Who is Israel?

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dragonfly

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Hi Saint,

This is the important key. If you are of the house of Israel you have the law of Yahweh Elohim, written on your heart. If you have the law written on your heart then you have a physical connection to the physical house of Israel. If you don't have the law written on your heart then you are not of the house of Israel. This is New Testament teaching. Yahweh Elohim has a continuing plan for the physical house of Israel. There is no justification for spiritualizing the house of Israel here. In verse 8 the writer of Hebrews quoting from Jeremiah ties this house of Israel to the physical people (and their descendants) who Yeshua brought out of the land of Egypt.

There is no place in the Old Testament, not one place, where the promises of inheritance (of any kind - land or otherwise) are not also associated with the obedience of the Israelites (the whole house of Israel, which latterly divided into Israel and Judah).

I (speaking for myself) am in no way trying to prevent Israelites from receiving their overflowing inheritance. But, it is now in Christ, God's Son. The whole Church was, initially, only Israelite. Not for a few days, but for a short number of years. There were no Gentiles (descendants of Noah, Ham and Japheth, and Shem until Isaac) in the Church. God had changed the Covenant (to the New Covenant). He had changed the law. He had changed the priesthood. Jesus Christ being the High Priest. These are all very recognisable terms, to an Israelite. There is no other offer of salvation.

In fact, Hebrews 9:15 states, that all the sins which had been only covered by the blood of the Old Covenant (animals' blood), were now remitted through the blood of Christ's sacrifice. This is how the Old Testament saints are as saved as the New Testament saints.

Paul explains this again and again. He covers every possible objection.

No-one has the law of Yahweh Elohyim written on their heart unless it has been circumcised with the circumcision of Christ.

Read to the end of Romans 2.
23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. 25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of men, but of God.


The test of being a member of the commonwealth of Israel as God sees it, is no longer based on one's natural genealogy, but on one's membership of His household - the household of faith. Ephesians 1:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23; Ephesians 2:16, 17, 18, 19, 120, 21, 22;

1 Peter 2:coming, [as unto] a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses [was faithful] in all his house. 3 For this [man] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some [man]; but he that built all things [is] God. 5 And Moses verily [was] faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
 

Saint

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dragonfly...there is no disagreement in the fact that the blood of Yeshua is the only way to salvation. In fact I think you will find that the Lost House of Ephraim is for the most part the current assembly of Yeshua...in other words the New Covenant Church.

Even the house of Judah; those who are saved at the very end of this age must acknowledge Yeshua for who and what He is. They do this based on the jealous pressure created by the believing House of Ephraim. The parable of the Prodigal Son is an example of this created jealousy that came upon the oldest son (Judah) when the youngest son (Ephraim) returned and the Father (Yahweh) receives the young son back and fits him with the best robe (wedding garment), puts the ring on his hand (wedding terminology).

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob
 

dragonfly

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Hi Bob,

I don't doubt that Ephraim is dispersed amongst the Gentiles, and that many Gentiles (the Biblical definition - those not descended from Jacob) have come to the Lord down the centuries. But, I do wholeheartedly reject the interpretation that somehow Judah has been left out until now, and will have the majority of its membership converted only at some future time.

Even the house of Judah; those who are saved at the very end of this age


How many verses in the Bible support this 'saved at the very end of this age' doctrine? Please show me a few more? Thanks.

Shalom Retrobyter,

Sure. They are brass buttons that have two flat, brass tabs extending below the button that can be inserted through the holes in three-hole-punched paper (for instance), and then the flat tabs can be folded away from each other on the other side to bind the pieces of paper together. I don't know what they might be called in your country, but I'm pretty sure that you probably have something like them in whatever stores you have that sell office supplies.

I forgot to thank you for your description of 'brass brads'. We do have them here. Not sure what we call them though! :)
 

Saint

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Hi dragonfly; I think there several statements, one that comes to mind is Jeremiah 23:6… In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' (Jer 23:6 ESV)

Yahweh is foretelling Judah’s blessings here as the result of Messiah’s reign.

Another is Zechariah 10:6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD. "I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. (Zec 10:6-8 ESV)

Yeshua tells Judah in Matthew that they must acknowledge Him for who He is… For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Mat 23:39 ESV)

One thing we must remember; it was the House of Israel whom Yahweh divorced, not Judah; Judah remains in a covenant relationship to Yahweh even today. Going back to the parable of the Prodigal Son; what does Yahweh tell the oldest son (Judah) “And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”
(Luk 15:31 ESV)

Right now I’m not sure just how the mechanics of this all occurs; maybe Retrobyter can give some insight here, I know this is an area of his study. I just know that today Judah is blinded to Yeshua and will be so until the fullness of the gentiles is complete. By the way, we are told in Genesis 48:16 that sons of Joseph will become a multitude in the midst of the earth; The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
(Gen 48:16 ESV)


This is a poor translation of the Hebrew. The poorly translated Hebrew words are "m'lo hagoyim". The word "m'lo" means "fullness". The word "ha" means "the". The word "goyim" means "nations" or "gentiles". Thus the phrase reads, literally, "...Ephraim's descendants shall become the fullness of the [nations or gentiles]. So when this has occurred the words of Paul in Romans 11:25 will be fulfilled and Judah will find its redemption “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
(Rom 11:25-26 ESV)

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob
 

veteran

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Hi dragonfly; I think there several statements, one that comes to mind is Jeremiah 23:6… In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' (Jer 23:6 ESV)

Yahweh is foretelling Judah’s blessings here as the result of Messiah’s reign.

