Whether you were able to read the prior Eye of Prophecy or not, welcome back!
As indicated in that article, today’s post would not be on the traditional Saturday. Rather, it’s Monday, 9-14-2026. The reason quoted from the previous article (in italics):
On a personal note, the Jewish month of Tishrei (which is also the 7th month of the Jewish religious calendar—based on God’s original design for the twelve 30-day lunar calendar months) is central to me. For years, my two favorite numbers have been 3 & 7. Both are considered divine numbers in Scripture—Old & New Testament alike. Only a few years ago I discovered that my birthday of September 28th occurred on the 3rd of Tishrei. Which can be identified as 7-3-5707 on the Jewish calendar.
As a bonus (blessing), my Jewish birthday falls in two days on 9-14 this month. 7 x 2 =14. Followed by the High Holy Day of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) on 9-21. Or 7 x 3 =21. Finally, my Gregorian calendar birthday of 9-28. Or 7 x 4 =28!
Seven Specific Scriptural/Historical Disclosures Inadvertently Missed or Deliberately Dismissed by (Mostly) Observant Jews, Creating a Subconscious or Conscious (Conscience Betrayal) Denial of Jesus as Messiah and Beginning of the New Covenant
First Disclosure: The Triune God
There’s no better place to begin than the beginning!
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The God of the Bible has many names, each one depicting one or more of His attributes. Here, the Hebrew word is Elohim. Meaning, “powerful, divine, supreme, transcendent…”
Of great significance, however, is that it is the plural form of El (God).
Does this mean there is more than one God (of the Bible)?
Answer: No! But with a qualification. Which also warrants the answer: Yes!
No, in the sense that the LORD (YHWH, sacred name of God first given to Moses, meaning I AM or everlasting to everlasting, probably pronounced Yahweh, but referred to by most Jews as Hashem … The Name), is the only true and living God in the universe.
Yes, but in the clarified context that the LORD is one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The well-known term here is The Trinity; of which the reality is clearly contained throughout the Bible both stated and implied, including the Old Testament.
In fact, just a short time later in the Genesis account:
“Let us… In our likeness.” That’s as plural as you can get!
That is a specific and deliberate introduction to the magnificent Trinity, the great Three-in-One God. Though it is difficult to wrap our minds around this concept, we can get a glimpse of the complex, yet plain truth, of it all. An example some have used is that of the Sun.
The sun itself represents God the Father. The rays and light of the sun depict God the Son. The warmth demonstrates the attributes of the Holy Spirit.
Jewish Rabbis and scholars attempt to explain away this otherwise perplexing phenomenon by stating that God uses the plural (Let us make man…) to highlight his divinity or royalty, like what kings occasionally did down through the ages. At best that is a very weak argument if for no other reason than the very first name in which God identifies himself is that of Elohim—unmistakably a plural (more than one) form of El (God).
Also, there is absolutely no need (reason) for the Sovereign Creator of all things seen and unseen to further enhance his name, identity, or importance by referring to himself in the plural. That was a man-made tactic of royalty to embellish their position, power, and prestige.
Again, we read the plural form in the following verse: “Then the LORD God said, ‘Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil…’” (Genesis 3:22, emphasis added).
Notice that equally pivotal passage in Genesis (the book of beginnings) this time prefaces God (Elohim) with LORD—his sacred name—to emphasize both the plurality and singularity of his name and who/what He really is. One God in Three Persons.
The Trinity is an absolute, irrefutable, and significantly profound truth proclaimed throughout the Bible and in God’s interaction with humanity. This will be further demonstrated as we look at the fulfilled prophetic disclosures of the Messiah (God’s Son) who is the very express image of God the Father in human form. Fully God and fully man (see Colossians 1:13-20).
Please refer to Eye of Prophecy articles: Does God Really Have A Son? … Part I & II. Posted 10-31 & 11-7-2015.
Here is an excerpt from Part II:
Then the passage states, “For the Lord declares: ‘I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain’” (Psalm 2:6). The chosen king is the Messiah, and the context pertains to the end-times reign of God’s Messiah.
