19) Why Study the Bible Through a Jewish Lens? - Part 5: Readopting the Jewish Apocalyptic Gospel and the Full Gospel Message

Introduction

In this study, we embark on a journey to restore the Jewish apocalyptic worldview and the full gospel message as understood by the early Jewish believers. Often overlooked or misunderstood, this worldview and message provide a crucial framework for accurately interpreting the New Testament scriptures. By delving into the rich tapestry of Second Temple Judaism literature and examining key phrases and concepts, we uncover a deeper understanding of the apostles' writings and their anticipation of the coming kingdom of God. Join us as we explore the significance of phrases like "the age to come," "the resurrection of the dead," and "the Day of the Lord," shedding light on the profound implications of these terms for our understanding of the gospel message.

Restore the Jewish Apocalyptic Worldview and the Full Gospel Message

We will spend much time looking closer at literature from Second Temple Judaism in future modules. This will help paint a picture of the New Testament that properly frames the apostles' writings within the proper context and worldview, an apocalyptic worldview. This does not imply they were all about doomsday, but they did anticipate the Day of the Lord, the end of this age, and the start of a new age. For now, I want to encourage you to be observant while reading the New Testament and look for phrases like "the age to come, the resurrection of the dead, the Day of the Lord, the Day of Christ, the wrath to come, the day of judgment, etc." These are standard terms associated with a Jewish apocalyptic worldview and associated with the anticipated coming kingdom of God, with Jesus on the throne and the New Covenant being in full effect and fully realized.

Correctly understanding this Jewish mindset is integral to understanding the New Testament scriptures. The book of Hebrews is commonly cited to prove that the New Covenant is now, the kingdom is now, and that the Torah has been canceled. A critical phrase in Hebrews chapter 2 is often overlooked:

For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. (Hebrews 2:5, ESV Bible)

It says, "the world to come, of which we are speaking." The author of Hebrews literally sets the context for the rest of the discussion. This idea of "the world to come" and what it entails, Jesus' relationship to it, and our relationship to it are all discussed. This age to come represents entering his rest (Hebrews 4:1), where Jesus serves as the High Priest (Hebrews 5:9), making atonement and offering salvation on the day of judgment, the source of eternal salvation. Jesus offers his life for atonement, not for this age but to grant us life in the coming age. The coming age is when we will all stand judgment before God. A newer, better covenant defines this age to come and eternal life (Hebrews 8:6-7). As this age comes closer and closer to a close, the new covenant will make the old one obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). But since the blood of Christ has already been spilled, the New Covenant has been inaugurated in a sense. However, the promises of that covenant are still hope for the future.

Our failure to recognize the discussion of this age versus the age to come has negatively affected our interpretation of the Book of Hebrews. There is a difference in this world and in the world to come. Two Hebrew terms represent these worlds: Olam HaZeh (This present world) and Olam HaBa (The world to come). Olam HaZeh is a term used in Jewish eschatology to refer to the created order, the whole universe as we know it. Olam HaZeh is from the beginning of time until after the Messianic Era.

At the end of the Messianic Era, this current world becomes the world to come, Olam HaBa. It is reborn or resurrected into a new order, a new earth, and a new heaven. We read about this in the prophecies of Isaiah and Peter and Revelation.

The Temple here on earth corresponds to this present world. The Temple above corresponds to the world to come. Regarding the discussion in Hebrews, the author goes to great lengths to demonstrate that what he is describing is not happening here at the Temple on earth. The Old Covenant = Covenant for Olam HaZeh (This World), and the New Covenant = Covenant for Olam Haba (World to Come). The Messianic Era is the transition into Olam Haba.

For if that first (protos) covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second (deuteros). (Hebrews 8:7, ESV Bible)

The early manuscripts of Hebrews use the terms protos and deuteros. Protos = first, and Deuteros = second. The writer of Hebrews plays back and forth with these as we go through the chapter. These same terms describe this age versus the age to come. In Hebrews chapter 9, the author uses the Temple to symbolize the protos and deuteros:

Now even the first (protos) covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first (protos) section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second (deuteros) curtain was a second (deuteros) section called the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 9:1-3, ESV Bible)

The tabernacle is divided into two regions, the holy place and the holy of holies. The writer here is making an analogy where he refers to the outer area holy place or sanctuary as the protos and the holy of holies as the deuteros. We learn that the Temple represents both this world and the world to come, the current covenants, and the new covenant to come. The Holy Place represents the protos, where we live, our world, where we do our worship. Once we pass into the deuteros, that is all over. There is no choosing to serve God in the world to come because there is nothing to do but serve God in the world to come. It is only in this world that we make a choice.

