperor” even appointed his brothers as kings of Rome and Turkey. For the Jews, that son of a poultry-dealer was King of kings and Lord of lords, but the Sultan made the ‘King of the Jews’ an offer — “survive a volley of arrows or convert to Islam. He chose conversion” (Montefiore 2011, 362-363).
Therefore, in the year 1666, the Jews had their “Messiah,” and he was as fake as the “King of the Jews,” fake Alexander who claimed to be heir of the Herodians come back to life!
Look what happened to the “Messiah” of Judaism — he feared for his life and would not even sacrifice it to be the True Messiah. What did he do to “prove” his claim? He submitted to the authority of the Muslim “Caesar” — the Sultan. Jesus never did that!
Jesus did what?
1. He gave unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. He made no claim to the throne of Rome; to wit: ”Render, therefore, unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's and unto God the things which be God's” (Luke 20-25), but Sabbatai did just that, and was required to convert or die.
2. Jesus never even claimed to be “King of the Jews.” Pilate wrote that, perhaps because Jesus was the son of David; Pilate may have seen Him as the King because at that time Judea had no king. After all, all the Herod brothers claimed kingship, but Caesar nor Pilate recognized any of them as king.
3. Jesus never married because His “Bride” was the Church. Sabbatai’s bride was the harlot. No, Jesus was never married to the harlot, Mary Magdalene, because his “dowery” was already the invisible Church whose pillars are Christians (Rev 3:12).
4. Sabbatai built a city, but Jesus was LORD in the City of God in heaven. There would be no need for another “Jerusalem” because New Jerusalem is ready to come down to its foundation (Rev 21:2).
5. Pilate had no power over the fate of Jesus, just as Jesus told him: “Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above” (John 19:11). However, the Sultan revealed that he had power over Sabbatai, and the fake “Christ” submitted to the Sultan rather than trust God, who if he was real, would have been his Father.
6. Jesus did not fear death. He sweated as if drops of blood (Luke 22:41) but His agony was for mankind, not Himself! Jesus went silently to the cross with no fear and with no lame excuses. If Sabbatai had been the real Messiah, he would have had no fear of the Sultan, and if the Sultan was the true “Caesar” then the Sultan would have not worried about the mere son of a tradesman; like Tiberius Caesar was not threatened by a mere carpenter. In fact, for all practical purposes, the prelate Pilate was “Caesar” in absentia and acting “king of Judea.” And Pilate was not even threatened by Jesus!
7. Sabbatai feared death so much that he converted. He lost his faith, both in himself and JHWH, whose Name he so arrogantly uttered. Jesus would ask for His “Papa” — “My God (El), my God (El), why hast thou forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1; Mark 15:34). Jesus would not utter the unspeakable name, but Sabbatai did so vainly; JHWH was not his God but who he claimed to be. Sabbatai ultimately made the same claim that Jesus was crucified for… that He was God in the flesh, as the centurion, Longinus, recognized, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Mat 27:54). Jesus proved His claim to Godhood by sacrificing Himself with no excuses and brazenly in the face of death. Sabbatai, the false Christ, cowered when threatened!
8. Although when faced with multiple piercings, Sabbatai submitted to the Sultan whose false God was Allah. Because Jesus was the true God, he faced one long “arrow,” not slung at him, but driven with bodily force: “33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:33-34). Jesus, when He was pierced, had the Holy Ghost leave Him, revealing His Inner Identity. Sabbatai had no Holy Ghost to reveal, and he even knew that he was not holy within!
9. As it turned out, Jesus remains alive to this day, but Sabbatai lies dead somewhere in Montenegro.
10. Sabbatai could not prove that he was God because he was not! Jesus proved to the world, at least those who understand His Power, that He is the Livign God by dying and resurrection. Sabbatia knew that he could die for his claim, but he was wise enough to know that he could not be resurrected for his claim to be Christ.
There is one God, One Christ, and One Spirit. Sabbatai was none of those, but many of the Jews bought into his charade; all the while denying their real Messiah.
(picture credit: Jewish History Library)
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