The "Gabriel Revelation" tablet with its owner, David Jeselsohn, who didn’t understand its significance when he purchased it. (photo by the NYT)

A respected Israeli scholar and professor at Hebrew University is making an intriguing and compelling case that it is a distinctly Jewish notion to expect the Messiah to come, die as a “suffering servant” as an atonement for sins and the redemption of Israel, and then to rise from the dead on the third day. Based on his many years of research, and fairly recently analyzed archaeological evidence — including a previously unstudied Dead Sea Scroll – the scholar is also arguing that this notion of the Messiah rising on the third day is a pre-Christian concept that dates back to before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem Ephratah. The case made by Dr. Israel Knohl has attracted significant attention, including a major article in the New York Times and several articles in Biblical Archaeology Review — see here, and here, and here.

The Times story, which ran under the headline, Ancient Tablet Ignites Debate on Messiah and Resurrection, begins as follows: “A three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew that scholars believe dates from the decades just before the birth of Jesus is causing a quiet stir in biblical and archaeological circles, especially because it may speak of a messiah who will rise from the dead after three days. If such a messianic description really is there, it will contribute to a developing re-evaluation of both popular and scholarly views of Jesus, since it suggests that the story of his death and resurrection was not unique but part of a recognized Jewish tradition at the time. The tablet, probably found near the Dead Sea in Jordan according to some scholars who have studied it, is a rare example of a stone with ink writings from that era — in essence, a Dead Sea Scroll on stone.” The tablet  has been named by scholars as “Gabriel’s Revelation” because it suggests that the angel Gabriel was instructed by God to direct that the Messiah be raised from the dead on the third day.

Admittedly, this isn’t news. The stone tablet was discovered about fifteen years ago and is owned by a Israeli-Swiss Jewish man by the name of David Jeselsohn who didn’t understand its significance when he purchased it. The Times article was published in 2008. Dr. Knohl then published a book about all this in 2009 entitled, Messiahs and Resurrection in “The Gabriel Revelation.” That was a follow up to his previous book, The Messiah Before Jesus: The Suffering Servant of the Dead Sea Scrolls (first published in Hebrew in 2000 and then in English in 2002). In the book, Dr. Knohl explains the various Jewish theories about the Messiah, including the idea of a “Messiah son of David” who will be a reigning king on the earth like King David was, and a “Messiah son of Joseph” who will be rejected by his brothers, mistreated, left for dead but will eventually reappear and save not only the nation of Israel but the world like Joseph did in the book of Genesis.

Why do I bring it up now? Because it absolutely fascinates me. I was intrigued with the various stories when they were first published. But in recent days — in part because of Passover and Easter – I began sharing all this with our four sons. Together, we’ve been studying the book of I Corinthians together each morning before school. Last week we just happened to begin studying I Corinithians 15:1-5, which reads, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you,unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas [Peter], then to the twelve [apostles]. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time….” We studied how the Hebrew Scriptures speak of the Messiah suffering and dying to atone for our sins and how we see these ancient prophecies described in Isaiah 53, in Daniel 9:26 (which says the Messiah will come for atonement, then be “cut off,” and afterwards Jerusalem and the Temple will be destroyed), and Psalm 22. We also looked carefully at the Gospel accounts to show how Jesus remarkably fulfilled each of these prophecies.

This morning over breakfast, I read excerpts of the Times story to Lynn and the boys, and we discussed why many Jewish people think the idea of a suffering Messiah who dies and rises again on the third day is a Christian idea, when really it is a Jewish idea, as explained with such intriguing research by Dr. Knohl. Unfortunately, I’ve never read Dr. Knohl’s books, only excerpts, but since today is my birthday we’ve ordered both and are eager to read them when they arrive. I’d encourage you to read them, too, or at least to read the articles that I’ve linked here on the blog.

Even more importantly I would ask you to consider today: What if the Gospel story is true ? What if Jesus not only died for our sins but was buried and raised from the dead on the third day, according to the ancient prophecies? Why should that matter? How should you respond? May the Lord bless you as your process these critical questions. (Please click here for a simple, concise summary of the Gospel message, and a clear explanation of how best to respond.)

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On Saturday, June 16th, I will host a live, three-hour “Implosion Simulcast,” which will be shown around the country and around the world. Please sign up your church, home fellowship group, or small group Bible study today to participate in this unique event. It will be distinctly non-political and non-partisan.