According to the writer of Hebrews, the protos stands for this present time. As long as we are in this present time, extending to the end of the Messianic Era, the Temple still has significance. The writer had made it clear that the protos represent the first covenant, and the deuteros is the place of the new covenant. By way of association, we learn that the old covenant is the covenant of this present world, which still has significance. The New Covenant is the covenant for the world to come.

Though we live and serve in the protos, this present world, those of us who have already identified the Messiah as the King, it is as if we already have one foot through the veil into the deuteros.

This is just a tiny taste of the concept of this age and the age to come. This is a fundamental concept to grasp, and if you do not understand it, you can draw inappropriate conclusions from the Book of Hebrews. We will explore this more and more in future modules.

Restore the Gospel Message

The gospel is a concept that is not new to the New Testament. In modern times, we relate the gospel to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This message about Jesus represents a part of the gospel but not the entire gospel. And this evangelical gospel, taught within churches today, has truth within its message, but it's not the whole truth. You see, the full gospel message has been mistaken for the message of salvation. The salvation message is about what Jesus did for us and how we can benefit from his atoning work for our sins. And the message of salvation and the full gospel are not the same. In reality, many evangelical churches do not teach the gospel; they teach salvation. They're not teaching the good news of the Bible from a full gospel message perspective, they are teaching a formula for attaining personal salvation. Salvation is being interpreted as the good news. And, of course, salvation is good news! However, it is not the full gospel message found throughout the Bible.

The church has developed a salvation culture instead of a gospel culture. And again, there is nothing wrong with the idea of salvation. But even the term salvation has become somewhat ill-defined among Christian believers. What do the New Testament writers mean when they say someone will be saved? In the New Testament, salvation is typically in reference to the coming day of judgment, where the righteous and the wicked will both be judged by God. In biblical terms, to be saved means to be rescued from the wrath to come. The message of salvation is necessary, and the church has done a great job teaching this message. However, this message of salvation is only one chapter within a larger Jewish narrative. And there is a danger when we only focus on part of a message within a larger text such as the Bible. By concentrating only on one part of the message, the rest doesn't seem as important. This personal salvation message, heard throughout modern-day churches, has become of central importance. In many ways, the message of salvation has no actual use for the Old Testament, where the covenant promises from God are found. Why? The message of salvation has been centered around Jesus in the New Testament. This simple gospel message within many churches has no use for the historical story of Israel, the covenant people to whom all the promises were made. By focusing only on the message of salvation, the Old Testament and the history of Israel are just residual elements of a prior religion, which can be left out and probably should be left out because they are not essential to the message of salvation, "believe in Jesus so that you can go to heaven when you die."

But the message of salvation is nested within a larger storyline. That larger message has significance, and without seeing that larger Jewish worldview and Biblical narrative, we can miss the truth of the Bible. Instead, you need the Old Testament to fully understand the gospel message. In fact, the gospel message begins in the Old Testament. The story originates in the Law of Moses. It continues into the Prophets and the writings that comprise the Hebrew Scriptures. A story is being told with a beginning and an expected end. To understand the gospel, you must know where everything is headed and where the story will culminate.

Does the story of the Bible culminate in the first century, with the death and resurrection of Jesus? Some think so, but there is more to the story. To understand the gospel, we must look at the entirety of scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. We must understand what God has done in the past, what He is doing now in the present, and know what He will do in the future.

We will spend a lot of time in future modules developing this concept of the gospel, restoring it to the full gospel message as understood by first century Jewish believers.

Conclusion

As we conclude our exploration, we are reminded of the importance of reading the Bible through a Jewish lens. This perspective enriches our understanding of the scriptures and challenges us to reevaluate our beliefs and interpretations. By restoring the Jewishness of Jesus and embracing the Jewish roots of Christianity, we gain a deeper appreciation for the faith and a more authentic understanding of its foundation. As we continue to explore the full gospel message and the Jewish apocalyptic worldview in future modules, let us embark on this journey together, seeking a deeper relationship with the scriptures and a more profound connection to our faith.