First let me touch on the Vow of the Nazarite a bit more and say that not all are born into the vow. While some are indeed born into the vow like Samuel others take it much later in life for a set period of time like the Apostle Paul. The Messiah could have taken the Vow of the Nazarite during the Last Supper. Let us now read a passage from Scripture and see if there is any indication as to whether or not he may refrain from drinking any wine for any set period of time.

And after they ate he took a cup and gave thanks over it and said, Take this; divide it among you, this is my blood of the new covenant. I say to you that from now I shall not drink of this fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of Eloah has come. (HRV Luke 22:20)

And taking the cup, giving thanks, He said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves, for I say to you, I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the reign of Elohim comes." (ISR Luke 22:17-18)

Whether or not the Messiah drank any wine at that point or before that point, no one really knows for sure. What we do know is that the Messiah said that from that point in history foward, that He will not drink from the fruit of the vine until He establishes His Millenial Reign.

Scripture does not say that He never drank any fruit of the vine but it also doesn't say that He did. Many people are confused on this matter because they read the word wine and assume it was ingested but that does not mean that the Messiah ever ingested fruit of the vine. Nowhere in Scripture is there any account where the Messiah ever ingested fruit of the vine, in fact he refuses it in every instance. Let us read some more Scripture.

And they gave him to drink wine in which was mixed myrrh, but he did not take it. (HRV Mark 15:23)

they were giving Him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. (ISR Mark 15:23)

Why did Sha'ul (Paul) and so many others take the vow of the Nazarite. The Messiah was and is our example of how we ought to live our lives and the early believers knew this, they would of wanted to live as He did. The passage below might explain why they took the vow of the Nazarite.

He who says, I am in him, ought to conduct himself according to his conduct. (HRV 1 John 2:6)

The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked. (ISR 1 Yohanan 2:6)

We now get the picture that believers should walk as He walked. The Scripture also says that whatever we did that we would not be greater than Him. How could Apostles and Believers be greater than our Master? They can not be greater, and it would not make sense for Apostles and believers to become Nazarites if The Messiah was not, let us read.

There is no talmid above the teacher, nor the servant above his master. (HRV Matthew 10:24)

"A taught one is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. (ISR Mattithyahu 10:24)

It is starting to make sense now, is it not? How could the Apostles and Believers be greater than the Messiah? Not just by Scripture but by Yahshua's own words, they can not be greater than He. And we see this saying repeated in the Scriptures.

Truly, Truly, I say to you that there is no servant who is greater than his master, and there is no emissary who is greater than him who sent him. (HRV John 13:16)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is an emissary greater than he who sent him. (ISR Yohanan 13:16)

The Messiah said that He did not come to destroy the Law, but to do it. The Hebrew word incorrectly translated as the law in some translations is Torah. He came to complete and fulfill the Torah, all of it, even the Nazarite Vow. He is the only one that was able to complete and fulfill the whole Torah. But let us read a passage from the Scripture.

Think not that I have come to abolish the Torah or the prophets, I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill. (HRV Matthew 5:17)

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. (ISR Mattithyahu 5:17)

Did the Messiah not say, that the whole Torah speak of Him? The vow of the Nazarite is in the Torah, is it not? This would mean that the vow of the Nazarite speaks of Him. Or did He not say this? Let us now look at a passage in Scripture to make sure.

And he began from Moshe and from all the prophets and expounded to them concerning his nefesh from all the scriptures. (HRV Luke 24:27)

And beginning at Mosheh and all the Prophets, He was explaining to them in all the Scriptures the matters concerning Himself. (ISR Luke 24:27)

It is true that the whole Torah speaks of Him. Anyone who reads the Torah knows this; that Messiah is one but comes as two: Mashiach Ben Yoseph and Mashiach Ben Dawid. At His first coming Messiah came as Mashiach Ben Yoseph. Let us read a Passage about Yoseph (Joseph) from the Torah.

The blessings of your father are mighty beyond the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Yoseph, and on the crown of the head of the prince among his brothers. (HRV Genesis 49:26)

"The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, up to the limit of the everlasting hills. They are on the head of Yoseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separated (Naziyr) from his brothers. (ISR Bereshith 49:26)

According to "The New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible Red Letter Edition," Yoseph was a Nazarite! The Hebrew word that is translated into "separated" in this passage is the Hebrew word "Naziyr" which means Nazarite.

There is a whole array of Hebrew words that could have been used to just say that he was separated, such as: Badal Strong's #914, Nazar Strong's #5144, Palah Strong's #6395, and Parad Strong's #6504 but they were not used. Naziyr Strong's #5139 was used because Yoseph (Joseph) was a Nazarite and Yahshua came as Yoseph, as a Nazarite.

From what I understand, during second temple times (and probably much earlier), there were about six towns that Nazarites traditionally came to, in which to study. Nazareth was one of those towns. It is popular belief that the town received its name from the Nazarites themselves. The fact that the Messiah came from Nazareth is a strong indication that He was a Nazarite studying at Nazareth. If he was not a Nazarite He could have come from one of hundreds of towns not associated with the Nazarites.

While I have to admit I am not a big fan of the Catholic church, they have ended up with some interesting pieces of history over the years. The Hebrew book of Mattithyahu (Matthew) ended up in the hands of the Catholic Church and is believed to be much older than the Greek copies. Just because the Catholics have somehow obtained an artifact over the years and hold possession of it does not mean that it is to be disregarded.

One of the most compelling artifacts that the Catholic church has in its possession is the Shroud of Turin. Let me first say that this is very ironic as the Catholic church does not believe that the Messiah was a Nazarite. In fact the Catholic church has a very strong stance against Messiah being a Nazarite in the Catholic Encyclopedia.

The irony of this is that the image on the shroud is that of a Nazarite. Some try to say that the Shroud of Turin is a forgery by the Catholic church. If this were true than the image on the Shroud would depict a man with long hair and a neatly trimmed beard as it is with all their depictions of the Messiah in their paintings.

Historians could have helped them but then they would have ended up with an image on the Shroud that depicted a man with a long beard and very short neatly trimmed hair as this was the style during second temple times. However, this is not the image depicted on the Shroud of Turin. The Image on the Shroud depicts a man who is obviously a Nazarite!

Click Here to read about the Shroud of Turin.

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