Our God is a God of order. Creation is a beautiful display of his order. This is evident when we observe the universe on any scale, from the subatomic to the Macro level. Since the Torah was authored by God directly, the Torah has within it, measures to secure order. The Torah ensures an orderly Nation by granting power to carry out the Torah in a judicial manner exclusively to the priests and judges. In addition, standards of interpretation, known as “Halakah” could not be enforced by just anyone, otherwise, disagreement would too easily cause dissension and disorder. Instead, Halakah would remain solely in the hands of the governing body in every generation. A procedure was implemented, originating from Moses himself to ensure an unbroken connection that would survive each generation, binding the power to handle the Torah exclusively to those who were qualified. This became known as “Semichah.” In Hebrew, this literally means “laying of the hands.”

Scriptural precedent for this is found in Numbers 27:23, when Moses “placed his hands upon… [Joshua] and commanded him, in accordance with what the Lord had spoken.”

The authority to set standards of interpretation and to handle the Torah judicially was first given to Moses. Moses in turn transferred this authority by Semichah (laying of hands) to his second in command, Joshua. Similarly, Moses appointed 70 Elders as judges to show “the way wherein they must walk” (Exodus 18:20) in other words, they began to establish Halakah, which means “to walk.”

Joshua and the 70 Elders gave Semicha to their disciples, and the tradition was practiced from teacher to student until the Talmudic era. Before Semichah was lost, every Sage that had received it, could regard their authority as traceable through the chain of transmission to Joshua and Moses.

The kings of Israel did also possess a form of religious authority. The throne held the designation: “Throne of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 29:23). The authority was termed “The key to the house of David” (Isaiah 22:21-22). According to tradition, King David had transferred Semichah to 30,000 at once (Talmud Jerusalem Sanhedrin 1:2).

Upon the return of the Jewish people from exile in Babylon, Ezra reconvened a council (Ezra 7:25; 10:14, 16) tradition calls this council “The Great Assembly” which consisted of 120 Elders.

Post Old Testament Era

During the time of the 1^st Century, Judaism had broken into three main sects: The Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes.

The Sadducees rejected the notion that tradition had faithfully preserved the Halacha of previous generations; as a result, they denied the validity of any Semicha ordination.

This left the responsibility of maintaining Halachic authority via the transmission of Semichah to the Pharisees and Essenes.

The Pharisees

The Sanhedrin/Great Assembly was headed by the High Priest and consisted of Pharisee and Sadducee members. This Sanhedrin eventually became corrupt and turned into a political foothold to ensure Roman control.

In reaction, the Pharisees formed their own governing body. It had 70 members plus the “Nasi” (the President). Leadership would operate in pairs, or “zuggot” – referring to the Nasi and the “Av Beit Din” (Vice President). The greatest pair was Hillel (President) and Shammai (Vice President). They set many rulings which have been preserved and can be found in the Mishnah. Hillel and Shammai rarely agreed, and ultimately split the Pharisee sect into two sub-sects.

The Essenes

Halakah was determined by a “Mevakker” [Overseer] (Demascus Document xii, 7-9) in tandem with a council that adhered to certain specifications: 12 laymen, and three priests.

In the deliberative council of the community, there shall be twelve laymen and three priests schooled to perfection in all that has been revealed of the entire Law. Their duty shall be to set the standard for the practice of truth, … and how one can walk with all men with the quality of truth and in conduct appropriate to every occasion. (Man. of Disc. viii 1ff)

Semicha of John the Baptist

In today’s world, if one endeavors to change society for the better, it must be done from within. If a person wishes to implement bold and sweeping changes, the best way is to go through the proper channels. The alternative is to implement by way of Chaos, by breaking the law in the spirit of activism. Jesus was no vandal or criminal. He went through the proper channels.

Scriptural precedent had locked in place the tradition of Semicha as a safeguard to ensure the authority to teach would remain under the tight control of the qualified. This is why in Matthew 21 the Pharisees confronted Jesus asking: “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Matthew 21:23). The wrong answer would expose Jesus as a fraud. It would be similar to a random person of a Blue-Collar profession, walking into a hospital to impersonate a doctor. Imagine this man meeting with multiple patients and prescribing medication. Day after day, this occurs, until finally he is caught. Imagine the TV coverage and legal consequences.

The Pharisees did not take the mishandling of the Torah lightly:

“The sword comes upon the world because of the delaying of justice and the perverting of justice; and because of them that teach the Law not according to the Halakah.” – Mishnah Avot 5:8

The consequence of teaching against Halakah (the standard set by those with Semicha) is losing a “share in the world to come.” This means that an unqualified teacher would lose their salvation:

“If a man profanes the Hallowed things and despises the set feasts…and discloses meanings in the Law which are not according to the Halakah, even though a knowledge of the Law and good works are his, he has no share in the world to come.” – Mishnah Avot 3:12

Jesus responds with:

“I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.  John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” (Matthew 21:24,25)

Although it seems as if Jesus is evading the question, he was in fact providing a straight answer. Jesus’ Semicha came from John the Baptist. When Jesus came, John recognized his purpose was finished and humbly transferred Semicha: “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:13). This is why Jesus did not start to preach until after he was baptized by John. Before this occurred, John the Baptist was highly active and apparently unchallenged by the Pharisees. Evidently, he unquestionably held valid Semicha ordination. One can suppose that since he emerged “from the wilderness” his Semicha came from an Essene source.

The Pharisees were reluctant to admit John was “from heaven” because the Pharisees as a whole did not submit to John and his ministry. Yet, they knew John had favor among the people and did not want to upset crowds. The Pharisees chose not to answer. Their silence meant that Jesus’ authority was unchallenged, and he was free to continue teaching.

1. The New Torah of the Messiah
2. The Dawning of the Great Light
3. Abolish and Fulfill
4. Not one Yod will pass from the Torah
5. The White fire
6. Summarizing the Torah with Love
7. Jesus and the Sabbath
8. The Easy and Light Yoke
9. Through the Messiah we are able to obey the Torah

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The New Torah of the Messiah

“These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more…” -Deuteronomy 5:22

The Hebrew word translated as “Added” is “YSF” or “Yosef”. The last two letters in the word form “Sof” meaning “End” – if understood this way, the meaning is altered to read: “and it did not/does not end.” This suggests that although the Torah was indeed delivered once, much of its content was reserved/hidden, to be revealed progressively throughout time.

This is why the Aramic Targums (Onkelos, Yanatan, and Neofiti) translate this verse as: the Torah “…did not cease”

This alternate reading of the verse is also documented in the Talmud:

“…a great voice. And no more was added. Thus, it is interpreted that it did not continue? No, rather, it did not cease.” – Sanhedrin 17a

Deuteronomy 4:36 – states the Lord was heard in the “midst of the fire.” Deuteronomy 33:2 refers to the Torah as a “fiery law” from his right hand. In Jeremiah 23:29, the Lord inquires: “Is not my word likened as fire?”

Scripture associates the Torah with the image/likeness of fire. If the Torah truly has two portions; a revealed portion, and a hidden portion yet to be revealed, then it would not be inaccurate to liken the Torah to a flame possessing two natures.

Rabbinic tradition regarded the Torah as black fire (black ink written on parchment) written on white fire (the white space of the parchment, representing what is hidden):

“‘The torah which the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to Mosheh was given as white fire engraved in black fire. It is fire mixed in fire, cut from fire and given from fire,’ as it is written:’…from his right had a fiery law for them.'”- Talmud Yerushalmi, Shekaim 25b

When analyzing the white parchment against the black ink of Hebrew letters, at times, it’s possible to identify the white space of the parchment forming letters around what is written. For example, the Hebrew Bet, if carefully observed, has the outline of the Hebrew letter Peh surrounding it. For this reason, it became a scribal rule to preserve the space between the letters. To remove the space is to remove the ‘White fire’ the hidden content behind the written:

“Every letter that is not surrounded by parchment from all four of its sides is unfit.” – Talmud Menachot 29a

This leads to the question: When will the hidden content be revealed?

“When our righteous Messiah comes, we shall understand the blank spaces in the Torah.” – Imre Tzaddikim page 10

“The Torah which a man learns in this world is nothing before the Torah of the Messiah” – Midrash Rabbah Qohelet 11:8

“The Holy One, blessed be he, shall sit and explain the New Torah, which He is prepared to give by the hand of the Messiah. The meaning of “New Torah” is the secrets of the Torah, and its mysteries, which have been hidden until now. And it does not refer to another Torah – forbid it! For the Torah which was given to us by the hand of the Moshe, peace be on him, is the Torah forever and ever. Rather, the revelation of the secrets that are hidden shall be called a “New Torah.” – Midrash Talpiyot 58a

Jesus corrected falsehood, gave further insight, and revealed the intent and spirit previously hidden behind the written literal commandments. I know most would also agree. However, the Christian assumption is that a “New Torah/law” of the Messiah necessarily means a distinct new law to replace the Old.

Jewish tradition concedes that the Torah as expounded by the Messiah will be a “New Torah” – yet the “newness” is referring to the white fire revealed. It completes the written and does not replace or negate the written.

The Great Light

In Matthew 4 after John the Baptist is captured and sent into prison, Jesus withdrew from Nazareth to live in Capernaum by the lake of “Zebulun and Naphtali” according to the prophecy:

“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” – Isaiah 9:1-2

Not much is provided to elucidate the meaning of the “great light” that would illuminate the darkness, other than this brief passage:

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near.’” – Matthew 4:17

The meaning however is easily deciphered by consulting the previous chapter of Isaiah:

“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” – Isaiah 8:20

This verse, in conjunction with a few others in the Old Testament work to consolidate the connection between the Torah and the poetic simile of light, illumination, and open eyes:

“For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:” – Proverbs 6:23

“The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” – Psalm 19:8

The dawning of a “great light” represents the bursting forth of truth as the “Law and testimony” were taught and expounded by our Lord and Messiah. The prophecy, as applied by Matthew indicates that Jesus ventured into the land of Galilee instructing the locals on the deeper meanings held within the Torah. In addition, he called for repentance from transgression against the Torah, warning that the Kingdom of heaven was fast approaching:

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them has the light shined.”- Isaiah 9:2

Abolish and Fulfill

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.” – Matthew 5:17

“Abolish” and “Fulfill” are Jewish Idioms. To offer a false interpretation of scripture is figuratively referred to as “abolishing the Torah.” On the other hand, to handle the Torah correctly by reading and applying it with a true understanding/interpretation is to “fulfill” scripture, or to “fulfill” the Torah.

Early confirmation of this is found in the Jewish Mishnah. The Mishnah is a document compiled around 400AD, consisting of written tradition and legal discussion allegedly going as far back as the second Temple:

“R. Eliezer said to him: Akiba wouldest thou ABOLISH what is written in the law, between the evenings in its appointed time – whether this be a weekday or sabbath?” – M. Pesahim 6:2

Rabbi Eliezer accused Rabbi Akiba of “Abolishing” the Torah, with a false/wrong interpretation!

“Go away to a place of study of the Torah, and do not suppose that it will come to you. For your fellow disciples will FULFILL it in your hand. And on your own understanding do not rely.” M. Aboth 4:14

The advice offered in the above passage is that one should seek counsel regarding the understanding of scripture by going to a place of study and having one’s fellow disciples “FULFILL” it in your hand – meaning they will give you the right interpretation.

To “fulfill” a commandment, therefore means to obey a commandment according to the right understanding/interpretation and application.

Here, a Rabbi is accusing another of failing to “Fulfill” a commandment – because they were not obeying the commandment the right way:

“If this is how you act, you have never in your whole life fulfilled the requirement of dwelling in a sukkah!” – M. Sukkot 2:7

If we put the whole passage of Matthew 5:17-18 in context, this is what Jesus is in essence saying:

“I have not come to lead you astray with false doctrine or interpretation. On the contrary, I came to reveal the true interpretation of the Torah and how to properly obey it according to the way God intended.”

A passage from the book “Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus” written by Dr. Roy
Blizzard (President of Bible Scholars inc.) and David Bivin (founder of ‘Jerusalem perspective’)
states:

“Destroy” and “fulfill” are technical terms used in rabbinic argumentation. When a sage felt that a colleague had misinterpreted a passage of Scripture, he would say, “You are destroying he Law!” Needless to say, in most cases his colleague strongly disagreed. What was “destroying the Law” for one sage, was “fulfilling the Law” (correctly interpreting Scripture) for another. What we see in Matthew 5:17. Is a rabbinic discussion. Someone has accused Jesus of “destroying” the law. Of course, neither Jesus nor his accuser would ever think of literally destroying the Law. Furthermore, it would never enter the accuser’s mind to charge Jesus with intent to abolish part or all of the Mosaic Law. What is being called into question is Jesus’ system of interpretation, the way he interprets Scripture.” – page 114

The Authors then present their own paraphrase of Matthew 5:17:

“Never imagine for a moment,” Jesus says, “That I intend to abrogate the Law by misinterpreting it. My intent is not to weaken or negate the law, but by properly interpreting God’s written Word I aim to establish it, that is, make it even more lasting. I would never invalidate the law by effectively removing something from it through misinterpretation. Heaven and earth would sooner disappear than something from the Law”

Not one Yod will pass from the Torah

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” – Matthew 5:18

Jesus would have made a mention of the Yod (Translated into English as “Jot”) and nekudah (translated into English and “Tittle”).

Reference to the Yod in this context would have evoked within the memory of his captive audience a familiar Jewish “Midrash”:

When God gave the Torah to Israel, He inserted therein positive and negative commands and gave some commandments for a king, as it says:

“Only he shall not multiply horses to himself… Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away; neither silver and gold (Deut. XVII, 16-17)”. But Solomon arose and studied the reason of God’s decree, saying: “Why did God command, ‘He shall not multiply wives to himself?’ Is it not ‘That his heart turn not away?’ Well, I will multiply and still my heart will not turn away.” – Exodus Rabbah 6:1

According to the Midrash, in an attempt to remove the commandment against an Israelite King from taking multiple wives, Solomon removed the letter Yod from a word in the phrase. This completely changed its meaning, thus liberating Solomon from the prohibition. The letter Yod is said to have ascended to God in order to offer a plea to correct the matter:

“Our Sages said: At that time, the yod of the word yarbeh went up on high and prostrated itself before God and said: ‘Master of the Universe! Hast thou not said that no letter shall ever be abolished from the Torah? Behold, Solomon has now arisen and abolished one. Who knows? Today he has abolished one letter, to-morrow he will abolish another until the whole Torah will be nullified? ‘ God replied: ‘ Solomon and a thousand like him will pass away, but the smallest tittle will not be erased from thee.’ …” Exodus Rabbah 6:2-3

The context behind the Midrash is that no force can prevail against the commandments of the Torah – not even for the purpose of removing just one small Yod to alter its meaning in order to justify breaking it. In other words, the standard of the Torah is immutable.

The White Fire

After emphatically assuring the eager crowds of his intentions to uphold the Torah and to deliver sound instruction, our Lord initiates the long-anticipated reveal of the white fire; the hidden insight behind the written Torah.

Superficial assumptions of righteousness were undermined. Jesus makes it clear, that the condition of the heart holds priority over the external:

• Murder begins in the heart (Matthew 5:21-22)
• Lust is the equivalent of Adultery (Matthew 5:27-28)
• We are to be reconciled before seeking an externally pious/religious activity (Matthew 5:23-24)
• Although we have every legal right for recourse in cases of physical assault, injury or damage to property, it is better to respond with love (Matthew 5:38-42)
• If we are taken to court, in order to ensure our debt is paid, we should pay double the amount demanded (Matthew 5:38)
• We are to love our enemy (Matthew 5:43). Even the wicked are capable of loving people when it serves their best interests.

