Jews: Mission, Salvation, Future

Summary

The Bible claims the Jews are a people chosen by God to be His servant and witness in the world. The very survival of the Jews for over 3,000 years, despite 2,500 years of exile and persecution, is itself a testimony to the existence of God. And the recent mass migration of Jews back to Israel (as prophesied) is another sign of God’s dealing with this nation.

Jews

Jews (Yehudim) are descendants from the Kingdom of Judah (Yehudah). Israel’s Law of Return (2nd Amendment) defines ‘Jew’ as “a person who was born of a Jewish mother or has become converted to Judaism and who is not a member of another religion”. But recently molecular genetic tests (DNA) are also claimed to be a test for ‘Jewishness’, and may explain why Jews exhibit a distinctly high IQ. Broadly speaking, Israel’s Jews today are either ultra-Orthodox (8%), traditional/modern-orthodox (72%), or secular (20%). Today, the vast majority (some 99.7%) of religious Jews follow Judaism but do not accept Christ as their Messiah or Moshiach. The scriptures say that at the end of this age their ‘blindness’ to Christ will be removed by a move of God’s Spirit.

As promised to Abraham, the nation Israel led to the Messiah, Jesus, through whom the world is now reconciled to God. And prophecy indicates that the land and people of Israel will be used to glorify God in the sight of the nations at the end of this age – and especially in the age to come (the Millennial Age). Rather than despise the Jew, the Gentile nations will respect and honour the Jew in the Millennium as they see that God is with the Jews.

The Amazing Jews

Israel itself is only the size of Wales, and in 2017 had a Jewish population of just 6.5 million. Worldwide, there were less than 15 million Jews. Yet, there are several factors that make this tiny Jewish nation stand out amongst the nations.

The Amazing Survival of the Jews

Isn’t it amazing that the nation Israel has survived for over 3,000 years despite 2,500 years of exile and persecution? When King Louis XIV of France (1643-1715) asked Blaise Pascal, the great Christian philosopher to give him proof of God, Pascal answered, ‘Why the Jews, your Majesty, the Jews!‘ The fact that the Jews have survived points to their unique role in the world.
Jews

Over 80% of the world’s population claim some religious faith and some 30% claim to be Christian, link. In contrast, only some 0.2% of the world’s inhabitants are Jews, link. Yet, the Bible says that the future of the world depends principally upon the tiny nation of Israel and that one day all Gentile nations will honour the Jews. Despite 3,000 years of persecution, the Jews survive. Even Tolstoy acknowledged that there is something very special about the Jew:

What is the Jew?… What kind of unique creature is this whom all the rulers of all the nations of the world have disgraced and crushed and expelled and destroyed; persecuted, burned and drowned, and who, despite their anger and their fury, continues to live and to flourish [Leo Tolstoy]

Yes. Despite nearly 3,000 years of persecution (under, for example, the Babylonians, the Romans, the Spanish Inquisition, Protestant Europe, Russia and Nazi Germany, link) the Jews have survived. And according to Bible prophecy a remnant will continue to survive into the so-called Millennial Age. Surely there must be reason for their survival?

The Amazing Intelligence of the Jews

Jews

Some claim that Jews exhibit a distinctive genetic signature. Nobel Prizes have been awarded to over 850 individuals worldwide, of whom some 23% were Jews or people of strong Jewish ancestry. Prizes were given to Jews in such fields as Economics, Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature and Peace Awards. For example, since 2000 prizes have been awarded in:

  • theory of superconductors and superfluids
  • quantum theory
  • economic science
  • analyses of markets
  • discovery of RNA interference
  • genetic regulation of organ development
  • development of conductive polymers
  • discovery of quasicrystals
  • multi-scale models for complex chemical systems

This is an amazing achievement bearing in mind that Jews comprise less than 0.2% of the world’s population! More …

The Amazing Genealogy of the Jews

Over the centuries many distinct peoples have come and gone. They became lost in history, link. What happened to the Aztec, Merovingian, Sasanian or Byzantine nations? Not so the Jewish people. The Jewish people did not just evolve and then disintegrate like other nations. When God first called Abram, a Hebrew (Gen 14.13), He made him an historic, earth-shattering promise:

I will make you a great nation … and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed
(Gen 12.2,3)

God fulfilled the first promise of ‘a great nation’ through the many descendants of Abram – the Hebrew people – and God acknowledged this multitude of people by changing Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning ‘father of many’. The descendants of Abraham formed the nation Israel around 1300 BC after their Exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. Then, under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites settled into Canaan (the promised land) and Joshua divided the conquered lands among the twelve tribes of Israel. One of those tribes was the tribe of Judah, which leads us to the second promise in Gen 12.2,3 – the promise that ‘all the families of the earth shall be blessed’.

