For “you were like sheep going astray,”but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. [1 Peter 2:25]
One of the most significant theological concepts in all of Scripture is the division of the Kingdom of Israel into two distinct houses — the House of Israel (Ephraim) and the House of Judah. This division took place after the death of King Solomon and persisted until the northern House of Israel was exiled from the land, scattered and assimilated into the nations, and permanently estranged from God [see Hosea 1-2].
The House of Judah (aka the Jews), however, were not divorced from the LORD and even though having been exiled into Babylon, the Jews retained their identity and returned to the land, which paved the way for the coming of the Son of David — Jesus the Messiah.
Once on the scene, Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep. In John 10, Jesus specifically makes reference to the separation of these two houses, or kingdoms. He came first for the Jews, but His mission did not stop there. Jesus sent out His followers to make disciples of all nations, which is precisely where the lost sheep of the House of Israel had been scattered and lost.
“I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me, 15just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.“ [John 10:14-16]
Notice that the mission of Jesus was in effect to bring both of these houses — Jew and Gentile — back together into one fold and under one Shepherd.
The prophets and the Apostles often speak of this redemptive plan of God to reunite God’s covenant people. Here are just a few examples.
“Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion. 15Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding … 17At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. 18In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance.“ [Jeremiah 3:14-15, 17-18]
“This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and I will put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick, and they will become one in My hand.’ 20When the sticks on which you write are in your hand and in full view of the people, 21you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. 22I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms.“ [Ezekiel 37:19-22]
As you can see, the mission of Jesus our Good Shepherd has always been about reuniting the two houses into one Kingdom.
To learn more about this fascinating topic, please view and share the following teaching from 1 Peter 2.
Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
[1 Peter 2:16]
As God’s people living in exile, we are subject to all types of authority, whether in government, society, school, athletics, or on the job. Humility is the quality of Christ that is most needed and at the same time most difficult to master in the life of a believer.
Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life. That is the call to follow Christ in a world that is not our own. When we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will exalt us in due time.
Discover more about this important topic in my teaching from 1 Peter and feel free to share.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
[1 Peter 2:9-10]
The LORD God entered into a marriage covenant with the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai — a covenant that Israel repeatedly broke. Israel was split into two kingdoms after the death of Solomon, and the northern Kingdom of Israel perpetuated generational idolatry with other gods. After years of calling His people back through the words of the prophets, the LORD made a heartbreaking decision.
God would divorce the northern House of Israel and send them away into exile. The southern nation of Judah, however, the LORD did not divorce on account of His promise to send the Messiah through the royal line of David . While the remnant of Judah would be preserved, the House of Israel (aka Joseph/Ephraim) would be integrated with the nations effectively becoming one with the Gentiles.
Yeshua — the Bridegroom — came into to world to accomplish God’s will — not the least of which was to redeem the lost sheep of the House of Israel and restore both Judah and Joseph back together as one nation under One King. Yeshua sent His disciples to all nations into which the House of Israel was lost, and that same Great Commission continues to this day.
Furthermore, by willingly dying for His people, Jesus nullified the original marriage contract and the certificate of divorce issued against Israel. And by rising from the dead, Jesus was able to remarry both the House of Israel and the House of Judah in a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34), restoring the two back into one.
Discover this amazing story of remarriage and redemption in my teaching below and share this amazing story with as many people as possible.
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. … No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
[Matthew 24:30-31, 36]
One of the most misunderstood verses in all of Scripture comes from the teachings of Jesus known as the Olivet Discourse. When referring to His second coming, Jesus says that “no one knows the day or the hour” of His return (see Mark 13:32 and Matthew 24:36).
Unfortunately, this one phrase has been lifted out of context and seriously mishandled as a prooftext to support the idea that Jesus can return at any moment without any necessary signs to precede His coming. Many in the dispensational camp call this teaching imminence, which suggests that the rapture of the church will be a secret, surprise event that could happen at any minute in the indefinite future. As a result, many have proposed that is impossible to discern the prophetic signs associated with the second coming of Christ and therefore a futile exercise altogether.
But what if this one phrase actually is teaching God’s people something radically different? What if Jesus was teaching us the exact opposite of “imminence,” and instead giving us a critical clue to discerning the signs and the general season of His return. After all, the entire Olivet Discourse is a master class on discerning the signs that precede the end of the age and the coming of Christ. Just a few verses before Jesus declares, “no one knows the day or the hour,” He also says, “So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door” (Matthew 24:34).
So which is it? Will the generation alive at the end of the age recognize these signs and know that the return of Jesus is near, even at the door? Or is it impossible to know the timing of Christ’s return?
