The Kingdom Offer
In examining the text of Isaiah 60:22 the ancient Rabbis noticed what
they called a "contradiction" in the phrase "I, YHWH, will hasten it in
its time." The Talmud discusses this verse as follows:
R. Alexandri said: R. Joshua b. Levi pointed out a contradiction. It is written, "In its time [will the Messianic Kingdom come], whilst it is also written, "I [YHWH] will hasten it!"-- If they are worthy, I will hasten it; if not, [it will come] at the due time.
[b.San. 98a]
Thus, the Rabbis understood this verse to mean that YHWH would offer to hasten the Messianic Kingdom, if they were worthy but if not, the Kingdom would not come until its due time.
Tractate Sanhedrin of the Talmud also tells us that the Rabbis believed that such an offer was to be made around the Hebrew year 4,000 (around the first Century). The Talmud relates this tradition which it accredits to the school of Elijah:
The school of Elijah teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years. In the first two thousand years was chaos; two thousand years the Torah flourished; and the next two thousand years are the days of the Messiah, but through our many iniquities all these years have been lost.
[b.San. 96a-97b]
The text goes on to discuss the delay of the Messianic Kingdom, and then says:
Rab said: All the predetermined dates [for the Messianic Kingdom] have passed, and the matter [now] depends only on repentance and good deeds.
[b.San. 97b]
This requirement for repentance prior to the Messianic Kingdom is taken directly from the Torah (see Deut. 30:1-6).
MESSIAH OFFERS THE KINGDOM
Now as we have already discussed, Is. 60:22 tells us that YHWH will either "hasten" the Kingdom, or let it come about "in its [due] time", all depending on the requirement of repentance (Deut. 30:1-6.) This Kingdom offer began in the days of Yochanan the immerser (John the Baptist), as we read in Mt. 11:12:
Only from the days of Yochanan the immerser until now the Kingdom of Heaven is constricted and the forceful despoil it.
[Mt. 11:12 from the DuTillet Hebrew ms.]
and in Luke 16:16 we read:
The Law and the prophets were until Yochanan henceforth the Kingdom of Elohim is announced but everyone treats it with violence.
[Lk.16:16 from Old Syriac & Peshitta Aramaic]
Yochanan had been announcing, "Repent you of your lives, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near to come" (Mt. 3:2 DuTillet.) And as soon as his work began, Yeshua proclaimed, "Turn you, turn you, in repentance: for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."(Mt. 4:17 DuTillet = Mk. 1:14-15) Now the word for "near" here in the DuTillet and ShemTob Hebrew versions is hbrq, in the Aramaic of the Old Syriac and Peshitta the Aramaic equivalent thbrqd appears. In their book Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus, David Bivin and Roy Blizzard Jr. correctly point out that the Hebrew word "karav" brq means "to come up to and be with," or "to be where something or someone else is."; "It's here! It has arrived!" (p. 88) An example of its usage may be seen in 2Kn. 16:12 where we read "...and the king drew near (brqyv) to the altar..." meaning he was right there at the alter. Bivin and Blizzard, however, appear to have an amillennial view of the Kingdom, writing "It [the Kingdom] is Elohim ruling in the lives of men. Those who are ruled by Elohim are the Kingdom of Elohim." (p. 90) In truth, the phrase "Kingdom of Elohim" is a variation of the phrase in the Tenach (Old Testament) "Kingdom of YHWH" (1Chron. 28:5; 2Chron. 13:8) a term used to describe the Kingdom of Israel. After studying the "Kingdom of Elohim" with the Messiah for forty days (Acts 1:3) the emissaries wanted to know if the Kingdom would be restored to Israel "at this time", Yeshua answers that it is not for them to know the time (Acts 1:6-7). The truth is that the Kingdom of Elohim/Heaven is the restored Kingdom of Israel (see Jer. 23:5-6; Is. 9:6-7; 11 with 1Chron. 28:5; 2Chron.13:8.) The Hebrew text of Mt. 3:2 & 4:17 = Mk. 1:14-15 does indicate that the Kingdom was right there, available, if they would just repent. The passage is a conditional statement with an implied "if" as we find in Jonah 3:4.
