The Faithful Eliezer (Lazarus)

A good example of how the translation of a name affects the understanding of scripture comes from the story of the rich man and Lazarus, (Luke 16:19-31). Readers should notice that in the story the rich man has no name, but the poor man is given the name “Lazarus.” Since the poor man is given a name, the reader should appreciate that the name must have some significance. Apart from the story of the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:1-45), which is not considered the same man by most scholars, there is no other “Lazarus” in scripture. However, if we realize that the Hebrew name for Lazarus is Eliezer (sometimes Eleazer), the story takes on additional meaning.

Eliezer was the faithful servant of Abraham who would have received the estate of Abraham if Abraham had no offspring, (Gen 15:2). After the death of Sarah, Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. Both Greek and Hebrew commentators universally believe this servant to be Eliezer. If Eliezer is successful in finding a wife for Isaac, Abraham’s primary inheritance will go to Isaac and not Eliezer. Yet, against personal gain, Eliezer is seen as Abraham’s faithful servant acting in the best interest of Abraham. Eliezer found Rebekah for Isaac (Gen 24:15), and the rest is history.

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Lazarus dies and “was carried away by angels to Abraham’s bosom,” (Luke 16:22). “Abraham’s bosom,” along with “paradise” (Luke 23:43), “Garden of Eden,” “under the altar” (Rev 6:9), etc., is one of the Hebrew metaphors for the place where the righteous souls of the departed dwell. Since the original Eliezer was a faithful servant, the hearers of Jesus’ parable would naturally expect someone with the name Eliezer to end up in Abraham’s bosom.

This becomes a pattern for the expectation of the believer. Just as the faithful Eliezer died and went to the dwelling place of his master, the faithful servant of Jesus is promised a dwelling place with the Master.

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also,” (John 14:2-3).

Shabbot Shalom Scott

The Response of Hillel and Shammai to Gentiles

The Talmud records three encounters of Hillel with a Gentile, although there were probably many more. In each of the encounters, the Gentile first seeks out Shammai to become a convert to the Hebrew faith. Each Gentile presents Shammai with a seemingly impossible task. The first Gentile asks to be taught the entire Torah while the teacher stands on one foot. The second Gentile asks to be taught only the Written Law, but not the Oral Law. The third Gentile asks to be converted on the condition that they he be made High Priest, an office only reserved for the sons of Aaron. In each case, Shammai responses to the request by chasing the Gentile away with the measuring stick he uses in his daytime occupation as a builder.

Hillel’s responses are much different and have become the substance of legion. In the first encounter, Hillel responses by saying, “Whatever is hateful unto you, do not do unto your neighbor. This is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary. Now, go and study.” In the second encounter, Hillel converts the Gentile and begins to teach him the Hebrew alphabet. On the second day, Hillel reverses the order of the letters. When the Gentile protests, Hillel responses, “If you rely upon me to recognize the letters of the alphabet, then rely on me also about the truth of the Oral Law.”

Hillel also converts the Gentile who wishes to become High Priest and then instructs him saying, “Can we appoint anyone as king unless he is familiar with the ceremonies of royalty? Go and learn about the ceremonies of the priesthood.” The man soon discovers and accepts the fact that only Aaron’s descendants can be High Priest. He praises Hillel for his training saying, “Let blessings come to rest upon your head, for through your guidance you brought me under the wings of the Divine Presence.”

In all three examples, Hillel’s responses demonstrate a willingness to accept converts with minimum prequalification in the belief that these converts would grow to become faithful followers after they had received proper instruction. Different explanations have been offered for Hillel’s compassionate attitude toward Gentiles. Chief among the explanations, the two primary rabbis that taught Hillel both descended from Gentile converts to the Hebrew faith. This may have opened the eyes of Hillel to the potential of some proselytes or Hillel may have just been more compassionate toward Gentiles, having witnessed some of the reported prejudice by some Hebrews against his teachers.

It appears to me that the attitude of Hillel, which bends toward the side of allowing Gentiles access to the teaching of Hebrew scholars, is reflected in the ruling of the apostles at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. The Apostle James and other members of the council thought it appropriate to apply only the minimum standards required to allow Gentiles into the faith. It was understood that these Gentiles would grow to become faithful followers as they became properly instructed. After all, “Moses…is read in the synagogues every Sabbath,” (Acts 15:21).

Although Hillel and Shammai are seen in history as contemporaries, Shammai was born sixty years later and lived twenty years longer than Hillel. Shammai died close to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. As a consequence, the influence of Shammai was rising in the days preceding the ministry of Jesus. The majority of Pharisees Jesus encountered were probably prone to the less compassionate position of Shammai invoking the statement of Jesus, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves,” (Matt 23:15).

Scott

In Your Everyday Going Make Disciples (Part 2 of 2)

IN THE DUST OF THE RABBI

“Sitting at the feet” is a Hebrew idiom to denote a student’s position while learning from the rabbi. Jesus normally sat down to teach his disciples and the crowds, (Matt 5:1-2)(Matt 13:2). Another phrase, “in the dust of the rabbi,” comes from the first century statement, “Let your house be a meeting place for the rabbis, and cover yourself in the dust of their feet, and drink in their words thirstily.” To be in the dust of the rabbi was to have such a close relationship with the rabbi so as to have the dust of his steps fall on you. When following a rabbi, it was not uncommon for the disciple to step in the same footprint as the rabbi so that the disciple would experience what the rabbi was experiencing.

Disciples followed their rabbi wherever he went, even into the latrine. Why such fervency? Because the rabbi often recited a blessing thanking God for the proper functioning of his body and the disciples wanted to become like the rabbi in all aspects of life, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples,” (Luke 11:1). It is even reported by the Hebrew Sages of a disciple who hid under the bed of his rabbi, while his rabbi was having relations with his wife. When discovered and chastised, the disciple explained that he wanted to know the blessing recited at the conclusion of the act so that he might become like his rabbi in all aspects of life. This act was not condoned, but recorded to demonstrate the desired fervency of disciples.

The apostolic text does not record an incident like the one just described, but it does record the actions of a disciple who wanted to be just like his master. When Jesus passed by his disciples walking on the water, Peter asked the Lord to command him to leave the boat and to do the same. Jesus called out to Peter, “Come,” and Peter left the boat and began to walk on the water, just like Jesus. We all know the rest of the story. Peter was not just like his rabbi in all aspects and he began to sink until Jesus reached out and saved him. Rather than criticize Peter, we need to applaud his effort. Peter wanted to be just like Jesus and we should desire the same. In the end, Peter did die at the hands of the Roman on a cross just like the Master, although tradition has Peter being crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to be crucified in the identical manner as Jesus.

