The Inner Sanctuary and the End Time Church


		Note: Footnotes are indicated by highlited text, Introduction I remember the British elections of 1992. On the night that all the results were being counted and everyone was glued to their T.V. sets, campaign officials and politicians were being interviewed as to who they thought would win. Some were very dogmatic that their party would certainly win. "The People have spoken!" they were saying. "They're through with this old government!" I just said back into the set, "Yeah, they've already finished speaking. You can cut the rhetoric now. The campaign's over!" Then, former prime minister Margaret Thatcher was asked, and she said (I forget the exact words) "When we're this close to finding out anyway, it's probably not wise to make a prediction." No wonder she was prime minister for over ten years! So ask me? Why am I writing another book on the end times? I, for one, have always thought there were too many already! And yet, here I am writing one! I suppose the reason is that, unlike the T.V. viewers watching the election results in 1992, we are faced with things that we must be prepared to participate in as the time comes. This book follows through on the theme of dwelling in the inner sanctuary which I began in my earlier book, Marta Marta. The purpose of this book is to excite you further about life in the inner sanctuary, especially as it applies to the rapidly approaching end of the age. It's in the inner sanctuary that we must prepare ourselves. Those who have read Marta Marta will recognise "Uncle Baruch's slightly paraphrased" rendering of Luke 10:38-42 in the opening of the first chapter. Both this and Marta Marta were actually started at the same time. At first, I wanted to include it all in the same book. Then, I realised that the message in Marta Marta is so important, it needed to stand alone. This book goes into detail in a couple of areas over which people tend to disagree with one another, and sometimes even divide ways. I realised that I couldn't afford to run the risk of putting people off of the Marta Marta message over these areas of disagreement. Indeed, as I said in Marta Marta, there's no reason to allow these issues to divide us, period! What we have in common as believers in Christ is far more and greater than what distinguishes our various persuasions and denominations. If we were to only realise the full impact of this truth, much of our theological debate would sound to us like kindergarten squabble over who got which toy first. I believe that with all my heart. I realised that the first Marta Marta book must communicate that message unimpeded, as some of the content in this sequel has the potential of developing into a kindergarten squabble. At the same time, I believe that the issues addressed in this book are important. Even if the reader doesn't agree with everything I say, there should be certain basic principals one will find to hold true no matter where one stands, especially that of dwelling in the inner sanctuary. Therefore I hope that the reader will read the whole book through, and receive something, even if he or she doesn't agree with this book as a whole. In fact, if you, the reader, begin to have second thoughts about reading this because of how I treat some of your favourite doctrines, I suggest that you do one of two things: either skip to the last chapter and read what I believe is the most important message of this book over and above the differences in what we believe; or else put this book on the shelf and read Marta Marta, in which I emphasise that it's not as important what we believe on these issues as maintaining unity in the body of Christ. Then, try reading this book again. At the very least, read Tommy Hick's vision of the end times, which I've included in the chapter entitled, "Why the Great Tribulation is an Exciting Time." His vision is all in italics so it should be easy to find. He doesn't clearly specify which position he holds on the end times -- only that it's glorious! It's also included in Charles and Francis Hunter's book, To Heal the Sick. At the very least, I hope this book will help you to be less intimidated by what others believe on certain issues, especially regarding the timing of the rapture and Israel's part in the scheme of things. And, like Margaret Thatcher, you should be better prepared for an alternative future scenario in case the one you have trusted in suddenly fails. Don't be like those poor souls, for whom the "88 reasons why Jesus should have come in '88" also turned out to be the only 88 reasons they had to believe in God in the first place! Over all, I hope the reader finds comfort and reason to be excited by the prospect of where the Lord is taking His body, even if it differs with what you originally believed. That's the real reason for this book Return to Table of Contents § Return to Home Page Marta! Marta! Divisions: Luke 10:38-42 (slightly paraphrased) Stuck in the kitchen What we are and what we do *Luke 10:38-42 (slightly paraphrased)* Yeshuah had some very good friends who lived in Beit-ani, a small town just outside of Jerusalem, at the foot of the Mount of Olives. They consisted of a brother and two sisters, namely, Lazar, Marta and Miriam. Everyone who was conscientious about what they believed, made the journey to Jerusalem about twice or three times a year. Many of them had friends with whom they stayed. Likewise, Yeshuah stayed at his friend's home. It was a great privilege, indeed, to have one as renowned as Yeshuah stopping over all the time. After all, it's not everyone who has the chance to entertain the one who is believed to be the Messiah of Israel, and every time he came to Jerusalem! Marta took this privilege very seriously. In fact, she out did herself every time he came. Even the special delicacies that had been put away for Shabbat, or for one of the great feasts (yom tov), were brought out whenever Yeshuah arrived. She always said, "We really must go out of our way to make him feel welcome, because who knows? Are there not many people better than us in Jerusalem? Would he not go to lodge with them if he tires of our company?" Lazar and Miriam agreed. Miriam always tried to be helpful, but she was more the sentimental impractical type. At times, she'd work hard, but if she were left to herself, the house would soon be declared a disaster area by the high priest! Then, tell me, who would ever stop in for a visit? It was just as well she had such an able sister as Marta around to tell her what to do. At least Marta thought so. There was something about Yeshuah that made Miriam feel good about herself. Around him, she just felt -- let's say -- free! At ease! Marta was a different basket of fish. Always scolding! Oi! Veh! Miriam! Why can't you do this right! Miriam! You forgot to do that! Miriam! How many times have I told you...! Today, Yeshuah was back, sitting in his usual seat, and once again, Miriam felt good about herself. There were a number of Yeshuah's pupils there as well, sitting around on cushions on the floor, as well as a few others who came along. Yeshuah was once again making his remarks about this and that -- you know, such ordinary sounding things, but things you would never even have thought of, but as soon as he said them, you just knew they were true! Something inside always said, "It's about time someone said that!" Then he was illustrating them with the most imaginative stories! This time, Miriam felt like sitting right there, plop, in the middle, listening to Yeshuah with her chin resting on both hands. To tell you the truth, she'd always felt like doing that, but there were always 101 things to do in the kitchen. This time, she felt so good about it that that's exactly what she did. Did her conscience bother her in the least? Let me tell you! As soon as she sat down there in the middle, she clean forgot that the house even had a kitchen attached! She even forgot that it's not proper for a lady to sit in the middle of a group of men. -- Well, she only intended to sit for a little while, and go back to the kitchen. But the stories! The little titbits of such wisdom! It's not only that! The love that radiated from the man. If she didn't understand a single word he said, she'd just sit and bask in that love! But it was the love that made the words so understandable! Well, to make a long story short, she just sat, and sat, and sat, and -- well, now we're making a short story long again! And Marta? Well! It just so happened that she had received such short notice of Yeshuah's arrival, and who would have expected it? It wasn't even a yom tov! The neighbour's boy just happened to run by the house announcing that Yeshuah was coming in by the road that winds around the mountain, and you should have seen the state of the house! Well, it's a good thing they had some preserved meats put away for Shabbat, or there wouldn't have been anything in the house worth looking at! And -- why, where's that Miriam? Just sitting there doing nothing! We've got 101 things to do, and she's sitting there, listening to story after story! Doesn't she know that if it weren't for the hard work Marta was doing there would be no Yeshuah to sit and listen to all afternoon? Who ran around and straightened the main room that Miriam left in such a mess? If Yeshuah had seen it earlier? Why! He'd have made an excuse, and gone on to find someone else's house to lodge in! Now, who's going to stir the soup while Marta punched the dough down and patted it into small pieces? Who's going to go in and pick up the cups? Who's going to chop the onions? Who's going to ...? That's it! She had to go in and say something. That's just what she did. She went right in to the main room, and gave them all a piece of her mind. Messiah or not, she told him! Was she going to let Miriam be the cause of him going away and never coming back? Marta could do that just as well herself! Well, look at him! At least he could chase her into the kitchen! Honestly! He just allows her to Sit there, looking into his eyes like a stupid fool, when he knows there's so much work to do! So she told them. And what was his reaction? He looked at Marta as though she had just mistaken a porcupine for one of the cushions! "Marta! Marta!" he said. "Look at you! You're all worked up over so many things! Who told you you had to hold a first class reception? Only one thing is important, and Miriam has found it! Miriam has chosen the best part, and no one can take it away from her." Return to head of chapter *Stuck in the kitchen* A nice story, but what's the point, you ask? The point is, a whole lot of us seem to be stuck in the kitchen slaving away, when we could be enjoying ourselves. In so doing, we are discovering the wonderful truth of the proverb, "too many bakers spoil the dough." Another ancient proverb some of us are finding out the hard way is, "All work and no play makes Johnny a bad boy" (which is either from King Solomon or "Poor Richard's Almanac" -- I forget which). The point is, there are two places we can choose to spend our time in our Christian experience. One is slaving away in the kitchen, trying to do all the work that obviously needs to get done, or to simply sit at Yeshuah's feet, and drink in His love. Miriam picked the most important spot. Even though she didn't realise at the time that she was picking the better spot, the time spent at Yeshuah's feet better prepared her for the work that needs to be done, than actually trying to run around trying to figure out how to do it. It makes all the difference between working with God, and working for God. Once we begin working with God, all the kitchen work becomes a snap! Only as we take our place in Christ, in the inner sanctuary, will we realise our full potential outside, in the kitchen as it were. We'll get more done, because we've been energised from within. When we are in that spot at Yeshuah's