Steve's email: elijahlist2@mindspring.com December 29, 2000 6:40 am

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE

God gave me a dream last night.

It's a funny thing about some dreams . . . you know--how in a dream, you can often be two different people at the same time. God often does this to show you one issue from two different perspectives.

For Example:

One significant dream in the past, I had the most awful set of circumstances come MY way. It was the worst experience of my life. At the end of the dream, while still IN the dream, I suddenly realized that this was about a relative of mine. I said out loud, "So that's how ______ feels all the time!" Upon waking, I never again looked upon that relative the same. God used it to remove my judgmental attitude that this person ought to "get it together." Instead God showed me the PAIN of this relative from HIS (the relative's) perspective and from HIS (The Lord's Perspective) too.

THE JEWISH PERSPECTIVE

I can't remotely claim to understand what God's Jewish children go through and feel. Any attempt on my part would be just that--an ATTEMPT to understand.

In my dream last night, I was "two people"--or so it turned out by the end of the dream.

I was both a teacher AND a student, at the same CHRISTIAN school.

In this dream, a younger, fairly new teacher called me over, and even though I was a teacher, I was clearly also one of her students. She pulled out my English paper that I had worked so hard on. This English paper was also complete with photographs of a wedding (I've done wedding photography off and on over the years, now mainly for friends only).

This new white, blonde new teacher, accompanied by an older teacher who was supporting her--began to show me all the mistakes in my ENGLISH assignment. You must know that English has always been one of my best subjects in school (I'm 45 years old now, but in school, I always excelled IN ENGLISH). Rarely, if ever, did I get below an "A."

I HAD SUPPOSEDLY DONE POORLY

The teacher was showing me one technicality after another, to demonstrate why I had done poorly. I couldn't understand it because they seemed just that, "Technicalities!"

Page after page she showed me. Nothing seemed too important. Yes, I'd made a mistake here and there--Who doesn't, I thought?

I couldn't seem to find the grade I'd been given so I asked her to help me find the grade on my paper.

Flipping to a certain page, she had clearly marked a "D" in capital letters. I knew she really wanted to fail me.

I asked her in so many words, "Because of the few technicalities, you are giving me a 'D?'" I continued, while the older teacher looked on.

"Yes, I am. You have not done well with this paper."

I looked at the older teacher and she seemed to feel the need to support this younger teacher.

APPEALING TO A HIGHER AUTHORITY

"I'm appealing this to a higher authority," I said with FIRM CONVICTION and I noticed the look of approval in the eyes of the older teacher. "I'm taking this to the principal!"

I somehow knew or had the conviction, that this decision or "grade" by the young teacher was going to look pretty ridiculous by the seasoned Principal, who had himself, been a TEACHER.

As I went toward the principal's office, I showed the paper to several people who wanted to know what was going on. The paper was almost as long as a book and it was carefully bound and the photos of wedding pictures were carefully inserted. It looked quite nice. But as I flipped through the pages, I noticed some other things that had been "inserted" against my will.

THINGS TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD INSERTED

Now I was seeing things from the point of view of the young, little Jewish boy--around 10 years old.

The story became suddenly clear to me as I looked at the "addendums."

As it turns out, this teacher had publicly ridiculed me to the class and I was a little Jewish boy. I, being raised in a Jewish home, and being VERY good at communication, had stated my case to this class--like giving a report.

A young girl was picked to argue against me publicly, and our argument escalated--and was recorded in this book. My ability to communicate my case was better than hers.

But she had one thing going for her that I did NOT have. She had the opinions of the class. Soon, the entire class was laughing and scorning me for my decisions of what to write and how to write it. All of a sudden, my work, though not error-free, was being publicly made fun of.

In desperation, I had gotten even stronger in my arguments and the fight turned almost "dirty." This was used all the more against me and documented in this book or paper which I was now carrying to the principal.

MY MEETING WITH THE PRINCIPAL

Nevertheless, as I walked toward the principal's office, I intuitively knew that he would sniff out and understand what had really gone on. The very thing, my strong point, my communication skills had been used against me to scorn me--for one reason--"I was Jewish!" (In real life, I am not Jewish). But I knew this principal to be a righteous man and he would not stand for what had happened. I had appealed to a higher authority and now I was soon to be publicly vindicated, and this new young teacher was not going to look very good when this principal was finished with her.

The dream ended.

INTERPRETATIONS:

I believe most dreams like this have at LEAST two interpretations and probably more--at multiple levels. Let me just give you two quick interpretations:

1) The young ENGLISH teacher, I believe, probably at least represents the AMERICAN Church, who though not intending it, has picked on and persecuted the upcoming and well-schooled Jewish-oriented Messianic Church. They, the Messianic Church, have made mistakes and not all they do or are doing, or believe is right. But much of it is.