The type of dedication a disciple had for his rabbi might require him to leave his home, his family and his wife, although he needed permission from the latter for extended departures. The example of this dedication is found in the relationship of the teacher Elijah and the student Elisha. The Bible tells us that when Elijah found Elisha he was plowing with twelve pair of oxen, (1 Kings 19:16).

“He (Elisha) left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, ‘Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.’ And he said to him, ‘Go back again, for what have I done to you?’ So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him,” (1 Kings 19:20-21).

Elijah seemed puzzled that Elisha wanted to return and say good-bye to his parents. But Elisha demonstrated his dedication by sacrificing his oxen so there could be no turning back. This story may be alluded to by Jesus when he said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God,” (Luke 9:62). In the case of Elisha, he did not return to the plow, but followed Elijah wherever he went.

We see the dedication of Elisha to Elijah in the story of Elijah’s departure. If he had not been dedicated, we might never have had this account in scripture.

“Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So they went to Jericho…Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them walked on…When they had crossed (the Jordan River), Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ ‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,’ Elisha replied. ‘You have asked a difficult thing,’ Elijah said, ‘yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise not.’ As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father! My father! And Elisha saw him not more.” (2 Kings 2:4-12)

The dedication of Elisha to follow Elijah wherever he went is an example of the dedication a disciple of Jesus should have for the Master. A rabbi is loved by each disciple and placed in priority above his parents, as a popular saying from the Talmud goes, “the parent only brings the child to the life of this world, whereas the teacher brings him to the life of the World to Come,” (BM 2:2). Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple,” (Luke 14:26). The terms “love” and “hate” are often used as Hebrew idioms to denote priority. Matthew records the same concept, but in words we more easily understand, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me,” (Matt 10:37).

Peter testified to the sacrifice of following Jesus when he said, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” (Matt 19:27). “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.’” (Matt 19:28-29). Leaving houses, family, and even fields is what Elisha did to follow Elijah. It is also what Abraham did when the LORD called him to “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you,” (Gen 12:1). Elijah received twice the Spirit of Elijah and Abraham received the covenant and blessings from God for his faithfulness.

In the epistles, Paul taught the churches he established exhorting them as disciples to “be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ,” (1 Cor 11:1). In particular, Timothy is seen as a disciple of Paul (Acts 15:1), who accompanied Paul on many of his journeys, and to whom Paul referred to as “my true son in the faith,” (1 Tim 1:2)(2 Tim 1:2). It is to Timothy, and not to a church that Paul writes his last epistle that is preserved in scripture.

THE TEACHING MOMENT

A popular term with parents is the phrase, “teaching moment.” This term implies that no opportunity should be passed over which can produce a lasting lesson in our children. For the Rabbis, this was the standard operating practice. Rabbis were rarely confined to the classroom, but used everyday life experiences as the background for the opportunity to teach. Many of the lessons taught by Jesus probably originated from daily events witnessed by the disciples. One day when Jesus was leaving the temple, his disciples commented on the magnificence of the temple buildings. Jesus took the opportunity to tell his disciples, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down,” (Matt 24:2).

At other times, Jesus took his disciples to specific locations to teach such as the time he went to Caesarea Philippi to confront the “gates of hades” and teach his disciples that his kingdom will overcome even the strongholds of the enemy. At other times, the backdrop of the seaside town of Caperanum provided the opportunity to make his disciples “fishers of men,” (Mark 1:17). One of the products of Capernaum was the production of basalt stones used in the grinding of wheat and barley into flour. Basalt was harder than other stones found in Israel reducing the amount of the stone that ended up in the flour. When Jesus talked about a millstone being hung around the neck of a person who caused a little one to stumble, he probably pointed to a nearby grinding stone and then to the Sea of Galilee as he said, “it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck; and to be drowned in the depth of the sea,” (Matt 18:6).

The ability of disciples to learn was classified by the rabbis as falling into one of four categories.

“He who quickly understands and quickly forgets, his gain disappears in his loss; he who understands with difficulty and forgets with difficulty, his loss disappears in his gain; he who understand quickly and forgets with difficulty, his is a good portion; he who understands with difficulty and forgets quickly, his is an evil portion,” (Aboth 5:15).

The best disciple is the one who learns quickly and forgets with great difficulty, while the inverse is the worst disciple; the one learns with difficulty and then forgets quickly. James said it this way, “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God,” (James 1:19).

The rabbis also classified their disciples based on a disciple’s ability to receive and process the teachings of the rabbis. A disciple was said to be either a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, or a sieve.

“There are four qualities among those that sit before the Sages: they are like a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, and a sieve: a sponge, which sucks up everything; a funnel, which lets in at one end and out at the other; a strainer which lets the wine pass out and retains the lees; a sieve, which lets out the bran and retains the flour,” (Aboth 5:18).

The desired disciple is like a sieve that retains the good teaching (flour), while letting out the bad (bran). The sponge absorbs all, the bad as well as the good. The funnel lets all pass through retaining none of the rabbis’ teaching. The strainer lets the good wine pass out, while retaining only the bad. Paul said it this way, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world,” (1 John 4:1). Breaking down into four categories was a common practice of classification by the rabbis to reflect the spectrum from the good to the bad. Jesus used this approach when he spoke of the four types of ground that received the seed of the sower, (Matt 13:3-9 & 18-23).

At the completion of his training, a disciple was expected to be an exact copy of the master, able to walk and teach as the master had done. Discipleship is not about information, it is about transformation, the molding of a life into the exact pattern of the teacher. Years later, long after the original rabbi was gone, people could come to understand who the rabbi was based on the actions and teachings of his disciples, as it is written, “Everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher,” (Luke 6:40). If the disciples were not faithful to the original teachings of their master, they effectively perverted the image of their rabbi. When the lives of believers who call themselves disciples of Jesus do not accurately reflect the teachings of the master, they bring dishonor and scorn instead of glory and praise to the one who came to redeem mankind.

After a rabbi had completed training his disciples, he would turn to them and say, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” (Matt 28:20). The Great Commission is not simply a call to add sheep to the sheep pen, but a command to make disciples into the pattern of the Master, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matt 28:20). This commandment is the responsibility of all disciples, not just those in some distant land. In every disciple’s daily walk, make disciples of all nations.

Scott

In Your Everyday Going Make Disciples (Part 1 of 2)

“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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20)

The above passage is often read to emphasize the need for believers to carry the gospel to all nations or the call for every believer to be baptized. While both aspects are fundamental to the Christian faith, the original Greek imperative emphasizes neither baptism nor the call to go to all nations. More than anything else, this statement of Jesus is calling all believers to make disciples in our daily walk. A more accurate rendering of the passage might read, “in your going, make disciples of all nations.” The responsibility of making disciples is not delegated to the few. Every believer must “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have,” (1 Pet 3:15). According to the Talmud, “Who teaches Torah to the son of his fellow-man has it ascribed to him as though he had begotten him,” (Sanh 19b).