Another is Zechariah 10:6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD. "I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. (Zec 10:6-8 ESV)

Yeshua tells Judah in Matthew that they must acknowledge Him for who He is… For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Mat 23:39 ESV)

One thing we must remember; it was the House of Israel whom Yahweh divorced, not Judah; Judah remains in a covenant relationship to Yahweh even today. Going back to the parable of the Prodigal Son; what does Yahweh tell the oldest son (Judah) “And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”
(Luk 15:31 ESV)

Right now I’m not sure just how the mechanics of this all occurs; maybe Retrobyter can give some insight here, I know this is an area of his study. I just know that today Judah is blinded to Yeshua and will be so until the fullness of the gentiles is complete. By the way, we are told in Genesis 48:16 that sons of Joseph will become a multitude in the midst of the earth; The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
(Gen 48:16 ESV)


This is a poor translation of the Hebrew. The poorly translated Hebrew words are "m'lo hagoyim". The word "m'lo" means "fullness". The word "ha" means "the". The word "goyim" means "nations" or "gentiles". Thus the phrase reads, literally, "...Ephraim's descendants shall become the fullness of the [nations or gentiles]. So when this has occurred the words of Paul in Romans 11:25 will be fulfilled and Judah will find its redemption “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
(Rom 11:25-26 ESV)

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob


Men's seminary doctrines of Preterism rejects that Scripture evidence you quoted about God having blinded Israel in part until the fulness of the Gentiles is complete. Preterism especially is preventing many brethren today from understanding what Christ's future "thousand years" reign of Rev.20 is for.
 

Saint

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Gee Veteran; glad to see someone is still around...I was afraid that I had missed the rapture :unsure:

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob
 

Retrobyter

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Shalom, Saint.

Hi dragonfly; I think there several statements, one that comes to mind is Jeremiah 23:6… In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' (Jer 23:6 ESV)

Yahweh is foretelling Judah’s blessings here as the result of Messiah’s reign.

Another is Zechariah 10:6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD. "I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. (Zec 10:6-8 ESV)

Yeshua tells Judah in Matthew that they must acknowledge Him for who He is… For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Mat 23:39 ESV)

One thing we must remember; it was the House of Israel whom Yahweh divorced, not Judah; Judah remains in a covenant relationship to Yahweh even today. Going back to the parable of the Prodigal Son; what does Yahweh tell the oldest son (Judah) “And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”
(Luk 15:31 ESV)

Right now I’m not sure just how the mechanics of this all occurs; maybe Retrobyter can give some insight here, I know this is an area of his study. I just know that today Judah is blinded to Yeshua and will be so until the fullness of the gentiles is complete. By the way, we are told in Genesis 48:16 that sons of Joseph will become a multitude in the midst of the earth; The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
(Gen 48:16 ESV)


This is a poor translation of the Hebrew. The poorly translated Hebrew words are "m'lo hagoyim". The word "m'lo" means "fullness". The word "ha" means "the". The word "goyim" means "nations" or "gentiles". Thus the phrase reads, literally, "...Ephraim's descendants shall become the fullness of the [nations or gentiles]. So when this has occurred the words of Paul in Romans 11:25 will be fulfilled and Judah will find its redemption “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
(Rom 11:25-26 ESV)

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob

Sorry for being AWOL. Had some other more pressing needs to fill.

What you say is basically true and right. I would only add that the Jews coming back to Yeshua` is happening right now, as we speak (or type)! Just as it was a gradual thing, taking between 100 and 200 years, when the Jews no longer had the preeminence in the Messianic communities, so it is happening as a gradual thing that the Jews are becoming Messianic believers! They are being justified by God by the thousands, but that still takes time.

Anyway, the Times of the Goyim are coming to a close as the eyes of the blind are being opened.

There will still be those who will be given a second chance at the First Resurrection, the Resurrection of the Justified, because He will also raise His own people from the dead, particularly those who were never introduced to Him. I know this flies in the face of what many believe regarding justification by God, namely that one doesn't have a second chance after one has died, but there is proof of this in the prophecies of the Tanakh (the OT, a Hebrew acronym for "Torah-Navi'iym-Ketuviym" or "Instruction-Prophets-Writings").

Indeed, after Yeshua` has begun His Kingdom in Isra'el, He will call for His family from the "four corners of the earth!" They will come to Him being borne on the shoulders of the Goyim. They will come in carriages ("cars" for short), and "on the wings of eagles" or by planes! (Eagles barely flap their wings; their power is to soar and glide.)
 

veteran

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Not really a 'second chance', no such thing really.

It will be their 'first' chance to hear and believe The Gospel of Jesus Christ after His return and our establishing at Jerusalem. This is not about those of us whom God has opened our spiritual eyes and ears to believe.

