ABOUT US...

Hello!  My name is Larry Acheson, and I am a truth seeker.  My wife, June, and I live in the Dallas, Texas area.  We began our quest for truth as "Truth Seekers" in 1985, and in 2006 I decided to put up a website revealing some of what we have found along our "Wilderness Journey."  We condemn no one, as we are not the ones to judge (John 5:22-23); nevertheless, we believe Yahweh, through His Word, reveals to us the type of lifestyle He wants His people to live. We either choose to obey His instructions or we choose to do things our way. June and I strive for the former. His Word promises blessings for those who obey (not necessarily in this life), and curses for those who do not.

 

 SUMMARY OF OUR BELIEFS

Truth Seekers is a small family of believers searching for the truths of Scripture. We usually meet in our modest home for worship and Bible study on the day of the weekly Sabbath (Saturdays). All of noble intent are welcome to join us. Our small assembly has no coffer, no funds, our tithes go towards helping others, so there is no need for financial accountability as a group. Our weekly Bible studies often include some rather intense doctrinal discussions, but our mutual focus is that of building on our relationship with the Father and His Son, working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12-13). The ministers are all the people. We don't seek followers; rather, we seek to follow the Messiah, learning how to improve and build on our relationship with Him and His Father. We feel that's the way it should be. We can be reached at seekutruth at aol.com.

W

e view ourselves as repentant sinners who need Yahweh's Spirit to strengthen and guide us, as well as His mercy (as demonstrated by His Son Yeshua) to forgive us of our sins. We believe in salvation through faith in the Messiah; we, imperfections and all, are forging ahead as we put our trust in Yahweh's grace as we, in turn, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Master and Savior Yeshua the Messiah (2 Peter 3:18).  We strive to exhibit our love of Yahweh and His Son through obedience to His Torah (the Law of Moses), just as Yeshua and the early apostles taught (Acts 26:20, 1 Peter 2:21-22). All these things we practice because of our love of Yahweh, not to earn salvation or elevate ourselves above others. We do not consider our beliefs as listed below to be "in stone," as we strive to be open to constructive criticism and correction, while exhibiting support for scholarly inquiry, with the respectful sharing of ideas and viewpoints.

Here's a brief summary listing of our beliefs. It is by no means complete, but it hopefully gives you a general overview of where we stand:

Introduction:

We are truth seekers. We do not claim to have all the answers, and we consider it a blessing to learn from others as we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Master and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah (2 Peter 3:18).

The Bible as Our Foundation:

The Bible, as handed down to us from antiquity, comprises what is commonly known as the "Old Testament" and the "New Testament." We believe the New Testament complements and completes the Old Testament. It in no way supersedes it. While we recognize Scripture as being inspired by Almighty Yahweh, we nevertheless know that the "lying pen of the scribes" has tampered with the original text, resulting in apparent contradictions (e.g., 2 Samuel 24:1-2 vs. 1 Chronicles 21:1-2, Acts 9:7 vs. Acts 22:9, etc.).

After careful comparison of the Greek Septuagint (the LXX) text of Torah vs. the extant Hebrew Masoretic Text, we are persuaded the Septuagint most nearly supports the original Hebrew text. The Septuagint version was translated from Hebrew into Greek in the 3rd century BCE. There are numerous examples of why we're persuaded the Septuagint translation better represents the original text, many of which are relatively minor, yet significant enough to lend more weight to the LXX, such as Genesis 2:2. The Masoretic Text of this verse states that Elohim ended His work on the seventh day and rested on the seventh day, which implies that He worked on the seventh day—in addition to resting on that day. On the other hand, the LXX states that He finished His works on the sixth day, and "... He ceased on the seventh day from all His works which He made." Finally, the majority of New Testament quotes from the Old Testament are derived from the LXX.

Other "Bibles" do not line up with either truth or historical evidence. For example, the Book of Mormon, which came into existence in the 19th century, would have its readers believe that the Indians of South America are descendants of an Israelite named Lehi from the tribe of Manasseh. However, modern DNA testing confirms that they are instead descended from Asian peoples who crossed into this continent via the Bering Strait. Moreover, the Book of Mormon lists names of cities founded by descendants of Lehi in South America, but there is no historical or archaeological evidence of their existence. On the other hand, archaeologists have located the ruins of many Israelite cities that are mentioned in the Bible, such as Jericho, Arad, Capernaum, Shechem and Hazor. The Book of Mormon also teaches that the law "hath an end" in the Messiah (Mosiah 13:25-31, 2 Nephi 25:24-27, 3 Nephi 15:2-8).