Believers are called to become disciples and to make disciples, but most believers have no idea of what discipleship means. Like many concepts in the Bible, the term disciple has been watered down in our culture to the point where it means a part time student or novice, and not the biblical life changing call of dedication to walk as Jesus did in all aspects of life. The goal of discipleship is best defined by Jesus, “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master,” (Matt 10:24-25). The goal of discipleship is to become like the teacher in all aspects of life, “to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6), and to teach others to become like us after we have become like Jesus. Paul told his followers, “I pray that not only you but all who are listening become what I am,” (Acts 26:29). Paul could only make this statement as he became transformed into the pattern of Jesus.

The concept of disciples is not unique to the ministry of Jesus. Most rabbis in the first century had disciples, (Mark 2:18), in Hebrew called “talmidim” or “talmid” for a single disciple. John had disciples that left him to become disciples of Jesus, (John 1:37)(Acts 19:1-7). Some of the early conflicts in the ministry of Jesus were actually disputes arising between the disciples of Jesus and the disciples of John. The disciples of John were concerned that Jesus was becoming more popular that John, (John 3:25-26). It was the disciples of John who asked Jesus, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Matt 9:14). When scripture speaks of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law questioning Jesus, it was probably the disciples of other rabbis who did the questioning.

By the beginning of the first century, the rabbi/disciple model of teaching was highly developed from centuries of refinement. When Ezra and the men of the Great Assembly began returning to the land of Israel around 500 BC, they sought to instill a method of teaching that would protect the hearts of the people from turning back to idolatry. What they did is detailed elsewhere, but summarized by three overriding principles that they gave to those who followed after them:

• Be deliberate in judging,
• Raise up many disciples, and
• Make a hedge for the Torah.

The call to “raise up many disciples” is a principle that most believers recognize in the earthly ministry of Jesus.

THE FIRST CENTURY HEBREW EDUCATION SYSTEM

Discipleship was a natural extension of the education system of first century Israel that sought to infuse knowledge of the Torah into every individual so that the name of God would be remembered; “Where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you,” (Ex 20:24). In the words of Boaz Cohen, “To study the inspired Writings, to meditate upon them, to extract from them all they could be made to produce was, accordingly, the chief privilege…the greatest duty of the Jew.” (Everyman’s Talmud, page 125). The study of God’s word is more than an intellectual pursuit, study brings life, as the common saying goes, “The more Torah the more life.” This concept carries into the apostolic text where John referred to scripture as the “Word of life,” (1 John 1:1), and Jesus said, “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life,” (John 5:24). The pursuit of understanding scripture is a lifelong journey. In the words of the Talmud,

“Turn it (the Torah) and turn it over again, for everything is in it; and contemplate it, and wax grey and old over it; and stir not from it. You can have no better rule than this.”

When a Hebrew child was five years old, they began to memorize the scripture. This may have occurred in the home or possibly in a Yeshiva (school), adjacent to or part the local synagogue. Girls generally learned the Psalms, Proverbs, and Deuteronomy. Boys memorized all scripture beginning with the Book of Leviticus as it is written, “Since the children are pure and the sacrifices are pure, let the pure come and occupy themselves with things that are pure,” (Lev R 7:3). Scripture memorization was important for two reasons. From a practical standpoint, most towns could only afford a single copy of scripture that was kept at the synagogue. For this reason, the public reading of scripture was fundamental to the teaching of individuals who otherwise had no access to scripture, (1 Tim 4:3). Further, since chapter and verse notation did not exist until the Middle Ages, scripture references where given by reciting the first few words or sentences of the intended passage. The listener had to be familiar with the passage being quoted to gain the deeper understanding of the principle message being taught.

The typical method of quoting only a portion of scripture is used in the apostolic text. Often the Hebrew text being quoted is just a partial reference and the reader is expected to be familiar with the greater content of the passage. The reader who does not know scripture will miss many of the deeper truths being taught. In the present age, we have the luxury of looking up the quoted passage. Although convenient, chapter and verses references remove the responsibility of the reader to be familiar with the context of the passage. In the first century, the listener had to be able to fill in the blanks by memory or he would miss a significant portion of the rabbis’ teaching.

Memorizing scripture also molded the believer into a life of obedience to the commandments, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you,” (Psa 119:11). The Sages summarized the importance of knowing scripture in order to put scripture into practice.

“Where there is no Torah, there are no manners; where there are no manners, there is no Torah. Where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of God; where there is no fear of God; there is no wisdom. Where there is no knowledge, there is no understanding; where there is no understanding, there is no knowledge. Where there is no meal, there is no Torah; where there is no Torah, there is no meal,” (Everyman’s Talmud, page 128).

Around the age of ten, boys began to the study the Mishnah, the Oral Traditions of the Rabbis first handed down to Moses at Mount Sinai. Somewhere between the age twelve and fifteen, the student entered the Beit Midrash (House of Interpretation) to study the rabbinic commentary on the Bible and Oral Traditions (Gemara). The Hebrew Talmud is the combination of both the Mishnah (Oral Traditions) and the Gemara (Rabbini Interpretations). For the average student, his formal education was complete around the age of fifteen and he began to learn an occupation, while the average girl became eligible for marriage sometime around this age. The fact that Jesus found most of his disciples already pursuing worldly occupations, tells us something about their ability as students. The disciples of Jesus were not exceptional scholars, they were “uneducated and untrained men,” (Acts 4:13), who had given up their educational pursuits to learn a profession until they met Jesus.

The few students who were blessed to have an exceptional ability to memorize scripture and learn the related oral teachings sought out a fulltime teacher (rabbi) to further their study of the Torah. The more prestigious the rabbi, the more difficult it was for a student to find acceptance “sitting at the feet” (Luke 8:35), a Hebrew idiom for studying under a great scholar. Paul stated that he was, “brought up…at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers,” (Acts 22:3, KJV). Since the student became a reflection of the teacher, the rabbi only sought out individuals who were in the image of the teacher possessing the greatest ability to learn and the best demeanor to teach others.

