Yeshua’s Message (2)
Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, Luke 8:1 NASB
The kingdom of God – “The kingdom of heaven [of God] resembles a concept in rabbinic Judaism called tikkun ha-olam, which literally means ‘mending the world.’ When one enters (or joins) the kingdom of heaven, one becomes a partner with God in spreading redemption throughout a hurting world. That person goes out and feeds the hungry; clothes the naked; visits those who are in hospital and prison; prays for the sick and defends the rights of the orphan and widow. A person who has entered the kingdom of heaven gets involved in people’s lives. He or she pursues a lifestyle characterized by mending our world: where there is hatred, he or she bestows love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.”[1]
If Yeshua preached the kingdom of God (or the circumlocution “of heaven”), what happened in the course of Christian history that resulted in the shift from restoration of this world to declaration of Jesus’ divinity as a ticket to heaven? In a word—anti-Semitism. Tikkun ha’olam is a Jewish ideal. It saturates Jewish living: care for others, obedience to Torah, moral and ritual purity, life organized according to the festivals of YHVH. None of this is Roman. And if the Church was to be accepted by the Roman power structure, then it must divorce itself from those actions that appear to be Jewish. Primarily, of course, this means dietary laws, Shabbat, Temple worship, circumcision and the festivals. But divorce from the Jewish way of life includes a great deal more than these obvious public (and private) displays. It involves a change in orientation, from what happens here to what happens in the hereafter. Plato and Paul are both converted.
That doesn’t mean Christians reject good works. They don’t. Christians are responsible for hospitals, orphanages, schools, labor laws, the abolition of slavery, etc. The list is long. But the theological orientation is different. Christianity is bi-polar, trying to do something good in the world and at the same time preaching that this world is only a stepping stone to the next. Christianity’s eschatological focus is on the afterlife. That’s why Heschel can say that Christianity is a religion of death. Nothing really matters much until we die. Then things get better.
Judaism also has an ‘olam ha’ba, another world after this one. But it’s not the focus. You won’t find row after row of Jewish books about the end times. What you will find are plenty of books about how to live here and now, and the theological idea that God will reign on this earth. Therefore, tikkun ha’olam is a critical part of Jewish thinking—and living. Now, if Yeshua is a first century Jew, where do you suppose his emphasis lies? In heaven? No, I’m afraid not. Yeshua isn’t Plato. He doesn’t have a sharp demarcation between what happens here and what happens there. In fact, he completely blurs (or better “ignores”) the distinction. “Unto the least of these” is a kingdom attitude and that kingdom is here on earth.
Topical Index: kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God, tikkun ha’olam, olam ha’ba, afterlife, Luke 8:1
[1] Joseph Frankovic, The Kingdom of Heaven (HaKesher, Inc., 1998), pp. 31-32.
I need converted.!! After many generations of get saved and go to heaven I desperately need a thinking overhaul.
Does anyone know how to get started?
The KINGDOM of YHVH IS AT HAND. (This is screamed with tears)
Yeshua told his listeners to return to Moses. That’s probably the place to start.
Sometimes I am right ,and sometimes I am wrong , this time you are right on !!!
Could it be that many believers , are between a rock and a hard place ?
They have made the decision to accept change ,,, and gone ( forward ) with it.
When really they needed to go (backwards ) , and follow the of the children of YWHY. .
BETTER AS ISRAEL!!!!
Skip. Again you leave me with a few burning questions…
To which part was Yeshua referring as the majority of his teachings reiterate the Ten Commandments rather than the rest of the laws. This is where I find the difference in the understanding of the apostolic writings and the Old Testament.
Now the question remains what is meant by the foundation of Apostle and Prophet versus Abraham, Isaac and Jacob or Israel the descendants of these… Both implied foundations…. Are they referring to the same thing or is there a difference?
Good questions.
Hi Bob. We all need a thinking overhaul. You’ve already started, but here’s some of what I believe is most necessary to help you carry on. Wholeheartedly trust YHVH and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, always turning away from all your sins, even confessing to someone you trust, and toward wholehearted obedience to Yeshua and all His instructions, including the instructions given through Moses, be immersed in water for the removal of your sins, receive and abide in the immersion of the Ruach ha-Kodesh and fire from Yeshua, even if He chooses to do so with the sign of the utterance of unknown tongues, receive a love of the truth, take up your cross daily and follow after Yeshua, the apostles and the prophets, also loving not your own life even unto death, with Yeshua as your great high priest after the order of Melchizedek, study the scriptures daily, fast from eating food on a regular, periodic basis, even weekly, pray without ceasing, and be led by the Ruach ha-Kodesh. Love others, even your enemies, as yourself, and be teachable, but fear no man. Read and study the scriptures with an open mind, questioning everything you have ever been taught and being willing to conform in your beliefs and manner of living to whatever new understanding the Ruach ha-Kodesh leads you to, no matter what the cost is, always fearing YHVH, being humble and ready to receive His reproof, correction, and training in righteousness for His name’s sake.
