An Open Letter to Pope Benedict XVI
Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right
by Angus Wootten |
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Recently a statement made by Archbishop Busros, as part of a joint statement of a Catholic synod at the Vatican on persecution of Christians in the Middle East was made public. In his statement Archbishop Busros declared that the original promises made by God to the children of Israel "were nullified by Christ, and there is no longer a chosen people."
Pope Benedict, with all due respect, I am quite sure that Archbishop Busros' declaration was not well received in Heaven's Throne Room! I strongly encourage you to review the above statement in light of the following comments, and insure that it reflects your understanding of Scripture, and the opinion that you would want a billion Catholics to accept.
God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. 'This is My name FOREVER, and this is MY MEMORIAL-NAME TO ALL GENERATIONS'" (Exodus 3:15).
There are two people groups, Christians and Jews, on earth today who recognize the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as their God. Reason calls out that these people be recognized as part of the people of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Since we do not have a copy of the Book of Life available to us we can not prove, and so we cannot say, whether any person's name is or is not written in the Book of Life. This is true even though both groups would agree that there are people who call themselves Jews or Christians whose names will not be in the Book of Life.
Therefore, it is wrong for Christians to illegitimize Jews who believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by saying they are not part of the people of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Likewise, it is also wrong for Jews to illegitimize Christians who believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by saying they are not part of the people of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
The division between Jews and Christians is not over the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but rather whether Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Christians, and many Jews are adamant that He is, but the vast majority of people who see themselves as Jews believe that the promised Messiah is yet to come. The solution seems simple, "All who believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are His people." But unfortunately the maxim seems to be, "You must believe as I believe." This prideful attitude has not only resulted in dividing Jews and Christians, but it has created divisions among Jews and Christians. Multiple divisions that have made Jesus' prayer for a united people a seemingly impossibility (John 17:20-22).
The dilemma is that most Christians do not see themselves as being part of the people of Israel, nor as being descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This viewpoint is reinforced by Jews who agree with them. The Jewish attitude is, to be part of the people of Israel your mother must be Jewish and you cannot believe that Jesus is the Messiah. So if you want to be part of the people of Israel give up your faith in Jesus as being the Messiah and convert to Judaism. Thankfully, the vast majority of Christians would never accept such advice. The Christian community's basic attitude over the past two thousand years has been that since Jew and Christian cannot both be people of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, obviously Christians have replaced the Jews. Unfortunately, in the past they have at times attempted to prove their point by brutally annihilating the Jews. After all, if there are no Jews than then we are the chosen people. Archbishop Busros statement, "there is no longer a chosen people," in my opinion, is yet one more attempt to bully them, replace them, and eventually annihilate them.
The root of the problem is that for the past two thousand years the people who acknowledge the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as their God have been deeply divided, again, not over the issue of who their God is but over the identity of the Messiah He would send to deliver His people. Two thousand years ago there were some seven million readily identifiable people of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob on earth. Interestingly enough they were a tithe (tenth) of the Roman Empire's seventy million. These people were called "Jews," although they were not all from the tribe of Judah. Almost half of them lived in the Roman Province of Judea, which is comparable to the area occupied by the modern state of Israel. They had a temple, a Levitical priesthood and an animal sacrificial system. They also had achieved a workable relationship with Rome which allowed them to have their own God, a favorable tax status, and they were not required to worship the gods of Rome.
Then a Son was born in a stable in Bethlehem. The promised Messiah had come. Unfortunately, Yeshua's life, death and resurrection caused deep division among the Jewish people, which was further sealed by the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Without a temple, a tabernacle or the animal sacrificial system, the manner in which the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had been worshiped since the Exodus from Egypt was over!
This Scripturally based worship system was replaced by two Jewish sects whose primary differences were based upon whether Jesus was or was not Israel's Messiah. The first century Jews who refused to acknowledge that Jesus was Israel's Messiah, founded Rabbinical Judaism. At the same time those Jews who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah founded "The Way," which eventually became known as Christianity. Unfortunately that division has continued to this day.
Rabbinical Jews have portrayed themselves as primarily being from the tribe of Judah. And while their numbers may be smaller than that of the Christians, they have over the years succeeding in maintaining their image as being the "people" of Israel. This identity has been greatly reinforced by the fulfillment in the past century of Zechariah 12:7, as the tents of Judah have been the first to return to the land and have formed a secular state. These returning Jews have wholeheartedly embraced being brought back to their homeland, but they have failed to understand that being first assumes a second.