Jesus settles unresolved legal disputes:

Divorce

The Torah permitted divorce for the single reason of “ervat davar.” There was a standing debate regarding what this meant. The sage Shammai argued it was referring to unchaste behavior. The Sages
Hillel and Akivah concluded it was referring to any reason a husband may be displeased with his wife:

Beit Shammai say, “No man shall divorce his wife, unless he found in her unchaste behaviour, as it is stated [Deuteronomy 24:1], ‘Because he found in her ‘ervat davar’ [unchaste behavior].’” Beit Hillel say, “Even if she spoiled his food, because it is said, ervat davar”. Rabbi Akivah says, “Even if he found another [woman] prettier than her, as it is stated [ibid.] ‘If it happen that she does not find
favor in his eyes.’” – M. Gittin 9:1

Jesus aligned with Shammai’s interpretation. Divorce should not be permitted unless for reasons of “fornication”, “unchaste behavior” or “sexual immorality.”

“It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” – Matthew 5:31-3

Oaths/Vows

The Essenes referred to the Pharisees as “wall builders” in reference to their protective tradition. The Essenes were not against the practice but ridiculed the Pharisees for being too liberal in what they permitted.

” But against his enemies, the Wall-Builders, his anger burns.” -(Dam. Doc. 8, 18)

The Pharisees had an elaborate rule system for making and nullifying vows. In contrast, it was an Essene ruling to avoid vows/oaths altogether:

…whatsoever they say also is firmer than an oath; but swearing is avoided by them, and they esteem it worse than perjury for they say that he who cannot be believed without [swearing by] God is already
condemned.” – Josephus, Wars 2:8:6

“A man must not swear either by Aleph and Lamedh (Elohim) or by Aleph and Daleth (Adonai)…” (Dam. Doc. 15:1)

Jesus sided with the Essenes on the matter: “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” – Matthew 5:37

Parallels between Jesus’ sayings and Jewish tradition

Striking similarities can be identified between the content of Matthew chapters 5/6 and Jewish tradition. Academically, this has sparked speculation of possible cross-pollination between the first Jewish Christians and the Jewish establishment as a whole.

• Murder (Matthew 5:21-22)
  One who shames the face of his fellow, it is as if he has murdered him. – Babylonian Talmud, Bava Mezia 58b
• Be reconciled – (Matthew 5:23-24)
  Yom Kippur atones for all sins, but first you must reconcile your conflict with others. -Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 85b
• Do not lust/commit adultery – (Matthew 5:27-28)
  One who gazes lustfully upon the small finger of a married woman, it is as if he has committed adultery with her. – Babylonian Talmud, Kallah, Ch. 1
• Do not practice your righteousness in front of others (Matthew 6:1-4)
  Don’t do good deeds to be noticed. –  Talmud, Berachot 17b
  He who gives alms in secret is greater than Moses. –  T. Bava Batra 9b
  The greatest form of charity is when you give and do not know to whom you give, and the recipient takes and does not know from whom he takes. – Talmud, Bava Batra 10b
• The Lords prayer
  “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”
  Our Father who art in heaven (Babylonian Talmud; Yoma 85b, Sotah 49b, Avot 5:20; Vayikra Rabbah ch 32.)

1. “Thy kingdom come,”
   May God’s kingdom be established during the days of your life. (Kaddish prayer)
2. “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.”
   Do thy will above and give comfort to those below, and to everyone his need. (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 29b)
3. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
   One who is merciful toward others, God will be merciful toward them. (Babylonian Talmud, Shabat 151b)
4. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:”
   Bring me not into temptation, and lead me away from iniquity … and save me from the evil one. (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 80b)
5. “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
   For Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty (Tenakh, 1 Chronicles 29:10)
6. For if ye forgive men their trespasses …
   Only if you forgive others will God forgive you. – Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 17a
   One who is merciful toward others, God will be merciful toward him –  Babylonian Talmud, Shabat 151b

• Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth
  “It happened that manobaz had squandered his father’s wealth to charity. His brothers admonished him: “Your father gathered treasure and you wasted it all!” He replied: “My father laid up treasure where human hands control it; I laid it up where no hands control it. My father laid up a treasure of money; I laid up a treasure of souls. My father laid up treasure for this world; I laid up treasure for the heavenly world.” – Jerusalem Talmud, Pe’ah 15b
• Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat
  “He who has what to eat today, and says, “What shall I eat on the morrow?” has little faith. – Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 48b

It’s quite possible that after many theological exchanges with the Apostles and the Jewish converts, over time the white fire managed to burn its way into the hearts and minds of the unbelieving establishment. If so, elements of the white fire evidently became preserved as tradition to later resurface in Jewish literature/documents such as the Mishnah, and Talmud.

Yet some Christians are less inclined to investigate. Perhaps they fear it would imply that Jesus was derivative, and only borrowing or repeating teachings that were circulating at the time.

The cause and origin of the similarities constitute a discussion for another time. My purpose is to emphasize one point: that in promulgating teachings identical to what we find in Matthew 5 and 6 for approximately 2,000 years, the Jewish people clearly did not see inconsistencies between these teachings and the existence of the written Torah. They did not view the wisdom inherent within the Torah as mutually exclusive to the written nor necessitating its removal. Such a concept is foreign to Judaism because it lacks common sense. Where would the hidden wisdom reside if not behind the plain surface meaning of the written commandments? How can an expert understanding of the Torah and a discussion of the true application of its wisdom require the negation of its source (the written Torah)?

Absent of errant theology, there is no reason to make the irrational demand that the exposition of the Torah implies the ephemerality of the Torah. Absent of a mistaken theological system that requires it, there is no reason to insist that when the Messiah reveals its secrets, a spiritual change will necessarily take place whereby the principles of the Torah shed the husk of the written and are liberated to emerge like a spirit departing a body. The Torah of the Messiah is not the ghostly counterpart of a dead written Torah.

The black and white fire combine to form one flame. The Two are one and always have been:

• the law, and the testimony.
• The written, and the revealed wisdom.

And now, the two are known as the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Summarizing the Torah with love

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:34-40

The 10 commandments can be regarded as an expansion of these two greatest commandments (To love God and love our neighbor). In turn, the entire Torah consisting of 613 commandments as defined by tradition ultimately represent a much greater expansion, delineating in greater detail how to love God and love our neighbor in specific ways.

Mark 12 shows us this was the standard view since after Jesus responded in this manner to a “Teacher of the Law” this teacher answered: “well said…” and the teacher left happy.

The Biblical definition of loving God is obeying him. Therefore, the commandment to love God has within it, the adherence of all other laws. This covers the clean/unclean dietary laws and distinctions, washings, and the various other “Chukkim” (Ceremonial laws) that lack rational sense. The origin of the word has the connotation of a “decree” from a King, the message is: “do it because I said so.”

After loving God what else is left but loving your neighbor? Better than sentiment, is an action that follows. How do we love our neighbor exactly? The Torah tells us. Here are just a few Mitzvot regarding loving our neighbor:

• Not to take revenge (Lev. 19:18)
• Not to bear a grudge (Lev. 19:18)
• To relieve a neighbor of his burden and help to unload his beast (Ex. 23:5)
• Not to afflict an orphan or a widow (Ex. 22:21)
• To leave the unreaped corner of the field or orchard for the poor (Lev. 19:9)
• Not to delay payment of a hired man’s wages (Lev. 19:13)
• That a man should fulfil whatever he has uttered (Deut. 23:24)
• To return lost property (Deut. 22:1)
• Not to defraud (Lev. 19:13)
• Not to refrain from maintaining a poor man and giving him what he needs (Deut. 15:7)

Are we loving our neighbor if we murder him? Are we loving our neighbor if we sleep with his wife? Are we loving our neighbor if we steal from him? Are we loving our neighbor if we give false testimony against him in court? Are we loving our neighbor if we are coveting his possessions?

Indeed, Love is the fulfillment of the Law: Loving God and loving others.

This was a common way of studying the Torah of the time: diving into the Torah to derive a common core principle. If such a core principle exists, what is it? If there are multiple principles or themes, what are they and how many? These inquiries occupied the sages/rabbis of the second temple era.

Imagine if you asked a lawyer to paraphrase the purpose and scope of our Constitution. One such way the lawyer might describe the purpose of the Constitution could be: “To identify and protect the rights of the American people.”

In the Talmud, there is a discussion regarding the many ways the Torah has been summed up (Tractate Makkot 24A). David reduces the Torah to eleven principles in Psalm 15. Isaiah reduces the Torah to six principles in Isaiah 33:25-26. Micah summed up the Torah to three principles in Micah 6:8. Isaiah summed up the Torah to two principles in Isaiah 56:1. Habakkuk summed up the entire Torah in only one principle: Faith; in Habakkuk 2:4.

By summing up the Torah, Jesus was contributing to a tradition of Great Prophets and men of God.

Jesus and the Sabbath

Since the Torah served as the constitution for the Theocratic nation of Israel, it was imperative for the nation to possess a uniform understanding of each commandment regarding what was required, permitted, and forbidden. The Torah granted authority to the priests and the judges to arrive at these conclusions, and this ability became known as the power to “bind” (forbidding an action) and “loose” (permitting and action). Collectively, their rulings were called “Halakah” meaning to “walk out”, as in, the understanding of how to properly interpret and walk out what each commandment requires. However, in any given commandment, different conclusions can be made depending on the logic that one uses. Therefore “Hashkafah” was developed, as a set of principles that would act as an aid to resolve perplexing issues. For example, what if a positive commandment ever conflicted with a negative commandment (for example, what if a boy required circumcision on a Shabbat)? Hashkafa determined that a positive commandment would override the negative:

“Initially the tanna thought that circumcision overrides leprosy. What is the reason for this? He relied on the principle that a positive mitzva comes and overrides a negative mitzva.” – Talmud, Shabbat 132 B.

As a result of the principle, the Sages agreed that Circumcision takes precedence over Shabbat:

“…however, with regard to circumcision itself, everyone agrees that it overrides Shabbat.” – Shabbat 132A.

In turn, if Circumcision overrides Shabbat, how much more should saving a life override Shabbat?

“Just as circumcision, which pertains to only one of a person’s limbs, overrides Shabbat, all the more so it is an a fortiori inference that saving a life, which is a mitzva that pertains to the entire person, overrides Shabbat.” – Shabbat 132A.

It was therefore determined that the Sabbath was made for man, meaning that the imperative to preserve a human life has greater priority than the Sabbath:

“Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says that it is stated: “But keep my Shabbatot” (Exodus 31:13). One might have thought that this applies to everyone in all circumstances; therefore, the verse states “but,” a term that restricts and qualifies. It implies that there are circumstances where one must keep Shabbat and circumstances where one must desecrate it, i.e., to save a life. Rabbi Yonatan ben Yosef says that it is stated: “For it is sacred to you” (Exodus 31:14). This implies that Shabbat is given into your hands, and you are not given to it to die on account of Shabbat.” – Talmud, Yoma 85b.

During the Second Temple period, the Pharisees were divided between two schools of thought: the “House of Hillel”, and the “House of Shammai”. In the great majority of disputes, Hillel advocated for light and lenient “Halakah” using principles (Hashkafah) that emphasized mercy, and the spirit of the law to put it in Pauline terms. Shammai was the opposite, he sought to establish burdensome Halakah while emphasizing the strict letter of the law. At the time Jesus was active and teaching, the House of Shammai would have had Political dominance over the House of Hillel. This means that the great majority of Pharisees were upholding the values of Shammai. When taking this into account, it’s quite clear that the Pharisees were contentious with Jesus because he was applying the principles of Hillel: he appealed to circumcision (circumcision overrides the sabbath), that the concern for life overrides the sabbath (a principle known as Pikuach Nefesh), That sacrifice and service in the Temple override the Sabbath, etc. These are all Hashkafic issues! It is not that Jesus was breaking the Sabbath unlawfully (although the Shammaite Pharisees would have desired to make the accusation) but he was obeying the Sabbath with light, lenient, Hillel type Hashkafah and advocating for his principles against the principles of Shammai.

Today, modern Judaism favors the rulings of Hillel. A “bat kol” (voice from heaven) is said to have tipped the scale, declaring Hillel the victor:

For three years, there was a dispute between the School of Shammai and the School of Hillel, the former asserting, “The law (Halakah) is according to our view,” and the latter asserting, “The law is according to our view.” Then, a voice issued from heaven announcing, “Both these and these are the words of the living God, but the law is in agreement with the School of Hillel.”

The sages inquired as to why heaven would have favored Hillel:

“But [it was asked], since both are the words of the living God, for what reason was the School of Hillel entitled to have the law determined according to their ruling? Because they were kindly and humble…”- Eruvin 13b

Jesus was gentle and humble of heart. He called out to the weary and burdened declaring: “There is a better way!” Like Hillel, he wanted to remove from their shoulders the crushing weight of unnecessarily harsh Halakhic rulings. “Come to me!” he beckoned, for the law is according to the Messiah more so than Hillel, and he wished to give men rest:

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30, Luke 10:21-24

The Easy and light Yoke

…they are foolish, for they do not know the way of YHWH, the requirements of their Elohim. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of YHWH, the requirements of their Elohim.” But with one accord they too had broken OFF THE YOKE and torn off the bonds. (Jer. 5:4-5)

According to the Prophet Jeremiah, the yoke is “The way of YHVH, the requirements of their Elohim.”

In Jeremiah chapter 6, Israel is instructed to “ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it.”

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Jer. 6:16)

Notice that this “way” gives “rest.” The Lord contends that the Law, rather than a burden, is a source of rest.

Yet, in defiance, Israel resisted. The “way” that gives rest, that Israel refused to walk in, is the Torah:

“…because they have not listened to my words, and have rejected my law.” – Jeremiah 6:19

Bringing the two together the Torah is a yoke that will bring rest to our souls.

The Torah is light in comparison to the heavyweight of Rabbinical Law and tradition:

“They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” – Matthew 23:4

Matthew 15 is one such account of the Pharisees elevating tradition so far above the Torah, that the original aim of the Torah became obscured:

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat.” – Matthew 15:1-3

The Torah does not require one to wash hands before eating. A tradition based on the high purity standards required of Levitical Priests led to an invented concern over becoming “defiled” or “unholy” through eating bread with unwashed hands. Jesus responded by pointing out the hypocrisy of vigilantly imposing the traditions of man over the populace while at the same time disregarding the one law that matters, the Torah. They were not only using tradition to add to the Torah but to justify seeking ways around it:

“Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites!” – Matthew 15:3-7

Jesus held the observance and study of the Torah as the highest priority. He disliked the inclination of the religious establishment to make God’s law more complicated, strict, and heavy than it needed to be, and as we read in Matthew 15, he especially hated it when tradition permitted breaking the Torah and thus allowing sin.

Through the Messiah, we are able to obey the Torah

The many regulations of the Torah serve as a mirror. It forces an introspection that normally would not happen, without it hanging above every individual seeking to obey it. Our natural inclination is to ignore our imperfection and withdraw from anything that exposes our true inward condition. The nations are allowed to get away from this.

Not Israel; Israel was set apart to be an example to the nations. This privilege does not come without a price. The Law was applied to enforce external behaviors that perpetually remind the Israelites of their inadequacy, an inward purity that no one truly possesses.

For example, when a Jew wears the Tallit/Tzitzit, it forces a daily evaluation of the distance/discrepancy between their heart condition and the piousness of their outward actions. How ironic would it be, if the observant Jew were to cherish sin in their heart while at the same time wearing Tzitzit? Imagine if they were to catch a glimpse of the blue thread of the Tzitzit (which is a reminder to obey God). It would inevitably trigger the thought: “Why am I going to all the trouble of wearing this religious garment?” It makes more sense to either commit to obeying God or to decide to forsake God and take the Tzitzit off. But both cannot co-exist. It exhibits a ‘nails on a chock board’ feeling in the spirit by design.