The "spirit of slumber" of Isaiah 29 which God put upon part of the seed of Israel so The Gospel could go also to the Gentiles involves spiritual blindness. God did it, and only He can remove that blindness upon Israel in part. Apostle Paul said that removal would not come until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in (Rom.11:25 forward). As of right now, many of the Gentiles outside the West are flocking to The Gospel, so that fulness still has not come in yet today.

Because we know Jerusalem to very end will be deceived, that area even being where God's "two witnesses" will be killed and left laying the street in our near future, the Jews' plans for another temple and starting up sacrifices again, that points to the majority of the house of Judah remaining deceived until Christ appears at His second coming.

This is why Christ's future Millenium of Rev.20 is going to be a great time of teaching per Isaiah 29 and Jeremiah 31. This is why our Lord Jesus told those of the Church of Philadelphia that He would make those of the synagogue of Satan to come bow at the feet of His elect in that future "thousand years" reign by Christ on earth (Rev.3:9). Teaching is one of the priestly duties, and that's one of things Christ's elect priests are going to be doing during the future Millennium (Ezek.44). That's why the devil and his will be locked up in the pit prison for that "thousand years" (Rev.20:1-3). It's so that every soul upon which God put spiritual blindness for today will have their first... opportunity to hear The Gospel with no negative influences upon them.
 

dragonfly

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Hi Saint,

dragonfly asked you


How many verses in the Bible support this 'saved at the very end of this age' doctrine? Please show me a few more? Thanks.

I take it your post attempted to answer that question?

Please clarify; and please answer my further questions, sprinkled through the rest of this post?


Hi dragonfly; I think there several statements, one that comes to mind is Jeremiah 23:6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' (Jer 23:6 ESV)

Yahweh is foretelling Judah’s blessings here as the result of Messiah’s reign.

From this, I take it that you neither include the members of 'Judah' who were alive at the time of the apostles, nor any born since then, as having been invited to, or having partaken of, the salvation which was being preached from the day of Pentecost onwards? That gospel (to Judah) only applies to a time in the future from now?

Another is Zechariah 10:6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD. "I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. (Zec 10:6-8 ESV)

Again, please explain why this did not begin to be fulfilled during the time Jesus Christ was on earth the first time?

Yeshua tells Judah in Matthew that they must acknowledge Him for who He is… For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Mat 23:39 ESV)

Are you saying that the converts on the day of Pentecost and thereafter, were not 'see'ing Him 'again', yet? And the writer to the Hebrews who says, Hebrews 2:9 But we [Hebrews] see Jesus, ...' was mistaken? He was not actually reporting the common experience of the Hebrew believers, the 'we' - him and them - to whom he was writing?

(And by implication, no person, of whatever natural origin, can 'see Jesus' after they have been translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son? Colossians 1:13. There is no spiritual effect of the operation of the gospel, such Jesus announced, who said, 'and recovering of sight to the blind' (Luke 4:18. Please compare this with Isaiah 61:1) And you yourself would not claim to 'see Jesus', as the writer to the Hebrews claims for them?

And when Paul said, '2 Corinthians 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more', do you think he meant that none of the disciples could 'see' Jesus any more, because He wasn't physically present any more; and that therefore they were operating the kind of faith to which Jesus alludes in John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.'

Acts 18:9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision...' Why do you think it's called 'a vision'?

One thing we must remember; it was the House of Israel whom Yahweh divorced, not Judah; Judah remains in a covenant relationship to Yahweh even today. Going back to the parable of the Prodigal Son; what does Yahweh tell the oldest son (Judah) “And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” (Luk 15:31 ESV)

The way you've explained this analogy doesn't really hold up.

The father was asked to divide His 'living' between the older and the younger son. This he did. They both received their inheritance. The elder son received the double portion, but didn't take on the responsibility which went with that - still going out to work in the fields with the servants, with the attitude of a child: Galatians 4:1 Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.' The reason his father could say, 'all that I have is thine' (KJV) is because the elder son had not appropriated it yet, but had left it under the father's control - the father who was patiently waiting to see some kind of maturity in his firstborn. Because the firstborn receives a double portion, he is expected to take on the role of caring for his parents, any elderly relatives with no nearer kin, widows, orphans and strangers. One of the reasons he was angry about his brother, is that now he would have to take care of him, too! It may be unfair of me to infer he had no sense of responsibility, but he didn't really want to have to share his double portion.

In fact, that may have been why he was working hard - to increase the value of the estate he had inherited - with an eye to his own well-being rather than that of others. I do, see though, that 'alive from the dead' which Jesus uses in the parable, is the precise wording chosen by Paul, and that it may well apply to a portion of 'Israel'. (I have argued the same, in the past.)

But, there is a great deal of double entendre in referring to the 'eldest son' as Judah; because Jesus was the firstborn son, God's only Son, whose inheritance is the double portion. In Him, we are partakers of the double portion - if we will.

There is also an analogy between the first birth - man of flesh, Jacob, and second birth - man of Spirit, Israel. History proves to us that every individual who is born naturally, must have an individual birth from above, spiritually. (Apologies to Retrobyter. I do 'hear' what you were saying to me in a post in another thread, about 'spiritually'. I don't mean that.)

