Dear Friends,
At our home congregation, we recently received an impassioned plea from a sincere brother who saw one of my articles in the Levitt Letter. My use of the name “Jesus” to describe our Jewish Messiah disturbed him. For many of you this may seem silly, as you long ago have gotten comfortable with the intermittent exchange of English and transliterated Hebrew to call on our Savior.
Yeshua, Y’shua, and Jesus are all different ways that we describe the “luminous figure of the Nazarene” as Albert Einstein called Him.
From years of speaking in churches and educating
their members as to the “Jewishness” of the Gospels, I am
comfortable with interchanging these appellations. In
fact, I find it very useful to slowly acclimate church folk by
slipping in some Hebrew words and names—gently edging
them, as it were, toward the “radical” notion that they
should recognize their debt to Israel and acknowledge
God’s continued love for His chosen people.
As we were filming the Ruth series in Israel (to be broadcast this autumn; watch for it on television and the Internet), I was struck by the weaving together of Jew and gentile in the history of the Jewish people and in the building of the restored State of Israel. I remembered a well-known Christian minister who felt called to Israel. The Lord impressed her heart, and she felt His voice saying, “Go to Israel. I am going to place you next to the Jewish people. They will see your love and know My power.”
After the death of her husband, she attended ulpan (language school) in Jerusalem and struggled to learn the ancient (and reborn) language. One day her teacher called her aside. Certain that she was going to be expelled for her poor language skills, her face blanched when the teacher (a bristly Holocaust survivor) said sharply, “Tomorrow you are not to come to class.” Sensing that this was the ax, she meekly agreed and prepared to pack her things and head stateside. Then, seemingly out of the blue, the moreh (teacher) exclaimed, “Tomorrow you will meet me in front of the school and we will go to the Knesset together. I have a very important meeting, and I want you to sit at the end of the table and quietly PRAY the way you pray. I am trying to receive funding for an orphan project, and I need your spiritual support.” Stunned, the Christian stammered, “Why of course … thank you … I would be honored.”
In the taxi the next day, the teacher seemed to enjoy her
student’s discomfort. Finally she said, “Don’t you know that things
move forward best in Israel when Christians and Jews work
together?” She recounted the friendship of Theodore Herzl and
the Christian pastor, Rev. William Henry Hechler, who had
helped him gain access to European heads of state. The teacher
and student met with a high-level cabinet member and the
teacher received the funding she sought.
These alignments are strengthening in every sphere. The anti-Semitic, anti-Israel forces at work in the world are strengthening even as Bible-minded Jews and Christians are coming to realize that we must work together in these volatile days.
That’s why I am content to switch back and forth between the name Yeshua and
Jesus. I am comfortable using “congregation” instead of “church.” The kehilat (worshipping
community) is made up of people, not bricks and mortar. Messiah, rather than Christ, is
easier on the ear for Jewish people, but requires some adjustment for lifelong churchgoers.
It is healthy to speak both ways without criticism and without religiously requiring that
only one single term be used in all situations.
There is no deception in this; in fact, it is a bold confession that the Person of the Messiah is the fulfillment of the Torah and Tanakh.
So we come back to the inquiry about my use of the name “Jesus.” The letter writer expressed some fear that if he used the name “Jesus,” he was participating in an ungodly affirmation of Greco-Roman gods and possibly invoking darkness over his life. In the next Levitt Letter, I will deal with this in detail, but suffice it to say, the way that “Yeshua” became “Jesus” is primarily based in the limitations of the sounds in the Greek language, issues of gender in Greek, combined with poor transliteration into English at a later date. There is no conspiratorial attempt to water down or demonize the Name above all names.
When I first became a Believer, I assumed God spoke King James English with Charlton Heston’s accent. As I traveled the world with the Gospel, it occurred to me that He is capable of meeting all people in their own languages. I believe that Hebrew is special, but I also believe that God is listening for the language of the heart. If you are married, you know what it is like to listen for the intent of the heart in your spouse and not hold him or her to a religiously precise use of language. So it is with the faith community. We need to give one another the benefit of the doubt, and listen for intention in addition to precision.
