The Commonwealth of Israel
Two olive trees supply the oil for the menorah which is the the true emblem of Israel. The dual anointing of Messiah, our High Priest and the King of Salem is in the Order of Melchizedek. This wonderful image shown above is from the Jewish Cervera Bible. Spain - circa 1299).
|
A devotional/exhortational
By Gavin Finley MD
Download the PDF file
|
The people that dwelt in darkness |
|
The website "Commonwealth Theology" features a number of articles and links to videos on the Biblical theme of the Commonwealth of Israel.
The Commonwealth of Israel referenced in Ephesians 2:11-16 offers a wider perspective on the Congregation / Kingdom of Israel's Messiah,
Jesus Christ / Yeshua Hamashiach.
A video Power-Point presentation by Gavin Finley spotlighting the Law-Grace fracture line in Israel that broke at the Breach of Jeroboam, to split Israel into Two Kingdoms. Then the end-time reunion and reconciliation of the Two Houses of Israel as the Congregation / Commonwealth of Israel, along with the regathering and restoration of "all Israel" complete with a Fullness out of the Gentiles, people in Messiah, a called out assembly, from every nation,race, and tribe, even as Israel's partial blindness is healed in the latter days.
In February of 2019 the Commonwealth of Israel Conference was held in Phoenix, AR. The closing message by Gavin Finley MD based upon Ephesians 2:11-14 was “The Commonwealth of Israel is Established in the Blood of Messiah”.
A group session with some of the people who have been writing on the theme of the Commonwealth / Congregation of Israel. All of these authors see an undivided company of the redeemed from both houses of Israel and beyond, all the saints drawn from across time, from both sides of Calvary. This was hosted by Chad Schafer on the Disputed Lands show. Those present included Chris Steinle who initiated the Commonwealth Theology Bible project. Doug Krieger wrote the book, Commonwealth Theology. Hebrew scholar Dr. Doug Hamp is pastor of "The Way Congregation" in Denver, Co and hosts "The Awakening Report" on You Tube. Dr. Gavin Finley has written on these themes on the EndTimePilgrim.org website and presented them on the YouTube channel "Gavin Finley".
A wonderful video by Janette Andrejovich outlining the historic split that divided Israel into two kingdoms, their separate subsequent histories and the promised redemption in the New Covenant by the blood of Messiah that will bring in the promised and prophesied reunion, reconciliation, and restoration of "All Israel" as the royal priesthood / holy nation Moses and the apostle Peter both spoke about.
In this YouTube video Dr. Doug Hamp outlines the rebellion of the ten tribes to form the Northern Kingdom of Israel at the Breach of Jeroboam. He explains their loss of sovereignty their early deep descent into idolatry and the divorce of the northern Kingdom, the House of Israel, by Yehovah-God. He goes on to further explain how restoration of the marriage relationship is only possible after the death of the original husband and a new marriage in a New Covenant. All this has been wonderfully accomplished by Messiah in His death, burial, and resurrection and His showcasing of the New Covenant which is in His blood. This opens the door to all people from every nations, race, and tribe, to belong to the cross-linked Congregation / Commonwealth of Israel.
This video centers around a chat with attorney Scott Harwell, who is writing a book on Grafting Theology, another perspective on Commonwealth Theology or Adoption Theology as it relates to the full restoration of ALL Israel as the Congregation / Commonwealth of Israel. Hebrew scholar and author Dr. Doug Hamp graciously hosted the sharing conversation. This Biblical study from Ephesians 2:11-14 shows that it is the blood of Christ in the New Covenant, and by His Presence in the hearts, that the two estranged houses of Israel are reconciled. They are set to be re-united as a single Congregation /Commonwealth in the dual office of Messiah in the Order of Melchizedek. This remarkable reconciliation and restoration will be happening in association with the end-time harvest, the in-gathering of people from every nation race and tribe we see in Revelation chapter 7.
Janette Andrejowich, fellow Australian, is a former high school teacher, who now lives in Canada. Her website and YouTube channel is “SharingSharpens.ca" Here in this video we discuss the duality in the plan and purpose of God in the redemption and ultimate full restoration of All Israel as not only a Congregation (church) but in a national political way as a Kingdom with its Commonwealth.
In this short video Gavin is joined by Gary Poisson, a good friend of many years with some great insights into the Two Houses of Israel their important special roles. We discuss how the reconciliation and reunion of the two houses is vitally tied in to the Restoration of Israel and the End-Time gathering of all the saints from every nation, race and tribe.
The book "Commonwealth Theology" by Doug Krieger is a Biblical well founded exhaustively documented and referenced
study of the past break-up of Israel and its future restoration. He describes the Breach of Jeroboam that split the nation into two kingdoms
and the full plan of the God of Israel through the blood of Messiah in the New Covenant to reunite the two houses and all 12 tribes.
His plan as outlined in the prophetic scriptures is to bring in this restoration in a gloriously expanded way in association
with the epic end-time gathering of a fullness of Gentiles grafted into the root and stock of Israel from every nation, race, and tribe.
It is through the blood of redemption they are rendered as a new creation, members of the global Congregation of Israel,
and citizens in the Commonwealth of Israel.
The author spotlights the old Replacement Theology that has given the Jewish House of Judah such terrible grief through the centuries. He also brings
a warning concerning the Dispensational Theology crafted to prop up Pre-Tribulation Rapture lore. This man-made Church vs. Israel dichotomy
shunts off Jewish Israel to dispensational destinations unknown and alienates
the yet to be saved Jewish house. Their timeline of the final 7 years of this age precludes them from their circumscribed "Age of Grace",
essentially denying them access to their idea of "The church". Of late we are sad to see they have even gone so far as to
advance a heretical doctrine of "two covenants", one for what they perceive as "Jewish Israel" and one for the so-called "Gentile church".