—————————–

• Help Christians bless needy Israelis now and be ready for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
• Implosion is now available for pre-order.
• The Tehran Initiative is available in hardcover or e-book
• Follow the “Epicenter Team” on Facebook with the latest news from the Middle East along with prayer requests.
• Sign up for Joel’s (free) email updates called “Flash Traffic”

>> In case you missed it: a video of me speaking at a recent conference, explaining my spiritual journey and how I didn’t discover I was Jewish until I was in the fifth grade.

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

International negotiations with Iran went nowhere on Friday. More discussions are schedule for May, though Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said this was a gift to the Iranians who will have more time to enrich uranium and accelerate their weapons development program. “My initial impression is that Iran has been given a freebie,” said the PM during a meeting with U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman. “It’s got five weeks to continue enrichment without any limitation, any inhibition.”

No sooner had the fruitless talks ended had talk in Israel returned to the increasing imminency of war. “A major Israel TV station on Sunday night broadcast a detailed report on how Israel will go about attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities in the event that diplomacy and sanctions fail and Israel decides to carry out a military strike,” reports the Times of Israel. “The report, screened on the main evening news of Channel 10, was remarkable both in terms of the access granted to the reporter, who said he had spent weeks with the pilots and other personnel he interviewed, and in the fact that his assessments on a strike were cleared by the military censor. No order to strike is likely to be given before the P5+1 talks with Iran resume in May, the reporter, Alon Ben-David, said. ‘But the coming summer will not only be hot but tense.’….

“In the event that negotiations fail and the order is given for Israel to carry out an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, ‘dozens if not more planes’ will take part in the mission: attack and escort jets, tankers for mid-air refueling, electronic warfare planes and rescue helicopters, the report said…..Ben-David said that if negotiations break down, and Iran moves key parts of its nuclear program underground to its Qom facility, the IAF ‘is likely to get the order and to set out on the long journey to Iran….Years of preparations are likely to come to realization,” he said, adding that ‘the moment of truth is near.’….The attack, the report said, would presumably trigger a war in northern Israel, with missile attacks (presumably from the Iranian-proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon). ‘There will be no tranquility and peace anywhere in Israel,’ Ben-David said. This could be the first full-scale war the IAF has fought in nearly 30 years, the report stated.”

While a summer war is a real possibility, the Israelis will also want and need to maximize the element of surprise, meaning a strike this spring is still possible. Then again, any number of events could intervene in the near future to thwart the need for a war, or thwart the Israelis’ ability to conduct an effective war with Iran. As noted several weeks ago, one of those events would be if Russian President Vladimir Putin intervened to warn Israel not to strike or risk Russian military intervention. Let us, therfore, continue to pray for peace in the epicenter, while we continue to gird ourselves and prepare for the possibility of war.

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On Saturday, June 16th, I will host a live, three-hour “Implosion Simulcast,” which will be shown around the country and around the world. Please sign up your church, home fellowship group, or small group Bible study today to participate in this unique event. It will be distinctly non-political and non-partisan.

—————————–

• Help Christians bless needy Israelis now and be ready for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
• Implosion is now available for pre-order.
• The Tehran Initiative is available in hardcover or e-book
• Follow the “Epicenter Team” on Facebook with the latest news from the Middle East along with prayer requests.
• Sign up for Joel’s (free) email updates called “Flash Traffic”

>> In case you missed it: a video of me speaking at a recent conference, explaining my spiritual journey and how I didn’t discover I was Jewish until I was in the fifth grade.

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

We shouldn’t hold our collective breath that there’s going to be a positive outcome, but we shouldn’t be cynics either. Nothing is impossible with God, so let’s pray for a breakthrough. After all, these nuclear talks in Istanbul may represent the last chance for diplomacy before Israel launches a preemptive strike against Iran, or Iran launches a first strike against Israel and the U.S. While I’m wary of the Iranians trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the six powers (the way Hitler fooled Chamberlain and the West in the 1930s), I would much rather see a truly peaceful solution (i.e., Iran gives up its nuclear ambitions and agrees to entirely dismantle its nuclear program in full, transparent view of international inspectors) than war. We dare not kid ourselves. An Israel-Iran war could be brutal. I’m currently working on a new novel, The Damascus Countdown, about such a war and the blowback of Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas if Israel were to launch a first strike. If it’s this painful to imagine for the purposes of fiction, how much worse would it be in real life. Let us keep praying for the peace of Jerusalem, and peace — and spiritual and political freedom — for all the people of the epicenter.