1 Corinthians 10:32 admonishes us, “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God.” This puts us on notice that these three groups exist separately in the world. This is as true today as it was at the time of Paul.
God divides the world into these three groups: Jews, non-Jews (gentiles), and the “called out ones” (consisting of Jews and gentiles together). We “called out ones” need to be the reconcilers, the bridge between the non-believing Jews and non-believing gentiles. We do this through prayer, through our witness, and even in the political realm with our vote.
We are in the season of decision. The United Nations is
scheduled to vote in this month on a terror state with strategic
military advantages against Israel. Countries are forming
alliances. The United States’ future is being decided by how
we stand with Israel. Every culture that historically has stood
against Israel has disappeared from the face of the Earth.
Consider ancient Rome, Greece, Babylon, and Assyria: even when
God used them to correct Israel, if they went too far, His judgment
was kindled against them. Those in the modern world that are still
in contention are also on a slippery slope, e.g., Britain—whose double-dealing with Israel
is well documented—has been on a downward spiral since the end of WW II.
We are at a historical tipping point. The Son of David is drawing closer to this Earth. Those of us who are His natural brothers and sisters can more easily recognize Him as the “Egyptian” clothes are removed. Like Joseph of old, his brothers know him when the marks of his Jewishness are clearly visible.
Whether you know Him as Yeshua, Jesus, Issa, or Jesu—if you are sincere in your heartfelt call, He will hear you. It is the PERSON of Mashiach that we are calling on, not a fictional character or a figment of imagination.
However, there is one distinction we MUST make, and that is the heretical and dangerous mistake that has become pervasive in the popular press and in popular thinking: that the God of the Bible and the god of Islam are ONE and THE SAME … they are NOT!
For many Westerners, prior to 9/11/01, Islam was an exotic fairy tale of a romantic religious philosophy with mysterious but benign implications: think of Aladdin, Ali Baba, Gunga Din, and eastern mysticism. As the Twin Towers crumbled to the ground, as the Pentagon cracked open, and a jet full of passengers plummeted into a rural field, we asked ourselves, who would do such a thing and why?
What motivation drove those nineteen Saudis to commit multiple murders in such a flagrant fashion? In our grief, we looked to our leaders. Our cowboy-style president, beloved by many Believers, swore payback against those who attacked us. He promised that they would be “brought to justice”… that those who “knocked down these buildings will soon hear from all of us.” We were comforted. And then he (and many public voices in politics and the media) assured us of their identity. They were not only hijackers of airplanes, they were hijackers of an entire world religion comprising over one billion people. A great religion.
WRONG!
“Allah” may have become used as a generic word for “god,” but Islam in its inception, its inflammatory anti-Semitic writings, and its martial imperialistic history bears no relation to the God of the Bible. Yes, Jews and Christians may argue about the person of the Messiah, but the Reformation quieted the carnal understanding of missions undertaken with a sword.
Islam has had no such reformation.
One writer claimed, “If reformation came
to Islam, there would be no Islam.”
Revisionist historians must have applauded when President Bush called Islam “a religion of peace” and removed his shoes to join worshippers in a mosque following 9/11. Years later, we Americans remove our shoes just to travel by air because of one failed shoe bomber.
Our current president quoted the Koran in a speech to Arabs in Cairo, Egypt. The
Koran on which Congressman Keith Ellison swore his oath of office belonged to Thomas
Jefferson—who bought the book not to study the faith but to better understand
his enemies, the Barbary Pirates. He relied on the U.S. Marines to
properly “embrace” the Islamic threat in the waters at “the shores of Tripoli.”
Perhaps a personal testimony will round out my plea for the Church-at-large to awaken to the reality of a worldwide move to establish an Islamic Caliphate. I was invited to speak to a small-but-dedicated pro-Israel group at a very large and well-known church. A local pastor—who is Arab—joined me. He brought several Iranians who had recently come to faith in Yeshua. They were “on fire” with the fruit of salvation and with gratitude at having been delivered from the clutches of Islam. When we arrived, we found that another speaker was a friendship-oriented missionary from a non-Arabic-speaking Muslim country.