There is also talk of two brides. This is most unfortunate as it leaves the door open to the fixed mindset of "us and them" which
wen politicized in the past has caused grievous uprisings of Antisemitism. Commonwealth Theology has a firm Biblical foundation and it
is a true and faithful message of peace on earth among men of good will.
|
"Candles at the Wall" by Jewish artist Eizen. Click the image above to go to the article. Click HERE to go to the Israeli Poster Center. The two witnesses are showcased in the two Shabbat candles. And two candles are also presented on dining tables throughout Christendom. The 'two witnesses' are featured in both the Old Testament and New Testament. They represent the completed Commonwealth of Israel. |
DUAL ANOINTINGS FROM THE TWO OLIVE TREES
THE
TWO WITNESSES OF ZECH 4 AND REV. 11.
TWO LIGHTS FROM THE TWO SABBATH CANDLES.
TWO OFFICES OF MESSIAH AS HIGH PRIEST AND
KING IN THE
ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.
(See
Psalm 110:1,2,3,&4)
In the book of Zechariah the prophet is shown two olive trees. Both of them are issuing the holy oil of anointing into a golden bowl. From this the oil flows on via seven pipes into the seven branched candlestick. This is the menorah which was established as the true symbol of Israel by Moses in the book of Leviticus. This is the imagery. And in it we find the key to the story to the re-union and full restoration of both Israel and the Church. In Zechariah chapter 4 we are looking at completed Israel. And in this picture the spiritual anointing and the sustenance is coming from the two olive trees. Here we see Israel as both a Kingdom and a Priesthood. It is the combined and cross-linked Nation and the Congregation of Yehoveh-God. Its final state is the restored perfected Union or the Commonwealth of Israel. There is no separation into church/synagogue/religion and state/nation/land. There is no separation at all, - none whatsoever.
Obviously this is not our present situation. But it will surely become a reality at the Restoration of Israel at the consummation of the age. There is a huge, dark, and forbidding gulf between Israel, (which we as Christians view only as the Jewish House of Judah), and what we like to call, "The Church". A huge legion of dark religious spirits swirl around the chasm, guarding it like trolls, forbidding access to the truth. To get to the truth of the matter here we are going to have embrace our Messiah, ask for His Holy Spirit to be our Guide, and go back to the Bible.
We'll begin by taking a surveying trip back into Israel's past history. Our journey will take us back down a long and twisted pathway. And before we have finished this study we shall have traced out the fracture line of Israel right through to its political source at the Breach of Jeroboam. There is a blood feud here and a deep amnesia about the whole issue. Both sides are entrenched. And this sad story has gone on for 2900 years. So understandably there will be some painful lessons for us to learn along the way. We shall discover that both of the feuding parties in Greater Israel, and not just "the Jews", have cursed themselves into total blindness. This happened to each party at two pivotal point in their respective histories. Oh yes, this partial blindness is certainly in Jewish House who are blind to the first coming of the Messiah in His priestly role as the Suffering Servant. But, (and here is the rub), the partial blindness is also in the Church. They are blind to their identity in Israel which comes through the blood of Christ and the Seed of Abraham. So the blood feud, the amnesia, and the partial blindness is in both houses of Israel. This is our present situation. And this sad state of affairs extends right up to the present day.
So what has happened?
Let us begin by taking a close look at this first big issue, the two great principles of God.
In Zechariah 4:11,12,13,&14 the prophet sees the two olive trees.
He doesn't know what they mean. But he knows that God is showing him something.
And He is told that a branch of one tree relates to Zerubbabel, their present ruler in the Kingdom and Jerusalem
and another branch from the other tree represents Joshua, their office-holder in the Priesthood.
He knows that the two olive trees he is seeing there in this open vision must be very important.
So he asks,
"What are these, my Lord?"The angel answers him saying,
"These are the two anointed onesHalf a millennia later the Apostle John picks up the rest of the story connecting the two olive trees, (the two anointed ones who stand before the Lord of the earth), as the two witnesses who will prophesy in an epic final way during the final 1260 days of this age in the Great Tribulation.
who stand before the Lord of the earth"
Revelation 11:3-4The Holy One of Israel is the God of Law and Righteous Rule. He is also the God of Grace and Mercy. But as we look at religion today and especially as we look at Israel, (as it is currently understood), and what we call "The Church" quite clearly their is a disconnect. The two have become estranged from one another. They are now warring feuding factions. Each has set out to champion one element of the God of Israel and neglect the other. And quite clearly they are at cross purposes with each other.
"3 And I will give power to my two witnesses,
and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands
standing before the God of the earth."
Theologically it is very clear what has happened. It seems that the main issue and the main burden of the Church is the Gospel of Grace. And the main burden of the royal Jewish House of Judah in Israel is for God's Law. At present the two camps do not appreciate or understand each other very well. Is this destined to change in times to come?
Oh yes!
Christian believers do not appreciate the Law of God very much right now. They are inclined discount it all as "Mosaic Law" and insist that "the Law" has been "done away with". And so they retire to the Church to concentrate on what they call Grace. After all, this is what God in His mercy has given has he not?
Ah, but here is the rub. "Grace" can be misrepresented. It can be a cloak for license and licensuousness. Much of what is touted as Grace today is in fact antinomian lawlessness. Many who call themselves Christians are just as lawless and just as inclined to break covenant as the pagans in the world around them. The popular church being pushed down the skids into Godlessness by the Hegelian dialectic. Many church-going Christians are slip-sliding down the path of compromise to destruction. Indulgence to sin and the pursuit of self-centered agendas does not just come with secular humanism. Religious humanism is the poisoned apple in the mouth of the Sleeping Beauty that is the church. There is a "way that seems right to a man". But it leads to spiritual death and damnation. See Proverbs 16:25. And yet this is a conspiracy and a rebellion against God. This is the raging of the heathen that will come to a peak in the latter days. King David wrote a song about this final apex of lawlessness in Psalm 2.