Imagine what it would be like to live like an Israelite (or an Orthodox Jew). If every detail of your life is regulated according to tradition and Mosaic Law, and if every action is careful and deliberate, and if you cook meat and dairy separately, and if you even put on your shoes in a specific way (which is indeed an Orthodox Jewish regulation), wouldn’t every small act of obedience act as a magnifying glass, exposing even the smallest particle of sin in your heart? Wouldn’t you be acutely aware of the hypocrisy of putting your shoes on according to tradition, careful not to break it, when at the same time you can’t help but sin in some other area of greater importance?

If the law has indeed impacted the Israelite the way it should, our human nature dictates two paths: Either a deep humility is grown, or arrogance will develop and sin is magnified – leading to an ever-growing cycle of hypocrisy.

Ironically, religious hypocrites are drawn towards more regulation. They leverage the higher standards to justify directing a critical eye towards others. By doing so, they feed their desire to feel superior. They watch from afar to spot imperfection. When they do, they update their ledgers to exploit, manipulate and maintain social power/control:

“…do not do what they do [the Pharisees], for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. – Matthew 23:3-4

By leveraging religion to cultivate power, they become bound to the ritual and ceremony more so than anyone else. They know that what they have done to others, can be done to them. They are forced to double down, to demonstrate unparalleled religious zeal, and to make a public spectacle of it:

Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. – Matthew 23:5-7

The Shamaaite Pharisee’s fought for the highest regulation and control of every matter. And when they failed to cultivate control, they resorted to violence:

“On one tragic day, disciples of the School of Shammai attacked, and might even have killed, members of the School of Hillel (Jerusalem Talmud, Shabbat 1:4). Enough Hillelites were prevented from the home of Chanaiah ben Chizikyah ben Garon, where the sage were meeting that day, that the School of Shammai was able to achieve what it longed craved, a majority (Mishnah Shabbat 1:4). They took advantage of the situation to push through eighteen regulations, several of which were intended to strengthen the separation between Jews and non-Jews. The Hillelites saw the day on which these decrees passed as ‘a day as grievous for Israel as the day on which the Golden Calf was made. (Jerusalem Talmud, Shabbat 1:4)”- page 118, Hillel: if not now, when?, Rabbi Joseph Tellushkin

Tensions were so high, that the seven woes of Jesus to the Pharisees (Matthew 23:13-37) were less controversial than we assume. It’s even likely that some of the Pharisees themselves (The students of Hillel) would have welcomed the rebuke.

The Talmud preserves a list of 7 kinds of Pharisees, allegedly observed by the genuine Pharisees among them. 2 were good, the remaining 5 kinds were regarded as possessing less than pure intentions – the language used in the text implies a “pseudo righteousness.” The matter is closed with the general warning against the hypocritical among the Pharisees:

‘Fear not the Pharisees and the non-Pharisees but the hypocrites (הצבועין) who are the Pharisees; because their deeds are the deeds of Zimri (Num. 25:11ff) but they expect a reward like Phineas’” – (Babylonian Talmud, Sota 22b)

Learning the Torah and ‘Acquiring the Torah’

The Biblical use of the word “knowledge” implies intimacy. The first appearance of the word is found in reference to Adam “knowing” his wife Eve (Genesis 4:1). To understand is to hold intellectual truth, but to have knowledge is to experience and apply the information. Knowledge is information that has been processed and internally absorbed. Therefore, information we know is not merely information, but a part of our identity.

The Shamaaite Pharisees had an intellectual understanding of the Torah, but they failed to connect the concepts to their heart. They did not KNOW the scriptures:

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. – Matthew 22:29

To Know the scriptures is to “Acquire the Torah”:

“For centuries, Jews have studied the Torah, some to learn the Torah’s lessons and some to go beyond learning to what the rabbis have called “acquiring” the Torah. Learning the Torah and acquiring are not synonymous. Learning the Torah means studying the stories and concepts of the Torah in order to arrive at a full understanding of what they mean and entail. But many sources tell us that we should not let what we learn remain intellectual concepts…When they direct us to acquire Torah, they are informing us that there is a stage beyond learning where the truths we have learned get worked into the very core of our being, into our hearts, so that truth will be the guiding light of our thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds.” – page 6, With heart in mind, Alan morinis.

Rabbi Avi Fertig writes:

“Acquiring Torah is a function of da’as [knowledge]. Intimate knowledge is knowledge that connects every part of my being. Man is composed of several dualisims: body, soul, mind and emotions, and seichel [intellect] and middos [character]. When Torah penetrates our entire being, when not just our seichel…[this is the acquisition of the Torah]. – Bridging the Gap (Jerusalem and New Yeark: Feldheim, 2007), page 148.

Modern Judaism is a religion of seeking to “Acquire” the principles of the Torah. It represents a monumental effort, spanning 2 thousand years, to silence the “nails on the Chock board” – and to close the gap between the pious actions of the Torah, and the internal nature of sin that they perpetually sense and are willing to do anything to rid themselves of.

Becoming the Fire

The Hebrew letter “Shin” in its ancient pictographic form, was a representation of two front teeth. It conveyed the concept of “sharp” and “press” (the action of chewing). Over time, during its evolution from early, middle, to late and Modern Hebrew, it took on the association of a “tongue of fire” due to its inclusion in the word “Eish” for fire, and “Shalhevet” meaning “flame of fire,” as well as it’s flame-like appearance in it’s middle, late, and modern Hebrew construction. The sound pronounced when reading the letter, also slightly resembles the sound of fire: “Shhhhhh”

In modern Hebrew, the Shin is characterized by three dots (or heads) connected by a line that curves upwards underneath them.

The letter Shin possesses an interesting feature. When the letter is written on parchment, the negative white space that surrounds the letter forms a second shin around it. The second Shin that results is not identical to the first. Instead, the second Shin is equipped with four dots/heads.

The second Shin makes an appearance twice a day in religious households as an observant Jew dons his “Tefillin” while reciting the “Shema” (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, 11:13–21; Numbers 15:37–41). The term “Shema” is derived from the declaration: “Shema!” or in English, “Hear!” found in Deuteronomy 6, verse 4:

“Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”

This is followed by the commandment to love the Lord with heart, soul, and might. In addition, God emphasizes that “these words” are to be applied to their hearts, tied as a sign on their hands, and as “Totafot” on their foreheads. “Totafot” is as nebulous in Hebrew as it is in English. The text simply fires off the reference 3 times in scripture but provides no further context. In this instance, the Jewish people had nothing but inherited tradition to discern its meaning.

According to tradition, Moses was the authoritative voice behind the practice of donning two small black boxes with leather straps; one on the forehead (as a “Totafot”) and a second is applied to the left arm and hand (as a sign). The Hebrew word “Tefillin” has been assigned to these straps, and in the Greek gospels they are called “Phylacteries.”

Curiously, the letter Shin can be found on the left and right sides of the black box designated to be worn on top of the head. The right side reveals the form of a three “headed’ Shin. On the left side, a four-headed Shin is placed in accordance with tradition.

Before I reveal the significance, it should be known that Judaism equates the wearing of the Tefillin with fulfilling all of the Torah:

“It says, ‘And it shall be for you a sign upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, so that the Torah of YHVH shall be on your mouth.’ The entirety of the Torah is analogous to Tefillin.” – Talmud, Kiddushin 35a

This is confirmed by adding the numerical value of the two Shins (300 each, the sum is 600), two Shins spell “Shesh” meaning 6, when the 6 is added to the three heads of the first, and to the four heads of the second Shin, the total amounts to 613 – the total number of Commandments. By wearing the Tefillin, they are in essence, wearing all of the commandments.

Furthermore, the tradition of inscribing the three-headed Shin and its negative white space 4 headed counterpart, is symbolic of the Two flames of Torah (The black and White) descending upon the Israelite. This is indicative of not only the written Torah, but its secrets, its wisdom, its spirit becoming one with the spirit of the individual wearing the Tefillin.

Tradition expresses that the goal of Torah study is to be engulfed in its fire:

“Rabbi Yochanan said, “Any who desires to engage in Torah should see himself as standing in fire, for thus it says: ‘…a fiery law for him.’”- Midrash Tanchuma, V’Zot HaBrachah 5:1

“The Torah scholar’s entire bodies are fire, as it is written: ‘Is not my word likened as fire?’ says Hashem.” – Talmud, Chagigah 27a

As fire breaks down and consumes an object to the extent that the object and the fire become one and indiscernible, so did Godly Israelites, priests, and Torah scholars endeavor for the flame of Torah and scripture to consume them. This is what it means to be “Baptized by fire.” According to John the Baptist only the Messiah can baptize with fire:

“I baptize you with[a] water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire.” – Matthew 3:11

This is the meaning of the appearance of “cloven” or “halved” tongues of fire descending upon the Apostles in Acts 2:

“And tongues that were halved as fire appeared to them and sat over each one of them.’’ – Acts 2:3

This was a supernatural donning of the Tefillin. The Torah of white fire descended upon the Apostles during Shavuot/Pentecost, the exact day that the Torah was first delivered to Israel with fire on Mount Sinai (According to Jewish tradition). The language used even indicates a “halved” fire, meaning that two flames rested above their heads like the two Shins of the Tefillin. The Torah was now burned within them. Its deeper principles were now etched into their character, and the spirit of the Torah was now a part of their spirit. In other words, the Torah was “written” on the tablet of their hearts. As Prophecy states, the New Covenant writes the Torah in the mind and on the heart:

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD.
“I will put my law (Torah) in their minds and write it on their hearts, I will be their God, and they will be my people.” – Jeremiah 31:33

The Torah is not too hard with Jesus

The Lord distinctly states that the Torah was delivered in the particular way he chose, with the intention that it would not be too difficult to obey:

“For this commandment, I give you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12It is not in heaven, that you should need to ask, ‘Who will ascend into heaven to get it for us and proclaim it, that we may obey it?’ 13And it is not beyond the sea, that you should need to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it for us and proclaim it, that we may obey it?’ 14But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.” – Deuteronomy 30:11-14

In the epistle addressed to the Church of Rome, Paul does something quite unusual when he references Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Instead of quoting verbatim, he writes:

But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”  that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. – Romans 8:8-10

Paul exchanges the initial subject (the Torah) and alters the passage so that each sentiment is made to revolve around the theme of Christ.

This revision of Deuteronomy 30 conveys the following concepts:

• If Israel were to seek proper instruction regarding the Torah in heaven, all the answers are in Christ (Romans 8:6).
• If they believed they had to “descend into the deep” in order to retrieve something of great importance, Paul is saying they should look no further than the miracle of Christ’s death, resurrection (verse 7), and Justification provided through faith.

In other words, it is not too difficult to obey the Torah when done through faith in Jesus. Just prior to verses 8-10, he writes:

“And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Only God can close the gap between the outward actions of the Torah and the inside condition of purity that it communicates. This is done through the work of the Holy Spirit. As Paul stresses, it is not a result of our own work. No amount of straining, or piousness, or self-flagellation can accomplish this. Only faith. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

When we have faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit transforms us inwardly. The righteous requirement of the law is made complete within us. The Torah and its spiritual intent/principles of love for God and neighbor are written on our hearts. Paul calls this the “law of the spirit.”

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For a closer look into the “law of the Spirit”: Romans 6-8: The “Law of the Spirit” and Spiritual Maturity (Part 1)

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Prophecy and Israel as a Nation

Let’s revisit Ezekiel 36:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27

The Hebrew word translated as “Statutes” is “Chukkim” and is used to refer to the Civil laws of the Torah. The Hebrew word for “judgments” is “Mishpatim” and is a reference to all the Ceremonial laws of the Torah. The New Covenant causes Israel to obey both:

“will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes [Chukkim/Ceremonial laws], and you will keep My judgments [Mishpatim/Civil laws] and do them.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27

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For a closer look into the “law” that the New Covenant places on the hearts of Israel: The Ceremonial and Moral aspects of the Torah.

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Why would God still require Israel to obey the literal written Torah commandments?

Because obedience to the Torah (the Civil and Ceremonial laws) is God’s price for the inheritance of the Holy land:

Now, therefore, hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes [Chukkim/Ceremonial laws] and unto the judgments [Mishpatim/Civil laws], which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you. – Deut 4:1

Behold, I have taught you statutes [Chukkim/Ceremonial laws] and judgments [Mishpatim/Civil laws], even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. – Deut 4:5

And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes [Chukkim] and judgments [Mishpatim], that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it. – Deut 4:14

This is why after stating that Israel would obey the Civil and Ceremonial laws, the next sentence in the prophecy reads:

“Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.” – Jeremiah 36:28

You may ask if Israel is required to obey the Torah in the New Covenant, how is it different?

• When the Torah is written on their hearts, the gap between the external pious actions and their internal nature will close. The “righteous requirement of the law” will be met in them.
• The job of closing the gap is not their responsibility, it is a work of the Holy Spirit.
• When they do sin, they can march forward in confidence knowing they are already forgiven.
• By obeying, they are not seeking any approval or justification before God. They know they are already justified.
• They obey because they desire to obey out of love for God.
• They will obey the Torah according to the White fire revelations of the Messiah. They will enforce easy and light Halakah in emulation of Jesus and his concern to maintain a light yoke.

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For a closer look into the relationship between the New Covenant and the inheritance of the land: The New Covenant in context: What do the Prophets Say?

For a closer look into the Torah and why it is required for the inheritance of the land: The New Covenant and the land inheritance.

In Galatians 2:16, Paul drives a theological wedge between faith and what he calls “the works of the law”. Emphasis was placed on this demarcation, in order to consolidate his position on a matter of great significance: how are we made justified? Paul fervently argued that we are justified through faith and not by the “the works of the law”. Given the apparent severity of relying on “the works of the law,” it would be imperative to know what exactly Paul was opposing. Is the contention against any kind of good deed or “work”, or is the phrase referring to something more nuanced?

The “Works of the Law” is an Essene doctrine

The Hebrew word for a religious act of devotion is “Avodah” meaning “labor” or “service”. In most cases, Avodah is linked to Temple ritual and sacrifice. However, occasionally scripture applies a more general use of the term:

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve [Avodah] the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul [Nefesh].” – Deuteronomy 10:12

The Hebrew word for “soul” is “Nefesh”. Although “soul” in English carries metaphysical connotations, the Hebrew word “Nefesh” is simply a reference to the life of the body. Therefore, to serve God with all our Nefesh is to leverage the use of our bodies to perform good works. The Hebrew word for “works” or “deeds” is “Ma’aseh”. The fact that the Greek Septuagint translates both words with the same Greek word “ergon” indicates that over time, “service” and “works” became closely linked to the concept of a fervent zeal to obey the ceremonial law in service and worship to God.

There is a Dead Sea Scroll titled: 4QMMT. The “4Q” indicates that it came from the 4^th cave of Qumran. The “MMT” is an acronym for the title of the scroll: “Misqat Ma’ase ha-Torah” which translates into English as: “On the works of the law”. The type of “works” mentioned in the scroll is exclusively on matters of ceremonial purity. The letter constitutes an attempt by the Essenes to convince the Pharisee’s of their error in certain interpretations. The end of the letter utilizes the phrase “works of the law”:

“Now, we have written to you some of the works of the Law, those which we determined would be beneficial for you and your people…”

For the sake of civility, the Essenes offer the following sentiment:

“…because we have seen that you possess insight and knowledge of the law”

According to the Essenes, If the Pharisee’s would come to their senses and see things the Essene way, they would recognize that their grievous errors are only leading them down the path to the devil (Belial):

“Understand all these things and beseech him to set your counsel straight and so keep you away from evil thoughts and the counsel of Belial.”

