Israel

The Great Assembly

The Great Assembly

The study of the church, including its nature, ordinances, ministries, mission, and governmental structure, is called Ecclesiology. Evolving from the Scottish word kirk, the English word “church” derived from the Greek Kuriakos, meaning “belonging to the Lord.” It is found only twice in the New Testament, an adjective applied to the Lord’s supper and the Lord’s day. The frequent word ekklesia was translated into the English expression “church” that we employ in the New Testament today. Neither Kuriakos nor ekklisa were used to refer to a building or place of gathering until the Greeks, in post-Apostolic times, substituted the term kuriakos, meaning “the Lord’s House,” to designate a church building. In the New Testament, the words used for a religious place of assembly are exclusively temple or synagogue.

God's Kingdom and The Restoration of Israel

God's Kingdom and The Restoration of Israel

There is something profound in the Lord’s eyes for those from Abraham’s natural lineage. Paul said, “Concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers” (Romans 11:28). This verse implies that Israel is elected (chosen) by God. Chosenness is deeply misunderstood. To be chosen means to be entrusted with a role, task, or mission more significant than your small self. Chosenness infers we have meaning, destiny, and a greater purpose that is God-given rather than self-motivated. Paul said, “For so the Lord has commanded us: I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). Divine election carried Israel to a whole new level, and she is beloved for the sake of the fathers. When God assigned Israel her purpose, she became the fulfillment of that purpose in the form of a nation, and her irrevocable calling was and is to be a light to the Gentiles.

Reconnecting The Church to Israel

Reconnecting The Church to Israel

Throughout history, the church has sought to understand Israel’s place in God’s Kingdom, and the re-establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 has made this issue even more pressing. But the separation of the church from its Hebraic origins drove it into a period of great darkness. This was only exacerbated by an abyss of unbelief and skepticism caused by “the Enlightenment” (Aufklarung in Germany) that had opened in the West, culminating in self-centeredness, self-worship, and a rise in humanism during the Renaissance.

Separation of The Church from Israel

Separation of The Church from Israel

God’s first and only covenant nation is Israel, and He called them His “firstborn son.” And Israel is the only nation He sovereignly chose to reveal Himself to, not a giant and mighty nation, but so insignificant they appeared to be nothing more than a small, powerless family. It says, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth” (Amos 3:2); “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7).

Israel's Covenants and The Kingdom

Israel's Covenants and The Kingdom

It can be said that Israel’s origins begin with Abraham, the father faith, as Paul, “It is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16). God desired that Abram become a source of blessing to the whole world, setting before him a moral imperative to obey His commandment to leave everything of this world behind. Nearly two thousand years before the Advent of Christ, the Lord God made a covenant with Abraham, promising to make of him a great nation and a company of nations: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3).

The Nature of Sin

The Nature of Sin

There are many expressions in the Bible that define sin. Some include: missing the mark or aim, overpassing or trespassing of a line (to transgress), disobedience to a voice, falling where one should have stood upright, ignorance of what one ought to have known, diminishing of that which should have been rendered in full measure, non-observance of a law, lawless or anarchy (complete disregard for the law), and debt, failure in duty, and not meeting one’s obligation to God. The Bible also uses iniquity, godlessness, wickedness, unbelief, unrighteousness, injustice, and unholiness to define sin.

Israel and The Church

Israel and The Church

The Lord spoke to Jacob, saying, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). Here in Genesis, for the first time, we hear the name “Israel” given by God Himself to Jacob, the patriarch of twelve sons who would become the twelve tribes of Israel.

Are We In The Kingdom?

Are We In The Kingdom?

Yeshua ministered throughout all Judea, Samaria, and the Galilee, saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). Was He inferring that the Kingdom of God had arrived and that we are now living in it? Not exactly.

Entering The Kingdom

Entering The Kingdom

The arrival of the Messiah and His death and resurrection is unquestionably the most significant event in human history. Jesus-Yeshua, the Son of God, was born of a woman conceived by the Holy Spirit. He lived a perfect and sinless life, and in God’s time, He gave His life to atone for the sins of humanity.

Are We Seeing the End?

Are We Seeing the End?

Are we seeing the end of the age, the days immediately before the tribulation and the return of Christ? Quite possibly. Previous generations thought they were living at the end, saying, “Look at all these wars and horrific events taking place. Certainly, the end is upon us.” And when Jesus did not return as expected, scoffers arose to criticize the church. So what has changed in this generation? We will find out.

The Great Exodus

The Great Exodus

One of the most profound stories in human history is how God miraculously delivered the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. At that moment, they became His people, heritage, and His Holy nation. Never had this happened to any group of people, and still, the Lord made a promise that one day He would do something even more spectacular and demonstratively powerful.