As we look around we see that the Church in the West today is becoming increasingly accommodating to all this rebellion. There are consequences to is lawlessness in rejection of Christ/Messiah as King and the refusal of those who call themselves Christians to honor Him on the throne of their heart. This is precisely why the Western Church is now in such serious moral decline.
But the Christian God is the Holy One of Israel. He is the God of righteousness, the Son of David who sits upon the Throne of David. His Law, even His Torah, is part of His divine purpose. And the Hebrew roots of our Christian faith are very deep and very real. But is our calling just to "Torah observance". And is the Law just to be observed "out there" written on tablets of stone, in Holy Books, or on digital tablets?
The Prophet Jeremiah spoke of the New Covenant. Oh yes, the New Covenant was spoken of in the Old Testament. It seems that in this New Covenant the Law brought home to its rightful place at last. The Law is not "done away with", no, not at all. 600 years before our Redeemer came to earth the prophet Jeremiah clearly stated that the Law is destined to be written not just on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh. The God of Israel spoke through Jeremiah to tell us this. The Law is to be written in human hearts. (See Jer. 31:31,32,33)
So the Law is not just an arbitrary enactment or guidelines categorized and subdivided ad nauseum and laid down and policed by men with wagging fingers. Ultimately the Law is the Law of the God of Israel, the Law of a very personal God, the God who crossed the gnostic chasm and the barricades of Hellenized compartmentalizing men to come to earth as Immanuel, "God with us". Is this a personal matter? Oh yes, it certainly is!
The Law involves the anointing of a King to enact Righteous Rule. YHVH-God's Kingdom rule is a throne of total, absolute, and pure righteousness. But where is that king? Is he "out there"? Or is He "in here", inside our heart? The external upholding of the law is in the precinct of the Levitical priesthood which overflowed into the Church. But with the Law "out there" as an object to be assessed and talked about forever by men there is no guarantee of obedience. And let's face it, a mere following of the letter of the law has proven to be problematic. God knows this. And He has made provision for us to go beyond the external Law. Through His blood He carries us, just as He did our Father Abraham when they made covenant together. There was "one set of footprints in the blood". The God of Israel takes us beyond the schoolmaster of the Law. Then He carries us on across a threshold into the precincts of His Grace in the New Covenant.
So when He comes in to human hearts in the New Covenant does He abolish the Old Covenant? Does He "do away with" the Law? Does He render all His righteous precepts as "null and void"? No, a thousand times no! He establishes and enthrones His Law inside the hearts of His Holy People. He does this when they are saved and "born again". This is what happens to them when they become "new creatures".
The power to follow the Law is now very present. It comes in the Person of the indwelling Christ and by His Holy Spirit. He establishes the Throne of David upholding His Law inside human hearts and leads them in the gentle bonds of love. He guides His people and empowers them to walk in His ways. He walks with them and talks with them throughout their journey here on earth. And when they have finished their pilgrimage He brings them home to the mansions He has prepared.
Great is the mystery of godliness. But it is a very personal reality. It is a wonder seen in the lives of men, women, and children who know God. This inner work of righteousness and law written in the hearts of men is just the beginning. The coming Millennium of Messiah will see His rule from the Throne of David going out from individuals to unify them as a corporate body, His Holy City, Jerusalem. Indeed, the Holy City, New Jerusalem, is the Bride of the Lamb, the Bride of Christ. See Rev. 21:2,3.
Here is the central uniting truth that will establish the Commonwealth of Israel. Both the anointing of Law in the anointing of a King and the anointing of Grace and the Gospel that comes to us in Christ our High Priest, are brought to us by our Messiah. He will rule in the dual anointing over both offices as Priest-King in the Order of Melchizedek. Messiah Himself brings the two offices of Law and Grace into perfect Union. It is this recognition and this submission and commitment to the dual anointing of Messiah that will bring in the true double anointing ministers like to talk about and try and claim. This dual anointing will energize the End Time Revival to accomplish the full restoration of all 12 tribes of Israel.
Quite clearly the two houses of Israel in Yehoveh-God are in a serious state of disunity and dysfunction right now. The Kingdom portion of the Order of Melchizedek, the Messianic anointing of God's righteous rule, is presently alienated from the Church. God's Law and His precepts is presently championed in the Jewish house of Israel. But the promised great salvation of the Jewish house, while it has already started, will come to a head rather late. See Zechariah 12:10. The priestly ministry of the Messianic anointing is in the Gospel. This is entrusted to and championed by an entity we call "the Church". The word "church", by itself, and stripped of all its religious and ritualistic coverings, means nothing. The word "church" merely means "assembly". The Greek word "ekklesia" means "called out", "congregation", or "assembly". It is only when the object of the assembly is mentioned that the word has anything beyond just a generic meaning. The so-called "church" should be properly presented as "The Congregation of Israel", or "The Congregation of Israel's Anointed Messiah". Those more Biblically correct names would help connect the dots and help Christians, a word that means "of the Anointed One", into a fuller understanding of their true identity. True born-again blood bought Christians are by that atoning blood ushered into the Congregation, the Nation, and the Commonwealth of Israel. Do they know this? No, they do not. As part of Israel they are partially blind, just as partially blind, but in a different way, than their Jewish brothers and sisters. Christians, for the most part, are blind to their corporate identity in the Commonwealth of Israel. And their Jewish brethren are partially blind to their Messiah, coming as He did that first time not as King of kings but in His priestly role as the Lamb of God, Israel's Suffering Servant.