The Koran did not exist prior to the seventh century CE, and it essentially voids Torah. It ignores the weekly Sabbath because Muslims do not consider themselves to be the children of Israel, i.e., they do not consider themselves to be descendants of Jacob, and therefore they operate under a completely different covenant. While they, like Judaism, consider pork to be unclean, many Muslims consider all seafood to be suitable for consumption, regardless of whether or not it has fins and scales. We are persuaded that when Abraham obeyed Yahweh's commandments (Genesis 26:5) he obeyed laws, statutes and commandments that are in place for all of mankind—at least for all who choose to seek and follow Yahweh's ways. Abraham obeyed because he believed Yahweh (Genesis 15:6). Believing Yahweh includes taking for granted that everything Yahweh instructs is right and true. Therefore, these were not unique commandments given to a special person; they were and are Yahweh's commandments. He doesn't give them to just anyone; no, He gives them to those whose hearts are inclined to do and act upon anything Yahweh says, regardless of how ridiculous or frivolous it may seem. That's the kind of heart Yahweh seeks after, and He found it in Abraham. There is every reason to believe Yahweh later gave that same law to Moses. Yahweh's laws are not catered to different cultures or different descendants of Noah—they are unique to all of mankind. Those laws precede and supersede any differing laws practiced by Islam.

It should be further noted that when Moses wrote about Abraham's obedience, he did not mention that the commandments given to him were different from those that Yahweh gave to the Israelites. We can be certain that if the laws Yahweh gave to Abraham were different from the ones He gave to Moses, we would read something akin to, "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws, which are not the same as those given later to all of Israel." But that's not what we read in Genesis 26:5.

Creation vs. Evolution:

We believe in a literal six-day creation by an all-knowing, eternal Creator.

The Creator:

We believe it is Yeshua, the firstborn of Creation (Colossians 1:15-21), who created the heavens and earth with the authority from His Father Yahweh. We believe He, as the Word of Yahweh, spoke His creation into existence (Gen chapter 1, John 1:1-3).

Yeshua's Pre-carnal Existence:

We believe Yeshua, in His pre-carnal form, appeared as an angel (Heb. malak) to various patriarchs and that He was and is identified as Yahweh (Gen ch. 18, 32:24-32).

We likewise believe it was Yeshua Himself who, in the form of an angel, spoke to Moses from the burning bush (Ex 3:2) and identified Himself as Yahweh (Ex 3:13-16). He is the same angel who led the Israelites to the Promised Land (Ex 14:19), and who spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai (Acts 7:38). He meant what He said when He told His disciples that they would see Him ascend to where He was before, i.e., heaven (John 6:37; 62, Acts 1:9-11). He meant what He said when He told the Jews, "Before Abraham was, I am!" They knew what He meant, so much so that they sought to stone Him to death; Biblical Unitarians say what Yeshua really meant was that He was in Yahweh's plan from the beginning. We answer that all of us have been in Yahweh's plan from the beginning. We believe Yeshua meant what He said when He prayed that Yahweh glorify Him with the glory He had with Him before the world was. He was not referring to a glory He had in Yahweh's plan. Yeshua is truly the root (predecessor) and offspring (descendant) of King David (Revelation 22:16, Isaiah 11:1-10, Matthew 22:41-46). Such could not be the case if He did not exist until He was conceived in His mother's womb.