Zechariah goes on to say that the tents of Judah are coming up ahead of the House David. So at some point the tents that make up the House of David, which includes all the tribes of Israel must also come up. It was also significant that the name of the new state was changed at the last minute from 'Judea,' to 'Israel.' Further, the flag of the new state displayed the six pointed star on David's shield, the emblem of the united kingdom under King David.
Additionally, the fact that Christians do not view themselves as a particular people group, but rather emphasize the necessity of having a personal relationship with their God, has enhanced the portrayal of Jews as the people of Israel. The predominant reason for this widespread Christian viewpoint is the result of the punishment of Ephraim (The other house of Israel and the other fold as Jesus' describes in John 10:15-16). Because of disobedience, Ephraim was sentenced to the loss of his identity as a people (Hosea 1:2-10). The duration of this punishment was initially 390 years, however, because Ephraim would not repent and turn back to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, his punishment was multiplied sevenfold, for a period of 2,730 years (Lev 26:18,21,24,28; Eze 4:4-5). See Zechariah Patrol Report: "Fulfilling Your Destiny!" for specific details regarding this punishment.
However, the good news is the time period for the punishment has been fulfilled, and we are witnessing a growing Messianic Awakening in which many Christians of various faiths are seeing themselves as being of Ephraim, the other house of Israel, and part of the chosen people of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is an exciting life changing message not only for Ephraim but also for Judah. For as Ephraim realizes he is part of the people of Israel it will open Judah's eyes to the realization that Jesus (Yeshua) is Israel's Messiah.
Pope Benedict, I am sure that you daily pray the prayer, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." If you keep in mind the idea that unity does not necessarily mean uniformity, you could take a significant step toward fulfilling the above prayer by having the Catholic Church recognize that all people who claim that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is their God, are part of His people!
Pope Benedict, one last thought to ponder. The founders of the Way which evolved into the Catholic Church were Jews!
Angus
For the Patrol
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Your thoughts and comments.
This is a team effort and we would like to hear your thoughts and comments. To share them go to ZechariahsPatrol.com. This report will be shown. Click on the title of the report you would like to comment on, then go to the end of the report. There you can post your comments, and review comments made by others |
We are engaged in a War of Words
Be sure that you are well armed! |
For Ephraim to once a again become a mighty man ready for YHVH's Whistle to return to the land and join with his brother Judah, and together defeat their enemies, he must increase his numbers (Zech 10:7-12). This requires that lost sheep become found sheep. This transformation under the guidance of the Ruach Ha Kodesh can best be accomplished by providing appropriate verbal and written information, and fellowship to lost sheep.  Twenty thousand copies Ephraim and Judah - Israel Revealed which have been distributed in the past have been a key factor in turning lost sheep into found sheep. It has proven to be an excellent initial word weapon. However, Batya's classic "handout book" Ephraim and Judah - Israel Revealed, is now out of print in paper, but it is available as a free eBook. Click here to download. Several people have asked for the eBook on a CD. So we have made it available on a CD which is available at Key of David Marketplace $4 (to cover shipping and handling costs).
The good news is that we will soon have a new and improved version of this classic book. It will be titled, Who Is Israel - Redeemed Israel - A Digest. This exciting new overview will make an excellent and inexpensive handout book. It can now be pre-ordered at a very special price at Key of David Marketplace and is now due for delivery in late November or early December. For more information see the Challenges of Being A Watchman |
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I Am YHVH We encourage you to listen to a new song, written by Batya and recorded by our friend, Will Spires. The song is titled "I AM YHVH" and it is truly inspiring. You might want to listen to it before you pray. The song is about the Father's heart cry for His chosen people: Judah and Ephraim. You can hear it as you enter the Zachariah's Patrol website or Key of David Marketplace, and it can be downloaded for free at Key of David Marketplace.Several people have asked for the song on a cd so they can play it in their cars. So we have made available at Key of David Marketplace. a CD that has seven renditions of the song for $4 (to cover shipping and handling costs).
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Upcoming Events
The Messianic Israel Alliance Southeast Regional Conference will be held in the Tampa area on Friday and Saturday, November 12th - 13th, 2010. For more information go to Southeast Regional Conference |
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Contact Information
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Websites to visit:
Messianic Israel Alliance The MIA will help you to understand the Hope of Messianic Israel plus Messianic Israel Inclusion Theology. You can become a Partner in restoring the Kingdom to Israel.
Bnai' Ephraim International This is the premier online presence that advocates for this generation's sons and daughters of Ephraim.
Zechariah's Patrol Reports This exciting site offers an abundance of prophetic insights that will help you see how events on earth and in our own lives are viewed from Heaven's Throne Room.
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