We begin worship of our Heavenly Father by seeking to do His will in our lives. And we believe that what He wants to do in this hour is to try to help reunite the whole house of Israel. He wants to help make both houses, Ephraim and Judah, “and their companions,” “one stick in His hand” (Isa 8:14; Eze 37:15-28).
To accomplish this, we must be filled with His Holy Spirit, empowered by His Rauch HaKodesh – and we need to learn to be a people who live worship-filled lives (Zec 4:6; John 4:23-24).
We believe that the Father’s plan of restoration for the whole house of Israel is essentially outlined in Romans 11. In that chapter, Paul spoke of two types of olive branch, one was wild, meaning not close to its Cultivator or native habitat, and the other was “natural,” meaning, close to its habitat and Cultivator.
In Jeremiah 11:10 and 16, we find the first time Israel is called an “olive tree,” and that, the Father is speaking to “both the houses of Israel,” to two branches in that one tree, to Ephraim and Judah (Isaiah 8:14).
In Jeremiah 31:18 Ephraim admits to being like an “untrained calf” who needs to be “restored.” Thus, those of the Northern Kingdom of Israel were the first to be dispersed, scattered among the Gentile Nations (Hosea 1-2). Their wickedness would bring its own punishment and shame. Their adulteries would lead them to travel down a road of bondage, to becoming captives of Assyria, and ultimately to being lost to their heritage and being scattered all over the world. It would also lead to the Holy One asking a revealing question of them. It being, “I planted you as a choice vine, how then, is it that you have become wild?” (Jeremiah 2:18-21).
Ephraim became wild and their branches were scattered among every nation. But that would not be their full end. The Father would send them a Savior, a Redeemer, a Shepherd who would gather His lost sheep (Ezekiel 34; John 10:16).
This scattering would lead to the Apostle Paul one day trying to explain a mystery that would not be fully understood until many years later, when something dramatic would happen to those whom Jacob once said would become a “fullness/melo of the Gentiles” (Genesis 48:19).
Both houses of Israel would be hardened, blinded to YHVH’s truths for a season, but then, those who once were wild and full of harlotry would experience a great change. Their scattered branches would be gathered and reconnected to the Root of the Olive Tree, the Messiah of Israel. They would come to have a personal relationship with Israel’s “Life-Source” (Revelation 22:16; John 14:6). In Him they were destined to experience a certain “fullness,” or pleroma (Romans 11:25; Strong’s # G4138). This Greek word speaks of a “filling up.” The regathered ones were destined to know and be filled with the presence, power, and riches of their God and His Messiah!
Speaking of the Jewish people Paul asked, “If their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!” (Romans 11:11-12). The same Greek word, pleroma, is here used to define what happens to the Jewish people when they see the truth about Messiah Yeshua. It speaks of their full “inclusion/participation/acceptance and restoration, and of a change that will make the world even richer.
But there is still more!
Pleroma comes from playroo (#G4136), meaning, “I fill, fulfill, complete.” Messiah Yeshua said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill/playroo” (Matthew 5:17).
Messiah Yeshua came, not to number the days of the Law, but to give us a new understanding of it by correctly fulfilling it, by correctly walking it out! Playroo!
That same walk it out call is now true for His followers!
With their new-found gifting and empowerment, would come to each Believer an obligation: Wild Branch Ephraim was and is destined to learn how to walk out the spirit of the Law in front of brother Judah!
We too, need to walk it out! Fulfill it! Show the truth by example!
However, to be honest, many in Ephraim have failed their obligation. But today is a new day! Now is the time when the veil is being lifted! Now is the time when the formerly blinded eyes of Ephraim Israel are beginning to see the truth about the restoration of the whole house of Israel. And now is the time for them to ARIse and act!
We have been told that the Romans 11 mystery was all about numbers, all about a certain number of “Gentiles coming to faith.” But we suggest that it is not so much a matter of quantity as much as it is a matter of quality! For our Messiah, it was not about numbering the days of Torah, and for us it is not a matter numbers of people who do not understand the eternal aspects of Torah. It is not about a number ofnon-Jews coming to faith, but about a number of them coming to a faith that Jewish people will see as being rich with the truth of Scripture!
Neither is it about Ephraim becoming “super-Jewish,” or being filled to overflowing with head knowledge. It is instead about the power of the King of the Jews actually working in our lives! It is about us being empowered to help bring change to the lives of ourselves and others!
Our God is always doing a new thing in the earth and He wants to do a new thing right now, in and through us!
Right now, He wants to bring change to our lives! He wants us to learn to walk in the spirit of Torah and at the same time, walk as people who are empowered by His Spirit! The Father wants us to be people who don’t just talk about His ways, but actually walk in the life-changing power of His ways!
We will seek to explore these things in our upcoming ARIse to Worship Gathering. We hope you can join us. if not, we ask you to please pray for us. We are hungry for more and hope that you are hungry too!
We close with a prayer:
We come to you Abba, in Messiah Yeshua’s Mighty Name and ask You to cleanse us, fill and empower us! Help us to walk in a way so that, like our Messiah, when we stand before You, we might be able to say, “I too, filled, fulfilled, completed your call on my life. I showed forth my worship of and love for You and Your mighty plan for the whole House of Israel. And it was my delight to serve You!”
May it be so! Amen and Amen!!
One Stick Print: https://redeemedisrael.com/products/one-stick-print/
Olive Tree Info: https://redeemedisrael.com/products/who-is-israel-redeeemed-israel-a-primer/
Israel Empowered Book: https://redeemedisrael.com/products/return-to-the-land/