I debated the topic of whether or not Yeshua had a pre-carnal existence in 2019. I am not at all gifted in debating, often explaining to others that I am a seeker, not a speaker; nevertheless, after reading the Biblical Unitarian book Trinity, Oneness, Duality and Pre-Existence, I took a stand supporting my conviction on this topic, and I am persuaded the information I supplied in my debate presentation validates believing Yeshua had a pre-carnal existence. The debate was held at my opponent's "home" assembly, which I felt at the time would be conducted in complete fairness in accordance with previously agreed-upon guidelines. It was not, examples of which are given in the study I composed afterwards. I had never before experienced such a benevolently hostile environment. I now know and have experienced the meaning of "home field advantage." After the debate, I compiled my primary reasons for believing as I do into a 3-part study:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Virgin Birth:

We believe Yeshua was born of a virgin and Yahweh is His Father (Isaiah 7:14, Matt 1:23). According to the Hebrew book of Matthew (Vat. Ebr. 100), Yeshua even referred to Himself as "the Son of the virgin" (Matthew 12:40).

We reject the trinity doctrine, which asserts that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are co-equal and that they have always existed from eternity. Instead, we believe Yeshua is the firstborn of Creation (Colossians 1:15-21) because He could not have existed before He was first born. Yeshua never claimed equality with His Father (John 14:28, Philippians 2:5-7). Moreover, He will one day turn His kingdom over to His Father and be subject to Him (1 Cor 15:24-28), which would not be possible if they are eternally co-equal. Finally, Yeshua, as a flesh and blood mortal, had to suffer and die to make possible the redemption of mankind (Hebrews ch. 9). He was raised by His Father; if we believe He truly died, we are likewise compelled to believe He could not have raised Himself. Our hope rests on our belief that He was indeed raised to life—eternal life with the Father, and that those who faithfully follow Him will one day join Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

To Follow Yeshua:

It was Yeshua Who, in His pre-carnal form, gave the law to Moses, and this same Yeshua advises us in Matt 5:17-19 that He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. He added that the law cannot be "done away" until all has been fulfilled. Per Yeshua, all will not be fulfilled until the Kingdom comes (Luke 22:14-16).

Savior of Mankind:

We believe Yeshua was without sin, and He taught His followers to likewise live obedient lives (Matt 5:17-19, Matt 19:17), yet He willingly offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice, shedding His blood for the remission of sins, giving us hope for eternal life with Him and His Father (Romans 5:8).

Scriptural Hierarchy:

Like it or not, there is hierarchy in the body of believers, as the Father is over the Son, the Son is over men and men are over women (1 Corinthians 11:3); nevertheless, it's not the "cracking the whip" style that some think of when this Scriptural hierarchy is mentioned. The only type of submission that ever arises in our fellowship is that of submission to the Almighty and His Son, and how we can improve our levels of service to Them. The Apostle Paul understood that it is not women who have spiritual authority within the Assembly of believers, but rather men (1 Timothy 2:11-14). This includes positions that involve teaching or preaching.

NOTE: We are persuaded that if there are no men willing or capable of performing in positions of authority, then women can and should step in, just as the prophetess Deborah did (Judges 4 and 5).

Discrimination:

Although we recognize the Scriptural hierarchy as referenced above, we are absolutely opposed to discrimination based on race, gender or nationality. Everyone, regardless of race, gender or nationality, is capable of choosing to turn to Yeshua as the promised Messiah and Savior, the Son of our Heavenly Father, Yahweh, and such are the folks with whom we seek to fellowship.

Homosexuality:

Homosexuality is condemned by Yahweh in such places as Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:25-26, 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10. The gay community, aware of the above verses, claims that those of our persuasion misinterpret them. In response, I delivered a 2-part PowerPoint presentation on this topic in 2024. Both presentations are currently available for viewing on YouTube, and I am unaware of any attempts to refute them. Click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

Death and Resurrection:

We believe Yeshua was nailed to a cross, that He died, but rose to life after three days and three nights in the tomb (Matt 28:5-7; 1 Cor. 15:12-28).

Yeshua will return and raise up those who are and were faithful to Him. Those who remain faithful to the end will be blessed with eternal life (John 6:40, Rev 21:1-7).

Torah Obedience:

The law can best be summarized by stating that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves and that we are to love Yahweh our Elohim with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds and with all our strength (Mark 12:30-31). The greatest way of exhibiting our love for Yahweh is to obey Him (1 Samuel 15:22).

The Torah was given to mankind as a gift to guide us through life. It was not "done away." I gave a video presentation on this topic in 2006, but here's a general study touching on some specifics. Those portions of Torah not reserved specifically to the priesthood still apply to us today.

