The Jew-Gentile Fallacy

Shabbat Shalom,

I wanted to share some correspondence I had a while back through a letter concerning some confusion about ‘Gentiles’. Please use this as your own springboard to study. It is the enemy who causes confusion, strife and division. I do not claim to know all, but I realize that if I remain soft, pliable, teachable under the tutoring of the Spirit, He will reveal what I need to know.. and sometimes,  that means I have to go back to square one.

As you begin, ask Yahuweh for a fresh understanding of the most important theme in all of Scripture – His Family.

---

Religion has most certainly put a division and separation in the wrong place. Religion attempts to separate within the body of Messiah while Yahuweh’s purpose is to make a separation between the body of Messiah and the world. What I am speaking of is the fallacy of the “Jew” “Gentile” thinking. Anyone who has placed their faith in Messiah is no longer called a gentile – but is part of the citizenship of the Kingdom of Heaven.

To really understand the whole thing, one must go from Genesis to Revelation to find out that there are two groups of people Father deals with – His family, chosen and set-apart people whom He made covenant with and the world, the nations, the gentiles, foreigners and strangers outside the covenant. Father is an exclusivist!

When you look at the “Old Testament” (Tenach), it is much clearer to see who the foreigners, nations (gentiles) are. They are the Moabites (such as Ruth), Canaanites, Rahab the prostitute, and others who served foreign gods, nations comprised of people who were not chosen by Yahuweh as part of the lineage of Abraham. If you look in Exodus 12:48,49 you can see that the stranger who sojourned with Israel was required to keep the same Torah (instructions for righteous living) as His people (Ecclesiastes 12).

In Ephesians 2, Sha’ul (Paul) is speaking to the Ephesians, many of which, as he said, were ‘gentiles in the flesh’.. strangers to the covenant. They were separated from Messiah, who is the Torah, and they were also called lawless (without Torah – anomia—Greek). The House of Israel, in their flesh, acted as Gentiles – doing what the heathen nations did.. they were without the Torah and practiced living without the Torah. Anyone remaining in this condition, whether native Gentiles or ones acting like Gentiles, will be destroyed. To this I say, those who are actively walking with Messiah, obeying His commandments, are not called Gentiles.

It was the House of Israel, that the ‘circumcised’ (Judah) called the ‘un-circumcision’. Ephesians 2:17 and Isaiah 57:19 speaks about Messiah bringing together (into one new man in His body), peace for those who are far off (House of Israel) and those who are near (House of Judah). Ephesians 2:14,15 is saying that Messiah came to destroy the barrier and wall between “righteous” Judah the elder brother and the far off, pig feeder, younger brother Ephraim (House of Israel).. Remember, He never called His people Gentiles, though they acted as such in the flesh because they became without Torah – He calls His people (not my people) when referring to them while they are dead in their sins.

True Gentiles never had a covenant cut with them. As I mentioned earlier, it is easier to see the separation in the Tenach than in the Renewed Covenant. By then, the original House of Israel was so lost, acting like all the other nations, that it took Sha’ul (Paul) to go and preach to them – allowing the Spirit to convict the ones who were called and chosen from the foundation of the world, to come out of ‘her’ and be separate. Remember, the elder will serve the younger.. The nations left over in the Kingdom age will be servants of the House of Ya’aqob (Jacob). The nations are servants, yet are spared because of their faith in and submission to Messiah.

In the Kingdom age, we go back to Exodus 12 situation regarding “sojourners” in the Land. The nations are privileged to dwell and work in the Land and reap the benefits so long as they obey the covenant that was cut with His people…essentially making His people’s covenant, their own. There is a difference between the “sons of Elohim” and other members of His household. A door keeper may be a member of the household but it is the sons of the Father who are given more responsibility because the Father knows and trusts his sons.

To really understand, is to understand Father’s heart towards His family and why and for whom He sent Messiah.. Messiah said He only was sent for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He wasn’t even sent for the House of Judah nor for the “Gentile nations”. However, the covenant renewed in His own blood has most certainly been made available for the ‘whosoever will’. The House of Israel was scattered finally in 722BCE in and among the nations. As Romans 11 speaks of, it was Judah’s disbelief that would lead to the salvation and re-gathering of the House of Israel (the prodigal son).

