Daisy Seeking Discernment 🌼 ✝

CAN ISRAEL BREAK ONE COVENANT WITH GOD WITHOUT CANCELING ANOTHER? Two covenants. Two very different obligations. One faithful God. Much of the confusion surrounding Israel in the Church today comes from a fundamental misunderstanding: the Abrahamic Covenant and the Mosaic Covenant are not the same covenant. One established God's enduring promises to Abraham and his descendants. The other established Israel's obligations under the Law, including the consequences of disobedience. Confuse these two covenants, and Israel's exile begins to look like abandonment. Her future restoration becomes unnecessary. And God's everlasting promises concerning the land are easily explained away. Yet Scripture makes a distinction that much of the Church has forgotten. And remarkably, Moses himself understood it. 1. MOSES KNEW THAT ISRAEL'S FAILURE WOULD NOT CANCEL GOD'S PROMISES Consider something extraordinary. The very man through whom God established the conditional covenant at Sinai explicitly affirmed that Israel's future disobedience would not erase God's earlier promises! In Deuteronomy 4, Moses warned Israel that future generations would turn to idolatry, provoke God's judgment, and be scattered among the nations. He anticipated their rebellion and exile. But then came this remarkable assurance: "He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath." (Deuteronomy 4:31) Think about that. Moses warned Israel about the consequences of breaking the covenant established through him, yet pointed to God's earlier oath to the patriarchs as the reason Israel would not ultimately be abandoned. And Moses went even further. In Deuteronomy 30:1–6, he anticipated Israel's dispersion among the nations, her eventual regathering, and God's work of transforming her heart. The same Moses who warned of exile also anticipated restoration. Why? Because God's covenant faithfulness would outlast Israel's covenant failures. 2. THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT CAME BEFORE ISRAEL OR THE LAW When God called Abraham in Genesis 12, He promised to make him a great nation, give his descendants a particular land, and bless all the families of the earth through him. Consider the chronology. There was no nation of Israel. No Moses. No Mount Sinai. No Levitical priesthood. No Mosaic Law. God's promises preceded all of them. In Genesis 15, Abraham prepared animals for a covenant ceremony. Ordinarily, both parties would pass between the pieces, solemnizing their obligations. But Abraham was placed into a deep sleep. God alone passed between the pieces. The ceremony emphasized that the fulfillment of these covenant promises ultimately rested upon God's faithfulness. That doesn't mean Abraham was never commanded to obey. Genesis 17 explicitly called him to walk faithfully before God. But the underlying promises were grounded in God's sworn commitment. And God reaffirmed those promises across three generations. To Abraham in Genesis 17:7–8, He promised an everlasting covenant and an everlasting possession in Canaan. To Isaac in Genesis 26, He reaffirmed the land and descendant promises. To Jacob in Genesis 28, He again promised the land upon which Jacob was lying. Three patriarchs. Three generations. The same covenant commitments. The land was not an incidental detail. God repeatedly identified it as part of the inheritance. 3. THE MOSAIC COVENANT WAS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT More than four centuries later, God established another covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai. This covenant contained unmistakable conditions. In Exodus 19:5, God declared: "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession." Notice that opening word. If. The Mosaic Covenant regulated Israel's national life, worship, and obedience under the Law. Obedience brought national blessings. Disobedience brought discipline. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 warned that persistent rebellion would eventually result in conquest, destruction, and exile. And those warnings became historical realities. But here is the distinction that changes everything: Israel could lose possession of the land through disobedience without God revoking His underlying promise of the land. The Mosaic Covenant established conditions for Israel's enjoyment of national blessings. The Abrahamic Covenant established God's enduring commitments to the patriarchs and their descendants. Even the Mosaic Covenant contained provisions for mercy and restoration. God's grace was never absent from His dealings with Israel. But Israel's failure under Moses could not erase what God had sworn to Abraham. Exile was discipline, not covenant cancellation. 