The Ten Commandments:

We strive to obey the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21). Of the Ten Commandments, only the fourth commandment is commonly taught by mainstream Christianity as no longer being in effect. This commandment instructs us to work six days, but rest on the seventh day, which is called the weekly Sabbath. We believe the continuously-repeating weekly Sabbath was made for the benefit of all mankind, and is a blessing that was never "done away" or "set aside." Nor has it been "lost."

The post-Apostolic commentators present the first day of the week (Sunday) as the replacement of the weekly Sabbath; however, this teaching is nowhere found in the New Testament, where believers such as the Apostle Paul frankly stated that they observed and taught obedience to Torah (the law), cf., Acts 17:2, Acts 18:1-11, Acts 25:8, Acts 26:19-20, Acts 28:17, Romans 2:13, Romans 3:31, Romans 7:12. There are no examples of believers teaching that Sunday has replaced the Sabbath. The Apostle Paul, as a missionary, would speak on any day of the week, including the first day, but that doesn't mean he believed or taught that the first day had displaced the Sabbath.

The weekly Sabbath is about rest from our labors as per how Yahweh defines rest, not us. Whereas we are permitted to prepare food, including cooking or warming it up, on holy day Sabbaths (Ex 12:16), food preparation is not sanctioned by Yahweh on the weekly Sabbath (Ex 16:23-25). This command applied to the children of Israel during and after their 40-year wilderness journey. It is nowhere treated as having only been an expectation for a limited period of time, nor are there approved Scriptural examples of anyone violating this precept. While we do not claim to be shining examples of pure Sabbath observance, we nevertheless regard this particular command as the most commonly ignored by those professing to be Sabbathkeepers. We address this topic more fully in our study "Food Preparation: On the Sabbath?".

We believe the weekly Sabbath is a continuously-repeating cycle that is traced to, and is a memorial to, Creation. We believe this day was preserved within Judaism of Old and the cycle has remained intact to this very day. Those who promote other "Sabbaths" not only ignore the pattern supplied within Scripture (Exodus 16), but they also ignore and reject the historical record. I address and refute the teaching that the weekly Sabbath is based on the lunar cycle in my study Something Different: Lunar Sabbaths.

The Holy Days:

In addition to the weekly Sabbath, Torah lists seven additional holy days (special Sabbaths) that, apart from those portions pertaining to the priesthood, should be memorialized by Yahweh's children. Only Yahweh can declare a day to be holy, and only Yahweh declare them to be otherwise. Since He has not indicated any changes to His holy days, and since they are days of rest and holy convocation, we are persuaded that we should memorialize those days as such. Here are the seven holy days, as found in Leviticus chapter 23, as well as Numbers chapters 28-29:

1. The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Abib 15).

2.The last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Abib 21).

3. Pentecost (Fifty days following Abib 15).

4. The Feast of Trumpets (Tishri 1).

5. The Day of Atonement (Tishri 10).

6. The first day of Sukkot, a.k.a., the Feast of Tabernacles (Tishri 15).

7. The Last Great Day (Tishri 22).

We also memorialize the Passover by removing leavening from our home and celebrating our future deliverance. Passover falls on Abib 14, and the Passover meal is eaten after sunset ends the day of Abib 14 and Abib 15 begins.

Yahweh's Holy Days Versus Mankind's Holidays:

For those who strive to obey Yahweh's commandments, it's difficult to get past the one found in such passages as Deuteronomy 5:32 and Deuteronomy 28:14, where we are told, "And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other elohim to serve them." Even Google AI understands that these verses mean we are "... to stay strictly on God's path, follow His commandment precisely, and not deviate into idolatry, harmful customs, or new interpretations, emphasizing total faithfulness and obedience to His law. It's a call for unwavering commitment, represented by walking straight on the path of God's instruction rather than straying into forbidden paths." NOTE: Since this is a direct quote, I kept the title God "as is."

