By Ronnie Fulcher, 2023
In 2 Kings Chapter 8, Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, was speaking to the king about the miracles of Elisha. As Gehazi spoke of the miracle of restoring life to the son of a woman, this same woman walked into their company. The woman had left the area to go to the land of the Philistines for seven years due to a famine. She had now just returned and was requesting her property back. “And Gehazi said, my lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.” And the king restored to her the house and land she had left seven years ago. Many people think this may have been a coincidence. But I think not. It was a series of incidents ordained by the Creator for a specific purpose, a series of events that happened to me that I believe were orchestrated by G-d. This is the story of how I ended up with an authentic Torah Scroll.
What started as a series of dreams that I had, I now see it was a set of events that could only be orchestrated by HaShem. The first dream was in the summer of 1989 of me looking in the distance and seeing a snow-covered mountain and a place of worship, not a church but a group of people. I remember saying to myself, how can I be seeing a mountain, much less snow, when I live in Mississippi, and it was 90 degrees almost every day.? But within a few days, I would be asked to go on a trip with a friend of mine to Montana and Idaho. I took some vacation time and figured, what the heck, I could see that part of the country and help my friend drive. My friend was Clyde Lott and he was looking for red Angus cattle for Israel. I wasn’t too familiar with why Israel would even want a red heifer until I looked in the Bible and studied Numbers 19. Come to find out, Clyde had communicated with Rabbi Chaim Richman and Rav Ariel from the Temple Institute in Jerusalem to discuss their interest in a red heifer.
It was when we stopped in Thomasville, MT, for some lunch that my déjà vu moment happened. After walking out of a “what not” store that was used on weekends for Bible services, we were crossing the street, and I turned and saw a snow-covered mountain in the distance, and then it hit me. This was the place in my dream. I remember I was literally shaking as I looked, realizing that this place and time were somehow important. But my question was, how?
About this time, I heard of a person in Athens, TN, named David Davis, who was a leader of Emmanuel, a Noahide[1]group. He had a rabbi coming to a conference who was interested in a red heifer. So, I took off again and went to this conference. There, I met, in person for the first time, David Davis, Dr. James Tabor, Ross Nichols, and Rabbi Katz. This was in November 1990, I believe. I remember listening to the speakers and how their words affected me and my belief system. My beliefs were being challenged, and my insides were in turmoil. I had questions with no answers, and on top of that, David Davis said, “the Bible had a bunch of answers, but we don’t know the questions.” I had no one to help me within my church group because the majority of the people who read the Bible did not study it but just took the word of their leader without questioning him. I started driving 8 hours one way to Athens, TN, to attend Shabbat services with these Noahide folks and often get tapes from the different speakers. The more I learned, the more I thirsted for answers, but I was not getting them from this group. It was so frustrating.
Then, in March 1991, I went on my first trip to Israel, not knowing how other events happening at approximately this same time would start a chain of events that would greatly modify my future. While in Israel, I went to the Temple Institute and saw several of the furnishings, instruments, and vessels that will be used after the Temple is rebuilt. I met Rabbi Chaim Richman and Rav Ariel while there, but my meeting with Rav Ariel was literally electrifying. After ascending some concrete steps at the Institute, Rav Ariel met me with a salutation of Shalom and a handshake at the top of the stairs. When his hand touched mine, I saw and felt electricity jump from his hand to mine. Even though I was a Jesus-name Pentecostal preacher at that time and thought the Jews were wrong in their religion, I knew this man was a Holy Man, and he had a special anointing of G-d. After I was over my initial shock, I remember looking around to see if there was any other reason for the electrical shock. There was no carpet or other material that I could see that could have caused a static electrical charge. The revelation of him being a “Man of G-d” shook my belief system. I asked myself, did I really have all the truth? Little did I know that my faith in exactly what was the exact truth was cracked beyond repair.
After returning to the United States and going to churches, teaching about the red heifer, and showing pictures of the Temple furnishings and implements, I started asking myself questions I could not answer. I had to learn to use other sources to find the meanings of words in the Bible. I had assumed until now that the KJV was correct and never questioned it. I asked my pastor at that time if there were errors in the Bible, and he said a few. Then, after questioning an evangelist from the Middle East about the validity of the translation, he told me that it was maybe 65-75% correct. Boy, did that upset me. If that much was wrong, then what exactly was right? You must understand I worked as an OSHA consultant and was taught to read the regulations for exactly what they said and meant. So, I started researching the Bible, not just reading the words and taking another person’s word for what it meant. With the help of computer programs and Bible reference books, I could utilize my time better when looking up Hebrew or Greek translations. I would look up words, phrases, or combinations expeditiously. I started amassing a number of books in my formerly meager library with commentaries and opinions of rabbis, scholars, and other learned authors. I noticed many of the wise people that I knew personally had libraries of information. I, too, wanted information, books, papers, etc., to find more answers. My soul ached for truth. The deeper I looked for answers, the more I was challenged in my belief system. I could see I would soon have to decide, stay with Jesus or let him go to his rightful place.
Unknown to me, while all of this was taking place, Rabbi Katz from Atlanta was having some things in his life taking a turn and needed some financial assistance. Rabbi Katz often taught at Emmanuel (the Noahide group), driving several miles each visit. At this time, this Noahide congregation was saving money so they could purchase a Torah Scroll and had already collected a large portion of the price. Anyone who has ever investigated the price of a handwritten Kosher Torah Scroll knows it is costly. After learning of Rabbi Katz’s predicament, the congregation decided to give their savings to Rabbi Katz. I am sure it was a major blessing for the Rabbi and his family.