Some 1900 years later this blessing was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ. He was from the tribe of Judah (Mat 1.1-16), and Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob, who was the grandson of Abraham. In other words, the blessing promised to Abraham was principally that of salvation for the world through Christ and it came through the tribe of Judah. In his dying blessings, Jacob prophesied that Judah would hold the royal scepter (Gen 49.10), a symbol of the kingship of Christ.

But besides holding the royal sceptre of Christ, the tribe of Judah also led to the term ‘Jew’. Some see this to mean “led by Yahweh” or “Yahweh’s (people)”, link.

Defining the Jew

By 700 BC the word Yehudi (Jew) came to mean any person descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So today, the term ‘Jew’ is used loosely by the media to refer to the people of Israel. It is common to refer to Abraham’s descendants as ‘Jews’, and the word “Judaism” is used to refer to their beliefs. Strictly speaking this usage is inaccurate, link. Whilst all descendants of Abraham are Hebrews and Israelites, not all Israelites are Jews.

So what do we understand by the term ‘Jew’? Strictly speaking the term ‘Jew’ (Hebrew ‘Yehudi’, pronounced ‘ya-hoo-DEE’) originated from the name Judah:

At that time, Rezin king of Syria … drove the Jews (KJV) [men of Judah (NKJV)] from Elath
(2 Kings 16.6).

But when Israel became divided into northern and southern kingdoms (the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah) the term ‘Jew’ came to apply to all those in the Kingdom of Yehudah (Judah). For example, when Nebuchadnezzar was attacking Jerusalem (which was within the Kingdom of Judah) the people in Jerusalem were referred to as ‘Jewish’ (Jer 34.9).

So strictly speaking, today’s Yehudim (Jews) are those who follow Judaism and who are descendants from the Kingdom of Yehudah (Judah). This kingdom embraced the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and some of the priestly tribe of Levi. Paul called himself a Jew since he was from the tribe of Benjamin (Acts 22:3). Using official Israeli government statistics, by December 2018 the population of Israel was estimated at 8,972,000. of which 6,668,000 were Jews (74.3% of the total population) [Central Bureau of Statistics].

It is interesting to note that in 1915 there were just 83,000 Jews in Israel, but this increased to over 6 million Jews in 2013, link, corresponding to an amazing 7400% increase! In comparison, over the same period the UK population increased just 55%.

Judaism
Abraham’s Children: Race, Identity, and the DNA of the Chosen People. By Jon Entine

Jew by Descent – Confusion

According to Orthodox Jewish law, link, descent is one way a person can be a Jew – through matrilineal descent (birth from a Jewish mother). The other way is through proper conversion to Judaism by an Orthodox Jewish Beit Din (Court of Jewish Law).

In the Bible, being Jewish was passed down through the father, as recorded in the genealogies in Genesis, Numbers and Chronicles for example. Similarly, in the Gospels, the lineage of Jesus is traced from Abraham through the male line, to Joseph, the husband of Mary (Matthew 1:1-16). Jesus’ genealogy is also traced through the male line in Luke’s gospel (Luke 3:23-38). Note that in these genealogies (and in Hebrews 7:14) Jesus is recorded as a descendant of Judah, and so Jesus was a Jew in the original sense. Also, recall that Jesus was crucified as ‘King of the Jews’ and one cannot be such a king without being a Jew. This explains why Jesus said, specifically, ‘salvation is of the Jews’ (John 4:22), referring to Himself as the sacrificial Lamb.

So much for the Biblical definition of Jewishness. But confusion arises since, traditionally, Jewish status passes through the mother, not the father. In other words, according to Judaism, you are Jewish if your mother is Jewish; a person born to a Jewish mother is a Jew. Most Jewish communities today see being a Jew as traced through the mother. Luke’s genealogy of Jesus also suggests this and is sometimes taken to be that of Mary, link, link.

