Jewish Universalist Perspective
In the Hebrew Bible are many prophetic messages that paint a beautiful picture of an idylic restored earth. The people are being brought back to health, peace, even being called out the death state itself. Such is the visions contained in Isaiah 2, 26, 35, 42 and 49.
Note that these prophecies are fully in line with the more ancient covenant of Abraham "you you I will bless all the families of the earth". Christian commentators often assign the entire weight of this prophetic covenant to a Christian fullfilment from Galatians 3. That of course tends to subtract from the original focus of the statements made by God to Abraham. To maintain a Christian application of the Abrahamic covenant to Christians is to make Paul the author of replacement theology.
I propose that the Abrahamic covenant continues in it's primary meaning as applicable to the physical people that it was given to, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Of course that means Israel, of ancient times and modern. That continuity of course is encompassed by the "seed", the descendants that continue in the fashion of life and belief that Abraham had. As even Paul said "they have not stumbled so as to fall" Romans 11. Whatever estrangements from G-d may be seen concerning Israel's history and experiences the final result will be restoration to him.
While Israel has had strains and separations from G_d, the overall span of events as given by the hand of Moses in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28-32 indicate in the final analysis a restored Israel is the goal. That coincides in time with what both Jews and Christians refer to as the kingdom of G_d. Just as the gentiles as a whole still do not look to G_d, but eventually will, so the Jewish people are destined to fully return to their G_d in the future kingdom of G_d. The Jews won't follow the path that Christians have taken to that time, but are blessed under the original provisions of the ancient covenants. They will in turn become blessors to the nations as was also in the original conception of G-d. The word of the Lord will go forth from Jerusalem and Zion that is the Jewish people in Jerusalem and the Davidic kingdom in Israel.
Note that these prophecies are fully in line with the more ancient covenant of Abraham "you you I will bless all the families of the earth". Christian commentators often assign the entire weight of this prophetic covenant to a Christian fullfilment from Galatians 3. That of course tends to subtract from the original focus of the statements made by God to Abraham. To maintain a Christian application of the Abrahamic covenant to Christians is to make Paul the author of replacement theology.
I propose that the Abrahamic covenant continues in it's primary meaning as applicable to the physical people that it was given to, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Of course that means Israel, of ancient times and modern. That continuity of course is encompassed by the "seed", the descendants that continue in the fashion of life and belief that Abraham had. As even Paul said "they have not stumbled so as to fall" Romans 11. Whatever estrangements from G-d may be seen concerning Israel's history and experiences the final result will be restoration to him.
While Israel has had strains and separations from G_d, the overall span of events as given by the hand of Moses in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28-32 indicate in the final analysis a restored Israel is the goal. That coincides in time with what both Jews and Christians refer to as the kingdom of G_d. Just as the gentiles as a whole still do not look to G_d, but eventually will, so the Jewish people are destined to fully return to their G_d in the future kingdom of G_d. The Jews won't follow the path that Christians have taken to that time, but are blessed under the original provisions of the ancient covenants. They will in turn become blessors to the nations as was also in the original conception of G-d. The word of the Lord will go forth from Jerusalem and Zion that is the Jewish people in Jerusalem and the Davidic kingdom in Israel.
posted by J B | Thursday, March 16, 2006
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