Dated 01/10/2020
(Note: this document is a duplication of the Vision and Mission tab. It is put here so it will show up in the blog feed.)
Read this document if you want to know what Nazarene Israel seeks to do, and how it seeks to do it.
1. SITUATION:
1a. Twelve Tribes. The history of the nation of Israel is long and complex, but originally there were twelve (or thirteen) tribes in Israel. As we explain in the Nazarene Israel study, these twelve tribes later split into two groups. The ten northern tribes were called the house of Ephraim (also the house of Israel, or Joseph), while the two southern tribes were called the house of Judah. In rough general terms, the ten northern tribes are today represented by the Christians, while the two southern tribes are today represented by the Jews. (It is more complex than that, but in simplified terms, that is accurate.)
1b. Ephraim and the Assyrian Captivity. Yahweh originally gave all twelve tribes a set of Instructions (or Torah) in the wilderness of Sinai. However, by 732 BCE, the ten northern tribes of the house of Ephraim (house of Israel) no longer obeyed Yahweh’s Torah, and even turned to the worship of idols (1 Kings 11 and 12). For their disobedience, the ten tribes of Ephraim (Israel) were taken captive by the Assyrian army, and were then taken into what is called the Assyrian Dispersion.
Melachim Bet (2 Kings) 18:11-12
11 Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and put them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12 because they did not obey the voice of Yahweh their Elohim [God], but transgressed His covenant and all that Moshe the servant of Yahweh had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them.
Yet because the Assyrians were simply trying to expand their empire, they did not only take the northern ten tribes of Ephraim (Israel) into captivity, they also took the majority of the southern two tribes of Judah into captivity.
Melachim Bet (2 Kings) 18:13-14
13 And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
Yet the lost tribes did not return after the Assyrian Empire fell, because their captivity was not only to be physical, but also spiritual. In Nazarene Israel we show how the prophecies which tell us that the ten (or twelve) tribes would go into spiritual captivity in Assyria for some 2,730 years, and how they would begin to re-appear when the 2,730 years of spiritual captivity had ended (around 1996-2000 CE). Only, because Babylon conquered Assyria in the meantime, it is also correct not only to say that the lost tribes are held captive in Assyria, but that they are also held captive in spiritual Babylon.
1c. Babylonian Exile. In addition to those Ephraimites and Jews who were first taken captive in Assyria, a second group of Jews was taken directly into captivity in Babylon. This took place because the southern house of Judah was also not obeying Yahweh’s Torah completely.
Because of the southern house of Judah’s disobedience, Yahweh sent the Babylonian army to destroy the temple, and take them into captivity in Babylon, where they would remain for some 70 years.
Melachim Bet (2 Kings) 25:11
11 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who remained in the city and the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, with the rest of the multitude.
1d. Rise of the Rabbinical Order. Things took a critical turn for the worse when Judah went into the exile to Babylon. Yahweh’s Torah does not tell us what to do if we should be taken into captivity for disobedience. It only says that the people should bring their tithes and offerings up to the tabernacle or temple and give them to the Levites (so they have the funds they need to operate). Yet because there was no temple in Babylon, there was no place for the people to bring their tithes and offerings, and so the Levitical order collapsed. Without spiritual leadership, the people began assimilating into the Babylonian culture. To stop the attrition there had to be a different temporary system established. Yet rather than establish a temporary system that said, “We cannot follow Yahweh’s Torah right now, so we need to do something else for seventy years, but as soon as Yahweh brings us back to the land, we will go back to keeping His Torah,” the great men of the day (ravs) began to teach something completely different.
Rather than teach the Jewish nation that Yahweh gave His Torah to Israel through Moshe, and that they should carefully obey only Yahweh’s commandments, the ravs (rabbis) began teaching that Yahweh had given Moshe the authority to establish Torah for the nation of Israel on his own (thus making Moshe into a sort of a demigod). They also taught that this demigod-like authority then transferred to Joshua the son of Nun upon Moshe’s death, and then from Joshua to others, in each generation, until now this authority rested with them.