• Haaretz: Nuclear talks between Iran, six world powers open in Istanbul
• Washington Post: Talks underway in Turkey amid hopes of easing Iranian nuclear crisis

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On Saturday, June 16th, I will host a live, three-hour “Implosion Simulcast,” which will be shown around the country and around the world. Please sign up your church, home fellowship group, or small group Bible study today to participate in this unique event. It will be distinctly non-political and non-partisan.

—————————–

• Help Christians bless needy Israelis now and be ready for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
• Implosion is now available for pre-order.
• The Tehran Initiative is available in hardcover or e-book
• Follow the “Epicenter Team” on Facebook with the latest news from the Middle East along with prayer requests.
• Sign up for Joel’s (free) email updates called “Flash Traffic”

>> In case you missed it: a video of me speaking at a recent conference, explaining my spiritual journey and how I didn’t discover I was Jewish until I was in the fifth grade!

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

Bible prophecy indicates that in the End Times, the nation we know today as the Republic of Iraq — known variously in Scripture as Babel, Bablyon, Babylonia, Mesopotamia and Shinar — will emerge as the global center of wealth, power and terrible evil. Eventually Iraq will pose a direct and existential threat to the State of Israel, particularly during the Tribulation. 

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein and his regime in 2003, Iraq has not been a regional threat, much less a danger to Israel. Some have assumed, therefore, that Iraq would no longer play a major role in Middle Eastern or global affairs in the future. But such a conclusion would be a mistake. As I wrote about in my first non-fiction book, Epicenter, those who read, understand and believe Bible prophecy have been watching for Iraq to: 1) begin rebuilding its offensive military capability; 2) begin rebuilding its economy; 3) continue rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon into a major center of commerce and tourism.

Interestingly, all three developments are currently underway.

IRAQ IS REBUILDING ITS MILITARY

Now that the Iraqi government has forced the American military out of their country, they have embarked on a dramatic arms build-up, including the purchase of American weapons systems that could be used for offensive purposes in the future. Examples:

• The Iraqis are buying 140 state-of-the-art American M1A1 combat tanks. “The Government of Iraq has purchased 140 tanks from the United States, all of which have arrived in Iraq,” reports an Iraqi business website. “131 of those tanks are already in the possession of the Iraqi Army. The nine remaining tanks are in Iraq, but in U.S. possession.”
• The Iraqis are buying 36 advanced American F-16 fighter jets. “Israel is monitoring Iraq’s rearmament program, particularly Bahgdad’s acquisition of 36 Lockheed Martin F-16s, with some disquiet amid intelligence reports Iran is consolidating its influence in Iraq following the U.S. military withdrawal,” reports UPI. “Baghdad ordered the F-16 Block 52 multi-role Fighting Falcon jets — enough to equip the Iraqi air force’s first two fighter squadrons — in two 18-plane batches in 2011 at an estimated total cost of $ 7 billion.”
• In 2010, the Iraqis embarked on a $ 13 billion weapons spending spree. “Iraq is preparing to buy as much as $ 13 billion in American arms and military equipment, a huge order of tanks, ships and hardware that U.S. officials say shows Iraqi-U.S. military ties will be tight for years to come,” reported USA Today. “‘It helps to build their capabilities, first and foremost; and second, it builds our strategic relationship for the future,’ said Army Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero, the ranking U.S. officer responsible for training and advising Iraq forces.”

IRAQ IS REBUILDING ITS ECONOMY

Now that the war of liberation is over and most of Iraq has been pacified and stabilized from the terrorist insurgency, Iraq’s economy is not only growing but is poised for hyper-growth. Analysts expect Iraq’s GDP to grow by more than 9% annually for the next few years, and expect Iraq’s oil production to nearly triple by 2017.

