The Messianic Jewish Expositor

IntroductionHebrews is an amazing book. It is a book of contrasts. It contrasts the Old Covenant given through Moses with the New Covenant first prophesied through Jeremiah in the Hebrew Scriptures and later inaugurated by Yeshua at the last supper, a Passover seder, and at the cross. It was written to Jewish people not long before the second Jewish Temple was destroyed by Rome in 70 AD. Some scholars believe that it was addressed to Jewish believers only, to Jews who were born again but weak in their faith. For several reasons, which I hope to cover with you as we go through this book, I do not believe that. I believe the epistle was indeed written to born again Jews who were weak in their faith, but also to Jews who might be interested in Yeshua but had not made a profession of faith in Him. And I also believe that the author certainly hoped that the epistle would be read or explained to Jews who had no apparent interest in following Jesus; this latter group may have included people who practiced traditional Judaism - the Temple was still standing when Hebrews was written - some who were serious about their religious practice and some who may have gone along with the practice of the Jewish religion because of pressure from their peers. And this book has great application for all of us today, both Jew and Gentile.Let’s begin today by reading and then discussing the first verse of the epistle. All Scriptures in this series will be from the NIV unless otherwise stated.Hebrews 1:1 “1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,”God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways. What does that mean? There were 16 writing prophets, men sent by God to proclaim His word and to make a written record of what they said. These written records survive today as the prophetic books of the Tanach or Old Testament. One of those prophets was not sent to the Jewish people although they must surely have known of his message. That was the prophet Jonah who was sent to proclaim the need for the people of Nineveh in Assyria to repent of their sins and indeed they did so and God did not bring disaster upon them.So, many prophets were sent over a great many years - hence, “at many times”; the Analytical Lexicon of the New Testament gives a translation for this as bit by bit. That makes sense to me. We have a very patient God. He doesn’t give us His truth all at once because He knows that we couldn’t handle it. Bit by bit might be a good thing for us to keep in mind as we share God’s truth with people. We want to be careful not to feed a person who only has the ability to consume one piece of bread with a 7 course meal. We need to take our Heavenly Father’s example and His truth bit by bit, at least in the beginning.And the message was also given in various ways. What does that mean? The great law giver, Moses, considered by many Jewish people to be the greatest prophet of all, and who wrote the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible, wrote about the first Passover in ancient Egypt and the need for a blood sacrifice to preserve life. The shed blood came from lambs. Those things pointed to the first coming of our Messiah, the Lamb of God, and to the cross.But Moses also wrote about something that came even earlier. That was the very first mention in the Bible of a deliverer, our Messiah, who would in the future crush the head of the serpent who at Satan’s direction deceived Eve and so led Adam and Eve to disobey God which caused something to happen that we call The Fall. God intended for us to live forever but because of the disobedience of our first parents all of us are born spiritually dead and have limited physical life spans. Let’s read about this:Genesis 3:14–15 NKJV So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”The Seed that the LORD is talking about here, her Seed - the Seed of the woman - is the deliverer, the Messiah, whom we now know is the Lord Jesus. This is the first time in the Bible that a Deliverer is mentioned. This is the first foreshadowing of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus.The LORD speaking through Moses again said something of a profoundly prophetic nature in Deuteronomy:Deuteronomy 18:18–19 “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.”These verses speak of a future deliverer who like you, meaning like Moses would deliver His people from slavery and death but the deliverance of the future deliverer would be permanent. This was a prophecy about Jesus, Yeshua, and of His earthly ministry.Another prophecy of a future deliverer is in Psalm 2 where the LORD talks about His Son:Psalm 2:7–8 “I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”And the Lord gives us a further hint of His coming Son in the book of Proverbs:Proverbs 30:4 “Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!”Folks, God the Father has a Son and He has told us about Him in the Old Testament.And then we have a prophecy given to King David from the prophet Nathan who was not one of the 16 writing prophets, but was a prophet nonetheless. Listen to the Lord speaking through Nathan to David:1 Chronicles 17:11–12 “When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.”The Lord is here speaking of the throne of the Messiah Who will be King of Israel and Whose throne will be established forever. That will begin when this present age is over and Messiah, the Lord Jesus, will reign for a thousand years from Jerusalem. That time will follow the rapture and the 7 year tribulation. That time is drawing nearer every day. Maranatha! Come quickly Lord Jesus!Then there was Isaiah who told of the Messiah who would come by virgin birth and who would be God Himself and God with us:Isaiah 7:14 NIV Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.Immanuel means God with us and that’s exactly who Yeshua was when He walked among us 2,000 years ago. Folks that prophecy was fulfilled about 700 years later when He was born in Bethlehem. And Isaiah also prophesied this:Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”This prophecy has only been partially fulfilled as of the date of this message - November 2025 - but rest assured that it will be completely fulfilled soon when Messiah Yeshua returns to rescue Israel, to judge the world, and to set up His 1,000 year reign.Later in his book, Isaiah prophesies about a person who would come, a Servant, who would suffer and die for our sins. This was indeed a prophecy about the Lord Jesus. He comes first as a suffering servant and only later as King and ruler, at His second coming, which we expectantly wait for now. Those of you who attend a traditional Jewish synagogue might wonder why this Suffering Servant of Isaiah, chapter 53, is not mentioned or taught about. This portion of Scripture is not included in the weekly Haftorah readings in the synagogue. This prophecy is so clearly about Jesus the Messiah that it is abhorrent to many Jewish leaders especially the Rabbis. That is why it is not taught.And then the LORD sent Jeremiah the prophet through whom the LORD promised a new covenant:Jeremiah 31:31–34 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.””What a wonderful promise from the LORD through Jeremiah. That New Covenant was inaugurated at Jesus’ death and it will be completely fulfilled after all Israel is saved at the end of the 7 year Tribulation.Romans 11:26–27 “and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.””And there are many more examples that I could give you but I don’t want to tire you out.We will be talking about the New Covenant in this series because it is re-stated in the letter to the Hebrews. The prophecy of the New Covenant was made a reality when Jesus the Son of God gave His life and shed his blood for us on the cross.So we begin the New Testament book of Hebrews. It is an

Hi Folks,I’ve said that I would say no more about imminence but I have to say a little more. Did you know that Charles Spurgeon, J. C. Ryle, and George Mueller, believed in imminence? I’m not saying that they believed that the Rapture was imminent, although I think that they may indeed have believed that (The Second Coming of Christ: Encouragement to Watch and Be Ready for Our Lord’s Return [Updated and Annotated] by Dwight L. Moody , Harriet B. Stowe, et al.) These were men, and one woman, who took the Scriptures literally, including prophecy. They absolutely believed that the Second Coming was imminent and they based this belief on verses like these:Matthew 24:27 NKJVFor as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.Matthew 24:36 NKJV“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.Matthew 24:42,44,50 NKJV[42] Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.[44] Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.[50] the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,Matthew 25:6,13 NKJV[6] “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’[13] “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.Now, it certainly seems to me that the Rapture is not mentioned in the synoptic gospels. But imminence certainly is mentioned. What should we make of that?These saints - Spurgeon, Ryle, Mueller, and others too - didn’t say be ready for the coming of the Lord at any time after the Tribulation. They just said be ready, the Lord could come at any time. That is imminence!Now, exactly what does all this mean? I’m not certain. But I am certain of this: these saints believed that the Lord could return at any moment, although not necessarily soon, and they did not know when. That’s imminence. And they rejoiced in this. That has to mean something. These folks were looking for the blessed hope! Just read what they wrote. You can find it in the book that I just referenced.So much for imminence. At least for now.Now, does the Rapture happen before the Tribulation? Absolutely! Why? Here are a few reasons. It’s not an exhaustive list.* The Rapture must occur in order for the Antichrist to be revealed.* 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8 “7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;”* Therefore the Rapture must occur in order for the Tribulation to start.* Therefore the Rapture must occur in order for the Time of Jacob’s Trouble to start, which is the second half of the Tribulation, called the great Tribulation by Yeshua. See Matthew 24:15 and 24:21.* Therefore the Rapture must occur in order for the Jewish people, in their extreme desperation, to call for their Messiah and to mourn for Him as one mourns for an only Son (Zechariah 12:10).* Therefore the Rapture must occur for the Lord Jesus to return a second time.* Therefore the Rapture must occur for the Messianic Kingdom to be set up.Also:* The Rapture must occur before the Tribulation in order for the Apostle Paul to say, when describing the Rapture: Comfort one another with these words. If these believers were going to go through the Tribulation, Paul would not have said this.* The Church is not mentioned in Revelation 6-18. Why? These chapters deal with the Tribulation. The Church is not in the Tribulation because it has been raptured to heaven.I’ll leave it at that for now. The Rapture is important and it is pretribulational.So, Folks, that’s it on the rapture for now. It’s been my pleasure and privilege to talk with you all about these things. Please, if you agree or disagree, or if any of this is new or useful to you, or if you think that it is woefully wrong, let me know by leaving a comment on Substack. Thank you, and God bless you all.This is Art Wolinsky. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Hi Folks. Welcome to the podcast. Last time, I said we’d talk about the purposes of the Rapture on the next podcast and here we are, so let’s dive right in.The Purposes of the Rapture, not necessarily in order of importance, are as follows:1. The first purpose of the Rapture is to deliver believers - the Church - from the wrath to come, the 7 year Tribulation. Which wrath? The 7 year Tribulation or the Lake of Fire? It has to be The Tribulation. Why? Because the Apostle Paul is talking to believers, the Church at Thessalonica. Let’s read the relevant verse:1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NKJV) and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.So he can’t be talking about the Lake of Fire. No, he is explaining one of the purposes of the Rapture to these believers. They will be saved from the wrath to come. His message is not an evangelistic one. It is a teaching. This delivering from the wrath to come is first in the sequence of purposes. It shows us today that it is OK for us to tell unbelievers that they can be delivered from the wrath to come, meaning The Tribulation, if they believe in the finished work of Yeshua on the cross. 2. The second purpose of the Rapture is to reveal the Antichrist. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (NKJV) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.By means of the Rapture, the Holy Spirit in the Church - He who now restrains - is removed causing the Antichrist to be revealed. And then, the Antichrist will make a 7 year covenant with Israel and that commences The Tribulation (Daniel 9:27).Daniel 9:27 (NKJV) Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”The following purposes of The Rapture are because of The Tribulation that results from the Rapture.3. The third purpose of the Rapture is to reap a harvest of souls. These are unsaved people who will enter the Kingdom of God but not as part of the Church (which has been raptured). Let’s read about three clear instances of this. There may be other instances during these 7 years but these are clear:a. Revelation 7:4, 9-10 The 144,000 Jewish witnesses:Revelation 7:4 (NKJV) And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:Revelation 7:9-10 (NKJV) After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, [10] and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”b. Revelation 11:3 The two Jewish witnesses in Jerusalem.Revelation 11:3 (NKJV) And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”c. Revelation 14:6-7 (NKJV) The angel who witnesses to every people group.Revelation 14:6-7 (NKJV) Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— [7] saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”4. The fourth purpose of the Rapture is the final salvation of the Jewish nation by allowing the Antichrist to be revealed in his final form. The Antichrist has already been revealed as the ultimate false Messiah - that was the first seal of Revelation 6:2, the rider on the white horse carrying a bow but no arrows - but at the midpoint of the Tribulation he is revealed as the man of lawlessness who sets himself up in the temple as god and that begins the last half of The Tribulation. The abomination of desolation occurs at this point. In this second half of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will attempt to kill every last Jewish person in the world. 2/3 of the Jewish people will die but 1/3 will survive and these will comprise the All Israel will be saved of Romans 11:26. These will enter the Millennial Kingdom to rule and reign with their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.5. The fifth purpose of the Rapture is to allow the Second Coming of Christ followed by the setting up of His Millennial Kingdom.Jesus will not return until the Tribulation is completed.For a summary of some of this material and some additional background information, please see the brief slide presentation embedded in the written presentation on Substack. Click on it to download it. Please don’t miss that.Application:* If you are an unbeliever, whether you are a Jew or a Gentile, please take heed. You don’t want to enter the Tribulation. Don’t ever plan to keep on sinning now and then to enter The Tribulation and be saved. Bad idea! It may never happen.* If you are a Church member and a believer (or not) you must stand with Israel. God expects it. The Jewish people are not perfect, far from it. But God loves them and expects you to do so too. Don’t miss this. Remember:Genesis 12:2-3 (NKJV) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”Thanks for listening today, Folks. Next time we’ll wrap up our deep dive into the Rapture.This is Art Wolinsky.Slide Presentation: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Hi Folks. I said in the last podcast that I would talk more about the purposes of the Rapture. And I will, soon. But I want to put the question of imminence - defined in the last podcast - behind us. You must accept the Doctrine of Imminence. And, yes - it is a doctrine. Once you accept it, the mid-tribulation rapture, the pre-wrath rapture, and the post-tribulation rapture are simply out of the question. You can forget about them.Some of you may recall that I did a detailed analysis of imminence in an earlier podcast: In that podcast, I went into the relevant Greek words and even tenses to prove imminence. But I think that what I’ve pasted below, from John MacArthur, sums up imminence so clearly that nothing more is needed. Please read the Summary and put any doubts that you have about imminence to rest.Soon, I’m going to make the case that the Pretribulation Rapture and the Seventieth Week of Daniel - the 7 Year Tribulation - are not optional doctrines for the born again believer. Why? Because they are both intimately related to God’s future plans for the Nation of Israel. And God’s plans for Israel are very important to Him. I believe that those who disdain these doctrines (the Pretribulation Rapture and the Tribulation) are going to be schooled about them at the judgement seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) and they are going to lose crowns. This includes my friends who believe in Covenant Theology.Thank you for reading and listening, my friends.From Grace to You, the ministry of John MacArthur:https://www.gty.org/articles/A368/is-christs-return-imminentSummary:The New Testament is consistent in its anticipation that the return of Christ might occur at any moment. That pervading perspective of imminence prompts three questions. The first question pertains to whether the Tribulation will precede Christ’s coming for the church. The answer to that question is that it will not because the church is never asked to look forward to the tribulation, but they are asked to look forward to Christ’s coming. The second question revolves around how the return of Christ could have been imminent in the early church. The answer here is that no one but the Father knows when the coming will occur, so that Christians including the early church must always be ready. The third question asks why Christ’s imminent return is so important. This answer relates to the motivation it supplies for believers to purify their lives and thereby progress toward the goal of sanctification and Christlikeness. The threefold call of the imminence doctrine is to wake up and obey right now, to throw off the works of darkness, and to put on the garments of holy living. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Folks, Welcome to the podcast!I’ve spoken about the Rapture before on this podcast. And yet many people that I talk with are still confused about it. I view that as my fault. I need to present the Rapture in a clearer way. So, here goes. All from the Scriptures.First, is there such a thing as The Rapture? Most definitely.From the three most basic passages:ONE:1 Thessalonians 4:14–18 NLTFor since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him (from heaven) the believers who have died (Jesus will bring their souls). 15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died (their bodies) will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.TWO:1 Corinthians 15:51–53 NLTBut let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.THREE:John 14:2–3 NLTThere is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.These three passages clearly fit together as a unit and they describe what will happen. Please just read them, if necessary several times, and take them literally. Then you will know what the Rapture is. It will be a glorious event! There is no judgment involved. That’s why the Apostle Paul says about this event: “Therefore comfort one another with these words”.But how do we know when the Rapture will occur? I mean, will it be before the Tribulation, after the Tribulation, or part of the way through the Tribulation? It will be before the Tribulation. If it occurs after the Tribulation starts, requiring believers to go through even part of the 7 year Tribulation, the Apostle would not have told the Thessalonians to “comfort one another with these words”.Another piece of knowledge that tells us that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation is this: the Rapture is an imminent event. It has the characteristics of imminence. What does that mean? Imminence here has a very special meaning. It is not the definition that you’ll find in Webster’s Dictionary. This is a different kind of imminence. So, what defines this kind of imminence?This kind of imminence has three characteristics. It describes an event that:A. Can occur at any time.B. Has no preconditions attached to it. Nothing has to happen first.C. Is not necessarily going to happen soon.It is like something that is hanging over our heads, that could fall upon us with no advance warning at any time, today or years from today. It is not a bad thing like a sword hanging over our heads. That would be a frightening thing. No, folks, the rapture is a good thing, a wonderful thing! I wish it would happen today!So, because the Rapture is imminent it does not have to occur after the Tribulation or during the Tribulation. That’s how we can know that the Pre-wrath Rapture position, to cite one example, cannot be correct because part of the Tribulation must occur first.Folks, how do we know that the Rapture has this special kind of imminence? I will explain that in a separate session in the near future.I want to cover one other thing today, a critically important thing and that is this: What are God’s purposes for the Rapture? Why is Jesus going to come and Rapture us? God knows much better than I do since He is the One who has determined the purposes of the Rapture. However at the moment I can think of three reasons and I will list them now, not necessarily in order of importance. They are all related to the 7 year Tribulation which must follow the Rapture. Here are the three reasons:1. To deliver the Church from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1:10 “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”2. To save an incalculable number of Gentiles. This could not happen without the Tribulation and the Tribulation can’t happen without the Rapture. Revelation 14:6 “Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who inhabit the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.”3. To save the Jewish Nation, Israel, by raising up the end times Antichrist, so that this can occur: Romans 11:25–26 LSB For I do not want you, brothers, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”Art, are you crazy? God will raise up the Antichrist so that all Israel will be saved? Most definitely. I’ll explain next time.So today we’ve talked about several things:1. There most definitely will be a Rapture of the Church.2. The Rapture is an imminent event and we defined imminence.3. God will accomplish specific purposes through the Rapture.Next time we will talk more about the purposes of the Rapture.Thanks for listening!This is Art Wolinsky. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

As most of you know, I’m Jewish. And I don’t think that I’m better than anyone else. Perish the thought!But what am I to think if the Nation that I’m a member of has been chosen by the LORD, the Master of the Universe, for a certain position and Christian believers keep denying the truth of that? What am I talking about? Let’s read a few passages of Scripture and I think it will become clear.Deuteronomy 28:1 LSB1 “Now it will be, if you diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I am commanding you today, Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.Deuteronomy 15:6 LSB6 “For Yahweh your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.Deuteronomy 28:13 LSB13 “And Yahweh will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I am commanding you today, to keep and to do,So, the position is this: the Jewish people, who make up the Nation of Israel, is one day going to be the head of all the nations on earth if they obey all the commandments of God. What? What did you just say, Art? Are you crazy? The Jewish people don’t obey God’s commandments.Now as I’ve said numerous times in the annals of this podcast the Jewish people, myself most certainly included, have not obeyed the commandments of the LORD. But there is going to come a time when the Jewish people will obey all the commandments.And the LORD also said this to the Jewish people:Deuteronomy 30:2–3 NIV2 and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.But, as I said to you recently folks, “Many people say the Jewish people are still disobedient today. Most of them do not follow God’s Laws, many are atheists, and as a Nation they continue to reject their Messiah. And they are still being punished. Look at what happened on October 7, 2023!Yes, all true. So how is God going to regather His people if they continue in disobedience? Here’s how:Deuteronomy 30:6–8 LSB6 “Moreover Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. 7 “And Yahweh your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8 “And you shall return and listen to the voice of Yahweh, and you shall do all His commandments which I am commanding you today.Yes, folks, as I’ve said before, God will supernaturally effect a change in the heart of every Jewish person and they, the whole nation, will obey God’s Laws. After that, all God’s promises to the Jews will be fulfilled, in the Millennial Kingdom, after the Messiah returns.”AND let’s read this passage. I’ve read it to you before.Jeremiah 31:31–34 LSB31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, but I was a husband to them,” declares Yahweh. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will cut with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Yahweh: “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 “And they will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”Folks I think that these Bible passages which I read today prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that Israel, the Jewish Nation, is going to be the head of all nations one day. When will that be, you ask? It will be when Messiah returns, at the end of the seven year Tribulation. At that time He will rule from Jerusalem as King of the whole earth. And the Jewish people, all those who have accepted Him, will be with Him. And with Him will also be many Gentile believers.So what about those people who say, and I’m talking about Christians now, “We don’t believe in replacement theology. Definitely not. But Israel the head of all nations? No way. I don’t believe that”. That’s replacement theology folks.Folks, I think that Christians who say that - and there are many church leaders who do - are deceiving themselves. And we are seeing this more and more these days. These people do believe in replacement theology. Please don’t let them deceive you. Tell them what the Bible says. Please!Thanks for listening Folks.This is Art Wolinsky, signing off. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Hi Folks,This is Art Wolinsky. I hope you’re all doing well today and thanks for tuning in.We’re going to finish our discussion of Covenant Theology today. We’ll come back to it again if necessary in the future. But I want to let you all know that next time we’ll talk about something different and perhaps more basic. But no less profound.Last time we talked about how Covenant Theology tore the heart out of the Abrahamic Covenant and its major unconditional promises to the Jewish people by allowing the substitution of the words your descendants with the words the Church, thus disinheriting the Jewish people and setting the stage for replacement theology and antisemitism to occur. A very clever strategy of Satan. Of course, God knows what He promised and He will have the final word. His plans and promises will never be frustrated. But regarding the Abrahamic Covenant, there’s one more thing that I’d like to address. It’s a tactic used by some Covenant Theologians. I’m going to read a New Testament verse, which has relevance here:Romans 4:13 NIVIt was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.Now some folks who believe in Covenant Theology and Replacement Theology try to twist this verse to make it say that the Land that Abraham will inherit is not the Land of Israel but rather is the whole world. But, they say, since there is just one people of God and Abraham and his descendants are the Church, it is the Church that will literally inherit the whole world. Folks, we need to understand what this verse, Romans 4:13, actually means in order to know if what the replacement/covenant theology people are teaching has any basis in fact.Many people correctly believe that if the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense. I certainly believe that. So, does the plain sense of Romans 4:13 make common sense? I don’t think so. Does that mean that the Bible is wrong? No. But it may mean that this verse has not been translated correctly. What then was God saying to us here through the Apostle Paul? What does the verse mean? I think it means this:Abraham’s heirs are the world, meaning all people, that is all people who have faith, i.e., faith in the Messiah (Christ).But how could this verse mean what you are saying, Art? Bear with me for a moment and I believe that you will see how. Grammatically speaking, the issue has to do with something called a possessive case, also known as a genitive case or in this instance something the scholars call a subjective genitive case. Possessive cases can sometimes be confusing. How so? Let me try to show you. Please pay close attention:Romans 8:35 says this: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” It really means this: “Who shall separate us from Christ’s love for us?”Now with regard to our verse in question:Abraham’s heir is the world. But the world doesn’t have an heir. World is a figure of speech here in that it represents all the people in the world. And in the context of this verse it means all the people in the world who have faith, namely faith in Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah. And that fits perfectly with this passage:Romans 4:11–12 NIV11 And he (Abraham) received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.The bottom line is this: All people who follow and trust the Messiah, those who have faith in Him, are spiritual children of Abraham. Romans 4:13 has nothing to do with land.So I believe Romans 4:13 should read like this:“It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be the spiritual father of all people who have faith in the Jewish Messiah, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.”Folks, let’s look at one other passage today that is often twisted by those who do not subscribe to Israel’s elect status and who teach that when a Jew believes in Yeshua, he is no longer a Jew:Galatians 3:28–29 NIVThere is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.It’s important to note that this passage is not referring to physical or material things. How could it be? Is there no male and female today? Is your wife a man? My wife isn’t a man. And there are definitely Jews and Gentiles today, too. And sad as it is, there are slaves and free people today. Folks, this passage is referring to spiritual things. When Jews and Gentiles and men and women and slaves and free people are saved they are all saved in the same way - through faith, by the blood of Jesus the Messiah. And they are then spiritually the same. But Covenant Theology which teaches that there is and always has been only one people of God removes all distinctions thereby eliminating the Jewish people as a people along with certain distinct promises made to them by God. And Covenant Theologians use this passage to bolster this false teaching. So Folks, when a Jewish person believes in Yeshua, he or she does not cease to be Jewish.Let’s sum up what we’ve learned today:* Abraham is the spiritual father of all true believers in Yeshua. Abraham is not the heir of the world. The world doesn’t have an heir.* There are indeed still men and women, slaves and free people, and Jews and Gentiles in the world. But in Christ Jesus, all people are spiritually the same. No argument there.Folks, I hope this has been helpful to you today. See you next time. Until then, this is Art Wolinsky. Thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

How many of you have heard that God has promised the Jewish people a Land, the Land of Israel, in perpetuity? We talked about this last time but a brief review might be helpful. It’s in the Bible, in a covenant that God made with Abraham when he was still Abram:Genesis 15:18–21 NIV18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”Folks, this Land is not just a piece of real estate. It is part and parcel of a series of promises that God made to the Jewish people thousands of years ago. The fulfillment of these promises has not been completed yet. The final completion is yet future. But how is it that through a theological sleight of hand some Christians have tried to subvert or nullify these promises? It has happened through something called Covenant Theology. Covenant Theology is not Biblical. That does not mean that every Covenant Theologian who has ever lived was or is an antisemite; far from it. But Covenant Theology, because it is not Biblical, lays the groundwork for false teachings about the Jewish people and consequently for antisemitism and replacement theology and we are seeing this use of Covenant Theology more and more.What is Covenant Theology? It began after the Reformation, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is a teaching that says that the entire Bible, from right after The Fall of Man, comes under one Covenant, the Covenant of Grace. This Covenant of Grace, which is nowhere explicitly mentioned or taught in the Bible, subsumes or overarches all other Biblical Covenants that follow the Fall of Man. These are clearly mentioned in the Bible and include four unconditional covenants (the Abrahamic Covenant, the Promised Land Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant) and one conditional covenant (the Mosaic Covenant). If you try to find a clear and easy to understand definition of the Covenant of Grace in the writings of Covenant Theologians I believe you will have great difficulty in doing so. That is because there is no Covenant of Grace in the Bible. The grace of God is in the Bible in abundance in both the Old and New Testaments but there is no Covenant of Grace. But because Covenant Theology is not Biblical, certain false doctrines based on Covenant Theology have come into being over the centuries. Let me give you one major example today. We’ll start by looking at some New Testament Scriptures that talk about Abraham.Romans 4:11–12 NIV11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.And:Galatians 3:7 NIV7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.These New Testament verses are telling us that Abraham is the father of all who believe in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus) whether they are circumcised or uncircumcised (in other words all those who are born again, whether Jew or Gentile). The Gentile believers are obviously spiritual and not physical children of Abraham.Because Covenant Theology teaches that there is one Covenant of Grace that runs from Genesis 3:15 to the end of Revelation 22, that allows Covenant Theologians to use Romans 4:11-12 to over-ride Genesis 15:18 and to make it read like this:Genesis 15:18 “18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants the Church I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—”That is what I would call theological slight of hand and I don’t think the motivation for that is good. I believe that it comes straight from the Father of Lies, the Devil.Remember folks, the Bible does not contradict itself. If God made an unconditional covenant with Abraham, He is not going to nullify that later. In fact, listen to what the Apostle Paul says:Galatians 3:17 NIV17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.In other words the Mosaic Covenant does not make void the Abrahamic Covenant, nor does the Covenant of Grace because the Covenant of Grace does not exist. And Covenant Theology is bogus.Next time we’ll talk about other distortions of the Scriptures that some Covenant Theologians attempt to create in an attempt to nullify God’s promises to Israel.Thanks for listening folks.This is Art Wolinsky. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Hi Folks,What does one do when he finds himself at a church that seems just a bit peculiar? It’s almost as if there is a paradox. It is a very uplifting place. The people are loving and friendly. The Lead Pastor frequently says to the congregation: I love you. I believe he means it. The preaching is unusually solid and Bible based and the application of the Bible based truths that are taught each week are appropriate and strong. And there are a multitude of spiritual activities that an attender can choose to be involved in. It is a great church!But something is missing. Unfulfilled prophecy, eschatology (the end times), and the modern Nation of Israel are never mentioned or talked about even though much of the Bible is about these things. And looking back over past messages on podcasts, even on the day after the massacre in Israel (October 7, 2023), the worst day of slaughter for the Jewish people since Hitler’s Holocaust, not one word of any kind was said about it from the pulpit by the Lead Pastor that Sunday morning. A few weeks ago I asked one of the two associate pastors if the church leadership believed in replacement theology. I received a prompt, courteous, and truthful answer: “We believe in Covenant Theology”. That raised a red flag for me since I understand Covenant Theology to be intimately connected with replacement theology. So, what does a believer do in a situation like this?What is Replacement Theology? It is a teaching which deprives the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people of the specific elect status which God gave to them in the Bible. People who believe in Replacement Theology are sometimes confused about certain things. Let me list some of them, with my answers in upper case, in an attempt to clear things up:Are the Jews still God’s Chosen People? YES.Are the Chosen people all saved and are they all going to spend eternity in heaven? NO. Only the elect, those with circumcised hearts, will spend eternity in heaven with God.Do Jewish people have a way of salvation that is different than the way of salvation for Gentiles? NO. There is only one way of salvation for all people: through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, on the cross.Is the gospel still to the Jew first, (Romans 1:16). YES. Is “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22) still true? YES. The Jews are no better than anyone else but God chose them for a specific purpose. The husband is no better than the wife but God chose him and not the wife as head of the family (Ephesians 5:23). It was and is like that with the