Yeshua continued to proclaim this Kingdom offer throughout his career (Mt. 12:28 = Lk. 11:20; Mk. 12:34; Lk.10:9, 11; 17:21) even sending out his emissaries with the same proclamation (Mt. 10:7.) This is the meaning of the passage, "...if you are willing to receive it [the Kingdom], he [Yochanan] is Elijah who is to come." (Mt. 11:14 see 11:12).
THE KINGDOM REJECTED
Despite the fact that the Kingdom was being offered as early as the service of Yochanan (John) the immerser, repentance was required for it to be realized (Mt. 3:2-3; Mt.4:17 = Mk. 1:14-15; Dt. 30:1-6). However, from the time of Yochanan forward, the Kingdom was being rejected, "plundered" and "treated with violence" (Mt. 11:12 DuTillet; Lk. 16:16 Old Syriac & Peshitta.) Yeshua compared this rejection to those who would not dance for flute players (Mt. 11:12, 16-19.) Yeshua also mentions this rejection in Lk. 17 where we read "...the Kingdom of Elohim is among you... But first he [Yeshua] must suffer many things and BE REJECTED BY THIS GENERATION." (Lk. 17:21, 25.)
THE KINGDOM OFFER EXTENDED
It would seem that the Kingdom offer was extended beyond the crucifixion. In his discourse at the Temple in Acts 3:12-26 Kefa repeated the Kingdom offer saying:
19 Repent therefore, and be restored: so that your sins be blotted out and times of rest
come to you from the presence of YHWH,
20 And He send to you, Him who was prepared for you--Yeshua the Messiah,
21 Who it is required for heaven to receive, until the fullness of the times of all those
things that Eloah spoke, by the mouth of His Set-Apart prophets of old
(Acts 3:19-21)
Thus it would appear that if the people of Israel had entered a national repentance, even then, the Messiah would have returned to restore the Kingdom to Israel right then and there.
THE KINGDOM OFFER EXPIRES
This Kingdom offer seems to have continued throughout the entire Acts period, until it expired at the end of the Book of Acts. In Acts 28 "Paul called the leaders of the Jews together... to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the Kingdom of Elohim, persuading them concerning Yeshua..." (Acts 28:17, 23). Once again a corporate repentance did not occur "... some disbelieved. So they did not agree among themselves." (Acts 28:24b-25a). At this time Paul made known that the Kingdom offer had ended saying "...the salvation of Elohim has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" (Acts. 28:28) this parallels Romans 11:11 "...to provoke them [Israel] to jealousy, salvation has been sent to the Gentiles." Which ties this concept to the Olive Tree Parable of Romans 11.
THE OLIVE TREE AND THE MYSTERY
The Olive Tree Parable of Romans 11 , when viewed in light of the Kingdom offer, teaches that when the Kingdom offer expired in Acts 28:28 = Rom. 11:11, that wild branches (Gentiles) were grafted into the natural olive tree, but that at some point in the future, the natural branches would be grafted into their own olive tree. This concept of unity between Jews and Gentiles in the one body is echoed in Eph. 2-3 and Col. 1:19-26 a unity which Paul describes as a mystery "which was in the past concealed but now revealed" (Eph. 3:3-6 & Col. 1:26) This is because the time period of the wild branches in the olive tree following the Kingdom offer was in the past concealed. Daniel's prophecy of weeks of years (Dan. 9:24-27) goes directly from the coming of the Messiah to the final seven year period commonly known as the tribulation. Daniel accounts for no space between the two. This is why there was such expectation that the Kingdom would come in the first century. There was a mystery, a parenthetical period of time in Daniel's prophecy which was in the past concealed but later revealed. Had the Kingdom offer been accepted in the first century, then Daniel's last seven years would have run from 63 C.E. to 70 C.E.. These Years seemed in many ways to fulfil endtime prophecies (so much so that post-millenialists claim that the events of Revelations and Mt. 24 occurred during these years). This is because these years WOULD have been Daniel's final week, had the Kingdom offer been accepted.