Clearly, at some point in time there was a decision to shift Jewish identity from the line of the father to the mother. So there is confusion when using genealogies to decide who is a Jew. That said, descent from a Jewish mother is today used by the Israeli Government as a factor in Jewish immigration. According to Orthodox Jewish law, link, descent is one way a person can be a Jew – through matrilineal descent (birth from a Jewish mother). Israel’s Law of Return (2nd Amendment) defines ‘Jew’ as “a person who was born of a Jewish mother or has become converted to Judaism and who is not a member of another religion”. So a Jewish person who believes in Yeshua is not considered a Jew under the Law of Return. In other words, Messianic Jews – those Jews who believe in Yeshua – are not considered Jewish by mainstream Judaism. It follows that Messianic Jews are ineligible to become Israeli citizens under Israeli law.

Jew by DNA

Genetic markers can help people trace their ancestry to certain Jewish communities in certain geographic locations eg. the Ashkenazi Jews in Europe, or the Sephardic Jews in Spain. A specific genetic marker known as Cohen Modal Haplotype (CMH) has been identified among men with ancestry dating back to Aaron (the first High Priest). So in recent years some Gentile believers have taken DNA tests, hoping to find some ‘Jewish DNA’ in their blood.

In 2014 the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) presented the Israeli Government with recommendations on the genetic testing for ‘Jewishness’ of potential immigrants, link, link.

Molecular genetic tests can now be used to measure individuals’ whole genomes, and scientific research has begun to describe the genetic basis for a common ancestry of the whole of the Jewish population. Distinguished geneticists claim that Jews exhibit a distinctive genetic signature and as such can be defined as a ‘race’ (a people group with distinct biological traits), link. In other words, it is claimed there is a biological basis of Jewishness, which may even explain why Jews hold a relatively high number of Nobel Prizes and demonstrate a distinctly higher IQ than their European counterparts.

What is particularly interesting is that these studies are suggesting a region of ancestral origin. It is claimed that geographically and culturally distant Jews (Jewish diaspora communities) still have more genes in common than they do with non-Jews around them, and that those genes can be traced back to the Levant, an area including modern-day Israel, link. Moreover, this strong genetic claim contrasts with the wild ideological claim of ISIL that the Levant should be part of an Islamic caliphate, link. The truth is that scientific analysis claims exactly the opposite:

If you take all of the careful genetic population analysis that has been done over the last 15 years … there’s no doubt about the common Middle Eastern origin (of Jews)
[Marcus Feldman, Stanford University, a leading researcher in Jewish genetics]

So, besides biblical genealogies, DNA may also explain why the Jewish people appear to be (and indeed are) a unique people:

All things are mortal, but the Jew. All other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?
[Mark Twain]

Jews

Jews at the Western Wall, Jerusalem
Image: Wayne McLean, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Today’s Jews

Broadly speaking, Israel’s Jews are either ultra-Orthodox (8%), traditional/modern-orthodox (72%), or secular (20%), link.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews, better known as ‘haredi’ Jews, ware distinctive dress (long coats, black hats) and live in insular communities with limited contact to the outside world. About half of ultra-Orthodox adults do not work, and many men are full-time Torah students with government stipends. They have secured government subsidies and exemption from military service, link. The claim that these are ‘right wing’ Jews is disputed, link.

Traditional/modern-orthodox Jews value traditional Jewish life and hold fast to most traditional Jewish beliefs and practices. In contrast to ultra-Orthodox Jews they can be viewed as ‘non-‘right wing’, link. They adhere faithfully to the principles and practices of traditional Judaism as in devotion to the Torah, synagogue attendance, and strict observance of the Sabbath, religious festivals, holy days, and the dietary laws. But they also partake of most aspects of the modern secular world and some view engagement with the world as a sacred opportunity to expand it, link.

Note that Orthodox Judaism differs from liberal forms of Judaism. For example, Reform Judaism seeks to integrate Jewish tradition with the realities of modern life e.g. it maintains that the conditions of modern life demand a relaxation of the traditional Sabbath laws, link, link.

Summarizing, some 80% of today’s Jews in Israel follow the Jewish scriptures or Tanakh (the Torah, Navi and Ketuvim) in some way, ranging from fundamentalism to loose Jewish practice.
 