The problem with this rabbinic doctrine is the same as the problem of papal doctrine, which is that it elevates men to the same level of Elohim, thereby making them into demigods. This directly violates one of the main precepts of Yahweh’s Torah, which is that we are not to do what seems right in our own eyes (Numbers 15:39, Deuteronomy 12:8, etc.), but that we are to be careful to do only what He commands, realizing that His knowledge is higher than our knowledge, and His ways are above our ways.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:1-2
1 “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which Yahweh Elohim of your fathers is giving you.
2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your Elohim which I command you.”
The result was that even though rabbinic “Torah Law” has many things in common with Yahweh’s Torah, it effectively elevates the rabbis to the same level as Yahweh. This effectively serves as a satanic deception (i.e., it is the synagogue of Satan), because it teaches Israelites to pay attention to man-made laws and traditions, rather than obey Yahweh.
At the end of seventy years, some 10% of the Jews came back to the land of Israel (in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah). Yet there was still 90% that stayed out in the Exile to Babylon, and these also are in spiritual captivity in Babylon. However, even those who were restored to the land of Israel were also in a type of spiritual captivity, because they did not come back to Yahweh’s Torah. (For details, see Nazarene Israel.)
1e. Messiah’s Renewed Melchizedekian Order. Because the Levitical (rabbinical) order was corrupt, and because the Ephraimites and most of the Jews were lost, assimilated, and scattered abroad, Yahweh sent His son Yeshua to become Israel’s Messiah, who would begin to set the spiritual captives free over the course of the next 2,000 years.
Luqa (Luke) 4:16-21
16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of Yahweh is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh.”
20 Then He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
However, the thing is that Yahweh is an Elohim of order. He likes having a separated priesthood (which is separate from the people, and in which the servants themselves own nothing, but who are entrusted with great power and authority). If the lost tribes of Israel were to be regathered together as one, there needed to be an ordered, separated priesthood which owned nothing, to provide for the correct structure and order. Yet it also could not be a Levitical-style order, because the Levitical order needs an altar (whereas the Romans would soon put Israel outside the land). Therefore, Yeshua established a renewed Melchizedekian order, which teaches the same principles and precepts as the Torah through Moshe, although the laws, statutes, and ordinances and judgments all manifest differently (since the basis of authority in the Melchizedekian order is mercy and ultimate trust in Elohim, rather than punishment and legal judgment).
Service-based leadership. Messiah’s spiritual government is based on service. While the Babylonian governments and spiritual governments (i.e., priesthoods) emphasize top-down forms of leadership in which the strong exploit the weak, Yeshua’s spiritual government is based on service. Those who love Yeshua set the example and serve. They lead by example, and then others follow their examples, and their lead.
Qorintim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 11:1
1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Messiah.
However, such servant-leadership only works with a people who are genuinely afraid of Yahweh, and who seek to please Yeshua. It will not work for any other people, because it is difficult. It is a narrow and afflicted path.
If we do not love Yahweh our Elohim with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our strength, we will not accept Yeshua’s gentle yoke, or obey His under-shepherds’ lead, because true discipleship is hard. It is expensive, it is a lot of work, and it calls for very high levels of self-discipline. It is an all-consuming lifestyle that calls for us to build Yeshua a literal spiritual kingdom here on earth, under spiritual-military leadership. The requirements are so high that only those who truly love Yahweh will dedicate themselves to the work. (For details, see Torah Government and Acts 15 Order.)
1f. The Great Falling Away. Inside the land of Israel, it was generally well understood that Yahweh’s Torah serves as a bridal contract. That is, Elohim intends to take those who faithfully obey all His word in Spirit and in truth as a bride forever.
Hoshea (Hosea) 2:16-20
16 “And it shall be, in that day,” Says Yahweh, “That you will call Me ‘Ishi’ [My Man], And no longer call Me ‘Baali’ [My Lord],
17 For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals [the Lords], And they shall be remembered by their name no more.