WHY THE KINGDOM OFFER EXPIRED
It has already been discussed that the Kingdom offer expired in 63 C.E., but why? What happened in 63 C.E.? This year was the year of the death of James the Just. According to the ancient Nazarene writer Hegesippus, James the Just was very popular with the Jewish community in general, and many had come to be believers in Yeshua as the Messiah as a result of his charisma with the people. Certain of James's enemies, fearing that all Israel would join the Nazarene movement, pressed him to stand on a wing of the Temple and deny Yeshua. Instead, James repeated the same hybrid of Ps. 110:1 & Dan. 7:13 which Yeshua had recited at his trial. In response, James' opponents cast him to the ground and stoned him to death (Hegesippus as quoted by Eusebius in Eccl. Hist 2:23). Upon the death of James the Just, the Nazarene movement lost its steam. Even within the movement apostate elements began to arise. Furthermore, the Essene and Pharisaic elements of the movement began to polarize. There was no longer any chance that the Kingdom offer would receive national acceptance in time for the Messianic Kingdom to occur in the first century. This was the very year that Acts 28:28 took place.
THE KINGDOM RESTORED
Now despite the fact that the condition of repentance was not met in the first Century, Elohim had still promised that if the Kingdom was not hastened, that it would still take place "in its [due] time." (Is. 60:22). The emissaries understood, after studying the Kingdom of Elohim with Yeshua for forty days, that the Kingdom would eventually be restored to Israel (Acts 1:3, 6-7). Prophecies regarding this Kingdom were yet to be fulfilled (Jer. 23:5-6; Is. 9:6-7; 11), and in the New Scriptures Elohim reiterated this promise (Rev. 20:1-6).
THE SEVEN THOUSAND YEAR TIMETABLE?
Elohim created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh day. But why should it take the omnipotent Elohim six days to create the heavens and the earth? Couldn't he have done it in an instant? And why did the omnipotent Elohim rest on the seventh day? Was he tired?
Now the Sabbath is called in Hebrew a MIKRAW, a Hebrew word which can be translated into English as "convocation" or "rehearsal." Moreover in Col. 2:16-17, Paul identifies Sabbaths as "a shadow of things to come." Could the Shabbat "rest" be a rehearsal of something? Could it be symbolic of something yet to come? Paul seems to think so as he sees a Sabbath rest which is yet to come (Heb. 2:8; 4:9). Now the Sabbath is a "day" and a "day" to Elohim is "as a thousand years" (Ps. 90:4; 2Pt. 3:8) and the Kingdom is also a thousand year period (Rev. 20:1-10). This has opened up the possibility of a 7,000 year plan of Elohim. 6,000 years of "work" and 1,000 years or "rest." This idea is reflected in the Talmud:
R. Kattina said: Six thousand years shall the world exist, and one [thousand, the seventh], it shall be desolate, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Abaye said: it will be desolate two [thousand], as it is said, After two days will he revive us: in the third day, he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
It has been taught in accordance with R. Kattina: Just as the seventh year is one year of release in seven, so is the world: one thousand years out of seven shall be fallow, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day,’ and it is further said, A Psalm and song for the Sabbath day, meaning the day that is altogether Sabbath — and it is also said, For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past.
The Tanna debe Eliyyahu teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years. In the first two thousand there was desolation; two thousand years the Torah flourished; and the next two thousand years is the Messianic era,
(b.Sanhedrin 97a)
as well as in early Christian literature such as the Epistle of Psuedo-Barnabus (13:1-16).
THE WORK OF KIRUV
Of course, depending on how you do the Bible math, the 6,000th year is fast approaching (in some systems of calculation it has passed), so the question arises, will the Messiah return to establish his Kingdom in the 6,000th year, ready or not?
I do not believe this is the case, the clear message of Scripture is that the return of Messiah will not come unless certain conditions are met first. Kefa writes:
Looking for, and hastening the coming of the Day of Eloah, because of which, the
heavens, being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
(2Peter 3:12 HRV)
In context, just a few verses above Kefa indicates that the delay on this return is that Messiah is awaiting our repentance:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which now exist, are kept in store by the same Word;
reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of wicked men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing: that one day is with YHWH as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 YHWH is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness: but is
longsuffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.
(2Kefa 3:7-9 HRV)
Notice Kefa here addresses the very issue of the 1,000 year day system and adds that Messiah is “longsuffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2Kefa 3:9).