By limiting the salvation of Judah to a future time only, are you arguing that when the Lord came to Judaea, preaching and sending His disciples only to 'the lost sheep of the house of Israel', He was specifically excluding members of Judah from that invitiation - His own tribe - His mother, his brethren, despite the record of the Day of Pentecost?

I just know that today Judah is blinded to Yeshua and will be so until the fullness of the gentiles is complete.

Then why does Paul not mention this in his Roman thesis?

Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Matthew 8:5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this [man], Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it]. 10 When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


Please hear me. I am not disputing that Paul said, 'until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in'. I am disputing the futuristic interpretation of prophecy which takes no account whatever, of the Israelite Church, and its successful mission to the 'whole world' during Paul's day, including the first Gentile converts. Although we don't have an account of Gentile converts before Acts 10, Acts 10 is important because of the responsibility which Jesus had given to him.

I noticed when reading in Acts 2 these last few days, that Peter also said: 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.

Compare this with Paul in Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];

Very soon after the Day of Pentecost, Peter was preaching thus: Acts 3:25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 Unto you[Jews] first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

This cannot be anything other than a fulfilment of Isaiah 59:20. He was speaking to Jews and Israelites only.


All I am seeing in what you've written, is an exposition of verses which is untenable when lined up with the now 2000 year old New Testament, and the history of the true Church from the beginning (those who came to faith in Yeshua Messiah). I fully accept there are some prophecies still to be fulfilled, in which we or our children may participate.
 

veteran

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The original reason God placed blindness upon Israel in part was because of how they fell away from Him.

Isa 29:9-14
9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath He covered.
11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men:
14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
(KJV)


That's the event Apostle Paul was talking about in Romans 11 about Israel being blinded in part until the fulness of the Gentiles comes in.



Rom 11:7-11
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
(KJV)


Rom 11:25-32
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
(KJV)


The only mystery that exists about this is the refusal of many to heed it as written.
 

Saint

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Dragonfly, of course you still have questions and that is good; at least you are willing to question your current position and explore a new doctrine. I don’t think there is any one scripture that will change your mind regarding the timing of the salvation of Judah; in my case it was the preponderances of all the prophecy of the Old Testament, that plus many hours of study. One study that comes to mind is study by N. B. Parrish regarding both houses of Israel that covers all of the OT Prophets. It’s long and requires that you look up and study most of the scripture for your self but I think that is what is required to convince yourself one way or the other; you can find it here:

http://www.shearit.net/Articles/BrickP/Study_of_Two_House_Restoration_of_Israe1_rev_8.1%28sacred_names_w-cover%29.pdf

I’m sorry but I just don’t have the time at the moment to wade through the details, maybe in a few days.

One scripture that does come to mind is from Jeremiah 33

Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. (7) I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. (8) I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. (9) And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it. (10) "Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, 'It is a waste without man or beast,' in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again (11) the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD: "'Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!' For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD. (12) "Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. (13) In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD. (14) "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. (15) In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. (16) In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' (17) "For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, Jer 33:6-17 ESV

“In those day and at that time” is a Hebrew expression to refer to “Atid Lavoh”, the millennium; see Jer 50:4 where Judah calls this time the Atid Lavoh and Ephraim calls it the future age. The branch is of course Yeshua who will fulfill the promises of Yahweh Elohim. There can be little doubt of what occurs here and at what time.

Of course there is a remnant saved today and more are finding Yeshua everyday but the fact remains that the main body of Judah today fail to recognize Yeshua for His position as the only beloved Son of Yahweh.

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob

And by the way which son was it that received the double portion in Genesis 48:18-19; was it the oldest or the youngest?

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob
 

dragonfly

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Hi Bob,

Thanks for your reply. I'm still not sure how it can be determined that a majority of Judah have not believed, to this day.

And by the way which son was it that received the double portion in Genesis 48:18-19; was it the oldest or the youngest?

The older signfies the first birth (flesh) and the younger signifies birth in the Spirit.

Jesus as the firstborn, and only Son, born of, and baptised in, the Holy Spirit, signifies to us both the double portion and deliverance from the flesh.

We see in Elisha's request for the double portion of Elijah's spirit, that the double portion also speaks of Holy Spirit. As we are found in Christ, the firstborn one, we are also inheritors of His double portion of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

22 But, ye came to Mount Zion, and to a city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of messengers, 23 to the company and assembly of the first-born in heaven enrolled, and to God the judge of all, and to spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 and to a mediator of a new covenant--Jesus, and to blood of sprinkling, speaking better things than that of Abel!

In v 23, first-born is plural (reference to the assembly of first-born ones). We are co-heirs with Christ. We share His inheritance.

1 Samuel 30:24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part [is] that goeth down to the battle, so [shall] his part [be] that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.


Judah remains in a covenant relationship to Yahweh even today

Which covenant do you have in mind, please?

Hi veteran,

The original reason God placed blindness upon Israel in part was because of how they fell away from Him.

I was comparing Isaiah 61, and Jesus' quote of it in Luke 4, and I made an interesting discovery:

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book.


I never noticed that, before.