Somewhat analogous to applying to a prestigious university, only the best found acceptance, while the remaining were saddled with rejection. Many of Jesus disciples were not seeking him because they felt intellectually inferior or spiritually inadequate; after all they were called tax collectors, sinners, and fisherman. Jesus called his disciples, contrary to the normal process, and later reminded them “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last,” (John 15:16). In choosing his disciples, Jesus was conveying their sufficiency or more likely, the ability of Jesus to overcome their insufficiency. To a group of individuals who had been rejected and come to terms with their rejection, their acceptance by a rabbi who had already performed several miracles must have seemed like a miracle in itself. Yet the same statement is made about all believers, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him,” (Eph 1:5). Jesus chose us because he knew we could be just like him, “holy and blameless.”

NOT YOUR TYPICAL DISCIPLES

Why did Jesus choose those men and women he did to be his disciples? These individuals were probably not gifted with the greatest natural abilities. Men who had been gifted studied under the greatest rabbis of their day like Gamaliel the Elder. Paul was his disciple, but Jesus did not initially choose Paul and we might wonder why not? Paul was actually handicapped by being too studied, too indoctrinated in the ways of the Pharisees, unable to be retrained in the wisdom of Jesus. Even after Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, it took an additional seventeen years in the desert to retrain Paul’s thinking. Jesus did not have seventeen years to teach, he only had three and one-half years. He did not have time to retrain, only time to train. Jesus needed disciples who had not been preprogrammed in the dogma of the day.

There were probably many individuals trained in the Yeshivas of the Pharisees who wanted to learn under Jesus, but these were rejected. When asked why his disciples did not follow the traditions of the other rabbis, Jesus responded by telling a parable.

"No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'" (Luke 5:36-39)

In this parable, Jesus is equating the dogmatic teaching of some Pharisees to the old wine, while his teaching is the new wine. People who have been indoctrinated into a certain way of thinking do not easily gravitate to a new teaching even when the new teaching is closer to the original truth. The modern vernacular for this phenomenon might be expressed in the saying, “you can not teach an old dog new tricks.” The rabbis of Jesus day told held a similar view.

“Elisha ben Avuyah said, ‘He who studies as a child, unto what can he be compared? He can be compared to ink written upon a fresh sheet of paper. But he who studies as an adult, unto what can he be compared? He can be compared to ink written on a smudged (previously used and erased) sheet of paper.’” (m.Avot 4:25)

In the words recorded by Luke (Luke 5:36-39), Jesus is not arguing against the words of Torah spoken by the mouth of God or demonstrating the supremacy of grace over the Law. Jesus argues the limitations of those already indoctrinated in the interpretations of men (old wineskins) because they often do not accept the original intent behind the word, “but from the beginning it has not been this way,” (Matt 19:8). Because the apostles were largely “uneducated and untrained men,” (Acts 4:13), they were not burdened with the existing dogma of their day. They were fresh sheets of paper, blank pages, if you will, that the Master could write on and the disciples would receive. The great news is that you and I can also be fresh sheets of paper for Jesus to write on if we do not hold fast to the religious dogma of this world.

The disciples of Jesus were probably a mixture of younger and older men. Younger men had the advantage of being fresh sheets of paper with fewer preconceived notions and did not yet have the obligations of family and work. “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,” (Mark 10:14). Most disciples of rabbis began their study around the age of fifteen and would potentially study until they reached the age of thirty. By that age, a disciple would be sufficiently learned to become rabbis himself capable of teaching his own set of disciples, “Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry,” (Luke 3:23).

Unfortunately, Jesus did not have fifteen years to teach his disciples. He was only among them in the flesh for a little more than three years. This necessitated the need to have older disciples capable of teaching after the departure of the Master. Although we do not know the specific ages of the disciples, Peter was at least old enough to have a wife and pay the temple tax (Matt 17:24-27), which was required of every Hebrew male living in Israel who was twenty years and older, (Ex 30:13).

Although we generally think of disciples as being male, a few first century rabbis allowed women to be disciples, including Jesus. Mary was said to be “seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word” (Luke 10:39). Some of the women who followed Jesus were major supporters of his ministry. Luke tells us, “The Twelve were with him, and also some women…Mary (called Magdalene)…Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means,” (Luke 8:1-3).

Scott (to be continued...)

Why Measure the Temple?

I want to write about Revelations, but the material is so vast I never know where to start. I asked Paul to begin a dialogue with me; he will ask a question about Revelation and I will try to respond. This is a rewrite of a Dusty Disciple article from July 2009. Hopefully, time has added to the original understanding.

I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. (Rev 11:1-2)

QUESTION: Why is John told to measure the temple of God and why is the Court of the Gentiles excluded from this measurement?

DISCUSSION: Before the question posed can be answered, a more basic question must be addressed. Will a third temple be constructed before the return of Jesus Christ? Not only is the answer important in responding to the original question, the answer can give us some insight into the signs that will precede the return of Jesus. If the answer is “yes,” then we can fix the return of Jesus with relative certainty once construction of the temple begins. After we have answered the basic question about the temple, we can answer the original question about the significance of John’s call to measure the temple of God.

A FUTURE TEMPLE: A number of passages in the Bible suggest that a future temple will be constructed. When Paul warned of the coming antichrist, he wrote, “the man of lawlessness…the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God,” (2 Thess 2:3-4). The words of Paul indicate a temple that is required for the man of lawlessness to fulfill the prophecies written about him. Daniel has a similar prophecy that implies the existence of a temple.

“the prince who is to come…will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering,” (Dan 9:26-27).

Sacrifice by itself does not require a temple. After Israel returned from Babylon, Ezra and the priests offered sacrifices on the altar (Ezra 3:3-4), for approximately twenty years before the second temple was completed. From the days of David, sacrifice on the Temple Mount was always associated with the Tabernacle, the Temple, or during the days when the Temple was being constructed as in the days of Solomon and Ezra. Further, with very few exceptions (Elijah), sacrifice and offering can only occur on the Temple Mount. Therefore, if sacrifice and offering are permitted in the prophecy of Daniel, then the Jewish people have access to the Temple Mount. If they have access and control of the Temple Mount to offer sacrifices, a temple will be constructed to fulfill the commandments of the Law given through Moses.

The Book of Ezekiel dedicates five chapters (40-44) to the description of a future temple that has never been constructed. The description was given by God to provide hope for the Jewish people who were about to go into exile for seventy years. If this prophecy is to be fulfilled, sometime in the future the temple described by Ezekiel will be built. The one who is prophesized to build the temple is the Messiah, also referred to in scripture as “the Branch.”

“Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.'” (Zech 6:12-13)

“The Branch” is a title of the Messiah who is referred to in scripture as “a righteous Branch sprout(ing) from David's line” (Jer 33:15), “a Branch (that) will bear fruit” (Isa 11:1), and “a shoot…from the stump of Jesse,” (Isa 11:1).

