Not One Veil, but Two

In my last post I discussed how the veil over the eyes of the Jewish people is increasingly being lifted, that they might recognize their Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). Last week international news articles were filled with the discovery of an ancient stone tablet, which pre-dates Yeshua's birth and is causing quite a stir among not only the Jews, but also the Christians. That's because there are TWO veils that must be lifted, not just one! The eyes of Christians in the Church have also been veiled since 325 A.D. and the Council of Nicea. As Jonathan Bernis writes, "Church history is replete with with great names of prominent theologians and writers who unequivocally divorce Yeshua from His roots. The Redeemer of Israel has spent the past two thousand years disguised in His richly-adorned Byzantine robes, with fair, European complexion, hair flowing over the shoulders most uncharacteristically, eating fluffy leavened bread from the Passover table. Through the centuries perhaps the grossest distortion of Yeshua's identity has been His characterization as one who is anti-Torah, having overthrown the authority of the God of Abraham, and founding a new relgion triumphant over the Jews and 'their laws.'"

It's so true: not only has the European/Roman Catholic image of a "Greek Jesus" disguised the Jewish Messiah so that He could not be recognized by His own Jewish people, but it has also robbed the Church of the precious inheritance of our Jewish roots, and the joy of keeping the Torah and Feasts of the Lord in the Holy Spirit! There have been two veils, you see, not just one. The ancient stone tablet that was just discovered may well help to lift both veils.

Israeli Professor Israel Knohl of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem is studying the newly-discovered stone tablet and he reports the following: "The first part describes an eschatological war," Knohl explains. "The nations of the world besiege Jerusalem, and the residents are expelled from the city in groups. This description is followed by a passage in which God sends "my servant David" to ask...the Messiah Son of Joseph to deliver a 'sign.' From the context, it appears that this sign heralds the coming redemption.The second part of the Gabriel Revelation focuses on death and resurrection - and the blood of the slain. The last paragraph cites the words of the Archangel Gabriel who commands a person to return to life after three days: 'By three days, live.' "This is truly significant." What Knohl finds most significant is "the fact that [the writings on the stone tablet] strongly suggested that a savior who died and rose after three days was an established concept at the time of Jesus. He notes that in the Gospels, Jesus makes numerous predictions of his suffering and New Testament scholars say such predictions must have been written in by later followers because there was no such idea present in his day. But there was, he said, and 'Gabriel's Revelation' shows it." "His mission is that he has to be put to death by the Romans to suffer so his blood will be the sign for redemption to come," Mr. Knohl said. "This is the sign of the son of Joseph. This is the conscious view of Jesus himself....To shed blood...to bring redemption to Israel."

Two veils, not just one, are being lifted! The Jews are astonished to find from the writings on this ancient stone that there was a Jewish concept of a Messiah who would die and then be resurrected in three days! Christians are finally understanding that their Messiah, a Torah-observant Jew, intended that we should keep the commands and decrees of Yahweh forever - unto a thousand generations (see Deut. 7:9 and Matthew 5:17) and that we should put off the holidays of the pagans and keep the feasts of the LORD, just as He did. How will the Jews ever accept or be drawn to a Messiah who eats pork, celebrates the Greco/Roman holidays of Christmas and Easter with pagan traditions, and does not keep the Sabbath set apart and holy?

But thanks be to God! He is even now returning riches long lost to Christianity, while returning to Israel a Messiah she can recognize and be jealous for!