feet, we are in the presence of God. It is through Yeshuah that we come into that presence. His flesh has provided the way into the inner sanctuary, or the Holy of Holies (Heb 10:19,20). It is in that spot that we realise just who we are in Christ. Being "in Christ" is being a part of His body. That's what makes us a part of one another. Often, we have thought of being "in Christ" as an individual thing. Christ in us is an individual thing, but being in Christ is being in His body, and therefore a part of one another (there are, of course, many individual aspects to being "in Christ" so don't throw out your favourite Bible commentaries just yet). The fact that we are related is a fundamental part of the inner sanctuary experience. That is where we make most of our mistakes in our relationships to one another. We confuse the outer ministry with the inner sanctuary. We judge other people, and compare ourselves according to our outward performance, when we should be cultivating our intimacy with Him. We emphasise the gifts and callings when we should be emphasising relationships in the inner sanctuary. We've become overtaken with how we visibly affect others more than our relationships with them. Return to head of chapter *What we are and what we do* When you are in relationship with someone, there's no need to impress them. Histories and achievements, whether good or bad are irrelevant in a true relationship. What a person says or how he does things is not what we relate to, but what he or she is (the exception to this being, that those actions that affect what they are are important). Failure to understand this has caused division in the body of Christ. Once we are confident of who we are in Him, and assured, not only of His love for us, but also of the importance of that love at the foundation of our whole Christian experience; then we will have a sense of security nothing can shake. Then, and only then will we no longer feel threatened by how God uses others in the body. King Saul had reason to doubt his position with God, and therefore felt threatened by David's anointing, even when David was being as discreet as he possibly could. King David, on the other hand, knew his place in the inner sanctuary, and even his son, Absolom's rebellion couldn't move him from there. King David was so much before God, he was even willing for Absolom to reign as king if that were God's will. Why do you think he was a man after God's own heart? In the inner sanctuary, there is no insecurity. Because of that, we can maintain our unity and our equilibrium as we minister outside. Our experience in the inner sanctuary becomes our motive for our ministry. That motive, of course, is love. To the extant that everyone positions him or herself in the inner sanctuary, and moves in the same motive, we will have unity between our ministries even though we have our different giftings, styles and distinctive. Romans 12:3 says "God has dealt to everyone a measure of faith." Faith is something that is developed in the inner sanctuary. Verse 4 and 5 say, "For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." "One Body" is an inner sanctuary term. We are one, because of who we are in Christ. "Many members" speaks of how that affects our outward ministry, or what we do "in the kitchen." Verse 6 says, "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them..." The grace is given to us in the inner sanctuary, but as it moves outward from there, it moves us in different ways, but for a common purpose. "...if prophecy, let us prophecy in proportion to our faith..." Faith, as we said, comes from our inner sanctuary experience. In the verses following, we see that faith, along with liberality, diligence and cheerfulness, being fruits of the inner sanctuary, all strengthen the outward moving gifts. All of the gifts and callings listed both here, and in I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4, work the same way: they are motivated by our being "one body" in the inner sanctuary before God, and diversify as they move outward into the world and to one another. They won't work as effectively if we are running around like Marta, but only as we find the "better place" as Miriam did. Return to Table of Contents § Return to Home Page Other Gifts and Callings We Never Thought Of Divisions: Gifts and Callings Replacement Theology The Calling of the Gentiles *Gifts and callings* The Bible has a lot to say about gifts and callings, but one passage brings it into an altogether different sphere then we've been looking at. Romans 11:29 says, "For the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable." If you look at the context, this verse is speaking of a special calling Jews have by virtue of being Jewish. Now, look at Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11. (NKJV, a synthesis of the two) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If being a Jew is among the gifts and callings, as the presence of Romans 11:29 in its context would indicate, than "gifts and callings" are also to be included in the intent of Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11. In other words, in Christ (or in the inner sanctuary), there is no Jew nor Greek, male or female, slave or free, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, or tongue talker, or gift of helps, or gift of hugging. It is no coincidence that the passage referring to the gift and calling of being Jewish, is closely followed by chapter 12, which we just looked at in the previous chapter. This once again drives home our point that the gifts are not a measure of our inner sanctuary experience, because in Christ, we are not distinguished by our gifts. That is, the apostle is loved no more than the one who only speaks in tongues, or simply helps others out. In our most intimate position with God, there is no apostle or tongue talker or helper. But, you say, doesn't Romans 12 say there are diversities of gifts? Relax! We'll get to that! Another thing we must begin to take note of here: If being Jewish is counted among the gifts and calling of God, we can further conclude from Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11, that being a Gentile from a particular nation is also among the gifts and callings. So is being a man, or a woman. So is one's social status. So is one's race. Do you follow what we've done? We've linked three different concepts together by means of two key words found in three sets of passages. By doing so, we found that womanhood is a gift and a calling (womanhood is not the subject of this book by the way). Read the last four paragraphs over again if you have to (I'll explain more about this technique of Bible interpretation later on). Hey! Wait a minute, you say, First you're saying there are diversities, then you're bringing Galatians and Colossians in to say there is no difference, and now you're using Galatians and Colossians to say there are diversities again! Exactly. You've been following my line of logic wonderfully! Return to head of chapter *Replacement theology* There are many among us in the body of Christ who emphasise that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, believing that all the promises in the Bible made to Israel are now for the church -- that the church has replaced Israel in God's plan for the ages. This theory is called "Replacement Theology." My response to "Replacement Theology?" It is right of course -- in regards to the church in the inner sanctuary. Because Christ was made a curse for us, all of the blessings of Abraham have come on the Gentiles. There is therefore no promise or blessing in the Old Testament that a believer can't claim by virtue of simply being in Christ. The church indeed has a birthright many believers have yet to claim. That birthright is in the inner sanctuary. However, in regards to Israel's gift and calling, or her ministry outside in the "kitchen," Replacement Theology is wrong. As long as we are in the inner sanctuary, basking in His love, yes, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, or any other gift or calling, or strategy, or personal vision. His love does not depend on our gifts, our achievements, our being Jewish or any other nationality, our wealth, or social standing, or even being a man or a woman. In that place, we are one body. We are loved equally. If that is not enough for you -- if you insist we must be exactly alike outside as well -- that means you don't understand the immense value of His love. You need to spend more time in His presence until you do (not that we'll ever grasp it fully with our natural minds). When we move out into "the kitchen," and minister in the world, then there are distinctions. Not so, you say? So there's no difference between male and female? Then why did Paul say, "Wives obey your husbands as unto Christ; and husbands love your wives as Christ loves the Church?" Could it be that there is just a tad bit of difference in their functions? In the same way, an apostle will function a little bit differently than a prophet; a Jew will do some things differently than a Gentile; and a CEO will have things expected of him by God that a domestic won't. All these are, of course, different ways of grouping. The difference between male and female is not the same as the difference between apostle and prophet. If you take into account all these "gifts and callings," we can come up with some very diverse mixtures. For instance, imagine a Sephardic Jewish man from Bombay who owns a jewellery export business in Bangkok and is a gifted evangelist; compared to a young Filipino lady working as a domestic in Hongkong who is called to the ministry of a prophet. The two are diverse in every category we've mentioned, and yet they are equal before Christ. One is not loved more than another, but there is a difference in function in Christ's Body. One difference in function is determined by the fact that one is an entrepreneur, and the other a house maid; another difference, is in the fact one is Filipino, and the other is from India; yet another by the fact one is a man, the other is a woman; yet again by the fact one is an evangelist, and the other a prophet; and then the fact one is living in Bangkok and the other in Hongkong; and of course, that one is Jewish and the other a Gentile. Return to head of chapter *The calling of the gentiles* One of the unique callings of God for the Gentile believers, according to Romans 11:11-14, is to provoke Israel to jealousy (there are other callings as well, of course, which we'll discuss later). And how can the gentile believers provoke Jews to jealousy? Certainly not by what we've been doing. One is provoked to jealousy by seeing another person fully enjoying a privilege or a possession that ought to be his. So far, we haven't been enjoying our privileges in Messiah to their fullest extent. At least not enough to make the Jewish people jealous! To do that, we must spend time in the inner sanctuary, because that is where our birthright is. Seeing that birthright in full use will certainly make Israel jealous! There, Replacement Theology makes a very important contribution by telling us, "Claim your birthright." However, Replacement Theology fails to account for the promises God made to Abraham, and to Moses and the prophets that unmistakably apply to physical Israel -- that is, the physical descendants of Abraham through Jacob. Paul also makes some statements in Romans chapters 9-11 that apply unmistakably to physical Israel (we'll look at some of these scriptures in detail in the next chapter). However, just because the promises and blessings apply literally to physical Israel, doesn't mean they apply any less to the church spiritually. Prophecies usually have a duel application: at least one physical; and at least one spiritual. Besides that, the Holy Spirit can also bring out a "rhema" word to apply to daily situations of those who