So, as we have seen, the two offices of High Priest and King of kings comprise one single all encompassing anointing. This is the dual anointing which flows from Messiah! And it is in Him that the Righteous Kingdom Rule and the merciful High Priestly Ministry are destined to flow together in perfect harmony. The prophet Zechariah saw this when He saw the vision of the two olive trees in Zechariah chapter 4. And how will this reunion be achieved? By politics or united armies attacking Islam or Persia/Iran? Not at all. The God of Israel, speaking through Zechariah said,
"Not by might, nor by power,
But by My Spirit saith the Lord/Jehoveh-God."
|
TWO HOUSES AT THE BREACH OF JEROBOAM
This very telling woodcut illustration is by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld (1794-1872.
|
So when Israel's restoration actually happens it will not be just a theological thing. This revival and reunion under Messiah will be a wonder of wonders. It will change the history of this world forever. The restoration of Israel will establish that long awaited "peace on earth and good will to men." Israel will finally have her Jubilee! And the Millennium of Messiah will have finally come.
This sounds like an awesome turn of events.
How will it happen?
During the wedding feast at Cana our Messiah demonstrated the way our God does things. It is quite the reverse to the ways of this world. He saves and reserves the best things to the last. The God of Israel is going to Regather and Restore All 12 tribes of Israel as both a Nation and a Congregation/Ekklesia/Church He fully intends to unveil this entire mystery of the Commonwealth of Israel. He will finally achieve the impossible and showcase His unified Elect before men and angels as that "Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation" spoken of by Moses and the Apostle Peter. See Exodus 19:6 and 1Peter 2:9. The Holy One of Israel will accomplish this epic restoration during the latter days.
It is a big task. But God has promised in His Word to restore all Israel. (See Rom. 11:25,26) Quite clearly this has not happened yet, not by a long shot. But this magnificent story will surely come as a grand conclusion to the holy history of this age. And from the Holy Scriptures the restoration will be a gathering, a refining, and then finally a glorification at the close of this age. The prophet Ezekiel saw it as a magnificent climactic event It will all come together during the Apocalypse, the unveiling, of Messiah. See this presentation of the Vision of the Valley of dry bones from Ezekiel 37:1-14.
Both houses of Israel will be regathered from their scatterings.
"And so all Israel will be saved". (Rom. 11)
Jesus prayed to the Father concerning this,
"the glory which You gave Me I have given them,(See John 17:20-22.
that they may be one just as We are one:"
No longer will God's covenant people be in a state of disunity and disharmony.
No longer will there be two estranged kingdoms, one for "Law" and one for "Grace".
They will come together in Messiah precisely as Moses and the Apostle Peter have both stated.
They will become a single indivisible "royal priesthood and
a holy nation".
The royalty of the Kingdom will be applied to the Priesthood.
And the holiness of the Priesthood will be applied to the Kingdom.
This is how the
Breach of Jeroboam will be healed.
The two feuding camps will be
regathered and reunified as one Elect and Chosen People.
As we can see, God's holy purposes are far from concluded.
The long sweeping saga of the children of Abraham still goes on.
A host of loose ends are still out there, hidden in the mystery.
And the two feuding houses of Israel do not even want to talk about their problem.
But this will not always be the case.
Our God is named Wonderful! / Surprise!
In the latter days the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will roar.
And "unto Him shall the gathering of the people be". See Gen. 49:10
God's grand adventure is also the divine romance.
And the full restoration of all Israel will come.
It will come climatically in the Apocalypse, . . . in a blaze of glory.
All this is inspiring beyond all words to tell.
| The Two Witnesses. |
As western evangelicals we are saved and born again. This is wonderful. But it is just the beginning of our pilgrimage. We grow older and the years pass. But many of us still remain as babes. We do not yet know the full depth and glory of our faith, the faith that was first delivered to the saints. Many of us have been persuaded that since "Jesus did it all" then the salvation deal is finalized. So there is nothing further for them in the eternal covenant. Many are content to believe that there is nothing further that needs to be addressed by the Church before Jesus returns. They have been led to believe that this return of Christ to rapture them will occur seven years before the end of this age. But what if this is not true?
As Christians we are contented. We attend church on Sunday. We pursue our own personal happiness the rest of the week with few other concerns. We have our ticket to heaven. It is right there in our pocket. Our bags are packed for a nice early rapture, (strangely disconnected from the Resurrection of the just). We have been told that the Glory Train could pick us up at "any time". Nothing further needs to be attended to. There is a belief that as far as the eternal covenant is concerned we might as well say, "That's it folks!"
Christians are inclined to believe what they have been told. Most of us have not checked what we are hearing with the Holy Scriptures. Like sheep we are driven by peer pressure. We believe that "everything is settled" because that is what we have been told, and told repeatedly. There will be no necessity for patience in tribulation, no need for "holding fast to the faith", nor any "enduring to the end". All those challenges of the latter days are "for the Jews". This demonstrates just how deep the blood-feud runs between "the Church" of Western Christendom and Judah-Israel. The "bad blood" goes all the way back 2900 years to the Breach of Jeroboam.
The heart of dispensationalism is the belief that there can be an imminent rapture wherein present day Christians can go immediately to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. There they can clink glasses and carve ham whilst surveying the plight of the Jews and other lesser Christians down on earth below who have been 'Left Behind' to endure the Great Tribulation.
This amazing and sad. English speaking Christians, the people who have been at the forefront of the Gospel outreach to the ends of the earth in times past, have been told that they could be raptured out before the consummation! They have been told that they could skip out before the final Judgment. We now know that the final Judgment of this age will come on a very special day on the Hebrew calendar, the Day of Atonement / Day of Covering, / Day of Accounting, / Day of Sentencing, / Day of Pardoning, / Day of Reckoning. And we know that this will come at the end of the final 7 years of this age. And yet Christians who are otherwise quite sound in their doctrine have been told that they could dodge this trime of trial and opt out of the final leg of the relay race. They have been taught that an imminent rapture could see them receiving their rewards "at any moment". But is the job done? Or are we leaving it undone or for other less worthy parties to finish? This is truly amazing. It is unbelievable that we as evangelicals could be so irresponsible. Why are we turning our backs on our God? Some group of saints must finish that race. Why are we running away from such an awesome calling? Is the Western Church a Runaway Bride?
