The Messiah Our Redeemer: Part 10 of 12

OUR REQUIRED RESPONSE TO GOD

X. Repent And Live For The Kingdom Of God Is Near

Shortly before his death, Moses spoke these words to the people of Israel.

When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon 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 fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. (Deut 30:1-5)

The words written by Moses tell of a future time when the scattered people of Israel will “return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and all your soul”. The word “return” comes from the Hebrew word “shuv”, which is a form of the Hebrew word “teshuva”. From “teshuva”, we derive the English word “repent”. The ministry of John the Baptist (Matt 3:2) and Yeshua (Matt 4:17) were both announced by a single word, “Repent”. Specifically…

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt 4:17)

This proclamation was calling the people of Israel to fulfill the prophecy spoken by Moses. As Ezekiel proclaimed…

“Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and new spirit…For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” (Ezek 18:30-32).

If the people had responded in the days of Yeshua, then the promised re-gathering would have occurred and the words of Moses fulfilled. The people would have been gathered from “the most distant land under the heavens” and made “more prosperous and numerous” than the fathers. In other words, the prosperity of the nation would have become unparalleled in the history of Israel even when considering the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This time of great prosperity will still occur because the prophecy remains, but the opportunity at the first appearing of Yeshua was lost to that generation. Yeshua expressed His great desire to carry out this re-gathering leading to restoration of the nation and unprecedented prosperity when He said,

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (Matt 23:37).

In scripture, the Jew is often called to “Repent”, while the Gentile is first called to “Believe”. The difference comes from the positional relationship of each person with God. The Jews are blessed among all people on the earth because “they have been entrusted with the very words of God” (Rom 3:2). As Moses has written:

"For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. "It is not in heaven, that you should say, ' Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.” (Deut 30:11-14)

Gentiles are largely ignorant of the knowledge of God, “excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12). Gentiles fail to have a relationship with God because they do not know God, while Jews can know of God, but fail to be obedience to His calling. Thus a Jew is called to “Repent” and a Gentile is first called to “Believe”. The first century Rabbi Eliezer told his disciples, “Repent one day before you die.” His disciples asked, “How does a person know what day he will die on?” The rabbi replied, “That’s why you have to repent every day, just in case you die tomorrow.” (Shabbat 153a).

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The word “teshuvah” has a much richer meaning than simply an acknowledgement of sin. Teshuvah involves the physical turning around and walking in a direction away from the act that causes sin and separation. The fall feasts (Sept-October) of Rosh HaShanah (Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), mark an annual time of repentance for the individual and the nation of Israel during a time period referred to as the “Days of Awe”. By Jewish tradition, the gates of heaven are opened at this time and God is even more receptive than normal to the repentant heart of each man and woman who earnestly seeks forgiveness both from God and from our fellow man.

These festivals are also seen to foreshadow the harvest, at the end of days, when God will resurrect the dead and judge the world separating the righteous from the unrighteous, as Daniel has written…

"As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened." (Dan 7:9-10).

By Jewish tradition three books are opened on Rosh HaShanah and remain open until Yom Kippur. The “Book of Life” contains the names of the righteous (Psa 69:28) who “share in the tree of life and in the holy city” (Rev 22:19). During the ten Days of Awe, a repentant heart can move God to write one’s name in the Book of Life, while an unrighteous person is “blotted out of the Book of Life” (Psa 69:28). In the future, on Yom Kippur, the books will be closed forever and our eternal judgment sealed, as the apostolic writers have testified, “if anyone’s name (Is) not found written in the book of life, he (is) thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15).

But what of the man who does not repent? “Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent? You must decide, not I.” (Job 34:33). For to the one who repents, the prophets have said, “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,’ declares the LORD.” (Isa 59:20). But to those who do not repent it is written, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3).

The Jewish writing of the Midrash Rabbah records a story from the Jewish Sages drawing on the example of the weekly Sabbath to illustrate the fate of one who does not repent in this life.

“Consider two wicked men who associated with one another in this world. One of them made repentance before his death, while the other did not make repentance. It was found that the one stands in the company of the righteous, while his fellow stands in the company of the wicked. When the latter saw the former he said, ‘Woe is me. Is there then favor shown here? I and he both of us were robbers, both of us were murderers together, yet he stands in the company of the righteous, while I stand in the company of the wicked.’ The angel said to the man in Gehena, ‘You fool, you also had the opportunity of repenting and did not take it.’ When he heard this he said to him, ‘Permit me to go and repent now.’ The angel answered him and said, ‘You fool, do you not know that this world is like the Sabbath and the world from which you have just come is like the eve of the Sabbath. If man does not prepare his meal on the eve of the Sabbath, what shall he eat on the Sabbath.’”

The daily Jewish prayer called the “Amidah” calls the worshipper to repentance by both acknowledging our sin, “Forgive us, O our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, O our King, for we have transgressed…” and instilling within us an attitude of repentance.

“Bring us back, O our Father, to Your Instruction; draw us near, O our King, to Your service; and cause us to return to You in perfect repentance. Blessed are You, O LORD, who is merciful and always ready to forgive.”

There is evidence that Yeshua derived the “LORD’S prayer”, found in the apostolic text, as a shortened version of the daily Amidah prayer.

The Amidah states a truth found in scripture, the LORD is “merciful and always ready to forgive”. Yet this forgiveness requires each person to repent because neither Jew nor Gentile are saved by the lineage of our birth. Therefore,

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you — even Yeshua. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” (Acts 3:19-21).