Jews, the elect Jews. God has a certain order of things and He hasn’t changed that. Thousands of years ago God said this to the Jewish people through Moses: Deuteronomy 28:13 “The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.”Did God make specific promises to the Jewish people as a Nation? YES. He did this in part through specific covenants, unconditional covenants, that He made with them. We’ll look at the Abrahamic Covenant as the first example of this. Covenant Theology attempts to nullify or change the promises made to the Jewish Nation through these covenants.Do saved Gentile people, including those in the Church, participate in the promises that come through these covenants? YES! But they do not participate in promises made specifically to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. One of those promises is the Land of Israel. The Abrahamic CovenantDo you remember when God made certain promises to Abraham in the Torah? In fact He made these promises to Abram even before his name was changed to Abraham. Let’s look at some of these.Genesis 15:17-21 NLTAfter the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. [18] So the LORD made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River - [19] the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, [20] Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, [21] Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”The smoking firepot and flaming torch, representing God, passed between the divided animal pieces alone indicating that God cut this covenant with Abraham unilaterally. It was an unconditional covenant. It was a covenant made with Abraham and his physical descendants, the Jewish people. The Land promised to Abraham was much larger than the Land of Israel is today.Then God promised certain other things to Abraham after he offered up his one and only child of promise, his son Isaac, on the altar after God had commanded Abraham to do so. It was a test of Abraham’s faith. God interrupted the sacrifice and said this to Abraham:Genesis 22:16-18 NLT“This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that [17] I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. [18] And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed-all because you have obeyed me.”Well folks, all the nations of the earth have been blessed through Abraham’s descendants. Most important of all, the Messiah is a descendant of Abraham. The Jewish people were and are descendants of Abraham and they have been a great blessing to the world.But along the way, the Jewish people were seriously disobedient, breaking the Law in many ways, worshipping idols, and offering up their own children as sacrifices. And when their Messiah came, they rejected Him. There would be severe punishment for doing these things. The Jewish people were cast out of their Land twice and after two thousand years they still have not fully returned.And yet because of the unconditional covenant that God made with Abraham earlier, God renewed His covenant with the Jewish people and added to it shortly before they entered the Promised Land. This additional covenant, another unconditional covenant, is probably best called the Promised Land Covenant (a name given to it by Matthew Ervin). Let’s read it:Deuteronomy 29:1,12-15 NLTThese are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites while they were in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Mount Sinai. [12] You are standing here today to enter into the covenant of the LORD your God. The LORD is making this covenant, including the curses. [13] By entering into the covenant today, he will establish you as his people and confirm that he is your God, just as he promised you and as he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [14] “But you are not the only ones with whom I am making this covenant with its curses. [15] I am making this covenant both with you who stand here today in the presence of the LORD our God, and also with the future generations who are not standing here today.And He also said this to them:Deuteronomy 30:2–3 NIV2 and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.But many people say the Jewish people are still disobedient today. Most of them do not follow God’s Laws, many are atheists, and as a Nation they continue to reject their Messiah. And they are still being punished. Look at what happened on October 7, 2023!Yes, all true. So how is God going to regather His people if they continue in disobedience? Here’s how. The Promised Land Covenant continues:Deuteronomy 30:6-8 NLT“The LORD your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! [7] The LORD your God will inflict all these curses (the curses of Deuteronomy 28) on your enemies and on those who hate and persecute you. [8] Then you will again obey the LORD and keep all his commands that I am giving you today.Yes, folks, God will supernaturally effect a change in the heart of every Jewish person and they, the whole nation, will obey God’s Laws. After that, all God’s promises to the Jews will be fulfilled, in the Millennial Kingdom, after the Messiah returns. That is yet future. At that time, these things will occur:Isaiah 2:2–3 KJV 19002 And it shall come to pass in the last days, That the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; And he will teach us of his ways, And we will walk in his paths: For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.Folks, the God of Jacob is the God of Israel.And here is one more passage:Zechariah 8:23 NIV23 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’ ”Folks, these are just two of many examples in the Bible!In the meantime the following verse regarding the Jewish people has not expired:Genesis 12:3 NLT3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”And God’s special love for the Jewish people will never pass away:Isaiah 49:15–16 NIV15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she

Folks, the most recent conversation between myself and Rabbi Mordechai Klein took place a couple of weeks ago. Here’s a recap of the end of that conversation:Rabbi, our conversation started a few weeks ago with your question, “How can I have eternal life”? Rabbi, this is how. Believe that Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha Mashiach died to to pay the price for your sins and mine. Just believe, Mordechai. Do you believe?Yes, I believe. Thank you Lord. Thank you for dying for me. Thank you for giving me eternal life.Praise God, Mordechai. The angels in heaven are rejoicing!Let’s meet again soon. We’ll talk about how Yeshua is now our great and ultimate High Priest. OK?Yes!! Thanks Art.Today the Rabbi and I will talk about Yeshua, our great High Priest.Hi Mordechai. Do you remember Melchizedek from Genesis?Sure, Art. He showed up after Abram defeated Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him and rescued Lot, Abram’s nephew whom they had taken away. There was a celebration! Let me read the verses:Genesis 14:18–20 “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”Rabbi, I’ve always found Melchizedek to be a kind of enigmatic character. We see him again in Psalm 110. Let’s read a couple of verses from that Psalm:Psalm 110:4–5 “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.”Rabbi, in this Psalm of David, the LORD, Adonai, is speaking to the Messiah who is called Lord or Adon. Adonai is swearing to the Messiah that He will be a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus spoke about this Psalm in Matthew 22:41–46. I’m going to read what He said: “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.”Rabbi, we know that under the Old Covenant, the Mosaic Law, that all priests are descended from Aaron, the first High Priest. And Aaron was not a priest forever, because he died. And his descendants, a long line of them, were also priests.Art, who is this king and also priest in the order of Melchizedek? He brought out bread and wine. The bread and wine put me in mind of the communion at Yeshua’s last Passover meal, what many Christians refer to as the last supper. Is Melchizedek related to Aaron? Who is Melchizedek?Rabbi, we have to note a couple of things. Melchizedek blessed Abram and Abram tithed to Melchizedek. Both of these things suggest that Melchizedek was a very exalted person. His name means king of righteousness. And also he was king of Salem which means king of peace. And he was a priest of God Most High. And in Psalm 110, Adonai made Messiah a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Rabbi, we’ve already established before today that Messiah Yeshua is equal to God. He is divine. And now we learn that He is a priest, a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Now if Yeshua is a priest in the order of Melchizedek and Yeshua is God and Messiah, and if there is only one God andone Messiah, which there is, it seems to me that there can only be one priest in the order of Melchizedek. What does that mean?Art, is Melchizedek in the New Testament? You’ve made it clear to me that the Old Testament and the New Testament are together one book. And I also know that the Bible does not contradict itself. So if Melchizedek is in the New Testament, that should help us, right?Rabbi, I absolutely agree. Let’s take a look.Art, I will do the search right now on my smartphone. Let’s see. Melchizedek is in nine verses in Hebrews, in chapters 5, 6, and 7. But something very important comes first:Hebrews 4:14–16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”Mordechai, this is fantastic! Jesus our great high priest has ascended into heaven. Putting together these Scripture passages tell us that Yeshua is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. And we see here another reason why Yeshua had to become the God - Man. Because as God and Man, as both Son of David and Son of God, He is fully able to empathize with our human weaknesses.Art, look at Hebrews 7:3 which speaks about Melchizedek: “Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.”Art, maybe this sounds too fantastic but do you think that the Melchizedek who met Abram in Genesis 4:14 could have somehow been Yeshua?I do Rabbi. I think Melchizedek was a Christophany, an actual appearance of God in the flesh in the form of our Messiah, a pre-incarnate appearance. I can’t think of any other explanation that fits the Biblical facts. And maybe the bread and wine were in fact a preview of communion. I think there was and is only one priest of the order of Melchizedek and His name is Jesus. Aaron, from the tribe of Levi, was high priest under the Law, under the first covenant, the Old Covenant. But that covenant became obsolete. It is gone. We have a new covenant now, the New Covenant and the New Covenant requires a new High Priest and God gave us One, Jesus from the tribe of Judah, a priest, the priest, from the order of Melchizedek.Art, once again my head is exploding! Just think of it! We have a High Priest who Himself payed the price for our sins and who lives forever and we can go to Him, to His throne of grace, with confidence, to receive mercy and grace whenever we need those, which is all the time! This is simply incredible!I couldn’t agree with you more, Rabbi! Rabbi, you have learned so much over these past few months. I believe that you have been born again. Rabbi, you are an inspiration to me! Until the next time, Mordechai. Shalom. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