The Essenes finish with:

“Then you will rejoice at the end time when you find the essence of our words to be true. And it will be reckoned to you as righteousness…”

Evidently, the Essenes believed that it was only through the proper obedience of the ceremonial laws that one could be made righteous. A review of the list of concerns discussed in the scroll yields one important conclusion: in Essene language, “works” only includes matters of purity and ceremonial law. The scroll does not even once, mention “works” the way that most protestant Christians understand it, such as charity, caring for the widow and orphan, helping your neighbor, etc. No, the use of the phrase as applied and used during this time was very specific. We must take this into account when wanting to arrive at an answer regarding what “works of the law” Paul is addressing when he is making a contrast between these works and faith.

It’s no coincidence that Paul uses this term in his epistles, when this is also presented in the Essene scrolls as an important doctrine in the Essene community. Paul was opposing a doctrine that no doubt would have stirred intense contention among the Christian Jews who were a mix of all manner of allegiances. The Book of Acts indicates that many priests and Pharisee’s became converts to Christianity. However, it would have been likely that a good number of Essenes became Christian as well. In fact, Christian Essenes would later coalesce into the first heretical Christian movement after the destruction of the second Temple. The Catholic church fathers called them “Ebionites” – they were vegetarians and fierce opponents of Paul. After joining the Essene belief of the “Works of the Law” with faith in Jesus, they would have been a party to the many Jews who were pressuring the gentiles to obey the ceremonial aspects of the Torah to earn salvation. It makes total sense then, why Paul would want to separate “faith” from “works” or the “works of the law”- the message was: salvation is through faith alone, and not through the “works” of the ceremonial law. And further, if the observance of the ceremonial law is not required for salvation, then the gentile should not be forced to convert to becoming a Jew for salvation.

This view is not new, but was held by several Catholic Church fathers before Martin Luthor led Protestant Christianity down an entirely different road. According to St. Thomas of Aquinas, the “Works of the Law” only referred to the ceremonial aspects of the law and not the moral law:

“It should be known, therefore, that some works of the Law were moral and some ceremonial. The moral, although they were contained in the Law, could not, strictly speaking, be called the ‘works of the Law,’ for man is induced to them by natural instinct and by the natural law. But the ceremonial works are properly called the ‘works of the Law.’” – Commentary on saint Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, St. Thomas Aquinas, translated by F.R. Larcher, O.P.

According to Church Father Jerome:

“he here [Paul] calls the ceremonial works, works of the law; which works, after the death of Christ, were dead.”

We uphold the Law

Paul’s contention was not with the law itself, but with the incorrect handling of the law:

“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.” – 1 Timothy 1:8

This was addressed to Paul’s disciple and traveling companion who underwent the procedure of circumcision performed at the behest of Paul himself. How can we reconcile this, when Paul wrote to the Galatians that circumcision would jeopardize their salvation? In Timothy’s case, the Torah was handled correctly. Timothy was circumcised for the purpose of removing possible contentions that the Jews in the area would have had if Timothy wished to preach to them. The motive was therefore pure, and done to advance the gospel. This is in stark contrast to Galatians, who were receiving circumcision out of the worst motive possible: to earn their salvation.

During the 1^st Century, the issue of motive regarding Torah observance became such a heated topic that the term “Lishmah” was developed, translated as: “for its purpose” – asserting that one should not complicate the matter through assigning impure motives. Rather, they believed, the Torah should only be pursued out of a sense of duty with “no thought of a wage.”

In Romans 3, Paul offers the following inquiry: if we are not saved through the works of the law, do we abandon the practice, consider it abrogated, made obsolete by faith? The answer is surprising. Paul responds: “Not at all! Rather we uphold the law” (Romans 3:31). The observance of the Torah itself was not the damnable practice that Paul was condemning. Instead, Paul was opposing pursuing Torah with improper Lishmah! This was the error behind the “Works of the Law” that Paul was desperately trying to communicate.

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For a more in depth look into the concept of Lishmah: Proper motive, cleaving to God and Galatians 5:2-4

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Paul writes that Israel failed to achieve the righteousness they were seeking because they misunderstood the purpose of the law. They pursued it as if it were a platform for accruing works when they could have pursued it “by faith”:

“…but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal [of righteousness]. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.” – Romans 9:20-32

Here we arrive at the real point of contention with the “works of the Law.” The “works of the Lorah” ultimately represent works done with improper Lishmah, that is, works done for the “sake of wages” and with motive to earn. Anything done by faith, in contrast, is performed with no thought of a wage – we do them because we wish to be faithful to God, and what he requires.

This means that the “works of the Law” are not limited to the Ceremonial laws. Paul appropriated the term because it represented an Essene doctrine of works-based righteousness. The danger is therefore in accidentally turning anything, even charity, into the “works of the Law.” As Paul makes clear in the passages quoted, there is nothing wrong with the Ceremonial works of the Torah, if done “by faith.” Therefore the term, as applied by Paul should be understood in this way:

• “Works of the Torah” = Ceremonial law, or any other religious ‘work’ done with the improper motive to earn
•  “By Faith” = Ceremonial law, or any other religious ‘work’ done with proper motive

Saint Thomas of Aquinas identified a problem in assuming the error of the “works of the Law” was simply obedience to the Torah. He details the dilemma like this: if the consequence of the works of the law is compromised salvation, it follows that the Patriarchs and all the Jews leading up to the death and resurrection of Christ who were faithful to the imperative to obey the Torah, are all consequently damned and without a place in the resurrection. This of course is nonsense. He reconciles the problem, by assigning a distinction in obeying the Torah and placing one’s “hope” in the Torah:

“But against this it can be said that the ancient fathers were of the works of the Law. Therefore, they are under a curse and, consequently damned – which is a Manichean error. Hence it is necessary to understand this correctly. And it should be noted that the Apostle does not say, “As many as observe the works of the Law are under a curse,” because this is false when applied to the time of the law. He says rather: As many are of the works of the Law, i.e, whoever trust in the works of the Law and believe that they are made just by them are under a curse. For it is one thing to be of the works of the Law and another to observe the Law. The latter consists in fulfilling the Law, so that one who fulfils it is not under a curse. But to be of the works of the Law is to trust in them and place one’s hope in them.” – Commentary on Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, St. Thomas Aquinas, F.r. Larcher, O.P.

He then mentions the conditions of the early Jewish church, that many were Torah observant, but since they did not place their “hope” in the Law, they were not condemned:

“Now in the early Church there were some just men who observed the Law without being under the Law, inasmuch as they observed the works of the Law; but they were not under the Law in the sense of putting their hope in them.”

This concept of the proper use of one’s “hope” is equivalent to the Jewish concept of “Lishmah” or “motive”:

• Improper Lishmah = obeying to earn a reward
• Placing “one’s hope” in the Torah = obeying the Torah to earn Salvation

It seems to be the case that for most gentiles and even secular Jews, the only recognized feature of Judaism is the Temple service and animal sacrifice. To modern sensibilities, the notion that God would not only accept, but require an act of animal cruelty as a method of worship is terribly unsettling. As a result, many gentiles and secular Jews have had little interest in acknowledging a religious system seemingly founded on archaic practice and superstition. The consensus among gentiles, secular Jews, and Christians regarding Judaism has been: “Why bother?”

However, the Temple and its ceremony only represent the tip of a monolithic iceberg of invaluable truth. Proper study of Judaism should yield the conclusion that Judaism is entirely unique in comparison to other spiritual disciplines. Judaism advanced the principle of monotheism, at a time when the world was steeped in Polytheism and offered no alternative. While the goal of Eastern religion is to escape the physical world, Judaism in contrast is solidly anchored into the physical. No other religion is equipped with the concept of a Holy land, a Holy people attached to that land, and a Holy law that would serve as the constitution for a theocratic nation. The concept of the arrival of a Messiah, who would suffer and ultimately die in order to atone for sin – these are exclusively Jewish concepts, derived from the account of Jewish prophets. 

So, I would like to revisit the sentiment: “Why bother? Why have an interest in Judaism?” – we as Christians, we should bother, because Judaism is our religion. It is either laughable, or reason to cry that this comes as a shock to many Christians. Jesus was a Jew, the Apostles were Jews and the first converts to Christianity were Jews. 

The question is why are we only now, coming to this realization? If you research into early Christian history, it’s clear that much of the teaching that we have inherited comes from a foundation of antisemitism. By seeking to appropriate Judaism, yet at the same time wanting to purge the faith of all things Jewish, we have pulled the rug out from under our feet. We are possessing an outside husk, but inside it’s been emptied of much of its essential background and context. We have removed from the faith, a great deal of its substance. This is what Beth El Ministries is wanting to do, to return the substance – to recover the context, in order to revive the faith as it was once understood by the Apostles.

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(This portion is under Construction. I will be frequently updating this section, assigning active links to each Jewish term so that upon clicking the link, the user is directed to a page dedicated to the corresponding subject)

Jewish Terms every Christian should know:

1. Torah
2. Halakah
3. Semichah
4. Hashkafah
5. Ger Toshav
6. Middos
7. Mussar
8. Navi and Ro’eh

1. The lost sheep
2. Phase 1: Judah rejects God
3. The scattering of the 10 tribes of Israel
4. The parable of the sower
5. The trigger event and the regathering

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The lost Sheep

In Mark chapter 2 while instructing a large crowd, our Lord spots a tax collector named Levi. To this man of ill repute, Jesus called out, “Follow me.” It must have come as a shock to the crowd when Levi had the audacity to offer an invitation to join him in his home, and even more so, when Jesus accepted. The text of Mark recounts many of reprehensible standing gathering to meet Jesus in Levi’s home. When the religious and esteemed questioned him, Jesus responded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come for the righteous, but sinners.”

The gospels are replete with examples of Jesus defying the establishment and tossing convention upside down. Jesus perplexed the righteous by seeking sinners. He confounded the wise and instructed the uneducated. He healed the sick, cared for the poor and broken, but to the self-righteous and proud, he leveled without mercy.

The parable of the “Good Samaritan” challenged the notion of pedigree, illustrating that since righteousness is not a gene but a heart condition, even the lowly Samaritan could possess more spiritual merit than the Levitical Priest. At the conclusion of the parable “The Pharisee and the tax collector” it was the tax collector that ultimately “went home justified” contrary to the expectations of the many captive listeners. To this, Jesus finished “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

By advancing his ministry in this manner, Jesus was revealing the nature of the coming kingdom that he warned was fast approaching:

The exalted will be humbled

• “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” – Proverbs 29:23
• “Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.” – Proverbs 3:34
• “…You humble those with haughty eyes.” – Psalm 18:27
• “So mankind is brought low, and man is humbled…” – Isaiah 2:9
• “The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low” – Isaiah 2:11
• “So mankind will be brought low, and each man humbled; the arrogant will lower their eyes.” – Isaiah 5:15

The humbled will be exalted

• “Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.” – Psalm 138:6
• “The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” – Psalm 145:14
• “He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the needy from the ash heap…” – Psalm113:7
• “He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.” – proverbs 3:34
• “So that He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.” – Job 5:11
• “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, And He set the world on them.” – 1 Samuel 2:8

In Luke 7, John the Baptist sent two men to Jesus in order to confirm the many reports said about him. Jesus replied, “Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached” (Luke 7:22)

Jesus offered himself without restraint to the Jews in need around him: the poor, the sick, the demonically possessed and the broken. In Luke 15, Jesus relates this effort to a concerned sheppard willing to go to great lengths in order to recover his lost sheep:

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to .” – Luke 15:3-7

Yet there were still “other sheep” that he intended to find:

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” – John 10:16

In the Book of Ezekiel, the Word of the Lord confronts Ezekiel with a rebuke against the “shepherds of Israel” – representing failed leadership, and the many in power who betrayed or took advantage of the people:

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?…You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.” – Ezekiel 34:2,4

As a result, many sheep were scattered:

“And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.” – Ezekiel 34:5-6

Jesus uses the same language as he identifies himself as the good shepherd:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” – John 10:11-13

As Ezekiel states, the strays were scattered and lost “upon all the face of the earth”. In John 10, Jesus connects the scattered strays, with the “other sheep” he wishes to find:

“Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it… I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.”- John 10:12,16

The book of Matthew unequivocally brings it together, in one quick and clear statement. The lost sheep is a reference to the lost of the “House of Israel”:

“But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’”- Matthew 15:

Jesus’ statement: “They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16) is reminiscent of Ezekiel 37:22. By expounding on his mission to not only save the lost sheep, but unite them into one flock under his leadership, he was assigning to himself Messianic expectation. For according to prophecy, only the Messiah could effectively find the lost and corral them into one pen, one land, and one kingdom.

It should be of note that two types of sheep are mentioned:

• Those in the land who are spiritually lost and in need of care
• The “other sheep” – Israelites abroad and physically lost “scattered upon all the face of the earth”

By referring to both categories using the designation of “the house of Israel” Jesus was speaking as if the two were already united, prophetically looking forward to the future.

If we are to assume that the Jewish people represented the sum total of the Lord’s sheep he wished to find, how can we make sense of  Jesus’ concern for the “other” sheep – clearly a separate group, existing outside the land who have been “scattered over the face of the earth” (Ezekiel 34:6), still lost and waiting to be found?

Protestant Christianity has placed little care in recognizing a distinction. However, the 1st century Jews during the time of Jesus were well aware of their kinsman, the “house of Israel” scattered and dispersed abroad. This is why the gospel of John records an account of many responding with the following inquiry:

“Whither will he go… will he go unto the dispersed [the dispersed tribes] among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?” – John 7:3 5

With this in mind, the preface to the epistle of James now makes sense:

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.” – 1 James:1

This suggests that some of the tribal families in disparate regions outside of the land of Israel had retained their identity despite their exile, and many were coming into the faith.

Peter addresses the “house of Israel” when he states:

“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:10

The term “not a people” is found in Deut 32 and Hosea 2:23 – making it unequivocally clear that the lost sheep of Israel were the intended recipients of this epistle. Mention is made of  “exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia…”

1 Peter 2:10 perfectly captures the tragedy behind the history of the “house of Israel”. Although they once possessed the inheritance and blessings, they were ultimately abandoned, stripped of their inheritance, and cast away into the nations with God’s wrath. They departed with the following curses: “you are not a people” and “you shall not have mercy”. In the Old Testament they were disgraced and “brought low”. However, in the New Covenant God seeks to “lift” them up – to recover the lost and bring them into his care once again. This process represents the ultimate testimony of compassion, healing and reparation within the Biblical narrative. For through the Messiah, a people who were once condemned and made destitute have been granted mercy, given a purpose, and God plans to restore their inheritance a hundredfold.

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus charges the Apostles with the “Great Commission”:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The circumstances leading to the ruling of “Acts 15” had not yet occurred, therefore the Apostles were not yet privy to God’s plan to allow the gentiles into the faith. This feature of God’s plan was so revolutionary and unexpected, that Peter had to be prepared by way of a startling vision. With gentile inclusion not yet accounted for, how do you suppose they understood the instruction? They would have related to the great commission as God’s revealed plan to recover the scattered sheep of the house of Israel worldwide. The epistles of Peter and James show that great care was made to guide and minister to the Israelites abroad, and I believe this is why. While Christianity has lost sight of this purpose, blinded by the miracle of God’s goodwill and grace for the gentile, God nevertheless has not forgotten his lost sheep.

