Subject: The Bride (The Church or Israel)?
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 01:40:07 +0000
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
>From L. Adrian Peterson
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: The Bride (The Church or Israel)?
Dear Eddie,
Recently a Dr. Stanley Chester who is founder of Torah Light Ministries
visited our church, as he does almost every year, here in Garden Valley,
CA. He has five doctorate degrees in theology and rabbinical studies, a
born again Christian (actually he is a blood line Jewish). He has
tremendous knowledge about the Old Testament and New Testament. He
spends about 9 months a year in Israel and also has a ministry there.
While at our church there was a discussion started about the "Bride of
Chirst". What caught my immediate attention was his statement that the
"bride" is actually "National Israel" not Christians.
In his lecture, titled "God's Plan", first was the Gentile Nations
which were before Abram and when God changed Abram's name to Abraham
that was the beginning of National Israel. Then came the Church after
the death of Y'Shua on the Cross which he describes as the Kingdom of
Heaven.
In essence he describes the Gentile Nations as unsaved Gentiles (Adam,
Noah, Abram, Balaam, Cornelius), the National Israel as unsaved Jews
(Abraham thru John the Baptist), and the Kingdom of Heaven as those who
have accepted Y'Shua as the Messiah.
Therefore he believes that because Y'Shua is the Head of the Church, the
Chief Cornerstone the Church is higher in position that National Israel.
Also the wedding in Rev.18 takes place after the Church is Raptured.
Therefore he contends that National Israel is the bride, NOT the Church
(Body of Christ).
Since I have read your book on "Who Is The Bride of Christ?", I am now
somewhat confused. Can you shed some light on this issue?
Brother In Y'Shua HaMashiach,
Levi Avriel ben Avram
(L. Adrian Peterson)
>From Eddie:
**************
L. Adrian Peterson,
Thank you for asking about such an important question for us to
understand. The reason why you are confused is that the body of
Messiah is confused and teaches confusion in this area. Probably two
of the most misunderstood words in the entire Bible besides the word
LAW / TORAH are:
#1) Church
#2) Israel
You mention a traditional understanding of the "church" and
"Israel" as stated"
>
>In his lecture, titled "God's Plan", first was the Gentile Nations
>which were before Abram and when God changed Abram's name to Abraham
>that was the beginning of National Israel. Then came the Church after
>the death of Y'Shua on the Cross which he describes as the Kingdom
>of Heaven.
>
A traditional understanding of the terms "Church" and
"Israel" are:
Israel = The Jewish people (This is only partially correct)
Church = Implied to mean mostly non-Jewish believers in
Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah otherwise known as
Christians. Christianity teaches that the birth of the
"church" was in Acts 2 and the "church" was birthed
after the death of Yeshua/Jesus on the tree. (This is
incorrect also)
Because of the misunderstanding of the above definition and terms
of "Israel" (implied to mean the Jewish people) and the "church"
(implied to mean mostly non-Jewish believers in Yeshua/Jesus as
Messiah taught to have been birthed in Acts 2 after the death of
Yeshua/Jesus on the tree), there is also a misplaced teaching within
parts of Christianity called "replacement theology". "Replacement
theology" teaches that the "church" (implied to mean the previously
stated definition) has replaced "Israel" (implied to mean National
Israel or the Jewish people). Once you understand what the terms
"church" and "Israel" are, you will also understand how misplaced
this teaching is also.
Let me begin by giving a Biblical definition of the "church".
Then I will give you a Biblical definition of "Israel".
UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLICAL TERM CHURCH
The word translated as "church" in the NT is the Strong's Word
1577. It is the Greek word "Ekklesia". In the Thayer's Greek Lexicon
of the New Testament, the Greek word "Ekklesia" / church means"
--- An assembly of people called out
The Hebrew equivalent for "Ekklesia/church" is Kahal. It is the
Strong's word (6951).
In Acts 7:37-38, it is written:
"This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A
prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren,
like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the
CHURCH (1577/Ekklesia = Hebrew Kahal) IN THE WILDERNESS with
the angel which spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our
fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us"
Acts 7:37-38 is quoting Deuteronomy 18:15-16
Deuteronomy 18:15 -16
"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of
thee, of thy brethren, like unto me: unto him ye shall hearken.