Spiritual Blindness of the Jews – and the Church

How many in the Christian church acknowledge the amazing survival of the Jew? Do they ever ask ‘Why the Jew?’ And how many in the church recognize that they are really only part of God’s plan alongside Israel, rather than in place of Israel? This is a spiritual mystery which few understand, or want to understand. Referring to the scattering of Israel due to their rejection of Christ, the apostle Paul explains subsequent events like this:

Now I ask myself, “Was this fall of theirs an utter disaster?” It was not! For through their failure the benefit of salvation has passed to the Gentiles with the result that Israel is made to see and feel what is has missed. For if their failure has so enriched the world, and their defection proved such a benefit to the Gentiles, think what tremendous advantage their fulfilling of God’s plan could mean (Rom 11.11 paraphrase)
So Church – don’t be ignorant of this mystery … a temporary blindness has happened to Israel in order to bring some Gentiles to God until the full number of the Gentiles has been called in (Rom 11.25 paraphrase)

Today, the vast majority of the Jews are still blind to the true nature of Yeshua (Jesus) and will remain so until those who are going to be saved among the Gentiles come to trust in Christ. The number of Messianic Jews in Israel is currently only about 0.3% of the total number of Jews in Israel, link. But it appears that soon the church will be complete (the ‘door shuts’, Lk 13.25) and after that God saves the remnant of unbelieving Jews. Their blindness will be removed:

And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The One who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and He will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.” (Rom 11.26-17)

What then?

The Future of the Jews
Has the Jew a real Purpose in the World?

Put another way, we could ask: ‘What is the purpose of Israel?’ These questions are only meaningful in a spiritual rather than secular context. According to the Bible, Israel is indeed a special nation, chosen by God to bless mankind and to make a name for Himself. To Abram (Abraham) God said:

I will make you a great nation … and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Gen 12.2,3)

And King David exclaimed:

And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land (2 Sam 7.23)

History confirms the reality of such statements. Israel led to the Messiah, Jesus, and prophecy indicates that the land and people of Israel will be used to glorify God in the sight of the nations at the end of the age and in the age to come (the Millennial Age). Right now the world is starting to wonder why the nation of Israel has come to world prominence after thousands of years of obscurity! Why is tiny Israel continuously in the news?

The outworking of Bible prophecy is clear, even to those who hate Israel. In just 130 years God has gathered many of His people from out of the nations and established them in their homeland, link, link. But the in-gathering is not yet complete. As already mentioned, in 2016 the world Jewish population was approaching 15 million, of which only 6.4 million (43%) resided in Israel. What about those still dispersed amongst the nations? Prophecy implies that virtually all those dispersed among the nations will return to the Promised Land; God leaves “none of them there any longer” (Ezek 39.28). So it seems that aliyah is not yet complete. But when it is – what then?

How will Israel’s Blindness be Removed? When will they Recognize Christ?

As already pointed out, only some 0.3% of the Jews in Israel are Messianic and the vast majority do not recognize Yeshua as their Messiah. Put another way, some 80% of Israel’s Jews follow Old Testament belief in some way, from fundamentalism to loose Jewish practice, link, and they are looking for the Moshiach (‘the anointed one’), a great human leader. They are not looking to Yeshua. The remaining 20% of the Jews in Israel are not even looking for Moshiach since they are secular. Is all this of concern? Yes. Prophecy shows that Yeshua will soon return to the earth and reign from Jerusalem as King over all the earth, link. At this time He shall literally dwell with His people:

Son of man, this is the place of My throne … where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever (Ezek 43.7)

This prophecy speaks of the coming Millennial Age, when all nations – including Israel – will acknowledge Christ as LORD (Zech 14.16,20,21). So clearly, there must be a dramatic (and relatively rapid) change in the minds and hearts of the Jewish people before Jesus returns in order for them to acknowledge Him as their Messiah. So how, or when, do the Jews (Jew in the broadest sense) come back to their God, the God of Israel?

Biblical history shows that the people of Israel went after other gods and so broke the everlasting covenant God made with their fathers (Jer 11.10). First the house of Israel or the northern kingdom rebelled and then the house of Judah or the southern kingdom rebelled. Atonement for such rebellion is based upon God’s initial covenant with Abraham (Gen 12.1-3, Exod 2.24, Lev 26.42). A time is fast approaching when God establishes this covenant with them for His name’s sake, and in order that they may truly know Him. God promised this to the exiled people in Babylon through the prophet Ezekiel:

I will remember My covenant with you … and I will establish My covenant with you. Then you shall know that I am the LORD … when I provide you an atonement for all you have done
(Ezek 16.60-63)

What had Israel done? She had profaned God’s name among the nations by being cast out of their promised land (Ezek 36.20). But in these last days God sanctifies His name in the sight of the nations – He is hallowed or deified in their sight – and He also cleanses Israel and brings her back to Himself. Take a closer look. Ezekiel 36 reveals several distinct end time events in Israel:

  • God calls scattered Israel back to the land promised to them in the Abrahamic Covenant (Ezek 36.24)
  • God blesses the country, with many people, rebuilt cities and productive land (Ezek 36.10, 30,33-35)
  • God is sanctified through re-gathered Israel in the sight of the nations (Ezek 36.23)
  • God cleanses regathered Israel, gives her a new heart and puts His Spirit in her (Ezek 36.25-29)

 
The 20th century saw the promised regathering, although aliyah does not yet seem complete. And Israel now has productive agriculture and modern cities and infrastructure. But to date the God of Israel is largely ignored or even despised by the nations. And the majority of Jews in Israel still appear to have a heart of stone rather than a renewed spirit (Ezek 36.26). So how will the nations come to deify the God of Israel? Moreover, how will the Jews in Israel come to have a renewed spirit?

Jews Knowing God by Observation

The amazing restoration of Israel seen over the last 100 years is catching the attention of the nations. For instance, in 2015 Israel’s innovative hi-tech economy was reflected on the stock markets, with Israel third after the USA and China on New York’s Nasdaq stock exchange. And the land of Israel has been totally transformed, link. The reaction of the nations and of the Jews themselves is prophesied:

So they (the nations) will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now … inhabited’. Then the nations … shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate (Ezek 36.35,36)
Then you (Israel) will know that I am the LORD (Ezek 36.11, see also Joel 2.21-27)

Jews Knowing God through Tribulation and War

Judaism

In the last years of this age, Israel will experience a time of tribulation (‘Jacob’s trouble’, Jer 30.7) through Gentile invasions. In fact, prophecy suggests that there will probably be two major wars against Israel before the end of the age, link. The good news is that in both wars the invaders are miraculously defeated, and, as throughout history, a Jewish remnant is rescued or saved (Mat 24.21,22).

The Gog-Magog War is one of the first major events that bring Jews to their true Messiah. It involves an Arab-Islamic invasion from the north, probably led by Russia and Iran (Ezek 38.3-6). Today we see close Russian-Iranian collaboration and the war appears imminent. In both end-time wars against Israel the invaders are defeated by the God of Israel. This has a two-fold effect. First, the Gentile nations see a miraculous defeat of the invaders and are forced to acknowledge the God of Israel (Ezek 39.7). Second, the children of Israel begin to turn to their true Messiah:

I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment (on Gog-Magog) … so the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward … for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel (Ezek 39.21-22,29).

The emphasis in Ezekiel 36-39 is on the whole house of Israel (Ezek 36.10, 39.5). At this time the historic northern and southern kingdoms are at last joined as one nation (Ezek 37.15-23). So this war opens the eyes of many ‘Jews’ (Jew in the broadest sense), and rebellious Gentile nations start to revere God when He defeats the invaders.

Similar events happen in the final end time (all-nation) war against Israel. Here, the inhabitants of Judah acknowledge God as they fight (Zech 12.5), and again the attacking nations are defeated (Zech 12.9). It is at this time that the house of David (Judah) reaches out to their true Messiah, Yeshua:

And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace … they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him (Zech 12.10,11)

Note that Ezek 36 and Ezek 39 use the term ‘LORD’ (Heb: Yehovah or YHWH, see Strong), the proper name of the one true God. So how do the Jews ‘know their God’? Do they at last recognise Christ as LORD? In this end-time context, the use of Yehovah (pronounced yeh·hō·vä) surely is a pointer to the imminent return of Christ, the true Jewish Messiah. This is underscored by Zech 12.10 which clearly points to the coming Christ. So according prophecy the reconciliation of at least some Jews to Christ will occur quite suddenly, just before He returns to earth.

So according to prophecy it appears that end-time wars are a major factor in bringing many from the tribes of Israel (‘Jews’ in the broadest sense) back to their true Messiah. They are forced to acknowledge that the God of Israel has intervened on their behalf, and for His glory. War is a major factor in removing Israel’s spiritual blindness.

Jews Knowing God through a Covenant Specific to Israel?

