Is The Rapture Of The Yeshua/Believers At The Seventh Shofar In The Book Of Revelation

Is The Rapture Of The Yeshua/Believers At The Seventh Shofar In The Book Of Revelation

Those who believe that the rapture of the saints and the resurrection of the righteous in Yeshua comes at the end of the tribulation (Post Tribulation vs. the Pre-Tribulation view) present two views of where to place the rapture. One view, which I think is the more dominant view, is that it comes at the seventh Shofar in Rev. 11. The other view is that it comes at the end of the season of the bowls of wrath (a brief season at the end of the tribulation), and is identified with the blowing of the shofar at the end of Yom Kippur. This identification is connected to the I Cor. 15 text that says we will be transformed at the last shofar (I Cor. 15:51, 52).

In my book Passover, Key to the Book of Revelation, I argue for the seventh shofar as the shofar of the Rapture, our being caught up with the Lord that leads to our return with him. I see a process of events in his return and do not see it as an all at once event. I do understand that in such matters we see through a glass darkly and that all such views are somewhat speculative.

Here are my reasons for holding to the seventh shofar view.

1. The Last Shofar in I Cor. 15 could refer just to the last of the shofars that bring judgment and this seventh is the last one in the series and announces the final judgment, rapture and resurrection. It is not the last to ever be blown. There will be many more blown throughout the Millennial Age.

2. The Feast of Yom Teruah, or the Feast of the Blasting of the Trumpet has no great fitting fulfillment as the other Feasts. The others have obvious fulfillments in Yeshua. But if Yom Teruah announces the coming of the Messiah, and effects the rapture, the resurrection and then his descent to earth, we would have that fitting fulfillment. Other attempts do not identify a great fulfillment sufficient for the weightiness of a major feast. The association of II Thes. 4:16, and 17 with Yom Teruah or Rosh Hoshana is a dominant view and commonly taught for good reason.

3. The Book of Revelation provides a chronology that is progressive in the 7 Seals, the 7 Shoforot, and the Seven Bowls of Wrath. The Seventh Seal opens up and includes the Seven Trumpets, and the Seventh Trumpet opens up and includes the Seven Bowls of God’s wrath. The book also includes parentheses narratives in the midst of this progression that are not necessarily in the progression. But it is significant that John puts his parentheses narratives where he does. Before the Seventh Shofar, John writes that the mystery of God has been completed when he is about to sound the seventh shofar (Rev. 10:7). If this is the shofar of the rapture and resurrection, it would be a perfect fit. The mystery is the completion of the numbers counted in the Bride of the Messiah (as Paul teaches in Ephesians 3 and is the fullness of the gentiles Romans 11). If the rapture and resurrection are after the seventh shofar, then the mystery would not complete before it is blown as Rev. 10:7 states. There would still then people being saved who can be part of the rapture after the blowing of the seventh shofar. This does not fit the text in Rev. 10:7.

4. Revelation 11states that at the end of 1,260 days (the time of the Great Tribulation, v. 3) the two prophetic witnesses who are martyred are raised from the dead and ascend to heaven. This is certainly a picture of the rapture and resurrection that I believe shortly follows. Then there is a great earthquake and 7,000 die in the city called Sodom, which is identified as Jerusalem by noting that it is the city where our Lord was crucified. It then indicates that Jerusalem turns to the Lord. “The rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Rev. 11:14) In every other case when judgments fall in the Book of Revelation, the people do not turn to God but rebel and curse all the more since they are under the deception of the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet. This fits as the time when Israel/Jerusalem calls on Yeshua to save them (Matthew 23:39 ff.) This perfectly fits Zech. 14 where the nations have surrounded Jerusalem, there is the earthquake and then the Lord goes forth to fight against the armies of those nations. The turning of Jerusalem to Yeshua fits if it occurs between verse 2 and 3 and then his feet touch down on the Mt. of Olives. The saints return with Yeshua and the war is still ongoing, not the end of the war yet. It is not yet the born again experience for Israel, but seems it is a corporate turning of Jerusalem to Yeshua. Only after this turning in Rev. 11:14 do we read that the angel sounds the Seventh shofar. (Don’t we believe when Israel or Jerusalem call upon Yeshua that leads to the rapture. Then we also read the Kingdoms of this World have become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Annointed One. (11:15).

5. Then in Rev. 14 we read what many scholars historically have said is the rapture and the resurrection of the saints. There are two angels, one harvests the earth positively, the harvest of the earth was reaped (14:16) Then another angel gathers the grapes into the winepress of the wrath of God. This fits the idea that the wrath of God is a very brief period at the end of the tribulation, and we are not here for that. It fits the time between Rosh Hoshana and Yom Kippur. Some who say they believe in a pre-wrath rapture find support for this. Some of them claim to be mid-tribulation pre-wrath in their view of the timing of the rapture, but this mistakes the tribulation as a seven year period and coordinate with the seven trumpets, whereas the Bible tells us it is 3 ½ years or half a seven. So the bowls of the wrath of God comes at the very end and occurs as we are returning with him from heaven to deliver Israel. It also includes the picture of the Lord slaying the armies of the nations that have come up to destroy Israel (Rev. 19, Joel 3, and Zech. 12, 14).