An imminent Christian departure by rapture is the heart of pre-tribulationalism. Most evangelical Christians have been conditioned to believe that the glorification of the saints could occur at any moment. When the last trumpet sounds, (and escapist Christians strangely believe that this "last trumpet" will sound at the beginning of the final seven years of this age), they are, (as their saying goes), "outta here!" How are our brothers and sisters over in the other house, the Jewish House of Judah supposed to be saved if we do not have the decency and the fortitude to stay on with them and remain at our post until the Great Commission is finished and we are relieved of our tasks by the returning Messiah?
Other Christians are similarly unconcerned about the latter days and similarly indifferent to the issues of Israel. But they have different reasons to ignore the warnings. Many American Christians believe what their British cousins did 100 years ago. They believe that the Pax Americana is about to wrap up and secure history for Western Christendom. They believe they are all set for a triumphal Dominionist Christian Church to take dominion over this world, no problems. They may be partly correct. But their Dominion Theology could lead them straight into the Harlot regime John saw in Revelation 17.
A Church Triumphant and Universal sounds pretty good. But let's pause for a moment and consider this. Yes, we belong to something called "The Church". And yes, the word "ekklesia" means "called out congregation" or "assembly". But an assembly called out to whom, and by whom, and for what purpose, (other than 'my purpose')? Nations with their kings and princes and merchants and labor leaders have had a part in fashioning the Church as it has gone through its 2,000 year history. Is there an ongoing history, an ongoing Pilgrim pathway, that may lead us on beyond the church we presently see governed by merchants and sheltered under the Pax Americana? And if so, is there more to the High Calling of Christ our Messiah than we have been told?
Our Messiah is being established in human hearts across the earth in the Gospel. But the revealed Word of God shows us that there are to be earthshaking events and awesome eruptions of new history as Messiah's Kingdom arrives. ((Mat. 11:12) The Kingdom of God suffers or endures violence. That is, the Kingdom of God is a violent bursting forth of our destiny even as our Messiah leads us on. Indeed, in His name and character, our returning Messiah is Perez, 'The Breaker'. (See Matt.11:12 and especially this gem of Bible prophecy Micah 2:12,13) This reality of Messiah as "the Breaker" is seen in the constellation of the Little Dipper. Its true and ancient name was "the Lesser Sheepfold". See this article.
So the final witness of the saints is something that awaits the unfolding of the end-time drama. This matter has not yet been finalized. And the "final witness" will not be finished up until the Author and "Finisher of our Faith" appears in the heavens even as the many yet unsaved people of the earth mourn. So unless we have seen the signing of a seven year covenant with many involving the dissolution of the sovereignties of Israel and the lost ten tribes of Israel in the nations of the West we are at least seven years away from the end of this age. The end of those seven years will see holy history wrapped up, signed, sealed, and delivered into the hands of Messiah.
Obviously there are great and wonderful things yet to happen. Many witnesses are yet to be called. The video-cameras of heaven are ready to record. And many fine saints will appear before the courts of the Ancient of Days, even as they testify before the lower courts of men.
In Hebrews 12 we are exhorted to run the race of our faith looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. And have we not been "called out" to run the race right through to the finish line? We see this glorious final leg of the race of the saints and the whole spectacular unfolding of end-time events laid out in Heb. 12:1. A great cloud of witnesses will be there to watch the proceedings. And when the final leg of the relay race is run all of heaven will be watching. It will be a difficult passage but one of immense importance and consequence. And the end-time witness of the saints will be seen by men and angels.
So why are we packing our bags to leave?
Why have we decided to 'cut and run'?
Yes, this is an awesome challenge to our faith to be sure.
But is it possible that we have been put in the same position as Queen Esther?
Have been "called to the Kingdom for such a time as this"? See Esther 4:14
We need not fear. The Glory Train will still be arriving to pick us up, and not one minute late! So let us stop for a moment's prayerful reflection here. Could it be that we, as Biblical Christians, have a vital role of witness yet to engage in as God's covenant people? If we are the soon to be Bride of Christ upon this earth is it not unreasonable to expect that as a true Bride, (and not a passive uninvolved purchased concubine), we are in the loop here? Does not a Bride commit to her Bridegroom totally with the words "unto death do us part"? And does not a true bride sign the covenant along with her Bridegroom? Is this not the very essence of the blood covenant Christianity to which we have been called?
The Holy Scriptures are plain. And the message is clear. Yeshua/Jesus told us that we are to be His agents. We watch and admire the zeal and dedication of agents in movies and in books. We know that the life of an agent is never easy. In fact it is downright dangerous. Is that why Christians affirm "That is not for us!"
We have been given a great honor here. We have been "called out" to be a witness before, (and against), kings and rulers. (See Luke 21:12-19) So then. Is the God of Israel inviting us to be a part in the final settlement of some vital blood covenant issues? Yes, he is. Is this witness part of the Judgment that will be seen at the end of this age? Yes, it is. Will this witness help decide the future of this world? Yes, it will.
We may choose to be a part of this.
Or we may choose to say "no thanks".
So are we people of "choice"?
Or are we people of the blood covenant of Messiah?
As we ponder these matters we might do well to consider this. When do our responsibilities in the Congregation and Nation of Israel actually end? Are we really sure we want to skip out and abandon our Jewish brethren at just the very time they need us? Does the high calling and our witness come to a screeching halt seven years before the end of the age? Or does our task of witness go on until Messiah relieves us at the end of the age?
What do our
Commissioning Papers actually state?
They are here.
This indifferent treatment to the Tribulation Saints by the western Church is a strange business. Some churches are happy to ordain unrepentant open life style neo-pagan gays and lesbians. And yet we won't admit the Tribulation saints into our Church! God help us! What is wrong with us?