seek him and believe in His word. There is often a "logos" that can also be applied. But the plain meaning of the scripture still applies, no matter how many hidden meanings can be derived. Where the plain meaning singles out Israel, then it applies ultimately to a future event involving physical Israel, even though the inference may be made to a blessing to be enjoyed by believers in Christ. The inference to the Church is no less valid than if it were only talking about the Church in the first place. The Church is not an afterthought in the mind of God. Nor is it simply a "parentheses" in God's plan to establish His kingdom on earth. It is a vital component to His kingdom, and a part of God's plan from the very beginning. In that sense, Replacement Theology is right. However, there is absolutely no reason to feel threatened by the inclusion of Israel in God's plan. Why then do people fight tooth and nail to exclude physical Israel? If God's covenant to Israel is properly understood, then there is every reason to feel that much more secure because of the inclusion of Israel. If God can't break His promises to Israel, nor replace them with another group or another program, than He can't replace the Church either. There are NOT two programs, one for the gentile church and one for Israel. Neither is Israel replaced by the church. The church is NOT the gentile counterpart to Israel (whether historical, present or future Israel). In fact, in Christ there is neither Jew nor gentile. (If there are no Jews, then there are no Gentiles either!) No. In God's plan, the Jews and Gentiles form a single entity, of which physical Israel is the foundation, in the same way that the Old Testament is the foundation for the New Testament. However, to fulfil their role at the foundation, they must come into Christ spiritually and position themselves in that place where there is no Jew nor Greek -- in the inner sanctuary. As a whole, they haven't done that yet, but Romans 11 says they will. What is this foundational role that physical Israel will play? I can answer that in three words: I don't know. But whatever it is, no one needs to feel threatened by it, or made to feel like second class citizens in God's Kingdom. As far as class goes, there is no Jew or Greek etc. but where gifts and calling goes, Jews are distinguished from Greeks, just as men are distinguished from women. One clue to what their unique ministry will be, is the description in Revelation of the 144,000. At one point, they are described as surrounding the Lamb on mount Zion -- which apart from its spiritual significance for the church, also describes a physical mountain in Jerusalem, where the temple is supposed to stand -- to which Jesus, the Lamb said he would never return until Israel says "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord." It is said that there, the 144,000 are able to sing a song no one else can sing. In other words, they are able to catch something in the spirit that they are able to sing out for the rest of the body of the Lamb to hear -- or to impart to their gentile brethren. As I said, the fact that they can catch a song others can't catch, should be no threat to the rest of us, any more than a prophet should feel threatened by the fact that a particular evangelist can perform miracles that he can't. It isn't a sign that God loves them more, but that they are simply filling their role in the body of Christ. Now how do we apply this practically? Whether you agree with this chapter or not, the message is the same. Do what "Replacement Theology" tells us to do: claim your birthright. Most of all, develop your inner sanctuary experience with your Father through Christ. Move into everything God has for you. Claim all the promises God made to Israel as a spiritual seed of Abraham. Doing that is the only way we will fulfil Paul's vision of the Gentiles moving the Jews to jealousy -- when we move in love and unity and become blessed with the blessings that were supposed to be theirs. If you don't agree with that vision, do it anyway. At least you'll be blessed! Return to head of chapter Return to Table of Contents § Return to Home Page Israel and the Resurrection Divisions: The Rabbis So What Ought a Messiah to Say? Blessed is He... And Now -- The Cornerstone... *The rabbis* It has always been believed by the Jewish rabbis and elders that when Messiah comes, the resurrection of the dead would take place. The exact timing has always been up to debate, but however one looked at it, the Messiah would usher in resurrection of the dead, and the world to come. The first century rabbis of the Pharisee party believed it, just as 20th century Orthodox rabbis believe it. Surprisingly little has changed in Judaism. Modern Orthodox rabbis fall back on the Talmud as their guide to scriptural interpretation. The Talmud seems to be a fairly good indicator of what the first century Pharisees believed. It may surprise you that quite a lot of our eschatology actually originated with the rabbis. Take for example these three quotations from the Talmud: The Pharisees were the "evangelicals" or "fundamentalists" of the early first century. The Christian movement owes a lot to the Pharisees. They preserved for us the belief in the resurrection of the dead, of angels and evil spirits, and an afterlife in either heaven or hell. They believed strongly in the Word of God. The apostle Paul was a Pharisee, trained by one of the most respected rabbis of all times. He said, shortly before his deportation to Rome, "I am a Pharisee, and the son of a Pharisee. It is for hope of the resurrection that I am called to account." For that statement, many of the Pharisees stuck up for him against the ruling Sadducees. The Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead or in angels and spirits or in life in the world to come. When they came to try to trip Yeshuah up with a question they thought no one could answer, Yeshuah sided with the Pharisees, and confirmed from scripture that the Sadducees were wrong in denying the resurrection. When Yeshuah answered the question regarding divorce, he was speaking to a controversy that was current between two schools of the Pharisees. The school of Hillel said it is okay to divorce one's wife for "any reason at all." The school of Shammai said it could only be done in the case of unfaithfulness. Yeshuah's answer confirmed the position of the school of Shammai. The Pharisees were not just one tight little group that went about with their noses in the air, as we have sometimes pictured them. They were a vast grouping that represented the general sentiment of the grass roots, in much the same way as the Evangelicals would in many parts of what's known as the "Bible belt" of the United States, or parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland (though perhaps not as much now as before). The schools of Hillel and Shammai are only an example of the many groups even within this general group. There were small groups in each town and village (for example, in Luke 13:14), which would have varied in their emphasis from place to place, often depending on how much influence they had from "the big city". Then, there were the more sophisticated ones that came from Jerusalem (Matt 15:1). Only the very top ones were on the Sanhedrin. Some of their leaders were wise sages like Gamaliel and Nicodemas, but often their followers, like Saul of Tarsus, Gamaliel's pupil, were very strong minded and fanatical. It was the Sadducees that had the most reason to get rid of Jesus. They represented the upper class and often held a monopoly on power. On occasion, they did have the co-operation of some of the Pharisees. Many of the scribes and Pharisees were genuinely interested in Yeshuah. Some thought He could actually be the Messiah they were expecting. It was their job to find out. Not all of the questions Yeshuah was asked were designed to trap him. "Tempt", as the King James Version renders it, can also mean simply to test, or to see how one stands on an issue. Among other things, they wanted to see if He knew His Torah. After all, if He didn't know the Torah, how could he be a candidate for Messiah? That's what many of them were interested in finding out. More than once they simply asked for a sign from above that He was Messiah, sometimes sincerely and other times in a sarcastic tone. Many really didn't like Him, and were actually trying to trap Him. When Yeshuah was asked what is the greatest commandment, His answer confirmed what the school of Hillel believed. The school of Hillel was the more lenient school that emphasised loving God and one's neighbour. This one, according to Mark's account (12:28-34) was more of a friendly discussion with one of the more wise and amiable of the Pharisees. This proves that not all of the questions were with malicious intent. Yeshuah answered all the questions so well that the Bible says, no one dared to ask Him a question after that. He was accepted as an authority, or we could say, one of the tanna-im -- that is, one of the great rabbis, like Gamaliel, Hillel, Shammai, and Yochannan ben Zakkai. Some accepted him rather grudgingly, but a few were prepared to receive him as Messiah. Return to head of chapter *So what ought a messiah to say?* Now that Yeshuah's authority was recognised by the rabbinical community, He had their ear in a different way then before. However, instead of tickling it with nice soft words like any polite Messiah ought to have done, Yeshuah opened his mouth and said some things they really didn't want to hear. He had said things about them in the past, but nothing quite like this. Now, those who had only accepted him grudgingly, didn't accept him anymore. Some of the others also began having second thoughts. What He said is found in Matthew 23. He began by saying, "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's seat. Therefore whatever they tell you, observe..." That appears to be the only positive thing He had to say. However, the fact that He did say it, is very significant. If He were speaking today, He would have probably said, "The evangelicals think they sit in Moses's seat." Had He been speaking about the Charismatics, He would have said, "...whatever they tell you, take with a grain of salt!" He then went on to mention some more things that the scribes and Pharisees share in common with the rest of us: their hypocrisy, hardness of heart, self-righteousness and pride. These are not necessarily symptoms of Judaism, but of any institution of any faith in which people have not been spending time in the inner sanctuary before their heavenly Father. It just so happened that He directed His words towards the Pharisees, because they represented the best and finest of God's covenant community on the earth at that point in history. Had we Protestants, Catholics, Evangelicals and Charismatics been around, then he might have mentioned us too, but we hadn't been born yet. Notice, He never mentioned the Sadducees in this passage, whose morals were even worse than the Pharisees. At the end of this speech, Yeshuah said something else very significant. "...for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'" Taken in context, He has addressed the scribes and Pharisees who sit in Moses's seat, being therefore the authority in Jerusalem. Then He says in verse 37, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem...etc." Even though they are the very ones who kill the prophets (as He has explained in the previous verses) and stoned those sent to them, they nevertheless sit in Moses's seat. God is certainly rebuking Israel, but He is not once and for all rejecting her. They are the ones who will welcome Messiah to reign over Israel. Sitting in Moses's seat, their word carries authority. It is still believed by the rabbis to this day that Messiah will reign as King only when the rabbinical council gives its consent by a majority. Let's look for a minute at the Psalm Yeshuah was quoting: Psalm 118:22-26 The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. There are two phrases in this Psalm that we recognise from the New Testament: "The stone which the builders rejected," which Yeshuah applies to himself in Luke 20:17,18; Matt 21:42-44; and Mark 12:10; and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD," which Yeshuah quotes in Matt 23:39, and Luke 13:35. Both phrases are quoted as Messianic promises, and we can therefore see from their original context that Messiah will be rejected by the builders, or those in authority over God's house before He is accepted as the chief cornerstone. Furthermore, we see that the point of acceptance will be the proclamation, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." This, according to the next sentence, will be uttered from the "house of the Lord." Both of these phrases tell us a lot, and when tied together in this passage, are very significant. Let's look at the "Blessed is he..." passage, which Yeshuah quotes twice. We'll examine the "cornerstone scriptures" later on. Return to head of chapter *Blessed is he...