• “Iraq’s gross domestic product is expected to grow by an average rate of at least 9.4 percent annually between 2012 and 2016 as the oil-producing country benefits from larger windfalls in oil revenues, a senior central bank official said [in February],” reports Reuters. ”Iraq, which has the fourth-biggest oil reserves in the world, is currently producing around 2.9 million barrels per day (bpd). Iraq’s oil minister said last year he expected production to reach between 8-8.5 million bpd by 2017.”
• Some analysts within the Iraqi Planning Ministry believe Iraq could reach a 47% growth rate by 2017, once the oil starts flowing fast and furious.
• More and more major international companies are signing deals to do business in Iraq — see this intriguing list published by Reuters, published in December 2011.
• In 2011, ExxonMobil — the world’s largest oil company — signed a major deal to help develop the oil industry in Iraq’s northern region of Kurdistan. Despite the fact being mired in some political controversy, the deal is likely to be fully ratified in the not-too-distant future.
• Also in 2011, Royal Dutch Shell signed a $ 17 billion deal to help Iraq develop its enormous lucrative oil industry in its southern regions.
• In 2010, the Iraqi government ratified four other major oil deals.

IRAQ IS REBUILDING THE CITY OF BABYLON

Largely overlooked by Westerners is the fact that the government of Iraq is moving forward with plans to protect the archaeological remains of the ancient City of Babylon, in preparation for building a modern city of Babylon. As I wrote in 2009, the project — originally started by the late Saddam Hussein — is aimed eventually at attracting scores of “cultural tourists” from all over the world to see the glories of Mesopotamia’s most famous city. What’s more, the Obama Administration has actually helped contribute U.S. taxpayer dollars to “The Future of Babylon Project” through the State Department’s budget. Read more at the World Monuments Fund website for the rebuilding Babylong project.

In 2011, I noted that the New York Times had published an intriguing article on Iraqi efforts to preserve, protect, restore and then rebuild the ancient city of Babylon and make it a draw for tourists, with U.S. taxpayer assistance. The Times reports that a modern Babylon museum will open later this month. Times’ reporter Steven Lee Myers also posted a fascinating four minute video walking through some of the rebuilt ruins of Babylon, and explaining Iraqi efforts to protect and restore numerous Biblical sites.

“The Babylon project is Iraq’s biggest and most ambitious by far, a reflection of the ancient city’s fame and its resonance in Iraq’s modern political and cultural heritage,” the Times reported, noting that “in November, the State Department announced a new $ 2 million grant to begin work to preserve the site’s most impressive surviving ruins. They include the foundation of the Ishtar Gate, built in the sixth century B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar, and adorned with brick reliefs of the Babylonian gods Marduk and Adad.”

“The American reconstruction team has refurbished a modern museum on the site, as well as a model of the Ishtar Gate that for decades served as a visitors’ entrance. Inside the museum is one of the site’s most valuable relics: a glazed brick relief of a lion, one of 120 that once lined the processional way into the city. The museum, with three galleries, is scheduled to open this month, receiving its first visitors since 2003. And with new security installed, talks are under way to return ancient Babylonian artifacts from the National Museum in Baghdad. The fate of Babylon is already being disputed by Iraqi leaders, with antiquities officials clashing with local authorities over when to open it to visitors and how to exploit the site for tourism that, for the most part, remains a goal more than a reality. Even now they are clashing over whether the admission fee should go to the antiquities board or the provincial government.”

(Photo by New York Times: Iraqi women walking through the city of Babylon that is currently being rebuilt.)

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On Saturday, June 16th, I will host a live, three-hour “Implosion Simulcast,” which will be shown around the country and around the world. Please sign up your church, home fellowship group, or small group Bible study today to participate in this unique event. It will be distinctly non-political and non-partisan.

—————————–

• Help Christians bless needy Israelis now and be ready for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
• Implosion is now available for pre-order.
• The Tehran Initiative is available in hardcover or e-book
• Follow the “Epicenter Team” on Facebook with the latest news from the Middle East along with prayer requests.
• Sign up for Joel’s (free) email updates called “Flash Traffic”