4. PAUL EXPLICITLY CONFIRMED THAT THE LATER COVENANT COULD NOT ANNUL THE EARLIER ONE Paul addressed this very issue in Galatians 3:17: "The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise." This is one of the clearest statements in Scripture concerning the relationship between the Abrahamic promise and the Mosaic Law. The Law came later. The promise came first. And the later Law could not invalidate the earlier promise. Paul's immediate emphasis is the inheritance received through God's promise and fulfilled in Christ, Abraham's promised Seed. Through Jesus Christ, Gentile believers receive the blessing of Abraham by faith. What a glorious truth! But Gentile participation in Abraham's spiritual blessings does not require the cancellation of God's promises to Abraham's physical descendants. Nor does Paul say that the land promise has somehow disappeared. To understand the full scope of God's covenant commitments, we must read Galatians alongside Genesis 17, the prophets, and Romans 11. The fulfillment of God's promise through Christ is not permission to erase promises Scripture never revokes. 5. GOD REAFFIRMED HIS COVENANT EVEN WHILE JUDGING ISRAEL God was never surprised by Israel's rebellion. He anticipated their idolatry, unbelief, and eventual dispersion among the nations. Yet in Leviticus 26:44, after describing devastating judgments, God declared that even while Israel remained in the lands of her enemies, He would not completely destroy them or break His covenant with them. That is extraordinary. God announced the consequences of disobedience while simultaneously reaffirming His covenant faithfulness. The same distinction appears centuries later in Jeremiah 31. God announces a New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, explicitly distinguishing it from the covenant their ancestors broke after leaving Egypt. Yet in the very same chapter, He guarantees Israel's continuing national existence by appealing to the fixed order of the sun, moon, and stars. And when Ezekiel describes Israel's future regathering and spiritual renewal, God explains His motive: "It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name." (Ezekiel 36:22) That statement should settle an important misconception. Israel's future restoration is not a reward for national righteousness. It is an expression of God's faithfulness to His own name and promises. 6. GOD'S OATH TO ABRAHAM IS A FOUNDATION FOR OUR ASSURANCE Here is where this discussion becomes deeply personal for every believer. Hebrews 6:13–18 recalls God's promise to Abraham and emphasizes that God swore by Himself because there was no one greater by whom He could swear. The writer points to God's unchanging purpose and the impossibility of God lying. And why does he bring up Abraham? To strengthen the confidence of believers who have taken hold of the hope set before them. Consider the significance. The New Testament appeals to God's unchanging oath to Abraham as a foundation for our confidence in His faithfulness! Hebrews 6 is not primarily an exposition of Israel's territorial inheritance. Its immediate concern is the certainty of God's promise and the hope believers have in Christ. But the principle is unmistakable. God's sworn commitments are reliable because His character is unchanging. He does not become less faithful when human beings prove unfaithful. Our confidence in His promises rests upon who He is. And this raises a question worth considering: If God's unconditional promises to Abraham could simply be discarded because of subsequent human failure, what would that suggest about the security of His other sworn promises? The issue is far greater than the geography of Israel. It concerns the reliability of God's Word. 7. PAUL STILL CALLED ISRAEL'S CALLING IRREVOCABLE AFTER HER REJECTION OF CHRIST Perhaps the most striking New Testament confirmation comes from Romans 11. Consider when Paul wrote these words. Jesus had already been rejected by much of Israel. The gospel was spreading among the Gentiles. Jewish unbelief remained a major concern. If Israel's rejection of her Messiah had permanently canceled God's covenant commitments to the Jewish people, this would have been the perfect opportunity for Paul to announce it. But he declared something very different. In Romans 11:28, Paul says that concerning election, Israel remains beloved because of the patriarchs. Then he explains why: "For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29) Irrevocable. And remember, Paul wrote this AFTER Israel's rejection of Jesus. He goes on to anticipate a future turning of Israel to her Deliverer. This does not mean Jewish people possess a separate path to salvation. Both Jews and Gentiles must come to God through Jesus Christ. But Israel's need for salvation does not mean God has abandoned His covenant commitments. Paul doesn't use Israel's unbelief to prove that God has rejected His people. He points to God's covenant faithfulness as the reason Israel still has a future. That distinction is essential. 