* Yeshuah made his prophetic pronouncements against the scribes and Pharisees, which began with, "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's seat," and finished by making what, according to Matthew, was his last public pronouncement before leaving the temple mountain for the very last time: Matt 23:37-39 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!" Not only did his speech infuriate the Pharisees; some of what Yeshuah said made his own pupils think perhaps he underestimated the value of the gifts and donations that went into the temple. On their way out, they pointed out some of the "beautiful stones and donations" (Luke's account) that made up the temple structure. That's when Yeshuah predicted that "not one stone will be left on top of another that will not be torn down." Then, suddenly, it dawned on the pupils that Yeshuah might not reign as king quite as soon as they had thought. This great temple torn down and left desolate? The people of Jerusalem won't see Yeshuah again until they say "Blessed is He...?" For the first time, they asked the question, "When will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? We had thought it would be right now, but, I guess we were mistaken!" You see, it was Yeshuah's speech in Matthew 23 that arose the pupils' concern and prompted them to ask the right questions that resulted in Yeshuah's dissertation on the end times in Matthew 24. Yeshuah's "Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem...etc." proclamation is really a part of the "last days" chapter of Matthew 24, from which we derive much of our teaching on the last days. According to almost everyone's teaching on the last days, Jerusalem will certainly see Yeshuah when He returns (Even those who don't believe physical Jerusalem has any significance, still must admit that Jerusalem will see Messiah just as any other city will). Yet, here He says Himself, "You shall see me no more till you say, "Blessed...etc." There is one more passage in which this pronouncement is quoted: Luke 13:34-35 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'" Notice that the wording is slightly different. In Luke's account, we read, "You shall not see Me until the time comes when you say..." This was said before Yeshuah even reached Jerusalem, where they did indeed see Yeshuah with their physical eyes. Indeed, the people came out with palm branches and made the same proclamation, but it turned out that certain key people didn't. The "seeing" here must therefore mean seeing him arrive as King Messiah, which will happen when "the time comes." This puts it at a definite future date, not "if and when." In Matthew, we read, "You shall see me no more till you say..." Now, it was later, and they still hadn't "seen Him" as King Messiah, though they had "seen Him" physically many times. Now, he was saying that this was the last time He is to be seen with the physical eyes on the temple grounds in any way, shape or form until the pronouncement is made. Matthew, indeed, records this as being His last excursion to the temple. The pronouncement in Luke comes at the end of a passage in which Yeshuah is recorded as describing the Kingdom of God as a mustard seed, which grows into a large tree; and then, to some leaven that leavens a whole lump of dough. Then, he speaks of how few of those of Israel will make it into the Kingdom, while Gentiles come from the north, south, east and west to sit with Abraham. Then, soon after this, he makes the lament over Jerusalem, saying they would not see him until the time comes that they make this pronouncement. According to Luke, then, there is a period in which Israel finds herself outside of God's grace, but "the time will come" when she does say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." According to both Matthew and Luke, this must happen before Yeshuah can ever appear in Jerusalem. Their binding word will usher in Messiah's Kingdom, and the resurrection of the dead. That's why the Apostle Paul said in Romans 11:15, "...if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" But, you say, how can such an important event as the resurrection and the second coming be entrusted to a group of unbelieving Jews? They are Israel. They are still under the covenant, albeit the old covenant, to which they are in disobedience. However, God is faithful to the covenant even if Israel is disobedient. (Rom 3:1-4) Paul says in the earlier part of his passage about Israel, (Rom 9:4,5), "...who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen." These significant words were written in the present tense. In other words, the covenant didn't just "used to" pertain to them. It pertains to them now. Paul didn't just say that to be sentimental. The Holy Spirit doesn't inspire vain sentiment. Israel is important to God's plan for the ages. To them pertains the adoption, the covenant, the giving of the law, the service of God and the promises -- even the promise of the resurrection and the second coming of Messiah. But they cannot fulfil their eternal role unless they come in faith. It looks almost as though God has lost control, but He hasn't. Paul says in chapter 11 verse 25, For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. God is in complete control. Don't worry. The rapture will happen on schedule. Even Israel's stumbling was on schedule. The same Psalm that said Israel will say, "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord," also said they would reject the cornerstone. Return to head of chapter *And now -- the cornerstone...* Let's look at the other New Testament scriptures that allude to the reference to the cornerstone in Psalm 118. Luke 20:17,18 (also Matt 21:42-44; Mark 12:10) Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone?' Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder." Here, Yeshuah not only quotes Psalm 118, but also alludes to Isaiah 8:14,15. Peter also quotes Psalm 118, but he lumps it together, not only with Isaiah 8:15, but also Isaiah 28:16,17: I Pet 2:4-8 ...Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offence." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. We see, more than once, a Jewish rule of interpretation has been used, called, "Gezerah Shavah." That means, "Comparison of similar expressions." Where a key word or phrase is used in more than one passage, the truth in one of the passages can be inferred in the other also. Therefore, "rejected corner stone," "for a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling..." and "a precious corner stone," are all taken to mean the same thing. The understanding, therefore, when applied to Psalm 118, is that Yeshuah is the chief corner stone who was rejected. Then, instead of immediately becoming the foundation for the sanctuary, He became "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel"(Isa 8:14-15). In Romans 9:33, Paul quotes both Isaiah 8:14-15 and 28:16-17. This is in the midst of his three chapters (9-11) in which he leads up to the mystery of Israel's temporary hardening. In Romans 11:11 he says: I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 11:26,27 I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. A final "stumbling block" scripture is I Cor 1:22,23: ...the Jews request a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness... (I Cor 1:22,23) When we apply Gezerah Shavah to the word "stumbling block," we see this verse in a new light. Like the verses we've been discussing, it's talking about Psalm 118. The "stumbling block" is the same stone "that the builders rejected." Why was Jesus a stumbling block to the Jews of His day? Because they were seeking a sign. According to Jesus, they will not see the sign until the "time comes" when they say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Faith and confession must come before the sign manifests -- not after. This whole process of stumbling, rejection and hardening is referred to by Paul as a "mystery". However, this mystery will climax in resurrection as Romans 11:15 says: If their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? When individual Jews come to their messiah, that brings life from spiritual deadness to the church, and when the nation, as a whole, says "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord," Messiah will come as King, and the dead will be raised (in the rapture). When the time comes, probably at a time of Israel's most intense hour, when it looks as though another holocaust is inevitable (and this time a complete one), while believers are interceding for the world and for Israel, and many are being martyred, even at the hands of the rabbis, just as they were at the hands of Saul of Tarsus; the light will finally dawn on the rabbis and elders of Israel. They will lift up their voice and say, "Baruch haba ba Shem Adonai"; "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord." Then, the scripture will be fulfilled in Zechariah 12:10, "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." So there is a part to be played by Israel in the resurrection. Return to head of chapter § Next Chapter Return to Table of Contents § Return to Home Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . footnote - 11 Mind you, I have no problem with women in leadership. Your Uncle Baruch has had some absolutely fine women bosses in his working days, and a mother with some great leadership capabilities. Some of the finest heads of state in recent years have also been women. However, even there, their styles still tend to differ from that of men occupying the same positions -- sometimes in a positive way. Return to text . . . . . . . . . . . . . footnote - 21 Your Uncle Baruch speaks thus both as a Charismatic and an Evangelical. This is therefore a reproof -- not an attack from outside the fold, just as Jesus's warning to the Pharisees was a reproof, though often mistaken for an attack. Return to text . . . . . . . . . . . . . footnote - 31 Were not the Sadducees actually the ones in authority -- being in the High Priest's office? The most that could be said for them would have been, "they sit in Aaron's seat." The Pharisees, on the other hand, received their mandate from Ezra, who founded the Great Assembly which after the Maccabean revolt, regrouped as the Sanhedrin. This was the judicial body whose interpretations of Moses's laws carried weight. So who was greater, Aaron, or Moses who established Aaron in his position? To the Pharisees, therefore, falls the duty of recognising the "High Priest after the order of Malchizedek." Return to text . . . . . . . . . . . . Congradulations! You have found a foot note. Now, return to where you were. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Note: Footnotes are indicated by highlited text,