The Gospel from the Hebrew ScripturesActs 28:23 (ESV) When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.A young Jewish woman, Rachel, has been depressed and counseling as well as medications from physicians have not helped. She has questions about God and seeks out Rabbi Mordechai Klein to answer her questions.This is an imagined conversation. Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible.Rabbi Klein, thanks for meeting with me. I feel a burden constantly on my shoulders. I don’t know where it’s coming from. Could it be coming from God? I’ve been reading the Torah and I see judgement in some sections, especially in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Am I seeing things correctly, Rabbi?Hi Rachel, it is a pleasure to meet you. Let’s talk about what concerns you. Adonai spoke to us through Moses several thousand years ago and warned us, the Jewish people. He told us what would happen to us if we obeyed Him and what would happen to us if we disobeyed Him. There is no statute of limitations on these warnings. Let’s read together. I see that you have your Tanach with you.Leviticus 26:2-5 You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD. 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.Leviticus 26:14-18 'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.But Rachel, even as Adonai pronounced all these judgements against us He told us that He will never break His covenant with us. He still loves us.Leviticus 26:44-45 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.' "Now, Rachel, you know that the vast majority of our people have been disobedient. And we have suffered greatly. We have gone through the crusades, the inquisition, pogroms, Hitler’s Holocaust, and more. Since our Nation was reborn in 1948 we have been through multiple wars and intifadas. And most recently the October 7 massacre by Hamas. More Jewish people lost their lives on that day than on any other single day since the Holocaust. And of course it isn’t over. War continues and hostages are still held by Hamas.OK, Rabbi. You’ve explained a lot. But hasn’t God made a way for this endless cycle of judgment to stop?Yes, He has. But first, God must forgive the sins we have committed against Him and we must obey His Law. Here is a summary of the Law:Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJVYou shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.andLeviticus 19:18 NKJVYou shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.But Rabbi, how can I do these things? I don’t always feel love for God and I often bear ill will toward my neighbor. What can I do?A change deep within yourself must occur, Rachel. But you cannot do it. Only God can do it. Your heart must change. You must become a new person. It’s as if you must be born again. You can’t do this on your own. It’s a supernatural thing. Listen, please:Deuteronomy 30:6And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.Ezekiel 36:26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.And Rachel, when God gives you this new heart you will immediately recognize that you are a sinner, a terrible sinner, and you will repent and ask God to forgive you. Rachel, I think the burden you are carrying now, the heavy weight you feel on your shoulders, is the knowledge of sin. God can relieve you of this burden and your depression will lift.But Rabbi, as an orthodox Jew, I know that there must be a payment, a sacrifice, for my sins to be forgiven. We no longer have a Temple in Jerusalem where sin offerings can be made. How then can payment for my sins be made?Rachel, we must look at another passage from the Hebrew Scriptures.Isaiah 53:3-5 NKJVHe is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.Rachel, there was a Man to whom this passage applies. An actual historical figure. He told us that He was the Messiah, sent by God. He told His followers that He would lay down His life for His friends. And He did. He sacrificed His life and shed His blood on a Roman cross 2,000 years ago. That blood is paying for our sins today.Rabbi, you don’t mean Yeshu, do you? Yeshu is an acronym of contempt, Rabbi. Surely you don’t believe that He was the Messiah, do you?I do, Rachel. Our Scriptures are clear. He fulfills all of the prophecies about our Messiah. And His name is not Yeshu. It is Yeshua which means salvation. Rachel, this Man was and is the Son of God, the Messiah. You see, some of our Rabbis think there are two Messiahs: the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 and the conquering mighty One of Isaiah 9. Let’s read from Yeshayahu:Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.Rachel, there is one Messiah and two comings. Isaiah 7:14 tells of the Messiah’s first coming. Immanuel means God with us, and that is exactly what He was. He came to die to pay the debt for our sins. This already happened. And now, listen to this passage:Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.This passage has not been fulfilled yet. Yeshua will come a second time and He will reign on earth from Jerusalem for a thousand years. Notice that in Isaiah 9 He is called Mighty God. There is only one Messiah. Rachel, the Messiah is the Son of God. He is divine and equal to God. That’s why His sacrifice on the cross - His shed blood and death - provides once and forever atonement for all of our sins, provided that we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.But Rabbi, are you saying that God loves the Jewish people so much that He sent His Son to die for us on the cross? That’s a criminal’s death.Yes, Rachel. It is. He died as a criminal on a cross and not just for us, but for all people. Rachel, listen to the words given to the prophet Jeremiah.Jeremiah 31:31-34 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."Rachel, God couldn’t make this New Covenant with us without giving us a new heart first. And He will do that; He will circumcise the heart of every living Jewish person at the end of a time of terrible trouble for the world, and then the entire Nation of Israel will be saved. This terrible time is called the Time of Jacob’s Trouble or The great Tribulation.Jeremiah 30:4-7 Now these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah. "For thus says the LORD: 'We have heard a voice of trembling, Of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be

Hi Mordechai. I know that you want to know why Yeshua had to be fully God and fully Man. Right?Yes, Art. I am most interested in this. In fact, I think it is more accurate to say that I have a deep hunger to know the answer to this question.OK. Let me try my best to explain this. Remember the Fall that we talked about last time? And remember how Adam, the first human, was given dominion by Adonai over everything on earth? And how sin entered into Adam and Eve when they disobeyed Adonai and ate of the forbidden fruit?Of course, Art. I understand these things.And Rabbi, I asked you to trust me last time and to consider what the New Testament or Brit Hadasha had to say about these things.I remember. And I still trust you.Thanks, Rabbi. I think it’s important to understand that the Tanach and the Brit Hadasha are one book. They are both the Word of God and each of them, the Old and the New, is in a way a commentary on the other. Some people say that the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed and that the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. There is much truth in that statement.Art, does the New Testament show us that Adam’s dominion over the earth was transferred to someone else when Adam sinned?Yes, Rabbi. Indeed it does. Let’s read what the Brit Hadasha says about this.2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT:4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.John 12:31 NLT:31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.Luke 4:5–6 NKJV5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.Rabbi, Satan is the god of this world. That’s god with a small g. He is the ruler. That happened when Adam sinned. He lost the dominion of the world. But Art, isn’t Adonai the supreme Ruler of the entire universe? And that includes all of the earth. Right?Yes, Rabbi. Adonai is still the supreme Ruler. But He is allowing Satan to be the ruler of the earth, for the time being, and up to a certain point only. Satan can only go as far as God allows him too. The book of Job, verses 1:1 and 2:6, make that clear. But God has allowed Satan great power and the ability to do great harm. We’ll have to talk about that another time.OK, but let’s get back to Yeshua. He is fully God and fully Man. Why did Adonai bring that to pass?Adonai brought that to pass because the catastrophic results of the Fall had to be reversed. And God in His infinite wisdom and power determined that because a Man broke the law and sinned and gave over the dominion of the earth to Satan, a Man had to take the dominion back, at a time determined by God. A Man who fulfilled God’s Law perfectly including the payment of a sin offering, a perfect blood sacrifice. Let’s read from the Brit Hadasha again.Galatians 4:4–5 NKJV:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.And Yeshua, Himself, said this:Matthew 5:17 NKJV17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.And here is the sin offering, Rabbi:2 Corinthians 5:21 TLV21 He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.Mordechai, Yeshua was sinless. He fulfilled God’s Law perfectly because He could obey the Law, all 613 mitzvot. He could do this because He was and is fully God. In fact, Yeshua is now our High Priest. He is the only priest.OK, Art, that is profound. He is our High Priest? How did that happen?More about that later, Rabbi. We’ll talk about that.OK, but why did Yeshua have to be fully Man?Rabbi let’s look at a few more verses. First from the Tanach:Leviticus 17:11 NKJV11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’And also from the Brit Hadasha:Hebrews 10:1–2 NLT1 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.Hebrews 10:12–14 NLT12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.Rabbi, Yeshua had to be fully Man so that He could die. He had to be able to die in order to be a perfect blood sacrifice. The only perfect blood sacrifice. And the final blood sacrifice. This perfect and once for all blood sacrifice provided the atonement for all sins, past, present, and future. This sacrifice was and is never to be repeated. The Son of God, fully God and fully Man, died for you and for me, Rabbi. All that is needed is to accept what He did. On the cross. For you and for me. All that is needed is to believe.Art, again, this is too fantastic. I don’t know what to say. This is too good to be true.Rabbi, this is the Gospel, the Good News. If it was not too good to be true it would not be the Gospel. But it is true. God tells us that in His word.Rabbi our conversation started a few weeks ago with your question, “How can I have eternal life”? Rabbi, this is how. Believe that Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha Mashiach died to to pay the price for your sins and mine. Just believe, Mordechai. Do you believe?Yes, I believe. Thank you Lord. Thank you for dying for me. Thank you for giving me eternal life.Praise God, Mordechai. The angels in heaven are rejoicing!Let’s meet again soon. We’ll talk about how Yeshua is now our great and ultimate High Priest. OK?Yes!! Thanks Art. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Art: Hi Folks. We’re going to pick up where we left off last time in the conversation between Art (that’s me) and Rabbi Mordecai Klein. Once again, this is an imagined conversation.Art: So Rabbi, the Bible tells us that this child, the Son of God and Messiah, was fully man and fully God. He was and is the God-Man.Rabbi: But Art, why would God allow such a thing?Art: As I said last time, God didn’t just allow this. He brought it to pass. He ordained it.Rabbi: But why?Art: Rabbi, please turn to Genesis 2 and read verses 15-17.Rabbi: Sure. That’s in the Torah and I know it by heart.Genesis 2:15–17 NKJV15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”Art: Rabbi, wasn’t this instruction or teaching given to Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil the only law that Adonai gave Adam in the garden?Rabbi: I believe so. I know of no other prohibitions that Adonai gave to Adam at this point.Art: Please go back to chapter one in Genesis and tell me what verse 26 says.Genesis 1:26 NKJV26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”Art: So, Adonai gave Adam dominion over all the earth. The LORD, Adonai, made Adam ruler of the earth and all that was in it. Agreed?Rabbi: Yes, Art. That is the truth.Art: Now, the Torah tells us that Adam needed a helper, a helper comparable to him. So what did Adonai do, Rabbi?Rabbi: The Torah tells us.Genesis 2:21–22 NKJV21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.So, Adonai made a wife for Adam. And something else is to be noted here, Art.Genesis 2:25 NKJV25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.Art: That is an amazing statement, Rabbi. Adam and Eve had no shame at being naked.But something bad happened after that. A deceiver comes into the picture. Let’s read Genesis 3:1Genesis 3:1 NKJV1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”You know what happened after that, Rabbi. The serpent tricked Eve into going against the will of Adonai. She ate from the forbidden tree and she gave of this forbidden fruit to her husband, Adam, and he also ate of it. And what happened then?Rabbi: Their eyes were opened, Art.Genesis 3:7 NKJV7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.So now they knew they were naked. And they must have been ashamed because they covered themselves.Art: Yes, Rabbi. They disobeyed God and something fundamentally changed in both of them. Sin entered into them. We’re talking about the Fall of mankind here.Rabbi: How do you know that, Art?Art: I need you to trust me now, Mordecai. At this point we need help from the Brit Hadasha, the New Testament. It will provide the answer to your question.Rabbi: OK, Art. I trust you. Let’s go to the Brit Hadasha.Art: Let’s read from Rabbi Paul’s letter to the Romans.Romans 5:12 NLT12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.Art: So, we know sin entered the world when Adam sinned. There was no sin in the world before that. Sin entered Adam and sin entered Eve. Because of this, every human being ever born is born with sin in them. It’s as if sin was and is an inherited disease just as if it was an inherited form of cancer transmitted by faulty genes. The difference is that cancer and faulty genes are physical and sin is spiritual. Because sin was in Adam and Eve, our first parents, they have passed this spiritual disease on to each and every one of their descendants, including you and me. No one is born without indwelling sin. Absolutely no one.Rabbi: That makes perfect sense, Art. Adonai said not to eat of the forbidden fruit. Our first parents disobeyed, they sinned against Adonai and something fundamental and profound entered into them both: sin. It’s almost as if sin is a substance.Art: It’s a spiritual substance, Rabbi. A spiritual substance that causes both spiritual and material havoc.Rabbi: But Adam and Eve didn’t die that very day, as Adonai promised, did they?Art: Yes, they did. They died that very day spiritually. They were separated from God and had to leave the Garden. Again, the Torah tells us.Genesis 3:24 NKJV24 So He (Adonai) drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.Rabbi: And what about that mamzer, the serpent? Was he punished for what he did?Art: The Torah tells us. God speaks to the serpent.Genesis 3:15 TLV15 I will put animosity between you and the woman— between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.Art: Rabbi, here is where God first shows us what is going to happen to the person who inhabited the serpent. He is Satan, the devil, also know as the Adversary. The Seed of the woman, the Messiah, is going to send him to hell for all eternity.Rabbi: But, Art, you still haven’t told me why the Messiah has to be fully man and fully God.Art: This is heavy stuff, Rabbi. We’ll do it next time. Thank you for your patience and for bearing with me. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Folks, let’s have a brief recap from last time. Art Wolinsky, which is me, and an Orthodox Rabbi, Mordecai Klein, are talking about how a person can have eternal life. Here is the end of the interview from last time :Rabbi: I’m beginning to see something, Art. Yeshua, or Jesus, is equal to God. He is God. So if I believe in Him, He can grant me eternal life. Is Yeshua also the Messiah?Art: Rabbi, He is the Messiah and He can grant you eternal life if you believe. Let’s meet next week. I’ll show you where the Hebrew Scriptures tell us that He’s the Messiah.Art: Hi Rabbi. I promised to show you this week where the Hebrew Scriptures tell us that Yeshua is the Messiah. Let’s look at 2 Samuel chapter 7. The LORD is speaking to King David through the prophet Nathan:2 Samuel 7:12–13“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.Rabbi, the LORD is telling David that after his days are finished the LORD will establish the kingdom of David’s physical descendant and this descendant will build a house for the LORD. This physical descendant is King Solomon. The LORD then says that He will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Rabbi, please take note that Solomon’s kingdom did not last forever, but the throne of his kingdom, the throne, will last forever. The LORD then says something else that helps to further explain and reinforce what He has just said.2 Samuel 7:16And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”Rabbi, the LORD is now telling David that his house, kingdom, and throne will be established forever. It is these verses from 2 Samuel 7, verses 12-13 and verse 16, which tell us that Messiah will be a physical descendant of King David, the Son of David.Now, Rabbi, please follow with me carefully. Let’s look at 1 Chronicles chapter 17.1 Chronicles 17:11–12And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.Rabbi, so far this is the same as what we just read in 2 Samuel. But now, things change. Please listen.1 Chronicles 17:13–14I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”Rabbi, these two verses add something that is not present in 2 Samuel 7. This time the LORD is saying that He has a Son and that His Son’s throne will be established forever. The throne of the Son of God will be established forever. This is not Solomon. This is God’s Son and yet he is also David’s Son. We have here a hint that this Son will be both human and divine.Rabbi: Art, how could the Son of God be the Son of God the Father but also the son of David?Art: Rabbi, there was another Rabbi in the past. He was a Pharisee. His name was Saul. It was later changed to Paul. Listen to what Paul wrote in the New Covenant Scriptures:Romans 1:1–4Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.Rabbi, this is indeed fantastic and in a sublime sense. This passage is telling us that God has a Son. He is the Messiah or Christ. But this Son was also born of David according to the flesh.Rabbi: Art, I’m confused. There is a Son born of God who is also born of David! How can that be?Art: Here is how it happened, Rabbi. About 2,000 years ago a young woman, a virgin - she never had relations with a man - conceived a child by the Holy Spirit. God was the Father of this child and Miriam, a human being, was His mother.Rabbi: Are you saying that this child, the Messiah, was half human and half God?Art: No! The Bible tells us that this child was fully man and fully God. He was and is the God-Man.Rabbi: Why would God allow such a thing?Art: Rabbi, He didn’t just allow this. He caused it. He brought it to pass.Rabbi: But why would He do this, Art?Art: God did this so that you and I could have eternal life.Rabbi: I don’t understand. Can you explain this further?Art: Yes, Rabbi. Let’s meet again soon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Art: Hi Rabbi Mordecai. Thanks for coming.Rabbi: Of course, Art. I’m looking forward to our conversation today. I want to know more about how I can have eternal life. And also I don’t understand how there can be one God comprised of three persons.Art: Mordecai, I think answering your second question first would be best because that will lay an important foundation. Let’s read from the Torah. Rabbi, would you please read Deuteronomy 6:4 in Hebrew first, and then in English?Rabbi: Sure. Let me begin. Deuteronomy 6:4Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohenu Adonai Echad.“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One!Art: Mordecai, surely the Shema tells us unequivocally that God is One. Do you agree?Rabbi: Of course.Art: Good. We are in agreement. Now as an Orthodox Rabbi, you know the Hebrew language well. So, I’m going to ask you to comment on the grammar of some of the words in this verse, Deuteronomy 6:4. OK?Rabbi: Sure. I’m happy to do that.Art: OK. I’m going to read the verse in Hebrew and then I’ll ask you about the grammar.Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohenu Adonai Echad.Mordecai, what is the grammatical form or morphology or part of speech of the Hebrew word Elohenu?Rabbi: Elohenu is a plural noun. It’s derived from the plural noun Eloheem. If we want to get technical Elohenu is a common masculine plural construct noun. It means our God.Art: Thanks Rabbi. Now what is the grammatical form of the Hebrew word Echad?Rabbi: Echad is singular. It is the number one, a cardinal number. It is absolutely singular, Art.Art: Thank you, Mordecai. Let me read another verse to you. Numbers 13:23Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs.Now here Echad, the singular number one, is used to name something that is complex, something that is made up of more than one item namely a bunch or cluster of single grapes. Let me read one more verse to you, Rabbi:“Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel.This is from Jacob’s famous prophecy at the end of his life in Genesis 49, verse 16. In this verse one is Echad. But again Echad is describing one of a number of single things namely one of the tribes of Israel.Rabbi, I believe that Echad is nearly always, if not always, used in this manner. I could give you many more examples. Echad is therefore one but it’s a complex one. Do you agree with this Rabbi?Rabbi: I have to say that you’re correct, Art. In fact, come to think of it, there is a word in Hebrew that I’d like to define for you. Let me read you a verse first, Genesis 22:2:Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”Art, this verse is talking about the Akeedaah, the sacrificing of Isaac by his father Abraham. Now of course the LORD intervened and the sacrifice didn’t occur. Abraham was being tested by the LORD. But the point here is that the word only is in Hebrew, yachid. Perhaps a better translation would be “Take now your son, your one and only, Isaac”. One in this verse is clearly not a complex one. It is a one that is indivisible. Abraham had only one son of promise, Isaac.Art: That’s fascinating, Rabbi. Rabbi, I’m going to now pose to you an amplified translation of the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4:“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God has a plural nature. He is Lord, the one and only Lord, and He has a complex makeup”.Rabbi: So, Art, let’s say that I accept your explanation that God is a plural God, that He is a complex one. How does that help me to have eternal life?Art: Mordecai, I’m going to answer that question by reading three more verses. They’re from the Gospel of John:John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.Mordecai, Yeshua is often called the Word in the New testament. He is the Son of God. Whoever believes in Him will never perish but will have everlasting life.Rabbi: I’m beginning to see something. Yeshua is equal to God. He is God. So if I believe in Him, He can grant me eternal life? Is Yeshua also the Messiah?Art: Rabbi, He is the Messiah and He can grant you eternal life if you believe in Him. Let’s meet next week. I’ll show you where the Tanach tells us that He’s the Messiah.Rabbi: My head is exploding again Art. But in a good way. See you next week. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Good Evening, Folks.The following is an imagined conversation between an Orthodox Rabbi and a Jewish believer in Jesus. Before I read the conversation to you, let me define a few words for you in case you don’t know what they mean. The Torah is the 5 books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy); the Tanach is the entire Old Testament comprised of the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings; the Talmud or Oral Law is comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara, which is a commentary on the Mishnah. Orthodox Jews believe that the Oral Law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai along with the Tanach. The Brit Chadasha is the New Covenant, or New Testament.Here is the conversation:“Good evening, Rabbi Klein. It’s an honor to be seated with you,” said Art. “Isn’t it nice that we can attend a Night to Honor Israel together?”“I agree. It is nice. I can see from your place card that you’re a doctor. Are you an MD?”“Yes, Rabbi, although I’m retired.”“So what do you do now, Dr. Wolinsky?”“I study the Bible, Rabbi.”“Well that’s interesting. I understand that you’re Jewish. Is that right?”“Yes, Rabbi. I’m Jewish.”“So what do you do as a student of the Bible? Do you study Torah, or Tanach? Do you study Talmud?”“Rabbi, as a student of the bible, I mostly try to answer questions for people. Or sometimes I will ask questions. In order to answer these questions, I study Torah, Tanach, and the Brit Chadasha.”“So you study the New Covenant too. But you don’t study Talmud? Are you a Messianic Jew?”“Yes, Rabbi, I’m a Messianic Jew. I believe in Yeshua, or Jesus. I don’t study the Talmud. I may look something up in the Talmud, but not regularly. I don’t study the Mishnah and the Gemara, because I don’t believe the Talmud is divinely inspired.”“So you don’t believe that the Oral Law is from Adonai?”“I don’t, Rabbi.”“So, what kind of questions do people ask you that require you to study the Bible?”“A very common one is “What must I do to have eternal life?”.“And what is your answer, Dr. Wolinsky?”“I answer like this: “Believe in the Son of God and you will have eternal life”.“What do you mean by the Son of God, doctor?”“He is the Messiah, Rabbi. His name is Jesus, or Yeshua, which as you know means salvation. In the New Testament He is usually referred to as the Son of God or the Son of Man. When He walked this earth 2,000 years ago he most often referred to himself as the Son of Man.”“Is there anything in the Tanach about Him?”“Definitely, Rabbi. If you have a Tanach with you, let’s turn to Daniel, chapter 7:Daniel 7:13-14 (TLV) “I was watching in the night visions. Behold, One like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days, and was brought into His presence. [14] Dominion, glory and sovereignty were given to Him that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will never pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.Rabbi, the One like a Son of Man approaches the Ancient of Days. In other words this One like a Son of Man is approaching God. And He is then given dominion, glory, and sovereignty permanently so that all peoples should serve Him. There is simply no question that this Son of Man has divine qualities. He isn’t an angel.”“Doctor, are you saying that the person calling Himself the Son of Man in the New Testament is the same person as the Son of Man in this Daniel passage?”“Exactly, Rabbi.”“Then are you also saying that there are two Gods, the Ancient of Days and the One like a Son of Man?”“No, Rabbi. I am saying that there is one God but He is a complex God. He is one God made up of three persons. I’ve told you about two of them today: the Ancient of Days who is the Father, and the Son of Man who is the Messiah. I haven’t told you about Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit, who is the third person of this triune God. He is God also.”