8. THE PROPHETS ANTICIPATED BOTH JUDGMENT AND RESTORATION Once the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants are properly distinguished, the prophetic Scriptures fit together beautifully. Jeremiah 31 ties Israel's continuing national existence to God's established order of creation. Ezekiel 36–37 anticipates Israel's physical regathering and subsequent spiritual renewal. Amos 9:14–15 promises a future restoration in which Israel will be planted securely in her land. And Romans 11 anticipates Israel's future salvation through her Messiah. These passages are not competing with the gospel. They reveal the unfolding faithfulness of the same God who gave us the gospel. God's promises to Abraham included descendants, land, and blessing to the nations. His covenant through Moses established Israel's obligations and the consequences of disobedience. And His prophetic Word anticipates the fulfillment of His covenant purposes despite Israel's failures. The God who disciplined Israel under the Mosaic Covenant remains faithful to the promises He made under the Abrahamic Covenant. THE DISTINCTION THE CHURCH MUST RECOVER The Abrahamic Covenant was grounded in what God promised to accomplish. The Mosaic Covenant established what Israel was commanded to do and the consequences of disobedience. One guaranteed God's enduring covenant purposes. The other governed Israel's national life under the Law. Confusing these two covenants distorts our understanding of Israel's exile, the promises concerning the land, and the prophetic hope of restoration. And Scripture itself provides the correction. Moses affirmed that God would remember His covenant with the patriarchs. Paul declared that the Law could not annul the earlier promise. Hebrews grounded our assurance in God's unchanging oath. Romans 11 affirmed that Israel's calling remains irrevocable. Four powerful biblical witnesses to the faithfulness of God. And here is the distinction I wish every believer understood: Israel broke the covenant given through Moses. God never broke the covenant He made with Abraham. Israel's rebellion brought real judgment. Her exile was real. Her unbelief remains a serious spiritual problem. But God's promises were never dependent upon Israel's perfection. They were grounded in His own faithfulness. The question has never been whether Israel deserves God's promises. The question is whether God keeps His Word. And Paul leaves us with this remarkable assurance: "For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29

Why the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is Pernicious The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) introduces unbiblical teachings that distort the gospel and lead believers astray. Here are key concerns with Scripture to clarify its dangers: 1. False Authority of Modern Apostles and Prophets NAR elevates modern “apostles” and “prophets” as authoritative, often equating their words with Scripture. •“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching…” (2 Timothy 3:16). •True apostles laid the church’s foundation (Ephesians 2:20); their role is not ongoing. 2. Obsession with Signs and Wonders NAR prioritizes miracles and experiences over the gospel. •“An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign” (Matthew 12:39). •Scripture calls for sound teaching, not sensationalism (1 Timothy 6:3-4). 3. Dominion Theology NAR claims the church will establish God’s kingdom on earth before Christ’s return. •“My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). •Only Christ will establish His kingdom (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). 4. Manipulation and Control Leaders misuse “touch not the Lord’s anointed” to suppress criticism, creating fear and loyalty. •“Test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). •“For such men are false apostles” (2 Corinthians 11:13). 5. False Prophecies NAR prophets frequently fail, violating God’s standard. •“If the word does not come to pass… that is a word the Lord has not spoken” (Deuteronomy 18:22). •False prophecies harm faith and dishonor God. Final Warning: Paul foresaw such movements: •“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching… to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). Conclusion: The NAR misleads by distorting the gospel, elevating man’s authority, and prioritizing experiences over Christ. Believers must remain rooted in Scripture and test all teachings against the Word of God.