Introduction

I remember the British elections of 1992. On the night that all the results were being counted and everyone was glued to their T.V. sets, campaign officials and politicians were being interviewed as to who they thought would win. Some were very dogmatic that their party would certainly win. "The People have spoken!" they were saying. "They're through with this old government!" I just said back into the set, "Yeah, they've already finished speaking. You can cut the rhetoric now. The campaign's over!" Then, former prime minister Margaret Thatcher was asked, and she said (I forget the exact words) "When we're this close to finding out anyway, it's probably not wise to make a prediction." No wonder she was prime minister for over ten years!

So ask me? Why am I writing another book on the end times? I, for one, have always thought there were too many already! And yet, here I am writing one! I suppose the reason is that, unlike the T.V. viewers watching the election results in 1992, we are faced with things that we must be prepared to participate in as the time comes.

This book follows through on the theme of dwelling in the inner sanctuary which I began in my earlier book, Marta Marta. The purpose of this book is to excite you further about life in the inner sanctuary, especially as it applies to the rapidly approaching end of the age. It's in the inner sanctuary that we must prepare ourselves.

Those who have read Marta Marta will recognise "Uncle Baruch's slightly paraphrased" rendering of Luke 10:38-42 in the opening of the first chapter. Both this and Marta Marta were actually started at the same time. At first, I wanted to include it all in the same book. Then, I realised that the message in Marta Marta is so important, it needed to stand alone.

This book goes into detail in a couple of areas over which people tend to disagree with one another, and sometimes even divide ways. I realised that I couldn't afford to run the risk of putting people off of the Marta Marta message over these areas of disagreement. Indeed, as I said in Marta Marta, there's no reason to allow these issues to divide us, period! What we have in common as believers in Christ is far more and greater than what distinguishes our various persuasions and denominations. If we were to only realise the full impact of this truth, much of our theological debate would sound to us like kindergarten squabble over who got which toy first. I believe that with all my heart. I realised that the first Marta Marta book must communicate that message unimpeded, as some of the content in this sequel has the potential of developing into a kindergarten squabble.

At the same time, I believe that the issues addressed in this book are important. Even if the reader doesn't agree with everything I say, there should be certain basic principals one will find to hold true no matter where one stands, especially that of dwelling in the inner sanctuary. Therefore I hope that the reader will read the whole book through, and receive something, even if he or she doesn't agree with this book as a whole.

In fact, if you, the reader, begin to have second thoughts about reading this because of how I treat some of your favourite doctrines, I suggest that you do one of two things: either skip to the last chapter and read what I believe is the most important message of this book over and above the differences in what we believe; or else put this book on the shelf and read Marta Marta, in which I emphasise that it's not as important what we believe on these issues as maintaining unity in the body of Christ. Then, try reading this book again.

At the very least, read Tommy Hick's vision of the end times, which I've included in the chapter entitled, "Why the Great Tribulation is an Exciting Time." His vision is all in italics so it should be easy to find. He doesn't clearly specify which position he holds on the end times -- only that it's glorious! It's also included in Charles and Francis Hunter's book, To Heal the Sick.

At the very least, I hope this book will help you to be less intimidated by what others believe on certain issues, especially regarding the timing of the rapture and Israel's part in the scheme of things. And, like Margaret Thatcher, you should be better prepared for an alternative future scenario in case the one you have trusted in suddenly fails. Don't be like those poor souls, for whom the "88 reasons why Jesus should have come in '88" also turned out to be the only 88 reasons they had to believe in God in the first place! Over all, I hope the reader finds comfort and reason to be excited by the prospect of where the Lord is taking His body, even if it differs with what you originally believed. That's the real reason for this book

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Marta! Marta!

Divisions:

Luke 10:38-42 (slightly paraphrased)

Yeshuah had some very good friends who lived in Beit-ani, a small town just outside of Jerusalem, at the foot of the Mount of Olives. They consisted of a brother and two sisters, namely, Lazar, Marta and Miriam. Everyone who was conscientious about what they believed, made the journey to Jerusalem about twice or three times a year. Many of them had friends with whom they stayed. Likewise, Yeshuah stayed at his friend's home.

It was a great privilege, indeed, to have one as renowned as Yeshuah stopping over all the time. After all, it's not everyone who has the chance to entertain the one who is believed to be the Messiah of Israel, and every time he came to Jerusalem! Marta took this privilege very seriously. In fact, she out did herself every time he came. Even the special delicacies that had been put away for Shabbat, or for one of the great feasts (yom tov), were brought out whenever Yeshuah arrived. She always said, "We really must go out of our way to make him feel welcome, because who knows? Are there not many people better than us in Jerusalem? Would he not go to lodge with them if he tires of our company?" Lazar and Miriam agreed.

Miriam always tried to be helpful, but she was more the sentimental impractical type. At times, she'd work hard, but if she were left to herself, the house would soon be declared a disaster area by the high priest! Then, tell me, who would ever stop in for a visit? It was just as well she had such an able sister as Marta around to tell her what to do. At least Marta thought so.

There was something about Yeshuah that made Miriam feel good about herself. Around him, she just felt -- let's say -- free! At ease!

Marta was a different basket of fish. Always scolding! Oi! Veh! Miriam! Why can't you do this right! Miriam! You forgot to do that! Miriam! How many times have I told you...!

Today, Yeshuah was back, sitting in his usual seat, and once again, Miriam felt good about herself. There were a number of Yeshuah's pupils there as well, sitting around on cushions on the floor, as well as a few others who came along. Yeshuah was once again making his remarks about this and that -- you know, such ordinary sounding things, but things you would never even have thought of, but as soon as he said them, you just knew they were true! Something inside always said, "It's about time someone said that!" Then he was illustrating them with the most imaginative stories!

This time, Miriam felt like sitting right there, plop, in the middle, listening to Yeshuah with her chin resting on both hands. To tell you the truth, she'd always felt like doing that, but there were always 101 things to do in the kitchen. This time, she felt so good about it that that's exactly what she did. Did her conscience bother her in the least? Let me tell you! As soon as she sat down there in the middle, she clean forgot that the house even had a kitchen attached! She even forgot that it's not proper for a lady to sit in the middle of a group of men. -- Well, she only intended to sit for a little while, and go back to the kitchen. But the stories! The little titbits of such wisdom! It's not only that! The love that radiated from the man. If she didn't understand a single word he said, she'd just sit and bask in that love! But it was the love that made the words so understandable!

Well, to make a long story short, she just sat, and sat, and sat, and -- well, now we're making a short story long again!

And Marta? Well! It just so happened that she had received such short notice of Yeshuah's arrival, and who would have expected it? It wasn't even a yom tov! The neighbour's boy just happened to run by the house announcing that Yeshuah was coming in by the road that winds around the mountain, and you should have seen the state of the house! Well, it's a good thing they had some preserved meats put away for Shabbat, or there wouldn't have been anything in the house worth looking at! And -- why, where's that Miriam? Just sitting there doing nothing! We've got 101 things to do, and she's sitting there, listening to story after story! Doesn't she know that if it weren't for the hard work Marta was doing there would be no Yeshuah to sit and listen to all afternoon? Who ran around and straightened the main room that Miriam left in such a mess? If Yeshuah had seen it earlier? Why! He'd have made an excuse, and gone on to find someone else's house to lodge in! Now, who's going to stir the soup while Marta punched the dough down and patted it into small pieces? Who's going to go in and pick up the cups? Who's going to chop the onions? Who's going to ...? That's it! She had to go in and say something.

That's just what she did. She went right in to the main room, and gave them all a piece of her mind. Messiah or not, she told him! Was she going to let Miriam be the cause of him going away and never coming back? Marta could do that just as well herself! Well, look at him! At least he could chase her into the kitchen! Honestly! He just allows her to Sit there, looking into his eyes like a stupid fool, when he knows there's so much work to do!

So she told them.

And what was his reaction? He looked at Marta as though she had just mistaken a porcupine for one of the cushions!

"Marta! Marta!" he said. "Look at you! You're all worked up over so many things! Who told you you had to hold a first class reception? Only one thing is important, and Miriam has found it! Miriam has chosen the best part, and no one can take it away from her." Return to head of chapter

Stuck in the kitchen

A nice story, but what's the point, you ask?

The point is, a whole lot of us seem to be stuck in the kitchen slaving away, when we could be enjoying ourselves. In so doing, we are discovering the wonderful truth of the proverb, "too many bakers spoil the dough." Another ancient proverb some of us are finding out the hard way is, "All work and no play makes Johnny a bad boy" (which is either from King Solomon or "Poor Richard's Almanac" -- I forget which).

The point is, there are two places we can choose to spend our time in our Christian experience. One is slaving away in the kitchen, trying to do all the work that obviously needs to get done, or to simply sit at Yeshuah's feet, and drink in His love.