Listen to the astonishing response of the King (Messiah) as he refers to The Lord—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (God of the Bible). The King speaks:
“I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord. He (the Lord) said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession’” (Psalms 2:7-8, NASB).
The first Me is the King; the second Me is the Lord (God) … the King’s Father.
Then from Psalm 110, the amazing statement by King David that there is another Lord to whom the Lord God (God the Father) speaks. As follows:
“The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet” (Psalm 110:1, NASB).
Who is my Lord? To whom is David referring … who is David’s Lord?
Frequently King David speaks of the Lord, his God. Meaning the one true and living God of Israel. But here David proclaims that the Lord God is talking to another Lord, who is (also) David’s Lord. We know this second Lord is the Messiah because of what the rest of the chapter tells us concerning Messiah’s rule and role as the Scepter of Zion and the judge among the nations. But the crucial component of this magnificent passage is that the Messiah is (also) David’s Lord (my Lord) who is inherently equal to The Lord (God); but with a different role or position or expression of that deity.
Second Disclosure: Pre-Incarnate Appearances of God’s Son
See Eye of Prophecy article: Messiah’s Amazing Appearances Before He Was Born, posted 10-6-2018. Here is an excerpt:
In last week’s article, we looked at some extraordinary events in which God the Father not only spoke to, but appeared to men, specifically Abraham and Moses. However, when the Lord manifested himself, he always concealed his glory (essence of pure light and holiness) mainly through fire or dense clouds. Purpose of which was to protect the on looker.
We also examined an event in which the Lord appeared up-close and personal to Jacob and even wrestled with him. With convincing evidence that this man was the Lord but could not have been God the Father for the two reasons given: (1) God is Spirit only; (2) unless the Lord veils his glorious presence, no one can look on him and survive.
It was one of several Old Testament events in which the Lord appeared as a man, with the default conclusion that this man could only have been the 2nd Person of the Trinity, God’s Son, Messiah Jesus. There is no one thing that Judaism takes issue with more than the Christian belief that God has a Son, and his Son was (Virgin) born as a human being. Non-Messianic Jews, both observant and secular, do not believe in the Triune God, despite the Hebrew Scriptures plainly stating that God has a Son.
Followed by:
Just a brief pause to more fully express my love for Messiah Jesus and never-ending appreciation for what he did on the Cross. If you are a child of God, I think the following excerpt from my second book, Out of the Abyss will also be meaningful to you. Referring to Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness and what is called the Passion of the Christ (in italics):
Yet, it was the temptation scene that dealt the first Messianic blow to Satan’s plans, because that was the devil’s first opportunity to create an antichrist right then and there; to, in one fell swoop, twist and turn the true Messiah into Satan’s messiah.
Eternal praise to our God and his Messiah that this did not happen! All glory to Yeshua who did not send a legion of angels to annihilate those who had arrested him in the garden! Everlasting gratitude to our Lord for not saying I’ve had enough and stepping down from the cross! All power and dominion to the Son of Man for arising from the grave and conquering death once and for all! Go ahead, say it aloud with me. Amen! (page 219).
Examples of Messiah’s Pre-Incarnate Appearances
Time/space only permits examination of a few. Two others were covered in last week’s article: (1) Jacob realized that the man he wrestled with was the Lord. The primary purpose: to confirm God’s perpetual covenant made with Jacob’s father Isaac and grandfather Abraham by blessing Jacob.
(2) The appearance of the Lord as a man to Abraham and Sarah along with two angels in the form of men. Purpose of which was to reaffirm God’s guaranty that Sarah would conceive and bear the promised child Isaac … fathered by Abraham, as opposed to Ishmael through Hagar.
Nothing short of astonishing is that the ultimate Promised Child (Messiah Jesus) through Isaac was the very one who appeared to Abraham that day!
Messiah Jesus’s pre-birth Epiphanes were prototype previews to prepare the Jews (and Gentiles) for his once-for-all arrival as God the Son in human form. Immanuel … God with us! To overlook or dismiss these marvelous manifestations is to miss the Old Testament revelations of the Pre-Incarnate Messiah—who was, who is, and who is to come again. Whom God’s angels jubilantly heralded at the appointed time in history.
