Restoration of all things 12

MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 1 When our spirits resonate with truth we will discover that there are many wonders beyond those specifically mentioned in the Bible We are walking with God on a relational journey to discover more about Him and ourselves and what our role is in restoration We have the Holy Spirit of Truth in us and with us as our guide We have Jesus, the way, truth and life, in us and with us to disciple us We have our loving Father in us and with us to Father us into sonship Agape love should be what we use to measure and test everything against If you don’t resonate with anything on the journey, park it and continue to pursue the truth with God directly There are many things that I don’t yet fully understand cognitively but that does not necessarily make them wrong There have been many things that I was convinced were true that I now realise were merely man’s opinions and ideas The 4 streams of thought that are converging into one mighty river are: Mystic sonship, Realised eschatology, Universal reconciliation, Energy frequency healing We are going to cover the other 3 streams in this module as the mystic stream is the focus of the whole EG programme The fruit of the poisoned tree of Brethrenism includes: · The rapture deception · The millennium deception · The Zionist deception · The dispensationalism deception · The cessationist deception The judgment of the second coming ended the old covenant religious system Destroyed the old temple wineskin system Removed the separation and partition between Jew and Gentile Established one new man in Christ All of the types and shadows of the old covenant, Israel and the land have been fulfilled spiritually and literally in Jesus and the new covenant 2 Cor 1:20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. This issue is probably one of the greatest distractions to the restoration of all things Are there 2 peoples of God? Is Israel as a nation still God’s people? Is the restoration of Israel as a nation a fulfilment of prophecy? What is the origin of modern day Israel? Who engineered the formation of the state of Israel? Do all Jewish people support the Zionist view of Israel as a Jewish homeland? There is very technical biblical language that it is difficult for most Christians to understand What was Israel? And who were Israelites? This terminology changed through history to mean different things MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 2 Originally the actual sons of Israel became the 12 tribes Jacob adopted Joseph’s 2 sons Ephraim and Manasseh and gave them birthright Later, after Solomon, Israel became a separate nation with only 10 tribes Separated from Judah, which included the tribe of Benjamin What was Judah? And therefore who are Jews? Are the Jews from the tribe of Judah and Benjamin different from Israel? Who came back after the Babylonian exile? Only Judah returned: the other tribes are known as lost. The scriptural basis for the idea of “10 Lost Tribes” is 2 Kings 17:6: “In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.” When the land of Israel was apportioned among the tribes in the days of Joshua, the Tribe of Levi, being chosen as priests, did not receive land (Joshua 13:33, 14:3). However, the tribe of Levi were given 48 cities in total (Num 35). The Jewish historian Josephus (37–100 CE) wrote that “the ten tribes are beyond the Euphrates till now” They did not return to the Promised Land, therefore technically it was not Israel but Judea; and they were different nations with common ancestry In Jesus day there were Jews and Samaritans Samaritans claim they are Israelite descendants of the Northern Israelite tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, who survived the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. When the ten tribes were carried away into captivity to Assyria, the king of Assyria sent people from Cutha, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim to inhabit Samaria (2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2-11). These foreigners intermarried with the Israelite population that was still in and around Samaria. Matt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matt 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” God stripped that right to the name ‘Israel’ from them because of their unbelief and idolatry In effect, for rejecting Jesus, the true God of Israel, the term ‘Israel’ is no longer applicable in the same national sense that it was used in the Old Testament. The prophets, in relation to the Messiah coming, prophesied to the house of Israel and the House of Judah – and to a remnant only In Christ all the families of the earth are included in the new covenant fulfilment of all the prophetic promises The Chosen Remnant – the Overcomers There is a difference between Israel and the chosen remnant. Though Israel as a nation was “chosen,” this did not mean that every Israelite individual was “chosen” by virtue of being a physical Israelite. Paul makes this very clear by quoting from Isaiah MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 3 Romans 9:27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved” God’s purpose in scattering Israel was pictured in Hosea’s son, Jezreel. Jezreel means “God scatters,” or “God sows.” God scattered the seed in order to sow it in the earth to reap a greater harvest. God’s purpose was to sow Israel in the field (“the world” – Matt. 13:38) in order to reap a greater harvest. Those scattered Israelites did indeed multiply by the millions. But only “the remnant” came to believe in Jesus Christ Only a remnant, then, can truly be called “Israelites.” The rest were blinded. Nonetheless, all will ultimately be drawn to Christ John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. Jesus will indeed draw all men to Himself in the restoration of all things. I totally disagree with Christian Zionists who say that Jews are more chosen than Christians themselves. We are all called to know our identity as children of God but only some have yet chosen to respond in this age In one sense, Jewish people are privileged, in that the oracles of God were first entrusted to them (Rom. 3:1, 2), and in later years the Gospel went to them first. The church has not replaced Israel or Judah but is the true continuation of the people of God by faith The fact is that for many fundamental evangelicals, Israel has replaced the church in a kind of reverse replacement. For them the kingdom is the future for Israel in a literal 1000 years not the present reality for us that Jesus said it is: “at hand/with us/in us” Who has a claim to the land? Who does the Bible says are Jews under the old and new covenants? Who are Jews in todays understanding? Who are the inheritors of the promises of God to Abraham? Has the spiritual superseded the natural? Jewish people include three groups: People who were born to a Jewish family People who have some Jewish ancestral background or lineage (sometimes including those who do not have strictly matrilineal descent) People without any Jewish ancestral background or lineage who have formally converted to Judaism and therefore are followers of the religion The term “Jew” is a shortened form of Judean or Judahite. The Hebrew term is Yehudi, “of Judah.” The Greek term is Ioudeos, “Judean.” The meaning of this term has changed over the years. The first time the Bible uses the term is found in 2 Kings 16:5-6 2 Kings 16:6 At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram, and cleared the Judeans [“Jews” in KJV] out of Elath entirely; and the Arameans came to Elath, and have lived there to this day. MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 4 In the above passage, the king of Israel had become an ally with the king of Syria (Aram). Together they laid siege to Jerusalem, the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. It was during this time that Syria and Israel drove the Jews (i.e. Judeans) from Elath. The passage shows clearly that Israel and Judah were not the same nation. Some years earlier, after the death of Solomon, the ten tribes of Israel had revolted from the rule of Solomon’s son and had formed their own nation called “Israel.” Later (745-721 B.C.) the ten tribes of the House of Israel were taken captive by Assyria, and they never returned. The prophets spoke much about the House of Israel and its ultimate restoration, but we must keep in mind that they were speaking of the “lost” tribes of Israel, not the nation of Judah (“Jews”). This distinction is extremely important, because many Christians today are told that the Jews are Israel and that the prophecies regarding the restoration of Israel are being fulfilled by the Jews in the Israeli state. This is not the case, regardless of the fact that they call themselves “Israel.” During the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, David, and Solomon, Judah was one of the tribes of Israel. The term Yehudi (“Jew”) during those days would have referred to a member of that tribe, most of whom were descendants of the patriarch by that name, Judah, the son of Jacob-Israel. But when the nation was divided, the term came to include the tribe of Benjamin that remained united with Judah. Thus, instead of the term being strictly a tribal name, it now became a national term that included Benjamin as well as the Levites who lived in Judah. The meaning thus broadened, and the prophets of the divided kingdom used the term with that broadened meaning. After the House of Judah was taken to Babylon (604-586 B.C.), the term Yehudi could no longer be used strictly as a national term, for the nation had been destroyed. We find in the book of Esther that the term had taken on a more religious meaning. You could become a Jew by the choice to accept the religion: it was no longer just by direct, tribal lineage Esther 8:17 And in each and every province, and in each and every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree arrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them. Obviously, those who “became Jews” were not lineal descendants of Judah, the patriarch, nor had they been citizens of the Kingdom of Judah. They were Persians, or at least Persian subjects, who converted to Judaism at that time. A few centuries later, the Maccabean Jews conquered their neighbours and forced them to either convert to Judaism or to face exile. Most of them chose to convert, and they too became Jews. This occurred primarily around 126 B.C. The Edomites were conquered by John Hyrcanus, who forcibly converted them to Judaism, and from then on they constituted a part of the Jewish people, Herod being one of their descendants. MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 5 During Titus’ siege of Jerusalem, they marched in to reinforce the extreme elements, killing all they suspected of peace tendencies. Immediately before the siege of Jerusalem, 20,000 Idumeans (Edomites), under the leadership of John, Simeon, Phinehas, and Jacob, appeared before Jerusalem to fight on behalf of the zealots who were besieged in the Temple (Josephus, B.J. iv. 4, par. 5). These were the terrorists in the first century A.D., the most radical element in Judaism, the Zealots, whose actions incited Rome to destroy Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D The Zealots and Edomites were both violent groups and kindred spirits. They were even willing to kill peace-loving Jews to force their revolutions upon others. These traits were to reappear This same spirit of terrorism was revived in the early 1900’s largely through Vladimir Jabotinsky with his violent brand of Zionism. Once again, they were willing to assassinate more peace-loving Jews (and anyone else who stood in their way) to accomplish their purpose. From the perspective of the Christians (including Paul) the branch of unbelieving Jews had been cut off from the tree of life so they no longer had the right before God to call themselves Jews. Only those Judahites who accepted the Mediator of the New Covenant, the King of Judah, could lawfully claim to be Judahites (i.e., Judeans, or Jews). John also confirms this truth that they were no longer Jews. John says in Rev 2:9 I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Rev 3:9 Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie – behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you. John would no doubt be called anti-Semitic today We have established that the church has not replaced Israel (the people of God) from a Biblical perspective but the true Israel or people of God is now all believers who are the one new man in Christ No replacement theology but a continuation of what was always true only by faith alone. What was replaced was the old covenant that was fulfilled in the new Those who adhered to the Old Covenant by means of outward circumcision were depending upon an obsolete, conditional Covenant that had been broken and abolished. The only way to have a Covenant relationship with God is through the New Covenant, whose sign was the inner circumcision of the heart; thus becoming as Paul says a “true Jew” – a spiritual, not natural, title Remember, Paul was clarifying the issues in that generation’s confusion Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit… MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 6 Phil 3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, Paul would also no doubt have been called anti-Semitic today! The New Covenant has superseded the Old Covenant. Hebrews 8:13 When He said, A new covenant, He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. It is strange that in the past few decades Messianic Judaism has promoted this idea that the true Jews (followers of Jesus, King of Judah) ought to be grafted back into the dead fig tree that God cut off nearly 2,000 years ago for its lawlessness. The basic error of Messianic Judaism is that they want to replace the good figs with the bad figs. This is their brand of replacement theology. They call the bad figs “God’s chosen people,” and then attempt to identify with their religious practices The book of Hebrews was written to show that, as Christians, we have something better than Judaism has to offer. We have a better covenant, a better priesthood, a better temple, and better sacrifices. To revert back to the old rabbinic traditions of Judaism, by which they made void the law of God, is an apostasy Paul calls the Galatians ‘foolish’ for being deceived into doing just that Gal 3:1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? So in conclusion, we see man’s definition of a “Jew” is different from God’s definition. Man defines a Jew as one who submits to the rabbis of Judaism or the priests of Levi who reject Jesus Christ. God defines a Jew as one who submits to Jesus, the King of Judah, who is also the High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek. What is the ethnic origin of those calling themselves Jewish today? Are they Semites from the genetic lineage of Abraham? Do they actually have direct claim by genetics to the land, even if they don’t spiritually or biblically? Today, there are hundreds of thousands of black Jews in New York City, Chicago, and other cities, as well as Japanese Jews who are racially Japanese, Chinese Jews who are racially Chinese, and so on – along with the so-called “white Jews” of Europe. It would be highly improbable that all these Jews came from the same racial stock. Through intermarriage, of course, it is possible that many may have a few genes from Abraham, but they are anything but a “pure race,” as many Christians today mistakenly believe. The Chazars voluntarily converted to Judaism: 740 A.D. The Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe have been identified by many Jewish historians as TurkishMongolian converts to Judaism in the eighth century. MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 7 These were not converted forcibly, but their conversion was to a religion that had already rejected Jesus Christ. While their conversion from paganism might be considered to be an improvement in their social life, it did not put them into a covenant relationship with God. The Old Covenant had already been made obsolete by the New Covenant (Heb 8:13). The Chazars were, sadly grafted into the branch of a dead tree. They had no claim to the promises of God or to the Promised Land Perhaps if Christians in those days had manifested the character of Jesus Christ to them, and the power of the Holy Spirit, they might have chosen to convert to Christ rather than a dead religion. The entire story of their conversion is told in The Jewish Encyclopedia under the heading, Chazars. It is the first article in Volume IV The article opens with the statement: “CHAZARS: A people of Turkish origin whose life and history are interwoven with the very beginnings of the history of the Jews of Russia.” Who is A Jew? The article in The Jewish Encyclopedia is complete with pictures of the Jewish Kingdom of Chazaria (or Khazaria, Gazaria), extending from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea and north to Poland. The Ashkenazim comprise the majority of “white Jews” today. Khazaria was finally wiped out by the forces of Genghis Khan, but evidence indicates that the Khazars themselves migrated to Poland and formed “the cradle of Western Jewish religion.” This is to point out what is said by Jewish writers to establish the simple fact that the Jews are not “the purest race in the world,” as many Christians have been taught. The fact is that Judaism includes people of all races, and all of these are commonly called “Jews.” Furthermore, the Israeli state also recognizes people of all races as Jews and has extended to them the right of automatic citizenship. The Chazar branch is today called the Ashkenazim to distinguish them from the Sephardim, or “Spanish” Jews. The Sephardim are descended primarily from the Jews of Judah and Edom that were expelled from Palestine by the Romans. However, the Ashkenazim come originally from the area of southern Russia, and the bulk of Jewish immigrants to the Israeli state in the past century are Ashkenazim. The Khazars are Jews, by man’s definition of what a Jew is But a physically circumcised adherent of the Old Covenant is not a Jew in the eyes of God: a true Jew is a follower of Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant. Conversion to Judaism does not change their fleshly status, nor does it make them “chosen.” If the nation of Kenya or China were to convert to Judaism, that would not give them a God-given right to immigrate to Palestine and displace the Palestinians Perhaps the Church has mistakenly identified the Jews as Israel? Their lack of repentance and refusal to this day to accept Jesus as the Messiah fulfils Jesus’ curse on the fig tree in Matt. 21:19, where He said that no fruit would ever grow on that tree again. MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 8 All the exiles and re-gatherings were types and shadows of the Father’s desire to restore all His children to their position of sonship All must come to the Father through Jesus the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah God never intended exclusivity Early on in Israel’s redemptive history we see God forming a Jew/Gentile nation/inheritance that inherited the land and became as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Ultimately, Jesus and the one new man Church fulfil Abraham’s seed promises (Gal 3). Moses, Joshua, Ezra and Nehemiah were types of Messiah/Jesus delivering His people out from two exodus periods, marked by 40 and 70 years David and Solomon were types of Messiah/Jesus’ fulfilling the Davidic promises, reigning from AD 30 – AD 70 to bring peace to His people and so enter His rest. In the origin and early history of the Jews, it is clear that in the course of their formation as a people and a nation they had already assimilated a variety of racial strains from people moving into the general area they occupied. This had taken place by interbreeding and then by conversion to Judaism of a considerable number of communities… “Thus, the diversity of the racial and genetic attributes of various Jewish colonies of today renders any unified racial classification of them a contradiction in terms” Yet they have tried to convince the world that they, and they alone, have the exclusive racial rights to the Old Covenant ancient land and boundaries of Israel. Since most Christians do not know these truths and simply follow others’ teachings, promoted by the Scofield Reference Bible (poisoned fruit of Brethrenism), instead of engaging the Truth for themselves, they are easily deceived When you present these historical and genetic facts today, you are called “anti-Semitic“, when the reality is they aren’t even really “Jewish”! by ethnicity God loves everyone, so we should do the same, keeping our hearts right when accused of heresy The facts are those Zionist “Jews” in Israel today simply are not true racial Israelites, let alone “God’s chosen people” (no matter how one looks at it – historically, genetically, or when one correctly exegetes the Scriptures). The Abrahamic Covenant After the rebellion at the Tower of Babel the people were judged and divided into 70 (Genesis 10- 11). God in effect disinherited them and would eventually start over by making one nation His inheritance and heritage. It would be through Abraham’s seed (and the formation of a covenant made with national Israel) that Messiah and salvation would come – in order to reconcile the nations to Himself once again. To be a light to the nations (Gentiles) We can see demonstrated how the OT and NT see this process being played out through physical Old Covenant Israel being blessed “in the land” to her Messianic NC spiritual NT fulfilment realized “in Christ.” MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 9 MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 10 The Abrahamic Promise In Genesis and Exodus God promises Abraham that through his descendants He would · form a great nation · give them a land · bless the nations (Gentiles). Promise 1: Great Nation God promised Abraham that through him he would form a great nation – to be as numerous as the stars in the sky, the dust of the earth, and as numerous as sand on the seashore. Genesis 46:3 – God tells Jacob or Israel to ‘not be afraid to go down to Egypt,’ because He was going to ‘make him a great nation there.’ Fulfilment: Deuteronomy 10:22 – Here we read of the fulfilment, “Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the Lord has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.” The NT confirms this: Acts 7:17 “But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt.” Heb. 11:11-12 even Sarah received ability to conceive… since she considered Him faithful who had promised; therefore, also, there was born of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. While this promise was physically fulfilled under the Mosaic Old Covenant, the NT writers inform us that it would be fully fulfilled in Christ forming the Church as His new ‘nation.’ In AD 70 he ‘took’ the kingdom from physical Israel and ‘gave it’ to ‘another nation’ – which is the spiritual New Covenant ‘elect nation’ or ‘Israel of God’ (cf. Mt 21:43-45; 1 Pet 2:9; Gal 6:16). It is through this ‘nation’ or ‘New Jerusalem’ ‘from above’ that the gospel of Christ is preached and flows – healing and reconciling the rest of the nations of the world back to Himself (cf. Gal 4:21-31; Heb 11-13:14 YLT; Rev 21-22:17). Promise 2: A land God promised Abraham that through his descendants he would inherit a land. Genesis 15:18 – Here we learn what the boundaries of the land promise entailed, “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.’” Talmudic Zionists and Evangelical Zionists argue: Since Israel never inherited all the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants, we need to financially and politically support modern Israel in taking as much of it back (even if this means military action and killing Christian Arabs). Fulfilment Joshua 21:43-45 – “So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” 1 Kings 4:20-21 – “The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore (this means he understood this to be a fulfilment of the Abrahamic promise); they ate, they drank MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 11 and they were happy. “And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.” 2 Samuel 8:3-4 – We learn that King David, “went to restore his control along the Euphrates River” which means the kingdom had extended this far north. 1 Kings 8:56: “Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.” Nehemiah 9:7-8, 24: “You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. 24 “You have kept your promise because you are righteous.” “Their children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased.” Again, the physical Old Covenant blessing of being ‘in the land’ of Israel was typological pointing to the ultimate blessing of being spiritually ‘in Christ’ in the New Covenant Israel of God (the Church). Fighting wars over sacred space such as modern ‘Israel,’ or ‘Jerusalem’ is completely unbiblical. Not only is financially supporting Israel in their killing and theft of land unbiblical, it creates problems for us and others in the region. If we support and give Israel all of her land ambitions, this would consume Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc… Promise 3: The Seed Promise The NT writers make the case that the seed promise made to Abraham is fulfilled ‘in Christ’ and the Church: Acts 3:25-26 – “It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, `And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one [of you] from your wicked ways.” Acts 13:32-33,38 – “we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus… that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” Galatians 3:8-9 – “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations shall be blessed in you.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.” Galatians 3:18 – For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. That land ‘inheritance’ ‘promise’ comes through having faith in the seed of Messiah: Galatians 3:29 – if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. Paul affirms that all of the OT promises of God are ‘yes and amen’” ‘in Christ’ (2 Cor. 1:20). MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 12 All the promises of God find in him their unchangeable fulfilment. He was ‘a minister to confirm the promises’ alike to the Jews and the Gentiles (Romans 15:8, 9); and ‘the promise of the eternal inheritance’ can only be fulfilled in him (Hebrews 9:15). God placed Old Covenant Israel at the centre of the Gentile nations as a light to those outside the covenant with Abraham. God was never exclusive but always inclusive; not so the religious leaders in Jesus’ day But even in the OT, Gentiles were allowed to partake in covenant with God – being circumcised, worshipping Jehovah through the sacrificial system, and even living and inheriting the land God promised to Israel. The Exodus was not just to deliver Israel from the bondage of Egypt, but to demonstrate God’s power and glory to all nations and have His name ‘proclaimed in all the earth’ (Exodus 9:14, 16). In chapter twelve we learn that some Egyptians did see God’s power and believed in Jehovah and formed the ‘mixed multitude [that] went up with’ the children of Israel (Ex. 12:38). Therefore, they along with Israel, experienced deliverance from Pharaoh at the Red Sea. They were present at the giving of the law when God shook Mount Sinai. They were with the Hebrews when together they were ‘baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea’, eating from the same manna and drinking from the same water which flowed from the rock (both of which pointed to Messiah/Christ John 6; 1 Cor. 10:1-4, 11). They along with the Hebrews came ‘out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt’ and became for the LORD ‘…a people of inheritance’ (cf. Deut. 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Jer. 11:4). It was a common practice in Israel that an adopted heir could inherit the land: A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causes shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren (Proverbs 17:2). Even a famous ‘Jewish’ Rabbi, Rashi, comments on this verse: “A righteous proselyte is better than a wicked person who was home born, and in the future, he will share the spoils and the inheritance among the children of Israel, as it is said (Ezek. 47:23): ‘And it shall be, in whatever tribe the stranger will live, etc.…’” Ezekiel 47:21-23 is referring first to the scattered remnant of the 12 Tribes of Israel and believing Gentiles inheriting the land under Ezra and Nehemiah after a second exodus from the 70 years of Babylonian captivity. Gentiles inheriting the land was consistent within the law of Moses: “When an alien lives with you in your land, do no mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God” (Lev. 19:33-34). Therefore, even early on, God sees believing Gentiles as ‘a people of inheritance’ partaking in Israel’s deliverance, redemption, and salvation promises which help create a covenant people in the land, ‘as numerous as the sand on the seashore’ They participated in the fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant. Both believing Jews and Gentiles were involved in helping rebuild Jerusalem’s walls and build up the Temple during the restoration leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 13 The NT point: this all served as typological fulfilments of what God was going to do spiritually in gathering believing Jews and Gentiles ‘in Christ’ under Messiah and building up His spiritual Temple in the coming New Covenant age. What should the true Church do today? Prepare for the manifestation of the sons of God and the restoration of all things. Engage God and legislate that all of our eyes will be opened to the truth of restoration. Legislate for all religious deception to be exposed by the light of truth, only seen in face to face relationship with the Father Focus on all the children of God throughout the world and do not be deceived by the Zionist agenda The time has come to support the real Jews, not merely those who say they are Jews (Rev 3:9). The time has come to support the true Israel of God, not its Zionist counterfeit. The time has come to follow Jesus Christ and see the restoration of all things in Jesus We can engage the followers of Judaism with the real good news that Jesus is the true Messiah and the truth that He has made access to a loving Father We need to unveil who the Father really is in contrast with the old covenant, religious, angry view Let’s make sure that we are not side-tracked by the Zionist agenda Let’s make sure that our kingdom role as sons and coheirs is not replaced by the deception of a future 1000-year kingdom for a restored Israel Rest is the key to restoration and revelation Start to focus on your breathing, slowing it down; and start thinking of the name of God, YHVH Breathe in deeply and exhale slowly: Yod Breathe in: Hei, and out: Vav Repeat: in Hei, out Yod, in Hei, and out Vav… Invite love, joy and peace to flow in you and through you to create an atmosphere of rest around you You are in a safe place Start to think of an open heaven and set your desire upon it Steps like Jacob’s ladder leading up to heaven Hear the invitation to come up here Shift focus of our mind Walk up those steps to the door Now step through the veil into the kingdom realm Jesus is standing in the doorway Present yourself to Jesus, your High Priest, as a living sacrifice Let Him take you by the hand Ask Him to reveal restoration and the oracles of the Father’s heart Ask Him to take you into the eternal now Ask Him to take you to the fire stones MODULE 12: THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS PART 2 SESSION 12 14 Jesus, please take each person and show them what they need to receive the mandate for restoration Go wherever He takes you Copyright ©2020 Freedom Apostolic Ministries Ltd., a not-for-profit company registered in England. All rights reserved.