And there were more than the man in John 9, who received sight (twice, two blind men), and these:

Matthew 21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
 

Saint

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Hi dragonfly; I believe that Judah is yet to be saved because the word of Yahweh supports it. Elohim says He will save them upon the second coming of Yeshua so that is what I must believe. However beyond that one only has to look at the religious affiliations of Judah today as taken from the Israel Bureau of Statistics in 2011:

Religion in Israel is a central feature of the country and plays a major role in shaping Israeli culture and lifestyle, and religion has played a central role in Israel's history. Israel is also the only country in the world where a majority of citizens are Jewish. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, the population in 2011 was 75.4% Jewish, 20.6% Arab, and 4.1% minority groups.[sup][1][/sup] The religious affiliation of the Israeli population[sup][vague][/sup] as of 2011 was 75.4% Jewish, 16.9% Muslim, 2.1% Christian, and 1.7% Druze, with the remaining 4.0% not classified by religion.[sup][2][/sup]

The population of Israel today is just under 8 million; certainly not the projected great multitude predicted by Elohim so I think it safe to say the few of the current population is of the House of Ephraim; it is mostly Jews from Judah. When the fullness of the nations is complete I’m sure that we will find the count of the House of Ephraim to be in the hundreds of millions or billions. It is estimated that there were between 6000 and 15,000 Messianic Jews in Israel in 2008.

To answer your question regarding the covenant; it is the Mosaic Covenant; was Judah ever divorced from Yahweh? I think you will find it was only the House of Israel. Judah was dispersed into the world in 70AD but they returned in 1948 and Judaism continues to follow the covenant as established through Moses. Even though they denied Yeshua as the Son of Yahweh they still attempt to follow the covenant laws; as I have said before they are blinded and will be so until the fullness of the House of Ephraim is complete.

Dragonfly it seems that this subject of the future salvation of the House of Judah is difficult for you to accept; I’m not quite sure why the world of Yahweh do not show you otherwise, perhaps you can give me scripture that would indicate that Judah is today saved and in a spiritual relationship with Yeshua.

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob
 

dragonfly

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Hi Bob,

Again, thanks for your reply.

There is no way of proving that every descendant of Jacob left 'the land' after 70AD. I don't believe they did, and that's as much because of the natural effects of having been occupied by Rome for more than 70 years. That's the same length of time Judah was in Babylon, and only a tenth of them returned (Isaiah 6:13). All those Jewish girls who'd been taken as wives by Romans, would have 'seed' in 'the land' for generations to come, and there could have been whole Jewish families who farmed or served in other ways, who were forced to stay, while others were forced to leave.

Regarding the numbers in the country called Israel today, let us never forget why they were separated from the land all those years ago, and let us not idolise a possession. The possession of importance is an on-going relationship with God, which makes us His possession. Everything, including a place on 'the land', flows from that. It's a conditional gift.

Elohim says He will save them upon the second coming of Yeshua

Please show me OT scriptures which support that Christ's first coming did not apply to His very own tribe, Judah, at that time, or to this very day. (I know what Romans 11 says. It doesn't mentioned Christ's second coming, unless you think the promise in Isaiah 59:20 was not fulfilled by Jesus during His first advent. If so, please give other scripture which agrees that Isaiah 59:20 has never been fuflilled? Thanks.)

Paul never separates Judah out - and I personally believe that God broke off with Judah also; although he didn't call it 'divorce', but, He states that Judah's sins were worse than Israel's - nevertheless, always calling them all to return to Him.

If the gospel was effective in bringing in those who gladly received His word then, (in the New Testament), it is not because God or God's word has changed, that this doctrine has sprung up about the second coming of Christ.

Unbelieving Jews have made it about the land, finding the Gentile church not as well versed in the promises as they are; them knowing that 'the land' was given conditionally, to those who dwelt in obedience to God. As Judah found out, His tolerance of sin has a limit. Jeremiah 9:19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast [us] out.

Leviticus 18:24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: 25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. 26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit [any] of these abominations; [neither] any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: 27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which [were] before you, and the land is defiled;) 28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that [were] before you. 29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit [them] shall be cut off from among their people.


Every sermon early in Acts refers to David. Why? Because the preacher had to prove to those listening that Jesus Christ was the promised descendant of Jesse and David, who would inherit David's throne for ever. It was vital to be shown that the Messiah was from the tribe of Judah, and that He fulfilled all previous prophecy, accurately.

Peter speaking - to whom the scriptures had been expounded by Jesus Christ Himself -
Acts 3:18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out... 22 For Mosestruly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23 And it shall come to pass, [that] every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.


I don't make the claim which you do, to have studied this out conclusively, but even on the surface of the page, there is much to militate against your interpretation (no matter how much popularity it has amongst people today).

To answer your question regarding the covenant; it is the Mosaic Covenant; ... Judah was dispersed into the world in 70AD

Regarding the continutation of the Mosaic Covenant, it is worthless without blood. You must know that? And, to give it credence today, is to resist the apostles' New Testament teachings. Israel's nationhood always depended (and stii depends) on being in right relationship with God. The Sinai covenant with Moses (ton behalf of the people whom God brought out of Egypt to Himself), is littered with one 'if' after another. Once the vail in the Temple was torn open, 'the Mosaic Covenant' was effectively over. Jews who were in unbelief about Jesus Christ, were being called to repentance.