6. The seventh shofar view again fits what happens after the armies of the nations are destroyed. Rosh Hoshana in Jewish tradition leads to the Days of Awe, the days of judgment between Rosh Hoshana and Yom Kippur, but on Yom Kippur we have the final day of repentance. So is there will be a great Yom Kippur in Jerusalem, Israel and the nations. It would seem that the return of Yeshua to the earth after the rapture and resurrection leads to the repentance of those who were not so raptured. This so well fits the picture of Zechariah 12:10-14 when all of the tribes of Israel mourn. They look on Him who they have pierced and mourn for him. This does not seem to be a heavenly vision where they see him, but that He will be literally here and will be seen on earth. Some do see this as a pre-rapture turning of Israel, but I think the idea of the last war and Israel’s deliverance comes first, for in a time of war, one would not be able to fit this picture of everyone morning. No, they would be fighting. Indeed, this is a picture after the war where Israel, in their natural bodies, will be mourning and realizing that He was the one, their Messiah and Savior, all along. So in these pictures, Yom Kippur fits if it follows the rapture and resurrection.

7. At the end of Yom Kippur there a shofar is blown. It could be the last of this Age, and the inauguration of the Age to Come. In Lev. 25:10-12 the shofar blown on Yom Kippur announces the Jubilee year. Indeed, Israel and the nations have repented and all can now celebrate Sukkot together or Tabernacles (Zech. 14:16). The First Tabernacles of the Millennial Age would fit as the celebration of the Bride of the Messiah being joined to the Messiah, or the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. So the shofar blast of Yom Kippur on this scheme would not be the rapture and resurrection but the Jubilee shofar that ends the old age and begins the Millennial Age and the reign of the Messiah and his Bride, of Jew and Gentile who reign with Israel the nation in their own land. The rapture shofar is not the shofar announcing the age of peace as at the end of Yom Kippur after repentance, but the seventh also announces the final judgment of Rev. 19 and Zech. 14 and the very last battle that takes place.

Seven Mountains and Second Coming

As a biblical thinker that believes that we are to influence all areas of society with biblically based solutions (the Seven Mountains teaching and classical Reformed thought on societal influence), I yet am disturbed by those who implicitly or explicitly embrace the post millennial understanding in their teaching on The Last Days or Eschatology. The post millennial view teaches that the great tribulation was past. The book of Revelation is about the fall of Jerusalem or maybe the fall of Rome *Babylon.” We can now go forward to conquer the whole world for Jesus without his actual return. Unlike some of my friends, I do not teach that this view is heresy. It was embraced by some Puritans, Charles Finney, the great revivalist and Jonathan Blanchard, the founder of Wheaton. Wheaton’s motto, “For Christ and His Kingdom,” was originally, but not today, understood in post millennial terms. Many today have the view that we will come to rule the nations without the return of Jesus literally. Some do not use the term post millennial to describe their views. They just speak of a victorious Church.

Whatever one does place the great tribulation, whether in the past or in the future like both classic Protestant and Catholic views, the real issue with this thinking is the loss of passion for the return of Yeshua. One well known prophet brother from a well known charismatic church that has had great influence, put out a list of his rejection of any eschatology that did not give his children and grand children a hope for their future success on this earth, for an intergenerational purpose to be progressing on this earth. He actually listed 7 or 8 things that amounted to the same thing. Yet, no Scripture was quoted for these views! The central problem with this view is that the New Covenant Scriptures orient us to long for the return of Yeshua and to believe that it might be soon. Text after text encourages us to look for the blessed hope, the glorious and soon return of the Lord. Peter notes in Acts 3 that the Jewish people need to repent, “that He might send Yeshua the Messiah appointed for you.” In Philippians 3:20, 21 we are told that, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we eagerlay wait for the Savior, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.” In Colossians in 3:4 we are to hope that “When Messiah, who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” In I Thessalonians 5:2 we read, “The Day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night …” We are to be watchful and ready so that day need not come as a thief to us. In II Thessalonians we read that the Lord will slay the lawless one (the antichrist) at his coming. We look to the “Appearing of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah,” (I Tim. 6:4). In I Corinthians 16:22 we read the word Maranatha, “Our Lord Come,” or “Come Lord.” This was a greeting among believers in the first century. And in II Peter 3:12, we read that we are to live in such a way that we are,” Looking for and hastening the coming Day of God.” In the book of Revelation we are told that Yeshua is coming soon and that we are to live with the sense of his soon coming.