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

Good news from Asia. North Korea’s rocket launch has failed. This is particularly good since Iran and North Korea have been working so closely on rocket and missile technology in recent years. A setback for Pyongyang is likely also a blow to Tehran’s hopes of having an intercontinental ballistic missile any time soon, though that remains the goals of the mullahs. “Defying international concerns, North Korea fired a long-range rocket early today, but it appears to have fallen into the sea, splintering moments after takeoff,” reports the Daily Telegraph out of London. “The liftoff took place at 7:39 am from the west coast launch pad in the hamlet of Tongchang-ri, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said, citing South Korean and U.S. intelligence. The two countries as well as many others had warned against the launch, calling it a provocation and a cover to test missile technology. North Korea had insisted it would not back down, and said the rocket would only carry a satellite, touting it as a major technological achievement to mark the 100th birth anniversary of the country’s founder, Kim Il Sung, on Sunday. Still, if the US report of a failure, backed by Japan and South Korea, is true, it would be a major embarrassment for Pyongyang, which has invited dozens of international journalists to observe the rocket launch and other celebrations….”

• CBS News: U.S. moves anti-missile ships into place ahead of North Korea’s rocket launch
• New York Times: Fears About North Korea and Iran Will Dominate Nuclear Summit Meeting in Seoul
• Politico: North Korea launch condemned by White House

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

Attention Pastors and Ministry Leaders: Is America headed for implosion, or revival? Can America recover from our economic and spiritual challenges before it’s too late? And what will happen to America if we ignore, abandon or turn against Israel in her time of need?

On Saturday, June 16th, we will consider these critical questions during a live, three-hour “Implosion Simulcast,” which will be shown around the country and around the world. Please sign up your church, home fellowship group, or small group Bible study today to participate in this unique event.

During the first hour of the simulcast, I will discuss the research I did for a new non-fiction book entitle, Implosion, examining the reasons why the United States faces not merely “decline” but the real and growing risk of outright collapse. We will consider what the Bible has to say about the future of America and whether the U.S. is ever mentioned directly or indirectly in Bible prophecy. We will examine historic lessons from the remarkable and sweeping Christian revivals known as first “Great Awakening” of the early 1700s and the “Second Great Awakening” of the early 1800s, and consider the possibility of a Third Great Awakening in our time.

In the second and third hours, I will take live questions at Houston’s First Baptist Church where we will be holding the event, as well as questions that come in via text, Twitter and Facebook from those watching all over the world.

With our national debt skyrocketing, our politics divided, many marriages and families crumbling, and the growing threat of another war in the Middle East, one thing is clear: 2012 is going to be a critical year for the United States. Will the Church step up and be the shining city on the hill that Jesus called her to be? Will we see God pour out His grace and mercy in a series of transformative revivals that will save our nation again as He has saved us in the past? Or will we continue rejecting God’s mercy and see our decline accelerate into a national death spiral?

The multiple crises we are facing are very real and the stakes are very high. Please encourage your pastor today to sign up your church for the Implosion Simulcast. You can also sign up your home fellowship group or small group Bible study to watch the simulcast together. I would very much like you to be a vital part of the conversation, and I’d also be grateful for your prayers that this conversation would spread virally and that even before June, millions of Americans would begin praying, fasting and fervently seeking God to have mercy on this great country before it is too late. Thanks so much and may God bless you as you sign up today.

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• Help Christians bless needy Israelis now and be ready for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
• Implosion is now available for pre-order.
• The Tehran Initiative is available in hardcover or e-book
• Follow the “Epicenter Team” on Facebook with the latest news from the Middle East along with prayer requests.
• Sign up for Joel’s (free) email updates called “Flash Traffic”

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

Attention Pastors and Ministry Leaders: Is America headed for implosion, or revival? Can America recover from our economic and spiritual challenges before it’s too late? And what will happen to America if we ignore, abandon or turn against Israel in her time of need?

On Saturday, June 16th, we will consider these critical questions during a live, three-hour “Implosion Simulcast,” which will be shown around the country and around the world. Please sign up your church, home fellowship group, or small group Bible study today to participate in this unique event.

During the first hour of the simulcast, I will discuss the research I did for a new non-fiction book entitle, Implosion, examining the reasons why the United States faces not merely “decline” but the real and growing risk of outright collapse. We will consider what the Bible has to say about the future of America and whether the U.S. is ever mentioned directly or indirectly in Bible prophecy. We will examine historic lessons from the remarkable and sweeping Christian revivals known as first “Great Awakening” of the early 1700s and the “Second Great Awakening” of the early 1800s, and consider the possibility of a Third Great Awakening in our time.