The one new man is not Gentiles and Jews.. it is the reunification of both the House of Judah and the House of Israel. In Romans 11, there is no talk of Gentiles but only the wild olive tree (House of Israel) and the natural branches (Judah). A re-grafting in spells one thing.. that at one point, the branches were not broken off, not needing to be “re” grafted. So, Romans 11 speaks of those biological ones of Israel and only Yahuweh Himself knows and can separate between true Israelites and true Gentiles. His people (biological Israel) had lost their identity – acted just like the Gentiles they were living among – yet Abba never called them Gentiles… Hosea says that He called them “lo ami” – not my people…

I know this is a little much and can sound confusing, yet when you study from Genesis to Revelation and really understand what happened to His people, the Tenach – the foundation of the “new” testament, becomes clear. Sha’ul was sent to the nations, the Gentile nations, pagan nations… but where did he go within those nations? He went to the synagogues.. and sometimes to pagan temples, but mainly the synagogues because he knew that he would find remnants of the House of Israel there, and could preach Messiah and the Good News. He went to the nations to find the lost sheep of the House of Israel – so, in a sense, his mission was the same as Messiah’s mission to locate the lost sheep of the ten northern tribes, bring them to Messiah – thus – in their obedience to live out the Torah with joy, would make the elder brother (Judah) jealous. Also, we know that Judah’s final coming into Messiah is Zechariah 12.

In Zechariah 14, we see that all that are left from the nations that came against Jerusalem, would be left around – yet are required to come up for the festivals each year. The gentile nations, through their belief and submission, will be allowed to enter the Kingdom and be required to serve Yahuweh’s family (the entire House of Jacob – the two sticks that become one). Some of the gentile nations will come to the light and ask to be taught. It is through submission to Messiah Yahushua that they are invited to participate and keep the Torah. Though once being strangers, they are no longer strangers because they are in Messiah. Those gentile nations who reject Messiah will be destroyed.

So, whether biologically His family, or one of the few true ‘Gentiles’ (such as Ruth and Rahab), those who place their belief in the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are not called gentiles, Jews, or any thing else other than ‘of the household of Elohim’.. It is Messiah who joins all within Himself, whether Greek, barbarian, Gentile, or one of the broken off (biological) olive branches.. all are required to submit to Him and follow the rules of the Kingdom. There are true heathen nations with people who have hatred towards His people (Esau) and then there are the ones chosen of the House of Jacob, yet were lost and acted like heathens. The end of the story is anyone, whether originally called His People or true Gentiles, who remain without the Torah – separated from Elohim, dead in their sins, will go to hell.

The term Jew was invented as a means to lump all of the “Israelite people” into one category for means of segregation, and persecution. Because the 10 northern tribes were “lost”, and those of the House of Judah (who maintained tribal identity) believed they were the only ones left – determining for themselves that anyone not of the House of Judah should be known as “gentiles”, it caused a further split within Father’s family.

This is the religious spirit Messiah dealt with and is still around today. Just because the 10 northern tribes have lost their identity, and not distinguishable any longer, doesn’t mean their not to Father.. He knows who they are and I truly believe that I am part of Ephraim – one of the 10 tribes. It is fascinating to me at the research that has taken place with the advancement of DNA markings. They have discovered the famous Cohen Gene – which now can determine the Levitical tribe going back to Aaron. It was in DNA research and testing that the Temple Institute has trained so many true Levites in the Temple ceremonies for the coming third temple (which Messiah builds). Father began restoring Torah in the mid 90’s and those who desire truth are being called out of all religious systems of man to follow Him – the ancient ways.

So, in summary, as it states in Colossians 3, those who are obedient to Messiah and His Torah, all are one in Him. The question then isn’t Jew and Gentile but what happens to the ‘sons of disobedience’. The Kingdom of Messiah will host many positions and what we do here on this side, determines that. There are many rewards for those who walk now as members of the household of Elohim, His Family. Quite interesting is the fact that both Jacob and Esau had the same Father, yet it was the lineage of Jacob that was chosen to carry forth the seed that Messiah would come through. Even Yahuweh used a “gentile” (Ruth) in the lineage of David/Messiah. He is no respecter of persons when it comes to acknowledging “your people will be my people and your Elohim will be my Elohim”.

There will be ones that will bow their knees in the end but never walked with Him during their lifetime. Though saved, they will have a different positioning. The nations will be drawn to the light of His people – desiring to learn more about walking in the light. There will be the Bride, but also servants of the Bride as well as guests. The Kingdom’s structure is laid out in the manner of a Hebrew wedding and each participant has certain roles they will fill. Even Nebuchadnezzar was called ‘my servant’ by Yahuweh Himself. Even the nations left over, who are ‘saved’ in the end will have the role of serving the Family of Yahuweh – the family that was once separated into two houses having become one stick (one house) in the hand of Messiah (Ezekiel 37)

I pray I have helped remove some of the confusion, but ask the Spirit Himself to teach you.. He will explain all to you (from Genesis to Revelation).

Blessings to you!

Derek