THE MESSIANIC JEWS:
WHAT WILL THEY DO?

According to the "dominionist" model, Israel has to CONVERT for the Lord to come back. That's what people like Reuven Doren and countless other "dominionists" like him posit. What happens if Israel refuses to convert? Obviously, FACTS ON THE GROUND WILL HAVE TO BE "CREATED" TO MAKE IT HAPPEN! And it is precisely here that Messianic Judaism may very well be pressed into service to create the "necessary" facts on the ground insofar as the conversion of Israel is concerned.

Messianic Judaism is a many faceted movement that has sprung up in recent years - largely within the "New Charismatic Movement." It started out as a movement that sought to reintroduce certain Judaic practices into the church - for example, the reintroduction of the Jewish Sabbath, the keeping of the Jewish dietary laws, etc. By returning to Christianity's "Judaic Roots" (hence the name many have given to the movement, the "Jewish Roots Movement"), Messianic Jews believe that a more fundamental understanding of the Scriptures is possible. "Messianic Congregations" have sprung up throughout the United States, and have even taken root in Israel. For the most part, Messianic Judaism is a "wholly-owned subsidiary" of the "Latter Rain Movement" (and corollary beliefs connected to the re-establishment of "David's Tabernacle") out from which the modern DOMINIONIST movement has emerged: it's leadership and most of its congregants draw their theological nourishment from "Latter Rain."

One would, of course, tend to believe that Messianic Judaism is made up largely of Jews who have converted to Christianity. Astonishingly, however, that's NOT the case; for the most part, Messianic congregations are made up of NON-JEWISH congregants, many of whom have gone through elaborate "conversion" ceremonies to become Jewish - including circumcision. To a large degree, most Messianic Jews have "bought into" the thesis that by returning to Christianity's "Jewish roots," they have achieved a higher form of Christianity and, ipso facto, a higher level of spirituality - a belief that has, UNFORTUNATELY, led many Messianic congregations to adopt, willy-nilly, a very overweening and snobbish spiritual ELITISM over and against their "Gentile" brethren.

Still, if that were all there was to the so-called "Jewish Roots" movement, it wouldn't be so bad - after all, there are countless numbers of Christian groups throughout the world that embrace elitist ideas. What makes the Messianic Jewish movement so potentially DANGEROUS, however, is the fact that in recent years many in the movement have begun embracing the belief that they are the REAL "Israel of God" - and that when the Bible speaks of the conversion of the Jews in the "end of days," the Bible is essentially talking about them. Many believe, as a result, that their movement is the fulfillment of the prophecies that postulate the conversion of Israel. To a very large extent, it's this idea that is driving Messianic Jews throughout the world to "set up shop" in Israel. Indeed, there are hundreds and hundreds of such Messianic congregations throughout Israel today - and, again, what is so amazing about them is that many of those who make up these congregations are not Jewish at all, at least not by blood.

These Messianic Jews believe that they make up the core-element of a new Israel that they think will take root in Israel during the "end of days." And in recent years, as Latter Rain beliefs have taken root in evangelicalism's mainstream, more and more evangelical leaders have come to embrace these beliefs as well. THE GREAT PROBLEM WITH THIS KIND OF THINKING, HOWEVER, IS THAT IT IS WHOLLY, AND COMPLETELY UNBIBLICAL.

The Bible says that salvation (on a NATIONAL basis as promised in the New Covenant) will NOT come to Israel until Christ returns, and then it will come to ALL in Israel in an instant. It will not come willy-nilly one person at a time over an extended period of time, but will come in a moment of time when Christ appears in heaven at His Second Coming. Specifically, the Bible says:

"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the SPIRIT OF GRACE (i.e., UNMERITED FAVOR) and of supplications: and THEY SHALL LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED (very obviously the Lord), and they shall mourn for him (i.e., Jesus), as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness (i.e., great sorrow) for him (i.e., Christ, whom they rejected), as one that is in bitterness (i.e., great sorrow) for his firstborn.

"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

"And one shall say unto him, WHAT ARE THESE WOUNDS IN THINE HANDS? Then he shall answer, THOSE WITH WHICH I WAS WOUNDED IN THE HOUSE OF MY FRIENDS." (Please see Zech. 12:8-14, 13:1, 6)

At that time, the Bible says that ALL in Israel shall be saved - and, again, what God has in mind here is NATIONAL (i.e., nationwide) redemption according the to specific provisions of the "New Covenant." That is what is meant by the phrase, "And I will pour upon the HOUSE OF DAVID, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace." But again, this will only happen at the moment of Christ's Second Coming - when "THEY SHALL LOOK UPON HIM WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED." But until then, the Jews AS A NATION will remain in unbelief.

THIS DOESN'T MEAN, OF COURSE THAT MANY JEWS IN ISRAEL AS INDIVIDUALS WON'T BE SAVED DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD - i.e., that seven year period of time following the Gog/Magog War. Many, no doubt, will! But the conversion of Israel AS A WHOLE will have to wait for the end of the Tribulation period - when Christ returns!

If that's the case, however, it does violence to the dominionists' time line. What do we mean by that? Well, remember, dominionists don't really believe in a rapture of any kind. They are PRECISELY what their name implies: they believe that, as the church, they must take DOMINION of the earth BEFORE Christ returns - which, of course implies that the church must not only unite and subdue the earth before the Lord returns, but also THAT ISRAEL MUST BE SAVED.

IT'S PRECISELY HERE THAT MESSIANIC JEWS WILL HAVE TO BE PRESSED INTO SERVICE - THEY ARE THE REAL JEWS! THOSE WHO REFUSE TO CONVERT, THEY ARE IMPOSTORS! - and sadly, there are many Messianics who today are more than prepared to embrace this kind of mindset - and so much so that this community may someday find themselves forced to put guns to the heads of their Jewish brothers and sisters.

The irony in all this is enough to satisfy even the most twisted humor of the worst anti-Semites - Jews killing other Jews, all in the name of Christ. Indeed, the implications here for the Jewish community (especially the unconverted and liberal Jewish community) are so plain that Jewel van der Merwe writes in alarm and some astonishment at the naiveté of the Messianic Community (the converted Jewish community) in embracing this theology (which many of them have done) and not recognizing its implicit danger for their unconverted brethren:

"If history is anything to go by, it would be fair to say that should Israel (and Jews in general) fail to fulfill the ("New Charismatics’) ... prophetic view of (things) ... (they) will again be blamed and accused of continued stubbornness and indifference. Again ... (they) become the ‘scape-goat’ for reckless and irresponsible theological views."

Van der Merwe continues,

"It’s ... hard to understand how ... Messianic Jews are being deceived by this teaching today."

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