Third Disclosure: Messiah’s Two Distinct & Separate Advents
Known as His First Coming and Second Coming.
This two-part revealing of Christ Jesus as the Suffering Servant then reappearance as the Lion from the Tribe of Judah has perplexed Jews through the ages.
The movingly compelling chapter in Isaiah clearly refers to Israel’s Messiah Savior as needing to first suffer and die for humanity. Just as clear is that the personal pronoun He of this chapter could not possibly be Israel itself, as claimed by most Jews. Israel did not nor can not suffer and die for its own sins. Nor did Israel “die without descendants”, nor had Israel “done no wrong” (Isaiah 53:8-9).
“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6).
Regarding the Glorious Second Coming of Messiah Jesus, there is an abundance of passages both Old & New Testament of that fact. Such as:
And he will startle many nations. Kings will strand speechless in his presence” (Isaiah 52:15).
Or “The LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers: ‘Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low…’” (Isaiah 49:7).
See Eye of Prophecy article: The World Wants A Messiah … But Needs (The) Messiah. Posted 1-28-2017.
Also, the article: More Than One Messiah? Published 12-5-2015.
Here is an excerpt from that article:
There’s another ancient rabbinical tradition that has regained prominence in today’s exceptional enthusiasm for Messiah’s arrival. That of the two-Messiah theory. Why? Because the vast majority of Rabbis and many other Jews simply cannot and do not accept the Biblical evidence that one Messiah is both (1) the suffering servant who would die for the sins of Jews and Gentiles alike; and, (2) the same Messiah who will return as the Lion from the Tribe of Judah to rule and reign from Jerusalem forever.
Consequently, from the first or second century B.C. and especially in the first couple of centuries A.D., observant Jews have postulated that there will be two Messiahs. The first to come from the lineage of Joseph, son of Jacob (a descendant of the tribe of Joseph). They speculate that this messiah will lead the armies of Israel against their enemies but will fall victim (die) during the battle with God/Magog of Ezekiel 38 & 39. He supposedly represents or depicts the staff of Israel from the house or family of Joseph.
(*Note: There is no evidence of that “theory” whatsoever in the Scriptures).
The second messiah is the ultimate Liberator who will lead Israel to final victory and redemption and will usher in the Messianic Age. He will be from the lineage of King David, one who represents the kingly scepter of Israel.
Then I wrote:
Once again, because time/space doesn’t permit in this article, but also because of many other Eye of Prophecy articles (and vast amounts of writings from other authors), I won’t elaborate on the many passages of Scripture as well as history to support overwhelming Biblical evidence that Yeshua is the one and only Messiah.
We will, however, look at one passage that (like so many others), Jewish religious leaders have alarmingly and ill-advisedly overlooked, or minimized, or dismissed, or simply rejected outright; because it conflicts with their rigid refusal to recognize Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah. Their first messiah dies but not for the sins of the people, nor would he be resurrected and return as the Jewish Savior-King. But the prophecy we are about to examine imposes a prophetic timeline on Messiah’s revealing that refutes any two-Messiah theory and the prevalent Jewish belief that Messiah is still to be revealed … for the first time.
Continuing with that excerpt from More Than One Messiah leads directly to the
Fourth Disclosure: Stunning Time Dedicated and Predicated Prophecy of Messiah’s (Jesus) Arrival & Revealing on What Would Be Called Palm Sunday. Precisely 173,880 Days After the Decree for Nehemiah to Return and Rebuild The Walls of Jerusalem, Plus His Death Before the Second Temple Was Destroyed in A.D. 70
An Incredible Prophecy to Dispel the Two-Messiah Theory and/or Rejection of Jesus
In this amazing passage that I’ve occasionally quoted in certain Eye of Prophecy articles, with varying emphasis depending on each article’s main topic, we find a prophetic announcement of the actual time in history that Messiah would appear. Read with me the astounding prophecy given by the angel Gabriel to Daniel:
“Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes … After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple…” (Daniel 9:25-26a).
