Dividing the Jewish pie into three pieces

Over the past 150 years some Protestant (and later Catholic) circles have focused a spotlight on the ‘fourfold gospel’ or the ‘full gospel.’ Born out of the Holiness and Nazarene movements, these groups include the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Assemblies of God, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and other Pentecostal groups. In the 1950’s an Armenian-American cattle rancher Demos Shakarian established Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International which helped to popularize the concept of ‘the full gospel.’

Each of these groups enthusiastically focused on the Gospel portrayals of Yeshua the Messianic King of Israel who came to the Jewish people with healing in His hands. Yeshua’s prophetic role of bringing purification to the sons of Levi and pouring out the Holy Spirit on Israel excited their vision. Their emphasis was to bring this message primarily to Gentiles. And for the past 100 years the term ‘full Gospel’ has conveyed this sense of Pentecostal and Charismatic worship and practice.

But let’s take a minute to apply the term ‘full gospel’ to a specifically Hebrew context. That term may actually help us to better understand YHVH’s multifaceted heart, purpose and plan for His Jewish people. The divine strategy emphasizes that there are three essential and distinct steps in Israel’s restoration. Each step is necessary. Each step is interrelated to the other two. No step is to be left out, and no step should be overemphasized. Ezekiel 37:1-14 sums up these three prophetic steps – this ‘full Jewish gospel’ – in a dramatic and poetic way.

Step one – the return to the Land of Israel

“Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says YHVH God, Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel’” (Ezekiel 37:12). In verses 9 and 11, the Jewish people are described as “these slain” who mournfully confess “Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished! We are completely cut off.”

On January 27 there is a yearly commemoration of the six million Jews who were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust. That was the day when the Nazi death camp Auschwitz was liberated by Russian troops. One out of every three Jews on the planet was murdered by the Nazi empire – six million out of eighteen million. The survivors of the Holocaust – the entire Jewish people – could well identify with Ezekiel’s confession that our bones are shriveled up and all our hopes have perished.

YHVH promises to take this ‘slain people’ and bring them back into the Land of Israel. We who are living today are eye-witnesses of this continuing process. The Jewish people have returned to Israel, are returning there as we speak, and will make a full return in days soon to come.

The return of the Jewish people to their Israeli homeland is an ongoing work of God in our day. It deserves our full encouragement and support. It is one of the three steps of restoration – one of the three pieces of the pie. It is not the whole pie. But it is an amazing prophetic piece of that pie!

Step two – the Spirit-birthed resurrection of the Jewish people

“Then you will know that I am YHVH, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I YHVH have spoken and done it, declares YHVH” (Ezekiel 37:13-14).

The spiritual regeneration of the Jewish people is coming. On that day all the descendants of Jacob will:

receive a revelation of YHVH’s holiness and their own personal sins and repent of their sins in mourning (Zechariah 12:10-14)
receive the forgiveness of sins, a new heart and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, thus coming to have personal intimacy with the God of Israel (Zechariah 13:1, 9; Jeremiah 31:33-34)

In light of this spiritual need that the Jewish people have – to receive a revelation of their own sins and their need of atonement – it is a priority that followers of Yeshua everywhere pray and intercede for Israel’s salvation through Messiah Yeshua our atonement (see Isaiah 53). That message of good news – that gospel report – needs to be communicated to the children of Israel with priority and burning zeal. “For I am not ashamed of the good news for it is God’s dunamis (δύναμις, Greek for power) of salvation to everyone who believes – to the Jew proton (πρῶτον, meaning especially, chiefly, with priority) and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

The sharing of Messiah Yeshua’s gospel/good news message with the Jewish people is an ongoing and strategic work of God in our day. It deserves our full encouragement and support. Along with aliyah (the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel) it is one of the three steps of restoration – one of the three pieces of the pie. It is not the whole pie. But it is an amazing prophetic piece of that pie, and one which must be part of our vision and outreach to Sarah’s children!

Step three – the transformation of Israel into an exceedingly mighty army

Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says YHVH God, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army (in Hebrew, hel gadol me’od me’od - a vast army, much much; Ezekiel 37:9-10).

Ezekiel’s vision explodes on the prophetic horizon: the reborn and restored Jewish nation will transformed into one of the most powerful and historically significant armies that the world has ever seen. The purpose of the return of the Jewish people to the Jewish homeland is not only to grow wonderful Jaffa oranges, to develop cutting-edge computer technologies, and to lead the world in hydroponics and desert agriculture innovations. It is to become God’s powerful army on the face of the earth.