Oh yes, the Ancient of Days will be sitting in judgment. And judgment come first to the Household of God. It has always been that way. The Ancient of Days will be calling for His witnesses. He will be looking for witnesses willing to testify for his Messiah. Is the 70th Week of Daniel, (the final 7 years of this age), just a chamber of horrors as our Bible prophecy teachers have told us? Or is it the Paradise Road?
If there is in fact an epic "final witness" of the saints in the 5th seal then what does this mean for the lukewarm Laodicean Christians of this age? Surely the 5th seal witness of the saints will be seen. It must be seen before the opening of the 6th seal, that awesome future time when the Son of Man appears in the heavens.
The book of Revelation is an unveiling of Christ.
And in the Apocalypse the mysteries will unfold as we come to the climax of this age.
John was taken up into heaven and into a locus in eternity known as "the Day of the Lord".
There before him he saw an astounding sight. He saw a heavenly court case
with the Ancient of Days presiding. He is the Sovereign Ruler over our cosmos.
John saw the four horsemen and four earthly political systems finish their run.
Then, at the 5th seal, the Ancient of Days had done with the four horsemen of human government.
Now He was calling for His witnesses, witnesses to Christ the coming Messiah of the world.
Will saints belonging to the Church, (the wider Congregation of Israel), be called upon to bring some important testimony at this time? Or is all this to be done by 144,000 brand new Jewish Christians as our popular Bible teachers tell us?
Jesus Himself told His trusted disciples what to expect. He laid it out for us in the Olivet Discourse. Our Savior has given us good information and His personal charge as well. Is the Olivet Discourse "just for the Jews" as we are often told by churchmen? Or is this a soporific accommodation to the flesh and religious disinformation?
Then there is this matter. What if there are some earlier trumps before the 'last trump'? Do the trumpets begin to sound seven years before the last trump? Should we open our Bibles and our minds and check this out personally?
So are we sure that the Bible teaches a special early rapture for the Church? Does the Bible teach that "the Church" gets a special separate deal and that it does not include Israel? Is there a separate salvation and separate glorification of Church saints? If so, how is it different from Israel's saints, times past and times future? Is the Church given a special early express rapture separate from God's 70th week covenant dealings with Israel? Does our God, the God of Israel, preside over two Elects or just one Elect. Are there two separate salvation deals under heaven? Does the Holy One of Israel have a down and dirty apartheid policy?
Our Apostle Paul gives us the answer here in Ephesians 2:11,12,13. When Christian believers are saved they come into intimate union with Christ. Christ our Messiah is the Seed of faithful Abraham. (See Gal:3:29). And so under His blood, the Seed, (singular), of Israel, the covenant people of the God of Israel are saved and they take on their ultimate national identity, not by DNA, race, citizenship, or any such thing. Jew or gentile, they come by the atoning blood of Christ and in the Seed of Abraham into a spiritual entrainment or adoption into a new national identity in Israel. And so in Messiah, the Seed of Abraham, those who are saved become a 'new creature'. As new creatures in Christ the Seed of faithful Abraham resides inside them, sprouting up as the new man with a glorious destiny in the realms of Eternal Life. In Christ they receive a new spiritual identity, a membership in a new spiritual house and a new national identity to add to the national identity they may or may not already have. All this is imparted to them by the indwelling Christ by the power of His Holy Spirit. This is how Christian believers come into the Commonwealth of Israel.
So unknown to most Christians, they actually own two passports.
One of them is a mystery, still hidden in the Word of God.
It is a passport they have never seen or appreciated before.
It is their passport into the Kingdom of God.
that Like the British Commonwealth this new citizenship is a sovereign or spiritual impartation that cuts across nation, race, and tribe. It is a company under many national flags and colors even as Joseph was given a coat of many colors by His father. Jacob's blessing over his son Joseph in Genesis 49:22 was this. "Joseph is a fruitful bough, whose branches run over the wall". Citizenship in the Commonwealth of Israel is not directly linked with race. It often does accompany the flows of DNA through the generations, and especially so in the former times. But after Pentecost the blessings of Israel overflowed its national boundaries even as the Jordan river overflows its banks all the days of the harvest. It is true that the promised Seed of the Woman spoken of in Genesis has historically tracked along through the bloodlines of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel. But that was just the beginning of the story.
Israel's Light to the nations is shining ever brighter until the consummation of the age. This is that wonder Isaiah spoke about in Isaiah 49:6. The wells of salvation have sprung up in the New Covenant. They are bringing streams in the desert. Truly, Israel is blessing the nations even as they rage against Israel's coming Messiah.
There is only one Eternal Covenant and one single Elect and Chosen people. They are a single company called out from every nation, race and tribe, including the Royal Jewish House of Judah. God's true plan as we see it in Holy Scripture shows no partialility and as we come to the end of the age the Jewish House in Israel will not be left out as in Pre-Tribulation Rapturism suggests. All of the saints from both sides of Calvary, Jew and non-Jew, male and female, free and bond, the righteous living and the righteous dead, will rise to glory at the end of this age. That Eternal Covenant with God is only to be found in one great salvation plan. Whether it be righteous Abel, the last tribulation saint, or any person in between, salvation comes through one means only. Salvation comes by grace through faith in the atoning blood of Israel's promised Sacrifice Lamb.
After we are saved we eventually come to realize that we are in an eternal covenant with our Jewish Messiah. But that is just the beginning. A huge epiphany awaits the blood bought saints of God who currently consider themselves to be "Gentile Christians". But that phrase means "heathen of the Anointed One". So the phrase "Gentile Christian" is in fact a self-conflicted oxymoron. This truth will finally dawn on born-again Christians in a massive collective wave. It will happen when the princes of this world, men that they trusted to protect them, begin to turn on them. This was prophesied to happen. Remember how Gomer went from lover to lover only to finally be beaten up by the last and worst of her lovers? Oh yes, the Church is Gomer. This wave of realization will sweep over the Church as they come into the future 70th Week and into the trials of the latter days. We shall finally come to realize that we belong to the Commonwealth or citizenship of Israel of all things! Right now most Christians are almost completely in the dark about all this.
