T'Shuvah for the Jewish People Part 3

This will be my final post regarding the specific aspects of Jewish t'shuvah. So far we've looked at:

1.Ahavat Ysrael-Love for each and every Jew

2.Deeper Torah Observance-Committing to anchoring our hearts in God's kingdom through keeping mitzvot

Now, I want to look at the unique function of the Jewish people's t'shuvah by means of the klal, and on behalf of the entire world...

"I ask, 'Did they stumble into transgression so they might fall?' Never! But through their stumbling salvation came to Gentiles to make Jews wish to emulate them. Now if stumbling means fortune for the world and if their defeat will signify a fortune for the Gentiles, then how much greater will their fullness be. To you the Gentiles I speak...if their own rejection means reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean? Surely life from the dead."

-Selected from Romans 11:11-15

"All Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26)

Rav Shaul's view of the "stumbling" of the majority of our people is so profound. His love and faith in Am Yisrael runs so deep that he frames the entire communal stumbling as a temporary set-back so the rest of humanity can benefit from Yeshua first! He actually sees the Jewish people's, by-and-large, corporate rejection of Yeshua as an unconscious act of salvation on behalf of all creation. He goes on to say that the result of the Jewish peoople's full acceptance of Yeshua will be "life from the dead"-I offer for our consideration-the Jewish people's corporate acceptance of Yeshua in firm identity as Israel (with all that entails) will bring about the resurrection (literal and metaphoric) of all who are in Yeshua, the one who's own resurrection activates the promise.

The corporate acceptance of Yeshua will shock the entire world and transform not only Israel herself, but all of creation. Rav Shaul is essentially eluding to the resurrection promised for all who are in Yeshua by means of Israel's acceptance! In other words, reconciliation is followed by resurrection, and resurrection takes place as a result of Israel's fullness.

The Messianic Jewish community cannot afford our primary focus to be on anything other than being a manifestation of this reality as a "remnant," soon to be realized on a corporate scale. The reality is not only that Yeshua died and rose, it is that as Am Yisrael comes into her fullness, all who belong to Yeshua will also rise...

"This will be the great wonder of the vision of redemption. Let the bud come forth, let the flower bloom, let the fruit ripen, and the whole world will know that the holy spirit is speaking in the community of Israel, in all the manifestations of its spirit. All this will culminate in a penitence that will bring healing and redemption to the world."-Rav Kook translated from Orot HaT'Shuvah

1. Ahavat Yisrael
2. Deeper Torah Observance
3. Living in the Resurrection Promise

L'Shana Tova Tikateivu...L'Olam Haba Tikateivu...Baruch Haba B'Shem HaShem...