Miriam picked the most important spot. Even though she didn't realise at the time that she was picking the better spot, the time spent at Yeshuah's feet better prepared her for the work that needs to be done, than actually trying to run around trying to figure out how to do it. It makes all the difference between working with God, and working for God. Once we begin working with God, all the kitchen work becomes a snap!

Only as we take our place in Christ, in the inner sanctuary, will we realise our full potential outside, in the kitchen as it were. We'll get more done, because we've been energised from within.

When we are in that spot at Yeshuah's feet, we are in the presence of God. It is through Yeshuah that we come into that presence. His flesh has provided the way into the inner sanctuary, or the Holy of Holies (Heb 10:19,20).

It is in that spot that we realise just who we are in Christ. Being "in Christ" is being a part of His body. That's what makes us a part of one another. Often, we have thought of being "in Christ" as an individual thing. Christ in us is an individual thing, but being in Christ is being in His body, and therefore a part of one another (there are, of course, many individual aspects to being "in Christ" so don't throw out your favourite Bible commentaries just yet).

The fact that we are related is a fundamental part of the inner sanctuary experience. That is where we make most of our mistakes in our relationships to one another. We confuse the outer ministry with the inner sanctuary. We judge other people, and compare ourselves according to our outward performance, when we should be cultivating our intimacy with Him. We emphasise the gifts and callings when we should be emphasising relationships in the inner sanctuary. We've become overtaken with how we visibly affect others more than our relationships with them. Return to head of chapter

What we are and what we do

When you are in relationship with someone, there's no need to impress them. Histories and achievements, whether good or bad are irrelevant in a true relationship. What a person says or how he does things is not what we relate to, but what he or she is (the exception to this being, that those actions that affect what they are are important). Failure to understand this has caused division in the body of Christ.

Once we are confident of who we are in Him, and assured, not only of His love for us, but also of the importance of that love at the foundation of our whole Christian experience; then we will have a sense of security nothing can shake. Then, and only then will we no longer feel threatened by how God uses others in the body.

King Saul had reason to doubt his position with God, and therefore felt threatened by David's anointing, even when David was being as discreet as he possibly could. King David, on the other hand, knew his place in the inner sanctuary, and even his son, Absolom's rebellion couldn't move him from there. King David was so much before God, he was even willing for Absolom to reign as king if that were God's will. Why do you think he was a man after God's own heart?

In the inner sanctuary, there is no insecurity. Because of that, we can maintain our unity and our equilibrium as we minister outside. Our experience in the inner sanctuary becomes our motive for our ministry. That motive, of course, is love. To the extant that everyone positions him or herself in the inner sanctuary, and moves in the same motive, we will have unity between our ministries even though we have our different giftings, styles and distinctive.

Romans 12:3 says "God has dealt to everyone a measure of faith." Faith is something that is developed in the inner sanctuary.

Verse 4 and 5 say, "For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

"One Body" is an inner sanctuary term. We are one, because of who we are in Christ. "Many members" speaks of how that affects our outward ministry, or what we do "in the kitchen."

Verse 6 says, "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them..." The grace is given to us in the inner sanctuary, but as it moves outward from there, it moves us in different ways, but for a common purpose.

"...if prophecy, let us prophecy in proportion to our faith..." Faith, as we said, comes from our inner sanctuary experience. In the verses following, we see that faith, along with liberality, diligence and cheerfulness, being fruits of the inner sanctuary, all strengthen the outward moving gifts.

All of the gifts and callings listed both here, and in I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4, work the same way: they are motivated by our being "one body" in the inner sanctuary before God, and diversify as they move outward into the world and to one another.

They won't work as effectively if we are running around like Marta, but only as we find the "better place" as Miriam did.

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Other Gifts and Callings We Never Thought Of

Divisions:

Gifts and callings

The Bible has a lot to say about gifts and callings, but one passage brings it into an altogether different sphere then we've been looking at.

Romans 11:29 says, "For the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable."

If you look at the context, this verse is speaking of a special calling Jews have by virtue of being Jewish.

Now, look at Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11. (NKJV, a synthesis of the two) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

If being a Jew is among the gifts and callings, as the presence of Romans 11:29 in its context would indicate, than "gifts and callings" are also to be included in the intent of Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11. In other words, in Christ (or in the inner sanctuary), there is no Jew nor Greek, male or female, slave or free, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, or tongue talker, or gift of helps, or gift of hugging.

It is no coincidence that the passage referring to the gift and calling of being Jewish, is closely followed by chapter 12, which we just looked at in the previous chapter. This once again drives home our point that the gifts are not a measure of our inner sanctuary experience, because in Christ, we are not distinguished by our gifts. That is, the apostle is loved no more than the one who only speaks in tongues, or simply helps others out. In our most intimate position with God, there is no apostle or tongue talker or helper.

But, you say, doesn't Romans 12 say there are diversities of gifts? Relax! We'll get to that!

Another thing we must begin to take note of here: If being Jewish is counted among the gifts and calling of God, we can further conclude from Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11, that being a Gentile from a particular nation is also among the gifts and callings. So is being a man, or a woman. So is one's social status. So is one's race.

Do you follow what we've done? We've linked three different concepts together by means of two key words found in three sets of passages. By doing so, we found that womanhood is a gift and a calling (womanhood is not the subject of this book by the way). Read the last four paragraphs over again if you have to (I'll explain more about this technique of Bible interpretation later on).

Hey! Wait a minute, you say, First you're saying there are diversities, then you're bringing Galatians and Colossians in to say there is no difference, and now you're using Galatians and Colossians to say there are diversities again!

Exactly. You've been following my line of logic wonderfully! Return to head of chapter

Replacement theology

There are many among us in the body of Christ who emphasise that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, believing that all the promises in the Bible made to Israel are now for the church -- that the church has replaced Israel in God's plan for the ages. This theory is called "Replacement Theology."

My response to "Replacement Theology?"

It is right of course -- in regards to the church in the inner sanctuary. Because Christ was made a curse for us, all of the blessings of Abraham have come on the Gentiles. There is therefore no promise or blessing in the Old Testament that a believer can't claim by virtue of simply being in Christ. The church indeed has a birthright many believers have yet to claim. That birthright is in the inner sanctuary.

However, in regards to Israel's gift and calling, or her ministry outside in the "kitchen," Replacement Theology is wrong.

As long as we are in the inner sanctuary, basking in His love, yes, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, or any other gift or calling, or strategy, or personal vision. His love does not depend on our gifts, our achievements, our being Jewish or any other nationality, our wealth, or social standing, or even being a man or a woman. In that place, we are one body. We are loved equally. If that is not enough for you -- if you insist we must be exactly alike outside as well -- that means you don't understand the immense value of His love. You need to spend more time in His presence until you do (not that we'll ever grasp it fully with our natural minds).

When we move out into "the kitchen," and minister in the world, then there are distinctions.

Not so, you say? So there's no difference between male and female? Then why did Paul say, "Wives obey your husbands as unto Christ; and husbands love your wives as Christ loves the Church?" Could it be that there is just a tad bit of difference in their functions? In the same way, an apostle will function a little bit differently than a prophet; a Jew will do some things differently than a Gentile; and a CEO will have things expected of him by God that a domestic won't.

All these are, of course, different ways of grouping. The difference between male and female is not the same as the difference between apostle and prophet. If you take into account all these "gifts and callings," we can come up with some very diverse mixtures. For instance, imagine a Sephardic Jewish man from Bombay who owns a jewellery export business in Bangkok and is a gifted evangelist; compared to a young Filipino lady working as a domestic in Hongkong who is called to the ministry of a prophet. The two are diverse in every category we've mentioned, and yet they are equal before Christ.

One is not loved more than another, but there is a difference in function in Christ's Body. One difference in function is determined by the fact that one is an entrepreneur, and the other a house maid; another difference, is in the fact one is Filipino, and the other is from India; yet another by the fact one is a man, the other is a woman; yet again by the fact one is an evangelist, and the other a prophet; and then the fact one is living in Bangkok and the other in Hongkong; and of course, that one is Jewish and the other a Gentile. Return to head of chapter

The calling of the gentiles

One of the unique callings of God for the Gentile believers, according to Romans 11:11-14, is to provoke Israel to jealousy (there are other callings as well, of course, which we'll discuss later).

And how can the gentile believers provoke Jews to jealousy?

Certainly not by what we've been doing.

One is provoked to jealousy by seeing another person fully enjoying a privilege or a possession that ought to be his. So far, we haven't been enjoying our privileges in Messiah to their fullest extent. At least not enough to make the Jewish people jealous! To do that, we must spend time in the inner sanctuary, because that is where our birthright is. Seeing that birthright in full use will certainly make Israel jealous! There, Replacement Theology makes a very important contribution by telling us, "Claim your birthright."

However, Replacement Theology fails to account for the promises God made to Abraham, and to Moses and the prophets that unmistakably apply to physical Israel -- that is, the physical descendants of Abraham through Jacob. Paul also makes some statements in Romans chapters 9-11 that apply unmistakably to physical Israel (we'll look at some of these scriptures in detail in the next chapter).

However, just because the promises and blessings apply literally to physical Israel, doesn't mean they apply any less to the church spiritually.