According to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb
(Mount Sinai) in the DAY of the ASSEMBLY (6951 / Kahal = Ekklesia in
Greek and church in English) ..."
Three times in the book of Deuteronomy, God calls the event at
Mount Sinai as the "DAY of the ASSEMBLY" (Ekklesia in Greek and
church in English).
Deuteronomy 9:10
"And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the
finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words,
which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the
first (the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai) in the DAY OF THE
ASSEMBLY (6951/ Kahal = Greek Ekklesia / 1577 = English Church)"
Deuteronomy 10:4
"And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten
commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the
midst of the fire in the DAY OF THE ASSEMBLY ( (6951/ Kahal =
Greek Ekklesia / 1577 = English Church) and the Lord gave them unto
me"
Deuteronomy 18:16
According to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb
(Mount Sinai) in the DAY of the ASSEMBLY (6951 / Kahal = Ekklesia in
Greek and church in English) saying, Let me not hear again the voice
of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that
I die not."
The word church in Greek is "Ekklesia" which means: an
ASSEMBLY of people. In the OT, the equivalent word in Hebrew is
translated in the King James Bible in Deut 9:10, 10:4 and 18:16 as
ASSEMBLY. It could be equivalently translated as CHURCH.
The word church (Ekklesia in Greek / Kahal in Hebrew) means a
CALLED OUT assembly of people separated from the world and the
world's ways unto God. These CALLED OUT ASSEMBLY (church) people
were to be a HOLY PEOPLE (Holy in Hebrew means to be separated or
sanctified from something) unto God. This was the commissioning of
the nation of Israel (church / Kahal or Kehilat (congregation)) when God
gave the Torah to His people. In Exodus 19:5-6 it is written:
"New therefore if ye will obey (8085 / SHEMA ... Deut 6:4) my voice
indeed and keep my covenant (Torah) then ye shall be a PECULIAR
TREASURE (5459) treasure unto me .. and you shall be a
HOLY (6918) NATION (1471 = Hebrew is GOY defined in the
Strong's as a 'foreign nation; hence a Gentile)"
In Deuteronomy 7:6 it is written:
"For you are a HOLY PEOPLE unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God
has chosen thee to be a SPECIAL (5459 = Peculiar Treasure 5459 in
Exodus 19:5) people unto Himself, above all people that are upon
the face of the earth"
At Mount Sinai, God entered into a marriage contract with
the nation of Israel who became a KAHAL (assembly) / Kehilat
(congregation) of people in the DAY of the KAHAL (assembly / church)
at Mount Sinai. In Jeremiah 2:2-3 it is written:
"Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord: I
remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine ESPOUSAL
(bethrothal ... the first of two step in the Jewish wedding process),
when you went after me in the wilderness (became the bride of God at
Mount Sinai) in a land that was not sown"
The marriage contract between God and the nation of
Israel in the day of the ASSEMBLY (Kahal or Kehilat / congregation =
Greek / Ekklesia = English church) was the Torah. So, the marriage
contract between God and the nation of Israel / church / assembly was
the Torah.
The marriage contract was broken. The words of the
marriage contract (Torah) was meant to be written upon the HEART of
each member of the assembly / church / nation of Israel. But, it was
broken because it was written on a HEART OF STONE. A heat of stone
BREAKS the Torah. In Zechariah 7:11-13 it is written:
"But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and
stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their
HEARTS as an ADAMANT STONE, lest they should hear (SHEMA ...
Deut 6:4, Mark 12:28-30) the TORAH and the words which the Lord of
hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came
a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass,
that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would
not hear saith the Lord of hosts"
So, a STONY HEART refuses to obey and follow Torah. By
doing so, the marriage contract between God and the church / Kahal /
Kehilat / nation of Israel was broken.
Therefore, God has to issue a RENEWED contract. This
renewed contract would also be Torah based. It would be a TORAH
written upon a HEART OF FLESH so that the church / Kahal / Kehilat /
nation of Israel would KEEP the Torah of God.