As indicated, much has been written about this remarkable time-dedicated prophecy, including the Eye of Prophecy article entitled, An Incredible Time-Lapse Prophecy, posted on 1-18-14. Yet, the primary purpose of that article was to serve as a lead-in to the subsequent Eye of Prophecy articles, Seven Times Seven to the 4th Power, Parts I, II, III.
With the primary emphasis on the shocking (literal time-based) prophecies of God’s discipline of Israel—seven times over, four consecutive times, as foretold in Leviticus Chapter 26. The prophetic calendar began its countdown after the Jews returned from Babylonia captivity and ended in 1967 with the miraculous recapture of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War. At that point in God’s providential plan, the Gentile domination of Israel and the Jews ended; because the Lord’s discipline of Israel had run its full course over the exact number of years foretold by God (7 x 7 x 7 x 7 translated to actual years on the Jewish calendar).
Likewise, this remarkable prophecy in Daniel that we just read can be converted into Jewish calendar years and days from the time that the Persian King Artaxerxes decreed the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in 445 BC to the 483 years (sixty-nine sets of seven) when the Anointed One comes. This calculation leads us to the exact day in 32 A.D. when Jesus of Nazareth rode on a donkey (predicted by Zechariah) into Jerusalem and was hailed as King Messiah, the Son of David, exactly 173,880 days elapsed … 483 years. Thanks to the Christian historian/author Sir Robert Anderson, a Scotland Yard Detective, for explaining this incredible prophecy in his book, The Coming Prince.
Just as spectacular and significant is the part of this same prophecy that says the Anointed One (Messiah) will be killed and then (subsequently) a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the Temple.
In other words, the Messiah would appear BEFORE the Jewish Temple (the second Temple, because Solomon’s Temple had already been destroyed when Daniel received this revelation) was torn down by the Romans. This took place less than forty years after Jesus was crucified, arose from the dead, and returned to heaven. Jesus, himself, predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the second Temple.
(*Note: I refer to this passage, along with other passages, to also document and demonstrate that Nero is the Roman ruler who ordered his armies under General Vespasian and Titus to march on Israel and crush the rebellion that had begun in 66 A.D. Thus, he is the king and ruler of Daniel 7 and 9; the man of lawlessness in II Thessalonians; and the Antichrist beast of Revelation 13 & 17, who will reappear from the Abyss soon after the Rapture).
There is absolutely no ambiguity or question that the Messiah would come before the second Temple was destroyed. That’s exactly what Daniel Chapter 9 is telling us.
Moreover, historically, there’s no doubt that Jesus came to earth BEFORE the 2nd Temple was demolished by the Romans.
Fifth Disclosure: Laws of Probability—Jesus Fulfilling Old Testament Prophecies Particularly Those Listed in Psalm 16 & 22, Isaiah 7 & 53, & Micah Chapter 5
Here is an excerpt from my 2nd book, Out of The Abyss (in italics):
As much as a miraculously changed heart and life demonstrates the truth of God’s redemption for mankind, the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy validates the awesome sovereignty of God’s plans. People can rant and rave against absolute truth until their dying breath. They can rebut and reject any or all of God’s spiritual laws as found in the pages of Scripture. They can dismiss one or maybe two fulfilled prophecies as merely coincidental. But in the name of all that is logical and reasonable, how could anyone deny that the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies would be anything less than miraculous, therefore, of and from God?
A few Bible scholars have used the mathematical laws of probability to explain the “odds” of just a handful of prophecies coming to pass, let alone the dozens of predictions realized in Jesus Christ. (Out of the Abyss, Page 25).
If you’re familiar with the Laws of Probability, then you know that when certain connected events continually duplicate, then they can constantly be expected to repeat. Such as the Law of Gravity and other physical laws of the Universe.
In the framework of Biblical prophecy, what probability does is to categorically reinforce the phenomenal statistical certainty that Jesus was the One predicted by many of the Old Testament prophets.
Continuing with Out of The Abyss:
Professor Peter Stoner …with the aid of some 600 college students…examined just eight prophecies pertaining to the coming Messiah foretold in the Old Testament to the man called Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. He presented the findings to the Committee of American Scientific Affiliation for their review. After careful examination, the Committee confirmed that the calculations were accurate … to the evidence at hand.