Now of course, we know the delay. Yet there is nothing in the Bible saying, now go forth and influence every sector of society and bring it into obedience to Biblical principles. I do believe in such influence as part of understanding the Good News of the Kingdom. I see that slavery would not have been eliminated in England and America if it were not for believers who so acted. But the passion of the New Covenant Scriptures is the return of the Lord, not taking the seven mountains. The passion for his return should supersede every other desire. We live in the light of his return. When I was a child, I thought as a child. I did not want the Lord to return until after I experienced the intimacy of marriage and than after this, until I had children. Then I wanted to see my children grow up. But now I know whenever He comes, it will be the best for us all. Let’s influence the seven mountains, but lets embrace the passion of the New Testament, the sense of the soon return of Yeshua. We can do both.

The Primary Error in Word of Faith Teaching

Many but not all of our readers are familiar with a movement called The Word of Faith Movement. Teachers in this movement have become famous for their presentations on material prosperity and physical healing. Some have gone too far and teach that believers have the right to opulent living (See my book, Prosperity, what the Bible Really Teaches). The basic idea is that if we meditate and confess the Word of God and especially its promises, we will build faith and will walk in God’s abundant material provision, physical healing and family wholeness. Indeed, there should also be no tragic accidents for any family members since Psalm 91 says that no evil or plague will come near us. Mark 11:24 says that the person with a grain of mustard seed faith will, “Have whatever they say.” There is much truth in this. It is the Word of God enlivened by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, who brings us into faith to believe and walk in all God’s promises. As I note in my Prosperity book, meditating on, confessing and standing on the promises of the Bible is the way to strong faith.

So when does it become problematic? A couple from upstate New York met us in their congregation. They lost three children in a tragic car accident when they were carpooling with others going to a Christian school. They were asked to leave their Word of Faith congregation where they were elders. The pastor explained that their tragedy was undercutting the faith of the congregation. Wow!

The problem in this teaching is that these promise statements in the Bible are said to be absolute according to a very strict interpretation. According to that interpretation, “… heals all your diseases,” in Psalm 103 allows no exceptions. God is seen as always giving fully according to these promises. So if promises are not attained, then it is asked, “Is the problem with the giver or the receiver?” The answer we hear is, “It is always a problem on the receiving end.” So there is no way out of their conclusion. If you have financial loss, if you are sick or die prematurely, or have tragedy in the family, they say it is your fault. Any other view is seen as diminishing the absolute nature of the promises and undercutting the maximum potential for faith. The weakness in this view is that it does not recognize that faith is something that has to be given by God. The faith that moves mountains in Mark 11:24 cannot be worked up or drummed up no matter what we do. The Word of Faith view on this is a rugged individualism where it is all up to me. I don’t think that is what Yeshua meant. It is God who gives faith, and a mustard seed level of it can do anything. It is what the faith people call the “God kind of faith.” Our part is to worship God, confess his promises, and meditate on the Word, but ultimately these promises for human prosperity and healing are under the sovereignty of God. His promises are real. We are healed in the course of our lives thousands of times from all kinds of things. But if we die of some disease, it does not mean that we were at fault. We would like the promises and our ability to receive them to be air tight, but the promises are generalizations, and they are the usual reality. After having done all – and we should do everything that we can, including meditation/speaking on the Word and listening to the Spirit on the matter – it is still up to the sovereignty of God. Too many are now in a situation of depression and have abandoned walking with God because, after tragedy, they were told it was their fault. This is the primary error of the Word of Faith teaching.

The three heros who disobeyed King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to worship the golden image, had a slightly less rigid “take” on the outcome of their “rubber meets the road” faith situation:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us…But even if He does not… we will not serve your gods…” (Daniel 3:16-18 NIV).

DANIEL C. JUSTER, Th. D. Restoration from Zion of Tikkun International

Bearing Fruit that will Last

Often I reflect on the life of Paul and wonder what motivated him to keep on going with such zeal, even after being beaten, stoned or whipped. What really was behind the statement from Acts 20:24, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” As I have pondered this in my heart I have come to the conclusion that the Apostle Paul was obsessed with bearing fruit for God. After all, this was God’s agenda in creating us to begin with. John 15:16 states, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will last.” In the beginning God commanded man to be fruitful and multiply. Romans 7:4 gives the reason why Yeshua died, and why it is necessary to recon ourselves dead to the law. “So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of the Messiah that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.” In the dialogue that Paul has with himself about whether he prefers dying and going home to be with Yeshua, or remaining he concludes that to go on living in the body would mean fruitful labor for him. Paul saw that he staying alive was better for his friends and therefore he was convinced that it was not his time to go. His only concern was that Yeshua would be glorified in his body, whether by life or by death.

It seems then that fruit is important to God and that most of His actions can be examined in terms of increasing future fruit bearing (see the whole of John 15). We are even commanded to rejoice in our suffering because of the fruit that will be borne in our lives as a result of perseverance (Romans 5:1-5; James 1:2-4). Think of the suffering Joseph underwent and look at the answer he gave his remorseful brothers. He told them that it was not they who sent him to Egypt, but God so that many lives may be spared (fruit). The Apostle Paul looked at his imprisonment as a means for the gospel being spread and for boldness being inspired in the saints when they hear of his courage in the face of suffering (Phil. 1:12-14). I think if one were to carefully ponder over the events in his or her life they would find that God is working towards more and more fruitfulness. Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it remains alone.