Prophecies usually have a duel application: at least one physical; and at least one spiritual. Besides that, the Holy Spirit can also bring out a "rhema" word to apply to daily situations of those who seek him and believe in His word. There is often a "logos" that can also be applied. But the plain meaning of the scripture still applies, no matter how many hidden meanings can be derived. Where the plain meaning singles out Israel, then it applies ultimately to a future event involving physical Israel, even though the inference may be made to a blessing to be enjoyed by believers in Christ.

The inference to the Church is no less valid than if it were only talking about the Church in the first place. The Church is not an afterthought in the mind of God. Nor is it simply a "parentheses" in God's plan to establish His kingdom on earth. It is a vital component to His kingdom, and a part of God's plan from the very beginning. In that sense, Replacement Theology is right.

However, there is absolutely no reason to feel threatened by the inclusion of Israel in God's plan. Why then do people fight tooth and nail to exclude physical Israel? If God's covenant to Israel is properly understood, then there is every reason to feel that much more secure because of the inclusion of Israel. If God can't break His promises to Israel, nor replace them with another group or another program, than He can't replace the Church either.

There are NOT two programs, one for the gentile church and one for Israel. Neither is Israel replaced by the church. The church is NOT the gentile counterpart to Israel (whether historical, present or future Israel). In fact, in Christ there is neither Jew nor gentile. (If there are no Jews, then there are no Gentiles either!)

No. In God's plan, the Jews and Gentiles form a single entity, of which physical Israel is the foundation, in the same way that the Old Testament is the foundation for the New Testament. However, to fulfil their role at the foundation, they must come into Christ spiritually and position themselves in that place where there is no Jew nor Greek -- in the inner sanctuary. As a whole, they haven't done that yet, but Romans 11 says they will.

What is this foundational role that physical Israel will play? I can answer that in three words: I don't know. But whatever it is, no one needs to feel threatened by it, or made to feel like second class citizens in God's Kingdom. As far as class goes, there is no Jew or Greek etc. but where gifts and calling goes, Jews are distinguished from Greeks, just as men are distinguished from women.

One clue to what their unique ministry will be, is the description in Revelation of the 144,000. At one point, they are described as surrounding the Lamb on mount Zion -- which apart from its spiritual significance for the church, also describes a physical mountain in Jerusalem, where the temple is supposed to stand -- to which Jesus, the Lamb said he would never return until Israel says "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord." It is said that there, the 144,000 are able to sing a song no one else can sing. In other words, they are able to catch something in the spirit that they are able to sing out for the rest of the body of the Lamb to hear -- or to impart to their gentile brethren.

As I said, the fact that they can catch a song others can't catch, should be no threat to the rest of us, any more than a prophet should feel threatened by the fact that a particular evangelist can perform miracles that he can't. It isn't a sign that God loves them more, but that they are simply filling their role in the body of Christ.

Now how do we apply this practically?

Whether you agree with this chapter or not, the message is the same. Do what "Replacement Theology" tells us to do: claim your birthright. Most of all, develop your inner sanctuary experience with your Father through Christ. Move into everything God has for you. Claim all the promises God made to Israel as a spiritual seed of Abraham. Doing that is the only way we will fulfil Paul's vision of the Gentiles moving the Jews to jealousy -- when we move in love and unity and become blessed with the blessings that were supposed to be theirs. If you don't agree with that vision, do it anyway. At least you'll be blessed! Return to head of chapter

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Israel and the Resurrection

Divisions:

The rabbis

It has always been believed by the Jewish rabbis and elders that when Messiah comes, the resurrection of the dead would take place. The exact timing has always been up to debate, but however one looked at it, the Messiah would usher in resurrection of the dead, and the world to come. The first century rabbis of the Pharisee party believed it, just as 20th century Orthodox rabbis believe it. Surprisingly little has changed in Judaism. Modern Orthodox rabbis fall back on the Talmud as their guide to scriptural interpretation. The Talmud seems to be a fairly good indicator of what the first century Pharisees believed.

It may surprise you that quite a lot of our eschatology actually originated with the rabbis. Take for example these three quotations from the Talmud:

The Pharisees were the "evangelicals" or "fundamentalists" of the early first century. The Christian movement owes a lot to the Pharisees. They preserved for us the belief in the resurrection of the dead, of angels and evil spirits, and an afterlife in either heaven or hell. They believed strongly in the Word of God.

The apostle Paul was a Pharisee, trained by one of the most respected rabbis of all times. He said, shortly before his deportation to Rome, "I am a Pharisee, and the son of a Pharisee. It is for hope of the resurrection that I am called to account." For that statement, many of the Pharisees stuck up for him against the ruling Sadducees.

The Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead or in angels and spirits or in life in the world to come. When they came to try to trip Yeshuah up with a question they thought no one could answer, Yeshuah sided with the Pharisees, and confirmed from scripture that the Sadducees were wrong in denying the resurrection.

When Yeshuah answered the question regarding divorce, he was speaking to a controversy that was current between two schools of the Pharisees. The school of Hillel said it is okay to divorce one's wife for "any reason at all." The school of Shammai said it could only be done in the case of unfaithfulness. Yeshuah's answer confirmed the position of the school of Shammai.

The Pharisees were not just one tight little group that went about with their noses in the air, as we have sometimes pictured them. They were a vast grouping that represented the general sentiment of the grass roots, in much the same way as the Evangelicals would in many parts of what's known as the "Bible belt" of the United States, or parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland (though perhaps not as much now as before).

The schools of Hillel and Shammai are only an example of the many groups even within this general group. There were small groups in each town and village (for example, in Luke 13:14), which would have varied in their emphasis from place to place, often depending on how much influence they had from "the big city". Then, there were the more sophisticated ones that came from Jerusalem (Matt 15:1). Only the very top ones were on the Sanhedrin. Some of their leaders were wise sages like Gamaliel and Nicodemas, but often their followers, like Saul of Tarsus, Gamaliel's pupil, were very strong minded and fanatical.

It was the Sadducees that had the most reason to get rid of Jesus. They represented the upper class and often held a monopoly on power. On occasion, they did have the co-operation of some of the Pharisees.

Many of the scribes and Pharisees were genuinely interested in Yeshuah. Some thought He could actually be the Messiah they were expecting. It was their job to find out. Not all of the questions Yeshuah was asked were designed to trap him. "Tempt", as the King James Version renders it, can also mean simply to test, or to see how one stands on an issue. Among other things, they wanted to see if He knew His Torah. After all, if He didn't know the Torah, how could he be a candidate for Messiah? That's what many of them were interested in finding out. More than once they simply asked for a sign from above that He was Messiah, sometimes sincerely and other times in a sarcastic tone. Many really didn't like Him, and were actually trying to trap Him.

When Yeshuah was asked what is the greatest commandment, His answer confirmed what the school of Hillel believed. The school of Hillel was the more lenient school that emphasised loving God and one's neighbour. This one, according to Mark's account (12:28-34) was more of a friendly discussion with one of the more wise and amiable of the Pharisees. This proves that not all of the questions were with malicious intent.

Yeshuah answered all the questions so well that the Bible says, no one dared to ask Him a question after that. He was accepted as an authority, or we could say, one of the tanna-im -- that is, one of the great rabbis, like Gamaliel, Hillel, Shammai, and Yochannan ben Zakkai.

Some accepted him rather grudgingly, but a few were prepared to receive him as Messiah. Return to head of chapter

So what ought a messiah to say?

Now that Yeshuah's authority was recognised by the rabbinical community, He had their ear in a different way then before. However, instead of tickling it with nice soft words like any polite Messiah ought to have done, Yeshuah opened his mouth and said some things they really didn't want to hear. He had said things about them in the past, but nothing quite like this. Now, those who had only accepted him grudgingly, didn't accept him anymore. Some of the others also began having second thoughts.

What He said is found in Matthew 23. He began by saying, "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's seat. Therefore whatever they tell you, observe..."

That appears to be the only positive thing He had to say. However, the fact that He did say it, is very significant.

If He were speaking today, He would have probably said, "The evangelicals think they sit in Moses's seat." Had He been speaking about the Charismatics, He would have said, "...whatever they tell you, take with a grain of salt!"

He then went on to mention some more things that the scribes and Pharisees share in common with the rest of us: their hypocrisy, hardness of heart, self-righteousness and pride. These are not necessarily symptoms of Judaism, but of any institution of any faith in which people have not been spending time in the inner sanctuary before their heavenly Father. It just so happened that He directed His words towards the Pharisees, because they represented the best and finest of God's covenant community on the earth at that point in history. Had we Protestants, Catholics, Evangelicals and Charismatics been around, then he might have mentioned us too, but we hadn't been born yet. Notice, He never mentioned the Sadducees in this passage, whose morals were even worse than the Pharisees.

At the end of this speech, Yeshuah said something else very significant. "...for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

Taken in context, He has addressed the scribes and Pharisees who sit in Moses's seat, being therefore the authority in Jerusalem. Then He says in verse 37, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem...etc." Even though they are the very ones who kill the prophets (as He has explained in the previous verses) and stoned those sent to them, they nevertheless sit in Moses's seat. God is certainly rebuking Israel, but He is not once and for all rejecting her. They are the ones who will welcome Messiah to reign over Israel. Sitting in Moses's seat, their word carries authority.