…They estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight was one in 10 to the 17th power. Because there are some numbers that are beyond our abilities to count, or visualize, or comprehend even if we could count them, mathematicians have used the power of 10 to make it somewhat intelligible (Pages 29-30).
I conclude that section of the chapter with:
It doesn’t matter how perfect God’s plan is for fallen mankind or how completely God has dealt with the sin problem. (If people) choose to do it their way and go their own way … It’s like someone saying, ‘Don’t bother me with the facts. I’ll take my chances.’ If they’re right, then neither they nor a Christian has anything to lose.
…When we die, we die’ there’s nothing left but nothingness.
But what if they’re wrong. What if the Bible is true, as exemplified by empirical evidence such as archeology, historically documented records, fulfillment of prophecy, and as mathematically reflected in the laws of probability? It’s a rhetorical question. They have everything to lose, not the least of which is eternal separation from God….
But it’s more than a matter of chance. It’s a matter of truth or untruth. If the Bible is not true, then an afterlife in heaven or hell is nothing to worry about. Should anyone be worried? If the Bible is true and a person’s soul and spirit continues, then our eternal destiny depends upon three things: location, location, location! (Pages 33-34)
Sixth Disclosure: The Incredible Reaction of Israel (Jews worldwide) When Messiah Returns To Prevent Israel’s Annihilation at The Hands of the Antichrist and His Massive Coalition
The following is one of the most powerful, poignantly precious, yet perplexing (especially to Jews) passages in all the Bible:
“On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! … Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who had died” (Zechariah 12:8a & 10).
First, notice that it is the LORD who is speaking in both the first and second person (I and me). Yet this must be a man, the Messiah, who is also God the Son (LORD). Because the people are looking at him. It could not be God the Father; He is Spirit only.
This should be a time of sheer rejoicing knowing that Messiah has come to, “…begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zachariah 12:9).
Instead, the Israelis/Jews mourn bitterly over him. Why on earth would they do that? At face value, it’s crazy … irrational.
However, up close and personal, it’s also crystal clear: They’re looking at the very person whose ancestors were complicit in calling for his death.
The ONLY logical and reasonable (accurate) conclusion for mourning at such a time as this is that Israel is bitterly weeping over their rejection of Messiah Jesus, for it was He who was pierced (crucified) by the Romans at the demand of the Jewish leaders. Yet ultimately, Messiah gave (offered) his life voluntarily for the sins of the world.
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – NOVEMBER 18: Ultra Orthodox Jewish men are seen during the funeral of Rabbi Moshe Twersky on November 18, 2014- could also represent/depict mourning for the one whom they pierced in Zechariah
At the unlawful, unjustified trial of Jesus, Pontius Pilate shouted to the crowd, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours! And all the people yelled back, ‘We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!’” (Matthew 27:24b-25, italics for emphasis).
One of the many Messianic prophetic details found in Psalm 22 fulfilled completely and exclusively by Jesus’s substitutionary sacrificial death on the cross was, “My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16).
One of the most moving moments in all of Scripture is when Jesus’s disciple Thomas serious doubt that Jesus had risen from the dead gave way to his amazing admission. They are my favorite words in all the Bible spoken by someone other than the Lord.
“Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’
‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas exclaimed” (John 20:26-28, emphasis added).
Beyond all uncertainty, Thomas knew then and there that Jesus was both Lord and God.
As will all Israel when they look upon their Savior Messiah during his glorious return to lead Israel to victory, then to unilaterally destroy Antichrist and his armies (Revelation 19:11-21).
First, Israel will mourn deeply that they and their ancestors didn’t recognize or acknowledge Jesus—born in Bethlehem of a Virgin—when he came to earth the first time. But then to rejoice! And they will say what Christ said they would upon his return.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate (foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem and the 2nd Temple, then exile of survivors). For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessing on the one who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23:37-39, italics for emphasis, parenthesis mine).
In Hebrew, the exclamatory words of Jews foretold by Jesus that will surely follow their grief graphically depicted in Zechariah are Baruch haba, beshem Adonai.
