I'm writing part 2 of the Killing the Hostility posts on May 11, 2016, the modern-day nation of Israel's 68th birthday, Yom Haatzmaut. 68 years ago, God did a miracle, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies of Ezekiel 36-39, most specifically Ezek. 37:1-14. The dry bones live! And, Israel's population is 10x what it was in 1948.1 For your listening and viewing pleasure today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgXXJBmwBJg
Now....consider the cocoon. What began as eggs on a leaf transformed next into caterpillars. This stage moved to that of a pupa (chrysalis, cocoon). From that hatched a beautiful butterfly. Yet, all were stages of the same organism, despite their disparate appearances.
Once again, today's (and yesterday's passage) - - Ephesians 2:11-16 (NET)
1Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh – who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands – 12that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, 15when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, 16and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.
In eternity past, God saw all and planned all. Yes, the Jews became manifested as His chosen race from the days of Abraham. Still, he saw the Ephesian Christians, even then. He saw every believer "in Christ", even then. We are all part of the butterfly life cycle. The Jews were the first manifestation of His redemptive grace through faith (Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4 - - "the just shall live by faith"). However, the Church of Jesus Christ was grafted in, bound up in the cocoon with the Jewish people from the time of Jesus Christ's resurrection onward. At the moment, the Christian Church age is continuing to unfold. But, the end of the story is not yet.
Look, the honest seeker will find that there are hundreds of Old Testament prophecies about Messiah, and that Jesus Christ fulfilled/is fulfilling the ones which predicted the suffering prophet and Melchizedekian priest. He has yet to fulfill the ones about the messianic conquering King. That will occur in the "final stage of the butterfly's development". Two illustrative links:
http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm
http://www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html
So, now to the central tenet of our text and the central question from yesterday's part 1: How do we heal the schism? There is only one path to healing, and that is through "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6), Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:14 states "He is our peace" - - - not only the Christian's peace but the Jew's peace as well.
Currently, we are like that ridiculous image posted in yesterday's blog - - that of the 2-headed monster, with one eye in each head. Yet, despite how we act toward one another, in reality, we are all, Jew and Gentile, bound up in the cocoon of God's eternal plan, hatched before the foundations of this world were ever laid.
Through His blood sacrifice, Jesus overrode (but did not negate) the Mosaic Law with His law of love and grace. His new commandment pushed the traditions of the first century off of their pedestal and re-framed the theology. At the end of the Church Age, He will return as conquering King. At that time, the eyes of the Jewish people will be opened, and they will embrace Him as their true Mashiach (Messiah). Messianic Jews know this truth and have already embraced Him as their Mashiach.
The reconciliation has already occurred, positionally, in the heavenly realm that exists independent of time and space. God's divine plan is established and sure. Through the cross of Jesus Christ, the hostilities between Jew and Christian have been slain.
As God fulfilled the Ezekiel 37 prophecies 68 years ago, He is continuing to unfold His plan in our modern time. As surely as prophecies were fulfilled centuries ago, the remainder will be fulfilled in the centuries to come. Our immutable Jehovah G-d has promised. And, His Word can never be undone.
One Body - - Jew and "Greek" - - even so come, Lord Jesus!
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