Any reliable reference such as an encyclopedia readily admits that holidays such as Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas emanate from heathen worship, and were incorporated by the early Church in order to appease and lure those who would not give up their heathen celebrations into the Catholic faith, with the promise that they could continue their customs, only in honor of the Messiah and various saints. This, combined with the Church's call to distance themselves from Judaism, led to complete abandonment of Yahweh's holy days. We believe what has transpired within Christianity can be rightly described as "going aside to the right and the left." Moreover, we are commanded in Torah to not inquire how the heathens worshipped their deities (Deuteronomy 12:29-32). Joining in the celebrations of holidays whose origins are traced to idol worship certainly go beyond "inquiring"!

The Calendar:

We believe the Scriptural year begins on or after the vernal equinox with the sighting of the first waxing crescent moon after sunset (preferably as sighted over Israel). Here's the link to our study outlining why we begin Scriptural months with the sighting of the waxing crescent moon instead of the conjunction of the moon.

We composed two separate studies detailing why we believe the Scriptural year begins on or after the vernal equinox: Balancing the Calendar, and Balancing the Calendar II.

The Second Commandment:

We believe the Second Commandment includes displaying pictures or images of the Messiah, even those of "Jesus."

The Creator's Name:

The Almighty wants His children to call upon Him with the name He gave to Himself, not one invented by mankind.

Although we respect various understandings of how the Almighty's name is pronounced, we are personally persuaded that it's pronounced Yahweh. This name was called upon by the righteous patriarchs of Old, as well as by unregenerate heathens (Ex. 32:1-5).

Regrettably, "GOD" is the name of a heathen idol whose worship is condemned by Yahweh.  Part 1 of my five-part PowerPoint presentation on this topic can be accessed here.

The Messiah's Name:

The name of Yahweh's Son is Yeshua. While we are persuaded that His name is pronounced Yeshua, we make no claim about being 100% correct. Variations of His name we've seen are Yahshua, Yahushua, Yehoshua.  We respect other pronunciations with the presumption that each of us is doing our best to pronounce it correctly and reverently. While we also respect the pronunciation "Jesus," we are nevertheless persuaded that it is a poor transliteration of yet another poor transliteration (i.e., the Greek form Iesous).

Dress Code:

We believe we should honor our Heavenly Father in every aspect of our lives, including how we dress, especially when we come before Him in communal worship. We have no intention of imposing a specific dress code for Shabbat and Holy Days on anyone. Nevertheless, we encourage you to read our study "Do We Really Need a Sign for This?" for some insight into our perspective.

Food:

We consider the clean/unclean food law found in Leviticus 11 to be a vital part of Torah. While many focus on the fact that consuming unclean animals, such as pork, is detrimental to our health, our focus is on honoring Yahweh and striving for purity of heart, mind and soul. Consuming the flesh of animals that Yahweh declares to be unclean does not achieve the goal for which we strive.

Baptism:

We believe that once an individual is convicted of his or her sinful nature, he or she must repent and be baptized (Mark 16:16, Mark 1:5, Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21, etc.). The word "baptize" is derived from the Greek word baptizo, which means "to immerse." Immersion in a pristine river symbolically carries the understanding of how our sins are completely washed away. "Sprinkling" is not only an incorrect translation of baptizo, but moreover it cannot possibly support the understanding of washing our sins away.

Baptism (immersion) also symbolizes death and resurrection, in that we are "buried in baptism" (Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:11-12), then raised to walk in newness of life, a life of obedience to the Father. This meaning is lost with the act of sprinkling. In summary, when we change the method, we lose the meaning. I cover this topic in greater detail in my study titled "Baptism: Changing the Method, Losing the Meaning."

Marriage:

We believe the marriage covenant is sacred and binding, and that Yahweh ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman. Unfaithfulness to this covenant mirrors unfaithfulness to Yahweh. Moreover, at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:5-9), Yeshua is the Bridegroom. See also Mark 2:19-20, John 3:29, Matthew 25:1-13). Those who are betrothed to the Bridegroom are to be spotless (Ephesians 5:24-33).

It is true that Patriarchs of Old (Abraham, Jacob, David, etc.) had multiple wives and concubines, yet they received no denunciation or judgment from anyone, notably prophets. While we in no way recommend having more than one wife, we are nevertheless bound to not pin the label of "sin" where Yahweh's Word does not. Moreover, when we compare our current Western culture to that of antiquity, there is really no (fair) comparison, especially in a time period where women were unable to support themselves. This was particularly the case in times of war, when many lives were lost, resulting in an unequal ratio of men to women.