The Middle East is in the throes of both death and life. Violent and protracted battles are being waged right now from one end of the Arab world to the other and, interestingly enough, none of those wars have anything to do with Israel. But in the not too distant future all of these nations will gather (as prophesied in Psalm 83, Ezekiel 36-39, Joel 3, Zechariah 12-14, etc.) to battle against the Jewish state in their attempt to achieve a final holocaust against Israel. Ezekiel’s army will be one of God’s most striking battle flags and secret weapons prepared for that day. Followers of Yeshua need to make sure that they are incorporating this Last Days central vision in their prayers, intercession, worship and activity.

The raising up of Ezekiel’s army from within the Jewish people is an ongoing and strategic work of God in our day. It deserves our full encouragement and support. Along with aliyah (the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel) and the sharing of the message of Yeshua (Israel’s Messianic King and atonement), this prophetic army is one of the three steps of restoration – one of the three pieces of the pie. It is not the whole pie. But it is an amazing prophetic piece of that pie, and one which must be part of our strategic vision for Jacob’s children.

Sibling rivalry?

Scattered across the face of the globe there are some sold-out followers of Yeshua who are given over to the three-pronged prophetic vision described above – the three prophetic pieces of the Jewish pie. But some of these believers are so tied into their own piece of the pie, that they come close to denying the spiritual validity or kosher nature of the other two pieces.

Those who focus on Jewish aliyah and return sometimes avoid connection with Messiah Yeshua’s gospel and its priority call to Israel, and sometimes avoid connection with Messianic Jews
Those who focus on sharing the good news of Messiah with the Jewish people sometimes denigrate the importance of Jewish aliyah and works of compassion and blessing the people of Israel
Those who focus on the restoration of the prophetic and apostolic often avoid the present restoration, the prophetic calling and the amazing destiny of the Jewish people, preferring to focus on what they see as the beauty of the Gentile part of the Bride of Messiah, the exclusive role (as they see it) of the Gentiles in bringing about the return of the Jewish Messiah, along with an exclusive and obsessive focus on negative aspects of Israel’s prophetic future

The night is far spent for us to engage in such childish and narcissistic behavior.

“The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12)
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17)

How should we then pray?

Pray for divine clarity and balance for all those engaged in these three areas of Jewish ministry
Pray for spiritual courage for all to recognize and discern the differing gifts and calling God has given
Pray for prophetic intercessors worldwide to tap into God’s heart about these issues
Pray for the raising up of Ezekiel’s army speedily and in our day

Your prayers and support hold up our arms and are the very practical enablement of God to us in the work He has called us to do.

In Messiah Yeshua,

Avner Boskey

Donations can be sent to:

FINAL FRONTIER MINISTRIES

BOX 121971 NASHVILLE TN 37212-1971 USA

Donations can also be made on-line (by PayPal or credit card) through: www.davidstent.org

Betting on the wrong horse

World-class politicians dress in fine clothes and attend gala banquets. Often they are accomplished public speakers who can bring a smile to the lips of their listeners or a tear to their eye.

Yeshua the Messiah once contrasted politicians with prophets: “Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces!” (Luke 7:25). Prophets, however, were public figures of a totally different breed – like John the baptizer (Yohanan ha-Matbil – the Immerser). He lived in the Judean wilderness, sported a garment of rough camel skin, ate ‘locusts’ or carob pods (see Matthew 3:4) – and spoke God’s truth to those in authority, even at great personal cost.

Speaking the truth to politicians is often a daunting and thankless task. Kings and prime ministers have been known for trying “to make lies sound truthful… and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind” (as George Orwell once said) – while they ignore the wise counsel of YHVH and bet on the wrong horse.

At such times God’s spokesmen and spokeswomen are called upon to declare the uncomfortable truth – that all bets are off. In the words of Isaiah, “Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted. State a proposal, but it will not stand” (Isaiah 8:10). As Daniel declared (in a paraphrased version of Daniel 5:25-28), “You have bet on the wrong horse. Your choices have been weighed by God and have been found wanting. Your kingdom will now be divided.”

Betting on the wrong river

King Ahaz heart was trembling like a leaf in the wind (Isaiah 7:2) and his Jewish nation was shaking with fear due to the military threats of the Arameans of Syria. Powerful political manipulation was being brought to bear on the king, forcing him into an ungodly alliance with the Assyrian superpower (modern Iraq). Isaiah the prophet had warned Ahaz that he should lean instead on the faithful and powerful God of Jacob – the God of his forefather David.