18 In that day I will make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, With the birds of the air, And with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, To make them lie down safely.
19 I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy;
20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know Yahweh.”
Yeshua confirms that this Torah covenant is with those who obey the Torah better than the scribes and the Pharisees (the Karaites and the Orthodox), because they have His Spirit dwelling in them, and manifesting itself continuously through them.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 5:17-20
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill [i.e., in fulfillment of part of the prophecies contained in them].
18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Torah until all is fulfilled.
19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The idea that the Torah serves as Israel’s bridal covenant was generally understood inside the land of Israel, at least among the devout. Because of this, inside the land of Israel the Nazarene faith spread much more quickly than the torahless variations which arose at the same time (e.g., Mark 9:38-40). Yet as the faith spread outside of the land, the gentile believers in the dispersion did not always understand the need to submit happily to the full Torah lifestyle, and so torahless variations of the faith began to grow much more rapidly than the original Nazarene Israelite faith. As explained in Nazarene Israel, eventually the torahless Christians came to greatly outnumber the Nazarenes, and in 325 CE a torahless variation of the faith called Catholicism arose, and became hostile toward the Nazarene Israelite faith. At this point the Nazarene Israelite faith was driven underground, and eventually unto extinction.
1g. The Prodigal Son Returns. Earlier we saw how the northern ten tribes of the house of Ephraim (Israel) would be in spiritual captivity for 2,730 years. With a start-point of approximately 722 BCE, the 2,730 years of captivity ran out in 1998 CE. This explains why the Ephraimite Movement began to come on the scene from 1996 to 2000 CE. There are several phases of the restoration of Ephraim, which we explain in Nazarene Israel. However, the first of these is the repentance of the Prodigal Son, which represents the Protestant Reformation.
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), the older brother represents Judah, who is still with the Father in His house (i.e., Israelite worship). The younger brother represents Ephraim (Israel, Joseph), who went into the dispersion to feed pigs (which represent the idols and false worship of the church system). One day the Prodigal Son comes to himself and realizes that it would be better for him to humble himself and go back home to His Father’s House (representing the Torah and Israel), than to stay on in the Babylonian Church system. This turning first manifested itself in the Protestant Reformation of 1517 CE, when the printing press made it possible for each man to have his own copy of the Scriptures, and to read Scripture for himself. This led to an increase in knowledge, but sadly it also led to the fragmentation of the body of Messiah (which is prohibited, and generally undesirable, but in this case was necessary).
In 1863 the Prodigal Son came another step closer to home with the formation of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, which restored the Sabbath to the worship. Certain branches of Seventh Day Adventism then later restored the feasts, and today one can even find Seventh Day Adventists who claim to obey the Torah (although they don’t really, because to obey Torah one has to self-identify as a Nazarene Israelite, rather than as a Christian).
By a variety of avenues and wilderness adventures, lost Ephraimites who have been called to believe on “Jesus” are studying, and are realizing that the Jesus of the Church system is not truly the same as the Yeshua of Nazarene Israel, and they are changing their walks and their lives. Instead of simply worshiping Yeshua in a Roman-style amphitheater, they want to become His disciples in a synagogue environment. It is much more work, and it costs, but for those who love Yeshua and who feel called to serve Him, it is a joy to help contribute to the furtherance of His Spiritual kingdom.
Today there are several nebulous, lukewarm crossover movements, including the Two-House movement, Messianic Israel, the Ephraimite movement, Hebraic Roots, and more. While there are many good people in these movements, the problem is that they are invariably disorganized. They have no real bodily structure, and no real standards. They look nothing like the original first century faith. Independent leaders and teachers sell books and videos for personal profit, ignoring the fact that the only time Yeshua became physically violent is when they were using His Father’s house to sell merchandise.
Yochanan (John) 2:14-17
14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.