“Doctor, I have to admit that what you’re telling me is fantastic. My head is exploding. You see, I want to have eternal life too. Can you tell me more, please?”“Rabbi, let’s meet next week. OK?”“I wouldn’t miss it, doctor. By the way, what’s your first name? Mine’s Mordechai.”“My Hebrew name is Yitzhak, but you can call me Art. I’ll see you next week, Mordechai”.Folks, let there be conversations like this one at Israel Galas and elsewhere. I believe that there are some Jewish people who are as open to the truth and to their need for eternal life as Rabbi Kline is. Let us pray that the Lord would ordain numerous conversations like this one by divine appointment.Thanks for listening, folks. This is Art Wolinsky. See you next time! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Who knows best?Two angels are having a conversation in heaven:Bobby: You know, I was wondering how everything is going to get done perfectly in the future. Gabriel, remember what the Father says:1 Corinthians 2:9 (TLV) But as it is written, “Things no eye has seen and no ear has heard, that have not entered the heart of mankind—these things God has prepared for those who love Him.”Gabriel: Bobby, don’t you know that things will get done perfectly because God alone is in charge? If Man was in charge even in a small way things would get terribly messed up. So what’s your question, Bobby?Bobby: Well, I was listening to some humans talking yesterday. And these humans were born again and they read the Bible everyday. And they think that they are going to have a role in preparing the things that God is preparing for those who love Him.Gabe: Did they say why they believe that?Bobby: Yes they did. They quoted this verse:Romans 8:29 (TLV) For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.Gabe: OK. I get it now. They are confused about the meaning of the word foreknew. They think it means that God looked down the corridors of time to see who would choose Him. He foreknew those people - He knew they would choose Him, and so He decided to save those people. And those folks also believe that if they could choose God they could also do other things that are the sole province of God to do, including helping God prepare perfect things for those who love Him.Bobby: That’s right, Gabe. That’s it!Gabe: And the humans you were listening to yesterday, and other humans like them, also believe that humans were never completely separated from God after The Fall in the Garden of Eden. They were never spiritually completely dead. They did not need to be elected by God to salvation from before the foundation of the world. They did not need to be regenerated by God. They don’t believe this verse:Ephesians 1:4-5 (TLV) He chose us in the Messiah before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love. [5] He predestined us for adoption as sons through Messiah Yeshua, in keeping with the good pleasure of His will—Instead, they believe that their will had something to do with God’s choice rather than only the good pleasure of His will.Bobby: So what does the word foreknew mean in Romans 8:29, Gabe?Gabe: Bobby, we have to take the word foreknew in context:Romans 8:28-30 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. [29] For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. [30] Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.Bobby, by looking at this whole passage, we can see that foreknew refers to people called by God and not to the decisions these people make. The people God foreknew are the called according to His purpose. They are the ones predestined by God to be conformed to the image of Yeshua and these are the ones whom He also justified.Bobby: You’ve made it really clear, Gabe. Thanks. But don’t humans have free will in any of this? I know that humans are really concerned about that.Gabe: Bobby, before a person is regenerated by God, he or she is as dead as a doornail spiritually. He or she cannot choose God. This spiritual death is a consequence of Adam and Eve disobeying God all the way back in the Garden.Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."But when God regenerates a person, He causes that person to become a new creation. That person now has a new spirit and is no longer dead. That person now can freely choose God and wants to choose God and he or she is then converted. After regeneration, he or she has a new heart and out of the overflow of this new heart, guess what comes out of this born again person’s mouth?Bobby: Romans 10:9-10.Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.Gabriel: That’s exactly right, Bobby!Bobby: This is absolutely wonderful, Gabe! But there is one other thing. Some of these humans are going to say that by regenerating a person, God is making the choice to accept Him for that person. In other words, there really is no free will after all. What can I say to someone who thinks that way?Gabe: You can quote this verse to him, Bobby:Romans 11:33 (NKJV) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!Bobby, God’s word is clear. God chooses us and then He graciously allows us to choose Him of our own free will. What could be better than that?And, Bobby, God’s wisdom, knowledge, and judgements - including the choices He has already made before the foundation of the world - are so perfect and so deep that they will bring to pass the fulfillment of the verse we started with:1 Corinthians 2:9 (TLV) But as it is written, “Things no eye has seen and no ear has heard, that have not entered the heart of mankind—these things God has prepared for those who love Him.”Bobby: Thanks, Gabe! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Hi Folks,A couple of weeks ago my wife and I were having dinner with another couple who are strong believers in Jesus Christ.  The subject of election and predestination came up.  This other couple, both husband and wife, were unwilling to accept that God chooses those He will save from before the foundation of the world.  I asked if they believed that their own salvation was certain; put another way, I asked them if it was possible for a Christian to lose his or her salvation.  Their answer:  definitely not. A Christian cannot lose his or her salvation.Yesterday, after church service, I approached a friend who definitely believes that a Christian CAN lose his or her salvation and I asked him if he believes in the doctrine of election and predestination.  He thought for a moment and then replied: “Yes, I do”.So, my question for you today, my friends is this:  Are the doctrine of election and predestination and the doctrine of eternal security (“once saved, always saved”) linked?  If one doctrine is true, must the other be true?  Or, if one doctrine is false, must the other also be false?I hope to show you in this message that these two doctrines are definitely linked and that they are both true.  Moreover, this is good news, and it redounds to the glory of God.  Let’s look at a few Bible verses and passages to make the case.  We’ll take the case from both sides, the negative and the positive.Romans 8:29 (NKJV) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.Those who do not believe in the doctrine of election and predestination zero in on the word foreknew in this verse.  They take it to mean that in eternity past, God looked down the corridors of time and foresaw in advance who would have faith to choose Him.  Equipped with this knowledge, God chose those who first chose Him.  He then predestined them to be conformed to the image of His Son.Let’s consider this point of view.  To do so properly, we need to look at this verse and at the word foreknew in context:Romans 8:28-30 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. [29] For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. [30] Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.In Romans 8:28 who are the called according to His purpose? They are those who love God.  These are the same people whom God foreknew and predestined in Romans 8:29. Why did God foreknow and predestine these people?  He did it for a reason:  so that they would be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  And Romans 8:30 says whom He predestined, these He also called.  Whom did God call?  Which individuals would respond with a true quickening of the heart to a gospel invitation?  Which individuals are the ones who would call Jesus Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead (cf. Romans 10:9)?  The ones whom God predestined.Foreknew refers to the people God knew from eternity past.  It does not refer to the choice that people would make about God at some future time.  This is all about God’s purpose.  His great and eternal purpose.  A purpose that would glorify God Himself and make those of us who believe God, into new creations: justified, glorified, and fellow-heirs with the Son of God for eternity.Are there other Scripture passages that support the doctrine of election and predestination?  There are.  Here are two:Ephesians 1:3-6 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, [4] just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, [5] having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, [6] to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.Ephesians 1:11 (NKJV) In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,Folks, God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, according to the good pleasure of His will.  God left nothing to chance.  His eternal purpose is too important.Now if the doctrine of election and predestination is true, and it is, then the salvation of the individual believer has to be eternally secure.Having talked about all this, someone raises an objection:  What about free will?  Let’s read Romans 9:21-24, which is very helpful to us here and then a comment on it from the Believer’s Bible Commentary:Romans 9:21-24 (NKJV) Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? [22] What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, [23] and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, [24] even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?From William MacDonald’s comments on this passage from his Believer’s Bible Commentary:Romans 9 BBC - 9:21 Then Paul uses the illustration of the potter and the clay to vindicate the sovereignty of God. The potter comes into his shop one day and sees a pile of formless clay on the floor. He picks up a handful of clay, puts it on his wheel, and fashions a beautiful vessel. Does he have a right to do that?The potter, of course, is God. The clay is sinful, lost humanity. If the potter left it alone, it would all be sent to hell. He would be absolutely just and fair if He left it alone. But instead He sovereignly selects a handful of sinners, saves them by His grace, and conforms them to the image of His Son. Does He have the right to do that? Remember, He is not arbitrarily dooming others to hell. They are already doomed by their own willfulness and unbelief.God has the absolute power and authority to make a vessel for honor with some of the clay and another for dishonor with some. In a situation where everyone is unworthy, He can bestow His blessings where He chooses and withhold them whenever He wishes. “Where all are undeserving,” Barnes writes, “the utmost that can be demanded is that He should not treat any with injustice.”9:22 Paul pictures God, the great Potter, as facing a seeming conflict of interests. On the one hand, He wishes to show His wrath and exhibit His power in punishing sin. But on the other hand, He desires to bear patiently with vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. It is the contrast between the righteous severity of God in the first place, and His merciful longsuffering in the second. And the argument is, “If God would be justified in punishing the wicked immediately but, instead of that, shows great patience with them, who can find fault with Him?”Notice carefully the phrase vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. Vessels of wrath are those whose sins make them subject to God’s wrath. They are prepared for destruction by their own sin, disobedience, and rebellion, and not by some arbitrary decree of God.9:23 Who can object if God wishes to make known the riches of His glory to people to whom He desires to show mercy-people whom He had selected beforehand for eternal glory? Here C. R. Erdman’s comment seems especially helpful:God’s sovereignty is never exercised in condemning men who ought to be saved, but rather it has resulted in the salvation of men who ought to be lost.God does not prepare vessels of wrath for destruction, but He does prepare vessels of mercy for glory.Folks, isn’t it just wonderful how God works?  It is truly glorious.  It’s perfect. Don’t pass up the chance to spend eternity with God in heaven.  Take the opportunity now.  Pray with me please:“Lord of all the earth, Yeshua my Messiah, I know that I’m a sinner deserving to spend eternity in hell.  But you paid the price for my sins.  Thank you for doing that.  Thank you so much for doing that.  Please forgive my sins and make me a new creation that I might spend eternity in heaven with you. Thank you, Lord.”Folks, in closing, let me say that what we talked about today may not strictly speaking be a salvation issue.  You don’t have to believe in election and predestination, and you don’t have to believe in eternal security to be saved.  But God wants you to believe these doctrines because they are from Him.  Doing so will bring you closer to God and will bring God glory.Thank you for listening, Folks.  Until the next time, may the Lord richly bless all of you.Art Wolinsky This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com