It becomes clearer. Thanks Skip.
[This] saturates Jewish living: care for others, obedience to Torah, moral and ritual purity, life organized according to the festivals of YHVH. None of this is Roman.
“NONE of this is Roman”?? and Christians believe, “Nothing really matters much until we die.”??
I understand that Christians don’t keep the correct Holy Days, or the dietary laws or (necessarily) circumcise but to say that care for others “saturates Jewish living” somewhat insinuates Christians don’t (while at the same time you DO cite all the wonderful things they have done.)
Yes, Christians hype grace and going to heaven but NEVERTHELESS who has been upholding the Ten Commandments in their societies and has done more for the benefit of mankind over the last 500 years than genuine Christians? How many billions of dollars and hours has Christian America spent on the rest of the world trying to make it better in the here and now?
I have a suggestion: let’s not look at Judaism or Christianity; let’s look at individual Jews and Christians. I think all the divisiveness will disappear if we define and defend individuals who are carrying out (or not) the kingdom actions all over the world, no matter what they profess to believe (or not).
Exactly
Don’t you mean the Nine Commandments, Daniel? 🙂
Funny thing. Of course, you are correct, and I actually was going to write “nine commandments” but I thought it best not complicate the issue and leave my thought a little vague. However, with this group, I should have known you would all figure it out.
I have lectured to several conservative Pauline Christian groups at their meetings asking, “Why do you insist that the law has been done away with when you all readily agree that we SHOULD keep NINE of them?” And then I cite all the verses where Paul requires the shunning of sin and the keeping of the law. But they counter with all the verses that seem to state the opposite. It’s a long-complicated argument. Maybe, sort of like the Trinity argument. We are all on the same page – but were not.
I would love to think we are all on the same page, however, the more pages I consider the more pages I’m behind to even know what page we are on at the moment. What a challenge! But, alas, I love it. Much better than sitting in a pew contemplating the back of someone’s head for 30+ years! At least, as you pointed out, at least I am now aware that it IS a long and complicated argument as opposed to the black and white, set in stone dogma firmly established by some statement of faith required for admission. Carry on and keep moving forward . . . find more questions to ask. It’s a daunting task we’ve taken up. And Skip continues to provide many, many questions for me to put on a page and attempt to make sense of. Whew!
The devil loves to split babies. This is a fav one to split, I think. We must not get distracted by all the weird winds of doctrine blowing out there.
What is the kingdom of heaven? That is a multifaceted question. Who on this earth really believes that this current earth is reflecting the fulness of the kingdom of (perfect submission to) God? Nobody. Therefore, that fulness is still future. BUT, there are outliers on planet; there always have been, from faithful Enoch and Noah on. We are the forerunners of the kingdom, which will be here soon.
The details are where the devil plays and seeks to divide us.
But, what say the Scriptures? More importantly, what do we say to the question of whether or not we will “have this Man reign over us”?
The future kingdom come, as well as the kingdom called “Today” is completely dependent upon what our answers to those questions are. Today. The answer to the question will be found in our action to the call. Debaters need not apply themselves to the subject. Only those who do the will of the Father are going to know of this doctrine. Hey, they will BE the doctrine! Those who wait until they can SEE the kingdom before they sign on will never sign.
The kingdom never left. And that’s the message.
As man’s eyes became darkened at the fall and thus fixated on and by this world,
God began His messaging directly with man revealing that it would take new
spiritual eyes to “see” that the kingdom was actually within man.
And, yes, the new spiritual man would be motivated and guided to live a more
loving and caring life than worldly men because the Creator Himself resided in
that kingdom, too, guiding believers in all they do.
Yeshua came to “finish” the work that worldly men could not do, and thus prepare
the world for the soon coming of His manifested kingdom on earth . . . along with the King!
Man has confused the message, but God’s Word does not change.
Good things done…..wrong motives…..