David Davis was getting national attention and was traveling a lot to speak for different organizations. At that time, most churches had not heard of the Noahides or their belief system, even though some of its beliefs are alluded to in the book of Acts. David Davis went to England and South Africa in his international travels. While in South Africa, he met Rabbi Ivan Lerner, the leader of Claremont Wynberg Hebrew Congregation. Rabbi Lerner took David on tours of the area, and they became good friends. Come to find out Rabbi Lerner of South Africa knew Rabbi Katz. Also, Rabbi Katz had relatives in South Africa.
Sometime in or before the meeting in South Africa with David Davis, Rabbi Lerner had heard of the act of charity by the Noahide congregation toward Rabbi Katz. Rabbi Lerner told his congregation about the charity and the idea of helping the Noahides get a Torah Scroll. Based upon my conversations with Rabbi Lerner and David Davis, a member of the congregation had brought a Torah Scroll, written in 1927, from his home country Lithuania to South Africa. In 1998, the South African congregation voted to give the scroll to David Davis. I remember being at a Noahide conference sometime in the early 2000s when David brought out the scroll and told of the charity of the congregation in South Africa. I recall, thinking to myself how great it would be to have a Torah Scroll.
In the meantime, I was looking for a group that I could study with here in Mississippi but there was none close except for a Jewish reformed group and a Messianic group. I didn’t want to convert so I decided to try the Messianic group. I went there a couple of times but their beliefs in Jesus were totally opposite of mine now. Luckily, if you can call it that, I could call David Davis and a friend I met in Vicksburg, MS, Chris Jackson and we would discuss Bible questions and possible answers for hours on end.
Later, after hearing about United Israel World Union (UIWU), I decided maybe they can help me find answers, or if nothing else I could have fellowship with like believers. After attending several conferences and gatherings, I found a home! The people were super friendly and open-minded and thought outside the box with their hearts and brains. Even though I was still a card-carrying Pentecostal preacher, they let me into their group with love and respect.
But I knew in my heart it was time for me to make a change. I had already become ordained as a teacher with the Noahide group but I wanted to become a member of UIWU who could perform marriages, funerals, and other ministerial duties. I did become a member in the early 2000’s. Then on December 19, 2003, Timothy Thompson, Ross Nichols, and I were ordained together as ministers in the UIWU.
Sometime in 2005, David Davis offered me most of his vast library knowing of my desire to learn and study. I was honored to get his books and continue on my journey. In total, there were over 500 books. I had copies of some of the books, but most were new to me. I had bookshelves built to help organize the library and gave away my extra copies to someone and they ended up in a Houston, TX, synagogue. I know this because Betty Givens informed me when she found my name in some of the books in her synagogue’s library.
I continued on my journey of seeking and finding truth and have come into contact with so many great people who are on the same journey, but at different places. After talking with these awesome people, I find they have had similar experiences concerning their paths and associated time frames. I found that we knew some of the same rabbis and other spiritual leaders, had visited the same foreign lands, and had similar dreams or “chance” meetings with people who helped stimulate their faith at just the “right” times.
Because of the knowledge of many in the UIWU group and the Noahide movement, I started thinking more outside the box. When looking at the same box from different directions, I started seeing things I would never have thought of in my past life.
I learned that people who did not think as I do on religion or other associated topics could still have a desire to serve G-d. I was just like many of them in my past. I often ask, G-d why me? Why did you show me this path? Why cannot others see this truth? But as I look back 20 years ago, I would not have accepted the truth I see now then either.
Then, out of the blue in 2022, David Davis contacted me regarding the Torah Scroll that he had and wanted to know if I wanted it. Of course, I wanted it! However, I was concerned about the maintenance and utilization of the scroll. I thought about it for a while until David called me and said, “You have my library; you should have the scroll also.” So we made plans for me to drive a few hundred miles to pick it up. I have since discussed with a rabbi the proper care of the scroll and I am getting someone to build me an ark to store and display the scroll. The scroll’s journey has ended, after 25 years, in this small town in central Mississippi. Who but HaShem could have orchestrated such events for this to come to pass?
Your path like mine is a journey of events. As we migrate from one position to the next, we must lay a correct foundation to build upon. Your foundation will support more understanding and revelations. I do believe people cannot handle all the truth at one time because of the baggage of our past religious upbringing. Past baggage has weighed us down and guided our belief system in another direction. But as one rebuilds their foundation in Torah, they will have things that happen to them that only God has ordained.
Your journey has had many events that are orchestrated by the Creator. Your life has been enhanced by the steps you took in the direction G-d has directed. Even when you deviated from your path, G-d had another event in your future to help guide you back, if you so desire. One’s obedience to G-d is so important. Listening to that still small voice will guide you in the direction you need to go. Learning to listen and distinguish His voice from others and then acting upon what the voice asks you to do is the key to peace in your soul.
[1] Noahide Laws, also called Noachian Laws, a Jewish Talmudic designation for seven biblical laws given to Adam and to Noah before the revelation to Moses on Mt. Sinai and consequently binding on all mankind.