Construction of the third temple will be one of the signs given to demonstrate that an individual is the Messiah. For this reason, the man of lawlessness will not only be compelled to construct the temple, but will use its construction to foster his Messianic claim. To further demonstrate that he is the Messiah, John tells us that he performs “great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heave in the full view of men,” (Rev 13:13). Fire from heaven is the quintessential sign from God who sent fire down from heaven at the dedication of the first temple and the offering of Elijah. The LORD also rained down fire in judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah and in the future will cause fire to come down from heaven and devour the enemies of God, (Rev 20:9).

Jesus warned of a future time when the man of lawlessness would take up residence in the temple.

“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.” (Matt 24:15-16)

The phrase “Abomination of Desolation” originates in the Book of Daniel who wrote, “Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation,” (Dan 11:31). This prophecy received partial fulfillment in the days of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (215-135BC), a ruler of the Seleucid Empire who, “profaned the temple in Jerusalem and dedicated it to Olympian Zeus,” (2 Maccabees 6:2). Antiochus prohibited the keeping of the Sabbath, celebration of the traditional feasts, and even the acknowledgment that a person was a Jew. In addition, he gave himself the name “Ephiphanes,” which means “God Manifest.” The desecration of Antiochus IV Epiphanes lasted approximately 3-1/2 years until his death in 163 BC.

Jesus refers to this history, “let the reader understand,” as a pattern of what will be repeated in the future by the coming antichrist. Like the man of Daniel’s prophecy, John tells us that the beast (the man of lawlessness, the antichrist) will open…

“his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast — all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Rev 13:6-8).

The duration of the beast’s authority will be approximately 3-1/2 years (1,290 days, Dan 12:11), from the middle of the seven year covenant to the end of the seven years, (Dan 9:27). Thus, the Gentiles “will trample on the holy city for 42 months,” (Rev 11:2).

In the days of Jesus, Herod the Great became a pattern of the antichrist. In order to win the favor of the Jewish people and solidify his clam as king of the Jews, Herod upgraded the second temple complex into one of the great wonders of the ancient world. He spared neither marble nor gold as his workman decorated the temple. He is reported to have hung a solid gold grapevine with three-inch thick branches from the front of the temple that was subsequently enlarged by wealthy donors. The rabbis referred to this object as the "true vine." Some scholars speculate that Jesus was at this location when he made the proclamation, "I am the true vine," (John 15:1).

Certainly the weight of scripture, including the words of Jesus, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Paul, indicate the existence of a future temple. Now we can return to the original question, “Why is John told to measure the temple of God and why is the court of the Gentiles excluded from this measurement?”

JOHN’S CALL TO MEASURE THE TEMPLE

In the Book of Revelations, we are told that John is given a measuring rod like a stick and instructed to "Go and measure the temple of GOD and the altar, and count the worshipers there." (Rev 11:1). This passage seems to pronounce the existence of the temple, but it is interesting to note that no measurements are recorded by John. The dimensionless measuring by John is contrasted with a story later in Revelations where an angel used a rod to measure Jerusalem and reported its length, width, and height to be 1200 stadia, (Rev 21:16).

Since no measurements are given, the reader must conclude that the act of measuring is the important principle being conveyed. Measuring is sometimes used in scripture to foreshadow the coming judgment of God, such as in the case of Daniel to Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting,” (Dan 5:27). (Other examples include: 2 Kings 21:12-14 and Isaiah 34:11.) However, since the temple is referred to as “the temple of God” and the altar and worshipers are included, it seems unlikely that destruction is being foretold. In scripture, measuring is also used to foreshadow the future movement of God to take possession of what belongs to Him.

The prophet Zechariah recorded the following vision given to him by God, “Then I looked up — and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, ‘Where are you going?’ He answered me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.’" (Zech 2:1-2). As in the eleventh chapter of Revelations, no subsequent dimensions are given by the angel to Zechariah. The action is symbolic. Zechariah continues,

“Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him and said to him: ‘Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’” (Zech 2:3-5)

The words of Zechariah look forward to the time when the nation of Israel will be placed in the land to dwell with the LORD forever. Further, “Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem,” (Zech 2:11-12). The measuring seen by Zechariah is a picture of the LORD taking Jerusalem and Judah to be His own possession. The measuring seen by John may constitute the initial portion of the larger measuring seen by Zechariah.

In scripture, the Temple Mount is a unique and special place to God. According to Hebrew tradition, before a temple ever existed, God placed His name at this location, (Deut 12:5-7). From this passage and several similar, the Hebrews held to a belief that the LORD literally carved His Name into the ground surrounding the Temple Mount. They point to the convergence of the Kidron Valley (east of the temple mount), Tyropean Valley (west of the temple mount), and Hinnom Valley (west of the upper city), which form the Jewish letter “Shin,” ש . Shin is the first letter of the word “Shaddai” (El Shaddai – God Almighty) and “Shem” (HaShem – His Name). So whether or not a temple currently exists in this location, the LORD has, from the time of creation, put His mark, and therefore, His claim on this property. As the LORD told Ezekiel during his discourse on the future temple,

"Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever.” (Ezek 43:7)

The importance of this location is reinforced by the numerous miraculous events that transpire between heaven and earth at this very place. According to the Bible…

• Abraham offered Isaac at the commandment of God on Mount Moriah at the location where the temple was ultimately constructed.
• Jacob saw his vision of a stairway to heaven with angels ascending and descending at this location. He called the place “Bethel” (House of God) and said that it was the “gate of heaven.” (Gen 28:17)
• At the instruction of the LORD, David built an altar on this location.
• The Spirit of God was poured out on this location when the first temple was dedicated by Solomon.
• The Spirit of God was seen leaving this location and ascending east of the temple (Mount of Olives) by Ezekiel.
• Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives just east of the temple.
• The Holy Spirit descended onto the temple and then was given to each and every believer.
• In the future, Jesus will return to stand on the Mount of Olives according to Zechariah.

GOD RECLAIMING HIS OWN POSSESSION

It should come as no surprise that Satan, the great enemy of God, desires to control this place that has God’s Name written upon it. The antichrist will use the same approach when he requires people to write his name on their hand or forehead, (Rev 13:16).

Measuring is the symbolic act of God reclaiming His own possession, whether the temple exists in John’s vision or is under construction. God is also coming to take possession of true believers, as John was told to “count the worshippers,” before the coming rapture, (Rev 11:12). In this context, measuring the “temple of God,” could also be an allusion to the greater body of believers referred to by Paul as, “the temple of the living God,” (2 Cor 6:16). The altar may refer to deceased believers since John “saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained,” (Rev 6:9).

The rest of the world, “the outer court,…has been given to the Gentiles,” (Rev 11:2). John is told to “Exclude” (NIV) and “Leave out (NAS), but the Greek is more emphatic, “Cast out” the outer court, the same Greek used in “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman,” (Gal 4:30). While a Court of the Gentiles existed for God Fearers during the second temple to fulfill the words of scripture (Mar 11:17), it was not part of the original design given from God. The larger context implies that the majority of Gentiles are not worshiping the true God since “they (Gentiles) will trample on the holy city for 42 months.” This irreverence includes the greater area of Jerusalem that is “figuratively called Sodom and Egypt,” (Rev 11:8). Therefore, the area and the people that are not part of God’s possession are not included in John’s measuring and will be rejected.

Along with Jerusalem, the world’s wickedness will merit the judgments of the two witnesses who, “strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want,” (Rev 11:6). After the death of the two witnesses, the LORD will hand the holy city over to the Gentiles to be trampled upon for 42 months, “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,” (Luke 21:24). This period marks the peak of the antichrist’s power that will be exercised over the last 3-1/2 years of the seven year period. The reign of the antichrist will be brought to an end by the return of Jesus who will reign as king and will take back the possession of Israel for the LORD. Never forget, “Whoever touches you (Zion) touches the apple of his (the LORD’S) eye.” (Zech 2:8).

WHAT WILL CAUSE THE TEMPLE TO BE CONSTRUCTED?

The current political environment in the Middle East currently precludes any peaceful attempt to construct a third temple. No secular Jewish government would even attempt to propose such an idea. In 1996, over one hundred people died during Muslim rioting that resulted from the construction of an additional exist to the Hasmonean Tunnel that runs along the inside of the western wall. Even though the archeologists had taken great care to brace the interior of the tunnel to protect surface structures, Muslims saw this as an attempt to undermine the foundations of their sacred structures. Since that time, most Israeli archeologists are relegated to sifting through the debris from the permitted excavations of Muslims on the temple mount.

Further, no one knows for sure where the temple should be located. There are a number of theories, but any theory would have to be supported by archeological evidence. At least two locations have been proposed south of the Dome of the Rock. If one of these locations could be supported by archeology, it opens up the possibility of two temples on the Temple Mount. In that scenario, the outer court of the Gentiles (Rev 11:2), would be a reference to the area containing the Dome of the Rock. A temple for the Jews and one for the Muslims would be somewhat analogous to the time Elijah built an altar to God adjacent to the altar built by the priests of Baal.

All this talk is mere speculation until some catalyst leads to the building of a third temple. Among many, there are three possible catalysts.

(1) A natural phenomenon such as an earthquake could destroy the Dome of the Rock and reveal foundations from the temple of Ezra or possibly even Solomon. Some believe these foundations still exist and were buried by Herod when he enlarged and elevated the Temple Mount. The evidence of the original temple foundations might offer sufficient proof to some and a sign that inspires others to rebuild the temple even in the face of opposition.

In scripture, earthquakes are often associated with the movements of God: (1) When the LORD descended on Mount Sinai, “His voice shook the earth,” (Heb 12:26), (2) When the LORD left the temple in the vision of Ezekiel, there was a great earthquake in the days of King Uzziah, (Zech 14:5), (3) At the crucifixion there was an earthquake, (Matt 27:54), and (4) An earthquake will accompany the return of the Messiah, (Zech 14:5)(Rev 11:13&19), “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” (Heb 12:26)(Hag 2:6).

Earthquakes occur with regularity in this part of the world since the Temple Mount lies just 15 miles west of the great Rift Valley where the Arabian and Africa tectonic plates move against one another. Several great earthquakes have happened along this fault including the great earthquake of 749 CE, which destroyed several Decapolis cities in the region east of Jerusalem. An earthquake hit the temple mount as recently as February 18, 2008, causing minimal damage to structures on the Dome of the Rock.

(2) A world leader could use the existing Dome of the Rock as a launching pad for proclaiming himself as a Messiah to the Jews and the Twelfth Imman to the Arabs (the Muslim world’s version of the Messiah). The increasing financial clout of the Arab nations in the face of a world struggling with a continuing financial crisis increase the potential of an Arab world leader. The Arabs have been looking for centuries for one who could unite all the Arab nations and force fundamental laws on the people.

An Arab leader would be rejected by all orthodox and many religious Jews, but some secular Jews might accept him if they thought peace would follow. If he could establish worldwide peace, he would have the foundation to declare himself to be god. He then could solidify that claim by making the Temple Mount his dwelling place.

(3) The Bible and history would lead the believer to consider some terrible confrontation, possible nuclear, between Israel and their Arab neighbors as the catalyst necessary to construct the temple. Israel will most likely be victorious in this war, possibly the battle prophesized in Ezekiel 38-39. Clearly the hand of the LORD will be seen in the victory of Israel (Ezek 39:7), and the nation will rush to bury the bodies of the dead in seven months in order to cleanse the land, (Ezek 39:12). This cleansing is required to prepare the nation and the people for a return to sacrifice and offering. As in the days of Ezra, construction of the temple will begin once the workers are purified by the offerings at the altar.

Construction of the temple could be one provision in a broader seven-year peace covenant referenced by Daniel, (Dan 9:27). As part of the peace agreement, Israel will burn weapons of war for seven years, (Ezek 39:9). In modern terms, this treaty involves a general disarmament of the world. In reality, only Israel will be disarming while the antichrist is rearming. How could Israel, after seeing the hand of God in victory, seek the trust and assurance of other nations? This is unfathomable, but prophecy would seem to indicate this is the case. Like any previous peace accord in history where Israel put their trust in a foreign power, God will not be pleased and will send two witnesses to prophesize against the nation of Israel, its rulers, and the world at large.

The principle architect of the peace agreement that leads to construction of the temple will have claim to the fulfillment of two major Messianic prophecies. Add a few miracles from the Book of Revelations, like causing fire to come down from heaven (Rev 13:13), and the antichrist will take his seat in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God, (2 Thes 2:4).

Scott

Why the Nation Rejected Jesus as Messiah (Part 3 of 3)

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE CONTINUING REJECTION OF JESUS

The LORD foresaw that the Jewish nation would remain “few in number,” (Deut 28:62), because of their disobedience. Among the nations, Israel

“will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. The LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.” (Deut 28:65-66).

The generations testify to the fulfillment of the LORD’s words. Every time in history when the nation came close to assimilating and melting into the culture of another country, persecution arose and the Jews were driven away. This was all part of God’s plan to keep the nation of Israel, the remnant (Rom 11:5), as a separate and distinct people. Although this was part of God’s plan, believers should acknowledge and reject the Church sponsored persecutions of the Jewish people in history by individuals who professed to be believers in Christ and thought they were offering service to God, (John 16:2).