Those in Israel who did not move into the New Covenant then, have received their fate (by now), just as He left the generation who left Egypt, dead in the wilderness for their unbelief. It gives me no pleasure to point this out. Paul makes clear that those keeping 'the law' are 'going about to establish their own righteousness', (Romans 10:1 - 3; Romans 3:24, 25, 28) placing them outside the Israel of God, as does Peter by his quotation from Exodus 19, in 1 Peter 2:9.

The relationship between the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant, and its meaning for the former's participants, is taken up by the writer to the Hebrews, showing the fulfilment of God's promise to those who had kept it.

Hebrews 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. The redemption of the transgressions under the first testament refers to the expiation of the sins of those who had kept the Mosaic Covenant in their day, such as in the wilderness, in Israel, and in Judah.

Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

God finally ratified His covenant with Abraham by providing His sacrifice, thus bringing the stipulations which He had added through the Mosaic Covenant, to completion. Conditions for 'the nation' 'of Israel' being in right relationship with God have never ceased. It falls to each individual to turn to Him and believe; today.

Matthew 22:31 [Jesus to Sadducees] But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Mark 12:27 adds, 'ye therefore do greatly err'.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.


At this present time, I'm not able to bring a conclusive shortlist of scriptures from the Old Testament, to establish the claims of the New Testament, but, I am slowly working on that. The fact that not one of the New Testament writers separates Judah for special treatment (compared to the 'ten tribes' of 'Israel') is, I think, very significant, and we should learn from it, rather than ignoring it just because it fails to support a modern theory.

God has said waaaay back, that He doesn't do anything He has not already shown His prophets. And in Acts 3, Peter testifies to that. The rest of the prophecies of Jesus Christ remain to be fulfilled, but there's no evidence in scripture that He's changed His rules of engagement for just one tribe to be excused from terms set out by Peter to Jews, namely:

Acts 2:38 Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And [that] he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more. 17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ...'


I fully understand there are 'Jews' today, who have not yet turned to Yeshua Moshiach for salvation, but the gospel to them is the one which was preached in the New Testament - not one which has been added to the New Testament.

Paul speaking: Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Hi Bob,

Again, thanks for your reply.

There is no way of proving that every descendant of Jacob left 'the land' after 70AD. I don't believe they did, and that's as much because of the natural effects of having been occupied by Rome for more than 70 years. That's the same length of time Judah was in Babylon, and only a tenth of them returned (Isaiah 6:13). All those Jewish girls who'd been taken as wives by Romans, would have 'seed' in 'the land' for generations to come, and there could have been whole Jewish families who farmed or served in other ways, who were forced to stay, while others were forced to leave.

Regarding the numbers in the country called Israel today, let us never forget why they were separated from the land all those years ago, and let us not idolise a possession. The possession of importance is an on-going relationship with God, which makes us His possession. Everything, including a place on 'the land', flows from that. It's a conditional gift.

Elohim says He will save them upon the second coming of Yeshua

Please show me OT scriptures which support that Christ's first coming did not apply to His very own tribe, Judah, at that time, or to this very day. (I know what Romans 11 says. It doesn't mentioned Christ's second coming, unless you think the promise in Isaiah 59:20 was not fulfilled by Jesus during His first advent. If so, please give other scripture which agrees that Isaiah 59:20 has never been fuflilled? Thanks.)

Paul never separates Judah out - and I personally believe that God broke off with Judah also; although he didn't call it 'divorce', but, He states that Judah's sins were worse than Israel's - nevertheless, always calling them all to return to Him.

If the gospel was effective in bringing in those who gladly received His word then, (in the New Testament), it is not because God or God's word has changed, that this doctrine has sprung up about the second coming of Christ.

Unbelieving Jews have made it about the land, finding the Gentile church not as well versed in the promises as they are; them knowing that 'the land' was given conditionally, to those who dwelt in obedience to God. As Judah found out, His tolerance of sin has a limit. Jeremiah 9:19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast [us] out.

Leviticus 18:24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: 25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. 26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit [any] of these abominations; [neither] any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: 27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which [were] before you, and the land is defiled;) 28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that [were] before you. 29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit [them] shall be cut off from among their people.


Every sermon early in Acts refers to David. Why? Because the preacher had to prove to those listening that Jesus Christ was the promised descendant of Jesse and David, who would inherit David's throne for ever. It was vital to be shown that the Messiah was from the tribe of Judah, and that He fulfilled all previous prophecy, accurately.

Peter speaking - to whom the scriptures had been expounded by Jesus Christ Himself -
Acts 3:18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out... 22 For Mosestruly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23 And it shall come to pass, [that] every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.


I don't make the claim which you do, to have studied this out conclusively, but even on the surface of the page, there is much to militate against your interpretation (no matter how much popularity it has amongst people today).

To answer your question regarding the covenant; it is the Mosaic Covenant; ... Judah was dispersed into the world in 70AD

Regarding the continutation of the Mosaic Covenant, it is worthless without blood. You must know that? And, to give it credence today, is to resist the apostles' New Testament teachings. Israel's nationhood always depended (and stii depends) on being in right relationship with God. The Sinai covenant with Moses (ton behalf of the people whom God brought out of Egypt to Himself), is littered with one 'if' after another. Once the vail in the Temple was torn open, 'the Mosaic Covenant' was effectively over. Jews who were in unbelief about Jesus Christ, were being called to repentance.