Fruitfulness is given to Moses as a blessing of the covenant but, as we will find, fruitfulness comes with some conditions.

Lev 26:3-4 “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.

Lev 26:9-10 “‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.

Perhaps it would be helpful to define what God means by fruit. I believe that all fruit is somehow an expansion of God’s kingdom rule as His character takes over more and more of His creation. This fruit manifests in us first as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and self-control, second, it manifest when we extend his rule in the building up of the members of the body of believers into the fullness of the Messiah, and finally it manifests in the spreading of the gospel, i.e. more and more come under the rule of Yeshua and take on more and more of His character. God’s Kingdom expands as more and more people come out of the kingdom of darkness, Satan, and into the Kingdom of His son, Yeshua. This happens as we come to understand and appropriate more of God’s abundant grace in our life and then proclaim this grace to others. Colossians 1:6 “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.”

Yeshua said that abiding in the vine is necessary for fruit bearing and fruit bearing releases joy. He said that if one does not abide in the vine it is impossible to bear fruit. Then he states that one continues to abide in the vine through loving him and obeying his commandments (John 15). Bearing fruit is inevitable if one is abiding in the vine—it is a given. Hence, when we stop abiding, fruitfulness ceases. Communion or intimacy is necessary for fruit bearing in the natural as well as in the spirit. If we fall into sin and do not repent of it, death sets in, for the wages of sin is death. Death ultimately is the inability to commune. The end result of covenant breaking is broken fellowship and barrenness. We must be zealous to repent so fellowship with God and one another will not be broken. God hates sin as it breaks off communion, intimacy and fruit bearing. When one comes to understand that relationships are the most important value in life then one comes to understand why God hates divorce or breaking faith with one another. If we can really hear God’s heart in this matter we would be diligent to confront sin in our own life first, and then to confront sin when we see it in others. If it is our desire to see another obtain the blessing of fruitfulness, we will be motivated to love enough to confront and will overcome the fear of man. We confront sin in another person not because they have somehow put a wrench in our agenda but because we truly care about the other person fulfilling his or her destiny in God. Sin separates friends, family members and congregants and this grieves the heart of God. By faith we obey. To fear the Lord is to hate that which is evil and breaking faith with one another is evil. We all sin against one another but acts of sin do not fall into the category of covenant breaking unless we fail to confront sin and/or repent of sin, especially the sin of rebellion.

How can we walk this out practically? When Yeshua said that if we loved him we could keep his commandments, this includes his commands to submit to and/or obey his delegated authorities. Satan tempts us to break faith towards God through deceptive thoughts accusing the character of God. “How can a loving God allow such evil and suffering? God is really not for you; look at how he is restricting you. The law was given to keep you back from having fun. God is really out to control you.” He is very subtle in that he often doesn’t direct these thought towards God head on but has you focus on human authority, his representatives on earth. He blinds us to the fact that if God has placed a person in authority over us (parents, government officials, bosses, husbands, pastors, or apostles) then to disobey them would be to disobey God. Now of course, obedience is conditional (upon scripture and conscience) but a heart of submission and intent to obey is always appropriate and commanded. Many of us wonder why we are not being fruitful and we will find that often we have broken faith with another, usually an authority.

Ephesians 5:22-32 – Wives with husbands

Ephesians 6:1-4 – Children with parents

Ephesians 6:5-9 – Slaves with their masters (employee with employer)

Romans 13:1-7 – Citizen with civil authorities

Hebrews 13:17 – Congregant with elder or pastor

In these headship/submission spheres it is easy to harden one’s heart and not submit or obey. Often we do not like to obey unless we agree with what is being required of us. We second guess the authority and are often slow to respond, feeling justified in our noncompliance. Often the authority is judged as being not good or loving and therefore cannot be trusted. We want to be the one in control. If Satan can deceive us with the secret power of lawlessness (getting us to focus on the man, his weaknesses or sin, instead of on the person’s position as a delegated authority under God) tempting us to rebel, he has won. We cannot tolerate the sin of lawlessness in our own hearts and must have courage to confront it in others out of a love for God and His Kingdom fruitfulness. Ephesians 4:12-15 says that as we give ourselves to being equipped by the 5-fold ministry we will come to unity in the faith and become mature. Out of this maturity we will speak the truth in love and thereby grow up into Him who is the head. We will abide in Him and not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine or temptation. The apostolic heart is focused on fruitfulness and becomes the power of the spirit of Elijah where the hearts of the fathers are turned toward the children and the hearts of the rebellious towards the hearts of the fathers. God is breaking off barrenness in his people before He returns. Let us be diligent to repent of any lawlessness in our own heart and no longer shrink back from lovingly confronting it when we see it others. We can no longer tolerate this sickness in the body of the Messiah. God wants fruit! We are happier and more satisfied when we are bearing fruit for God and so is He!