10 Things Churches Miss When They Neglect Bible Prophecy Every Christmas, churches celebrate the fulfillment of ancient prophecies. The virgin birth. Bethlehem. The promised Messiah. Yet many of those same churches rarely teach the prophecies awaiting fulfillment at Christ's second coming. Why do we celebrate fulfilled prophecy while neglecting unfulfilled prophecy? Isaiah 9:6 announces the birth of a Son. The next verse promises His reign upon David's throne. Gabriel reaffirmed that promise in Luke 1:32–33. The same God guaranteed both. Biblical scholar J. Barton Payne calculated that approximately 27% of the Bible contains predictive prophecy. More than one out of every four verses! If God devoted more than a quarter of His Word to prophecy, what gives us the liberty to treat it as optional? Bible prophecy isn't a theological hobby for people fascinated with charts, timelines, or Middle Eastern politics. It is an essential part of God's inspired revelation. Jesus taught it. Paul preached it. Peter emphasized it. John wrote extensively about it. And here's something remarkable. Paul taught the young Thessalonian church about Christ's return, the Day of the Lord, and the coming man of lawlessness. In 2 Thessalonians 2:5, he reminded them that he had personally taught these things. What the apostles considered important instruction for young believers, many modern churches dismiss as unnecessary speculation. The apostles didn't consider prophecy a distraction from discipleship. They considered it part of discipleship. So what are congregations missing? 1. THE BLESSED HOPE OF CHRIST'S RETURN Titus 2:13 | John 14:2–3 The early Church eagerly anticipated Christ's return. Jesus promised to come again and receive His followers to Himself. Believers weren't merely taught to prepare for death. They were taught to anticipate meeting their Savior. A Church that stops looking for Christ's return risks becoming increasingly preoccupied with the world He is coming to judge. 2. A POWERFUL MOTIVATION FOR HOLINESS 1 John 3:2–3 | 2 Corinthians 5:10 John connects the expectation of seeing Christ with personal purity. Paul reminds believers that we must appear before Christ's Judgment Seat. Our faithfulness, service, stewardship, and motives carry eternal significance. The expectation of meeting Christ should transform how we live before we meet Him. Prophecy isn't merely information about tomorrow. It motivates obedience today. 3. URGENCY IN EVANGELISM Matthew 28:19–20 | 2 Peter 3:9 History is moving toward a divinely appointed conclusion. God's patience is an opportunity for repentance, not evidence that judgment will never come. The world desperately needs the Gospel. When the Church loses sight of Christ's return, it risks losing urgency about reaching the lost. 4. COMFORT IN SUFFERING AND DEATH 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 Paul didn't teach the resurrection and Rapture to satisfy curiosity. He specifically instructed believers to encourage one another with these truths. The dead in Christ will rise. Living believers will be caught up to meet the Lord. And we will be with Him forever. Why would churches withhold from grieving believers the very promises God gave to comfort them? 5. CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S IRREVOCABLE PROMISES TO ISRAEL Romans 11:25–29 | Jeremiah 31:35–37 | Ezekiel 36–37 Perhaps nowhere is neglected prophecy more consequential than in the Church's understanding of Israel. God promised Abraham's descendants a land, national restoration, spiritual renewal, and a kingdom under David's promised Son. Israel's unbelief never canceled those covenants. Paul declares that God's gifts and calling are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). Jeremiah connects Israel's continued existence before God to the established order of creation. And Ezekiel 36 reveals that God will restore Israel for the sake of His holy name. Israel's restoration is not ultimately a testimony to Israel's faithfulness. It is a testimony to God's. If God can abandon His covenant promises to Israel, what assurance do we have that He will keep His promises to the Church? Israel is not an irrelevant footnote in Bible prophecy. It is central to God's revealed purposes. 6. CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY Isaiah 46:9–10 | Daniel 2:21, 44 Governments collapse. Nations rage. Wars erupt. Yet God declares the end from the beginning. Daniel reveals that earthly kingdoms will ultimately give way to God's everlasting Kingdom. Even Israel's scattering and regathering demonstrate His sovereignty over history. The future is not uncertain to the One who has already revealed its conclusion. 