The Song of Moses

In Revelation 15, the Apostle John is granted a marvelous glimpse into a heavenly scene of many standing in a sea of “mixed glass with fire”. They’re the tribulation martyrs who resisted the Antichrist, and the text intimates that they are standing in a posture of victory. In his description, John mentions something quite unexpected and remarkable. The many standing are also holding harps, while singing the “song of God’s Servant Moses”:

“They were holding harps from God, and they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb.” – Revelation 15:2

In this passage, the Greek identifies two distinct songs: The “song of God’s servant Moses” – AND – the “song of the Lamb.” Interestingly, there are 2 different songs that scripture attributes to Moses, and one Psalm. The first is found in Exodus 15: 1-27. The content is joyful, lauding God for securing Israel’s escape from Pharaoh and his army. The second song is found in Deuteronomy 32. The content in contrast to the first song, is somber, and condemnatory. Psalm 90 was written by Moses as a prayer of supplication. Moses expounds on God’s greatness, and Israel’s reliance on his Mercy and care.

The text of Revelation 15:2 refers to the “song” (singular) of Moses. I believe this is indicative that all three are really one song – three different facets, or perspectives, of one plan. Like the Israelites in Exodus 15, the tribulation martyrs are rejoicing in God’s triumph over evil. Yes, their bodies have perished, however their souls are in God’s possession and they have been made pure and righteous through Christ. However, not all of Israel will come to faith. The song of Deuteronomy 32 is therefore a song of woe for the unbelieving of Israel, and the suffering they will have to endure as a result. Since a portion of Israel is destined to endure trial and tribulation, it is fitting that Moses would seek to intercede on their behalf.

Deuteronomy 32

God commissions Moses as scribe to write the words of a song and to present it to the community of Israel. The song was prophetic in nature, charging Israel of sin they had yet to commit and detailing the consequences they would suffer in the future as a result. It would serve as a generational reminder and witness against them, leaving little excuse should Israel choose to follow the path of defiance as outlined in the song.

The Song begins with an evocation of the heavens and the earth, to affirm it’s content and bare the record of it’s testimony. Verses 3-6 declare the greatness of God, that he is faithful, upright and just in contrast to Israel’s failure and disposition towards evil. Verses 7-12 is a review of the favor that God has shown Israel, that Israel was led safely through the wilderness into the promised land. Verses 13-18 covers the event of Israel sliding into complacency, to eventually abandon God as a result of bounty and privilege.

In verses 19-25 God responds to Israel’s rejection. He “hides his face”(Verse 20), a Hebrew idiom implying a withdrawal of his presence, favor and protection. Since Israel provoked God to jealousy by worshiping idols, God seeks retribution by bringing Israel to jealousy through those “who are not a people” (Verse 21).

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It should be understood that verses 19 and forward no longer address Israel as a whole, but to the “Jews” (the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin). After the 10 tribes of Israel were sent away into exile, only the remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin were left to inherit the title. Verse 21 provides an intriguing prophetic hint of this split between the “Jews” and the “lost sheep of Israel”. In order to prevent confusion, I have decided to refrain from the use of “Israel” and instead use the term “Judah” to account for the change.

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Next, A number of horrors are unleashed: Calamity, famine, pestilence, terror (Verses 23-25). God is even willing to “erase” Judah, but he will not, lest their adversaries believe that they defeated Judah under their own strength apart from God (Verse 27). God resolves to ultimately save his people, but not until they have been utterly exhausted, not until their “strength is gone” (Verse 36). He uses the calamity to provoke Judah and offers the following inquiry: “Now where are your god’s?…Let them rise up to help you!” (Verse 38). Finally, when it seems that Judah is without hope and near defeat, God rushes to save Judah. When God arrives, he reveals himself in a powerful way. Not only to Judah, but to the world:

“See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand. I lift my hand to heaven and solemnly swear: As surely as I live forever, when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders. Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people.” – Deut 32:39-43

When all elements of the litany taken into account, a two phase plan in God’s providential hand over Judah is revealed:

• Phase 1: Judah will reject God

God “hides his face” and temporarily abandons them. God provokes Judah to jealousy by going to “those who are not a people”. Calamity builds until Judah is without strength.

• Phase 2: God delivers Judah

The song of Moses therefore represents the ultimate prophetic template, revealing God’s plan and will for Judah from beginning to end.

Phase 1: Judah rejects God

While Old Testament scripture provides clear cause for the first exile, the same cannot be said regarding the destruction of the second temple in 70 AD and the subsequent exile that followed. Jewish sages were tasked with the difficulty of arriving at an adequate answer. This was a serious endeavor, considering that the first exile lasted only 70 years compared to the second exile which persisted long after 70 years, ending in part in 1948 when the nation of Israel was born. Although more Jews are residing on the land today than has been possible for approximately two millennia, the temple still has yet to be rebuilt. The compelling question worth answering is: Why has the second exile lasted so long? What was so grievous, as to merit such an unbearably long absence from the land and from a standing temple? The sages proposed “sinat chinam”, translated into English as “baseless hatred” “hatred without cause”:

“However, considering that the people during the Second Temple period were engaged in Torah study, observance of mitzvot, and acts of kindness, and that they did not perform the sinful acts that were performed in the First Temple, why was the Second Temple destroyed? It was destroyed due to the fact that there was baseless hatred during that period. This comes to teach you that the sin of baseless hatred is equivalent to the three severe transgressions: Idol worship, forbidden sexual relations and bloodshed.” – Bablylonian Talmud, Yoma 9b.

“Sinat Chinam” literally means “hatred of grace” the lesser implication is regarding the behaviour of one man to another, however the ultimate implication according to the Hebrew seems to be a rejection of grace altogether – meaning God’s grace. Such hatred when expressed against man or God is truly without cause. Since a rejection of Jesus is tantamount to a rejection of God’s grace, I submit that  “Sinat Chinam” reached its highest level of expression when Jesus was crucified. Interestingly, Jesus quoted Psalm 64:9 adding that their unyielding hatred of him was according to prophecy:

“But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without a cause.’” – John 15:25

By rejecting their saviour, the following clause from the song of Moses was unfortunately fulfilled:

“They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior.” – Deuteronomy 32:15

Calamity, famine, pestilence and terror would soon follow (Song of Moses, Deut 32:23-25). As written in the “Song of Moses” and according to the many words of warning provided by Jesus, God would begin to “hide his face”, and Jerusalem would be left in ruin:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! Look, your house is left to you desolate.” – Matthew 23:37

“Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” – Matthew 24:1-2

The Fig Tree

In Matthew 21, Jesus is returning to Jerusalem from his stay in Bethany. On his way, he passes through the Mount of Olives. He approaches a fig tree with leaves expecting to find fruit. Yet the tree was lacking, as result, Jesus announces a curse over the fig tree “May you never bear fruit again!”

Jesus was seeking a fig known as the “first ripe” and these were plentiful on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives:

“At Passover season in late March or early April, fig trees are often in leaf on the eastern side of Mount of Olives. At this time of year, such fig trees contained only green early figs, which ripen around June but often drop off before that time, leaving only green leaves on the tree. A leafy tree lacking such early figs, however, would bear no figs at all that year.” – Keener, A commentary on the gospel of Matthew, July 1999, pg. 504.

The mount provides the perfect vista to behold the city of Jerusalem from above. Imagine Jesus overlooking the city, the flow of movement, activity and people passing in and out of the city walls. As his gaze remains fixed on Jerusalem, he announces the curse. The curse was indeed said over the fig tree, yet this mundane event was used as an object lesson to communicate a higher spiritual reality. .

The “first ripe” fig, is a symbol of Jewish leadership:

“I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time…” – Hosea 9:6

Jerusalem, like the cursed fig tree, had all the external signs that would indicate the presence of fruit. Despite the leaves, despite the religion, the ceremony, and the many scribes and the priests, Jerusalem was sorely lacking. The account of the curse was not arbitrary or done out of anger, it was confirmation of prophecy :

“I will surely consume them, saith the Lord: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them. – Jeremiah 8:13

The curse was an official removal of favor from Jerusalem and the Jewish leadership posted there. The things that God gave to them “shall pass away” – yet where will it go?

The parable of the tenants

While teaching in the Temple courts, Jesus was approached by a gathering of chief priests and elders. They were confounded by the sight of Jesus clearly expounding on matters with authority and great wisdom, yet they knew he was not formally trained. They questioned him: “By what authority are you doing these things?” Jesus answered, and continued while they watched and listened with great suspicion.

Jesus turned to his audience, and presented two parables. The second “parable of the Tenants” was especially offensive to them, and provoked the chief priests and elders to want to arrest him. Jesus began the parable by describing a landowner and a vineyard. He rented the vineyard to farmers, and left it to their care. When the time of harvest approached, he sent servants to collect the yield that belonged to him. The tenants brutally treated the servants until they were killed. After the same happened to the second round of servants, the landowner sent his son. Yet just like the servants, the tenants murdered the son. “Therefore, when the owner comes what will he do to those tenants?” Jesus asked. The crowd responded: “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end…and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” Jesus concluded:

“Therefore, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” – Matthew 21:43

To what people will the kingdom of God be given to? The conventional answer has been: “to the gentiles”, but there is a slight technical problem. The greek work for “people” is “ethnei” – translated in most cases as “nation”, but in every case it is singular. The kingdom will be given to a nation/people, singular, meaning just one.

Paul makes use of the same Greek word when quoting the passage of Deut 32, regarding God’s cryptic plan to exchange fellowship with his people for “those who are not a nation”:

“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation [Ethnei]; I will make you angry by a nation [Ethnei] that has no understanding.” – Romans 10:19

While the first passage contains the enigmatic description “not a nation”, it concludes with a contradicting thought: “I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.” How is it possible for the subject to represent both “a nation” and “not a nation” simultaneously? Why the contradiction?

A hint is provided in the word of the Lord to Isaiah, found in the seventh chapter. When a man named Ahaz was king over Judah, an alliance was formed with Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah who was king over the Northern portion of Israel. The two plotted against the king of Judah, planning to invade and take over the land. God gave a prophetic word of assurance to king Ahaz:

“…within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people…” –  Isaiah 7:8

According to the prophecy, in 65 years the kingdom of Ephraim would fall. In it’s weakened state, it would fail to qualify as “a people”. The phrase “not a people” is therefore an idiom referring to a failed kingdom. Deuteronomy 32:21 and Paul’s reference to that scripture in Romans 10:19, is therefore intimating that God would turn to a people of a fallen nation – this is why they are referred to as a nation, as well as “not a nation”. Let’s revisit Matthew 21:43:

“Therefore, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people [Ethnei/Nation] who will produce its fruit.”

Jesus is giving warning of an epic reversal of fortune. As Jerusalem forfeits it’s blessing, the blessing is transferred to the members of a failed nation for the purpose of lifting it back to prominence again.

Parable of the wedding feast

Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. The king sent his servants to those who were invited, but they refused to attend the feast. The king sent more servants, but they did not accept the invitation and many seized the servants to kill them. The king was enraged and sent an army to destroy the murderers and burn the city. The king said to his servants, “‘The wedding feast is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite anyone you can find.’ So the servants went out and gathered all the people they could find…”(Matthew 22:8-10). Jesus finishes with this statement: “Many are called, but few are chosen.” (verse 14).

This word “chosen” is a significant term first found in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word is “Bakhar” and it’s greek equivalent is “eklektos”, often translated into english as “elect” and at other times “chosen”. Bakhar expresses God’s sovereign right to “elect” certain choice individuals, or people, to fulfill specific purposes. Divine election is therefore related to station, level of authority, and the capacity to serve God.

God elected (chose) Jerusalem as the one location on earth to place his name:

• “Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there” – 2 Chronicles 6:6
• “…the city which You have chosen…” – 1 Kings 8:44
• “…and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen…” – 1 Kings 11:32
• “…the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.” – 1 Kings 11:36
• “For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place.” – Psalms 132:13

God elected Levi to minister forever:

• “For the Lord thy God hath chosen him [Levi] out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.” – Deuteronomy 18:5
• “Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.” – 1 Chronicles 15:2

God chose Saul to be king:

• “…Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen …’” – 1 Samuel 10:24

Finally, the people who would ultimately stand as God’s “chosen”, his “elect” set apart from all nations, is Israel:

• “Seed of Israel His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” – 1 Chronicles 16:13
• “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” – Psalms 33:12
• “Seed of Abraham His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” – Psalms 105:6
• “He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness.” – Psalms 105:43
• “For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, ​Israel for His special treasure.” – Psalms 135:4
• “For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect…” – Isaiah 45:4
• “I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there.” – Isaiah 65:9
• “For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” – Isaiah 65:22

In the parable, the first group to whom the invitation was originally sent is without doubt the Jewish people. They repeatedly rejected the offer, and in defiance murdered the many servants and messengers the prophets. They rejected and killed Jesus, the son of the king. The king was enraged and “burned the city” – this was fulfilled when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. As a result, Jerusalem and the Jewish people lost the election. Instead, the invitation, the “calling” was sent out to elsewhere. The New Testament is unambiguous regarding the identity of the new chosen:

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect [eklektos] , exiles scattered [diaspora] throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood…” – 1 Peter 1:1-2

The term “scattered” in Greek is “diaspora” – a Greek term unmistakably only referring to the exile of Israel from the land. The New Testament elect are therefore the many “lost” Israelites (from the house of Israel) in “diaspora” who have accepted the faith. Peter writes further confirmation that this letter is addressed to Israelites:

“But you are a chosen people [race], a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9

The Greek word translated as “people” in the NIV, is “genos” as in “genome”, meaning race. Peter calls the recipients of the letter, a chosen race, a holy nation, God’s special possession. These are epithets that only apply to Israel.

Advocates of “replacement theology” will contend that the Jews have been replaced by a foreign people, the believing gentiles of many nations. Yet that would conflict with the precedent already set in scripture. The “chosen” only applies to Israel. An alternative to “replacement theology” must be placed in the forefront of Christian thought. One that better adheres to the context of the word “chosen”, while at the same time preserving a seamless transition from Old Testament to the New. The election rather, as it has left the Jewish people, has only been restored to their kinsman, the lost sheep of Israel.

Jesus warned that the kingdom would come to humble the proud. It’s arrival would cut down the cruel and undeserving from their place of a power, and it would lift up high those who were previously low and suffering:

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” – Matthew 20:16

The Kingdom of God has humbled Jerusalem and Jewish people, and is now seeking to lift up those of God’s people who were abandoned and sent away in the Old Testament. These were the tribes that eventually rebelled against Jerusalem, and formed their own kingdom located in Northern Israel. Because of their sin, God divorced the tribes and sent them into perpetual exile. Their time of misfortune has come to an end, and God is now seeking to bring them all back into Covenant (the New Covenant) so that he may allow them to return to their inheritance:

“I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 8:11

The many coming from the east and west are the lost tribes scattered worldwide.

The Scattering of the 10 tribes of Israel

After the reign of King Solomon, Israel split into two: the Southern Kingdom (consisting of Judah and Benjamin, the “Jews”) and the Northern Kingdom (a gathering of the remaining 10 tribes). The Northern Kingdom rapidly descended into sin and Idol worship. As a result, God divorced the house of Israel:

“I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries…” – Jeremiah 3:8

Soon after, the house of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians and led into captivity.

Judah eventually descended into sin as well:

“…Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.” – Jeremiah 3:8

After a series of warnings from the prophets, unrepentant Judah was defeated and sent into exile into Babylon. However since God had not divorced Judah, he never intended for Judah to remain in permanent and lasting exile. Judah has suffered two periods of exile in her history. In every case, Judah was allowed to come back. Although a small remnant of the 10 Northern tribes were allowed to return, the vast majority remained in exile.