I don’t think we can accuse Jesus of making contradictory statements to His disciples, only to leave them unsatisfied and confused. So there must be a better explanation. Maybe we are missing something from the historical context of this passage that is essential to understanding what Jesus actually meant.
I suggest that Jesus was using an idiom from His day to connect His listeners to a very familiar concept and a very specific day of the year — namely Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets.
Yom Teruah — A Day and Hour that No One Knows
Tonight (Wednesday, October 2, 2024) upon the sight of the new moon the Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah, will begin. Also known as the Day of Shouting, Yom Teruah is the first of the fall festivals established by God to serve as annual divine appointments for those in covenant with the God of Israel.
Trumpets is unique when compared to every other Biblical feast in that it is the only divine appointment that is not predetermined and fixed by a set day on the calendar. Yom Teruah begins of the first day of the seventh month (Tishri 1), and the only way to determine the first day of the month is visibly to observe the new moon in the night sky.
Obviously with the advent of modern technology and the accuracy of astronomical algorithms, we can more precisely predict the timing of each new moon; however, in Biblical times, the only way to identify the first of the month was to observe the night sky and watch for the sign of the new moon to emerge. Of course, our ancient ancestors had sufficient knowledge of the heavenly bodies as they followed their courses and would have known when the first day of the month was near — within a day or two. Consequently after their exile in Babylon, the Jewish rabbis dedicated a two-day window for the Feast of Trumpets just to ensure the new moon was accurately sighted.
To learn more about this two day window, read here.
So the official sign of the Feast of Trumpets was the sighting of the new moon, which then followed by a command from the High Priest to begin sounding the trumpet blasts, or shofar, and announce the beginning of the festival. Historically Yom Teruah has been celebrated with shouting, singing, candle lighting, and feasting with joy.
But if Jesus was using His teaching to draw a connection between the Feast of Trumpets and His return, perhaps this holy day — like all appointed feasts — is providing a prophetic shadow picture of the ministry and mission of Jesus.
The Biblical Imagery and Purpose of the Shofar
“God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!”
[Psalm 47:5-7]
The shofar — or ram’s horn — is a prominent symbol throughout Biblical history.
The trumpet was sounded on Mt. Sinai when the LORD came down in flaming fire to meet with Moses and enter into covenant with Israel (Exodus 19).
The shofar was blown under Joshua’s command during the conquest of Jericho (Joshua 6).
The shofar was sounded by Gideon as he led Israel to defeat the Midianites (Judges 7).
The trumpet was sounded at the coronation or procession of the King (Psalm 47, 98).
The shofar also was blown as a battle cry against the enemies of God.
But beyond all that, the trumpet has always been connected to the return of Christ our King to the earth the judge the living and the dead. Just consider the following verses.
The great day of the LORD is near,near and hastening fast;the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter;the mighty man cries aloud there.A day of wrath is that day,a day of distress and anguish,a day of ruin and devastation,a day of darkness and gloom,a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet blast and battle cryagainst the fortified citiesand against the lofty battlements.
[Zephaniah 1:14-16]
Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near;a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness…
[Joel 2:1]
Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.
[Zechariah 9:14]
For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
[1 Thessalonians 4:15-18]
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
[1 Corinthians 15:51-52]
Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”
[Revelation 11:15]
As we can clearly see, the blowing of the shofar is a significant and central sign that is connected to the return of Christ. Furthermore, Jesus mentions the blowing of the trump of God in Matthew 24:31 when He says, “And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call.”
And let us not forget that Jesus perfectly fulfilled the first four spring feasts during His first coming. He was crucified on Passover, buried on the first day of Unleavened Bread, raised to life on the Day of Firstfruits, and poured out the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
It only stands to reason that Jesus will fulfill the fall feasts through His second coming, beginning with the day and hour that no one knows — the Day of Trumpets!
Not only can we know the season of Christ’s return to this earth, He expects us to know. He is telling us to observe the signs, keep watching, stay awake, and lift up our heads for our redemption draws near. Just like with the Feast of Trumpets, we may not know the precise day or hour Christ returns, but we will know when His coming is near, even at the very gates of heaven!
I hope that you will celebrate this amazing feast this year with joy and anticipation of the return of our King and to shout His victory over sin and the grave!
You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
[1 Peter 2:5]
When God redeemed the children of Israel out of Egypt and entered into covenant with them at Mt. Sinai, His intention was for the entire nation to be a kingdom of priests — mediators between God and man. Israel’s purpose was to receive the perfect law of God and then become a light to the Gentiles as witnesses of God’s goodness and glory!