In Hebrews 8:8 it is written:
"For finding fault with THEM (the people who had the TORAH written
upon a HEART of STONE), he saith, Behold the days come, saith the
Lord, when I will make a new (renewed in Hebrew) covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of Judah (the two houses of God
called ISRAEL). Not according to the covenant that I made with their
fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of
the land of Egypt, because they CONTINUED NOT in my covenant, and I
regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I
will make with the HOUSE OF ISRAEL after those days, saith the Lord:
I will put my TORAH into their mind, and write them in their hearts:
and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people"
So, when was the "church" first established? It was at the FIRST
PENTECOST (SHAVUOT) at Mount Sinai. This day was called the DAY of
the ASSEMBLY (Deut 9:10, 10:4, 18:16) which is the Hebrew word for
the Greek word CHURCH (Acts 7:37-38).
So, what happened in Acts 2 if this was NOT the birth of the church
but rather the birth of the church was at Mount Sinai? In Acts 2, God
wrote the TORAH upon the HEARTS of His people through the power of
the indwelling Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh. In Ezekiel 36:26-27, it
talks about God replacing the STONY HEART (who breaks the Torah of
God) with a HEART OF FLESH (which keeps the Torah of God) as it is
written:
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put WITHIN
YOU (Acts 2): and I will TAKE AWAY the STONY HEART out of your flesh,
and I will give you a HEART OF FLESH. And I will put my spirit WITHIN
YOU (Acts 2): and cause you to WALK in my statutes, and ye shall KEEP
my judgments (Torah) and do them"
Who is the church?
In summary:
#1) The church (Kahal / Ekklesia) was first established at Mount
Sinai (Deuteronomy 9:10, 10:4, 18:16, Acts 7:37-38)
#2) The church (Kahal / Ekklesia) was given the commissioning of
being a Holy people separated from the ways of the world unto
God (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 7:6)
#3) This Kahal / church was called the nation of Israel (Ex 19:3)
#4) This Kahal / church consisted of a MIXED MULTITUDE (both Jews and
non-Jews) who came out of Egypt (Exodus 12:38) whom God asked
to become a HOLY (6918) NATION (goyim --- a term used for
non-Jews)
#5) The church / (Kahal / Ekklesia) / nation of Israel entered into a
marriage contract with God at Mount Sinai. The marriage
contract is called a Ketubah which was seen to be the TORAH.
(Jeremiah 2:2-3, Exodus 19:8, 17)
#6) The marriage contract (TORAH) was broken by the church / Kahal /
Ekklesia because it was written upon a HEART OF STONE which
breaks the Torah of God (Zechariah 7:11-13)
#7) God promised a new (renewed) marriage contract with the church /
Kahal / Ekklesia which would be TORAH BASED (Jeremiah 31:33,
Hebrews 8:8-10) by giving the INDWELLING Holy Spirit (Ruach
HaKodesh) so that God's people would have the power to KEEP
the Torah of God and His commmandments (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
WHO IS ISRAEL?
A traditional Jewish and Christian definition of the nation of
Israel is the Jewish people. This is only partially Biblically true.
God made a covenant with Abraham. When he did, God promised that
this covenant would also be to his descendants (Genesis 17:7). This
covenant was to a PHYSICAL / NATURAL people symblized by the sign of
this covenant would be the PHYSICAL ACT of circumcision (Genesis
17:10). But the heirs of this covenant are ALSO a SPIRITUAL PEOPLE
consisting of all those who have faith in Messiah (Galations 3:16,
29).
From Abraham, this promise was passed to Isaac and then to
Jacob. In Genesis 32, God changed Jacob's name to ISRAEL.
Jacob/Israel had 12 sons who became heads of the 12 tribes of ISRAEL.
At Mount Sinai, God entered into a marriage contract with the
children of Israel also called the house of Jacob. In Exodus 19:3 it
is written:
"And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the
mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the HOUSE OF JACOB and tell
the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL"
Yeshua/Jesus came to rule over the HOUSE OF JACOB forever. In Luke
1:31,33, it is written:
"And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name JESUS, and he shall reign over the HOUSE OF
JACOB forever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end"
The HOUSE OF JACOB is ALL TWELVE TRIBES. These 12 tribes are
called a Mishpachah (family). They are also called a HOLY
(6818) NATION (1471 ... goyim ... a term for Gentiles) in Exodus
19:5. The HOUSE OF JACOB (ISRAEL) (Exodus 19:3) became a
HOLY NATION (Exodus 19:6) at Mount Sinai when they were married to
God (Jeremiah 2:2-3) in the DAY of the ASSEMBLY (Kahal / Kehilat /
Ekklesia). So, the Bride of God was the nation of Israel. The nation
of Israel were a church / Kahal / Ekklesia at Mount Sinai.