7. PROTECTION AGAINST SPIRITUAL DECEPTION Matthew 24:4–5, 24 | 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12 Jesus warned of false messiahs, false prophets, and extraordinary deception. Paul warned of the coming man of lawlessness and widespread spiritual delusion. A Church unfamiliar with biblical prophecy is less equipped to recognize the very deceptions Scripture warns are coming. Sound prophetic teaching develops discernment, not sensationalism. 8. A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE Luke 24:25–27 | Acts 20:27 Neglect prophecy and enormous portions of Scripture become disconnected. The Abrahamic Covenant. The Davidic throne. Daniel's seventy weeks. Israel's restoration. Jerusalem's future. The Olivet Discourse. Revelation. Following His resurrection, Jesus rebuked His disciples for being slow to believe all that the prophets had spoken. God didn't inspire prophetic Scripture so that future generations could decide which portions were worth studying. We cannot claim to teach the whole counsel of God while consistently avoiding His revealed purposes for the future. 9. ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST'S COMING KINGDOM Isaiah 2:2–4 | Luke 1:32–33 | Revelation 20:1–6 Jesus isn't merely returning to end human history. He is returning to reign. Gabriel promised Him David's throne. Isaiah foretold nations streaming to Jerusalem, with the law going forth from Zion. Revelation describes His thousand-year reign. These promises concern real nations, a real Jerusalem, and the promised King exercising righteous authority over the earth. The Church was never commissioned to manufacture the Kingdom that only the King Himself can establish. Our ultimate hope isn't better government or human progress. It is the return and righteous reign of Jesus Christ. 10. THE BLESSING GOD PROMISED TO THOSE WHO HEED PROPHECY Revelation 1:3 | Revelation 22:7 Consider the irony. Revelation opens with an explicit blessing for those who read, hear, and heed its prophetic words. Yet it remains one of the books many churches are most reluctant to teach. God promises a blessing. Churches sometimes treat the book as a burden. Not every prophetic passage is easy to understand. Faithful believers disagree over certain details. But difficulty is not an excuse for neglect. Paul's instruction remains clear: "Do not treat prophecies with contempt." (1 Thessalonians 5:20, NIV) THE COST OF PROPHETIC SILENCE The tragedy isn't that churches disagree about Bible prophecy. The tragedy is that so many have largely stopped teaching it. Some fear controversy. Others associate prophecy with sensationalism, failed predictions, or endless debates. But the misuse of Scripture is never justification for neglecting Scripture. Jesus commanded watchfulness. The apostles taught prophecy to young believers. God promised a blessing to those who heed His prophetic Word. And Israel's promised future remains a powerful testimony that God remembers His covenants, keeps His Word, and finishes what He begins. Neglecting prophecy doesn't make these promises less important. It simply leaves believers less informed about what God has revealed. Every Christmas, we celebrate God's faithfulness in Christ's first coming. But the prophetic story isn't finished. The King is coming back. Israel's promised restoration will be completed. David's throne will be occupied by its rightful King. The first coming of Christ proved that God keeps His prophetic promises. His second coming will prove it again. The Church should be proclaiming both.

N.T. WRIGHT, ISRAEL, AND THE PROMISES GOD NEVER REVOKED On November 2, renowned New Testament scholar N.T. Wright called the belief that modern Israel fulfills biblical prophecy a "totally unbiblical idea." @NTWrightSays He described it as "simply unwarranted" and even "a very dangerous thing to believe." Really? Then we need to open our Bibles. Because this disagreement is about much more than the modern State of Israel. It concerns the faithfulness of God to the everlasting promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. God does not make everlasting promises with expiration dates. Wright argues that God's promises to Israel find their fulfillment in Messiah and His worldwide people. He does not believe God has broken His promises. Rather, he understands their fulfillment differently. But that raises a serious question. Does fulfillment in Messiah require the people, land, and national restoration promised by the prophets to lose their original meaning? Let's examine Scripture. GENESIS 15:18 | GOD PROMISED THE LAND God made a covenant with Abraham involving identifiable descendants and a specific geographical inheritance. And according to Hebrews 6:13–18, God swore by Himself because there was no one greater by whom to swear. His covenant commitment rests upon His own faithfulness. The land was not an afterthought. It was part of the promise. JEREMIAH 31:31–37 | GOD GUARANTEED THE NATION God explicitly promised the New