The LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts / armies…he is like a refiner’s fire…And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:1-3)
Jesus spent far more time disputing with the rulers of the Jews than performing miracles. A big part of his ministry was to sift and purify the rulers – most of whom were illegitimate Hasmoneans and Herodians instead of Levites and fans of the Son of David.
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19)
Don’t miss the defiance and deliberate provocation as Jesus continues facing off against his declared enemy.
“There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, [expressly stated to be the nation of Israel] and let it out to
- husbandmen [the rulers of the nation of Israel], and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near,
- he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it…
- last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance [both ruler- and land owner- ship]…
When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them [as the husbandmen].
But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude because they took him for a prophet.” (Matthew 21)
The nation of Israel is the vineyard, which is not replaced. Only the husbandmen – the caretakers of Israel.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves…
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” (Matthew 23:14-15, 43)
Just like “Washington” refers not only to the city location but more importantly to the people in government, the “kingdom” that is taken away is “the rulers in the government”. It was taken away from the nation / brotherhood of Hasmonean priests who had replaced the legitimate Aaronic heirs about 150 years before.
“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave THEM power…These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10:1-18)
Following the trail of events recorded in the book of the Acts of the apostles, we find that for at least the first 20-30 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection the good news of the arrival of the Messiah / Christ and the coming of the kingdom of God was disseminated throughout the world only by preaching from the Jewish Torah and Prophets. Of course. Until the apostles wrote their sermons and memoires of Jesus, there was no “John 3:16” or “Romans Road” with which to lead people to salvation. Faith can only be based on the word of God, found at that time only in Old Testament writings.
“Peter…answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel…those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled…For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me…Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after…have likewise foretold of these days.”(Act 3:12-24)
“[Stephen] said, Men, brethren , and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham…[reviews history of Israel through the son of David, Solomon] Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears (quoting Jeremiah 9:26), ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and the murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.” (Act 6:9-11)
An eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians…had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet…And Philip ran thither to him…and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” (Act 8:27-35)
The chronology of events in the book of the Acts of the Apostles and their own writings proves that the Apostles’ initial assignment remained the same throughout their lifetimes – the salvation of the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Acts 1: ye disciples shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem: beginning Acts 1 and in all Judaea: beginning Acts 5 and in Samaria with people who have the scriptures but don’t have leadership to follow them fully, following up on converts Jesus himself taught.
Acts 2: the day of Pente-cost, fifty days after Passover when YHVH’s Savior had been crucified, the disciples were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven [there to participate in the Jewish feast required of practicing Jews as much as Passover, according to Levitical law.]…the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language, wherein we were born? Jews and proselytes.
Acts 3-4: Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour…And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people [of Israel]…Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed….And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul:
Acts 5: And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch)…And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women…Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
Acts 6: And in those days [before any Gentiles had been converted] when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians [by language and sect of Jews] against the [national] Hebrews.
Acts 6-7: Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen…But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven…And said, [quoting Daniel’s prophecy of the destruction of the fourth empire, Rome, with whom the high priest was allied] Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him.
Acts 8: And at that time there was a great persecution [of the Jewish rulers] against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles [who stayed in Jerusalem facing the persecution]…
Acts 12: Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
Read Peter’s introduction in his first letter with Jesus’ instructions in mind to “go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
I Peter: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered / lost sheep throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
James: who likewise addresses his letter to “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.”
John’s third epistle: Even towards the end of his life John confirms that his ministry was focused on the Jews even as Gentiles were being accepted into the body of Christ / the church: “unto the wellbeloved Gaius…thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to 1) the brethren, and to 2) strangers; Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church…Because that for his name’s sake they went forth [as evangelists], taking nothing of the Gentiles [obviously their target population]. We therefore ought to receive such [Gentile converts into their congregation], that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth . I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not…prating against us with malicious words…neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.”
Kingdom Come 