TSIYON NEWS - The King in Heaven
Tsiyon Messianic Radio Newsletter - Vol 19.35 - 07/01/6024 TAM - 09/04/2024 AD
From Eliyahu
Tonight at sundown the 7th Hebrew month begins. The first day of this very special month is Yom Teruah, the Festival of Shouting, which we sometimes call the Feast of Trumpets. This is a very special day, a victorious and happy day, because it anticipates the Return of King Yeshua in Glory to rule over His earthly Kingdom from Jerusalem! You can hear the teaching about this special day on Tsiyon Radio throughout the day. However, that is not all we are offering.
Tonight is our kick-off meeting for our special month 7 series entitled: Kingdom Foundations. The Kingdom should be the focus and hope of every believer, but many of us don't really know what "the Good News of the Kingdom" actually is. Why is this important for us? Because "the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." Could you use more power in your life right now? If you are like me you can see and feel the world getting meaner and harder to live in. This trend will continue into the Great Tribulation. To endure the things that are coming upon the Earth we need to be filled with Kingdom power! (Matthew 4:23, 6:33, 1 Tim 3:1-9, 1 Corinthians 4:20)
Our kick-off message tonight will be from Acts 1, and is entitled: The King Ascends.
The gravity of what happens in this first chapter of Acts is beyond overstating. A mortal man with a mortal body, in that sense just like you and I, had been unjustly hung upon a cross. Above him there had been a sign that read “THIS IS YESHUA, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” He had willingly given up his life and was buried. Yet, on the third day, by Divine power, this King was raised from the dead, now in a glorified body! Over 500 people were eye-witnesses to the fact that He had been raised. After that, for 40 days He taught his talmidim/disciples about the Kingdom. Finally, the King ascended, while his disciples just kept watching Him rise, until the clouds obstructed their view of Him.
Imagine that! There is a man in heaven, and His name is Yeshua Messiah! He is there to be a mediator for you and for me. This is radically LIFE-CHANGING for us! (Matt 27:37, 1 Cor 15:6, Acts 1:1-11, 1 Tim 2:5+6)
Who were those associates of Yeshua whom He appeared to after His resurrection? The assumption by many is that they were the first Christians. Oh yes, most people know they were Jews, yet today they are still often labeled "Jewish Christians." For example, Wikipedia describes them this way:
"Jewish Christians were the followers of a Jewish religious sect that emerged in Judea during the late Second Temple period (first century AD). These Jews believed that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah and they continued their adherence to Jewish law." (https://en.wikipedia[dot]org/wiki/Jewish_Christianity)
So which were they? Were they "Jewish Christians" or were they followers of a "Jewish religious sect?" The fact that they continued to follow the "Jewish law" i.e., the Torah, answers that question quite well. Here is another source that attempts to explain the history while obscuring the obvious conclusion.
"In the mid-2nd century CE, Christianity began a gradual process of identity-formation that would lead to the creation of a separate, independent religion from Judaism. Initially, Christians were one of many groups of Jews found throughout the Roman Empire. The 2nd century CE experienced a change in the demographics, the introduction of institutional hierarchy, and the creation of Christian dogma." (https://www.worldhistory[dot]org/article/1785/the-separation-of-christianity-from-judaism/)
So what does this quote really mean? "In the mid-2nd century CE, Christianity began a gradual process of identity-formation that would lead to the creation of a separate, independent religion". Put another way, history tells us that by the mid-2nd century the overwhelming numbers of Gentiles who professed faith in their version of Jesus broke away from the original Hebrew followers of Messiah. Although the larger group, the Gentile "Christians" were the schism who broke from the original Hebraic believers - not the other way around. The quote acknowledges this as "a change in the demographics, the introduction of institutional hierarchy, and the creation of Christian dogma."
You will find that most reference works call the Acts believers "Jewish Christians" and the like, even though Christianity as we know it broke off from that original group to form their own separate religion. Calling these first believers "Christians" as if of that religion, is wrong because it is an anachronism.
Anachronism: chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other. (https://www.merriam-webster[dot]com/dictionary/anachronism)
Despite the obvious history some will object because they have the word "Christians" in their Bible translation, where it says: "...And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." (Acts 11:26 NKJV)
Here is the Greek word from that verse:
G5546 - Christianos - khris-tee-an-os' - From G5547; a Christian, that is, follower of Christ. - Strong's
This was not given by the Lord as a name of a religion. It was a nickname by the people for anyone who professed belief in the Messiah. Further, this was only one of a number of names such people were called. From Hebrew the same word means "Messianic."
Why am I sharing all of this here? Because something amazing happened in Acts 1. We need to be able to see it in it's true historical context to fully appreciate its profound significance. It has to do with the Kingdom, and we need to see that in its fresh reality, as Messiah and His emissaries did.
Our theme for tonight for our special Yom Teruah presentation will be: The King Ascends. Join me tonight, September 4, 2024, at Tsiyon.Net at 8 PM, Central, for this blockbuster first presentation of our Kingdom Foundations series.
Blessings and Shalom,
Eliyahu
P.S. Here is our schedule for meetings this 7th Month. All of these meetings will be streamed at 8 PM Central time.
Date: Meetings with Kingdom Foundations Seminar message:
9/4 Trumpets/Yom Teruah (Tonight)
9/11 Sabbath Meeting
9/13 Atonement Day
9/18 Sabbath Meeting-Start of Sukkot
9/19 Sukkot
9/20 Sukkot
9/21 Sukkot
9/22 Sukkot
9/23 Sukkot
9/24 Sukkot
9/25 Last Great Day - Sukkot - Sabbath
10/2 Sabbath - Putting it altogether.
The Good News of the Kingdom - 12 Days in September!
"In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good courage!
I have overcome the world." John 16:33