Shalom Fellow Zionist Israelite,
The thought that
led to this greeting focused on the Christian Zionists; those who have a heart
for the Messiah of Israel, the land of Israel, Jerusalem, and the Jewish people. Why do I address you as a 'Zionist Israelite'? Very simply, because that is your new
identity in Messiah. But you might say, "I’m
not Jewish". True, you may not be Jewish.
The Jews who are Israelis live in the land of Israel and have an I.D. to
prove it. I know that this does not
answer your question as to how you, being a Christian, can be an Israelite.
Paul, the apostle,
itemizes in Romans 9 that which belongs to, or is the heritage of an Israelite:
“… to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and
the giving of the Torah and the temple service and the promises, whose are the
fathers, and from whom is the Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, God
blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 9:4-5).
Can any believer in
the Messiah of Israel and who has received the promise of the Holy Spirit claim
that list even though a non-Jew? The apostle answers this question for you in
the following scripture: “Therefore remember, that formerly [i.e. in the past] you [the
non-Jew in the flesh], who are called Uncircumcision by the so-called Circumcision,
which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- remember that you were at that
time separate from the Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel,
and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without
Elohim in the world. But now in Messiah Yeshua you who formerly were far off
have been brought near [you were far off but that is no
longer the case] by the blood of Messiah” (Ephesians 2:11-13 emphases
added).
How near is it to
be "grafted in" or "adopted"?
Now that you belong
to the commonwealth of Israel, you are in it.
If that is the case then the Romans 9 list includes you too. You cannot be adopted or grafted into the
rich root of the olive tree – Israel (ref. Romans 11) - and not be part of it, nor
can you be apart from it. The promise of
the Holy Spirit was given in the New Covenant to the House of Israel and the
House of Judah (see Jeremiah 31:31, Ezekiel 36:22-28). There is no mention of any other group of
people, unless you enter the covenant via the
blood of the covenant, as mentioned above. This is judicially true according to
the laws governing all the covenants and promises with and to an Israelite. One
of those on the list is “the adoption of sons”.
Are you not included in this through the redemption in Messiah Yeshua?
According to Luke
1:31, the House of Jacob is the only nation chosen to be the throne of Messiah as King. Before Yeshua’s return, His governmental
authority will already reside in the hearts of those who are "called"
and "chosen" (Romans 14:17). The
commonwealth of Israel at this time is to be found wherever two or three are
gathered in His (Yeshua's) Name. It is a heart matter as the roads to Zion (which
includes the land and its capital Jerusalem) go through the hearts of those who
come under His authority via the Holy Spirit. Thus, they are constituted legal
subjects in Yeshua's Kingdom, which is in the House of Jacob/Israel. Yeshua said: "For truly I say to you,
until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass
away from the Law [and the prophets], until all is accomplished” (Matthew
5:17-18). The Father raised Yeshua from
the dead and set Him at His right hand giving Him the authority to accomplish
all that has been written. Until we see “all
things spoken by the prophets of old fulfilled” Yeshua’s physical return
from the heavens to the earth will remain on hold (see Acts 3:19-21). "For
this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we
drift away from it" (Hebrews 2:1).
A true Zionist realizes
that the complete redemption of the land that Elohim gave Israel as an
inheritance must take place. Yeshua will not be satisfied until we, who are
called by His Name, are back living in all the lands promised to our
fathers. Whether you are of the natural
branch or are identified as being from the uncultivated/wild branch of the
olive tree, the calling and mission are the same. A true Zionist, whether Jew or non-Jew, cannot
escape the "deep calling to deep" when it comes to the fulfillment
of Elohim's Word spoken through the Torah and prophets of old.
We just completed
the lighting of all eight candles of Chanukah, in remembrance of those who gave
their lives for Zion, Jerusalem, the land, and the preservation of the national
identity, as mentioned in last week’s article. Let us, too, continue to walk on
the path toward the same goal – Zion.
May the Shalom of
Messiah rule your heart in 2025!
Ephraim and
Rimona
