The Torah consists of five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
The Nevi’im and Ketuvim consist of multiple other writings of ancient prophets, including
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and Malachi.
The Torah was direct revelation from God to Moses, which he recorded and has been passed
down in written form now for centuries.
The Torah is perhaps the most widely accepted of all religious texts today, and is cited in part in
the additional religious texts of the Book of Mormon, the New Testament, the Quran, and
Modern Prophets.
The Torah tells of the creation of the earth, the placement of Adam and Eve upon it in the
Garden of Eden as its first inhabitants, the transgressions of Adam and Eve in partaking of the
forbidden fruit and their being thrust out of the Garden of Eden by God into the world.
The Torah tells of Adam and Eve’s first children, and of the jealousy of Cain and his subsequent
decision to slay his brother, Abel.
It speaks of a righteous descendant of Adam, named Abraham, who followed God and, in turn,
received promises from God that he would have a great posterity as well as lands that God would
give to him as an inheritance.
It also tells of Abraham’s son, named Isaac, and grandson, named Jacob who also were faithful
followers of God.
One event tells of Abraham and Isaac as Abraham went to offer sacrifices to the Lord. God had
commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac as that sacrifice. Abraham rose up early in the
morning to go and do as God had directed.
Upon arrival at their destination Isaac asked where the offering animal was, and then, seemingly
without resistance, submitted to God’s will as Abraham informed him that he, Isaac, was to be
sacrificed to God.
At the very moment when Abraham was to slay his son an angel appeared to him and forbid him
from doing so. Isaac was released and a ram that had become caught in the thicket was then
sacrificed to God instead.
Abraham thus passed the test of God of his devotion to Him and his willingness to even offer his
own beloved son in order to follow God’s commandments.
Many Christian followers of the Torah believe that this event was instructive to Abraham, and
perhaps Isaac also, of God’s future offering of His own Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
The Torah tells of Israel’s twelve sons, including one named Joseph. God gave Joseph dreams
revealing to Him that one day his family would bow in obeisance to him.
Joseph was highly favored of his father, Israel. Jealousy among his brothers rose to the point
when one day while some distance from home they staged the fake death of Joseph, stripped
Joseph of his coat, and placed animal blood upon his garment. They then carried the torn and
bloodied coat to Joseph’s father, Israel, and told him that Joseph had been killed by wild beasts.
In fact, he had not been slain, but they had sold him as a slave to a caravan of travelers.
That caravan carried Joseph into Egypt where Joseph rose in prominence and in trial as he
faithfully served his masters, and despite his being thrown into prison on false charges he
continued his devotion to God and his loyal service to mankind.
God gave to Joseph dreams which showed to others God’s inspiration and trust in Him.
Eventually Joseph rose to become the right-hand man to Pharaoh who gave him charge of all his
doings in Egypt.
The Torah tells how Joseph interpreted another dream—this one of Pharaoh—and that there
would be seven years of prosperity in the land, and then seven years of famine.
Joseph helped all of Egypt preserve food during the years of plenty that they would have enough
during the times of famine.
Meanwhile, the Torah indicates, Israel and Joseph’s brothers began to suffer because of the
drought. Most of the brothers came to Egypt to obtain food.
As the result of divine direction, they ended up seeking food before the presence of Joseph, now
a grown man and a ruler in Egypt. They did not recognize him or know that he was their brother.
Over a period of days Joseph used his authority to cause delays in their return with food to their
father. He accused them of being spies, and held one of them as ransom until the others would
go and then return again with their youngest brother, Benjamin, whom they had mentioned to
Joseph in their earlier discussions, as proof that they in fact were not spies.
Despite Israel’s great reluctance to allow his brothers to take Benjamin down to Egypt, he
eventually relented as they went again for more food and to prove that they were not spies.
When all the brothers came again, Joseph—still unrevealed to them as their brother—held a
banquet for them. He sat them all in order of age which stunned his brothers. He caused that
Benjamin, whom he loved, should be served double the amount of everyone else.
Then the Torah tells one of the most touching accounts as Joseph, no longer able to refrain his
affections for his family, cast all the Egyptians from the banquet hall. He then in a tearful if not
sacred moment he revealed to his brothers, who decades earlier had betrayed him and sold him
into servitude, that he was in fact Joseph, their brother.
The Torah tells that they were stunned, and fearful. Nevertheless, Joseph comforted them and
freely forgave them of their prior treacherous deeds. Instead, he said it was the divine grace of
God that had allowed those events to happen so that in a future time Joseph would be in a
position to bless and protect his own family.
Israel’s posterity grew in Egypt, until generations later, and with a different Pharaoh, all of the
descendants as a people, called Israel because of the name of their forefather, were placed in
servitude to Pharaoh and Egypt.