When believers try to assimilate the Jewish people into the Gentile culture, they put up a roadblock to the individual Jew's acceptance of Jesus as Messiah. Even believers who did not support the persecution of the Jewish people have held to the conviction that a Jew accepting Jesus as the Messiah must leave behind his lifestyle and conform to the lifestyle of a Gentile. Every Jew who accepted Jesus is this manner ceased to be a Jew. From the Jewish perspective, the approach of the Gentile Church has been similar to the Greeks of Alexander the Great who were always attempting to assimilate the Jewish faithful into the Greek culture. Had this assimilation occurred with the Greeks, the plan of God to preserve the nation would have faltered. Just as it was necessary for the nation of Israel to survive until the first coming of Jesus (Gal 4:4), the nation must also survive as part of God's greater plan for the return of Jesus.

For over 1800 years, believers thought it was necessary for every Jew to become a Gentile reasoning, “there is no difference between Jew and Gentile,” (Rom 10:12). Standing alone this statement lends support to the proposition that Gentiles and Jews in Christ should possess uniformity in beliefs and actions. However, this verse is preceded by one that qualifies how a Jewish believer and Gentile believer are equal, “through faith in Jesus Christ” (Rom 10:11).

Paul told the Galatians, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” (Gal 3:28). Does this statement of Paul mandate equality of belief and action among Jew and Gentile who believe in the same Messiah? Certainly, not! For the statement itself contains examples that are known in the physical world to not be equal. Slave is not the equal of free and man is not the same as woman. Equality does not mean uniformity. The Jew and Greek, slave and free, and man and woman are equal only in the aspects of “faith in Christ Jesus,” (Gal 3:26).

Therefore, a Jewish believer who acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah is not obligated to act as a Gentile believer. Only if a slave can act as one who is free and a man can become a woman (Gal 3:26) would a Jew be obligated to act as a Gentile. “Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him,” (1 Cor 7:20-24). And why remain as called, because “the body is not made up of one part, but of many…(whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free),” (1 Cor 12:13-14). God needs witnesses for Jesus everywhere in the world among all peoples, whether they are Jews/Greeks, slaves/free, or men/women. Even God, who is one, chooses to function in three forms, Father, Son, and Spirit, to accomplish His Will in the creation.

The Bible supports a continuing distinction between Jews and Gentiles who profess Jesus as the Messiah. We remember that Gentile believers became known as “Christians” at Antioch (Acts 11:26), but what escapes our notice, Hebrew believers were separately called “Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5), because they maintained the traditions of the patriarchs. Even Paul maintained his heritage as “a Hebrew of Hebrews,” (Phil 3:5). He prayed at the Temple (Acts 22:17), participated in Jewish ritual purification (Acts 21:24), and sought to celebrate the annual feasts when the opportunity permitted, (Acts 20:16). Upon his arrival in Rome before the Jewish leaders, Paul testified, “I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors,” (Acts 28:17). The word “customs” even goes so far as to imply that Paul followed aspects of the Oral Law, the traditions of the fathers, in addition to the written word.

The same freedom which allows the Gentile believer to participate or not, in the things which are considered “Jewish” cannot prohibit the Jewish believer from participating in that which uniquely identifies him with the covenant promises given by God to the Jewish people. How did Gentiles ever conceive that a Jew, who accepted Jesus as Messiah, was mandated to give up the unique nature in which God created and called him? Or as one member of my local church has said, “Spanish believers celebrate Cinco de Mayo and are never required to give up their cultural or their foods. Why are Jews held to a different standard, required to give up all of their festivals, kosher foods, wine, and the Sabbath to become ‘one of us’? My brothers, this should not be.”

THE PROMISED ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS AS MESSIAH

Despite the current rejection of Jesus as Messiah by the Jewish nation, scripture tells of a future time when the nation will turn to and acknowledge Jesus as Messiah. The most familiar passage used by believers comes from John, who twice quotes the prophet Zechariah,

"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son”. (Zech 12:10)(John 19:37)(Rev 1:7)

Zechariah goes on to tell us,

“On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives. 13:1 "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” (Zech 12:11-13:1)

Looking on Jesus and mourning all appear to be responses associated with the return of Jesus and the rapture of the Church. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory,” (Matt 24:30).

The events foretold by Zechariah, Matthew, and John appear to culminate in the eleventh chapter of Revelations at the resurrection of the two witnesses, an event witnessed by the people of the earth, (Rev 11:12). Many people were hardened by these events, but some “gave glory to the God of heaven,” (Rev 11:13). The twelfth chapter of Revelations continues with the story of a woman (Israel) who conceives and delivers a child (Jesus), “who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter,” (Rev 12:5). The child is then snatched up to God and to his throne for 1,260 days.

The present time is referred to in scripture as the “times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24), which will continue until the full number of Gentiles has come in, (Rom 11:25). The days leading up to the appearing of the Messiah are known in scripture as the “birth pains,” (Matt 24:8). “Therefore Israel will be abandoned until when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace,” (Mic 5:3-5).

“And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’” (Rom 11:26-27). The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob in a single day, (Zech 3:9). “Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem,” (Isa 4:3). On that day, even the bells on the horses in Jerusalem will be inscribed with the words, "HOLY TO THE LORD," (Zech 14:20). Thus, every person and everything in Jerusalem will be HOLY, even the horses.

In many ways, the biblical story of Joseph foreshadowed the story of Jesus and his future acceptance by the nation. Sent by the father to check on the welfare of his brothers (Gen 37:13), Joseph was unjustly persecuted and rejected by his brothers. Joseph was sent to a foreign land to prepare a place of salvation for the family of Jacob. When Joseph’s brothers again saw him they did not recognize him, as he was now ruler in Egypt second only to Pharaoh. Joseph maintained no animosity toward his brothers but tested them to see if their hearts were repentant. After his brothers demonstrated that their hearts were repentant, Joseph revealed himself. The suffering of Joseph is seen by many Jews to be a picture of the suffering servant of Isaiah chapter 53. For the believer, the story of Joseph foreshadows the coming days of the return of Jesus.

In the story of Joseph, the nation of Egypt can be seen as Gentiles already receiving blessings through their relationship with Joseph. When Pharaoh hears that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials rejoiced, just as there will be much rejoicing among the Gentiles when the Messiah is revealed and the nation of Israel accepts Him and enters into a relationship with Him. Joseph does not reveal himself to his brothers until he first cleared all the Egyptian attendants from his presence, (Gen 45:1), just as Gentile believers may be removed from the earth at the revealing of Jesus to the people of Israel.

