1. God has always had and has one people: the Church (Ecclesia). In the Old Testament it was Israel, in the era of the New Covenant it is New Israel: the multinational Universal Church in which the division into Jew and Greek has been abolished. This means continuity and continuation of the one people of God.
2. The purpose of Israel in the Old Testament was to bring God's light to the nations, to be God's postman who was to bring the Abrahamic blessing to other nations. Unfortunately, Israel betrayed its calling and rejected both the prophets and the Messiah, and therefore also Abraham and Moses, who spoke about Christ (Luke 24:44).
3. God does not honor origins and nationality. The greater light and knowledge (Law, temple, circumcision, priesthood...) that Israel received meant greater responsibility and greater judgment - in case of apostasy. This also applies to the Church (1 Pet. 4:17).
4. There is no inheritance, promise, or spiritual blessing outside of Christ, outside the context of the relationship with Him that we enter into by faith. Being united with Christ, we receive all the spiritual blessings of heaven. Apart from Christ, we inherit no promises. Except of hell.
5. The spiritual offspring of Abraham are those who have the faith of Abraham and therefore trust in Jesus (Gal. 3:27-29). Only this bond and this lineage have saving significance.
6. The prophecies regarding the rebuilding of David's tabernacle were fulfilled in the New Testament church (Acts 15:15-19). The prophecies of a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah (and a new heart) were fulfilled in the New Testament church (Hebrews 8:7-13). The Church is the Israel of God.
7. The prophecies regarding the destruction and rebuilding of the new temple were fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ. He is God's temple - the place where God meets man. There will be no other - accepted by God.
8. The creation of the state of Israel has nothing to do with biblical prophecies. The prophecies regarding Israel's return to the land were fulfilled during their return from the Babylonian captivity and involved repentance and conversion. There are no promises outside the context of conversion and faith in God. The establishment of the State of Israel was not associated with the conversion of Jews to Jesus and spiritual rebirth. God does not honor or reward unbelief.
9. Our older brothers in faith are not the Jews, but all those (Jews and non-Jews) who trusted in God. Our spiritual ancestors are Abel, Noah, Abraham, Rahab, Moses, Ruth, Samuel, David, not the Pharisees and scribes.
10. The Bible is against all forms of discrimination, so as Christians we should clearly condemn anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.
11. The New Testament teaches about one people of God, which is the multinational Church. Therefore, the Bible does not know the concept of "Messianic Church" or "Messianic Jews". However, there are Christians of Jewish, Greek, Polish, etc. origin. All of them should join local churches composed of Christians of various origins.
12. The divine institutions of the Church composed of Jews and non-Jews are Baptism and Communion. In the New Covenant we do not celebrate the Old Testament holidays because they all typologically foreshadowed the *future* work of the Messiah. After the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ, we do not return to the shadows. We celebrate reality. That is why the Church (rightly) established holidays such as Easter, Good Friday and Christmas, which tell the story of the work of the Son of God. In the day era we do not celebrate the events of the night period. We talk about the reality that the shadows pointed to.
13. The history of ancient Israel is our history, the history of the Church. Our fathers came out of Egypt and passed through the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). Moses is the spiritual father of the Church, not of modern Judaism. Moses was a Christian (Heb. 11), and those who traveled with him ate spiritual food and drank from the spiritual rock that was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). Moses believed in Christ revealed in figures and symbols.
14. The God of modern Judaism (one-person) and the God of the Bible (Trune) are not the same God. Whoever does not have the Son does not have the Father (1 John 2:23).
Jesus told the Jews (Pharisees) who did not believe in Him:
"You are doing the deeds of your father. And they said to him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, God. Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me; for I came from God, and here I am. For I am not alone. I came not on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Because you cannot listen to my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not abide in the truth, because it was not in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own account; for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:41-44).
Some people like to talk about and preach about God's love; however, He is a God of wrath as well. As you stated God hate sin and He is no respecter of persons. That is why judgement begins with the people of God first., He will not be mocked. Thanks for this on-time message.
That was brilliant, Jim. I always appreciate the fact that you support your statements with scripture and logic.
While I have personally devolved from being a born-again Christian to a gnostic (and more recently a Daoist), I can accept the fact that there are certain things that YHWH hates - the destruction of children as a sacrifice to Moloch, the worship of idols, sexual perversion, theft, murder, lying, and a host of other things that make no sense to us.
It seems incredible that God would support Jacob's theft of Esau's birthright or that God would kill every firstborn in Egypt.
Abel gave God a sacrifice of meat that was accepted. Cain gave vegetables and was rejected. This should provide grist for the current debate regarding the efficacy of protein over fiber and carbohydrates.
GENUINE ISRAEL
1. God has always had and has one people: the Church (Ecclesia). In the Old Testament it was Israel, in the era of the New Covenant it is New Israel: the multinational Universal Church in which the division into Jew and Greek has been abolished. This means continuity and continuation of the one people of God.
2. The purpose of Israel in the Old Testament was to bring God's light to the nations, to be God's postman who was to bring the Abrahamic blessing to other nations. Unfortunately, Israel betrayed its calling and rejected both the prophets and the Messiah, and therefore also Abraham and Moses, who spoke about Christ (Luke 24:44).
3. God does not honor origins and nationality. The greater light and knowledge (Law, temple, circumcision, priesthood...) that Israel received meant greater responsibility and greater judgment - in case of apostasy. This also applies to the Church (1 Pet. 4:17).
4. There is no inheritance, promise, or spiritual blessing outside of Christ, outside the context of the relationship with Him that we enter into by faith. Being united with Christ, we receive all the spiritual blessings of heaven. Apart from Christ, we inherit no promises. Except of hell.
5. The spiritual offspring of Abraham are those who have the faith of Abraham and therefore trust in Jesus (Gal. 3:27-29). Only this bond and this lineage have saving significance.
6. The prophecies regarding the rebuilding of David's tabernacle were fulfilled in the New Testament church (Acts 15:15-19). The prophecies of a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah (and a new heart) were fulfilled in the New Testament church (Hebrews 8:7-13). The Church is the Israel of God.
7. The prophecies regarding the destruction and rebuilding of the new temple were fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Christ. He is God's temple - the place where God meets man. There will be no other - accepted by God.
8. The creation of the state of Israel has nothing to do with biblical prophecies. The prophecies regarding Israel's return to the land were fulfilled during their return from the Babylonian captivity and involved repentance and conversion. There are no promises outside the context of conversion and faith in God. The establishment of the State of Israel was not associated with the conversion of Jews to Jesus and spiritual rebirth. God does not honor or reward unbelief.
9. Our older brothers in faith are not the Jews, but all those (Jews and non-Jews) who trusted in God. Our spiritual ancestors are Abel, Noah, Abraham, Rahab, Moses, Ruth, Samuel, David, not the Pharisees and scribes.
10. The Bible is against all forms of discrimination, so as Christians we should clearly condemn anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.
11. The New Testament teaches about one people of God, which is the multinational Church. Therefore, the Bible does not know the concept of "Messianic Church" or "Messianic Jews". However, there are Christians of Jewish, Greek, Polish, etc. origin. All of them should join local churches composed of Christians of various origins.
12. The divine institutions of the Church composed of Jews and non-Jews are Baptism and Communion. In the New Covenant we do not celebrate the Old Testament holidays because they all typologically foreshadowed the *future* work of the Messiah. After the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ, we do not return to the shadows. We celebrate reality. That is why the Church (rightly) established holidays such as Easter, Good Friday and Christmas, which tell the story of the work of the Son of God. In the day era we do not celebrate the events of the night period. We talk about the reality that the shadows pointed to.
13. The history of ancient Israel is our history, the history of the Church. Our fathers came out of Egypt and passed through the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). Moses is the spiritual father of the Church, not of modern Judaism. Moses was a Christian (Heb. 11), and those who traveled with him ate spiritual food and drank from the spiritual rock that was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). Moses believed in Christ revealed in figures and symbols.
14. The God of modern Judaism (one-person) and the God of the Bible (Trune) are not the same God. Whoever does not have the Son does not have the Father (1 John 2:23).
Jesus told the Jews (Pharisees) who did not believe in Him:
"You are doing the deeds of your father. And they said to him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, God. Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me; for I came from God, and here I am. For I am not alone. I came not on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Because you cannot listen to my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not abide in the truth, because it was not in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own account; for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:41-44).
Some people like to talk about and preach about God's love; however, He is a God of wrath as well. As you stated God hate sin and He is no respecter of persons. That is why judgement begins with the people of God first., He will not be mocked. Thanks for this on-time message.
That was brilliant, Jim. I always appreciate the fact that you support your statements with scripture and logic.
While I have personally devolved from being a born-again Christian to a gnostic (and more recently a Daoist), I can accept the fact that there are certain things that YHWH hates - the destruction of children as a sacrifice to Moloch, the worship of idols, sexual perversion, theft, murder, lying, and a host of other things that make no sense to us.
It seems incredible that God would support Jacob's theft of Esau's birthright or that God would kill every firstborn in Egypt.
Abel gave God a sacrifice of meat that was accepted. Cain gave vegetables and was rejected. This should provide grist for the current debate regarding the efficacy of protein over fiber and carbohydrates.
Righteous, brother⚔️
Love the sinner hate the sin.