According to the prophet Hosea, God has resolved that they would become “wanderers among the nations”:

“My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations.” – Hosea 9:17

Israel is eventually “swallowed up” by the nations:

“Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like something no one wants.” – Hosea 8:8

The house of Israel and the house of Judah

Scripture assigns a distinction between the two “houses” of Israel and Judah,  as a result of their parting ways into two distinct kingdoms:

“For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.” – Jeremiah 5:11

“They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.” – Jeremiah 11:10

“And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.” – Zech 8:13

“And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” – Isaiah 8:14

Even before the kingdom irreparably split in two, scripture provides ample supply of prophecy and foreshadowing to make clear God’s plans for Israel and Judah, and that the two were destined to part ways.

Genesis 48

God often references Ephraim when addressing the house of Israel. The same way that Judah represents the Southern Kingdom, the tribe of Ephraim is used in scripture to represent the Northern Kingdom:

“Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.” – Isaiah 11:13

Genesis 48 reveals a prophetic glimpse of what would become of Ephraim, and by extension, the tribes of Israel that Ephraim would ultimately come to represent:

“Israel said, ‘Bring your sons to me. I will bless them.’” – Genesis

Tradition regarded the right hand as the hand of prominence. During the blessing the right hand would have usually gone to the firstborn, however in this situation, Jacob/Israel switched hands. He placed his right hand on the second born, Ephraim and his left on the firstborn, Manasseh. This troubled their father Joseph. This was no mistake. Israel was making a prophetic gesture, showing that Ephraim would be greater than Manasseh.:

“When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” – Genesis 48:17-19

Ephraim would not just grow to be great relative to the other tribes, but Ephraim would ultimately engender a “multitude of nations” – many nations and members of nations, distinct from the nation of Israel. The Greek translation of that phrase found in the Septuagint is the exact phrase used by Paul in Romans 11:25, when he writes of a blindness over the Jewish people until the “fullness of the gentiles has come in”.

Deuteronomy 33

After Moses transferred leadership to Joshua, the Lord directed Moses to ascend a mountain that overlooked the Holy land. According to the Lord’s instruction, Moses was to remain there until he died. His last days were spent staring longingly into the land that Israel would soon enter to take possession of under Joshua’s command. Before Moses departed, he offered words of prophecy to each tribe. To the tribe of Judah Moses said:

“Hear, Lord, the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!” – Deuteronomy 33:7

The prophecy is brief, but no less telling. Two themes can be derived from this short prophecy. “Hear, Lord, the cry of Judah” “Oh, be his help against his foes!” – indicating the distress, affliction and conflict that would soon become prominent to Judah and Jewish history. The second is: “bring him to his people.” There would be no need to return, unless Judah were at some time isolated and away from his people.

To Joseph and his two sons; Ephraim and Manassah, Moses declares, “he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth.”

“His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.” – Deut 33:17

The migration of Joseph would serve as the means through which Judah would become separated from his brethren. While Judah is destined to remain in the land, Joseph and “the people” (the other tribes) would venture to the ends of the earth.

The book of Psalms

Evidence that a sense of divided loyalties were brewing long before the reign of Solomon’s son, can be found in the subtle language used in the book of Psalms. Psalms 76 is an example of a diplomatic nod to both houses:

“God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great.” – Psalms 76:1

Similarly, Psalm 114 begins by making fair recognition of the special blessing that one possessed over the other. The psalmist states that while God chose for the sanctuary (the Temple) to rest in Judah, in contrast, Israel is blessed by its large population relative to Judah:

“when Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.” – psalm 114:1

The author of Psalm 78 is not as politically guarded. Instead, all subtlety is thrown as the author states that by choosing Judah for the sanctuary, God was clearly rejecting the tent of Joseph: (meaning Israel):

“He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves” – Psalm 78:67-68

The book of Samuel

In 1 Samuel chapter 10, the prophet Samuel leads a national assembly to determine Israel’s future king. The tribe of Benjamin is “taken by lot” – meaning a type of lottery was conducted, and they received the favorable outcome. Clan by clan, the members of the tribe presented themselves before Samuel, and a process of elimination was made.  Finally, Samuel chose Saul. The assembly with jubilee shouted “Long live the king!” However, some residents of the town of “Gibeah” chose not to receive Saul. Their rejection remained, until the town was attacked by an Ammonite named Nahash who offered the following ultimatum: “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that you gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.” Messengers were sent to Saul for rescue. Saul immediately galvanized men from all over the nation.  The text presents the exact number of men gathered, however Judah is numbered separately from Israel:

“Then Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.” – 1 Samuel 11:8

In 1 Samuel 18, a separation between the two is made again:

“But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.” – 1 Samuel 18:1  6

In 2 Samuel 2, David is anointed king. However, this was only a partial ordination since David was only anointed as “King over the tribe of Judah”:

“Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah.” – 2 Samuel 2:4

At the same time, the commander of Saul’s army had taken Saul’s son, Abner, and made him king to rule over “Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel” as a rival to David and the tribe of Judah:

“Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.” – 2 Samuel 8:  9

A few accounts are included detailing the bitter rivalry between David’s house and the house of Saul (including Israel), and the blood that was shed. 2 Samuel 3 opens the passage by stating “The war between the house of Saul (Israel) and the house of David lasted a long time.”:

“The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.” – 2 Samuel 3:  1

As the house of Saul diminished, their resolve against David also began to weaken until all tribes ultimately came to David to submit to him as king:

“All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’ When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.” – 2 Samuel 5:1-   3

David’s reign is therefore broken into two distinct periods:

“In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.” – 2 Samuel 5:  5

Yet David’s rule over Israel and Judah was not without interruption. David’s son Absalom, led an insurrection against his father and successfully gathered many to his cause (2 Samuel 15). A man named Sheba soon led a second revolt against David with this rallying cry:

“We have no share in David,  no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, Israel!” – 2 Samuel 20

For this is MY DOING

Under King Solomon, a word from the Lord made it clear that the perpetual disunity between the two houses had been providential and building to one intended outcome. King Solomon loved and betrothed many foreign women in defiance against the Biblical injunction, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.”  Due to his great love for his many wives, Solomon was eventually drawn towards idol worship. He even yielded to their desires for “High places” to be built in honor of the false gods “Chemosh” and “Molech” for worship, incense and sacrifice. As a result of Solomon’s disobedience, the Lord warned that he would allow the tenuous peace between the two houses to finally fail:

“Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” 1 Kings 11:

In addition the Lord began to raise up men as adversaries against Solomon. A man named Jeroboam, chief of the labor force of the house of Joseph was walking to Jerusalem when he was approached by a prophet named Ahijah. The prophet took his cloak and tore it into twelve pieces:

“Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes. But one tribe will remain for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel…But as for you, I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your heart desires, and you will be king over Israel.” – 1 Kings 11:

After hearing the prophecy, Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam. Jeroboam managed to flee in safety to Egypt where he waited until Solomon died. After the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam was crowned king. When Jeroboam heard news of this, he returned from Egypt with an assembly of all Israel, to confront Rehoboam and negotiate terms for a lighter tax burden. When the request was rejected, the 10 tribes of Israel abandoned Rehoboam and David’s dynasty. In fulfillment of the prophecy, only one tribe (the tribe of Benjamin) remained loyal and remained with Judah in the South.

Rehoboam immediately set to organize men and plan for a military takeover of the 10 tribes, in order to restore the kingdom. However, Rehoboam was halted by a word of the Lord:

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” – 1 kings 12:2  4

1 kings chapter 12 concludes the matter:

“So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.”

According to the Biblical narrative, the relationship between Judah and Israel was always tense and contemptuous. Psalms 78 indicates that the resting place of the sanctuary led Judah to boast and disparage Israel. Isaiah 11 shows that the enmity of Ephraim against Judah, at least in part, is a matter of jealousy. The hostility would ultimately serve God’s purpose to break the two apart. I can almost hear it audibly in my ears, the sound of God’s absolute resolve: “For this is my doing.”

Judah would remain attached to the land. However, Israel would fall to Assyria and suffer the fate of wandering the earth in perpetual exile. In time they would travel “to the ends of the earth”, they would lose their identity become “swallowed” ultimately becoming assimilated among the gentiles to become “a multitude of nations”.

The ambiguity of gentile and Israelite in Romans 11

In Romans 11, Paul paraphrases Deuteronomy 32:21 yet he takes liberty to interpret the nebulous phrase “not a people” as a reference to gentiles:

“Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.” – Romans 11:11

While this isn’t entirely right (as we have already covered) it isn’t entirely wrong either. As scripture asserts, the Northern Kingdom of Israel has been “swallowed” among the nations. Enough time has passed for Israel to lose its identity. Generations of Idol worship and intermarriage has obscured their true origin, allowing for a collective amnesia to set in. At this time, the great majority of Israelites think they are gentile. Only God knows.

Paul cleverly uses the natural grafting process unique to the olive tree, as an illustration of gentiles becoming “grafted in” in order to become a part of the people of God. Two olive trees are used in the illustration: a cultivated olive tree, and a wild olive tree. As a gentile enters the faith, they are like a branch that is cut off from the wild olive tree to be grafted into the cultivated olive tree:

“…you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root…After all, if you were cut out of a olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree…” – Romans 11:17, 24

Yet the inspiration behind the notion of two olive trees and the grafting-in process has its origin in scripture. In Ezekiel chapter 37, the Lord directs Ezekiel to pick up two sticks. The first stick he is instructed to write: “Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.” The second stick he is instructed to write: “Belonging to Joseph – the stick of Ephraim – and to all the house of Israel associated with him” (Verse 16). When this is finished, Ezekiel was told to bring them together “into one stick” so that they became one in his hand. This was a physical demonstration of God’s plan to reunite the two separate houses of Judah and Israel, into one nation under the rule of one king:

“When the sticks on which you write are in your hand and in full view of the people, you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.” – Ezekiel 37:20-22

In the Hebrew language, there is no separate word to distinguish a branch or stick from the entire tree. Therefore when a Hebrew speaking Jew reads the word “stick” they are literally reading “tree”. This brings an interesting dimension to the passages of Ezekiel 37. While in reality, Ezekiel was handling two sticks – in the text, the process is said to bring together two “trees”. How can two tree’s fuse together as one? Paul identified the perfect explanation in the grafting process of the Olive tree.

The two olive trees represent the two sticks held by Ezekiel in the prophecy. The cultivated olive tree is the tree/stick of Judah. While the wild olive tree is the tree/stick of Joseph and the house of Israel. A wild tree is an apt description of the stick of Joseph, since the house of Israel had been scattered from the land and never returned.

Despite the wild olive tree standing as a symbol of the house of Israel, Paul refers to the gentile as a branch originally belonging to the wild olive tree.

Romans 9 and the vessels

Paul laments the exclusion of the great majority of his kinsman from the gospel. He writes that if it were possible, he would wish himself cursed if it meant sparing the Jewish people the consequences of their rejection of Jesus, and opening their eyes to the truth. Yet, as Paul stresses, this does not amount to a failure of God’s ability. Not every member of ethnic Israel is destined to remain in God’s good graces. To be a physical descendant of Abraham does not guarantee becoming a “child of promise”, and Abraham’s true offspring, like Isaac, are children of promise (Romans 9:8).

Paul makes an appeal to Isaac’s two sons: Jacob and Esau. Before they were born, God had already destined that “The older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). Jacob was chosen for favor, while Esau would become the recipient of God’s disdain: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Malachi 1:2-3). In Exodus 9:16, God proclaims that power was granted to Pharaoh so that his name would be glorified through Pharaoh’s hardheartedness. Paul concludes: God has mercy on those he wants to have mercy, and some he hardens for a purpose (Romans 9:18).

Paul makes the following inquiry: what if God made objects for the specific purpose of destruction, so that he could make his glory known to the objects of his mercy?

Since the Jewish people have largely opposed the gospel as a result of a “mystery” and blindness (Romans 11:25) Paul with great trepidation, identifies hardened Judah as a vessel for God’s destruction. While this may sound harsh, Paul was only applying prophetic imagery found in Jeremiah 19. The prophet is instructed by God to buy a clay jar and proclaim words of rebuke to the people of Judah. Jeremiah is then told to break the jar in front of those watching as an illustration of what God will do to them:

“Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. …and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed and cannot be repaired.” Jeremiah 19:11

In Jeremiah chapter 18, the word of the Lord directs Jeremiah to a potter’s house in order to witness the potter at work, fashioning clay. At some point, the clay was marred in the potter’s hands. As a result, the potter starts the process over, fashioning the clay into a pot once again. The Word of the Lord says:

“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.” – Jeremiah 18:6-10

While Judah is a clay pot destined to be smashed beyond repair, the House of Israel is temporarily marred and will be fashioned into a pot once again. However, the prophecy of Jeremiah prefaces restoration with the condition of repentance. The House of Israel must repent, then they will be restored. In Romans 9, Paul associates the objects of Mercy with the believing gentiles and the minority of believing Jews:

“What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—  even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?” – Romans 9:23-24

Paul then quotes Hosea 2:23, a prophecy concerning the House of Israel:

“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one…”

The context is that God will call the House of Israel “my people” and “my loved one” yet, Paul is applying it to gentile believers. Hosea 1:10, and Isaiah 10:22-23 are used the same way, associating the restoration of the House of Israel with the many gentiles who are coming to the faith.

With everything considered, a case can be made that in Paul’s mind a category of gentile did/does exist consisting of ethnic Israelite Christians who unaware of their ancestry.

Jewish tradition

While the Body of Christ still has yet to process this information, historically, this has not been such a controversial issue in Judaism. Discussions on the topic can be found in the Mishnah and Talmud. In this passage Rabbi Akiva muses with Rabbi Eliezer regarding the return of the tribes:

“The ten tribes are not destined to return, since it is said, ‘And he cast them into another land, as on this day’ (Deut. 29:28).  ‘Just as the day passes and does not return, so they have gone their way and will not return’, the words of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Eliezer says, ‘Just as this day is dark and then grows light, so the ten tribes for whom it is now dark–thus in the future it is destined to grow light for them.'”- Mishnah Sanedrin 10:3

The Talmudic commentary to this inquiry reveals the contention was not placed on whether the “house of Israel” truly exists among the nations, but whether or not they will be eligible to take part in the “World to come” or the “future world” (the Messianic era):

“Our Rabbis taught: ‘The ten tribes have no portion in the world to come’, as it says, ‘And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation’: ‘And the Lord rooted them out of their land’, refers to this world; and cast them into another land — to the world to come: this is R. Akiba’s view. R. Simeon b. Judah, of the Kefar of Acco, said on R. Simeon’s authority: ‘If their deeds are as this day’s, they will not return; otherwise they shall’. Rabbi said: ‘They will enter the future world’, as it is said, [And it shall come to pass] ‘in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown’, [and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount of Jerusalem]. (Is. 27:13)” – Talmud Sanhedrin 110b

The Rabbi’s held the understanding that the 10 tribes have lost their identity among the nations, and therefore did not rule out the possibility that a gentile may be a descendant of one of the tribes:

“Rab Judah said in the name of R. Assi: ‘If at the present time a heathen betroths [a daughter in Israel], note must be taken of such betrothal since it may be that he is of the ten tribes.'”- Talmud Yev 16b

The question is, why was it God’s plan to scatter the house of Israel worldwide until they became “swallowed” by becoming one in identity with the gentile ?

The parable of the Sower

Emphasis must be placed on the word “scattered” since this process of exile by scattering is a key feature to the historical narrative attached to the “House of Israel”.