This sixth disclosure and the following one are probably the top two in which Jews for the last 2000 years (with exception of tens of thousands of Messianic Jews who have embraced Jesus as Savior) have been in denial—casually, unwisely, or deliberately—of Jesus’ divinity as the Son of God and Messiah.
Seventh Disclosure: Destruction of 2nd Temple (AD 70) That Ended Required Festival Observances and Sacrifices to This Day
Beginning with an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article: God’s New Covenant with Israel … Minus The Temple, Part I. (posted 9-8-2018). In italics:
The good news about the Good News (Gospel) is that tens of millions of Gentiles and tens of thousands of Jews have accepted Messiah Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord in just the past 50 years or so.
The not-so-good news: Despite the stark reality that the Temple and the Levitical Sacrificial System ceased to exist in 70 A.D., most Jews hold on to some form of Judaism—Ultra-Orthodox, Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, Liberal, or even secular (Jewish identity without religious overtones). Yet, there’s no workable way to circumvent the fact that Old Testament sacrifices (in and near the Tabernacle, then later the Temple) were an integral feature of the Law of Moses—required by the Lord as the Hebrew Scriptures explain in extraordinary detail.
Contemporary Judaism is still in denial that without sacrificial shedding of blood there can be no atonement for sin. Thus, redemption (of which they’re never sure of) for today’s Jews involves a variety of practices, principles, and promises that not all Rabbis agree on, i.e. those which are essential or just recommended. Such as observing Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) for sins to be forgiven and for each Jew to remain inscribed in the Book of Life. However, the Biblical Day of Atonement required animal sacrifice (as did all the other sacred festivals) plus the Scapegoat on Yom Kippur. See Eye of Prophecy article: Yom Kippur / With or Without Atonement? Posted 10-15-16.
Even more consequential: Denial that the New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah has already come to pass; two thousand years ago, when Israel’s Messiah was crucified (shedding his blood), buried, but then arose from the dead. A once-for-all sacrifice to permanently replace the Levitical system as the ultimate avenue of atonement.
Later in that article, I wrote:
In the Eye of Prophecy trilogy: Where is the Temple? (published 11-29 through 12-13-14), a thematic premise based on God’s Law given through Moses was stated and amplified in all three articles. As follows:
No Temple, no sacrificial offerings. No sacrifices, no atonement forgiveness of sins. No forgiveness, no redemption. No redemption, no right standing with God.
Here is an excerpt from Part I of that trilogy…
But with this article … meant to dutifully challenge (with consideration, courtesy, respect, and even reverence) the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with a poignant but probing question: Where is the Temple?
What happened to it? How can any Jew embrace and practice Judaism without the ancient sacrifices, which is the fundamental reason the Tabernacle and then the Temple was built in the first place? Did the loss of the Temple affect the very core of the Jewish faith? If so, how and to what extent? …has God also done away with the very heart of his redemptive plan for mankind through Israel—reconciliation and salvation by the sacrificial shedding of blood?
Where is the Temple? isn’t meant to be answered by a literal location. Because we know that the Temple isn’t (anywhere). It’s gone. But why? Was there a more far-reaching purpose why God allowed the Temples to be obliterated? …Who, if anyone; or what, if anything, has replaced the Temple for two thousand years?
In short, how can the Jewish faith function without adhering to the entire Mosaic Law; which clearly was an equally balanced two-tier foundation of: (1) Obedience to God’s Word … pillars of laws, commands, decrees, regulations. (2) Sacrificial Offerings … the cornerstones of atonement by, blessing from, and relationship with God … how (else) can a Jew or anyone be reconciled to God?
Then I returned to, God’s New Covenant with Israel … Minus The Temple.
The answer is found in the New Covenant…. Both religious and secular Jews long for Messiah to come, to bring about Israel’s final redemption, yet they differ as to what that redemption is or how and why it will come about. Nor is there much interest or effort in Judaism to match up this redemption with the New Covenant announced by Jeremiah.
(Please see Eye of Prophecy article: Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here? Posted 6-25-16).
