one torah for the one people of the one God 2015 feb 09
one torah for the one people of the one God, part two 2015 feb 10
one torah for the one people of the one God, part three 2015 feb 16
Are Gentiles who are seeking to keep Torah, helping? We saw first, that as the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel were scattered to the four corners of the earth, and became a fullness of Gentiles, indistinguishable from them, since centuries so long past that it is impossible to know today who is who (except that God knows), that it was reasonable for those Gentiles with Israelite roots to keep Torah, as it was prophesied of them that they would return to it in the latter days. Secondly, we saw that from the beginning, God had commanded that those Gentiles without Israelite roots, who joined themselves to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were to likewise keep Torah, for He had ordained one Torah for both the native- born and the stranger who dwells among them. Third, we had seen from the instruction of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament, it was expected that Gentile disciples of Jesus Christ would keep the commandments of God contained in Torah – not in order to become justified before God, but for instruction in righteousness as they grew in their faith, learned Moses, and increased in sanctification.
But God has something even greater in mind. He had a purpose to have two separate peoples, Judah and Ephraim, Jews and Gentiles/ Christians, two witnesses to Him in the earth for an appointed time. But that time was not to be forever. When the purpose of the two is completed, He will make them one people in His hand:
Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.
“And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”’ And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.
“Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.” Eze 37:15-22
The chapter goes on to identify their one king, as David His servant, their prince forever! Surely this is a prophetic reference to Messiah Yeshua in His millennial reign and beyond! The reunion of the two peoples is set by this prophecy in Ezekiel to be for the latter days. If Christians have not traditionally kept obedience to Torah, it was because they were sovereignly blinded to this truth until the appointed time, just as Jews have been sovereignly blinded to seeing Messiah Yeshua until the appointed time (Rom 11:25). Who are we to say that the appointed time has not arrived? And in fact, it has. The time of Ephraim’s prophesied punishment was ended in 1998, if they were taken away in exile by the Assyrians in 721 BC (please see Restoring Israel’s Kingdom for a complete discussion of all the prophets say about Ephraim’s punishment and his restoration and reunion in the latter days).
But the unity of the one people of the one God does not begin with the latter days and the return of Ephraim:
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Rom 10:11-13
There is one salvation or justification for the one people of the one God, with no distinction being made between the Jew or the Greek (Gentile).
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal 3:26-29
Whoa, did you see that? In Messiah, there is neither Jew nor Greek. If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed! Biology, genetics, and DNA testing is thrown right out of the window, and ANY who belong to Messiah Yeshua are enfolded within the one people of God – Abraham’s seed!
[You] have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Col 3:10-11
And finally:
Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, [that is,] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Eph 2:11-19
(Bunny trail: The barrier of the dividing wall is not the Torah of commandments. The words in brackets above were not in the Greek, but were added to the text. If the barrier of the dividing wall is not the Torah of commandments, then what is the barrier of the dividing wall? The enmity. He abolished in His flesh, the enmity, and when He abolished the enmity, He broke down the dividing wall. Please see the dividing wall which explains the enmity in detail).
Did you notice, that believers who were at one time Gentiles according to the flesh, are Gentiles no longer? They are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the household of God. Messiah Yeshua, 2000 years before the latter days which are now upon us, made us one new man with His people, the commonwealth of Israel!
We are not to consider ourselves Gentiles any longer! When we see an instruction anywhere in the Bible for the seed of Abraham or the children of Israel – that is our identity, that is who we are by the blood of Messiah Yeshua who has grafted us in among His people (Rom 11:17). His word applies to US!
Important further reading:
the one house (formerly the two houses)
The Truth About Two House Theology by Batya Wootten
Hi Christine, I’m pretty new to all of this and was really starting to see how this all makes sense until I read a messianic Jewish paper about two house theology where they say this sprung out of Armstrongism and British Israelism and that this is just another form of replacement theology. Now I’m confused. I don’t want to cause dissension or confusion but this is troubling me. Can you clarify this at all?
Yes April. The earliest expositor of the one house revelation (you will see why I call it “one house” in a minute) was Batya Wootten. She and her husband Angus maintained the earliest Messianic book catalogue in the United States many decades ago when the Messianic movement was still in its infancy. Her task was to read every book authored on these topics, so that she could write an accurate description of it for the catalogue. But she became troubled when books by equally accredited teachers with equal appeal to the Scriptures, came to opposite or even antagonistic conclusions from each other. Who was right? There was division widening because of it.
So she went to the Father again and again, crying out to understand the truth of these matters from the Scripture. “Who is Israel, Father?” And the Father opened her eyes to see the one house revelation from the Scriptures. It was in plain sight in the Scriptures from the beginning, but previously hidden, because, like the revelation Paul received concerning Messiah Yeshua and the new birth, and the gospel going forward to the Gentiles, it was reversed for an appointed time. In this case, the appointed time was the latter days immediately preceding the return of Messiah Yeshua. And she was the only one crying out for the Father’s wisdom, and the Scripture’s wisdom, rather than just defending a previously-held position. So, the Father opened her eyes.
She eventually wrote a book to explain it from the Scriptures. Today that book is in print with the title, Redeemed Israel, and I recommend it very highly. She digs deep into Scripture and does essentially what I do here, letting Scripture teach itself using its own teaching tools, from Genesis to Revelation, in order to answer that question.
Now, I know that there is a paper existing which makes the claims you cite. But even a cursory reading of her book completely debunks those claims. It is not replacement theology nor British Israelism and it becomes very clear even without further witness that no where does she teach such (her book came first, before this paper you cite, or before others who hijacked some of her teaching and mixed it with false claims). Messianic Israel Alliance, Angus and Batya Wootten’s ministry which grew out of their humble catalogue beginnings, spent much time reaching out to those who were saying such things but were not able to secure a dialogue or a retraction. So then the error about their teaching still exists to this day.
Besides her original book, Redeemed Israel, please read Our Hope, which is the Messianic Israel Alliance’s statement of faith about these things, and then, The Truth About Two House Theology. You can find out more about the Wootten’s background here. Now, I know these things to be true, because I know Batya personally, have heard her speak many times at conferences, besides of course speaking with her personally.
I have also posted a simple, one page summary of the one house revelation from Scripture: the one house (formerly the two houses). Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you so much Christine. I will take a look at what you sited and see if I can get a copy of the book. God is doing amazing things!!!
You are so very welcome April, please do let me know if I can answer any other questions.