Why is this so?
Christians with a Biblical world view understand that the angelic principalities
and powers are the hidden hierarchies that bear rule over
the kings, the labor leaders, the merchants, the bankers, and Hollywood idols, and even over many elements in
the established Christian Church.
The profane people of this world do not like Israel. Nor do they relish any thought
of a returning Jewish/Christian Messiah coming to spoil their sin party.
And kings insist on exclusive loyalty of their subjects to them and to them alone.
They do not stand for this Israel identity notion among their subjects one bit.
Their passport tells them who they belong to. And that is that!
See
this YouTube video of King Henry and his response to the smuggling of the English Bible across the channel
to his English subjects. He was furious about this.
Naturally the kings and princes of this world allow a little low grade ritualistic religion to come in.
And they pay a hired churchman handsomely
to be accountable to them and keep a moderating handle on any outbreaks of those troublesome Christian awakenings, reformations, or revivals.
The facts of history in Western Christendom are quite plain.
Kings do not want to see their subjects giving their loyalty to any other sovereign, even if it is the King of kings!
For them this is "over the top". In their eyes this "enthusiasm" or "religious fanaticism" amounts to disloyalty to them as King, and even treason.
William Tyndale discovered this as did many other fine saints and martyrs who were burned at the stake.
But why are our church leaders so subject to these worldly influences? Surely these churchmen are more than hired religious power brokers. They cannot be just religious agents beholden to kings, merchants, labor brokers and the greens. Why the secrecy? Why shouldn't Christians know about their vital blood covenant Calvary connection with Israel through Messiah? Is there an "ecclesiastical correctness"? And who is pulling the strings here? Are we seeing just another part of the wider worldly mosaic of "political correctness"? Is this "conspiracy of silence" in these vital covenant matters part of the conspiracy of the heathen nations King David wrote that song about? Is a hidden anti-Semitism fostering this theological neglect and thereby putting a cloak over the truth?
Here is a prime example of our disinterest in the vital covenant matters of Israel. Where is "Israelology" in the various sections of systematic theology? Does it exist as a subject for study? Can we find it listed in the curriculum of our Christian seminaries? Where can we even find a faithful Biblically correct body of teaching on Israel?
No doubt the worldly powers, angelic and human, loathe and dread the coming of Israel's Messiah. And so their behavior as we approach the time is not unexpected. They rage against Him. And they want to keep His people divided and dumbed down. This is why most Churchmen and Rabbis refuse to talk about the two houses of Israel. They will also refuse to address the Breach of Jeroboam and what it led to in the blood-feud between Christendom and Jewry.
The nations are raging and conspiring against Israel's Messiah. Why do they do this? Because they loathe His coming and they know that the Judgment He brings will unseat them. When they cannot get what they want by raging then they adopt the Fabian strategy. The Roman general Fabian perfected this strategy. He selected the kingdom that was to be brought down. Then he sent his forces to quietly camp out against them at their city gates. There they engaged in "dialogue" and sought to influence the commerce going in and out of the city. There was a propaganda war going on as well. Fabian's agents put their "spin" on the information going in to the people, especially information concerning them. This is the very same method of domination, intimidation, and manipulation the powers of darkness adopt as they seek to infiltrate the Church. By this means they re-route the conversation of the people within. Above all, they conspire against repentance, the salvation plan, and especially the message of the return of Christ. They seek to block out, dilute, and distort Word of God and the messages relating to Messiah's return, His regathering and restoration of the Elect, and the future glorious unity of all the saints in the Commonwealth of Israel. This sort of military campaign using a strategy of quiet and sinister subterfuge against an enemy is called information warfare. And the false and misleading information that is fed to the other side is called disinformation.
The principalities and powers are the key to our understanding here. These angelic rulers are in stark terror of the Second Coming of Messiah. And the heathen, the gentile nations, are under the rule of those dark angelic principalities and powers. (See Psalm 2).
There is a big worldly "church and state" ecumenical conspiracy going on here.
The conspiracy is directed against Messiah and against His covenant people.
Their main agenda would seem to be this.
1. The powers of darkness want to stop our Jewish brethren from recognizing their Messiah. They don't want them to see that He has already come for His first visit nearly 2,000 years ago as the Suffering Servant and Israel's promised Sacrifice Lamb. (See Isaiah 53). The angelic rulers don't want them to know that their Messiah will come next time as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and asking why they did not recognize Him at His first coming.2. And over on the other side they want to stop Christians from seeing Jesus as High Priest with a breastplate of 12 jewels representing the 12 tribes of Israel. They don't want Christians to see Jesus sitting upon the Throne of David bringing His Law into their hearts and later ruling as Messiah from the Throne of David upon this earth. They want to keep Christians suspicious and afraid of His rule in their lives. By this means they hope to stop Christians from knowing and realizing their identity in the Commonwealth of Israel.
|
|
|
| |
|
'the rest of the story'. ....................... Art used by permission of Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992. Visit her 'Revelation Illustrated' website. |
The Apocalypse is also a heavenly court case. And in the latter days the Ancient of Days will sit. He will be calling for His witnesses. Some will turn up. Others will not. They will be off crusading, "fighting the system", or hiding in caves. The principalities and powers know all about this crucial final witness of the saints. They know that in the power struggle they will defeat the saints. That does not concern them. But their real terror is the end-time witness of the saints. They know that when this happens it will be their undoing. So that is why they want to hoodwink Christians. They want to keep them in the dark about their high calling in Christ. They want to keep as many Christians "out to lunch", indifferent, uninvolved, and as spiritually unprepared as possible. This spiritual preparation is absolutely essential. This is the main lesson Jesus attempted to show us in the Parable of the Ten Virgins.