While we maintain that polygyny is not sinful in the eyes of Yahweh, we nevertheless defer to state and federal laws, which prohibit polygamy (Romans 13:1-7).

Abortion:

We affirm that abortion is murder, except when forced to choose between saving the life of the mother or the unborn child. Pro-abortion advocates have written that there is nothing in the Bible that speaks against abortion. While this may be true of the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the Septuagint translation of Exodus 21:22-23 plainly shows that if a woman is struck in such a way that her then-unborn child is aborted and is fully formed, the offending party must give "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." In other words, if the child dies, the person who struck the blow must pay with his life, which in turn means Yahweh considers the unborn child to be a LIFE. Since our nation does not recognize the death penalty for aborting unborn children, we acquiesce to our nation's treatment of this case law. But this in no way alters our perception of abortion as an egregious violation of Yahweh's law. First century writers Flavius Josephus and Philo of Alexandria agreed that a woman who aborts her child is a murderer. I address this topic more fully in my study titled "My Thoughts on LGBTQ, Abortion, Our Divided Nation and the Kingdom."

Tithing:

We believe tithing was solely implemented for the purpose of supporting and sustaining the Levites because they otherwise had no inheritance in the land of Israel (Numbers 18:20-24). The tithe was for priests and no one else. Today, in spite of the many warnings found in Scripture, such as Jeremiah 23:21, all manner of men and organizations claim right to your tithe. Certainly, those who wish to tithe to their organizations of choice are free to do so, but it is our conviction that no one on earth in this day and time has the right to request or suggest that you send them your tithe. Currently, in view of current circumstances in our area, we choose to give to those who are in need rather than filling the coffers of those who are already living luxuriously. For us personally, we have never requested a tithe or any financial assistance from anyone.

Geography:

We believe the earth is round. While we understand that conspiracies abound on many levels and many topics, especially in the realm of politics, we do not believe the universal understanding of a round (globe) earth is one of them, nor are we persuaded that the available photos and videos taken from outer space have been "faked" or otherwise manufactured. We are waiting for documented photos validating the flat earth theory (we've seen scores of artists' depictions of what a flat earth "must" look like, but nothing qualifying as actual photographs). Third-century BCE mathematician/geographer Eratosthenes, using "arc measurement," not only made the determination that the earth is round, but he came within 500 miles of being correct about the measurement of its circumference (he came up with 24,390 miles, but according to satellite measurements, it's actually 24,855 miles). I appreciate the August 2022 video recording of "Dude Perfect" going to space in a Blue Origin rocket. If any flat earth proponents have alternate videos of individuals riding in a rocket and viewing a flat earth, I would love to see them.

There is also Scriptural evidence that Earth is a round globe. When I shared with a flat earth proponent named Richard that Isaiah 40:22's mention of "the circle of the earth" proves that it's round, he agreed, but only in the sense that it is flat and round as a pancake! A friend of ours named Kathy later pointed out that the Septuagint version of Zechariah 1:10-11 also validates our planet as being a round globe. Here's how Zechariah 1:10-11 reads in the King James Version's English translation from the Hebrew Masoretic Text (Yahweh's name restored to the text):

10 And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said to me, These are they whom Yahweh hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.
11 And they answered the angel of Yahweh that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

Here's how this same verse reads in the English translation of the Septuagint:

10 And the man that stood between the mountains answered, and said, These are they whom Yahweh hath sent forth to go round the earth.
11 And they answered the angel of Yahweh that stood between the mountains, and said, We have gone round all the earth, and, behold, all the earth is inhabited, and is at rest.

The Greek word translated "round" is periodeusai, which is derived from the Greek word periodos. Periodos carries the meaning of "a going around, circuit, cycle." Moreover, another closely related Greek word is periferia, which means "circumference, outer surface, line around a circular body." The translation of the Tanakh from Hebrew to Greek was carried out in the first century BCE. Regardless of whether or not anyone regards the Septuagint as inspired, the fact remains that the Hebrew scholars who translated the book of Zechariah from Hebrew to Greek over 2,000 years ago understood that the earth is a round globe. The combined evidence from history, Scripture and reality validates believing that the earth is round.