Covenant to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Then He tied Israel's continuing existence as a nation before Him to the fixed order of creation. Think about that. Has the sun stopped shining? Has the moon disappeared? Have the stars ceased their appointed courses? Then why should we conclude that God's national promises to Israel have expired? EZEKIEL 36–37 | GOD PROMISED RESTORATION Here is something profoundly important. God declares that He will restore Israel for the sake of His holy name, not because Israel deserves it (Ezekiel 36:22–23). He promises to gather the Jewish people from the nations, return them to their own land, cleanse them, and give them a new heart (Ezekiel 36:24–28). Ezekiel 37:21–22 goes further. God promises to gather Israel from the nations and make them one nation in their land. Notice the prophetic sequence. Physical regathering. Spiritual renewal. National restoration under the coming King. The reestablishment of Israel in 1948 is consistent with the physical regathering described by the prophets. That does not mean every restoration prophecy has already been fulfilled. Israel's promised spiritual transformation and recognition of Yeshua as Messiah still await their ultimate fulfillment. But dismissing Israel's prophetic significance altogether is difficult to reconcile with these passages. And remember WHY God promises to act. His own holy name is at stake before the nations. ROMANS 11 | GOD HAS NOT REVOKED HIS CALLING Paul could hardly be clearer about Israel's continuing significance. He describes Israel's partial hardening until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (Romans 11:25). He then declares that all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26). And concerning Israel, Paul writes: "As regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers." Romans 11:28 (ESV) Then comes his unmistakable declaration: "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." Romans 11:29 Notice Paul's language. Israel. Gentiles. Forefathers. Election. Irrevocable calling. Paul does not treat Israel's unbelief as evidence that God has abandoned His covenant purposes. And he issues a warning to Gentile believers: "Do not be arrogant toward the branches." Romans 11:18 The Gentiles were grafted into the olive tree. They did not become its roots. The inclusion of Gentiles does not require the exclusion of Israel. Wright interprets Romans 11:26 as describing God's salvation of a united people of believing Jews and Gentiles, rather than a future national turning of ethnic Israel. But Paul has just distinguished Israel's partial hardening from the fullness of the Gentiles. And in verse 28, he still identifies Israel as beloved because of the patriarchs. That distinction deserves serious attention. ACTS 1:6–8 | YESHUA AND THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL After His resurrection, the disciples asked Yeshua whether He would restore the Kingdom to Israel. Notice His response. He did not explicitly declare that Israel had been replaced. He did not announce that the Davidic promises had lost their national significance. He told them that the timing belonged to the Father's authority and directed them to their worldwide mission. The mission to the nations and the restoration of Israel need not be competing promises. ZECHARIAH 12–14 | THE RETURNING KING The prophets identify Jerusalem, the house of David, the Mount of Olives, and nations coming to worship the King. Zechariah 14:4 describes the LORD standing upon the Mount of Olives. Zechariah 14:9 declares that the LORD will be King over all the earth. Zechariah 14:16 describes nations coming to Jerusalem to worship Him. The King is real. The return is real. The city is real. The Kingdom will be real. A worldwide Kingdom does not make Jerusalem irrelevant. And the fulfillment of God's promises through Yeshua does not require the cancellation of Israel's covenant inheritance. There is a common thread running through centuries of theological interpretation. National promises become exclusively spiritual promises. Specific geographical commitments become metaphors for something broader. The issue is not whether Scripture contains symbolism. It certainly does. The issue is whether our theological framework is allowed to redefine promises that God Himself made remarkably specific. I respect N.T. Wright's scholarship and his defense of the historical resurrection of Yeshua. But no theologian, regardless of reputation, is above the authority of Scripture. And this controversy must not be confused with unconditional approval of every policy or action of Israel's government. Biblical covenant promises and modern political decisions are not the same thing. The real question is whether the reestablishment of a Jewish nation in the ancestral homeland can be dismissed as having no