In the second and third hours, I will take live questions at Houston’s First Baptist Church where we will be holding the event, as well as questions that come in via text, Twitter and Facebook from those watching all over the world.

With our national debt skyrocketing, our politics divided, many marriages and families crumbling, and the growing threat of another war in the Middle East, one thing is clear: 2012 is going to be a critical year for the United States. Will the Church step up and be the shining city on the hill that Jesus called her to be? Will we see God pour out His grace and mercy in a series of transformative revivals that will save our nation again as He has saved us in the past? Or will we continue rejecting God’s mercy and see our decline accelerate into a national death spiral?

The multiple crises we are facing are very real and the stakes are very high. Please encourage your pastor today to sign up your church for the Implosion Simulcast. You can also sign up your home fellowship group or small group Bible study to watch the simulcast together. I would very much like you to be a vital part of the conversation, and I’d also be grateful for your prayers that this conversation would spread virally and that even before June, millions of Americans would begin praying, fasting and fervently seeking God to have mercy on this great country before it is too late. Thanks so much and may God bless you as you sign up today.

————————-————-

• Help Christians bless needy Israelis now and be ready for a possible major new war in the epicenter — please prayerfully consider a generous, tax deductible financial contribution to The Joshua Fund.
• Implosion is now available for pre-order.
• The Tehran Initiative is available in hardcover or e-book
• Follow the “Epicenter Team” on Facebook with the latest news from the Middle East along with prayer requests.
• Sign up for Joel’s (free) email updates called “Flash Traffic”

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

Here’s my story, how I came to faith in Jesus at the age of 8, discovered I was Jewish a few years later, how I struggled through a crisis of faith in my Junior year at Fairport High School and how the Lord spoke directly to my heart.

How about you? How did you come to faith in Jesus as our Risen Messiah? When did you discover Easter wasn’t about a bunny? How old were you? Who helped you discover the truth about God’s amazing love and plan for your life?

I’d love to know. Please post your story on our “Epicenter Team” page on Facebook.

But even more important, let me encourage you to write the story of your spiritual journey on your own Facebook page to share the Gospel with your family and friends.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15).

God bless you. He is Risen!

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

>> In case you missed it: a video of me speaking at a recent conference, explaining my spiritual journey and how I didn’t discover I was Jewish until I was in the fifth grade!

Lynn and I and our boys had a wonderful time hosting a Passover seder last night. It was a very full house — 52 people! We’d never done a sit down dinner for that many, much less a seder for that many, but it was a great time, with ages ranging from toddlers to seniors, and fun mix of people, including Jews, Iranians, South Koreans, Italians, and many others.

One of my favorite elements of the evening was retelling the story of the original Passover, when Jews living in slavery had to sacrifice a perfect lamb and put the blood of that lamb on the doorposts of their home. If they did this in faith, in accordance to the word of the Lord which came through the prophet Moses, then the angel of death would “pass over” their house and not bring death and destruction to them and their family. But if they didn’t have faith and thus didn’t obey the word of the Lord, then even though they were Jewish, the angel of death would strike their home. The Lord was true to His word, and led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and eventually into the Promised Land. Later, of course, the Lord said the sacrifice of a perfect lamb had to be done in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple, and that faith in the blood of the sacrificed lamb would cover a person’s sins and the Lord would forgive them of their sins for that year. Nothing else would provide forgiveness but faith in the blood of the sacrificed lamb. The question, then, for all Jews since 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the Temple and burned down Jerusalem has been: How do we get our sins forgiven when there is no more Temple?

If we believe the Lord is merciful, then we have to believe He would provide a way of forgiveness before letting the Temple be destroyed. That’s what makes one particular set of prophecies so intriguing. In chapter 53 of the Book of Isaiah in the Jewish Scriptures, the Lord spoke through the Hebrew prophet Isaiah to say that one day the Messiah would come not only to bring us once-for-all atonement for our sins, but to actually be the guilt offering Himself. It was a mysterious prophecy about a coming “suffering servant” who would literally take our sins upon Himself so that we could find forgiveness. Many rabbis didn’t understand what in the world the Lord was talking about. Wasn’t the Messiah supposed to be the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Wasn’t the Messiah supposed to reign over the entire world and bring peace? Why then did Isaiah write about a Messiah who would suffer and die? Why did Isaiah write this: “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him….But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering.” What exactly was the Hebrew prophet saying? Of whom was he speaking, and why?