This is absolutely crucial in order to truly understand the “parable of the seed sower”:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed…” – Matthew 13:4

On the surface, the parable seems to serve as a chilling reminder that not all who profess to be God fearing will endure to the end. However, we must remain mindful that when Jesus spoke, he spoke to a Jewish audience living during the 1st century, in a manner that they would have understood, using symbols and idioms familiar to them – not us. Notice the theme of scattering. This would have signaled to the Jew living at that time, that the parable was addressing the plight of the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Jesus reveals four possible outcomes and the conditions surrounding each seed would determine their fate. As the sower went about his business of scattering seed, some fell “along the path” – falling in a place of high traffic and unsuitable soil. As a result, they were open to the sight of many birds which swooped in and ate the seeds. Other seeds fell in rocky places lacking the necessary depth of soil for the seeds to take effective root. When the sun came up, the plants were burned from the sunlight and withered because they were unable to establish strong roots. Still others fell among thorns, which came to “choke” the plants preventing further growth. Finally, some seeds fell in good soil producing a vast crop, much greater than the amount sown.

The disciples approached Jesus in order to inquire about his reliance on the use of parables. Jesus reveals the intention behind the method, and unlocks the meaning of the parable in private so that only the disciples knew:

“Here then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” – Matthew 13:18-23

In Matthew 22, Jesus identified the commandment to “love the lord your God with all your heart, soul and might” as the greatest commandment in the law of God. The commandment is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and in part, in Deuteronomy 11:13-21. The many passages relevant to the command are collectively known as the “Shema” which is Hebrew for “hear” – this is because the injunction begins with the imperative: “Hear oh Israel!” A section of the Shema contains the instruction to “recite them (the words of the Shema) when you stay at home, and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise up.” In obedience to the command, the Israelites since time immemorial (and during the time of Jesus) would recite the Shema twice a day: when rising in the morning, and when lying down to sleep. The Shema was therefore the first thing their lips would utter in the morning. According to the Shema, they were to be mindful of it and speak of it during the day, and finally they would retire to bed only after reciting it one last time. The Shema was firmly impressed in the consciousness of the ancient Israelite, 1st century Jew, and is still just as powerful with modern orthodox and secular Jews today.

Encoded within the parable is the pattern of the Shema. Notice that Jesus begins with “Hear” – in Hebrew he would have said “Shema!” The three outcomes causing the seeds to fail to properly grow corresponds with a failure to love God by one of the three imperatives: to love God with heart, soul, and might.

• Heart: the first receives the message of the kingdom but does not understand it. According to Jewish tradition, understanding occurs in the heart. This is why the evil one attacks by snatching what is in the heart.
• Soul: The second falls away because of trouble and persecution. They are therefore unwilling to sacrifice their “soul” or life, in obedience to the message.
• Might: The third is unfruitful because of distraction and the pursuit of wealth. They fail to use their might and resources for God.

The fourth outcome is a seed falling on good soil (representing a complete love of God with heart, soul and might) and as a result, it grows into a mighty crop yielding many times over what was sown.

God as the sower, scatters seed in expectation of a vast yield. God is wanting a return on his investment, hoping that when the harvest is conducted, he will find people fit for entrance into his kingdom. God will call a new “Chosen” to himself; consisting of a countless multitude, all descendants of the house of Israel, willing to serve him with all their heart, soul, and might.

Fishers of men

The account of Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph contains a strange oddity in the Hebrew text. When Jacob petitions for the angel to bless them and let them “grow” – in the Hebrew, the word translated as “grow” comes from the Hebrew word “Dagah” – Hebrew Strongs 1711.

“The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow (Dagah – 1711) into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Genesis 48:16

This is the same Hebrew word translated as “fish” in Genesis 1:21

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish (Dagah – 1710) of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” – Genesis 1:21

Jacob was using a figure of speech. He was intending to bless them with such great numbers, that they would swarm outwards like fish into the midst of the earth. This however, set the precedence for an association that we see later in Jeremiah 16, and the New Testament. In Jeremiah 16:13, the Lord condemns Israel and reveals his plans to cast Israel out of the land:

“Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favor.”

Yet as always, God attaches to that threat, the hope of redemption. God will regather them:

“…and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.” – Jeremiah 16:15

He will regather them by sending out fisherman!

“Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.” – Jeremiah 16:16

This theme features prominently in the New Testament. Peter and Andrew were fishermen by trade:

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.” – Matthew 4:18

Jesus gives them a new trade, a spiritual quest:

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you fishers of men.” – Matthew 4:19

Jesus was assigning them the task of Jeremiah 16:16. Through his ministry and the great commission that would follow, Jesus would hand the responsibility of gathering in the exiles (the many fish who have swarmed into the midst of the earth) to the Apostles, their disciples and eventually the gentile church.

The purpose of the gentile

If the recovery of the house of Israel is truly of prime concern in the New Covenant era, why did God allow the gentile church to displace the early Jewish sect of Christianity to the extent that it practically forced it to the side with great aggression?

A man named Caiaphas held the office of High priest during the time of Jesus’ ministry. In John 11:49, Caiaphas was known for what seems to be an involuntary prophecy concerning Jesus:

“He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.”

This prophecy is reminiscent of the messianic content found in Ezekiel 37:22, and Isaiah chapter 49. In Ezekiel 37, the prophet announces that the house of Israel and the house of Judah will become one nation in the land, with one king to rule over them:

“I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them.” – Ezekiel 37:22

In Isaiah 49, the prophet reports a conversation between God and the messiah. The messiah recognizes his task to restore the tribes of Israel and gather Israel to himself:

“And now the Lord says—he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself…” Isaiah 49:5

Yet this task is not enough. The messiah will also be used in a much more expansive effort, one that reaches to the ends of the earth:

“he says: ‘It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’” – Isaiah 49:6

The messiah will be made a “light for the gentiles”. In hebrew, the phrase “my salvation” is “Yeshua-ti”, which translates literally as “my Yeshua”. God makes the messiah a light to the gentiles so that “my Yeshua” may reach to the ends of the earth:

“I will also make you a light for the gentiles, that my salvation [my Yeshua] may reach to the ends of the earth.”

The purpose of the gentile is to spread the testimony of Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) so that it reaches to the ends of the earth. By doing so, the gospel is allowed to travel the vast distances needed to recover the lost sheep and bring them into Covenant. Of course, God is not exclusively concerned for the well being of the lost of Israel. As God says, “it’s too small of a thing” – God wishes to bring all peoples and nations to himself. Yet, this does not negate his original plan, rather it expands it. When the message has reached every seed, and when the “chosen” seeds have produced a yield worth collecting, the time of the great harvest will draw near.

The Harvest

According to Judaism, the world stands on three essential principles as pillars:

“The world stands upon three things – upon Torah, upon Avodah, and upon acts of kindness.” – Mishnah Avot 1:2

The term “Avodah” is a Hebrew designation for a religious act performed in the service of God. In scripture, Avodah is mostly associated with the Temple related priestly duties, and the offication of animal sacrifices. However, certain passages utilize the term in a more general sense:

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve [Avodah] the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul…”- Deuteronomy 10:12

How does one “serve” (Avodah) the Lord in this capacity? The Elders, scribes and sages made the same inquiry, and submitted the following answer:

“To love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 11:13). Which is the service of God that is performed in the heart? You must say that this is referring to prayer.” – Talmud Taanit 2a

This is but one of the many associations made in Jewish tradition that bind the purpose of prayer with Avodah, and by extension, the Temple sacrifices.

In Numbers 28, God outlines his specifications for the daily sacrifices. Rather than assigning this responsibility exclusively to the Levitical Priests, the entire assembly of Israel was addressed. This was a curious inclusion, since only the priests were permitted to perform sacrifice. In addition, how can sacrifices be brought by the entire assembly on a daily basis without the absurd demand of requiring the entire population of Israel to reside in Jerusalem? This presented a slight challenge to Israel as they sought to honor the command. A system involving the election of “Ma’amadot” was devised by the early prophets during the time of the first temple:

“Now how can a man’s offering be offered and he is not present? [Therefore] the former prophets instituted… ma’amadot in Jerusalem consisting of priests, Levites and Israelites. ” – Mishnah Taanit 4.

Israel was divided into twenty-four districts, and each district was responsible to appoint a pious and respected Israelite to represent the district by attending the daily offerings. This delegation of 24 (the Ma’amadot) were known as the “Anshei Ma’amad” translated as “The men of standing” because they were appointed to stand by and observe the daily sacrifices, and by doing so, represent the entire nation in the ritual. As the “Ma’amadot” gathered to watch the daily sacrifices, they would participate by offering prayers, worship, and a public reading of the scriptures. Even the Ma’amadot who couldn’t attend, would form prayer assemblies timed to coincide with the exact time of the daily sacrifices.

Two lambs were presented as a “burnt offering” each weekday, one in the morning and the second in the afternoon (Numbers 28:2-4). These would constitute the first and last sacrifices, while all the other sacrifices would be performed during the time in between. After the last sacrifice, the altar would continue burning throughout the night until morning the following day (Leviticus 6:2,9).

The phrase “appointed time” is used in reference to these times of sacrifice. The Hebrew word is “mo’ed”, and it is the same word used for the Holy festivals of Leviticus 23. The intimation is that they represent Holy times during the day to commune with God. David makes subtle reference to these times in Psalm 55:17

“Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice”

Even after the destruction of the first Temple and the Jewish exile into Babylon, these three distinct “mo’edim” were still considered holy times to honor God with prayer. This is why Daniel the prophet prayed three times a day facing Jerusalem:

“Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” – Daniel 6:10

The prophet Hosea pleads with the Northern Kingdom to repent, implying that although they couldn’t offer sacrifices at that time, that God would accept their prayers as a substitute until they were reunited with Judah once again:

“Bring your confessions and return to the LORD. Say to Him: ‘Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may offer the sacrifices of our lips.’” – Hosea 14:2

When the Jewish people returned from exile to resettle the land, they had great difficulty joining together in community prayer. Many had lost the ability to speak Hebrew, and spoke with a mixture of elements coming from a variety of languages:

“When Israel was exiled in the time of the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, they mixed with Persia, Greece and the other nations. They had children in those foreign lands. Those children spoke mixed languages and each person’s language was made up of many different languages. When a person would speak he would not be able to express himself properly because of the language confusion. This is the meaning of the verse ‘and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the language of Jews, but according to the language of each people’ (Nechemiah 13:24). Because of this, when each person would pray, he would be unable to fully express all his needs or to say the full praise of God in Hebrew without using other languages as well.” – Rambam, Hilchot Tefillah 1:5

Ezra the high priest, and the “members of the great assembly” therefore established a formal prayer called the “Amidah”:

“When Ezra and his court saw this they arose and established for them the Amidah blessings and their order…” – Rambam, Hilchot 1:5.

“The Men of the Great Assembly instituted this prayer of the Amidah in order that it should be fluent in every mouth. Therefore they instituted it using simple language, in order not to confuse the ideas with their understanding of the language, and so that all of Israel would be equal in prayer, whether they were clever or foolish.” – Rabbeinu Bachya, Commentary to Parshat Eikev 11:13.

Since the time of Ezra, the “Amidah” has held such prominence that Jewish tradition assigns to it the term “Tefillah” – the general term for prayer. The Amidah is therefore “The prayer” the central edifice, to which the entire synagogue service and Jewish liturgy is built around. Although the exact words were not officially established until just after the destruction of the second Temple, tradition had always preserved the general formula as set by Ezra and his court. The formula consists of eighteen benedictions, each benediction representing a certain theme. The tenth benediction, titled: “Teka bashofar” translated as “Ingathering of the dispersed” would carry the following sentiments, although not verbatim in this manner until after 70 AD:

“Sound the great shofar (to proclaim) our freedom, lift up a banner for the ingathering of our exiles, and bring us together from the four corners of the earth. Blessed art Thou, Lord, who gathers together the dispersed of his people Israel.” – To Pray as a Jew, “The Shemoneh Esrei: The Amidah of ‘Eighteen’ Blessings”, page 88.

In Acts 3, Peter and John are departing to enter into the temple. According to the passage, they did so at the “time of prayer” – three in the afternoon. After entering into the Temple, they would have joined a mass assembly of Jews in the local area gathering to pray the Amidah in conjunction with the last sacrifice of the day. In Acts 10:9, during the sixth hour of the day Peter rushes to the roof of his home to pray. He did so, because it corresponded to the first sacrifice of the day. He was praying the Amidah. Interestingly, in Acts 10:31 even Cornelius the Roman Centurion was praying during the third prayer hour (the ninth hour), presumably in solidarity with the Jewish people.

Now isn’t it interesting to reflect on the fact that the Apostles, the first Jewish converts to Christianity and even the gentile “God Fearers” were praying for the ingathering of the exiles; that the dispersed of the people of Israel worldwide would return to the land, and they did this three times a day! If this is so, the event of the recovery of the lost of Israel worldwide was not lost on the Apostles, but instead, it no doubt would have been a prominent feature in their understanding of how the faith would unfold.

Prayer of 1948

This prayer was written by the chief rabbi of the state of Israel in 1948. Many synagogues all over the world have resolved to recite it every Sabbath. Found in the prayer is a quote of Deuteronomy 30:4-5, included as a prophecy for the regathering of Israel:

“Our Father in Heaven, Rock and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption. Shield it with Your lovingkindness, envelop it in Your peace, and bestow Your light and truth upon its leaders, ministers, and advisors, and grace them with Your good counsel. Strengthen the hands of those who defend our holy land, grant them deliverance, and adorn them in a mantle of victory. Ordain peace in the land and grant its inhabitants eternal happiness. Remember our brethren, the whole house of Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion. Lead them swiftly and upright, to Your city Zion and to Jerusalem, the abode of Your Name, as is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses: ‘Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you. And the Lord your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.’ Draw our hearts together to revere and venerate Your name and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah, and send us quickly the Messiah son of David, agent of Your vindication, to redeem those who await Your deliverance. Manifest yourself in the splendor of Your boldness before the eyes of all inhabitants of Your world, and may everyone endowed with a soul affirm that the Lord, God of Israel, is king and his dominion is absolute. Amen forevermore.”- https://opensiddur.org/prayers/collective-welfare/government/medinat-yisrael/prayer-for-the-welfare-of-the-state-of-israel-by-yitshak-halevi-hertzog-1948/

The Trigger event and the regathering

If conditions are building for a great harvest; a regathering of the lost tribes, surely there must be prophecy regarding some sort of trigger event – a condition, that once met, will initiate the regathering. The trigger event is found in Deuteronomy 30.

God warns the Israelite’s that as a result of their sin, they will be sent into exile and scattered throughout the nations. However all hope will not be lost. He reveals that if Israel brings back to remembrance the Words of the Torah and they begin to obey it while in exile, he will bring them back.

The prerequisite for the re-gathering is obedience to the Torah:

“When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today,  then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.  Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.  He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it.”  – Deuteronomy 30:1-5

Why is Israel suddenly inspired to obey the Torah while in exile (of all places), when on the land Israel had refused to obey?

“The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live…You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today.”  – Deuteronomy 30:6,8

When reading Deuteronomy 30:6, regarding the event of the Israelite’s having their hearts circumcised we must inquire as to how this circumcision of the heart happens. What causes it?

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…’This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘ I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.'” – Jeremiah 31:31, 33

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” – Ezekiel 36:26

It’s the New Covenant that circumcises the hearts of the Israelite’s leading them to obey the Torah as prophesied in Deut 30. After the lost sheep of the house of Israel have received the gospel in faith, being restored back into Covenant with God – the Holy spirit will stir within them, the desire to obey the Torah.

But, why is this important?

The Torah is God’s requirement for the inheritance of the land. When Israel begins to obey the Torah, they are demonstrating that they are worthy to receive their inheritance once again.

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For a closer look into the Torah and why it is required for the inheritance of the land: The New Covenant and the land inheritance.