prophetic significance when the prophets repeatedly anticipated Israel's regathering. God promised a people. God identified a land. God guaranteed Israel's continuing existence. God foretold a spiritual restoration. God promised a coming King. And God declared His gifts and calling irrevocable. If God promised Israel a land, a national restoration, and a coming King, where does Scripture tell us those specific promises no longer require fulfillment? The same God who keeps His promises to the Church will keep His promises to Israel. He has not forgotten His people. He has not revoked His calling. He will not break His Word. The Cross guarantees God's faithfulness. It does not cancel it. "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." Romans 11:29

WHAT IF THE CROSS WAS FORESHADOWED IN THE TORAH LONG BEFORE ROME EVER EXISTED? Isaac carried the wood. Moses stretched out his hands. A bronze serpent was lifted above Israel. And the Passover lamb was sacrificed. Four ancient accounts. Four remarkable patterns. One suffering Messiah. Was the crucifixion of Yeshua an unexpected tragedy? Or had God been preparing Israel to recognize the suffering Messiah for centuries? The Torah never explicitly describes a Roman cross. But it establishes extraordinary patterns of sacrifice, substitution, judgment, and deliverance. Some are prophetic declarations. Others are types and shadows. And some are explicitly interpreted by Yeshua Himself. Let's examine the evidence. 1. ISAAC: THE BELOVED SON WHO CARRIED THE WOOD Genesis 22:2–14 God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac, his beloved son, in the land of Moriah. Isaac carried the wood toward the place of sacrifice. Abraham carried the fire and knife. And when Isaac asked about the missing lamb, Abraham declared that God Himself would provide. Consider the parallels. A beloved son. A father facing the sacrifice of his son. Wood carried toward the place of offering. And the provision of a substitute. In John 19:17, Yeshua also carries the wood of His own execution. But Isaac was spared. Yeshua gave His life. In Genesis 22:14, Abraham names the place Adonai Yireh: "The LORD Will Provide." And God did provide. First, a ram in Isaac's place. Ultimately, believers recognize in Yeshua the greater sacrifice for sin. The central message is not merely the wood. It is God's provision of the substitute. 2. MOSES: THE MEDIATOR WITH OUTSTRETCHED HANDS Exodus 17:8–13 When Amalek attacked Israel, Moses climbed a hill carrying the staff of God. Whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel prevailed. Whenever his hands fell, Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur supported his hands until sunset. Picture the scene. Israel's mediator standing above the battlefield, hands extended as the people fought below. Israel's victory was associated with the raised hands of its mediator. Centuries later, Yeshua's arms would be stretched upon the cross. There, He accomplished victory over sin and death. Does Exodus explicitly predict crucifixion? No. But the typological resemblance is remarkable. The mediator. The outstretched hands. The victory provided by God. And ancient rabbinic literature makes an intriguing connection between this account and another event in Moses' life. 3. THE BRONZE SERPENT: LOOK UP AND LIVE Numbers 21:4–9 Israel rebelled against God in the wilderness. Judgment followed. But God provided a means of deliverance. Moses was commanded to place a bronze serpent upon a pole. Those who looked upon it lived. Why would God choose such an unusual means of deliverance? Here, we do not have to rely upon typological resemblance alone. Yeshua Himself explains the connection. In John 3:14–15, He compares Moses lifting the serpent in the wilderness to the Son of Man being lifted up, so that those believing in Him may have eternal life. The connection is explicit. Israel faced judgment. God provided deliverance. Those who looked toward His provision lived. Yeshua identified Himself with the One who would be lifted up. 4. THE PASSOVER LAMB: DELIVERANCE THROUGH BLOOD Exodus 12 Before Israel's deliverance from Egypt, God commanded each household to select an unblemished lamb. Its blood would mark the home. Judgment would pass over those sheltered by God's appointed provision. And Exodus 12:46 commanded that none of the lamb's bones be broken. John 19:36 connects the fulfillment of Scripture concerning unbroken bones with Yeshua's crucifixion. Paul likewise identifies Messiah as our Passover sacrifice (1 Corinthians 5:7). The connection is not merely visual. Passover establishes the principle of deliverance through sacrificial blood. And remarkably, the ancient Mishnah preserves details concerning the preparation of the Passover lamb. Mishnah Pesachim 7:1 describes roasting the lamb on a wooden spit. Some Messianic interpreters find additional symbolism in that preparation, although the text itself never claims to describe a cross. The stronger connection remains the biblical Passover sacrifice itself. 