The seventh and last Rebbe of the Rabbinic Chabad movement was Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994). Rebbe Schneerson’s focused his teaching on the impending messianic redemption with a drive to "accelerate the coming of the Messiah". He taught his students to become active in “KIRUV” (literally meaning "bringing close", the act of helping another Jew embrace his Judaism). (Hasidism: The movement and its masters, Harry M. Rabinowicz, 1988, pp.83–92, Jason Aronson, London). Sheerson’s slogan was “Ufaratzta” (from Gen. 28:14), (a Hebrew word meaning "you shall spread out,"). Schneerson taught his students to hasten the Messianic Age by "saving" Jewish souls from secularism and bringing them back to Torah. (The Encyclopedia of Hasidism, entry: Habad, Jonathan Sacks, pp. 161–164). This is exactly in keeping with the teaching of Kefa!
We are directed by Kefa to “hasten the day” and clearly doing so means bringing all who are willing to come to repentance that none should perish unnecessarily. In fact the word KIRUV (outreach) is another form of the word KARAV (Offered, brought near).
Just before his departure from the Mount of Olives and his ascension to the Heavens, Messiah left us theses awesome last instructions:
All authority is given me in heaven and earth.
Go you therefore, and teach all the Goyim,
and immerse them in the name of the Father,
and the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh,
and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you,
and here I am with you all the days, to the end of the world.
(Mt. 28:18-20)
This was NOT a commission for Christians to go take a Torah-less version of “Jesus” to the world. I was a commission for Nazarenes to take the Message of Torah and Messiah to the world. Paul fulfilled this commission by teaching the message “publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20) or as the Aramaic has it “in the streets and in houses”.
As Nazarenes we should be engaging in the work of KIRUV (also known as KIRUV RECHOVIM “bringing near the distant”) taking the message of Torah and Messiah to all the Goyim, teaching them in the streets and from house to house, while bringing the message of Messiah to the Jewish people. The world is in a deep sleep of apostasy (Is. 29:10; Rom. 11:8) and needs a wake up call. We should be going "house to house" witnessing for Torah and Messiah, just as our Nazarene forefathers did (Acts 20:20). As Messiah’s Talmidim we need to be fisher’s of men (Mt. 4:19).
R. Alexandri said: R. Joshua b. Levi pointed out a contradiction. It is written, "In its time [will the Messianic Kingdom come], whilst it is also written, "I [YHWH] will hasten it!"-- If they are worthy, I will hasten it; if not, [it will come] at the due time.
[b.San. 98a]
Thus, the Rabbis understood this verse to mean that YHWH would offer to hasten the Messianic Kingdom, if they were worthy but if not, the Kingdom would not come until its due time.
Tractate Sanhedrin of the Talmud also tells us that the Rabbis believed that such an offer was to be made around the Hebrew year 4,000 (around the first Century). The Talmud relates this tradition which it accredits to the school of Elijah:
The school of Elijah teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years. In the first two thousand years was chaos; two thousand years the Torah flourished; and the next two thousand years are the days of the Messiah, but through our many iniquities all these years have been lost.
[b.San. 96a-97b]
The text goes on to discuss the delay of the Messianic Kingdom, and then says:
Rab said: All the predetermined dates [for the Messianic Kingdom] have passed, and the matter [now] depends only on repentance and good deeds.
[b.San. 97b]
This requirement for repentance prior to the Messianic Kingdom is taken directly from the Torah (see Deut. 30:1-6).
MESSIAH OFFERS THE KINGDOM
Now as we have already discussed, Is. 60:22 tells us that YHWH will either "hasten" the Kingdom, or let it come about "in its [due] time", all depending on the requirement of repentance (Deut. 30:1-6.) This Kingdom offer began in the days of Yochanan the immerser (John the Baptist), as we read in Mt. 11:12:
Only from the days of Yochanan the immerser until now the Kingdom of Heaven is constricted and the forceful despoil it.
[Mt. 11:12 from the DuTillet Hebrew ms.]
and in Luke 16:16 we read:
The Law and the prophets were until Yochanan henceforth the Kingdom of Elohim is announced but everyone treats it with violence.