So, Biblically, the terms "church" and "Israel" are synonymous terms.
At Mount Sinai, God BETROTHED (espoused) Himself to the nation of
Israel / church / kahal / kehilat / Ekklesia and in doing so entered
into the 1st of the 2 stages in the Biblical / Jewish wedding. So,
the Bride of God is the church. The Bride of God is the nation of
Israel. The church is the nation of Israel and the nation of Israel
is the church.
The nation of Israel / church / kahal / kehilat / Ekklesia became
divided after the reign of Solomon into Northern Kingdom and Southern
Kingdom. God was still called the God of Israel but his family /
church / kahal / kehilat was divided.
In a more stricter definition of the word JEW, only the tribe of JUDAH is
Jewish. The other tribes are not Jewish but they are ISRAELITES. When
the Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom were divided, the Northern
Kingdom was called the HOUSE OF ISRAEL and the Southern Kingdom
was called the HOUSE OF JUDAH. In a more liberal definition of the
word Jew, all those who were part of the Southern Kingdom (house of
Judah) were called Jewish. This would include the tribes of Judah,
Benjamin and Levi.
God cut off the Northern Kingdom from their inheritance as members of
the family / church / kahal / kehilat of God (Hosea 1). But through
the Messiah, those who were aliened from the commonwealth of Israel
as it is written in Ephesians 2:11-12:
"Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh,
who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the
Circumcision in the flesh made by hands: that at that time ye were
without Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of ISRAEL, and
strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God
in the world"
were able by acceping Messiah to be GRAFTED BACK into the ROOT of the
Olive tree of God (Romans 11). This promise is for BOTH the natural
born branches (natural born Jews) and the wild olive branches
(natural born non-Jews) (Romans 11:17-24).
So, ISRAEL is a term given to Jacob. Jacob was the father of 12
tribes. Only the tribe of Judah is Jewish. In a broader sense, the
entire Southern Kingdom was called Jewish.
God's family / church / ekklesiah is now divided into two kingdoms.
We call these two kingdoms today, Judaism and Christianity. Both have
preserved certain truths of God' s Word and certain truths of His
Kingdom. Both have erred in their ways. But, God promised that one
day His Kingdom / family / church / kahal / kehilat / Ekklesia would
no longer be divided but that the two kingdoms would become one
kingdom (Ezekiel 37:15-27). In order for the two kingdoms to become
one, Christianity needs to embrace the Torah and repent to God for
breaking it and teaching other believers in Messiah to break it.
Judaism needs to repent and acknowledge that Yeshua/Jesus is
Messiah.
So who is the church? It is Israel. Who is Israel? It is the church.
Who is God's Bride? It is the church / Israel which God first entered
into a marriage contract and bethrothed Himself to her at Mount
Sinai. Does God still have a covenant with a physical people called
the Jews who do not accept Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah? Yes because
the covenant that God made with Abraham was physical AND spiritual.
Because the Messianic Jewish community is confused over the terms
CHURCH and ISRAEL also, some of them teach that only Jews are the
Bride and the "church" (implied to mean non-Jewish believers in
Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah) are something less than Jewish believers in
the Kingdom of God.
Yet, Biblically, the church is Israel and Israel is the church and the
church/Israel became a NATION of people unto God and became a
church / Kahal / Kehilat / Ekklesia assembly of people unto God at
Mount Sinai when they entered into a marriage contract with God at
Mount Sinai (the first step of the two stage in the marriage process)
and the marriage document (Ketubah) ratifying the marriage was the
Torah. This nation of people called Israel / church / Kahal / Kehilat
/ Ekklesia were a MIXED MULTITUDE of people (both Jew and non-Jew)
who came out of Egypt (Exodus 12:38) and entered into a bethothal
contract with God at Mount Sinai (Jeremiah 2:2-3)
Therefore, the Bride of God consists of BOTH Jew and non-Jew.
For more detailed information regarding the spiritual characteristics of
the Bride of Messiah, I would encourage all newsgroup members to get
my book, "Who is the Bride of Christ?". You will be blessed greatly
by reading this book and it will clear up even more confusion in this
area.
I pray that this explanation will help everyone to better understand
from a Biblical perspective the terms, "church" and "Israel".
Eddie Chumney
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