5. WHAT DID THE ANCIENT RABBIS RECOGNIZE? Here is a fascinating detail. Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 3:8 discusses two seemingly unrelated Torah accounts together. Moses raising his hands during the battle with Amalek. And Moses lifting the bronze serpent in the wilderness. Why? The Mishnah explains that neither Moses' hands nor the serpent possessed power to save. Rather, Israel experienced victory or healing when the people directed their hearts toward their Father in heaven. Think about that. Two objects or gestures raised before Israel. Two moments of divine deliverance. Both connected by ancient Jewish teachers to looking toward God. The rabbis were not teaching that these events predicted Yeshua. But their interpretation reveals a common theological pattern. Deliverance comes from God, not from the physical object through which He directs His people. And Yeshua explicitly applies one of these events to His own crucifixion. 6. THE CURSE OF THE TREE AND THE SUFFERING SERVANT Deuteronomy 21:22–23 | Isaiah 53 Now the imagery becomes even more profound. Deuteronomy associates hanging upon a tree with a curse. Paul invokes this Torah principle in Galatians 3:13 to explain Messiah bearing the curse on behalf of others. But why would Messiah suffer? Isaiah 53 describes a righteous Servant who bears the iniquities of others. He suffers despite His innocence. He is led like a lamb to slaughter. His life becomes a guilt offering. And through His suffering, many are accounted righteous. Psalm 22 adds another remarkable dimension. The righteous sufferer is mocked. His enemies ridicule his trust in God. And his garments are divided by lot (Psalm 22:7–8, 18). These details find striking parallels in the Gospel accounts of Yeshua's crucifixion. Notice the progression. Isaac introduces the beloved son and God's provision. Moses presents the raised hands of a mediator. The bronze serpent illustrates deliverance through God's appointed means. Passover establishes redemption through sacrificial blood. Deuteronomy introduces the curse. Isaiah explains substitutionary suffering. Psalm 22 portrays the suffering of the righteous. These are not all explicit predictions of crucifixion. But together, they form a remarkable Messianic pattern. The suffering Messiah was not an interruption of God's redemptive plan. 7. BUT ISN'T MESSIAH SUPPOSED TO REIGN? This is one of the most important Jewish objections. Messiah is expected to bring peace, regather Israel, restore Jerusalem, and reign over the nations. I agree. The Tanakh promises these very things. But where does the Tanakh declare that Messiah must fulfill every prophecy concerning His suffering and worldwide reign during one appearance? Consider Zechariah 9:9–10. Verse 9 presents Israel's humble King arriving on a donkey. Verse 10 describes His dominion extending to the ends of the earth. Humility and worldwide kingship. Suffering and glory. Both belong to the biblical Messianic picture. And the passage does not explicitly require them to occur simultaneously. Now consider Zechariah 12:10. God promises to pour out a spirit of grace and supplication upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The prophecy describes profound mourning over the One who was pierced. John 19:37 connects this prophecy to Yeshua. Yet Zechariah's prophetic vision continues. In Zechariah 14:4, the LORD stands upon the Mount of Olives. The same mountain east of Jerusalem. The same city God has chosen. The same covenant people whose restoration He promised. THE CROSS DID NOT CANCEL GOD'S PROMISES TO ISRAEL. It did not erase Jerusalem. It did not revoke the Davidic Covenant. It did not transfer Israel's national promises to another people. Romans 11:29 declares that God's gifts and calling are irrevocable. And the prophetic Scriptures anticipate both Messiah's suffering and His future reign from Zion. CONSIDER WHAT THE TANAKH REVEALS. Isaac carried the wood. Moses stretched out his hands. The bronze serpent was lifted up. The Passover lamb shed its blood. The Torah described the curse upon the tree. Isaiah foretold the suffering Servant. Psalm 22 portrayed the mocked righteous sufferer. And Zechariah spoke of the pierced One and the future deliverance of Jerusalem. The cross was not an interruption of God's plan for Israel. It was part of His redemptive purpose. And the story does not end at Calvary. THE PIERCED MESSIAH IS ALSO THE RETURNING KING. The One who suffered will reign. The One who was rejected will be recognized. And God's covenant promises concerning Israel, Jerusalem, and David's throne will not fail. The Tanakh reveals both a suffering Messiah and a reigning King.