[Lk.16:16 from Old Syriac & Peshitta Aramaic]
Yochanan had been announcing, "Repent you of your lives, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near to come" (Mt. 3:2 DuTillet.) And as soon as his work began, Yeshua proclaimed, "Turn you, turn you, in repentance: for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."(Mt. 4:17 DuTillet = Mk. 1:14-15) Now the word for "near" here in the DuTillet and ShemTob Hebrew versions is hbrq, in the Aramaic of the Old Syriac and Peshitta the Aramaic equivalent thbrqd appears. In their book Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus, David Bivin and Roy Blizzard Jr. correctly point out that the Hebrew word "karav" brq means "to come up to and be with," or "to be where something or someone else is."; "It's here! It has arrived!" (p. 88) An example of its usage may be seen in 2Kn. 16:12 where we read "...and the king drew near (brqyv) to the altar..." meaning he was right there at the alter. Bivin and Blizzard, however, appear to have an amillennial view of the Kingdom, writing "It [the Kingdom] is Elohim ruling in the lives of men. Those who are ruled by Elohim are the Kingdom of Elohim." (p. 90) In truth, the phrase "Kingdom of Elohim" is a variation of the phrase in the Tenach (Old Testament) "Kingdom of YHWH" (1Chron. 28:5; 2Chron. 13:8) a term used to describe the Kingdom of Israel. After studying the "Kingdom of Elohim" with the Messiah for forty days (Acts 1:3) the emissaries wanted to know if the Kingdom would be restored to Israel "at this time", Yeshua answers that it is not for them to know the time (Acts 1:6-7). The truth is that the Kingdom of Elohim/Heaven is the restored Kingdom of Israel (see Jer. 23:5-6; Is. 9:6-7; 11 with 1Chron. 28:5; 2Chron.13:8.) The Hebrew text of Mt. 3:2 & 4:17 = Mk. 1:14-15 does indicate that the Kingdom was right there, available, if they would just repent. The passage is a conditional statement with an implied "if" as we find in Jonah 3:4.
Yeshua continued to proclaim this Kingdom offer throughout his career (Mt. 12:28 = Lk. 11:20; Mk. 12:34; Lk.10:9, 11; 17:21) even sending out his emissaries with the same proclamation (Mt. 10:7.) This is the meaning of the passage, "...if you are willing to receive it [the Kingdom], he [Yochanan] is Elijah who is to come." (Mt. 11:14 see 11:12).
THE KINGDOM REJECTED
Despite the fact that the Kingdom was being offered as early as the service of Yochanan (John) the immerser, repentance was required for it to be realized (Mt. 3:2-3; Mt.4:17 = Mk. 1:14-15; Dt. 30:1-6). However, from the time of Yochanan forward, the Kingdom was being rejected, "plundered" and "treated with violence" (Mt. 11:12 DuTillet; Lk. 16:16 Old Syriac & Peshitta.) Yeshua compared this rejection to those who would not dance for flute players (Mt. 11:12, 16-19.) Yeshua also mentions this rejection in Lk. 17 where we read "...the Kingdom of Elohim is among you... But first he [Yeshua] must suffer many things and BE REJECTED BY THIS GENERATION." (Lk. 17:21, 25.)
THE KINGDOM OFFER EXTENDED
It would seem that the Kingdom offer was extended beyond the crucifixion. In his discourse at the Temple in Acts 3:12-26 Kefa repeated the Kingdom offer saying:
19 Repent therefore, and be restored: so that your sins be blotted out and times of rest
come to you from the presence of YHWH,
20 And He send to you, Him who was prepared for you--Yeshua the Messiah,
21 Who it is required for heaven to receive, until the fullness of the times of all those
things that Eloah spoke, by the mouth of His Set-Apart prophets of old
(Acts 3:19-21)
Thus it would appear that if the people of Israel had entered a national repentance, even then, the Messiah would have returned to restore the Kingdom to Israel right then and there.
THE KINGDOM OFFER EXPIRES
This Kingdom offer seems to have continued throughout the entire Acts period, until it expired at the end of the Book of Acts. In Acts 28 "Paul called the leaders of the Jews together... to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the Kingdom of Elohim, persuading them concerning Yeshua..." (Acts 28:17, 23). Once again a corporate repentance did not occur "... some disbelieved. So they did not agree among themselves." (Acts 28:24b-25a). At this time Paul made known that the Kingdom offer had ended saying "...the salvation of Elohim has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" (Acts. 28:28) this parallels Romans 11:11 "...to provoke them [Israel] to jealousy, salvation has been sent to the Gentiles." Which ties this concept to the Olive Tree Parable of Romans 11.
THE OLIVE TREE AND THE MYSTERY
The Olive Tree Parable of Romans 11 , when viewed in light of the Kingdom offer, teaches that when the Kingdom offer expired in Acts 28:28 = Rom. 11:11, that wild branches (Gentiles) were grafted into the natural olive tree, but that at some point in the future, the natural branches would be grafted into their own olive tree. This concept of unity between Jews and Gentiles in the one body is echoed in Eph. 2-3 and Col. 1:19-26 a unity which Paul describes as a mystery "which was in the past concealed but now revealed" (Eph. 3:3-6 & Col. 1:26) This is because the time period of the wild branches in the olive tree following the Kingdom offer was in the past concealed. Daniel's prophecy of weeks of years (Dan. 9:24-27) goes directly from the coming of the Messiah to the final seven year period commonly known as the tribulation. Daniel accounts for no space between the two. This is why there was such expectation that the Kingdom would come in the first century. There was a mystery, a parenthetical period of time in Daniel's prophecy which was in the past concealed but later revealed. Had the Kingdom offer been accepted in the first century, then Daniel's last seven years would have run from 63 C.E. to 70 C.E.. These Years seemed in many ways to fulfil endtime prophecies (so much so that post-millenialists claim that the events of Revelations and Mt. 24 occurred during these years). This is because these years WOULD have been Daniel's final week, had the Kingdom offer been accepted.
WHY THE KINGDOM OFFER EXPIRED
It has already been discussed that the Kingdom offer expired in 63 C.E., but why? What happened in 63 C.E.? This year was the year of the death of James the Just. According to the ancient Nazarene writer Hegesippus, James the Just was very popular with the Jewish community in general, and many had come to be believers in Yeshua as the Messiah as a result of his charisma with the people. Certain of James's enemies, fearing that all Israel would join the Nazarene movement, pressed him to stand on a wing of the Temple and deny Yeshua. Instead, James repeated the same hybrid of Ps. 110:1 & Dan. 7:13 which Yeshua had recited at his trial. In response, James' opponents cast him to the ground and stoned him to death (Hegesippus as quoted by Eusebius in Eccl. Hist 2:23). Upon the death of James the Just, the Nazarene movement lost its steam. Even within the movement apostate elements began to arise. Furthermore, the Essene and Pharisaic elements of the movement began to polarize. There was no longer any chance that the Kingdom offer would receive national acceptance in time for the Messianic Kingdom to occur in the first century. This was the very year that Acts 28:28 took place.
THE KINGDOM RESTORED
Now despite the fact that the condition of repentance was not met in the first Century, Elohim had still promised that if the Kingdom was not hastened, that it would still take place "in its [due] time." (Is. 60:22). The emissaries understood, after studying the Kingdom of Elohim with Yeshua for forty days, that the Kingdom would eventually be restored to Israel (Acts 1:3, 6-7). Prophecies regarding this Kingdom were yet to be fulfilled (Jer. 23:5-6; Is. 9:6-7; 11), and in the New Scriptures Elohim reiterated this promise (Rev. 20:1-6).
THE KINGDOM OFFER
Part 2
KIRUV RECHOVIM
By
James Scott Trimm
THE SEVEN THOUSAND YEAR TIMETABLE?
Elohim created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh day. But why should it take the omnipotent Elohim six days to create the heavens and the earth? Couldn't he have done it in an instant? And why did the omnipotent Elohim rest on the seventh day? Was he tired?
Now the Sabbath is called in Hebrew a MIKRAW, a Hebrew word which can be translated into English as "convocation" or "rehearsal." Moreover in Col. 2:16-17, Paul identifies Sabbaths as "a shadow of things to come." Could the Shabbat "rest" be a rehearsal of something? Could it be symbolic of something yet to come? Paul seems to think so as he sees a Sabbath rest which is yet to come (Heb. 2:8; 4:9). Now the Sabbath is a "day" and a "day" to Elohim is "as a thousand years" (Ps. 90:4; 2Pt. 3:8) and the Kingdom is also a thousand year period (Rev. 20:1-10). This has opened up the possibility of a 7,000 year plan of Elohim. 6,000 years of "work" and 1,000 years or "rest." This idea is reflected in the Talmud:
R. Kattina said: Six thousand years shall the world exist, and one [thousand, the seventh], it shall be desolate, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Abaye said: it will be desolate two [thousand], as it is said, After two days will he revive us: in the third day, he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
It has been taught in accordance with R. Kattina: Just as the seventh year is one year of release in seven, so is the world: one thousand years out of seven shall be fallow, as it is written, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day,’ and it is further said, A Psalm and song for the Sabbath day, meaning the day that is altogether Sabbath — and it is also said, For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past.
The Tanna debe Eliyyahu teaches: The world is to exist six thousand years. In the first two thousand there was desolation; two thousand years the Torah flourished; and the next two thousand years is the Messianic era,
(b.Sanhedrin 97a)
as well as in early Christian literature such as the Epistle of Psuedo-Barnabus (13:1-16).
THE WORK OF KIRUV
Of course, depending on how you do the Bible math, the 6,000th year is fast approaching (in some systems of calculation it has passed), so the question arises, will the Messiah return to establish his Kingdom in the 6,000th year, ready or not?
I do not believe this is the case, the clear message of Scripture is that the return of Messiah will not come unless certain conditions are met first. Kefa writes:
Looking for, and hastening the coming of the Day of Eloah, because of which, the
heavens, being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
(2Peter 3:12 HRV)
In context, just a few verses above Kefa indicates that the delay on this return is that Messiah is awaiting our repentance:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which now exist, are kept in store by the same Word;
reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of wicked men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing: that one day is with YHWH as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 YHWH is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness: but is
longsuffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.
(2Kefa 3:7-9 HRV)
Notice Kefa here addresses the very issue of the 1,000 year day system and adds that Messiah is “longsuffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2Kefa 3:9).
The seventh and last Rebbe of the Rabbinic Chabad movement was Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994). Rebbe Schneerson’s focused his teaching on the impending messianic redemption with a drive to "accelerate the coming of the Messiah". He taught his students to become active in “KIRUV” (literally meaning "bringing close", the act of helping another Jew embrace his Judaism). (Hasidism: The movement and its masters, Harry M. Rabinowicz, 1988, pp.83–92, Jason Aronson, London). Sheerson’s slogan was “Ufaratzta” (from Gen. 28:14), (a Hebrew word meaning "you shall spread out,"). Schneerson taught his students to hasten the Messianic Age by "saving" Jewish souls from secularism and bringing them back to Torah. (The Encyclopedia of Hasidism, entry: Habad, Jonathan Sacks, pp. 161–164). This is exactly in keeping with the teaching of Kefa!
We are directed by Kefa to “hasten the day” and clearly doing so means bringing all who are willing to come to repentance that none should perish unnecessarily. In fact the word KIRUV (outreach) is another form of the word KARAV (Offered, brought near).
Just before his departure from the Mount of Olives and his ascension to the Heavens, Messiah left us theses awesome last instructions:
All authority is given me in heaven and earth.
Go you therefore, and teach all the Goyim,
and immerse them in the name of the Father,
and the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh,
and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you,
and here I am with you all the days, to the end of the world.
(Mt. 28:18-20)
This was NOT a commission for Christians to go take a Torah-less version of “Jesus” to the world. I was a commission for Nazarenes to take the Message of Torah and Messiah to the world. Paul fulfilled this commission by teaching the message “publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20) or as the Aramaic has it “in the streets and in houses”.
As Nazarenes we should be engaging in the work of KIRUV (also known as KIRUV RECHOVIM “bringing near the distant”) taking the message of Torah and Messiah to all the Goyim, teaching them in the streets and from house to house, while bringing the message of Messiah to the Jewish people. The world is in a deep sleep of apostasy (Is. 29:10; Rom. 11:8) and needs a wake up call. We should be going "house to house" witnessing for Torah and Messiah, just as our Nazarene forefathers did (Acts 20:20). As Messiah’s Talmidim we need to be fisher’s of men (Mt. 4:19).
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