Timeline of Daniel’s 70th Week, The TribulationWell, my friends, I’ve got to reason together with you one more time, I’m afraid.  You see, I don’t want you to die.  I don’t want you to suffer eternal death.What am I talking about?  I’m no longer talking about October 7th and I’m not talking about Hitler’s holocaust.  Those are in the past.  What I’m going to talk about today is all in the future, the near future.The prophet Daniel tells us that a one world government is coming.  We certainly see signs of that today.  Consider the World Economic Forum as just one example.  There are many others.The one world government will subsequently be divided into ten kingdoms.  And then, an eleventh king will arise.  He will put down three of the ten kings and then he will rule over them all.  That eleventh king is Satan’s final Antichrist, his representative on earth and his appalling attempt to have a being on earth who is equivalent to the son of God, the Messiah .  Antiochus Epiphanes, who was defeated by the Maccabees about 170 years before Christ, foreshadowed this ultimate end times Antichrist.  He will commit the Abomination of Desolation, as did Antiochus Epiphanes, and his reign of terror will begin.  His main goal:  to annihilate every last Jew on the planet. But before this, he will come on the scene as a righteous savior of the world, and he will make a covenant with Israel for seven years promising peace and a restoration of Temple services, seemingly as in the days of Moses. This Antichrist, also known as the Prince who is to come, the beast, and the lawless one, will be the greatest deceiver the world has ever known. He will break the covenant with Israel after three and one-half years. Please see the timeline provided for you on my Substack post.But before I reason with you further, my Jewish brothers and sisters, I need to talk first with my brothers and sisters who are already born again because I want to be sure they are well grounded on certain things related to these end times.  I want to address Messianic Jews and Christians, followers of Messiah Yeshua.  And to this group, I want to address some questions:·      Q: Will you see the world in its one world government stage?·      A:  You very well might.  If the Rapture hasn’t occurred yet.·      Daniel 7:23 (NKJV) "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.·      Q: Will you see the world after it has been divided into ten kingdoms, represented by the beast with ten horns in Daniel chapter 7?·      A:  You very well might.  If the Rapture hasn’t occurred yet.·      Daniel 7:24 a (NKJV) The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom.·      Q:  Will you see the eleventh horn which puts down three of the ten horns?·      A:   If you are born again, you will not see the eleventh horn.  He is the Antichrist.  You will not see him because the Restrainer (God the Holy Spirit in the Church) will be removed and you will be caught up to meet the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, in the air and He will take you back to heaven with Him.  You will not suffer the wrath of The Tribulation.·      Daniel 7:24 b (NKJV) And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings.·      2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 (NKJV) And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. [7] For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.Now, my Jewish brothers and sisters, why am I giving you all this information and documentation and even a timeline?  Because I want you to see the seriousness of things and I want you to see where we are in time, in history, at present.  We are close to the end.  How close?  I don’t know.  But I do know that once the eleventh horn shows up, the time remaining before the return of the Lord, will be seven years.  Those will be the worst seven years mankind has ever experienced, especially the last half of the seven years.  That will be the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.  Jeremiah spoke about it and so did Yeshua who called it the Great Tribulation:Jeremiah 30:6-7 (NKJV) Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale? [7] Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.Matthew 24:21-22 (NKJV) For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. [22] And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.One third of the Jewish people will survive this time; two thirds will not.  It will be worse than Hitler’s Holocaust.  It will be worse than October 7th.Don’t go through this time.  Listen yet again to the Lord speaking through Isaiah the prophet:Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV) "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.Something called the Rapture is coming soon.  If you are saved, you will be caught up to meet the Messiah in the air and go back to heaven with Him.  You will never meet the eleventh horn and you will never see the second holocaust.  Please, call upon his name, Jesus, Yeshua, and ask Him to save you right now.  He will.God bless you my friends. This is a public episode. 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Come, let us reason together once more.  Our sins will be the death of us.  For eternity.  That’s not a figure of speech brothers and sisters.  It’s the truth.  God spoke to us through the prophet Isaiah centuries ago and He said this:Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV) "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.Brothers and sisters, we need to answer a question.  Is God good?  Unquestionably!  If God is good then why did He allow the October 7 massacre in Southern Israel to happen?  I’ve given you some answers to this question already in two recent podcasts, but we need to dig deeper today.  We need to look at the covenants that God made with Israel.  What do God’s Covenants in the Hebrew Scriptures have to do with the modern state of Israel and with the events that happened there on October 7, 2023?  I’m addressing this question to you whether you’re a rabbi, a religious Jew, a secular Jew, or even a Gentile.  Now if you already know why the October 7 massacre in Southern Israel occurred, then I suggest that you stop listening now and use your time to do something more profitable.  I’m looking for listeners that have ears to hear what the Scriptures have to say about this.  If you’ve never read the Scriptures, then you probably don’t know about these covenants.God made four unconditional covenants with Israel, and they remain in effect today.  They were made thousands of years ago but they have not expired.  God will fulfil these covenants regardless of anything that the Jewish people do or don’t do.  That’s why they are called unconditional covenants.  There is one other covenant, and it is conditional.  How God fulfills that covenant definitely does depend on what the Jewish people do or don’t do.Let me explain.The first unconditional covenant is the Abrahamic Covenant.The Abrahamic CovenantGod made a Covenant with Abraham and his descendants through Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s 12 sons.   What were the terms of this covenant and what were the promises?Genesis 12:1-3 NKJVNow the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. [2] I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."This Abrahamic Covenant was restated and amplified a number of times in the Torah.  Abraham and his descendants were to have a land, the Land of Israel, they were to become a great nation with great and innumerable descendants that were to have God’s favor, and through Abraham all the families of the earth would be blessed.  We learn later in the Scriptures that this blessing of all the families of the earth, both Jew and Gentile, would come through Israel’s Messiah.Over time, God made three other unconditional covenants with the Jewish people: the Promised Land Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant.The Promised Land CovenantGod promised His people that although He would scatter them to every nation because of their disobedience, when they obeyed Him, He would gather them again back to the Land.Deuteronomy 30:1-3,5-6,10 NKJV"Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, [2] and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, [3] that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you.[5] Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. [6] And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.[10] if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.The Davidic CovenantThe next unconditional covenant that God made with His people is the Davidic Covenant, made through King David:1 Chronicles 17:11-14 NKJVAnd it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. [12] He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. [13] I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. [14] And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever."'"This Davidic Covenant is a foreshadowing of the Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom.  It came through David’s son Nathan and ultimately through David’s greater son, the Messiah.The New CovenantThe final unconditional covenant that God made with the Jewish people is the New Covenant.  It is not in the Torah, though it is definitely more than hinted at in Deuteronomy when Moses talks about circumcision of the heart.  It is in the Book of the prophet Jeremiah:Jeremiah 31:31-34 NKJV"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah- [32] not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. [33] But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. [34] No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”If you wondered how the Jewish people, as a Nation, would be able to completely obey God’s Law as mentioned in the Promised Land Covenant outlined above, the New Covenant explains how.  The LORD will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.God also entered into one conditional covenant with the Jewish people: the Mosaic Covenant or the Covenant of the Law.The Mosaic CovenantThis is the covenant of the Law - the 613 laws - given by God to the Nation of Israel through Moses.  None of us have ever been able to keep or fully obey these laws.  The blessings and the dreaded curses – a very long list of them – is found in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.  I beg you to read these two chapters.  Here is just a tiny sample:Leviticus 26:14-18 (NKJV) 'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, [15] and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, [16] I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. [17] I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. [18] 'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.All of the 613 Laws which no one could or can keep is why God gave the Nation of Israel the promise of the New Covenant.  That New Covenant was brought in and made active and real by the perfect blood of the Messiah of Israel, Yeshua.  His one sacrifice on the cross with the shedding of His blood was enough to pay for the forgiveness of all sins permanently.  Israel, as a Nation, has never accepted their Messiah.Now, what do all these covenants have to do with the modern state of Israel and October 7?My dear brothers and sisters in order to know the answer to that question, and it is a life and death question, you have to understand these five covenants.  I’ve given you a head start in understanding these covenants.But back to the question.  What do these Covenants have to do with modern Israel and October 7?The problem is the conditional covenant, written by Moses.  There are 613 commandments.  The Messiah came so that these commandments could be fulfilled.  That’s what the New Covenant is all about.  Without accepting the Messiah, Jesus who is also called Yeshua (which means salvation), you can’t enter into the New Covenant and you are still under the Laws of the Old Covenant.  And the punishment for sins under those Laws is severe.  One of those punishments was October 7.God has made a way, through the sacrifice of Messiah Yeshua on the cross, for you and me to be guaranteed life in heaven with Him for eternity when we die.  Eternity is a long time.  Accept what Messiah Yeshua did for you and me.  It’s a free gift!  Choose life.  And if you do this, you’ll even get an extra bonus, another free gift.  You’ll be snatched up to heaven by the Messiah before the Time of Jacob’s Trouble (the second Holocaust) in something called the Rapture.  Brothers and sisters, please don’t pass this up.  Call upon the Name of Yeshua and ask Him to save you today.  If you are sincere, He will not turn you down. God bless you! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolin