The Irrevocable Calling: Israel's Role as a Light to the Nations

By Daniel C. Juster Th. D.

Shows how the Jewish people are still the chosen people and continue to be called to bring blessing to the world today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Messianic Jewish Communications
• Release date: Jan 1, 2007
• ISBN: 9781936716395

Daniel C. Juster Th. D.

A pioneer in Messianic Judaism since 1972, he has been the director of Tikkun Intl. Ministries and oversees 15 Messianic congregations. He holds degrees from Wheaton College, Trinity Intl. Seminary, McCormick Theological Seminary and New Covenant Intl. Sem. and has authored several books.

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CHAPTER ONE

ISRAEL’S ETERNAL CALLING

The ultimate destiny of Israel remains one of the most compelling questions for Christians today. This is partly a response to the modern state of Israel, in existence for almost 60 years, living within her ancient borders according to biblical prophecy. Popular biblical interpretations have also changed, as ministers and academics are less likely to present biblical Israel and the Jewish people as mere illustrations for a future, triumphant Church. Indeed, many evangelical Christians hold a positive view of the Jewish people. But the issues concerning Israel’s calling are complex and require openness to new perspectives and insights that still elude many among us.

This era has also seen the rise of a growing international Messianic Jewish movement, as a significant number of Jewish people embrace Yeshua as Messiah and accept the New Covenant Scriptures. Hundreds of Messianic congregations worldwide—including more than 100 throughout Israel—allow Jewish believers to retain the ethnic, cultural and spiritual identities that they feel are enhanced by their new faith. The unprecedented appearance of a global Messianic Jewish community should give Christians more incentive to better understand Israel’s call and destiny from a contemporary perspective.

However, the definitive explanation of this question belongs to a Jewish believer from another age. In Romans 9–11, Rabbi Shaul (the Apostle Paul) unconditionally declares that ethnic, national Israel still counts in the plan of God. Her stumbling over the issue of Messiah’s identity is temporary. Gentile believers in particular are called to encourage Israel to desire the spiritual hope they have found in Yeshua, although the apostle expected that only a part of Israel would be reached by the message (Rom. 11:14).

Paul foresaw that growing numbers of Jewish believers would be an important sign of Messiah’s return, providing greater blessings for all believers until the moment when Israel fully turns to Messiah Yeshua, which will be life from the dead (Rom. 11:15). This interpretation is common among the best Bible commentators.

Paul concludes by revealing the mystery of ethnic-national Israel’s future destiny:

. . . . and that it is in this way that all Isra’el will be saved. As the Tanakh says, Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya’akov and this will be my covenant with them. . .when I take away their sins. With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs’ sake, for God’s free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. (Rom. 11:26–29)

Although all believers may apply this Scripture to gifts they receive from Yeshua in the Spirit, these verses, in context, clearly emphasize that the irrevocable call is the call of Israel.

Primarily, we want to understand the calling of Israel and its full significance as Paul did. Every generation, from Paul’s to our own, has been discouraged and often overwhelmed by world events that keep us from trusting the Scriptures. As we explore Israel’s history and spiritual development, we will see how our contemporary situation fits into the apostle’s future vision and that his confidence in Israel’s destiny is rooted in God’s enduring, inspirational faithfulness.

Secondly, we need to discern the nature of God’s gift and call to Israel today. Some prefer to see Israel’s calling as a gift to a future, Millennial Age; others look back and see the height of Israel’s spiritual legacy in the era of the Mosaic Covenant. But in our time, although the state of Israel is prominently visible on the world stage, few say anything on how God is currently at work in the life of the Jewish people and how he has gifted them to bless the present generation.

It is ironic that Christians have historically ignored the original New Testament approach to Jewish believers in Yeshua. In contrast with popular opinion, the writers of the New Covenant Scriptures (all of whom were Jewish, except for Luke) assumed that Yeshua’s first followers were acting in continuity with God’s prophetic gifting and call to Israel.

Most important, Paul identifies the first-century Jewish followers of Yeshua as the saved remnant of ethnic, national Israel (Rom. 11:5). He repeatedly describes himself as an example of God’s continuing faithfulness: an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin (Rom. 11:1) and stresses that God is working through him. His own salvation and the salvation of the remnant of Israel are proof that God has not abandoned the nation as a whole.

The inclusion of Gentiles through the New Covenant does not invalidate Israel’s calling. However, it extends the priesthood and the meaning of being the people of God to those called from all nations. Those from the nations are grafted into a Jewish olive tree (Rom. 11:24). As we will see, there are separate callings for Jews and Gentiles and these have both parallels and differences.

Finally, the importance of the growing international community of Messianic Jews has to be recognized. Many Christians have assumed that by embracing Yeshua, the Jewish believers of the past and present are somehow disconnected from Israel and her calling, either in full or in part. But if, as Paul indicates, Messianic Jews are a sign of the irrevocable call of the Nation of Israel, how do Israel’s calling and gifts apply to them? Also, what do their increasing numbers mean for our time?

Apart from Paul’s extended analysis in Romans, the New Testament has only limited explanations of the gifts and calling of God to Israel, which has led some to overlook the issue and dismiss the significance of the Messianic Jewish movement. However, for first century believers, the primary source for detailed explanations on Israel’s gifts and calling was the Hebrew