Apostolic Order

Apostolic order has two meanings; first we seek to order congregational life according to the teaching of the original Apostles in the first century as can be reasonably applied in our current day. Second we order our congregations under apostolic leaders who are chosen by God today and supernaturally confirmed as the servant-overseers of congregations. This is an issue of God’s government.

Biblically, elders in plurality are to govern congregations. This is seen clearly in the book of Acts where it says that elders were appointed by Paul. It is amazing how little emphasis there is on a senior pastor. I do believe in a leader of the group of elders, but elder plurality government for local congregations is the emphasis of the New Testament.

Accountability Structures

According to New Covenant Scriptures, local congregations are not to be independent. As the congregations multiplied, they were connected to one eldership of the city with many thousands of members. The congregations were also overseen by apostles, figures that either planted or established the primary foundations either directly or by those they sent as in the case of Timothy. Again and again, Paul brings his corrections to whole congregations. What if a congregation rejected Paul’s correction? He could only trust supernatural power to enforce his authority. The elders were the local authority and were to enforce God’s order or standards of righteousness and good government.

In this structure, the apostle himself should be accountable to other senior leaders. A team of senior fivefold ministers should hold the senior apostle of a network to accountability. He can be confronted if in sin– and can be removed.

Members are also part of the accountability structure of the congregation. According to Matthew 18:15, every member can be part of the process of correction for those in sin. Galatians 6:1-2 speaks of members correcting one another. In addition, an elder can be corrected by the testimony of two or three members. Members can appeal to the apostle and his council when leaders are in sin and do not repent.

Good leadership involves the members of the community in processes of input and confirmation for major decisions, as well as moral accountability of the leaders. The authority is in the elders, but wise elders build unity with the members.

Called to Equip

Equipping is an equally important emphasis. In Ephesians 4, we read that God gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. A congregation needs training from all five.

While we do not believe that anyone can write Scripture today, the function of apostles in government and in fostering growth and Kingdom extension beyond the local congregation is crucial. The congregations therefore participate in his training programs, conferences and mission opportunities. His vision brings forth direction to multiple congregations linked together

Institutional Christianity: Our Response

By Daniel Juster

Institutional Christianity includes all the streams of Christianity that are organized into associations of congregations, ministries, leaders and missions organizations. It includes everything form the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, to Protestant denominations and those more recent associations called apostolic streams. It includes missions agencies which also are institutions, and missions movements like YWAM, or Youth with a Mission. Even independent congregations that are in no association are institutions with a defined order of government, services, and leadership. In a sense, there really is no Christianity without institutions and that is true of Messianic Judaism as well.

Yet it is popular today to say that one is a Yeshua believer but does not believe in institutional religion, Christianity or Messianic Judaism. It is also popular in some Messianic Jewish circles (thankfully, we think the minority) to bash Institutional Christianity and to teach in a way that delegitimizes and denigrates institutional Christianity. This approach places the teacher in a position of superiority as one beyond the errors and failings of Institutional Christianity. “Follow me since I am free of all these errors.” One can find plenty to criticize in Church History. After such criticism, one can then present the true Jewish interpretation of the Scriptures that is totally apart form the teaching of Institutional Christianity, while still affirming that there are true believers in the institutions. Yet, such individualism in regard to the true believes does not recognize that we are all part of corporate bodies and are not merely believes as separated individuals. As part of such presentations, some also show disrespect for the creeds, confessions of faith and the governmental structures of Institutional Christianity. Some who do this present aberrant teaching that is not in accord with the Bible, such as the “One Law” doctrine that teaches that all Christians are responsible to keep the whole Law of Moses (that can be kept without a Temple). Others teach this “One Law” doctrine with the assertion that true believers in Yeshua are the lost tribes of Israel. It is interesting that such people have formed institutions or organizations. However, some who teach against Institutional Christianity are for the most part submitted to true Biblical teaching, though we believe that this approach to Christianity is divisive and can lead to sectarianism and further division.

As Messianic Jews that identify with apostolic and prophetic restoration, our identification with the Church (the Ecclesia) is mostly with the churches that developed out of the Protestant Reformation. We believe that the Reformation began a process of return to a more accurate understanding and application of the Bible. So we find fellowship not only with individuals but desire and are open to corporate relationships with all institutional bodies that are founded on the historical Reformation standards that defined true biblical faith, such as justification by faith, being born again, and the full authority of the Bible as our final authority for faith and practice. The Reformation eventually had a very positive effect on purifying and bringing positive change to the Roman Catholic Church. However, sadly from the perspective of the first Reformers, Protestantism fragmented into multiple institutions, some due to conscience. They were committed to practice truths that were not permitted in their former institutions. Sometimes they people separated for very unnecessary reasons. So today there are Baptists of many associations, Methodists, Anabaptists, Pentecostals (many different associations), holiness denominations, Christian Missionary Alliance, Free Church Associations and we can go on and on. Some say there are thousands, but most today world wide are connected in some way to Pentecostal and new apostolic streams. We are sad for the unnecessary fragmentation since the Reformation, but do want to acknowledge all that has come form Institutional Christianity.