Should born-again believers (Gentiles or Messianic Jews) evangelize Jews? As discussed under Messianic Judaism, today only some 0.3% of Jews in Israel are Messianic. So, even at this late prophetic hour and despite the years of work of Christian organizations it seems God has still not healed the blinded eyes and deafened ears of His people (Rom 11.8). This leads some Christians to question the need to evangelize the Jews:

I believe that every Jewish person who lives in the light of the Torah, which is the word of God, has a relationship with God and will come to redemption … In fact, trying to convert Jews is a waste of time. The Jewish person who has his roots in Judaism is not going to convert to Christianity … they (already) have a faith structure … Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced by Christianity.
[Pastor John Hagee, Houston Chronicle, April 30, 1988]

Dual-Covenant Theology: Hagee’s statement could be seen to reflect the controversial ‘dual-covenant’ teaching. This was pioneered in the 20th century by the Jewish philosopher Franz Rosenzweig and implies that Jews should not be evangelized. Dual-covenant theology teaches that since God’s covenant with the Jews is still valid for them, they don’t need the New Covenant (Lk 22.20) to be saved. Jews are saved simply by keeping the Law of Moses because of the ‘everlasting covenant’ between Abraham and God (Gen 17:13), link. Some might see this in the following scripture:

I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah … I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts … for they all shall know Me … for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more (Jer 31.31-34)

Some may argue that dual-covenant theology can also be seen in Ezek 36.24-28, which implies God saves Israel as she returns from the Diaspora to her own land. And it might be argued that Israel returns to her God by observing how God blesses the nation in terms of people, agriculture and modern infrastructure (Ezek 36.8-12, 33-38). It might also be seen in Ezek 39.21,22 when the house of Israel comes to know their God through the defeat of the Arab-Islamic armies.

Jews
Israel and the Church are joint servants of God

So some argue that Jews don’t need to ‘come’ to God because they’re already with Him, and have been since Abraham’s time e.g. Gen 28:15. The dual-covenant theology of salvation basically states that God has established two different but equally valid covenants, one with His people Israel and the other with the Gentiles. It holds that Jews have a separate path to salvation through the Abrahamic or Mosaic covenants. This is the standard position of traditional Judaism (Ultra Orthodox and Modern Orthodox Jews). It also let’s Christian’s “off the hook” for their failure to provoke the Jews to jealousy through Gentiles coming to salvation (Rom 11.11).

The Error of Dual-Covenant Theology: Let’s be more specific: ‘Do these Jews come to know their God only by acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah and Saviour?’ Yes – since there is now just one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2.5). We see this in prophecy:

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jer 23.5,6)
And I will pour on the house of David (Judah) and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem (Zech 12.10-11)
The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them (Israel), when I take away their sins (Rom 11.26,27)

These prophecies clearly point to Christ and state that Jews will saved by acknowledging Him as Saviour and LORD. He is their true Messiah. After all, if Jews have another way to Heaven, then Yeshua (Jesus) need not have died and is not the way, the truth and the life. Dual-covenant theology is clearly unbiblical, link, link.

The role of Messianic Jews: Note that in the above prophecies, salvation through direct Christian evangelism is not implied. Salvation through Christ seems to occur more by a direct outpouring of God’s Spirit (Joel 2.29), and possibly by direct proclamation by Jews themselves (Rev 7.1-8). It has been observed that, even today, the work of evangelising Jews is falling mostly to other Jews, link, link. See for example, Messianic Minutes.

Jews Knowing God through Direct Evangelism: the New Covenant

As discussed, the dual-covenant theology of salvation holds that the Covenant in Moses and the Covenant in Jesus are complementary to each other. In short, dual-covenant theology holds that the Jews do not need salvation through Jesus (as do the Gentiles) and so do not need evangelizing. But, as discussed, many Christians refute this theology on the grounds that it is inconsistent with New Testament teaching, link, link.

Jew

The Urgency to Evangelize the Jew: Some prophecies indicate that regathered Israel will have a distinct and major role in world affairs in the last years of this age, just prior to the return of Christ. Specifically, they see a world-wide evangelistic role for Israel, as previously suggested. Put simply, Jews evangelize the world. So many Christians in Israel and throughout the world maintain that it is the role of the (true) church to evangelize the Jews in order to facilitate a great end time evangelistic mission of the Jews to the Gentiles (see below). This circular argument is seen in Romans 11.11. To paraphrase:

Through the fall of Israel salvation came to the Gentiles, and their salvation now provokes Israel to be jealous (and so acknowledge their true Messiah, Jesus)

It is argued that only when Israel returns to her rightful place (physically and spiritually) will she be ready to be God’s servant (Isa 41.8,9), and that it is the role of the church to help facilitate this. Adherents of this view point to prophecies which suggest the Gentile nations actually help the Jews return to their homeland:

They (the Gentile nations) shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders (Isa 49.22)

As mentioned, today there are Christian organisations and Messianic Jews helping Jews aliyah to Israel and integrate into Israeli society.