When news reached the Patriarch that Joseph is alive, he is referred to as “Jacob”. Upon hearing the news, the spirit of Jacob is revived as disbelief is turned into faith. He is now called “Israel”, as it is written, “Israel said, ‘I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive” (Gen 45:28). In a similar manner, the nation will be revived at the appearing of Jesus. Paul prophesized of a future time of national revival when, “all Israel will be saved, as it is written ‘The deliver will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob,” (Rom 11:26).

After Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers feared that Joseph would retaliate against them for their sins against him. However, Joseph understood the greater plan of God that had delivered him as a slave into Egypt.

"Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them." (Gen 50:19-21)

In the same way, believers look toward the forgiveness of the Hebrew people. We pray that the nation will have the heart of Joseph and tell us, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Scott

Why the Nation Rejected Jesus as Messiah (Part 2 of 3)

THE REJECTION OF JESUS AS PART OF GOD’S GREATER PLAN

“Did they (Israel) stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to Gentiles…But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” (Rom 11:11-12)

"For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

'THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." 27 "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.'" (Rom 11:25-27)

Although there are understandable reasons for the rejection of Jesus by the broader Jewish nation, scripture acknowledges the hand of providence in working out the plan of God. According to Paul, it was necessary for the Jewish nation to stumble so that riches might come to the rest of the world. This stumbling was caused by the hardness of men’s hearts, which God permitted as part of his greater plan, (Rom 11:25). We are living in the days of the Gentiles, but a time is coming when the physical nation of Israel will take on a more prominent role in the world after “the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,” (Luke 21:24). The branches representing the nation were broken off (Rom 11:17), but this does not preclude the certainty that these branches will be grafted back into the original root “if they do not persist in unbelief” and “how much greater riches will their fullness bring!”

There are some prophesies that remain unfulfilled and cannot be fulfilled apart from the physical nation of Israel, which Ezekiel prophesized to return (Ezek 38-39). Among them are the four unfilled prophecies cited by Maimonides. Jesus will…

• Build the Temple,
• Gather the Exiles,
• Restore the kingship of David by Reigning on the throne of David in Israel, and
• Send forth the word of the LORD from Israel (Restore the commandments of the Torah).

Moses foreshadowed the coming of Jesus and told the people, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers,” (Deut 18:15). As a pattern of the two appearing of Jesus, Moses twice descended off Mount Sinai. The first time he came and delivered the Torah to a rebellious people who were in the mist of making a golden calf. The second time he descended with a new copy of the commandments, a set of instructions on how to build the tabernacle after a pattern he had seen of the heavenly reality, and a reminder from the LORD to “observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you” (Ex 31:14).

Build the Temple: In scripture the Messiah is referred to as “a righteous Branch sprout(ing) from David's line” (Jer 33:15), “a Branch (that) will bear fruit” (Isa 11:1), and “a shoot…from the stump of Jesse“ (Isa 11:1).. The prophecy, "He will be called a Nazarene" (Matt 2:23), is not literally in scripture, but derives from the Hebrew root word for shoot, “natzer.” According to Zechariah, the Messiah, as the Branch, will construct the temple.

“Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.'” (Zech 6:12-13)

The temple Jesus will build is the temple described by Ezekiel in chapters 40-44. This temple is implied by the future celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech 14:16) and the keeping of the law which will go forth from Zion, (Isa 2:3).

The statement of Jesus, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days" (John 2:19), was of special interest to those who heard because it was seen as a declaration that Jesus was the Messiah, (Matt 26:61). Many believers read the words of John as prohibiting a temple anytime in the future “because the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple,” (Rev 21:22). However, in this passage John is speaking of the new heavens and the new earth (Rev 21:1), referred to in scripture as “the world to come,” (Heb 2:5). This world will appear after the 1000 year reign of Jesus on the earth.

Gather the Exiles: 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 gathering of the people back to the land of Israel is one of the great expectations of the Jewish people as reflected in the daily Amidah prayer, “Sound the great shofar for our freedom, raise the ensign to gather our exiles, and gather us from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You, O Lord, who gathers the dispersed of his people Israel.” The gathering is also one of the great expectations of scripture.

'Thus says the Lord GOD, "When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to My servant Jacob. 26 'They will live in it securely; and they will build houses, plant vineyards and live securely when I execute judgments upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.'" (Ezek 28:25-26, 11:17, 20:23, 36:24)

'I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.' (Jer 29:14)

The concept of gathering is expressed in scripture as a shepherd gathers his lambs.

“For thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.’ As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep…I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land,’” (Ezek 34:11-13)

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. (Isa 40:11).

The gathering of the people into the land of Israel remains an everlasting promise from God to the nation, a promise Jesus alluded to when he said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling,” (Matt 23:37). Scripture tells us of a future time when Jesus will “send forth the angels and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven,” (Mark 13:27). As a result of this gathering, “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God,” (Luke 13:29).

Reign on the Throne of David: When the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary about the child he said, “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end,” (Luke 1:32). There are thrones in heaven and there are earthly thrones; David’s throne existed on the earth and the promise of the prophets was for one who would sit on the throne of David forever, as long as this present earth endures. “David…was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne,” (Acts 2:30). There are many prophecies in the Hebrew text relating to the Messiah sitting on the throne of David. Here are just two…

"For this is what the LORD says: 'David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel’" (Jer 33:17-18). And the passage we all learned as children…

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this." (Isa 9:6-7)

Send Forth the Word of the LORD from Israel: The days are coming when the people of the world will stream to Israel to hear the word of the LORD spoken by the Messiah sitting on the throne of David in the city of Jerusalem. Isaiah said it best…

"In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Isa 2:2-4)(Micah 4:1-2)

Although believers have already received a partial fulfillment, the coming days of Jesus’ earthly reign as king will be the greatest fulfillment of the words of Jeremiah.

“No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Jer 31:34)

“All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s peace.”
(Isa 54:13)

The LORD preserved the Jewish nation as a separate and distinct people to accomplish His plan in the last days. Had the LORD allowed the nation to assimilate with the Gentile world, Israel would have ceased to be a separate and distinct people, (Isa 1:9). From the days of Egypt, every time the nation began to dissolve into another group of people, the LORD brought persecution upon the Jewish nation. The Holocaust may have been the most recent example of a history marked with persecutions and inquisitions against the Jews in foreign lands including England and Spain. Six million Jews died in the Holocaust, one-third of the entire world Jewish population, but out of that lost the physical nation reappeared, a sign that the plan of God is moving toward its conclusion. (to be continued...)

Scott