First without Institutional Christianity there would not be two billion people in the world who profess Christianity and one billion who are broadly Protestant Evangelical. Without Institutional Christianity, there would be no New Covenant Scriptures since the manuscripts were copied and preserved by the efforts of Institutional Christianity. There would not be vernacular translations, since these were spurred and supported by the Institutions of Christianity. There would not be a visible Church that is expressed in visible congregations and associations. The progress of the Kingdom of God in planting congregations, winning the lost, establishing hospitals that have cared for the needy, orphanages, and movements that fostered biblically rooted social justice like the elimination of slavery in England, simply would not have taken place. Actually, remove Institutional Christianity and you mostly remove Christianity. As one senior Messianic Jewish leader of 40 years in the United States said, without the institutional churches, the world would have been a much darker place. We have to remember that institutions of all kinds are led by human beings who are still sinners. Great leaders in and from institutions have fostered most of the spread of the Gospel and the gains that have been made. However, great sin from those in the institutions has also fostered pain and evil. There has been glory and shame, as we would expect under human leadership!

Institutional Christianity has also provided us with creeds, confessions of faith and models of government. Some say that they reject creeds and confessions of faith. They say that they simply accept what the Bible says. Hence they have a one article confession of faith, the Bible is true. However their approach in finding truth in the Bible came from the Reformation and was fostered by its institutions! When one studies history, it is very clear that this is wrong headed and simplistic. Multiple cults and heretical groups claim to believe the Bible as their authority. Creeds and confessions wonderfully sift out those who are rejecting foundational Biblical truths. They distill biblical faith foundations that the association or institution of congregations and ministries believe are crucially required affirmations to protect from dangerous error. Some statements were also partly a just response to heresy.

In addition, there are theological classics and devotional classics that are amazing and wonderful. These are from people connected to Institutional Christianity and would not have been written or preserved without Institutional Christianity. These are the writings of people who have reflected on the meaning of Yeshua and New Covenant realities and have formed the Christian traditions of understanding over many centuries.

Overall, our conviction is that the spread of Christianity through Institutional Christianity, especially for us the Evangelical and Pentecostal, has been a great gain for the world. However, though great blessing has come form Institutional Christianity, this not come without those Institutions also sinning, and sometimes grievously. However, as matter of fact, we saw off the limb on which our ministries depend if we seek to influence the Christian world to a more accurate understanding of the Bible with a more Jewish contextual approach if we reject Institutional Christianity. There would not be Churches and Christians to influence without institutional Christianity. Even congregations and movements that claim to be anti-institutional would not exist if they did come out institutions.

So how do we approach the institutions of Christianity. We recognize a law that great efforts of progress in the Gospel in the world require the coming together in associations. There has to be institutions. Therefore we are profoundly not anti-institutional. We also follow the command of Romans 13, “to give honour where honor is due. “ So in our seeking partnership with congregations, denominations, and streams, we want to first be educated about all the good, beautiful and true things that have come from their institutions. Honoring and humility first opens the door for relationship and mutual blessing. This includes honoring that in their creeds and confessions that provided a stable framework for their association and mission. While we do not accept everything in some of these faith confessions, we seek to be open and embrace that which is true in these confessions, and to have our own statements that reflect our agreement and our distinctions. We also learn form their governmental structures and seek to compare these structures from what we see in Scripture and early second century history. There is much wisdom in such structures. However, we will seek to apply this wisdom in our own institution in the way that that fits our convictions.

Though we do give such honor, we also are committed to be honest in love with regard to the failures of Christian Institutions. So this is where our relationship might lead to correction.

First of all, we are deeply grieved by the history of teaching in Institutional Christianity that was Anti-Semitic. The Roman Catholic Church has official repented of this teaching and now affirms the election of the Jewish people. Sadly this legacy of the Catholic Church was not overcome by the Reformation, but Luther and less so Calvin but Calvin as well, carried on the teaching of contempt for the Jewish people. The failure to understand God’s love for the Jewish people and their ongoing election has been the most grievous failure of the Institutional Churches. But this is not true of all institutions. Puritans to various degrees overcame these errors, as did Moravians, Methodists and Pentecostals. Yet even those who overcame the error of Anti-Semitism and declared that the Jewish people were still elect of God, did not come to see that continued Jewish life in the New Covenant was ordained of God. We are thankful for Church Institutions today that do affirm the truth on these matters and we especially are thankful for the Four Square Churches, the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, and various other apostolic streams that have explicitly affirmed the truth. We seek the alignment of Church Institutions with Israel and the Messianic Jewish community. We are called to be one.