Ahaz rejected the prophetic word and “rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah” (Isaiah 8:6). The Shiloah or Siloam spring (lying in the center of David’s city) was a poetic symbol for Jerusalem and for Jerusalem’s God. Ahaz was about to bet on the wrong horse. His supposed ‘ally’ Assyria would soon invade the land of Judah, wasting towns and villages and even laying siege to Jerusalem (Isaiah 36:1-2). The Bible lets us know that there is a price for betting on the wrong horse.

Betting against YHVH

The Psalmist prophesies of a Day when the nations of this planet will bet against the God of Israel and against His Messiah. “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against YHVH and against His Messiah, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!’” (Psalm 2:1-3).

The nations are rebelling against YHVH’s choosing of Jerusalem, His focus on physical Zion and on the Temple Mount (2:6). The world balks at the divine connection between the Jewish God, the Jewish people and the Jewish land. Their international councils aim to counter God’s strategies and to stymie God’s heart for Israel. They will bet on the wrong horse.

This is why the Bible connects these three issues – the Return of Messiah, the judgments of the nations and the borders of the Land of Israel – in a comprehensive Last Days scenario: “For behold, in those days and at that time when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat [ed. YHVH judges]. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and they have divided up My land” (Joel 3:1-2).

Betting on Middle Eastern petro-politics

The nations of the world vote regularly and overwhelmingly at the U.N. in favor of Islamist and Arab petro-political positions. Four-star U.S. General and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Wesley Clark once spoke bluntly, “The truth … about the Middle East is, had there been no oil there, it would be like Africa. Nobody is threatening to intervene in Africa” (General Wesley Clark, 92nd Street Y Cultural Center, New York City. 27 Feb 2007). NY Times journalist Thomas Friedman once commented in a similar vein, “We are the addicts. The oil producers are the pushers” (attributed in Commodities: 50 Things You Really Need To Know).

The nations of the world vote regularly and overwhelmingly against the Jewish state of Israel at the U.N. Recently they have even voted to deny the 4,000 year historical connection between the Jewish people, their homeland and the Bible. As U.S. Senator Moynihan once commented, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”

When the stains of petroleum smudge the spectacles of world leaders, they become disoriented and end up betting on the wrong horse, choosing an oil-drenched jihadi-based worldview over a Bible-based worldview.

Betting on a Palestinian state

The jihadi conquest and colonialist occupation of the Land of Israel by the armies of Islam (636-38 AD) created ‘facts on the ground’ which are still influencing modern politics. According to classic Islamic law, once a territory is conquered by Islam it becomes waqf – it must remain in Islamic hands forever. The Islamic world chokes on recognizing Jewish sovereignty over Jewish land because of this waqf principle.

During the 20^th century the myth of an ethnic Palestinian people was created out of thin air. Propaganda machines also drummed up the myth of a Palestinian state. Truth is, neither a Palestinian state nor an ethnically distinct Palestinian people have ever existed. Nevertheless, these ‘fake news’ items have been received with overwhelming applause by the nations of the world. The U.N. General Assembly votes consistently in favor of resolutions to further the establishment of an Palestinian Islamist state on the soil promised exclusively by YHVH to Jacob’s children.

The nations of the world are once again betting on the wrong horse. Their pressures to divide the Land of Israel will assuredly bring divine judgment down on their heads.

‘The Palestinian emperor has no clothes’

Mahmoud Abbas (aka Abu Mazen), the President of the Palestinian National Authority, is now in the 13^th year of a four-year term. Abbas is considered by Western powers to be a ‘moderate’ Palestinian leader – in contradistinction to Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic jihad (terrorist groups who all refuse to recognize the Jewish state and have declared everlasting jihad against it). Abbas and his PA are considered in the West as ‘someone with whom one can do business’ (to quote Neville Chamberlain’s description of Adolf Hitler). Uri Savir, an Israeli ‘Oslo’ negotiator with Abbas back in the early 1990s, declared just a few days ago that, “I know him [Abbas] as a moderate.”

Abbas received a Candidate of Sciences degree (Soviet Ph.D. equivalent) at the Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow in 1982. His doctoral dissertation (published in 1984) was “The Other Side: The Secret Relationship Between Nazism and Zionism,” a conspiracy theory about the Holocaust. In that dissertation he declared that the number of ‘six million’ murdered Jews was a ‘fantastic lie,’ and that Jews killed by the Nazis were actually the victims of a Zionist-Nazi plot aimed at encouraging mass extermination of the Jewish people (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Other_Side:_The_Secret_Relationship_Between_Nazism_and_Zionism).