For some additional insight: Why do all nations of the earth, even our enemies, universally understand and recognize that the earth is round? Why do we never hear of enemy nations mocking those who are "ignorant" of the alleged fact that the earth is flat?

Finally, my late uncle was a flight captain for United Airlines; he once shared that he applied to NASA for the space program, but was rejected due to a family history of diabetes, even though he himself was not diabetic (his father and his brother, i.e., my dad, were both diabetic). He was very disappointed, yet he moved on to a successful career in the flight industry. I only mention this because he most certainly would not have pursued a career in space travel if he believed the earth is flat; moreover, I have never once heard of a single airline pilot "confessing" that the earth is actually flat. In this age of the internet when secrets are more and more difficult to suppress, I would certainly expect to read about at least one pilot's admission that the earth is actually flat. But in spite of my continued Google searches, all I find are pilots' affirmations that the earth is spherical. Here's another one. I continue to await photos of a flat earth; thus far, all I've ever been able to find are artists' conceptions. I would also be interested in seeing what the alleged flat earth's underside looks like.

Salvation:

While we strongly advocate obedience to Yahweh's commandments, we do not believe it is our place to determine who will ultimately be granted the resurrection to eternal life. Our sole focus is on honoring Yahweh, not who will be saved and who won't. Yeshua is the only one to whom Yahweh has given the authority to execute judgment (John 5:21-30). He wants all of us to come to repentance because He wants no one to perish (John 3:16-18).

Death:

We believe that when our physical bodies die, we enter into a sleep that will not be interrupted until Yeshua calls us from the grave (or whatever state our bodies are in at our death). See John 5:28-29, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Resolving Disagreements/Controversies:

We are persuaded that 99% of disagreements, especially disagreements about Torah application, would be resolved if all parties would agree on the three following resolution criteria:

1) Careful study of pertinent Bible verses in context.

2) Approved Scriptural examples of believers who practiced the application of our interpretation of the texts in question.

3) Historical examples, especially from the 1st century CE (or earlier), of believers who understood and/or practiced application of our interpretation of the texts in question.

Allowing the above criteria to determine our understanding of Torah application would resolve such issues as:

1) When a Scriptural day begins.

2) When a Scriptural month begins.

3) When a Scriptural year begins.

4) How to count to Pentecost.

5) Whether or not the Almighty approves of cooking or warming up food on Shabbat.

6) Whether or not all new moon days should be regarded as special "sabbaths."

7) When the Passover lambs were slaughtered.

8) Whether or not post-Resurrection believers should kill lambs for Passover.

9) Whether or not Jerusalem is still the place where the Almighty chooses to place His name.

10) The Creator's name.

11) The Messiah's name.

12) Whether or not the Messiah had a pre-carnal existence.

13) Whether or not we honor the Almighty by referring to Him as "God" or "our God."

14) Whether or not abortion is murder.

15) Whether or not the weekly Sabbath is determined by the lunar cycle.

16) Whether or not the Almighty sanctions observing "holidays" whose origins are rooted in pagan celebrations (e.g., Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day, Hallowe'en).

17) Whether or not we should celebrate birthdays, cf., Flavius Josephus Against Apion, Book II, 26, or any reputable news source.

18) Whether or not baptism is by "sprinkling" or "immersion."

19) Whether or not men should have long hair (1 Corinthians 11:14 and Roman secular underderstanding).

20) Whether or not men should pray with their heads covered.

21) Whether or not polygyny is permitted, cf., Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book I, ch. xxiv, 2 and Antiquities of the Jews, Book XVII, ch. 1, 2.

In addition to the above controversial issues, minor ones could likewise be resolved by using the three criteria, such as whether or not Samuel was raised from the dead at Saul's visit with the witch of Endor, and whether Ham literally saw his father naked or had relations with his mother (cf., The Works of Philo, "On Sobriety," ch. VII (32) and "Questions and Answers on Genesis, II," (69-72), and Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book I, ch. vi., sect. 3, Book of Jubilees, ch. 7:1-11).

 

The above summary of our beliefs is not complete; here's a link offering additional information about our beliefs: 

Truth Seekers:  More About Us . . .