The meeting was well attended by church members and, significantly, by many young students receiving their first exposure to these concepts. The missionary boldly proclaimed that Allah and Jehovah were the same; he tried to teach these kids to identify with Islam by praying on prayer rugs and cupping their hands like Muslims.
I stood up with my friends and protested, which caused quite a stir. I said, “You may think that I, being a Jew, am biased. Let’s hear from our Arab and Iranian brothers,” who took turns recounting the difference between the Islamic teaching in the Middle East and the watered-down Islam taught elsewhere. One new Believer from Iran said in a thick accent that was music to my ears, “Yeshua has delivered me from the darkness of Islam, and you want me to imitate that darkness? I refuse and would rather die! I have been lied to once; I will not be lied to again.”
Wow!
My wife and I rejoiced at the clear shofar sound—Allah and Jehovah are not the
same! When we call upon THE Name, we call upon the ONLY Name. We love the Muslim
people; it’s the demonic ideology that we protest.
My Jewish people, too, need to find their way out of the morass of secular humanism and counterfeit gods. As we pray for the brilliant, innovative, savvy, and full-of-witty-inventions Jewish people, let’s pray for them to get into the Book—the Tanakh (Old Testament)— because the heart and face of Messiah are on every page.
It is notable that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers often carry a book of Tehillim (psalms) with them during their service. These writings, many by David Melech Yisrael (King David of Israel), are full of yearning for more contact and a deeper relationship with this Messiah, Mashiach, Christ. That longing supersedes the technicality of language and yet encompasses the accurate call upon the God of Israel. There is NO OTHER NAME under Heaven by which men must be saved (Acts 4:12).
Watch for that unfolding relationship as Jeff, Sandra, singer Marty Goetz, and “Our
Man in Haifa” Eitan Shishkoff take you up to Jerusalem during September on Zola Levitt
Presents. You will identify with the heart of the psalmists as you ascend through the hills
to make your personal aliyah (return to Israel). This month we examine Psalms of Ascent
126–134.
Please don’t allow TV and the Internet to be your only contact with the Promised Land. If you have never been to Israel, come with us next March, June, or October. Zola Tours is renowned for our quality. You will cherish your pilgrimage for the rest of your life. Katharine and I have led hundreds of Believers to Israel and we always encounter a new revelation in God’s Word while there—a wonderful surprise. God’s voice is clear and personal in Israel. Your understanding of the Word will be deepened forever. We look forward to seeing you revel in your journey.
It satisfies the heart of God to see His people love what He loves. Until then, Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim—pray for the peace of Jerusalem! (Psalm 122:6)
Your messenger,
Myles
P.S. As Jesus is placed back in His Hebrew context, which ZLM does so well, we Jews can wrestle with His claims in an honest and sincere match. That’s what happened to Zola, Jeff, and me … and it is happening to thousands of our people around the world. Your support is vital to this ministry of carrying the Jewish Messiah to Jews and the Jewishness of the Christ to the Church (which seems to have lost sight of that fact). Thanks for all you do.
Dear Myles,
No matter what name we use to call upon our Messiah, as long as it identifies Him in truth, He listens for our prayers.
“Please use the enclosed September donation to help Jews and gentiles worship together in Yeshua/Jesus/Messiah/Christ.”
Jeff and Sandra examine Psalms 120 to 134, which are known as the “Psalms of Ascent.” While these psalms may have been sung by ancient Jews going up to the Temple in Jerusalem, they are surprisingly appropriate and timely for Believers today.
From the first “Christian” persecutions of the Jews in the fourth century to the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust, from Israel-bashing in today’s press to anti-Semitism in today’s pulpits, this shocking and painful book tells the tragic story of the “Church” and the Jewish people.
A very different and very important study. Most people plan more carefully for a two-week vacation than for the seven years we will spend as guests in our Messiah’s Father’s house. What will we do during the time we spend among the “many mansions” and how do we prepare for it?