It is still believed by the rabbis to this day that Messiah will reign as King only when the rabbinical council gives its consent by a majority.

Let's look for a minute at the Psalm Yeshuah was quoting:

Psalm 118:22-26 The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.

There are two phrases in this Psalm that we recognise from the New Testament: "The stone which the builders rejected," which Yeshuah applies to himself in Luke 20:17,18; Matt 21:42-44; and Mark 12:10; and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD," which Yeshuah quotes in Matt 23:39, and Luke 13:35.

Both phrases are quoted as Messianic promises, and we can therefore see from their original context that Messiah will be rejected by the builders, or those in authority over God's house before He is accepted as the chief cornerstone. Furthermore, we see that the point of acceptance will be the proclamation, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." This, according to the next sentence, will be uttered from the "house of the Lord."

Both of these phrases tell us a lot, and when tied together in this passage, are very significant. Let's look at the "Blessed is he..." passage, which Yeshuah quotes twice. We'll examine the "cornerstone scriptures" later on. Return to head of chapter

Blessed is he...

Yeshuah made his prophetic pronouncements against the scribes and Pharisees, which began with, "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's seat," and finished by making what, according to Matthew, was his last public pronouncement before leaving the temple mountain for the very last time:

Matt 23:37-39 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"

Not only did his speech infuriate the Pharisees; some of what Yeshuah said made his own pupils think perhaps he underestimated the value of the gifts and donations that went into the temple. On their way out, they pointed out some of the "beautiful stones and donations" (Luke's account) that made up the temple structure. That's when Yeshuah predicted that "not one stone will be left on top of another that will not be torn down."

Then, suddenly, it dawned on the pupils that Yeshuah might not reign as king quite as soon as they had thought. This great temple torn down and left desolate? The people of Jerusalem won't see Yeshuah again until they say "Blessed is He...?"

For the first time, they asked the question, "When will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? We had thought it would be right now, but, I guess we were mistaken!"

You see, it was Yeshuah's speech in Matthew 23 that arose the pupils' concern and prompted them to ask the right questions that resulted in Yeshuah's dissertation on the end times in Matthew 24. Yeshuah's "Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem...etc." proclamation is really a part of the "last days" chapter of Matthew 24, from which we derive much of our teaching on the last days.

According to almost everyone's teaching on the last days, Jerusalem will certainly see Yeshuah when He returns (Even those who don't believe physical Jerusalem has any significance, still must admit that Jerusalem will see Messiah just as any other city will). Yet, here He says Himself, "You shall see me no more till you say, "Blessed...etc."

There is one more passage in which this pronouncement is quoted:

Luke 13:34-35 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

Notice that the wording is slightly different. In Luke's account, we read, "You shall not see Me until the time comes when you say..." This was said before Yeshuah even reached Jerusalem, where they did indeed see Yeshuah with their physical eyes. Indeed, the people came out with palm branches and made the same proclamation, but it turned out that certain key people didn't. The "seeing" here must therefore mean seeing him arrive as King Messiah, which will happen when "the time comes." This puts it at a definite future date, not "if and when."

In Matthew, we read, "You shall see me no more till you say..." Now, it was later, and they still hadn't "seen Him" as King Messiah, though they had "seen Him" physically many times. Now, he was saying that this was the last time He is to be seen with the physical eyes on the temple grounds in any way, shape or form until the pronouncement is made. Matthew, indeed, records this as being His last excursion to the temple.

The pronouncement in Luke comes at the end of a passage in which Yeshuah is recorded as describing the Kingdom of God as a mustard seed, which grows into a large tree; and then, to some leaven that leavens a whole lump of dough. Then, he speaks of how few of those of Israel will make it into the Kingdom, while Gentiles come from the north, south, east and west to sit with Abraham. Then, soon after this, he makes the lament over Jerusalem, saying they would not see him until the time comes that they make this pronouncement.

According to Luke, then, there is a period in which Israel finds herself outside of God's grace, but "the time will come" when she does say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

According to both Matthew and Luke, this must happen before Yeshuah can ever appear in Jerusalem.

Their binding word will usher in Messiah's Kingdom, and the resurrection of the dead. That's why the Apostle Paul said in Romans 11:15, "...if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

But, you say, how can such an important event as the resurrection and the second coming be entrusted to a group of unbelieving Jews?

They are Israel. They are still under the covenant, albeit the old covenant, to which they are in disobedience. However, God is faithful to the covenant even if Israel is disobedient. (Rom 3:1-4)

Paul says in the earlier part of his passage about Israel, (Rom 9:4,5), "...who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen." These significant words were written in the present tense. In other words, the covenant didn't just "used to" pertain to them. It pertains to them now. Paul didn't just say that to be sentimental. The Holy Spirit doesn't inspire vain sentiment.

Israel is important to God's plan for the ages. To them pertains the adoption, the covenant, the giving of the law, the service of God and the promises -- even the promise of the resurrection and the second coming of Messiah.

But they cannot fulfil their eternal role unless they come in faith.

It looks almost as though God has lost control, but He hasn't. Paul says in chapter 11 verse 25, For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

God is in complete control. Don't worry. The rapture will happen on schedule. Even Israel's stumbling was on schedule. The same Psalm that said Israel will say, "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord," also said they would reject the cornerstone. Return to head of chapter

And now -- the cornerstone...

Let's look at the other New Testament scriptures that allude to the reference to the cornerstone in Psalm 118.

Luke 20:17,18 (also Matt 21:42-44; Mark 12:10) Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone?' Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

Here, Yeshuah not only quotes Psalm 118, but also alludes to Isaiah 8:14,15.

Peter also quotes Psalm 118, but he lumps it together, not only with Isaiah 8:15, but also Isaiah 28:16,17:

I Pet 2:4-8 ...Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offence." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

We see, more than once, a Jewish rule of interpretation has been used, called, "Gezerah Shavah." That means, "Comparison of similar expressions." Where a key word or phrase is used in more than one passage, the truth in one of the passages can be inferred in the other also. Therefore, "rejected corner stone," "for a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling..." and "a precious corner stone," are all taken to mean the same thing.

The understanding, therefore, when applied to Psalm 118, is that Yeshuah is the chief corner stone who was rejected. Then, instead of immediately becoming the foundation for the sanctuary, He became "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel"(Isa 8:14-15).

In Romans 9:33, Paul quotes both Isaiah 8:14-15 and 28:16-17. This is in the midst of his three chapters (9-11) in which he leads up to the mystery of Israel's temporary hardening.

In Romans 11:11 he says:

I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

11:26,27 I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

A final "stumbling block" scripture is I Cor 1:22,23:

...the Jews request a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness... (I Cor 1:22,23)

When we apply Gezerah Shavah to the word "stumbling block," we see this verse in a new light. Like the verses we've been discussing, it's talking about Psalm 118. The "stumbling block" is the same stone "that the builders rejected." Why was Jesus a stumbling block to the Jews of His day? Because they were seeking a sign. According to Jesus, they will not see the sign until the "time comes" when they say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Faith and confession must come before the sign manifests -- not after.

This whole process of stumbling, rejection and hardening is referred to by Paul as a "mystery". However, this mystery will climax in resurrection as Romans 11:15 says:

If their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

When individual Jews come to their messiah, that brings life from spiritual deadness to the church, and when the nation, as a whole, says "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord," Messiah will come as King, and the dead will be raised (in the rapture).

When the time comes, probably at a time of Israel's most intense hour, when it looks as though another holocaust is inevitable (and this time a complete one), while believers are interceding for the world and for Israel, and many are being martyred, even at the hands of the rabbis, just as they were at the hands of Saul of Tarsus; the light will finally dawn on the rabbis and elders of Israel. They will lift up their voice and say, "Baruch haba ba Shem Adonai"; "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord."

Then, the scripture will be fulfilled in Zechariah 12:10, "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."

So there is a part to be played by Israel in the resurrection. Return to head of chapter § Next Chapter

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footnote - 11 Mind you, I have no problem with women in leadership. Your Uncle Baruch has had some absolutely fine women bosses in his working days, and a mother with some great leadership capabilities. Some of the finest heads of state in recent years have also been women. However, even there, their styles still tend to differ from that of men occupying the same positions -- sometimes in a positive way. Return to text

footnote - 21 Your Uncle Baruch speaks thus both as a Charismatic and an Evangelical. This is therefore a reproof -- not an attack from outside the fold, just as Jesus's warning to the Pharisees was a reproof, though often mistaken for an attack. Return to text

footnote - 31 Were not the Sadducees actually the ones in authority -- being in the High Priest's office? The most that could be said for them would have been, "they sit in Aaron's seat." The Pharisees, on the other hand, received their mandate from Ezra, who founded the Great Assembly which after the Maccabean revolt, regrouped as the Sanhedrin. This was the judicial body whose interpretations of Moses's laws carried weight. So who was greater, Aaron, or Moses who established Aaron in his position? To the Pharisees, therefore, falls the duty of recognising the "High Priest after the order of Malchizedek." Return to text

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