Secondly, due to historic Anti-Semitism, the many in institutional churches have not been diligent, in their seminaries, colleges, training schools and Bible colleges, in seeking the original Jewish context for interpreting the Bible. We still see such trends in some circles where the value of the Hebrew Bible is just not perceived, and where wrong hyper grace teachings are put forth (for correction see Michael Brown’s great book on hyper grace or Walter Kaiser on the Rediscovering the Unity of the Bible). This produces a wrong understanding of the New Covenant Scriptures. We are thankful for those prominent Christian teachers and scholars that are clear on these issues. We want to make it clear that we do not think Protestant Evangelical Christian traditions of worship and celebration are pagan, wrong, due to being on the wrong days (weekly Sunday celebration and annual celebration of the resurrection). Everything that celebrates Biblical events, teaching or more is good. We affirm all that is good. We are not teaching that the churches have to take on the Torah calendar pattern of life. However, Christian feasts are rooted in Jewish Biblical contexts. We believe it has been a mistake to not tie Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday to Passover and First Fruits through clear reference and teaching. Even the Feast of Pentecost is often disconnected to the Biblical feast of Succot. We do believe that teaching on the fall feasts and identifying with the Jewish people who celebrate them is important for the grounding of Christians.

Thirdly, we are concerned for the fragmentation of Protestant Evangelical-Pentecostal, Charismatic Christianity. We would urge all to look to the example of Count Ludwig Von Zinzendorf, the leader of the Moravians. He anticipated so much of what we want to see. He emphasized deep passion for Yeshua, the Unity of the Body of Believers and real effort to overcome fragmentation and come to what we call cooperative unity, world missions and love for and missions to the Jews. Yes, he even affirmed the continuation of Jewish life in Yeshua.

We believe in the last days that there will be mighty apostles and prophets that will call and lead the biblically true institutional churches into cooperative unity in every city and region and that this restoration will include alignment and deep unity with the Messianic Jewish community that is part of the One New Man with them. We are glad already to see such cooperative efforts in different parts of the world in such bodies as The World Pentecostal Fellowship and the World Evangelical Alliance. These two overlap.

The churches are corporately the children of the Jewish people. They were born out from the Jewish people from Pentecost (Sukkot) in Jerusalem. The first world missions were led by Messianic Jews. The Jewish people are the corporate parentage of the Church and hence the churches that historically developed. Yes, we seek repentance for what was and is wrong, forgiveness and reconciliation. But we also seek to do this with honoring an affirmation of every legitimate church body that teaches biblical truth and does the true works of God.

The Authority of the Hebrew Bible

Daniel C. Juster, Th. D., Restoration from Zion of Tikkun International

We are dealing with a significant problem in theology. Much of the theology is being given to believers by preaching media stars and church leaders who I would call low information preachers. They may have charisma and can hold a crowd well, but they say outlandish and heretical things. One of the most glaring examples of this are the statements by some claiming that the “Old Testament” no longer applies to us or is irrelevant for New Covenant Christians. One preacher even said that he put a sword through the Old Testament to be free from it. The error is even more glaring in the light of the numerous statements in the New Testament on the authority and value of the Hebrew Bible. One has to ask if these preachers ever had one course helping them to understand the Hebrew Bible and its application to the New Covenant era. I doubt it. Of course, understanding a national constitution in the Torah and the ritual system of the Tabernacle is much more challenging than the love chapter, I Cor. 13. Yet these writings can be understood and applied. It is important to do so.

From Matthew 5 :17, 18 we read, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter or the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear form the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Then Yeshua goes on in the rest of the chapter to show how the Torah is applied in the New Covenant.

Paul in speaking of the Hebrew Scriptures tell us in II Tim. 3:16, 17 that it is all “God breathed,” and is profitable for doctrine, reproof and for training in righteousness.”

In Romans he tells in 15:4 that the Hebrew Bible was written to “teach us so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.” In 16:26 we read that what has been revealed to us now has been “made known by the prophetic writings by the eternal command of God so that all nations might believe in him.”

Peter echoes this and says that the Scriptures came not by the will of mean, but men spoke as they were carried along by the Spirit. (II Peter 1:20)

And we can go on and on. We really can not understand the New Testaement without the Hebrew Scriptures. Indeed, so much of the New Testament is interpretation and re-application of the Hebrew Bible. So much of God’s plan for world redemption and peace is in the Hebrew Bible. And when the Apostles were teaching, there was no New Testament. They relied on the Hebrew Bible.

The false teachings called Marcionism, were condemned in the early centuries of Church History. It is time to call out these false teachers and restore the authority of the Hebrew Bible.

World Redemption

Daniel Juster, Restoration from Zion, of Tikkun International

A few months I was in dialogue with a famous New Testament Theologian form England. Much of our discussion was on the issue of Israel and the Church. He was basically “replacement theology” oriented. This is the theology that says that the Church is now the ongoing meaning of Israel, the true Israel of God, and that ethnic Israel no longer has claim to the status of God’s elect people. We spent much time on many passages, but he would not be convinced.