Those in Israel who did not move into the New Covenant then, have received their fate (by now), just as He left the generation who left Egypt, dead in the wilderness for their unbelief. It gives me no pleasure to point this out. Paul makes clear that those keeping 'the law' are 'going about to establish their own righteousness', (Romans 10:1 - 3; Romans 3:24, 25, 28) placing them outside the Israel of God, as does Peter by his quotation from Exodus 19, in 1 Peter 2:9.

The relationship between the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant, and its meaning for the former's participants, is taken up by the writer to the Hebrews, showing the fulfilment of God's promise to those who had kept it.

Hebrews 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. The redemption of the transgressions under the first testament refers to the expiation of the sins of those who had kept the Mosaic Covenant in their day, such as in the wilderness, in Israel, and in Judah.

Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

God finally ratified His covenant with Abraham by providing His sacrifice, thus bringing the stipulations which He had added through the Mosaic Covenant, to completion. Conditions for 'the nation' 'of Israel' being in right relationship with God have never ceased. It falls to each individual to turn to Him and believe; today.

Matthew 22:31 [Jesus to Sadducees] But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Mark 12:27 adds, 'ye therefore do greatly err'.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.


At this present time, I'm not able to bring a conclusive shortlist of scriptures from the Old Testament, to establish the claims of the New Testament, but, I am slowly working on that. The fact that not one of the New Testament writers separates Judah for special treatment (compared to the 'ten tribes' of 'Israel') is, I think, very significant, and we should learn from it, rather than ignoring it just because it fails to support a modern theory.

God has said waaaay back, that He doesn't do anything He has not already shown His prophets. And in Acts 3, Peter testifies to that. The rest of the prophecies of Jesus Christ remain to be fulfilled, but there's no evidence in scripture that He's changed His rules of engagement for just one tribe to be excused from terms set out by Peter to Jews, namely:

Acts 2:38 Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And [that] he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more. 17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ...'


I fully understand there are 'Jews' today, who have not yet turned to Yeshua Moshiach for salvation, but the gospel to them is the one which was preached in the New Testament - not one which has been added to the New Testament.

Paul speaking: Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Son of Man said,

Israel are those who have Christ as their King


Amen.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went...10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 9:15; Hebrews 12:22, 23, 24; Acts 13:38, 39; Acts 13:42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48; Hebrews 12:25, 28, 29.
 

Saint

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Dragonfly,I must ask this question; in your opinion has Ezekiel 37: 16-22 and Jeremiah 31:31-34 been fulfilled?


Eze 37:16-22 ESV "Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.' (17) And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. (18) And when your people say to you, 'Will you not tell us what you mean by these?' (19) say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. (20) When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, (21) then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. (22) And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms.

Jer 31:31-34 ESV "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, (32) not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. (33) But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (34) And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

This is of course the same covenant spoken of in Hebrews 8.

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob
 

dragonfly

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Hi Saint,

Regarding our earlier conversation about whether Judah has begun to be saved or not, I hope you are clear that I believe he has. This is partly because Jesus was of Judah, and of course HIs mother and brethren were of Judah, and we know they were in the upper room on the day of Pentecost - baptised in the Holy Spirit, the earnest of our inheritance. Also within their day, Gentiles began to be saved in exactly the same way as those who responded to Peter's preaching 'devout Jews' from 'every nation under heaven'.

When Paul is beginning his defence to Agrippa, he refers to the resurrection from the dead. For sure this is when those who have been faithful to the end, will have received their own resurrection body and their incorruptible inheritance. This suggests something other than we have on earth today, although I strongly believe that by the Spirit, 'the Church' - the Israel of God who have returned to Him through the blood of the everlasting covenant - the New Covenant spoken of by Jeremiah - has begun to be built and gathered unto Him. Exodus 19:4; Genesis 49:10.

On reading Jeremiah again with your question in mind, I believe I've come upon the definitive verses, which agree with the way I understand Zechariah 12:7 and 12:10. The Greek word which in Acts 2:37, the KJV translates 'pricked in their heart', is translated, 'pierced to the heart' in the NASB:

Strong's Definitions

2660 katanusso {kat-an-oos'-so}
from 2596 and 3572; TDNT - 3:626,419; v
AV - prick 1; 1
1) to prick, pierce
2) metaph. to pain the mind sharply, agitate it vehemently
2a) esp. of the emotion of sorrow



It is a very strong word, and quite capable of being the cause of the mourning felt by those men on that day. They, as devout Jews, would be well aware that God's definition of 'mourning' in the Old Testament, is about sin. It's about grief over sin, just as He Himself was grieved over the evil mankind was pursuing, which provoked Him to send the Flood in Noah's day. This kind of grief produces a strong reaction. Those men repented.

Remember, 'and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn', are first of all similies (figure of speech), and secondly, the repetition is Hebrew device for emphasising a point. It is, also, not the first time in scripture that this similie has been used, so it is not original to Zechariah. Jesus' use of the phrase, 'all the tribes of the earth shall mourn', does not include reference to either 'bitterness', or, 'firstborn son', so further discussion as to what Jesus intended by His phrase, could be helpful.