16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
There are also various Messianic Jewish and Kabbalist groups belonging to “the Pharisees who believed” (reference Acts 11 and 15), who attempt to lure Yeshua’s people into a rabbinic form of the worship, perhaps being ignorant of the fact that Yeshua came to replace the Rabbinical order with a renewed order of Melchizedek. To make matters worse, many of these groups deny Yeshua’s deity and the Virgin Birth, and many also teach Kabbala (which is demonism).
1h. The Original Faith Restored. Amongst all this activity, there are a few true disciples who love Yeshua enough to work and to give toward the cause of establishing Yeshua’s kingdom here on earth in an organized, coordinated, and disciplined way (so that Yeshua is well-pleased.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 6:9-10
9 “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”
Many of them would join such an effort if it was made possible to do so. This is our opportunity.
2. MISSION.
2a. The Great Commission. Yeshua gives His disciples a grand mission and purpose to guide them in their lives here on this earth, by which their lives shall be judged. That mission is to establish a global spiritual government for Him, in His absence. The key to this is to locate those who want to observe (i.e., obey) everything Yeshua has said to do, and to immerse them into His body in His name.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 28:19-20
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in My name,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amein.
[Note: to understand why we immerse in Yeshua’s name alone, please see, “Immersion in Yeshua’s Name Only”, in Nazarene Scripture Studies, Volume 3.]
After immersion, then we teach them to do everything that Yeshua has commanded us. However, to do that requires organization, and a plan.
3. EXECUTION.
3a. Phase One: Establish a Law Library. The tribes of Israel are described as armies (e.g., Exodus 6:26), and the Levitical order is a spiritual-military order which serves as its spiritual army. However, in the Melchizedekian order we do not have any physical armies, and we will not oversee the world’s governments until after Armageddon, when the kingdom and dominion is taken from Babylon, and given to us (e.g., Daniel 7:27, Revelation 2:26-28, etc.).
Since the Melchizedekian order is a spiritual-military organization, it needs to be run like one, except that leadership is by example. It then becomes incumbent upon everyone who loves Yeshua, and who wants to become like Him, and please Him, to do all the things that He has commanded (Matthew 28:20, above). But to do this in a practical sense requires the equivalent of a law library, so that Yahweh’s order can prevail. This is what Nazarene Israel’s studies have been designed to provide for.
Israel is also classically run by a series of courts. The law library provides a set of standards by which day-to-day situations can be rightly assessed, and Yahweh’s justice applied, according to His precepts.
In building terms, the law library provides a strong foundation upon which the living temple can be built. That is why it is so essential that everything be done according to all that Yeshua has commanded, is that He is the Chief Cornerstone (and any disconnection from Him makes the whole foundation unstable).
3b. Phase Two: Discipleship and Evangelism. Yeshua had at least two main parts to His ministry. One was a discipleship program, for the tiny minority of believers who truly wanted to learn to do all things He has commanded. And the other was a mechanism by which the disciples would feed the people, as the Melchizedekian priesthood. Both parts are necessary. The priesthood serves and feeds the people spiritually, while the people then feed and support the priesthood materially.
Romim (Romans) 15:26-27
26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.
Now that at least the basic essentials of the law library are in place, the discipleship and evangelism programs can begin in earnest.
3c. Phase Three: Leadership Testing and Certification. The book salesmen usually operate as “one-man ministries”, and the only time they get together is to help each other sell their books and tapes to the people. However, it is not always possible for them to work together long term, as cooperation interferes with the profit motive upon which their ministries are normally based. Alternately, some denominations manage to work together long term, but they do so only by teaching a broad easy road (that leads to destruction). Neither of these is what Yeshua taught, and so neither of these is suitable for Nazarene Israelites.
As Yahweh continues to increase and grow Nazarene Israel with integrity, we will attract more and more true disciples. Some of these will be called to servant-leadership. While the main thing is always the call and the anointing of the Spirit, there must also be a certain degree of education and certification for the appointing of other apostles and elders, to make sure that those who are appointed teach according to sound doctrine. This is a future project at the time of this writing, but the upcoming discipleship and evangelism video series will address the needs of these two main groups.
