In the first article, Directive No. 1 of The Reconnection Mandate, we explained the pressing need for the family of God from the Gentile and Jewish sides to reunite into this spiritual Reconnection and Alignment.
Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14 that through Yeshua/Jesus’ death and Resurrection, He has made “One New Man” from the two, making peace between them, quenching hostility and reconciling both to God as one body.
One New Man Out of the Two
This unique relationship is also seen prophetically in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the book of Ruth, we see a beautiful picture where Ruth, representing the Gentiles, committed herself to Naomi and Boaz, representing Israel, and conversely Naomi and Boaz committed themselves to Ruth.
The joined body is bound together through Messiah/Christ as one new race (or humanity). They are no longer separate entities but one with God and one another, creating a bond that can be likened to a type of marriage. Believing Jew and Gentile are united in the body of Messiah/Christ as TONM (The One New Man) and become His holy tabernacle on the earth (see Ex. 40; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 6:16).
Two equal parties with different roles, personalities, backgrounds and functions are knit together with a singleness of God-given purpose. They adhere to each other, attaining unity of the Spirit to fulfill God’s plan in redeeming the world through His Son. Independent of each other, they are unable to fulfill their calling. But together in Messiah/Christ, they complete the plan of God for these end times.
It was this one new man that rocked the world as the church emerged before it became disconnected from Israel, as well as its Jewish roots and heritage. It wasn’t long, however, before the united church came under attack. As the gospel spread, the Gentile contingent grew in number until the church became predominantly non-Jewish. Throughout the centuries that followed, the church became separated from her Jewish family. Over time, the enemy’s divisive strategies began to infiltrate the church in this area. The outcome of these deceptions resulted in anti-Semitic and replacement thinking that Rome, unfortunately, encouraged as it helped the church to nationalize.
Replacement Theology
For those not familiar with the terminology, replacement theology is the belief that the church has now replaced Israel in all of its covenants, promises, prophecies and blessings. It exposits that this legacy no longer applies to Israel (the Jewish people), but it has been transferred to the church.
And so the special love and unity between Jewish and Gentile believers became severed, impacting and impairing the church’s identity in and with Israel. It not only disconnected them from one another but also separated the church from its Jewish roots and heritage. A deep chasm was formed in the church’s foundation, a gulf that needs God’s healing to restore Israel and the church, and especially now as we draw down to the end-times with Israel’s spiritual awakening. Additionally, we believe that this spirit of division Satan spawned between Jewish and Gentile believers has empowered the enemy and his forces to bring greater division to other parts of the body of Messiah/Christ. The first breach in the church was not with Eastern Orthodoxy; it was a break with her Jewish identity.
The church has never fully and profoundly dealt with the division and separation. More specifically, the root issues may still be deeply ingrained and entrenched in our minds and hearts. These strongholds largely remain in the family of God, spiritually isolating Jewish and Gentile believers from each other. But God’s children from the nations are not alone here, as Jewish believers have their own set of issues to deal with in this reconciliation. Repentance and renewal in the familial relationship between Jew and Gentile among both groups will help to restore a pathway to John 17 unity and rightly lay the groundwork for healing and restoration of other divisions in the church.
As we draw closer to the Lord’s return with the awakening of Israel, it is paramount for us to reconcile with one another. The Father’s oneness and love with Yeshua/Jesus and our oneness and love with Him and with one another are crucial to this process. The walls of love and unity in the family of God must be rebuilt so He can release the greater glory upon us (John 17).
The reconnection is more about the Father’s love for us and our love for one another than anything else. A natural outflow of the restored relationship in TONM may lead the church to connect back to its Jewish roots and biblical calendar (God’s appointed times and feasts). However, the church should not emphasize its Jewish roots (already occurring in some parts of the body) without foremost having the Father’s heart for the Jewish side of the family relationally; otherwise, we could miss the mark. The church first must desire love and unity in that relationship, which will produce ripe fruit.
The benchmark of this unity is the “echad” (meaning “oneness”) of the Lord found in Genesis 1:26, and in Deuteronomy 6:4. In John 17, Yeshua/Jesus prays for echad among His followers that they may exemplify the oneness that exists between Father and Son. This passage may be construed more pointedly as unity between Jewish and Gentile believers. First, He prays for protection and unity among His Jewish followers that established the church (vv. 6-19). Then he prays for those who would believe in Him through their message (vv. 20-21), namely the Gentiles, God’s children from the nations, that they may be one.
Yeshua/Jesus foreknew His Jewish followers would go out to the nations to fulfill Israel’s call (see Isa. 49:6), so those who believe could be grafted into Israel and become one with her (see Rom. 11:17-18). This depiction represents the TONM. Together they bear witness to the world that Yeshua/Jesus was sent by the Father. In this light, unity between Jewish and Gentiles believers is foundational to the rest, especially now as the Father looks to fully restore unity and love in His family, which ultimately leads to Israel’s salvation.
The bar for love and unity is high in the kingdom of God. We need to look back at what was created in the first-century church with a view of what it will create as we invite the Father to reunite us. It is time to dismantle the personal and corporate obstacles positioned against love and unity and allow God to fully heal the breach in the foundation of His ekklesia from its past.
Ephesians 3:6b (NIV) states, “the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel.” Now that Israel’s restoration has begun, there is a correction and an adjustment needed between God’s firstborn children and His children from the nations, between the Gentile church and the remnant of Israel, that will help to prepare the bride for her priestly role to rule and reign with Messiah/Christ. The bride will embody people from every tribe, language and nation to serve the Lord and reign with Him on the earth (see Rev. 5:9-10). The unified bride is the Israel of God (ekklesia/church), but never without her physical association to and with the people of Israel.
The reconnection in TONM is the final piece of restoration for the ekklesia/church, just as Yeshua/Jesus outlined when He said that the “first would be last” (see Matt. 20:16). A restored unity will strengthen, bless and empower the body of Messiah/Christ to prepare us for God’s end-time glory plan, and it creates a pathway for it—resurrection power, “life from the dead!” (Ezek. 37:12-13; Rom.11:12,15). {eoa}
Author/speaker Grant Berry, founder of Reconnecting Ministries and Messiah’s House Messianic Center, trumpets his new book, Romans 911—Time to Sound the Alarm! Grant is a Messianic believer in Yeshua, Jesus, and is promoting a new message into the body of Messiah, Christ, during these last days, known as “the reconnection.” This is a new term used to describe the reuniting and full restoration of Jewish and Gentile believers into John 17 unity into the one new man now that Israel’s awakening is upon us. This spiritual transaction has been unseen during most of the church age but is now most vital for the church to move into for God’s end-time plans. It is a power key to the last great revival and final outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the earth. For more information and a special offer on Romans 911, please visit reconnectingministries.org. For more info on Reconnecting Ministries, please click here to watch one of the introductory videos (three minutes).
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