They were no longer in Egypt as a place of refuge, but now were there as a place of bondage.
The Torah tells of God’s commands to Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him that God
commanded him now to let Israel go. Pharaoh refused, and over a series of many encounters
God sent plagues of lice and locusts, turned all the water to blood—all in an attempt to persuade
Pharaoh to comply.
But Pharaoh still refused.
Finally, God sent Moses to Pharaoh to tell him that all the first-born of Egypt would be slain—
the first-born of animals as well as the first-born of Pharaoh himself.
Pharaoh still refused.
So God slew all the first-born of Egypt as He had warned He would do. But in an act of divine
mercy, He instructed Moses to tell Israel to protect themselves from this promised death. If
Israel would mark the posts of their homes with lamb’s blood, then when the angel of death came
he would “pass over” that house and not slay any first-born inside.
Israel did so and was thus protected. God’s miraculous and selective judgment upon the
Egyptians for refusing His word, and His divine protection upon Israel for humbly following His
word has been marked and remembered ever since as a holy day called Passover.
Many Christian followers of other religious texts see the Passover as a symbol of the saving
power of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, against the destructive judgment of God upon the
unbelieving.
Pharaoh relented and let Israel leave Egypt, which they did. But on their way towards the Red
Sea Pharaoh had an apparent change of heart and sent Egyptian forces to slay Israel in the
wilderness.
Weaponless and up against the Red Sea Israel was defenseless against the oncoming Egyptians.
But as they plead to God and Moses for deliverance, God commanded Moses to command the
Red Sea to open up. It did. Forward-flowing waters were stopped, the entire sea was divided.
The ground at the bottom of the Sea was made dry, and Israel en-mass made their escape across
the Red Sea before the Egyptian armies arrived.
Determined to destroy Israel, the armies followed after Israel down into the now dry river bed.
However, as they did so God closed up the Red Sea and the waters returned to their normal,
natural flow and all the armies of the Egyptians were destroyed.
Israel had been miraculously saved by the hand of God.
Israel traveled into the wilderness with the hope of entering Palestine, a land promised to them
from God.
While in the wilderness Moses was commanded of God to get up into the Mount of Sanai. He
did so.
There he saw a bush burning but which was not consumed. He heard the voice of God. God
wrote His words upon tablets which Moses then took down the Mount to Israel. However, when
he drew near to Israel he quickly learned that they were in a state of open rebellion against God,
and had at the insistence of the people made a golden calf which they worshipped.
Moses deeply frustrated at the lack of humility and obedience of Israel broke the tablets which
God had given, perhaps understanding that they were not fit for a people so rebellious.
Moses subsequently went up to Mount Sanai again. He again communed with God. God gave
him a second set of tablets with His words, perhaps a simpler version with a lesser law tailored
for a weaker people.
These words on these tablets are known as the Ten Commandments and are recorded in the
Torah in Exodus chapter 20.
The Ten Commandments command Israel to have no other gods before Him, to make no graven
images nor to bow down to them, to not take His name in vain, not kill, not commit adultery, not
steal, not bear false witness, not covet, to honor their father and their mother, and to keep the
Sabbath Day holy
The Torah speaks of multiple festivals Israel is commanded to remember and celebrate, each with some connection to the merciful hand of God in blessing and protecting Israel. These days are “holy days” to Israel. They include remembering the Passover and recognizing the blessings of the yearly harvest.
The Torah describes many potential dietary practices of Israel as “unclean” and forbids them
from engaging in them. Among these is the admonition to not eat pork or any animal that “parts
the hoof.”
In addition to dietary practices which may have been unhealthy then, the Torah also describes
other life circumstances which cause an individual to be “unclean”, such as that found during a
woman’s monthly cycle.
The Torah sets forth what an individual who is unclean must do to become clean again.
The Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim speak of a promised Messiah, but do not indicate what his
earthly name would be. At least 50 different descriptions and prophecies of this Messiah are set
forth, ranging from His birth in Bethlehem, His triumphal riding into Jerusalem upon an ass, His
being betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, His hands being pierced by “nails in the sure place”, His
suffering, and His garments being parted by the random casting of lots.
New Testament followers are very quick recognize that every one of these 50 prophecies of the
Messiah were completely fulfilled in the birth, life, Atonement, and death of Jesus Christ.
The prophecies of the Messiah not yet fulfilled relate to His glorious coming, not his original
birth
The Torah speaks extensively of blood and atonement. It states that,
“[B]lood…maketh an Atonement for the soul.”In addition to the soul, the land also can be cleansed by the blood:
“[T]he land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.”Priestly practices thus frequently used blood in their sacrifices. One example with the “sin offering” is as follows:
“And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar….”Followers of the Book of Mormon, New Testament, and Modern Prophets believe that this blood sacrificed of animals was symbolic of the blood which would later be sacrificed of Jesus Christ for the sins of all mankind.
The Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim prophecy that the Messiah would suffer and take upon Him the sins of His people:
“Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
“[H]e shall bear their iniquities.”
“Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
“[F]or the transgression of my people was he stricken.”
Isaiah prophesied that in addition to suffering for sins, the Messiah also would suffered for the pains and heartaches of every person ever to live upon the earth.
“[I]n all their affliction he was afflicted….”
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrow….”
“[W]ith his stripes we are healed….”
The Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim speak of the Messiah’s crucifixion and death. These prophets state,
“[T]hey shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him.”
“What are these wounds in thine hands?”
“[O]ut of him came forth…the nail….”
“[N]either shall ye break a bone….”
“So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver….”
Multiple prophecies in the Nevi’im and Ketuvim tell of the resurrection. Among them are the following:
“[E]arth shall cast out the dead...”The following prophecies of Isaiah and Job are particularly specific:
“I will bring sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin…”
“I will ransom them from the power of the grave: I will redeem them from death.”
“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.”
“If a man die, shall he live again?...For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.”
The Torah teaches and speaks of many topics, some of which are mentioned elsewhere in this summary. A partial list includes the following:
The Nevi’im and Ketuvim also reference most of these same topics. In addition, they give some additional insight into additional topics, some of which are here listed:
Many miracles are spoken of in the Torah, as well as the Nevi’im and Ketuvim. These include, but are not limited to,
The Torah does not use the word “church.” Instead, however, it refers to congregations and to a
religious body, “Israel.”
Within these congregations there are recognized priesthood leaders, such as Moses, Joshua, and
Elijah.
Within the religious body there was a well-established priesthood order. When this order was
violated, even with unauthorized help, it met with the displeasure of God.
It is interesting to note that some teach that Moses, Elijah, and Elias have returned to earth to
transfer priesthood authority to modern prophets.
The Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim speak of the following tabernacles and temples:
The Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim speak of a “scattering” of Israel, and also a “gathering” of
Israel.
This gathering includes a return to promised lands of Israel.
In addition to a physical gathering, others have described this gathering as a spiritual one where
covenants are again made with God, including the covenants of baptism.
Still others suggest that particular promises to “Israel” who will be gathered include those of any
genealogical ancestry so long as they will make required covenants with God, and that those of
genealogical descent from Jacob, renamed Israel, who refuse making and keeping the covenants
are not included in the “Israel” who was promised certain latter-day gathering blessings.
There are those who believe that the promised blessings to Israel are dispensed on purely a racial
basis, while others believe that the promised blessings to Israel include those of any racial
ancestry if they choose to yield to and make and keep covenants with God.
“Israel”, in summary, for some is understood on purely an ancestral basis alone, while to others
“Israel” is understood on a “faith in” and “covenant with” God basis, inclusive of those of all
different ancestries.
To the former believers the “gathering of Israel” references solely the return of literal
descendants of Jacob to lands of inheritance promised by God. To the latter believers the
“gathering of Israel” references the spreading of God’s word throughout the earth and a growing
movement of people who freely make and keep covenants with God.
The Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim reference both a First Coming and a Second Coming of the Messiah.
At least fifty references speak in regard to the First Coming:
These prophecies include the following:
Believers of the New Testament suggest that all fifty of these prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. They are quick to point out that any Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim prophecy not fulfilled by Jesus Christ relate to His Second Coming, not His First Coming, and that they too will be fulfilled.
In addition, the Torah contains multiple passages relating to various dietary rules, including not
eating that which (a) dieth of itself, (b) has a cloven hoof, (c) is from swine, or (d) is an eagle,
hawk, or swan. Many other rules and restrictions apply, including that a kid shall not be seethed
(boiled) in its mother’s milk.
The Torah also contains many directions relating to the Tabernacle and the offering of sacrifices
The Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim speak extensively of sacrificing to God.
One of the premier accounts of sacrifice is Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son,
Isaac. In doing so, Abraham “rose up early” to start upon the journey, humbly bound his beloved
son upon the place of sacrifice, and even raised his hand in the death-stroke upon his son. At the
last moment, he was stopped by an angel who commanded him not to lay his hand upon the lad.
But Abraham had shown God his willingness to love God even above his own family and selfinterests. Abraham was given great blessings and promises because of his faithfulness.
Other religious texts suggest that this experience taught Abraham something of the sacrifice God
the Father would make in sacrificing His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
The account teaches that man should withhold nothing from God, but be willing to sacrifice all.
Many animal sacrifices were part of the Mosaic law and were also included in the sacrifices
made in the Tabernacle and Solomon’s temple.
Features of these sacrifices include that they would,