Toward the end of our dialogue, I spoke about the fact that my hope is that when Israel as a nation turns to Yeshua, it will lead to the conversion of the nations of the World. Indeed, it will lead to his return and world redemption. He was astonished that I thought that there would be a mass conversion of the nations after the tribulation and the judgments of the wrath of God (Rev. 16). I was astonished that this was not obvious to him, though I was raised with church teachers that never taught this but had a pessimistic view of the end of this age. However, text after text shows us that the biblical hope is for world redemption. I could fill pages and pages with texts form the Prophets and Psalms to show this. There is no way out of the conclusion. I will only refer to a few such texts.

The Isaiah 2 text is most amazing. It predicts that all nations will come up to Jerusalem and that the Law would go forth from Zion. The nations beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will no longer learn war? The implications of this are enormous. Isaiah 11 repeats that same hope with the idea that the Messiah is the banner for the nations. Even nature, the animal kingdom, will be elevated to a new level of peace.

Isaiah 45 is sometimes looked at as teaching only that the unconverted are forced to bow the knee to Yeshua. However, the context makes this pessimistic view impossible. The text states, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth . . By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity, a word that will not be revoked. Before me, every knee will bow , by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the Lord along are righteousness and strength” Philippians 2 repeates the promise and applies it to Yeshua.

This is a positive confession of faith! Isaiah 60:3 says, “Nations will come to your light.” Isaiah 65, Amos 9, Mica 4 and multiple Pslams repeat the hope that the nations as corporate people, will come to the knowledge of God.

Yes, it will be rough sledding before that happens. However, let us keep in mind that the extension of the Kingdom in Yeshua to Israel and the nations will eventually reach this world redemptive goal.

Gospel of the Kingdom

The Good News answered the great Jewish question of the day, where is the Kingdom of God promised by the prophets? The hope of the prophets was that Israel and the nations would be one under the rule of the Messiah, the Son of David. As we read in Isaiah 2, the word of the Lord will go forth from Zion and nations will no longer go to war. Even nature will be transformed; the wolf will lie down with the lamb (Isaiah 11). The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord.

When Yeshua began His ministry his announcement astonished our people. “The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the Good News.” (Mark 1:14). In Yeshua the Kingdom had come in such a way that it could be embraced and entered into. Yeshua demonstrated that the Kingdom really had appeared and was available even though the final fullness of this Kingdom established over all the Earth would still await a future intervention.

Where is the Kingdom of God? Anywhere the rule of God is established. To the extent that His rule is established in any sphere of human life, we can say there is the Kingdom. Yeshua comes with the power to establish His rule, beginning in our hearts. The power of the Kingdom delivers from disease and demonic oppression and enables us to live according to the teaching of Yeshua. This teaching brings Torah to its highest application. Hatred is removed from our hearts. Murder becomes impossible. We love our enemies. We not only avoid literal adultery, but have freedom from lust in our hearts. We are honest in our words and true to our promises.

The parables of Yeshua show the nature of the Kingdom He offers. It spreads by the seed of the Word of God and finds reception in willing soils (hearts). It grows from a small beginning, a mustard seed, into the largest plant in the garden. It is the treasure that supersedes all else (Matthew 13).

Therefore the message of the Good News is that the Kingdom of God is available. If we come to the Father on the basis of the death and resurrection of Yeshua, our sins are forgiven and we enter the Kingdom of God. God promises to put all things in our lives into His right order, Kingdom order, Torah in the New Covenant, through the power of the Spirit.

Life of Character

Understanding the Gospel of the Kingdom leads to the way of life we call Kingdom life. The Gospel of Matthew is very helpful because it connects the Kingdom of God to the commandments of Yeshua. In Matthew 28:19-20 we read,

Matthew 28:19-20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them… and teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…”

The commandments of Yeshua are the foundation for character evaluation and the instrument for character training. We are able to grow in obedience to His commandments by depending upon His transforming grace (abiding in the Vine-John 15). This includes identification with His crucifixion whereby the deeds of the flesh are put to death. Resurrection power is also crucial, for we are to be constantly filled with the Spirit to motivate us to obedience.

Yeshua’s teaching in Matthew 5-7 shows us how to apply the Torah.

Matthew 5:20
“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

How can believers attain this? It is only by His power and grace.

The Call to Character

Character is part of our life witness. The Torah is applied to the issues of the heart. Believers are not only ones who do not murder, but they do not have anger and hatred in their heart. They love their enemies, pray for them, and even do good to them. Not only will believers not commit adultery, but they will obey the higher command to have no lust in their hearts. Oaths are not taken to prove that we are speaking truth. The follower of Yeshua is fully honest and carries out His word!The call to character, whereby we die to self is little taught in the Western church. Character enables one to maintain lifetime covenant relationships; whether in marriage, friendship or community life. People who are growing in Kingdom character will learn to love one another more and more. Godly character is a foundational pillar of the Kingdom of God.