Messianic Jews

Jew

Dancing on the Jewish holiday Shavuot. Image: Amos Gil, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

In contrast to most Jews, a minority of Jews (some 20,000 in Israel and 300,000 worldwide, link) have found freedom through belief in Yeshua as their Messiah. Messianic Jews are people who believe that Yeshua (also a Jew) is indeed the longed-for Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of the world. These Jews remain Jewish, but the truth about Jesus has been revealed to them by the Holy Spirit and their blindness has been removed. For the first time they experience the meaning of the cross, the love and presence of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Sadly, as already discussed, a similar blindness to the truth about Israel is seen in today’s Christian church.

This video illustrates Christ’s love for Israel’s lost Jews, as shown through the Messianic drug/alcohol rehabilitation center in Jerusalem. Government statistics estimate that Israel has over 20,000 hard-core drug addicts, and Beit Hayeshua (House of Salvation) was established as a non-profit organization to help such people. Today it reaches out to Israel’s lost, telling them the good news of Yeshua and helping them to obtain freedom through the power of God.

These Jews have found freedom through belief in Yeshua as their Messiah. They consider themselves a ‘stream of Judaism’ (remaining strongly Jewish in identity and lifestyle, observing Jewish holidays, rituals and customs) but the truth about Jesus has been revealed to them by the Holy Spirit and their spiritual blindness (Rom 11.25) has been removed. For the first time they experience the meaning of the cross and the love and presence of God. Non-Jews who join Messianic congregations are sometimes called spiritual Jews, completed Jews, or Messianic gentiles. More at Messianic Judaism.

Yad Hashmona: a Messianic Jewish Kibbutz

The Revive Israel ministry center is located on the property of Yad Hashmona, a village in the Judean Hills just outside Jerusalem. The village is well known throughout Israel and includes a country hotel, restaurant and biblical garden, coupled with the potential for development of an industrial park and agriculture-based projects. It is the only Messianic Jewish moshav (kibbutz) in the world, and as such it is a powerful testimony to the surrounding areas. Today, Yad Hashmona is fully Messianic and follows Yeshua’s’ command: “you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1.8). They take this passage quite literally and believe the time has come to restore and complete this original apostolic commission, including the power of the Holy Spirit, world evangelism and “restoring the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6).

Adat Yeshua Messianic Synagogues

Jews

Adat Yeshua (UK) (meaning ‘congregation of Jesus’) serves as a living and united testimony of the Messiah within the Jewish community in the UK. They are affiliated with the Union of British Messianic Synagogues (UBMS). Adat Yeshua synagogues are also found in the USA, link, link. These congregations consist of both Jewish and Gentile believers who recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as the promised Jewish Messiah. Principal beliefs are:

  • The Holy Scriptures as given in the original languages are divinely inspired and without error
  • Scriptures reveal God as Father, Son and Spirit (Ruach), and yet is One (echad)
  • The Father sent His Son, Yeshua to die sacrificially for the eternal atonement of all mankind
  • Yeshua, the Divine Messiah, is sinless, fully God and fully man
  • Yeshua fulfilled in his virgin birth, teaching, miracles, death, and bodily resurrection, the plan of G-d to bring atonement for sin through his shed blood
  • The Messiah’s visible return in power and glory, when all will be resurrected to eternal life or eternal damnation
  • God has an eternal plan for the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel

Joel’s Timeline for Israel

The events in Ezekiel 36 and 39 are mirrored by the prophet Joel. Careful reading of Joel 2 reveals a timeline for Israel at the very end of this age. The ‘northern army’ (as in Gog-Magog) is removed and no longer threatens Israel (v20), the land (as in agriculture and horticulture) is blessed (v21-26), Israel realizes the blessing has come from God (v27), and after all that, God pours His Spirit out on the sons and daughters of Israel (v 28,29) resulting in a remnant in Israel that is saved (v32).

Do Jews Evangelize the Gentiles at the End of this Age?

