Holy Scriptures and Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective here is Gideon Levitan.

Gideon Levytam: The study of Acts chapter 1 many would tell you what do you tell me about the resurrection? I don't believe in the resurrection. Once you die you are 6 ft underground and it is all over. There is no such thing as a resurrection many would say. They would even say more not only that there is not such thing as resurrection there is no such thing that Jesus the Messiah ever rose from among the dead. Now brothers and sisters the truth of the resurrection is a fundamental truth of the Bible. In fact if the Lord Jesus the Messiah did not rise from among the dead we would never have assurance of salvation today.

We could never be assured that we have a hope beyond the grave if Yeshua the Messiah was not raised. This is the Bible truth. Even before the New Testament had been written for us by many of those disciples and Matthew and Mark and Luke and John and Paul and others and Peter and James and Jude and so on even before the new was given unto us the truth concerning the Messiah's resurrection was given to us in God's word. The Father had promised to us that when the son the Messiah will be given to the nation of Israel when he will come to this world he is not going to only die the death with respect to the need of man he will be buried and he will also rise again on the third day.

That is a fundamental truth of the scriptures. I'm going to just for a moment just give you a verse or two that we need to connect with that. You know we've read Psalm 16 today in our reading and in the book of Psalm the psalmist speaking prophetically the voice of the Lord has been heard in Psalm 16 in verse 10 where the psalmist said speaking to God he said for you will not leave my soul in Sheol and neither will thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. You see the psalmist speaking he voicing the voice of the Lord.

David is a picture of the Messiah and David is speaking prophetically about the Messiah's voice the Messiah's speaking to God and he's telling to him God he says you will not leave my soul in Sheol verse 10 and you will not suffer your holy one to see corruption. What does he mean? You see he's talking about the soul and the body. The soul will not remain in Sheol. Also the body will not see corruption. In other words you know when the body is being placed in the grave it doesn't take too long for the body to see corruption to decay coming to us from what we have in Genesis when God judged Adam and Eve he said dying you shall die.

The body will also see corruption. But the Messiah's body did not see corruption. The Messiah's body had been resurrected from among the dead. That's why he said you will not leave my soul in Sheol neither will die suffer thy holy one to see corruption. You will show me the path of life. In thy presence there's fullness of joy at thy right hand. There are pleasures forever more. The early first century believers Jewish believers they believed in the resurrection of the Messiah. You see they understood it from the Psalms. They understood it from the prophets that when the Messiah will come he will not remain in the grave anymore than three days and three nights and rise again from among the dead.

Isaiah said it in a very similar way. In the same verse Isaiah 53 and verse 10 it says it pleased Jehovah to bruise him. He had put him to grief but then listen when you make his soul an offer for sin he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days. In other words it's another way to say that the Messiah's body will be resurrected from among the dead. He shall prolong his days. The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. This is beautiful verses to see how the promise of the resurrection of the Messiah is given to us in the word of God in scripture.

And so Yeshua even Yeshua himself before his death you remember what he said to the disciples in the book of Luke? You remember when those who went to Emmaus and they were very much discouraged he told them. He told them he says to them he showed them his hands and his feet and he said look it is I. He said to them in verse 39 and then he tell them in verse 44 of Luke chapter 24 he said to them isn't it written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me he said to them it is written it behooved the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day.

And he says the necessity of the resurrection of the Messiah it was prophesied by the prophets. It was spoken by the Psalms. The importance of the resurrection. Today brothers and sisters if you and I do not preach the resurrection of the Messiah we are missing the most important truth of the gospel. In fact a person cannot be saved if he does not believe in the resurrection of the Messiah. It is essential. And those first century believers they understood the resurrection of the Messiah. They understood the importance of the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. You know that this truth is part of the gospel.

In first Corinthians chapter 15 it says I delivered unto you first of all that which I received how that the Messiah died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. The resurrection is so important and the first century Jewish believers in the city of Jerusalem believed in the resurrection. That's what makes it so special in our faith in God through Yeshua the Messiah is because we have a living savior not a dead savior. We have a living loving savior the right hand of God the Father and not someone who is in the grave.

The resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Messiah very important that first century believers did believe in. The Bible tell us in first Corinthians chapter 15 if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead how some say among you that there is no resurrection from the dead? Paul is saying to the Corinthian look what he is telling them in verse 17 if the Messiah be not raised then your faith is in vain and you are still in your sins. That what first Corinthians 15 17 says if the Messiah is not risen then really we believe in vain and we are still in our sins.