25. For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery,But wait! If "blindness in part has happened to Israel" and if we, as Christian believers, are in the Commonwealth or citizenship of Israel (and don't know it) then what does that say about us? We are under the blood Of Israel's Messiah and according to Ephesians 2:11-13 we are in the Commonwealth, the citizenship, and the Congregation of Israel. Aand yet we don't know this. We have national corporate amnesia! Are not we as members of "the Ekklesia, the Church, the Congregation, the Assembly" of Israel's Messiah, also in "partial blindness" too?
lest you should be wise in your own opinion,
that blindness in part has happened to Israel
until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26. And so all Israel will be saved,
as it is written:“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
Clearly we are under a spell. We have been subjected to some deep longstanding nationalistic or religious witchcraft. Why are we as Christian believers under Israel's Redeemer not "seeing" our vital connection to Israel? Clearly we have amnesia. We have forgotten the ancient paths, strayed far from the place where we belong. And so why, in spite of all the Biblical evidence, are we as Christians so willingly and persistently blind to our Hebrew roots? Our spiritual roots in Israel are a reality to be sure. We saw the Holy Spirit overflow Israel and the Gospel outreach to the heathen gentiles begin at Pentecost. For many westerners their family roots may actually go back to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. For some interesting evidence of this see the Yair Davidiy interview on YouTube.)
Yes, so what is our problem here?
Are we as Christians partially blind too?
What does our Christian identification in the Commonwealth of Israel really mean?
We say we are Christian Australians, Christian Americans, Christian Dutchmen, Christian Germans etc.?
We know that we are under our Jewish Messiah from the House of David, the "Lion of the Tribe of Judah".
But what about this identification in this "Commonwealth of Israel"?
It seems a bit "over the top" doesn't it.
Here are the facts concerning western Christendom. Since the Council of Nicaea back in the 4th century our western nations have fought and spilled their blood for "God and country" or "God and king". And for 1700 years the God of western Christendom has not been in question. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So even under persecution and duress, our national allegiance as Christians to our country still stands. The allegiance of all the nations, heathen and otherwise, is due Him.
So in Christ, the Messiah of Israel, our national identity is not in question here. In the Church, (the Congregation of Israel), we shall come to know a greater Sovereign Power than any earthly ruler we have ever seen. And when we study history we discover that He is the One who actually the wellspring of any glory our nation might be privileged to possess. So if our nation, presently under under the principalities and powers of this world should bring us to trial and summon us to witness in tribulation what should be our response to that? Are we to run away? If our witness to Jesus Christ causes us some grief before the magistrates over issues in God's Word then it will be "good grief". Because our witness to the God of Israel will not be in vain. Through His witnesses God is in fact calling our nation, (and all the nations), up to a higher level. And we ourselves, as Christian believers, are being "called out" to blood covenant commitment. This is true patriotism, even the higher patriotism taking our country up higher to a greater glory. And ultimately we should make no bones about this. We are witnesses to a greater king than the ones we see here below, even the King of kings!
We are speaking here of the latter days where the "Gospel of the Kingdom" is to be preached.
This is spoken of in the Book of Revelation.
Our Lord Jesus Christ/Yeshua Hamashiach is our supreme Sovereign, our Messiah.
And remember this. Whenever Handel's Messiah was performed in Europe there was a response.
All the kings and royals stood on their feet!
So as Christian believers we are involved with Israel.
We are certainly not being called to repeat the bloody shame of the earlier crusades.
Rather, we are being called to the witness of the indwelling Messiah.
This is the essence of the New Covenant of which Jeremiah spoke.
(See Jeremiah 31:31,32,33).
Our witness by grace at the climax of this age will testify of His law within the heart.
And our witness in the latter days is the true and genuine
blood covenant Christianity.
What if we come into the fall season of some future year to find ourselves waking up one morning to the sound of trumpets. How shall we react if we discover that we have gone on beyond the current protective umbrella of the Pax Americana? What if that seven year "covenant with many" brings us into a New World Order? We look around. We pinch ourselves and say "ouch". We have not been raptured.
What then?
Are we prepared for this? Do we have the oil for our lamps against the coming night? Have we prepared ourselves in the devotion and in the Holy Spirit for a late time Post-Tribulation Rapture if that should prove to be the case? Have we even been given a heads up on this? Have our ministers given us any inkling at all about these things? Have we been told that we might do well to prepare our hearts for witness under some duress at some future time?
|
Corrie Ten Boom was a woman of faith and commitment to her Jesus.
She knows of God's provision
during the inevitable trials of our faith.
This great woman of God is a lone voice speaking out for scriptural truth
in the present eschatological wilderness.
Corrie Ten Boom has sounded a warning
to American and western Christians.
She has spoken out very specifically about the popular
Pre-Tribulation Rapture teaching abroad today.
Here is
Corrie Ten Boom's warning to the American church.
Dear saints, we don't know how many years we have left before these times of trial come. So now is the time for us to take a long hard look at our attitude to Christian witness. God has given us time for peaceful reflection and preparation in the Holy Spirit. And that time is now!
True shepherds know that sheep will only drink from still waters. God has given us this time of peace for a purpose. This is a time to leave our pursuit of pleasure and material things. Now is the time to allow ourselves to be led in quietness deeper into the heart of the Shepherd. Let us get to know His voice. (See John 10:3,4) A dark and cloudy day is coming. (See Ezek.34:12) True believers will need to stay very close to the Shepherd of Israel.
Let us join our Apostle Paul and affirm our faith to the end.
"For the which cause I suffer these things,The highway of holiness leads onwards and upwards;
Nevertheless I am not ashamed,
For I know whom I have believed,
And am persuaded, that He is able,
To keep that which I've committed
Unto Him against that Day". - 1Tim.1:12.
Grace and shalom to all the saints.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