It is clear from prophecy that at least some Jews come to know the LORD near the very end of this age through various end time events, including evangelism by believers. This scenario is summarized by Ezekiel’s vision of ‘the valley of dry bones’ (Ezek 37). Ezekiel sees the whole house of Israel coming to life and returning to their own land (as observed in the 20th century aliyah), and when they have returned they will know their God and be indwelt by His Spirit:

I will … bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD … I will put My Spirit in you (Ezek 37.12-14)

We are talking about the very last years of this age, when some in Israel are filled with God’s Spirit and are ready once more to be God’s witnesses and servant (Isa 43.10). The true church may or may not have been raptured, depending upon prophetic interpretation. The pretribulation view sees the removal of the church (the Rapture) prior to the great Tribulation and the full salvation of Israel (i.e. prior to Jacob’s trouble and the great tribulation of the Jews, Mat 24.21, Rev 7.14). In which case, how will the Gentile nations hear the gospel? Answer: through the Jew! Some see the saved remnant as the firstfruits (firstborn, Exod 4.22, Jer 31.9, Rev 14.4) of a great and final world harvest of souls and maintain that this is actually God’s planned order: Israel first, Gentiles second. As Paul says:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile (Rom 1.16)

Here Paul was simply echoing Jesus’ primary mission – to rescue the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Mat 15.24). In Mk 7.27 Jesus states clearly that Israel should be first to hear the gospel, and only after that should the gospel be taken to the Gentiles. So some maintain that it is essential to evangelize the Jews today in order that they can then evangelize the end time Gentile nations and God can reap His final harvest.

This brings us to Revelation 7, where 144,000 Jews are drawn from the twelve tribes of Israel and sealed as God’s servants. They are male Jews, sanctified and set apart for a mission, (Rev 14.3-5). As God’s witnesses and servant they are to ‘turn many to righteousness’ (Dan 12.3) in very troubled times as nations crumble, governments fall (Lk 21.25, Dan 2.34,35) and the ‘Beast’s’ kingdom grows dark (Rev 16.10). These are literally the ‘last days’, when the gospel is preached throughout the world, followed by the end of this age (Mat 24.14). The result is a great end time harvest:

Behold a great multitude … of all nations … clothed in white robes … and crying out with a load voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Rev 7.9,10)

This great revival appears to take place between the opening of the sixth seal (Rev 6.12), which brings great cosmic disturbances and fear upon the world, and the opening of the seventh seal, which is a prelude to the first of seven trumpets, again warning of God’s judgement (Rev 8.1). So it is not surprising that many Gentiles turn to God. Taking the pretribulation view, this ‘multitude’ refers to those who accept Jesus after the Rapture of the church and who are martyred for their faith during the great Tribulation.

Israel’s Blindness Finally Removed

Does the ‘great multitude’ in Revelation 7 represent ‘the fullness of the Gentiles’ referred to by Paul?

Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in … so all Israel will be saved (Rom 11.25,26)

If this is the case then world evangelism by a chosen few (the ‘144,000’) results in the remainder of Israel coming to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah! Note that the multitude of people are drawn from ‘all nations’ (Rev 7.9) which must include Israel herself. Only at this point, in the very last days of this age, is Israel’s blindness fully removed.

BLINDNESS REMOVAL: SUMMARY

A remnant of rebellious Israel (the twelve tribes) will be brought to their God and their true Messiah, Jesus, in several distinct ways. It seems Israel is saved:

1) through the provoking to jealousy of Israel by the witness and evangelism of born-again believers – both Gentiles and Messianic Jews (Rom 11.14)
2) by simply observing the blessing Israel has received in recent years – land restoration, modern cities, advanced industries (Ezek 36.11, Joel 2.27)
3) through tribulation and the evangelism of a chosen few – the 144,000 (Rev 7, Mat 24.15-28)
4) through the witness of God’s hand in defeating invading Arab-Islamic armies (Ezek 39.22)
5) through the witness of God’s hand in defeating the final ‘all-nation’ attack on Jerusalem (Zech 12.10-14).

These appear to be some of the various ways God’s Spirit draws Israel to her true Messiah, Jesus (Joel 2.28). These are some of the ways God’s chosen people are grafted back into their own olive tree (Rom 11.24).

Jews in the Millennium

Jews

The concept of a millennial age has much support in prophecy, link, link. It is a time when the earth sees fulfillment of the Abrahamic, Davidic, Palestinian and New Covenants i.e. Israel will become a great nation, Christ will sit on David’s throne, Israel will be restored to her own land and God will write His Law on the hearts of both Jew and Gentile. It is a time when Israel has been restored to her intended place, namely, to be His servant and witness amongst the nations (Isa 43.10), it is a time when all the dispersed children of Israel are made ‘one nation’ in their own land (Ezek 37.22), and it is a time when the world at last recognizes that Israel is a very special people – God’s chosen people. At last, the Gentile nations acknowledge and value the unique role of the Jew:

In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’.
(Zech 8.23)


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