Nevertheless, we, the American Church have--in effect--banded together and have begun to ridicule the new Messianic movement and said, "This is terrible work, terrible Theology," and we've said that their VIEW of the WEDDING that Christ speaks of in the Bible, both the Marriage of the Lamb with His Jewish Children, and the Marriage of the Jew and Gentile--well, while they have effectively stated their case in many instances, we don't even want to read about it. We've put a few people out front to say, "This is ineffective writing and there are mistakes" so instead, the American Church has, (again, IN EFFECT, if not openly) ridiculed the new Messianic Jewish church movement.

To state it plainly, God, THE PRINCIPAL is not pleased, and we will not be vindicated in our prejudice. What we got away with last year, we will NOT get away with this year. This is not the time to "join the crowd" and laugh at those who are in this movement. We may not agree with all that is being written, but this one thing is certain--the PRINCIPAL will be appealed to as the higher authority, and it will not be good for those who are opposing Messianic Christians in this hour--especially as they oppose them with racist attitudes. God will not take our side. Look at your life this year. If there are even "hidden" anti-Semitic attitudes, this is the time to change them, or God will discipline us publicly.

THE AMERICAN AND OTHER COUNTRIES' POLITICAL SCENE

2) The AMERICAN political scene is much the same. God is not pleased that Americans, American Politicians, and the American media have taken a stance against Israel and the Jewish people. Israel may not have it all right. There are mistakes in some of their positions. Nevertheless, their work is good. Their communication is good. And their understanding that much of their position is right (though not all of it) needs to be embraced. This is NOT the year for the media to come against God's Jewish people. Some whole media outlets will be judged and will "go out of business" because of their stance against Israel.

God will not leave as "unjudged" this year, those who take a stance against Israel simply because it's easier to go along with the crowd and laugh at them, "downGRADE them" or ridicule them. This is a time to be WISE. Pray for all sides to all conflicts--this is wisdom and of God. But do not go against Israel. You will pay the price this year, I believe, if you do. God prefers mercy and grace over disobedience.

MANY IN ISRAEL ARE CRYING OUT DAY AND NIGHT TO GOD!

Before God, "The Principal," the LORD will speedily vindicate those who cry out to HIM day and night, and trust me--many in Israel are AT THIS VERY TIME crying out to God day and night.

Luke 18:7 "And will not God bring about justice for his CHOSEN ONES, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?"

A TIME TO BE SENSITIVE

We must understand that God has NOT rejected HIS PEOPLE, as has been erroneously taught among the churches for centuries:

ONLY IF THE SEASONS STOP! AND NIGHT AND DAY END!

Jer 31:35-37 This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD Almighty is his name: "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a NATION BEFORE ME." This is what the LORD says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done," declares the LORD.

TO THE JEW FIRST---THAT'S THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN

Paul, the JEWISH apostle:

Rom 1:16 "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: FIRST FOR THE JEW, then for the Gentile."

"MY OWN PEOPLE" WHO ACCEPT CHRIST WILL BE "LIFE FROM THE DEAD" --FOR THE WORLD

Rom 11:13-15 I am talking to you Gentiles-- Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

IT'S LIKE RIDING ON A DONKEY

Isn't it interesting, that in the United States, the donkey is considered among the lowest of creatures and our "royalty," presidents, and leaders alike would never be SEEN riding on a donkey. But in Israel, riding on a donkey was what Kings did to illustrate their entry into power.

How like God to demonstrate that what is foolishness to many, is not foolishness to HIM. . .

As I woke up this morning, this Scripture kept coming to me . . .

Matt 21:5 "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

THIS IS THE YEAR

This is the year where the CHURCH at large will have to make a decision. Are we FOR Israel and the Jewish people or against them. Will be join the crowd and say, "Give them a "D?" "Their work is not good." "They are not righteous." "They don't know what they are doing."

Look, of COURSE they don't know what they are doing.

Even Jesus said that at his crucifixion, "Forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." The same is true of all of us. None of us are good and none of us know what we are doing.

God is saying that it's time to acknowledge that our racism and jokes, and public humiliation against the Jewish/Messianic people and church or Israel itself, or the City of Jerusalem--is not of HIM and He is about to speedily come to THEIR defense. Just because we don't agree with everything---this is not the year or the time or the season to stand against God's Jewish Children, lest me find ourselves fighting against God.

Never forget, that just like the old bumper sticker said, "My Father is a Jewish Carpenter"--God will not forget that His son was born, FIRST TO THE JEW, and first AS A JEW and then to the Gentiles. He will not forget the child born to Mary, and He will not forget the Jewish people, from which Jesus was born.

Steve Shultz THE ELIJAH LIST elijahlist2@mindspring.com