There must have been some difference between the kingdom that Yeshua (1st Century Jew) preached and a Jewish rabbinic concept of “mending the world”. Otherwise, I think, they wouldn’t have crucified him.
Maybe, however, I tend to lean to the idea that Yeshua clearly understood a Torah explained kingdom. His kingdom idea originates from Torah. Those that killed him were those that were concerned about anyone disrupting their power structure. Yeshua was clearly a threat to them. The stories of the apostolic writers were largely political, as in who rules, both societally and individually. Yeshua was a direct threat to their hierarchy of rule based on their supporting traditions, as I see it. Solution: kill him and eliminate the threat. And, let’s do it with one of the most powerful visuals and fear methods, execution on a stick. That will surely show them how powerful and fearful the Roman rule is! (Again, simply my observation. Still absorbing and learning how to learn).
Besides me, is anyone else hesitant to use the term Tikkun olam because of it’s Kabbalistic origins? Why use a term other than what is used in Torah?
I am not hesitant to use the term. Hold on to the good, throw away the rest. I don’t throw away the idea of giving gifts to people just because it’s also attached to an idol like Santa Claus.
Giving gifts is a Torah principal but you wouldn’t call it Christmas gift giving would you?
Repairing, fixing, improving the earth is an idea presented in Genesis. Would you disregard is because it shows up in Kabbalistic ideologies?
No. My point is only about what we label things. If the Torah already has a label for something why borrow a label from an ideology that is full of things contrary to Torah?
Tanya, I share your thoughts.
100% agree with you, Tanya!
I look at it this way. I place Christianity on the far left, all the different Judaisms on the far right and Scripture as a whole (all 66 books) dead center. To sin is actually to miss the mark so I consider scripture as that mark, the bullseye we should always be aiming for.
If we could just erase the slate with all these words or terms that we’ve been bombarded with, i.e., Trinity, Tikkun olam, etc. and stick with biblical words and terms, we could much more easily have conversations. I personally learned that first hand when I started my Torah walk alongside Hasidic’s. Our conversations didn’t have to wade through all the Christian terminology when we talked about my understanding of Yeshua Messiah because I wasn’t church indoctrinated. And consequently, we were able to avoid all the implications that went along with that while still allowing for conversations regarding my views.
You can’t separate the mysticism of Kabbalistic practices from the majority of Orthodox Judaisms any more than you can separate an NT Greek view of the Bible from Christianity. This is why we get into such unproductive discussions on things like the plurality of YHVH.
The whole chewing up everything and trying to spit out the bad bones can be hazardous to our walk. I’m not saying you can’t find a nugget here and there in Jewish mysticism but, why even go there unless you’re very grounded in your faith in Yeshua, the languages, culture and objective history? I’ve watched far to many walk away from Yeshua and pursue one of the Judaisms because they weren’t.
Contrary to a Hebrew roots popular opinion, there’s really not a lot of value to the Talmuds, Mishnah or Zohar in how we approach scripture, there just isn’t. You will inadvertently end up picking up and digesting far more bad than good. I’m certainly not saying there’s no value because there absolutely is. But, be grounded in a “scripture first” as a measuring stick understanding first.
My 1 1/2 cents anyway.
I can not seem to get out of my mind Yeshua’s condemnation of the Rabbi’s of his day “You teach the treditions of men as if they where the ways of God” This sad comentary on the nature of mans self rightious heart continues to reverberate through Christiandom today. When will we lay aside our presumptions and vanities and return to the simple, humility of Moses. ? Only then we shall be free to live. Living according to the creators calender, his way and his Spirit . That will bring a life heretofore unexperinced by most and one to be enjoyed eternally.
You just took the fun out of everything, Mark.
…and the humility of Yeshua.
There are differences and similarities among Christians and Jews. Essentially, though, there isn’t much difference in character or practice between Christians and Jews, as a whole. There are a few significant differences in message and in practice, but not so much otherwise, that matters a lot.
Generally, both try to “mend the world”. Both agree on significant fundamentals of the Scriptures, i.e. the two great commandments, the “ten commandments” (though a different day for the Sabbath), the general moral code for daily living, etc.. Both have significantly accepted the influence of Babylon, Greece, and Rome, as well as other significant world views, i.e. the far east. Both have a high percentage of those who profess their faith but display significant hypocrisy in a public manner. Generally speaking, Christians believe the Messiah has come but don’t fully accept the Torah and the Jews fully accept the Torah but don’t believe the Messiah has come. Therefore, though different, both have hardened their hearts toward YHVH in significant ways. Both have significant, even cooperative factions among them, that have been, are now, and will be contributing to the great end-times strategies of HaSatan, in terms of deception, apostasy, and the rise and rule of the ultimate anti-messiah. Shall we get into discussing the history and agenda of the Zionist movement? And both have those who have been and will be part of the remnant of YHVH, as well.
