by Harry BuererJews and Christians are both right about some things and wrong about other things. As the time approaches for Messiah’s return, I think that both groups will draw closer to the truth, and thus closer to each other.
In the second century most of “Christianity” abandoned many of the commands God gave through Moses, mostly in reaction to the Fiscus Judaicus, a heavy Roman tax on Jews (or those who acted Jewishly). As a result, they distanced themselves from the Judaism that Jesus and his early followers taught, and selected a different holy day than the one God specified, as well as ignoring several other commands. They started to read Paul’s letters as opposing keeping God’s commands, even though he affirmed the Torah many times, and Jesus repeatedly insisted that not a jot or tittle would fail from the Torah until heaven and earth passed away. This viewpoint became church tradition until the present.
On the other hand, one of the big reasons that Jews have generally rejected Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah is that faithful Jews know that no true Messiah would cancel God’s commands that he gave to his people. Paul writes in Romans 11 that Israel has stumbled, but not so as to fall (vs. 11). They have always been God’s people, and God has not rejected his people (vs. 1). All Israel will be saved (vs. 26).
My understanding is that as Messiah’s return approaches, Christians will turn back to God and start obeying his commands more and more. This reflects Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son. It’s significant that the story includes an older brother, representing Jews. Gentile Christianity has been out feeding pigs since the 2nd century. I believe that many will repent and return to the Father.
It’s encouraging to see a number of ministries leading people in this general direction. Some of these include David Wilber, 119 Ministries, Torah Resource, First Fruits of Zion, and several others. Of course there is some craziness in some Torah circles. Some people come up with strange names for Jesus that have no basis in reality. The Greek name, “Iesous”, is a transliteration of two Hebrew names: Yehoshua (Joshua) and Yeshua (which sounds like the Hebrew word for “salvation”). Messiah’s Hebrew name must have been one of these. Anything else is made up. But as time goes on, I expect more and more people to turn back to following Torah, as Jesus and his early followers taught.
As this occurs, there will be less and less reason for Jews to reject Jesus, as the realization grows that Jesus taught Judaism (which, in its core, was a revelation from God). In Zechariah 12:10 it says that the Jews “will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child.” When Jesus returns, Israel will accept him as their king. This is reflected in Revelation 1:7. “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.”
This whole story of Jesus coming to be killed and then to reign is foreshadowed in the story of Joseph in Genesis. He claimed royalty by having dreams of people bowing down to him, and his brothers hated him for it. They metaphorically killed him, casting him into a pit and telling their father that he was dead. But then they were shocked to find, many years later, that he was a ruler in Egypt who saved them from starvation. He fully forgave them, and moved the whole family into his country to live. Jesus’ brothers, the Jews, will be fully forgiven, and will embrace Jesus ruling over them when the time comes.
These two movements, of Christians returning to following God’s laws, and Jews accepting the Messiahship of Jesus, are two trends that I expect to see growing as the end of this age approaches. If you belong to one of these groups, consider how you can fit into these movements.