Once I participated in a large conference in Kazakhstan about the second coming of the Messiah, and the following three conditions for the Lord's return were presented. The first condition, which Yeshua very clearly stated, is that the gospel of the kingdom must be preached by all nations, without exception. At this point, that has not been fulfilled. The second condition is that the Body of Messiah must enter into its fullness. The third condition is that the mass teshuvah, or the repentance of the Jewish people.

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But as I studied the Scriptures about the end times and the Lord's return, I saw that this third, Jewish, condition is in some ways the key to the first two. Why? 

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Because the apostle Paul already wrote to the largely non-Jewish Church in Rome:

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“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek”. (Romans 1:16)

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It is very difficult for some Christians to perceive the passages in the New Testament (not even the Tanakh!) that directly and clearly say that God is not done with the Jews. The people of Israel remain the chosen people, and in His end-time plans, the Lord sees Israel as one of the key factors in the salvation of the nations and the return of the Savior to all mankind.

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Many good Christians think that if the Lord speaks in some special exclusive way about the Jewish people, He is humiliating the Christians. But the Epistle to the Romans is very clear that no one should envy the Jews:

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“Tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;” (Romans 2:9)

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As a Jew, I do not perceive what is written here as antisemitism. Similar things are written in the books of the Old Testament, for example, in the prophet Amos: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” (Amos 2:3). This is the price for being chosen. But we continue reading the Epistle to the Romans:

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“But glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 2:10)

Being chosen gives us a great responsibility. But, if Jews take on that responsibility, grace comes - God blesses and uses all of His children. Why? “For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11). 

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So it's about time we made peace about why God chose the Jewish people, why they are still a chosen people, and why they will continue to be so. In this, the mercy, love, and justice of God are brought together. But it is also an example for all people and, above all, for all Christians. 

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Returning to Romans 1:16, we see that when the historic Church ceased to observe God's New Testament order of evangelizing, “to the Jew first,” the power of God unto salvation began to diminish in her. 

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The gifts of the Holy Spirit began to fade away. The five-fold ministry began to degenerate: first, the apostles left, then the prophets disappeared, and then evangelism with miracles and signs became a great rarity. Why? Because there is a definite clear order of evangelism. And it was not established in support of the Jews, but in support of the believers from the different nations who were in Rome, and of us all.

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Therefore, restoring the right kind of attention - sober, not nationalistic, not prideful - to God's Jewish question in the Body of Messiah enhances evangelization around the world. If we look at the history of the Church of the end times, beginning in the late 19th century, we can see how this principle began to work. That's when evangelism to Jews as Jews began to revitalize. And very quickly this led to spiritual explosions in various evangelical churches.

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Interestingly, where revivals began - in Azusa Street, in Wales, and beyond - as people opened themselves to the Holy Spirit, He confirmed God's order of evangelism and revealed to believers from different nations the importance of praying for Israel and preaching the good news to the Jewish people.

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Also, as we read the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles to the Romans and Ephesians, we see that without the Jewish component, the Body of the Messiah is incomplete. 

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The very concept of “one new man” was revived only a few decades ago. It has to do with the revival of Jewish ministry in the Body of the Messiah or Jewish evangelism and Jewish New Covenant congregations. Because this is God's blueprint. 

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In Ephesians 2, we find the principle of unity in the body of Christ, which refers to the unity between Jewish believers and believers from different nations.

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And there is a particularly amazing chapter 15 in the Epistle to the Romans. The first seven verses of this chapter, which are often quoted, talk about how we should treat one another. 

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But then, from verse 8 onward, Paul explains that he is saying this about the relationship between Jewish believers and believers from different nations. He says these things because Yeshua became a minister to the Jews so He could confirm and strengthen all the promises made to the Jewish forefathers. 

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Our Lord appeared, became flesh, ministered here on earth, and continues to minister now, so that all of God's promises to Israel would be fulfilled to the fullest. His promises became even stronger, more powerful, and, ultimately, so that every one of them would be fulfilled.

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And for the Gentiles, as it is written, out of mercy. 

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Therefore, the third condition, the Jewish key, plays a very large role in achieving the fullness of the Body of Messiah, the fullness that's described in Romans 11:25.

Thus, Jewish ministry is not some marginalized ministry, but the fulfillment of God's will. It affects not only those we minister to directly, but also is effective in the broader spiritual context.

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If we are faithful to God's Word in these important aspects, and each church is doing its God-given work, moving in something special, we are bringing the coming of our Savior closer. In any case though, no matter how much we pray, no matter how much we study God's Word, Yeshua will come unexpectedly.

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Boris Grisenko, Rabbi of Kyiv Jewish Messianic congregation

A message at the “Drawing Near the Coming of Christ” conference, February 18, 2023