These are important questions to consider, especially this time of year. That’s why last night, Lynn and I gave everyone who came to the seder the gift of a fascinating book I would commend to each of you. It’s called Isaiah 53 Explained: This Chapter Will Change Your Life. It’s available in paperback or on Kindle. It’s a quick and intriguing read and written by a real expert on the subject. You can also watch a compelling half-hour documentary on Isaiah 53 shot on location in the Holy Land. I’d encourage you to take a look, share it with others, and let me know what you think on the “Epicenter Team” page on Facebook.

That said, may the Lord bless you, your family, and all of Israel with true “shalom” this Passover season!

>> In case you missed it: a video of Joel explaining his own personal spiritual journey and how he didn’t discover he was Jewish until he was in the fifth grade!

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

It sounds funny, but I didn’t know I was Jewish until I was in the fifth grade. I was 10 or 11 years old when my father told our little family that we were going to have a Passover seder. We’d never celebrated Passover before, and I’d never heard of this holiday, so I asked him what “Passover” is, and he briefly explained it to me. I asked what a “seder” is, and he explained it to me. Then I asked how he knew how to perform a Passover seder, and he said, “Because I’m Jewish.” I just stared at him in disbelief. “You’re Jewish?” I asked. “Does this mean I’m Jewish? How come this never came up?”

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Joel, your name is Joel Rosenberg. How could you not know you’re Jewish? You must have been the dumbest kid in fifth grade!” Guess I was. Nevertheless, I simply didn’t know because up to that point, my father — who was raised Orthodox Jewish in Brooklyn — had never told me. Neither had my mother, a Gentile from an English/German background. There very few Jewish kids in my school or in our community, and the subject just didn’t come up.

Now, when my first novel, The Last Jihad, was published and became a national best-seller in the fall of 2002, radio hosts and reporters noticed that some of my characters in the book were talking about faith in Jesus. They began to ask me, “Joel, are you Jewish or a believer in Jesus?” I said, “Both.” They didn’t understand, so they pressed me, “But how can you be Jewish and believe in Jesus?” It was a question I’d never expected, but was happy to answer. But what I didn’t realize then was that as I wrote more books and those, too, became successful and as I did more interviews and spoke more often around the country and around the world, this would become one of the questions most frequently asked of me: “Joel, how can you be Jewish and believe in Jesus?”

It actually is a very interesting story — and often funny — and one that is very meaningful to me. I’ve shared it in bits and pieces over the years, but over the past few months, a growing number of people have asked me to record my spiritual journey and put it online. So last month I spoke at a conference in Tucson and gave a 50 minute version of my spiritual journey: how and why my parents came to faith in Jesus as the Messiah, how I later did, the initial struggles I had as a young believer, how I discovered I was Jewish in the fifth grade, and one of the key turning points in my life – the night the Lord spoke directly to me and completely transformed my life. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to it, or watch the video version.

>> To listen to my spiritual journey, please click here (it’s the third message down from the top, dated March 7, 2012)

Once you’ve listened to or watched it, I’d be grateful if you’d go to our “Epicenter Team” page on Facebook and give me your thoughts and comments. I’d love it if you would share some of your spiritual journey, as well. And I’d also encourage you to share this with others, and get their thoughts and see where they are in their spiritual journey.

This is a good time of year to draw nearer to the Lord than ever before and consider where you are on your spiritual journey. It’s a good time of year….. 

• To read the Passover story in Exodus 12.
• To read the prophecies in Isaiah 53 about how the Jewish Messiah would one day suffer as the guilt offering for our sins.
• To read how John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” in John 1:29. 
• To read the story of Jesus celebrating Passover with his disciples in Luke 22.
• To read how Rabbi Saul — who became the Apostle Paul — described in I Corinthians 5 Jesus as our Passover lamb who was sacrificed for us.

Do you know Jesus Christ in a real and personal way? Have you received Him as your personal Savior and Lord? My prayer is that today you’ll take time to truly consider what Jesus said, what He did, and His call to you, “Come, follow Me.” (Mark 1:17).

Please click here for a simple, concise summary of the Gospel — “The Four Spiritual Laws” — and a clear explanation of how to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog