See Part 1
Parting of the ways
The previous article outlined why this is the time in history for the family of God to become what the Apostle Paul called The One New Man. When Paul used this term in his Letter to the Ephesians, it was at the time when the Gospel began to go out into the Gentile world. Believers from nations other than the Jews were included in the family of faith in the God of Israel. No expectation had developed for what became the Christian Church to be a dominant entity, mostly separated from its Jewish foundation, made up of millions of believers in many denominational structures. The issue at that time was recognising the inclusion of a relatively small number of believing Gentiles along with Jewish believers in Yeshua HaMashiach in the one united body of faith.
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Unity of the faith
Paul used other imagery for the one body of believers, where he described those from the gentile world as grafted into the ancient olive tree, particularly in Romans Chapter 11.
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Likewise in the Book of Revelation, prior to the return of the Lord, the community of faith in Yeshua is described as the Bride making herself ready. Again, this is the picture of one body in unity waiting for the return of the Saviour.
An underlying emphasis to be considered, therefore, is the restoration of the body of believers to what Paul described in Ephesians 2.
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Prophetic signs
Over several decades since the restoration of the nation of Israel in 1948, there has been considerable growth in two ways. One is the large number of Jewish believers in Yeshua, who call themselves Messianic Jews rather than Christians. The other is the growing interest among Christians in what is called either the Jewish roots of the Christian Faith or the Hebraic foundations of the faith which explores the context and identity of our family of faith.
A third sign can be included – the turning of millions of Arabs and Muslims to faith in the Lord, after well over 1 000 years since the beginning of the expansion of Islam.
However, there are a number of contradictory ideas in the denominations of the Christian Church about End-Time prophecy. These ongoing contradictions and other divisions among Christians have the effect of taking attention away from the need of all believers to recognise the key issue in God’s prophetic purpose for the present time, that He is calling all His people to unity. If, as we have suggested, this unity can best be described as the One New Man being restored, all believers need to be considering what steps will make this vision a reality.
Establishing priorities
There is an increasing number of attempts to form Messianic communities, where Christians emphasise their support of Israel and seek to restore biblical customs, in harmony with Jews, that have eroded away over the centuries of the Christian denominations. Among these are:
The return to Torah foundations of Bible study.
Restoring the biblical feasts, including the Sabbath.
Use of Jewish symbols, including the seven-branch menorah, the Star of David, Tallit, and the shofar.
Study of the Hebrew language.
Restoring Hebraic terms and names, in order to convey a better understanding, including the Lord’s original name, Yeshua HaMashiach, the word torah instead of law, and Shabbat shalom as a sabbath greeting.
Study of Jewish literature.
Singing of hymns and songs with Jewish melodies and Hebraic lyrics.
Contact with and support of Messianic Jewish fellowships.
Visits to the land of Israel.
Study of the history of Israel and the Jews.
This list can be extended. It illustrates a shift by a growing number of Christians to live lives that conform to the pattern of Jewish life, especially Messianic Jewish life, often dropping the term Christian in favour of Messianic believer. It also brings us to the question as to what the priorities are, if Christians across the world and the body of Messianic Jews are to truly become the One New Man prior to the Lord’s return.
A second list could be compiled of the priorities among Christians, including evangelism, mission and social work in the community. Where there is Bible study, it predominantly conforms with denominational theological positions. All these things, including the list above have much benefit, but if we are called to a new unity across the entire body of believers worldwide, where do we begin?
Testing of prophecy
First, if this is indeed such a prophetic moment, the prophecy must be tested. This is best accomplished by making the subject high on the list for prayer, discussion, study and teaching in all our fellowships. A starting point for these discussions is consideration of the historical journey that began with the early days of the One New Man described by Paul, that gradually separated from its foundations. In the first century AD, there was a sect of Jews into which believers from the Gentile world were included. In our day this has separated into many distinct communities. We therefore ask what the way of restoration and reconciliation is.
Heart intent
Before attempts are made to redefine our common faith, a period of repentance and prayer will surely be required regarding this important issue, so that there will arise a fresh and clear desire for unity across all believers. In particular we must tackle the question of identity which led to many Christians believing that God finished with the Jews long ago. Indeed, we must consider all bias which is denominational as well as international.
Only then do we come to envision what the One New Man will be.
But care must follow. All too quickly we can draw up our list of aspirations for the common characteristics that will define our unity, such as in the above lists. All of the items in the lists can be worthy goals, but we all too easily miss the central and foundational priority.
Identifying the One New Man
Whoever we are, whether Jew or Gentile, our central point of unity is our belief that Yeshua gave Himself as a sacrifice for us so that we are now equally and wonderfully members of the one family of God. It is not that Jews must become Christians, as it were, when they become believers in the Jewish Messiah, or that Christians convert to Judaism to express their common faith. It is that we move on to live together as the one international body of believers in the harmony of our common faith. We are to be one in the Holy Spirit whom the Father sent to teach us about our Saviour and enable us to grow into this maturity. If this is not foundational, all else can be superficial.
Learning from Each Other
Learning together, communicating with one another, expressing our faith so that the world around sees clearly that we are one body, is a journey that we can begin afresh. A starting point is to study the New Covenant as fulfilment of the Old Covenant in a more continuous way than many Christians are taught. There is much wonderful and mutual richness in Jewish and Gentile believers studying and praying together, especially when there is so much to communicate through literature and via the ease of international means of communication as well as getting together in physical groups.
Unity a Vibrant Reality
There must be consequences of the quest for unity in the common faith. Mainly this is for all believers to be perceived as united and not following quite different religions, especially when some branches of Christianity appear, to many outside the faith, to be worshipping a different God from the God of Israel. It is here that a list such as the one above begins to find relevance and will lead to much study and discussion. We must be a living witness to being a united body.
Far from being a lifeless theological academic journey, this is a journey of finding the joy of the Lord on a fresh exploration of our common heritage. By contrast to living within a philosophical worldview, the common heritage of all believers is the walk of faith, Hebraic and not Greek by nature. It will not happen overnight, but it can begin with us.
God’s timing
The central point of this and the previous article is the understanding that in our present era, whatever otherwise is happening in the world, God’s purpose in these last days is to unite all believers into what the Apostle Paul termed the One New Man. Hopefully, this will bring forth considerable response as this prophecy is tested.
Please note that this is not a call to cease all the many fruitful avenues of ministry of believers, but to recognise the present prophetic priority of God for His people to unite and be a living witness of their unity. Indeed, this may be the foundation on which a last great revival will take place. Remember Jesus’ words, By this, all will know you are my people if you have love for one another. — John 13:35. This call to unity may well be in a world that is generally falling away from faith in the living God. As tribulation in this world increases, this is our opportunity to prepare in unity for our Lord’s return.
Can we miss this call? Let’s compare it with the prophetic move to re-establish Israel as a nation following the Second World War. This has been a very difficult path, from the beginning of the Zionist movement through the Balfour Declaration, the Holocaust of the Second World War, and the continuing resistance within the Land and from many nations. Without clear prophetic insight, courage and a resolve to accomplish God’s will, it may be a comparable struggle to unite the body of believers. We must not be lukewarm or resistant to the will of God.
Attitude of heart and mind
The body of believers is scattered across the world. Whether Jew or Gentile, we might ask how we can be in contact with one another in such a way that our unity is established in practical ways. Even if we live in places remote from others, the heart principle of unity is important, recognising that we are all, as true believers in our Lord, in the one covenant family of God. Even if we cannot easily be unified in practical ways, we can develop a mindset and an attitude of heart and conversation that includes one another from every nation, tribe and tongue as equal members of the One New Man, speaking well of one another, praying for one another, understanding one another, looking for opportunities to express our unity. This is a manifestation of unity in the Spirit according to the picture that Paul gave in Romans 11, using the olive tree as a metaphorical picture.
One final point for this short article is how unity in the faith between Jewish and Gentile believers will bring a balanced perspective on support for Israel more generally. Our support is not to be based on a political argument. Indeed, this is not to do with advocating unity with the political nation of Israel. It must be based on our understanding of God’s prophetic purposes in the End Times. Indeed, peace between Arabs and Jews will only be secure through unity in the Holy Spirit by faith in the God of Israel and His Son, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah).
- Dr Clifford Denton has written extensively on matters relating to the Hebraic foundations of the Christian faith and teaches a number of related courses. With a background at the Bible College of Wales, as well as other ministries, he and his wife Sally currently lead the Tishrei Bible School in Kent (www.tishrei.org) which aims to encourage Christian families to rediscover the Hebraic roots of their faith.
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