If the Messiah haven't been risen from among the dead. And so the importance of the resurrection brothers and sisters early first century believers in Yeshua did believe in the resurrection of the Messiah and I trust all of us get a hold of this. Get a hold of this truth that the Messiah is no longer in the tomb he's no longer on the cross but he had been resurrected from among the dead and now seated at the right hand of God the Father. That's a fundamental truth that we must hold to. This is an essential truth of the gospel that the Lord Jesus the Messiah had been resurrected from among the dead.

But not only this in the next part of verse three in this first chapter of the book of Acts we find out that he taught them even more. He didn't only teach them about the resurrection because he was alive after his death. He showed himself by many infallible proofs being seen of them for 40 days. He taught them and he taught them and he spoke with them concerning many things and he proved to them that he rose from among the dead. But now notice he continued to speak with them and he spoke with them also secondly about the kingdom of God.

You know and I love that part this expression the kingdom of God it's come from the Hebrew expression the kingdom of God. We now already 2000 years into the church age and many times we hear from professing Christians that Israel have forfeited the kingdom the promised kingdom. That is no longer going to hopes of Israel restored kingdom under the headship and kingship of the Messiah had been completely set aside. But it is so interesting in these verses that the Lord Jesus himself that Yeshua himself taught his disciple and he spoke with them doing those 40 days when he was here on earth before he was ascended.

He talked with them about the kingdom of God. A kingdom means that there is a king and the king has subjects and this is the kingdom that God is ruling over the affairs of mankind. Well a kingdom was promised to the nation of Israel. A kingdom was promised to the Jewish people to the people of Israel. And so he promised he was speaking with them about the coming kingdom. If you go further down into the verse six you notice the disciples told him wilt thou at this time restore again kingdom to Israel? You see they understood they were Jewish believers.

They were not yet forming what is known to us today the body of Messiah the church. In Acts chapter one the church did not yet exists. The church existed or began it had it start in Acts chapter two when the spirit of God came to form the body of Messiah. So at this time their mind was very much about the restoration of Israel. They wanted so much to see their nation being restored. They did not understand the truth of the body of Christ. It was not yet taught. They did not understand the truth of the bride of Christ of the bride of the Messiah.

It was not yet taught. Later on Paul receive Saul receive revelation from the glorified Messiah about the truth of the church of the body of Messiah. So their mind was so much focused with the restoration of the nation of Israel. They looked around they saw that the rest of the nation did not accept the Messiah. They looked around they look at themselves and they see wow we are accepting Yeshua as the Messiah but what about the rest of the nation? What about all our people? What about the promises of God? And so they were very much concerned with the kingdom that had been promised by the God of Israel to the nation of Israel.

And so we find out that the Lord was spending the time to talk to them about the kingdom of God. You can just imagine. Again I'm saying that because we were sitting in Jerusalem then we were looking around us and we see the problems the mounting problems in Israel. Problems with the Palestinian problems with the nations around problems within the nation religious and secular groups problems. Where is the kingdom? Where is the kingdom where God is ruling over the nation? Where the Messiah is there is a king of kings and Lord of Lords where the nation are subjects to the God of Israel and the nation love the Lord love the Bible love the God of our fathers.

We look around and it is a non-existence state. All kind of needs among the people of Israel. But you know the Lord Yeshua took the time to teach his disciples about the kingdom that is going to come the kingdom of God. You know when you look you think well there is no longer the promises where are they? Where are the promises of God to the nation of Israel? Well Jesus the Messiah spent the time with his disciples to talk to them to speak with them of things that pertain to the kingdom of God. Every Jewish person who truly loved the Lord also loved to talk about the things concerning the future kingdom of God.

What about the restoration of the nation? What about the time when Israel will dwell in peace? There will be Shalom in the land. What about the time that we are exhorted to pray for pray for the peace of Jerusalem Well that is a desire of every person who really love the Lord and love the Bible. Well Jesus the Messiah spend the time to speak about the kingdom of God. In our reading today also when we read in the opening of the meeting today and we light the seven fold candles we do mention that. We do speak about the time when the kingdom will be established where there will be a time of peace where he says here and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.

We are talking about the person the Messiah the stem that's going to come out of the family of Jesse and the branch that's going to come out of his roots. And the holy spirit of God will dwell upon him. And as it says here you will have the spirit of wisdom the spirit of understanding the spirit of counsel the spirit of might the spirit of knowledge and the spirit of the fear of the Lord. And how he will rule this world. It says here that his delight will be in the fear of the Lord and then it says here that he will rule in righteousness.

And that he will reprove with equity. And that it says here he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reign. He will reign the Messiah will reign. The kingdom will be established where the Messiah will have his rightful reign over the face of this world and the kingdom of God will be established here upon the face of this earth. And those disciples long for that. They were waiting for the establishing of the kingdom.

That's why they ask him are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel right now Lord? And you notice that he didn't he didn't criticize him. He didn't tell them for a moment oh forget about that kingdom it's not going to be established. He didn't tell them that. In fact we read here in verse three B that he was speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He was telling them about the kingdom. He was sharing with them. Remember they didn't have New Testament. They only had the Tanakh the Old Testament. So he was opening to them the scriptures.

And he was showing to them things that will happen when God's rule is going to be upon the face of this earth. When Israel is going to be restored when God's kingdom is going to be established and it must have warmed their hearts. And it ought to warm our hearts. Yes there is a coming kingdom. There is a coming establishment of the kingdom in a future day and even though you and I look around today and we see everything is in disarray everything is in disorder everything is out of right everything is messed up around us.

We have to hold on to the truth that yes there is a kingdom that is going to be established one day upon the face of this earth. He is going to establish the Messianic kingdom in the coming days. There will be peace there will be Shalom here in this world. There will be blessing here in this world and we are to hold on to this truth. And to wait for that and in the meanwhile brothers and sisters the kingdom of God takes a different form. While we don't see the king here while the king is not ruling over the face of this earth he is ruling over the hearts of those that believe on Yeshua the Messiah.

He is the one that is the king of those that their hearts are subject to his own will. He has a rule over the lives of those that trusted in him. Over your life and of mine. He is the ruler he is the king and he is the one that is going to rule over our life. It takes like a mystery form a form that is not seen. We don't see the king but we see his subjects love him and follow after him and subject themselves to him. There are many verses that we can read but I think a verse that you are very well aware of concerning the future kingdom where it is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Daniel in chapter two and verse 44 it says this so we'll have this expression.

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever. The kingdom when the Messiah will rule and the kingdom which will be not left to other nations or other people of this world the kingdom that will be given to the Messiah and to the nation of Israel this is the kingdom that shall never be destroyed and it will stand forever.

What a beautiful thought it must have been when the disciples were sitting around Yeshua the Messiah and hearing what he had to say about the kingdom of God. And so they believed in that. They believed in the resurrection of the Messiah but they also believed in the coming establishing of the kingdom of God upon the face of this earth and you and I need to believe it and to hope for that day to come back to this world. Thy kingdom come we'll read in the gospel of Matthew. Thy will be done thy kingdom come. This is the prayer that we need to pray for as well for coming day.

So this one is mentioned in verse three B. Now here's the next thing that the Lord Jesus taught these believers and that they did believe is they also believed that the spirit of God will lead them and empower them in the preaching of God's word. Now I know that we talk a lot about the holy spirit of God but we have to realize that the holy spirit of God is a real person. The holy spirit of God is a divine person just the same like we have God the Father we have God the Son God the holy spirit is a divine person.

He's being grieved when we grieve him. He's being quenched when we do not give him liberty but he also using the people of God for the proclamation of the word of God. And you know it had been said by someone that if we don't present the message of the gospel in the power of the spirit of God it is all in vain. Because the spirit of God will empower the people of God to proclaim the message of the word of God. And so notice that in this verses verse four being assembled together with them he commended them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which he says ye have heard of me.

John truly baptize you with water but ye shall be baptized with the holy spirit not many days hence. You see in verses four and five we learned that Yeshua told them look you go back to the city of Jerusalem and you will wait for the promise of the Father. What did the Father promise? The Father have already promised which we read it in the gospel that he will give the believers the holy spirit of God. You know the holy spirit of God is a real person. It's not merely feeling or wind. It is a real divine person God one of the persons of the Godhead.

He will come and will indwell every believer and will unite them together. And so he's telling them you shall receive that power of the holy spirit of God. And he said unto them it is not for you to know the time of the seasons verse seven which the Father had put in his own power but ye shall receive power. After that the holy spirit is come upon you. And you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and in the uttermost parts of the earth. You notice this expression power.

It said sometime when we think of the spirit of God is someone to be for us as a person that we can use him as we please in our own way in our own will and we don't recognize that the spirit of God is a divine person. And he has the power to work in lives the power to change individuals the power to redeem a soul that was doomed to eternal separation from God a power to make a switch a change in a life of a person. Now if the spirit of God will not work what's the use?

What's the use for us to just talk in the energy of our own flesh without to be led by the holy spirit of God? There's no value in that. Everything that we do that is not in the power of the spirit of God actually it's the power of the flesh. It's a human power. And a human power not getting and will never get us anywhere. It must be the power of the spirit of God.

Guest (Male): You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levitan. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry write to Holy Scriptures and Israel box 1411 Niagara on the Lake Ontario L0S 1J0 or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program visit holyscripturesandisrael.com.

God bless you. Shalom Shalom.