As so succinctly summarized by the author of Hebrews (exact identity unknown but clearly Jewish as seen in the text and context):
“Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirements of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed” (Hebrews 7:16).
The text is referring to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead in what is now his eternal, indestructible body that has conquered death and made it possible for believers to be changed into that same kind of imperishable body at the Rapture.
Continuing in Hebrews:
“Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless (and because as Jeremiah 31 says, God’s people would not or could not keep the Old Covenant). For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, ‘The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow. You are a priest forever.’
“Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God. There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore, he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin” (Hebrews 7:18-26a, parenthesis mine).
Hallelujah to the Lamb of God, to the Lion from the tribe of Judah!
Summary, Restated from Two Previous Eye of Prophecy Articles:
Oh, so many objections that Jesus is the Messiah, especially from God’s own people, the Jews; whom he calls his special possession … the very people to whom God originally revealed himself, his attributes, and his Word. Through whom all nations of the world were to be blessed. Through whom the light of the world was to come, Messiah.
I fully realize and sincerely appreciate the fervor that many Jews have toward God, particularly the observant among them and especially concerning the Messiah. But as the Apostle Paul said to the believers in Rome, both Jew and Gentile:
“Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God” (Romans 10:1-4).
It is no different today, with millions of God’s chosen people, the Jews, still holding onto good deeds, righteous conduct, and tradition after tradition to gain favor with God, and to hopefully be accepted by the Lord into and throughout eternity….
It is good that so many Jews—the Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, and Liberal among them—are once again longing for their Messiah to come.
It is also so very tragic that so many still refuse to see the clear evidence found in the Torah and Tanakh (Old Testament) of who the Messiah is and when he would appear. To hang onto the Old Covenant of Law as their source of salvation, when the New Covenant is already here—has been for nearly two thousand years. The Covenant of Grace and Redemption authored and sealed by Messiah Jesus, by shedding his precious blood as a once for all payment and pardon for our sins … if we only believe and receive Christ as personal Savior.
But one day (soon) all that will dramatically change. It’s already changing, attested to by thousands upon thousands of Jews the world-over who have embraced Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah. Because Jesus is Messiah!
Jesus proved beyond any doubt that he was/is the Son of God by rising from the dead, with a glorious eternal body. Who but God could do that? Who else but Jesus could possibly be the Messiah? The historical record of his birth, life, death, and resurrection were precise fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies….
As one indication that our Jewish friends (most slowly, some more rapidly) are considering Jesus as Messiah is the increasing conciliation and friendship between Israelis and Christians who support Israel (such as myself). We’re not at all reluctant to be called: Christian Zionists.
Listen to the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commenting on the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) gathering of over 5,000 from many nations during their conference to celebrate Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) in Israel this past September:
“Israel has no better friends around the world.”
Israel’s final redemption will come, and it will come soon, but not like they expect. Not by or through good deeds or right thinking or obligatory observance of holy days. That is and will be a result of their salvation, not the source.
When Messiah returns, what a glorious time that will be for God’s chosen people. And equally wonderful for us Gentiles who have been branches grafted into the spiritual tree of Israel (See Romans 11:17-24).
Why? Because:
“Now if (meaning since) the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it” (Romans 11:12, emphasis added, parenthesis mine).
Did you catch that? Not if, but when.
Things to Ponder
Though today’s sequel to the prior Eye of Prophecy article (My Passion for Israel: To Realize Her Divine Destiny) focuses on Israel and the Jews, its message is designed, along with all my articles, to “give a clear witness for Jesus who is the essence of prophecy” (paraphrasing Revelation 19:10).
To provide clarification, correlation, and, if needed, correction to mainstream prophetic events … those fulfilled and those approaching.
Also, to confirm and defend the truth of the Gospel (Good News). Philippians 1:7.
Could this be my final Eye of Prophecy article? Probably, but not certainly. Age and medical issues are the two suspects!
Either way, I want to eagerly and sincerely thank all the visitors to this Website from over 200 countries. Especially, the followers of this ministry.
Sha’alu, shalom, Yerushalayim. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).
Paraphrasing: May the Lord bless and keep you. May his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May he lift up his countenance on you and give you peace.
Shalom!
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