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King Solomon’s prayer of dedication

Just after the construction of the first Temple was complete, King Solomon stood before the assembly of the people to dedicate the Temple to God. One would expect the atmosphere to be that of celebration, for God’s house was now complete allowing his presence to reside in their midst! Instead Solomon delivered a somber prayer, fervently asking God to forgive Israel should they disobey and deserve exile from the land. Why would Solomon mention such misfortune at a time like this? King Solomon knew scripture, and he knew what would ultimately happen to Israel. He was offering supplication to God in advance, that God would be faithful to forgive Israel and to regather them just as he said he would:

“When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.” – 1 Kings 8:33

Solomon even lists conditions similar to Deuteronomy 30 such as a changed heart, repentance in exile, turning back to God with all their heart, etc.

“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive…then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.” – 1 Kings 8:46-49

What is Israel repenting of, and how is Israel turning back?

They are repenting of rebellion against God by disobedience to the Torah. As prophesied in Deut 30, they turn back to God by eagerly obeying the Torah while in exile.

The New Covenant

This pattern of repentance, obedience while in exile, and regathering is attached to every prophecy regarding the New Covenant, because it’s the New Covenant that inspires the change.

Let’s look at a few verses before the reference to the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31. Read the verse knowing that the term “Ephraim” is often used to reference the house of Israel :

“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:  ‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the Lord my God. After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’”  – Jeremiah 31:18,19

God says he has heard Ephraim’s (10 tribes of Israel) moaning. Ephraim cry’s out in shame, claiming he has been disciplined enough. He begs to be re-gathered, to be allowed to return. He claims to have repented – to have understood his wrongs. Therefore as an inevitable process of repentance, he has returned to the Torah. In response God says:

“’Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,’ declares the Lord. ‘Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. Return, Virgin Israel, return to your towns.'” – Jeremiah 31:20-21

God says that he still loves and remembers Ephraim. As a result of Ephraim’s repentance just as Deut 30 says, he decides to re-gather Ephraim. He declares that road signs and guideposts will be set. A highway so to speak is set up to lead Ephraim back home.

It goes on to say again, that God will regather Israel:

“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: The Lord bless you, you prosperous city, you sacred mountain.’ People will live together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks. I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” – Jeremiah 31:23 – 25

Again, more reference to Israel back on the land:

“’The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,’ declares the Lord.  In those days people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.” – Jeremiah 31: 27-30

Finally we get to verse 31, as an explanation as to why Israel has repented of sin, and returned to the Torah: It’s the New Covenant! The New Covenant writes the Torah on the hearts and minds of Israel leading them to obey.

Let’s look at the next New Covenant prophecy made by Ezekiel in chapter 36. In verses 8 – 12, God prophecies to the mountains of Israel that the people of Israel will be brought back:

“But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be ploughed and sown, and I will cause many people to live on you—yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. I will increase the number of people and animals living on you, and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I will cause people, my people Israel, to live on you. They will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; you will never again deprive them of their children.” – Ezekiel 36:8-12

Two verses before verse 26 this is what he says:

“For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.” – Ezekiel 36:24-25

Verse 26 speaks of the New Covenant:

 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” – Ezekiel 36:26

What does the next verse say?

“Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.” – Ezekiel 36:27

As Deut 30, Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31 reveals, it is necessary for Israel to obey the Torah in order to be re-gathered back to the land. The New Covenant leads them to obey!

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For a closer look into the “law” that the New Covenant places on the hearts of Israel: The Ceremonial and Moral aspects of the Torah.

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The 10 gentiles of Zechariah 8:23

Zechariah prefaces verse 23 with: “This is what the Lord of hosts says…” I would like to emphasize that the prophecy is not a suggestion. This is the word of the Lord, and it will happen as he has declared:

“In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'”

The specific count of ten is not without purpose. The mention of ten men from all languages and nations is an unmistakable allusion to the ten tribes of Israel, who have been lost and assimilated among the nations worldwide. The 10 men are grabbing the “hem” of the robe of a Jew, finally recognizing that the Jews are truly God’s chosen people, and that the knowledge and wisdom they possess have merit worth pursuing. The “hem” in Hebrew, is “Tzitzit ” which is a reference to the blue cords or “fringes” that hang from their religious garments. The Jewish people wear “Tzitzit” in obedience to the commandment to wear them as a reminder to obey the commandments:

“And it shall be unto you for a fringe [Tzitzit], that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them…” – Numbers 15:39

The ten men desperately grabbing hold of the Tzitzit of a Jew is a symbolic depiction of the 10 tribes remembering the Torah, and their imperative to keep and obey it. Jewish interpretations converge on the opinion, that this is indicating a massive religious revival of countless gentiles (the lost Israelites) seeking Torah observance and conversion.

According to the commentary of one of the most Authoritative Jewish expositors of scripture known as Rashi, the prophecy does not refer to just ten men, but ten men from each nation. Jewish tradition holds that there are a total of 70 gentile nations; this bumps up the total of men approaching the jew and grabbing the fringes on his garment to 700.

“Ten men from seventy nations. This equals seven hundred for one corner” – Rashi

However, the Jew does not just wear fringes on one corner, but the commandment requires four corners with fringes attached to them. By multiplying 700 by 4, this yields 2,800 gentiles per one Jew seeking to obey the Torah.

The exiles are healed spiritually

In the gospel of Matthew, a woman is healed as a result of grasping  the “edge” or “hem” of the garment Jesus was wearing:

“Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge (kraspedon – 2899) of his cloak.  She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.

The Greek word translated into english in the following variations “edge” “hem” etc. is “Kraspedon” – it can be more precisely translated as “tassle” or “fringe”. This is another reference to the tzitzit that Jews wore in obedience to the commandment. The woman grabbed a hold of the tzitzit that Jesus wore, in faith that she would be healed. She did so in accordance to the prophecy of Malachi:

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” – Malachi 4:1-2

While the text doesn’t explicitly attribute this to the messiah, it was believed to be messianic according to Jewish tradition:

“Moses asked: ‘ Shall they remain in pledge for ever?’ God replied: ‘No, only Until the sun appears’ that is, till the coming of the Messiah; for it says, ‘But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings’ (Mal.3:20).” – Midrash Rabbah on Exodus 31:10

The Hebrew word for “wings” in Malachi 4:2, is “Kanaf” and it is the same word used in Numbers 15 regarding the commandment to attach the tzitzit to the four “corners” of their garments:

“And YHWH spoke unto Moshe, saying: Speak unto the children of Yisra’el and bid them, that they make them throughout their generations, fringes in the corners (KANAF) of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner (KANAF), a thread of blue.” – Numbers 15:28

The woman suffering the condition of blood was healed instantly. Often, we fail to truly recognize the severity of her condition. The blood would have rendered her perpetually “impure”. People with similar conditions had to live in exclusion away from people, friends, family and even spouses. They were prohibited to enter near the temple, and therefore excluded from the benefit of temple worship and sacrifice. They were social outcasts, banished from the city and seemingly abandoned by God. The house of Israel suffered in a similar way. They were cast away, cut off from the people and sent to wander under the shadow of God’s judgement.

The prophecy of Zechariah 8:23 contains a possible twist, a double meaning. While the 10 men from the nations grabbing the tzitzit of a Jew certainly means that they will desire to obey the commandments, it could also hint of their spiritual renewal. Like the woman, they will be healed and made spiritually clean.

In Ezekiel 37, the Lord by the spirit brings Ezekiel to a vista overlooking a valley filled with dry bones. The pit of bones represents Israel’s spiritual condition, for the bones themselves speak: “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off…” (Ezekiel 37:11). The Lord commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones. As he does so, the bones begin to rattle, and come together. Tendons and flesh were forming, yet they were without “breath”. Ezekiel commands the breath to enter them, and the bodies came to life.

In Hebrew the word for “breath” is “ruach” meaning spirit – the Holy spirit. As the Holy spirit enters into them, they assemble into a vast army in preparation for their regathering. The Lord declares:

“My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord” – Ezekiel 37:12-13

The Hebrew word for “Jew” in Zechariah 8:23 is in its plural form, indicating that the exiles will consult the Jews (plural). As the exiles reach out to accept the Jewish faith of the Jewish messiah and the gospel that is intended for the Jew first (Romans 16:1), they will receive the Holy spirit and will have renewed spiritual life.

When the woman with the infirmity was healed, she would have needed to wait seven days in isolation to verify that her condition was truly cured. On the eighth day, if all visible signs of the illness were still gone, she would count her first day of ritual purity. Imagine how overcome with gratitude she would have been, finally free to join with friends and family. Yet her first errand as a free woman would not be to seek the embrace of a loved one, or to return to the comfort of her old home and warm bed. Instead, immediate action would have been directed toward acquiring two turtledoves or young pigeons to perform a sacrifice at Temple in accordance with Leviticus 15:29. After having been deprived of the ability to worship as an Israelite, and placed far from proximity to the Lord in his house, I imagine that this was done with joy and weeping. Her first day of freedom was spent repairing her relationship with the God.

When Israel is healed and revived by the Holy Spirit, they too will seek to fulfill their duties assigned to them by the Lord as an expression of their desire to repair their relationship with him. Through the help of New Covenant prophecy (Jeremiah 31:33, Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26) it is clear that this desire is implanted within them. Ezekiel 37 makes it appear that in quick succession, after Israel receives the Holy Spirit, their inner transformation will initiate the event of their regathering.

This is why when Jesus instructs the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem for the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, their immediate collective response is: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). After hearing word regarding the Holy Spirit, they would have recalled the following pattern to mind:

1. Israel suffers exile
2. Israel receives the Holy Spirit, causing them to obey the Torah
3. Israel is regathered

Every New Covenant prophecy adheres to this pattern. It is so prevalent in scripture; I find it absolutely astounding that Christian doctrine has failed to detect it.

Reflecting on this, the Apostles would have erupted into excitement with the following thoughts:

“The events that our people have been praying for will soon finally come to pass! God will regather the lost sheep! The exiles will return, and the Kingdom of Israel will be restored! We will forever throw off the yoke of oppression to cruel and Idolatrous empires, and submit to the righteous rule of our one Lord and King! When will this happen? May it be that it happens in our day!”

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For a more in depth look into the three step pattern found in all of New Covenant prophecy: The New Covenant in context: what do the prophets say?

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The awakening

Messianic Jews have shown a cautious uneasiness to any doctrinal “foot in the door” that might lead to the blurring of lines between the gentile and Jew.

Toby Janicki in “God Fearers” presses the gentile who wishes to obey the Torah, to do so with tact and care in order to avoid offense and blurring the lines of distinction:

“Does this all mean that Gentiles should avoid wrapping tefillin, wearing tzitzit, and putting up a mezuzah on their house?…The key to embracing them in a healthy manner is to always keep the distinction of Jew and Gentile in mind…For example, putting up a mezuzah on your doorposts…if however you live near or in a Jewish community in a major metropolitan area, it can make it appear to other Gentiles and Jews that you are Jewish. In cases like these, it might be better to place the mezuzah on the inner side of the doorpost of one’s house so it is not visible from the street. This way one can participate in the Mitzvah but not blur the lines of distinction and thus respect Jewish sensitivities…A gentile believer who desires to wear tzitzit throughout the day would be well served to tuck them in so they are out of sight and not attracting attention…Wearing these visibly can be like false advertising and it communicates disrespect for the Jewish people.” – page 104-105

The resistance is understandable, considering the long history of antisemitism in the church and the many theological innovations established over time to effectively undermine or replace the Jewish people.

The plan as outlined in scripture does not in any way indicate a massive torrent of countless gentiles becoming Jews for the purpose of replacing the Jews. No, this is about genetic Israel coming back to their father’s instruction and returning to the land.

Pastor Keith Johnson, elder to the United Methodist Church writes of his extraordinary encounter with the Lord that led him into a subsequent adventure to the Holy land:

“Then one day I had a dream in which I saw a scroll flying over my head. When I woke up from the dream I heard a voice instructing me to be in Jerusalem on the biblical festival of Shavuot (Pentecost).” – “A Prayer to our Father” page 13

The Torah requires all males to attend and celebrate three Biblical Feast days in the Jerusalem: Shavuot, First fruits, and Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles:

“Celebrate the Festival of Weeks [Shavuot] with the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering [Feast of tabernacles] at the turn of the year.^[b]23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel.” – Exodus 34:22

Why would God instruct a gentile to obey the Torah by celebrating Shavuot in the Holy land? Using the conventional Christian framework, how can we make sense of this? Consulting the Epistles of Paul would make it clear that God would not make such an instruction to a gentile. He would however, demand it from an Israelite.

Former Christian Pastor Rod Bryant, gives his testimony in a YouTube video titled: “Out of Christianity to Torah Judaism – Pastor converts to Judaism.” In the account, he discusses his journey away from Christianity and the events that took place just before his final leap into conversion. Rod recounts that even at a young age before he had a framework to make sense of it, he had a powerful desire to know God. When puberty set in, he was temporarily distracted by the concerns of youth until one unassuming day when he was sitting in a cafeteria. He was randomly struck with the same feeling he had when he was a boy, it was so strong he remarks that he “dropped his fork”. He explains: “What was different [about this experience at age 16]… it was so overwhelming that my stomach knotted up.” He immediately found a private place and wept. He then makes a bargain with God, he would offer himself as a servant if only God would take the intolerable pain. He went to his local pastor, and was directed to go into ministry. With reluctance he obliged: “whenever you’re in Christianity and you feel like you need to be at another level, it’s not about more study, or anything – it’s about, ‘no you need to be in ministry.’” Rod went on to be a missionary and pastor but according to his account, never felt fulfilled: “There was something missing.” While on the road he ran into an Orthodox rabbi in a hotel. He was dying to ask the Rabbi questions. Rod professes in the video: “I was ignorant about anything to do with Judaism, and for sure the Old Testament.” This catalyzed a deep study into the Old Testament, and as a result Rod and his wife thought it would be nice to honor the sabbath every Friday night. Finally, “Something deep down inside of me sparked, there was a spark that ignited and it caught fire.” After some time he decided to undergo an extended fast for 22 days, after he would fast intermittently until he felt weaker and weaker. One day his wife approached him when he was too weak to leave his bed. She said “This is crazy, is this how the rest of your life is going to be?” He responded, “God needs to  either speak to me or kill me, because I’m going to be miserable as hell until he tells me.” Rod explains that he finally found what he was looking for, “I found a treasure, and the treasure was Torah Judaism.”

Such a testimony is absolutely confounding to the Christian. The immediate thought is, “Why didn’t he receive his spiritual nourishment in Christ?” Why the burning passion, the gut wrenching desire to obey an oppressive system of law – a set of 613 do’s and don’ts? To the average Christian this is disgusting and unrelatable. But this is prophecy! To the gentiles who find it hard to relate, a passion is not erupting inside of them to obey the Torah because it’s not for them. It’s for the Israelite.

The real tragedy is that he had been presented a Christianity that negated Torah observance! The ultimate irony is that the purpose of the New Covenant is to inspire Torah observance, yet he felt he had to abandon it to obey God!

I worry that as Israel begins to collectively wake up, the Christian church will be hampered by its theology and rendered incapable to properly guide them and keep them in the fold. Unless Christianity changes its paradigm and its view of the Torah, Christianity will suffer an unprecedented time of many leaving the faith for Judaism. According to the report of Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi this unprecedented time has already arrived, as more gentiles are banging on his door to become Jewish than ever before:

“It’s scary to say it, but it’s 100 percent the truth. I realize now, that now in these days, in the last few months, there are more converts to Judaism, more than ever before. I mean, I’ve been giving lectures for 23 years. And I’ve dealt with hundreds of converts over the years. But now I realize there is not a day, I cannot find one day, without getting a few emails of people that beg to convert to Judaism. And people…who are really in love with God, and with the Torah…More and more goyim are begging to be Jewish…if this phenomenon would continue another generation or two, probably the majority of the Jewish people will be descendants of converts!”