“See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land that you are about to enter and possess. 6Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”
[Deuteronomy 4:5-6]
Yet Israel rebelled against God and repeatedly broke His commandments, which forced the LORD to establish an eartly priesthood from the tribe of Levi to serve as mediators between God and the children of Israel. The priests were commissioned with specific roles within the covenant community of faith.
Priests were the primary teachers of the law and the judges over the people. They were charged with ministering in God’s temple, maintaining the sacrificial system, offering prayers, and even leading the army into battle.
Peter is reminding God’s people to embrace our priestly duties, as the Lord Jesus — our Great High Priest — has come to restore Israel to her original purpose as a royal priesthood, serving as mediators between God and mankind. We are called to be living stones in God’s house and offer our bodies daily as living sacrifices !
To discover more about this … be sure to watch my YouTube teaching on 1 Peter 2 below and feel free to share it with friends and family.
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
[1 Peter 1:23]
The Word of God.
The concept of the “Word” of God is as immense as it is amazing. We know that the LORD created the entire universe simply by the word of His power. “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.” [Psalm 33:6]
We know that the Word of the LORD was given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai and written in stone by the very finger of God.
We know that the Word of the LORD appeared in physical form to the fathers and the prophets, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, to name a few.
And we know that Jesus Himself, the Eternal Son of God, is called the Word — the Logos — which in Greek signified the purpose and source behind the entire universe. The Logos represented the original concept or thought behind all creation. The Logos is the language of life.
Here in 1 Peter, we discover the power of God’s Word, as the source and power behind the material universe and the spiritual rebirth for all who believe.
Be sure to watch my teaching below, as I expound on these ideas and more.
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
[1 Peter 1:18-19]
Passover is the first appointed feast of the LORD on God’s prophetic calendar. All of God’s divine appointments (Leviticus 23) are directly connected to the person and work of Christ, either in His first or second coming. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ will forever be associated with Passover, as Jesus is our Passover Lamb.
For centuries the “church” has distanced herself from God’s appointed feasts, starting with the Roman Catholic Church and continuing with Protestant Christianity.
One of the most serious misunderstandings within the church is believing that these appointed feasts are “Jewish” feasts and therefore no longer have any relevance or significance for “Gentile” believers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
These are NOT “Jewish” feasts. These are the feasts of the LORD, and therefore all of God’s people, whether Jew or Gentile, are invited to worship Jesus through the annual observance of these divine appointments.
Discover why everyone in covenant with the God of Israel should be excited about keeping these feast days holy and glorifying Jesus through them. After all, these appointed feasts are all about Jesus and lead us closer to Him.
WATCH the FOLLOWING VIDEO TEACHING HERE — JESUS OUR PASSOVER LAMB
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
[1 Peter 3:15-16]
What does it mean to be holy?
God and His angels are holy. And if God calls His people to be holy, then we would do well to understand what holiness really means from a Biblical perspective.
The Apostle Peter reminds us that mankind has been offered the unique opportunity to be redeemed — saved by grace through faith — and restored into relationship with the Father through Christ the Son. These are things even the holy angels long to look into.
But once we are saved, we also must remember that we have been set apart by God to serve His purposes for His glory. We begin the process of being sanctified, or made holy, into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
Discover this powerful message from 1 Peter by watching the teaching session below and please share it to friends and family to spread the good news of the Kingdom!
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy … [1 Peter 3:8]
We enter our spiritual journey through the doorway of faith in Messiah.
The very instant we place our faith in Jesus, we become part of His elect — citizens of heaven. Yet our journey here on this earth is marked by suffering and trials that take us down a difficult road of wandering as exiles in a world that is not our home.
We need hope — a Living Hope — to keep us going until we reach the end of our journey of life.
If faith is our starting point and hope leads us home in the end, then what is our purpose for everything in between?
Love …
For the greatest of these three is love. Love is undying power that holds everything together and transforms our hearts to bear the image of Christ.
Discover more about this amazing journey of faith, hope and love in my message from 1 Peter.
Please feel free to share this message abroad as we see the Day approaching.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen 2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood:Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
[1 Peter 1:1-2]
Who is Israel?
Who are the Jews?
What is the “Gentile” church?
Who are God’s elect?
How do we become part of the “elect” of God?
How are we to understand the relationship of Jews and Gentiles when it comes to our identity in Chirst?
These are fundamental questions that have been debated for centuries, and yet it seems we are no closer to understanding our true identity today than we were centuries ago.
In my study in 1st Peter, I unpack the meaning of what it means to be God’s Elect in Exile.
If you want to discover more about these essential topics, you can watch my teaching in the following YouTube Video below.
Days of Noah 