At the time when Matthew’s verses were re
corded, I can imagine they were trying to tell us that we, who would come in the future, should be watching for the return of the Lord, and to do that, we needed to look into the Scriptures and discern the times in which we are living, in order to be
ready. It is amazing that we first are presented with a question. Who is faithful and wise whom the Lord has appointed to lead other people spiritually, i.e. pastors, leaders and teachers in the Body of Messiah?

God is preparing a Land and a City from which the Messiah will rule for those who realize they are temporary residents of this world. It will be an “assembly of peoples/nations”. (Genesis 28:3)

It is unmistakably clear, that the revealing of Yeshua (Jesus) to the Apostle and servant, Yochanan, (John) in the book of Revelation, records some of the Lord’s last utterances to us who have come to believe in Him. He actually left a reminder to us to never forget that He is a Jewish Lord, Rabbi and Messiah. It’s interesting that He felt that a necessity. Could it be because He foresaw the ways which His Followers, now called the Church, would fail to recall and subsequently disregard His Jewishness to the point of depicting Him visually to generations by portraying Him as a blond-haired, blue-eyed gentile god and savior? In a review of the New Testament no other man or woman in the Bible has been given such space to make certain that the entire family background was given to identify them with their human lineage. I find it amazing that His genealogical descent appears at the start of the New Testament, penned by Matthew, and ends with John recording the words of Yeshua concerning His bloodline (in the flesh) as they trace His humanity from the root and offspring of King David. It appears that neither Matthew nor Yeshua wanted anyone to disconnect Him from His ethnicity, culture, or tradition from the family and nation of Israel.

As the Spirit of God came and exited the Temple from the east, it is recorded in Scripture that His Radiance and Shekinah Glory will likewise return to Jerusalem.  As the Son of God departed from Jerusalem, and went to the Father, He will also return, to set up His Father’s Kingdom on earth for a thousand-year reign in Jerusalem.  (Ezekiel 43:1-5; Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:9-12; Matthew 24:27; Revelation 20:6).

Charles Spurgeon, a nineteenth-century English preacher is known to be to England what D. L. Moody was to America. His words summarize what our search to know God should be: the highest goal in life. However, to attempt to speculate or describe the enormity of the Supreme Being of the Universe, in words, is nearly impossible, because He is beyond measure. Extolling His Name on the cover of this edition of For Zion’s Sake is one way to honor His Majesty. It seems to me that God Almighty is never extolled nor given tribute enough from believers, be they Jews or Christians. May this viewpoint from the heart bring Him Glory—and then fade into the unending tribute which will be ALL HIS in His Coming Kingdom!

Our Jewish roots are linked to Bible history and it is impossible to escape our Jewish foundations, because they are tied to the Jewish Messiah. I would add a thought to  Mary Pipher’s quote above: if the Church does not know her history, then she does not know the spiritual family to which she belongs. Who then is she? Today’s Church needs a revelation of her bridegroom’s family.

Between the covers of the Book of Books lay vested, sacred Hebrew scrolls. These words of God, given through the Prophets of Israel, were priceless to Shaul (Paul) and they likewise, should be to Christians today.

The mercy seat was the lid or cover of solid gold on the Ark, which was a small chest overlaid with gold. Visualize at each end of the Mercy Seat, and in one piece with it, two hammered gold cherubim (seraphs or angels) facing one another. Their outstretched wings overshadowed the gold atonement cover and their faces constantly looked down upon it. They were symbols of the presence and holiness of the Lord and were His chosen instruments of judgment for any sinful approach toward His Presence. As the cherubim looked upon the blood sprinkled by the High Priest of Israel, the wrath of God was appeased and they were at peace. God spoke from above the mercy seat (Exodus 25:22) and the seraphim provided a throne for God where He would mediate His rule on earth as a representation of the throne in Heaven in the times of the Great Temple in Jerusalem.

“It was in the days of Ahasuerus, a Persian king who governed over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India all the way to Ethiopia” (Esther 1:1). During the third year of his kingdom rule, Ahasuerus decided to make a display of his  wealth to nobles and princes of the provinces under his jurisdiction.

“…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” (Matthew 24:21).The depth of spiritual darkness that has arisen on the earth today no one with the inner light of God has ever seen before (not since the darkness of the Middle Ages). There is little doubt the world has fallen into chaos and through advanced technology evil has increased rapidly. It seems satan has captured the hearts and minds of multitudes and now holds them hostage. Unless extreme Islamic militants such as ISIS and ISIL see the light of Jesus Christ, through the mercy of One True God of Israel, the blood-thirsty spirit of death, with its obsession to kill anyone who challenges it, will continue to stalk the earth. The rallying cry, always shrill, and always shouted in chorus has decreed all Christians and Jews must die unless they bow to Allah.