And, generally speaking, Yeshua’s message, whether about the kingdom of heaven that has come or the kingdom of heaven that is coming, is about being saved by grace through faith and doing good works. The message of Yeshua is not one or the other. It is not only about the present kingdom, nor is it only about the kingdom to come. It is not only about being saved by grace, nor only about doing good works. It is not only about salvation as a gift, nor is it only about salvation through works. It is not only about living in this world now, nor is it only about living in the world to come.
Furthermore, there’s just as much to be anti-semitic about as there is to be anti-Christian about, if anyone is looking to be anti-something. But, the Jews, who were broken off, are to be the light of the world, and forerunners to the coming again of the Messiah of Israel and the fullness of the kingdom of heaven, while the Gentiles, who are grafted in, are to provoke the Jews to jealousy so that they will be grafted back in, and also forerunners to the coming again of the Messiah of Israel and the fullness of the kingdom of heaven. It must be they both have something significant to offer in the plans and purposes of YHVH and Yeshua and the kingdom of heaven. Not just by Christians becoming more Jewish. Nor just by Jews becoming more Christian. Not just the “pie in the sky in the sweet by and by”, nor just the pie from on high before you die. But both.
Both branches need to be grafted in. And…..both need to be pruned.
Well said!
I was a “Christian” for about 35 years. YHVH decided it was time for me to grow. He lead me to lead a Bible study in my church. He directed me to do the front introductory, go to the back to find out what was there and then start in B’resheet (Genesis). There were 8 others in the class. It took about 18 months to get through the Torah. During that time my eyes were opened to what I had missing. YHVH has lead me to Skip and a few others that understand what we are supposed to be doing (living). YHVH lead me to the “TRUTH” of the Bible and it wasn’t the Christian doctrine
Welcome aboard David this bus does not take detours its headed to glory land…
J. Richard Middleton, Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Northeastern Seminary, wrote an excellent book on the differences between the original gospel of Yeshua and the later distortion of that message by the church. His book is titled “A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology.” It’s from a Christian perspective but it is an extensive investigation of the subject and he makes many good points.
It’s a good read. Here are couple quotes from the beginning of the book that might interest some of the readers on this site:
“Most contemporary Christians tend to live with an unresolved tension between a belief in the resurrection of the body and an immaterial heaven as final destiny. Many also have in the back of their minds the idea of the new heaven and new earth (from the book of Revelation), though they are not quite sure what to do with it. I too started my theological studies with this very confusion. But as I took courses in both Old and New Testaments and tried to understand the nature of God’s salvation as portrayed in the various biblical writings,……I came to realize that the Scriptures explicitly teach that God is committed to reclaiming creation (human and nonhuman) in order to bring it to its authentic and glorious destiny, a destiny that human sin had blocked.” [1]
“while still an undergraduate student, I came to the while still an undergraduate student, I came to the startling realization that the Bible nowhere claims that “heaven” is the final home of the redeemed. Although there are many New Testament texts that Christians often read as if they teach a heavenly destiny, the texts do not actually say this. Rather, the Bible consistently anticipates the redemption of the entire created order, a motif that fits very well with the Christian hope of the resurrection, which Paul calls “the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8: 23). It was after this startling realization that I first challenged an adult Sunday school class that I was teaching at Grace Missionary Church (my home church in Jamaica) to find even one passage in the New Testament that clearly said Christians would live in heaven forever or that heaven was the final home of the righteous. I even offered a monetary reward if anyone could find such a text. I have been making this offer now for my entire adult life to church and campus ministry study groups and in many of the courses I have taught (in Canada, the United States, and Jamaica); I am happy to report that I still have all my money. No one has ever produced such a text, because there simply are none in the Bible.” [2]
[1] Middleton, J. Richard. A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (p. 12-13). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
[2] Middleton, J. Richard. A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (p. 14). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
That’s because our conversation must be in heaven from where is expected salvation. For this to happen our thoughts need to be heavenly and the only heavenly thing revealed was the kingdom… Peace, joy and righteousness in the spirit of truth that has set us apart. So heaven seems to be s reference to our mindset…