3d. Preparation for the Tribulation. We know that after Armageddon, the kingdom and dominion will be given to the saints (Nazarene Israel, reference Daniel 7:27, Revelation 2:26-28, etc.). However, at the time of this writing that is at least 28 years away (as a minimum), and the Great Tribulation will take place in between now and then. We do not know, but we may be forced underground during that time. That being the case, one main goal is to make printed and pre-recorded materials which local elders can use to feed their flocks, during any time or location where there is persecution.
3e. Preparation for the Reign. As mentioned above, after Armageddon, the kingdom and dominion will be given to the saints. However, there is much that must take place in between now and then, so our focus always needs to be on the step where we are. It is good to know what lies ahead, but we need to be where we are.
3f. Respectful Avoidance of the Genesis 35 Alliance. We used to believe that a reunification with brother Judah would be possible prior to Armageddon, and that attempts to work together with brother Judah would be fruitful. However, we no longer believe that. There will be joint work at the political and social levels, and this will lead to a door opening some day for Nazarene Israel to return to the land. However, with the most recent revelations, now it seems clear that prophecy speaks against what we would call a “level one restoration” prior to Armageddon.
As explained in our other literature, as we continue to proceed deeper and deeper into the end times, Judah and Ephraim will end up working more and more closely together at various political levels. However, according to prophecy, black horse Orthodox Judah will remain secretly hostile toward white horse Nazarenes and Christians of all kinds at the ecclesiastical level, at least until Babylon falls (at Trumpet 7). After Babylon falls it will become possible to work together with brother Judah in a real way, but as long as he remains trapped in Babylon, we can witness to him, but unless expressly directed by Yahweh, any attempts to work together with him will end in failure, and possible death. Therefore, we respectfully avoid the Genesis 35 Alliance, and merely pray for all parties concerned.
4. ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT.
The Administration and Support channel is discussed in other documents. Those who wish to volunteer time in administration and support should contact servants@nazareneisrael.org.
5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL.
5a. Fivefold Order. One of the many things Yeshua commanded is that we organize ourselves in the Dispersion according to what is called the Fivefold Ministry order. This is a means of organization by which those who serve more (and more faithfully) lead by example, and all those who love Yeshua support them in this task however they can.
Ephesim (Ephesians) 4:11-16
11 And He Himself [i.e., Yeshua] gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Messiah,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Messiah —
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
5b. Apostolic Foundation. Doctrine for the body is to be established by what is called the Apostolic Foundation. This goes by various names, including the Beit Din Gadol (Big Court, Big Council), and the Council of Apostles and Elders. The so-called Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 was an instance of this leadership council.
Ma’asei (Acts) 15:6
6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.
Th Council of Apostles and Elders is comprised of the leading apostles from the separated priesthood, and the leading congregational elders (from the lay priesthood). Normally, each of these will have the gift of an apostle or perhaps also a prophet, because apostles and prophets are (by definition) the two classes of gifts which are able to hear Yahweh’s voice, and speak according to clean doctrine. That is also why they can be entrusted with the task of counseling direction and doctrine for the body, is that they hear Elohim (and obey Him).
Ephesim (Ephesians) 2:19-22
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of Elohim,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yeshua Messiah Himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a set-apart temple in Yahweh,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of Elohim in the Spirit.
As explained in our other documentation, leadership of the Beit Din Gadol (Council of Apostles and Elders) is by the Nasi (President, Prince) of the Beit Din Gadol. He is normally selected by the Spirit, because he provides leadership and direction for the organization.
Positions are better left unfilled, than filled by those who are not qualified.
Hopefully this document has explained Nazarene Israel’s vision and mission in the context of the Great Commission. Now that you have read this document, you should be able to explain how Nazarene Israel organizes, and why. You should also be able to explain the phases of Nazarene Israel’s plan for establishing Yeshua’s global spiritual government, as we are commanded.
For more details, see Torah Government, and Acts 15 Order.