Some of Abbas’ comments over the past few days reveal that Palestinian ‘moderates’ are not actually moderate at all. They are the wrong horse to bet on.

A gathering of the Palestinian Central Council (the PLO’s second-highest decision-making body) was convened on Sunday January 14, 2018 in Ramallah in the wake of Trump’s December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Abbas made the following blatantly delusional and verifiably false claims in a rambling two-hour speech:

Israel is a colonialist project that has nothing to do with Jews. The Dutch who have the world’s largest navy exported Jews to the Middle East on behalf of Europe after World War II to maintain European interests in the region
The millions of Jewish victims of Hitler chose to remain in Europe and be murdered rather than emigrate to Israel
Theodor Herzl (the father of modern Zionism) once said, “We must wipe out the Palestinians from Palestine”
Prime Minister David Ben Gurion forced Jews from Yemen and Iraq to come to Israel against their will
Israel is importing frightening amounts of drugs in order to destroy the Palestinian younger generation
Israel has killed the peace process

Throwing stones at the White House

Abbas also turned up the heat with ‘fighting words,’ insisting on financial support for terrorists and rejecting U.S. mediation while cursing President Trump and his close aides.

Abbas “completely rejects” any attempt to stop the PLO from paying salaries to Palestinian terrorists in Israeli jails as well as to the families of terrorists who died killing Israelis
The Palestinians demand an apology from the British for the Balfour Declaration (which supported a Jewish state in principle), and demand that the British recognize a Palestinian state.
Abbas will not accept the US as a mediator, nor accept American leadership of a political negotiation process
S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman is an offensive human being, and Abbas will not agree to meet with him anywhere. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will be treated harshly by the Palestinians
Abbas cursed President Trump in Arabic, saying “Yehreb beitak” (May your house be demolished) to laughter from the Council
Abbas stated that “the deal of the century is the slap of the century and we will not accept it… But we will slap back”

The Western world and the United Nations are betting on a dark horse, as Palestinian leaders attempt to divide the Land of Israel and to turn back the clock on the divine restoration of the Jewish people to their Promised Land. As the nations of the world wait patiently in line to place their bets on the wrong pony, it is worth remembering two wry and weathered proverbs:

A racetrack always attracts people who have a special talent for backing the wrong horse
A racehorse is an animal that can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time

‘I second that emotion’

The terror group Hamas (part of the present Palestinian unity government) added their zealous voice of support to Abbas’ scorched-earth declaration on Monday January 15: “The Central Council must end Oslo and stop security coordination and withdraw the recognition (of Israel).”

One month before Abbas’ speech, on December 6, 2017 the Muslim Brotherhood (the spiritual father of Hamas, al Qa’eda, Islamic Jihad, etc.) issued a declaration in Cairo stating that the “US President's statements about his intention to transfer the US Embassy to Jerusalem, in recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of the Zionist entity … are a formal attack by the United States of America on the lands and Islamic sanctities . . . The Muslim Brotherhood is launching today a solidarity call with all Palestinian factions and Islamic movements to ignite an uprising throughout the Islamic world against the Zionist occupation and the American administration.”

The Palestinian consensus – whether it be Salafi, jihadi, Hamas, PA, PLO or any number of such groups – denies and opposes the existence of the Jewish state on the entire land of Israel. Whether by terror attacks, by political salami tactics (slicing off pieces of the land bit by bit), or whether by lawfare, boycott and sanctions at the U.N. and at other international forums – the goal of weakening and eventually destroying the Jewish state is clear. It is the common glue that binds these groups together.

Any nation, movement, party, denomination or individual who places their bets on the Palestinian side is betting on the wrong horse. To paraphrase the American Ambassador to the U.N. Nicki Haley, “For those who don’t have Israel’s back, the God of Jacob is taking names, and He will respond to those nations accordingly.”

Oasis in the desert

There is cause for rejoicing about President Trump and Ambassador Haley’s principled stand regarding Jerusalem and insisting on fair treatment for Israel in international forums. At the same time it bears remembering that certain core principles are not far from the surface for many countries, and these may break through the thin layer of topsoil in the not too distant future.

Certain assumptions still hold sway in large swaths of the U.S. State Department, the Intelligence community and the military, These include perspectives which advocate:

the eventual need to divide the Land of Israel
the tendency to consider Jewish settlement of the Promised Land as illegal and as an ‘obstacle to peace’
the manipulative use of threats and punitive action against the Jewish state

As long as these undercurrents exist, believers need to be praying.