Here are the verses which establish that Judah began to be saved during Jesus time on earth.

Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this [is] his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

I do not deny there is a greater fulfilment of these verses to come in the future, but for those alive when Messiah came the first time, who believed on Him, they received 'redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins'. This cannot be denied or understated in its historical context as a fulfilment of God's word to Eve, and the bringing in to the fold of the Gentiles, under the same Shepherd as Israel.

By these tokens, I believe the verses you quoted from Ezekiel have also begun to be fulfilled.
 

Saint

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Dragonfly...it is possible that the regathering has begun; certainly Judah is back in the land and Yahweh is protecting them in that position so it sure seems to be a beginning. Certainly it is only a gathering of the people because the vast majority still deny Yeshua. Obviously it has not been a national conversion as yet but I don't expect that to happen until after Armageddon.

If it has begun in earnest then we are quickly approaching the end and in my opinion we are moving very close indeed. They say Iran will have the missiles to reach the United States in no longer than 3 years and certainly by that time they will have the nuke to fit on it. Armageddon almost has to be a nuclear war as the sun and moon are darkened by the debris in the atmosphere.

Once Iran has the weapon they will not hesitate to use it and certainly in the next two to three years we will see the consolation of the Islamic States into the next Caliphate. So things will likely begin to move very fast during the course of the next three years which brings us to 2015 at which time we will see signs in the sun and moon (solar and lunar eclipses which will occur on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in both 2015 and 2016).

I'm not necessarily saying that this period is the end but there sure seems to be a lot of things coming together during that time period.

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob
 

Retrobyter

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Shalom, Bob.

Hi dragonfly; I think there several statements, one that comes to mind is Jeremiah 23:6… In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' (Jer 23:6 ESV)

Yahweh is foretelling Judah’s blessings here as the result of Messiah’s reign.

Another is Zechariah 10:6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD. "I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. (Zec 10:6-8 ESV)

Yeshua tells Judah in Matthew that they must acknowledge Him for who He is… For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Mat 23:39 ESV)

One thing we must remember; it was the House of Israel whom Yahweh divorced, not Judah; Judah remains in a covenant relationship to Yahweh even today. Going back to the parable of the Prodigal Son; what does Yahweh tell the oldest son (Judah) “And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”
(Luk 15:31 ESV)

Right now I’m not sure just how the mechanics of this all occurs; maybe Retrobyter can give some insight here, I know this is an area of his study. I just know that today Judah is blinded to Yeshua and will be so until the fullness of the gentiles is complete. By the way, we are told in Genesis 48:16 that sons of Joseph will become a multitude in the midst of the earth; The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
(Gen 48:16 ESV)


This is a poor translation of the Hebrew. The poorly translated Hebrew words are "m'lo hagoyim". The word "m'lo" means "fullness". The word "ha" means "the". The word "goyim" means "nations" or "gentiles". Thus the phrase reads, literally, "...Ephraim's descendants shall become the fullness of the [nations or gentiles]. So when this has occurred the words of Paul in Romans 11:25 will be fulfilled and Judah will find its redemption “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
(Rom 11:25-26 ESV)

In Yeshua Messiah,

Bob

LOL! I have a NEW RESPECT for you, my brother! That was truly awesome! Where did you get your information regarding the Hebrew of Gen. 48:19? Did you find it yourself, or did you glean it from someone else?

Your statement above, namely, <<This is a poor translation of the Hebrew. The poorly translated Hebrew words are "m'lo hagoyim". The word "m'lo" means "fullness". The word "ha" means "the". The word "goyim" means "nations" or "gentiles". Thus the phrase reads, literally, "...Ephraim's descendants shall become the fullness of the [nations or gentiles]. >> intrigued me, and, basically being a "Berean," I had to search it out. After all, I hadn't heard it before, and I LOVE a good puzzle! (Thank you!)

At first, I didn't even know where you were talking about. The last mention of a verse you gave was Gen. 48:16, and of course, the Hebrew phrase was not there. Sometimes, English transliterations aren't enough to know truly what the Hebrew spelling is. (I've been studying this out since I first saw your post.) I finally stumbled onto the right Hebrew spelling, but not without a VAST pattern search using the word "hagoyim." Remember: Hebrew doesn't have vowels in its alefbet; they are added with vowel pointing. I finally hit on the correct spelling, mem-lamed-alef, listed as Strong's OT:4393. (I probably would have had an easier time if I had started with Strong's.) Did you know that there are 561 occurrences of the word "goy/goyim" in the Tanakh?! Anyway, I finally found in right next door in verse 19. I also did a comparative search between "mlo'" and "hagoyim" and discovered that this was the ONLY place in the Tanakh that used those two words together!

So, if Paul was quoting from the Tanakh when he used the phrase translated into the Greek as "to pleerooma toon ethnoon" (and he probably was), which was rendered into English as "the fulness of the Gentiles," it could ONLY have come from Genesis 48:19! I've also translated the Hebrew for myself, and I can confirm that that is EXACTLY what it literally means!

I am very impressed, and consequently, I am more likely to believe what you say. Excellent work! I had fun! Thanks again!

P.S. - Yeah, I could have just asked, but what would be the fun in that?