Micah 4:2 (ESV) reads: “And many nations shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

This scripture speaks of a coming time when both Jews and Gentiles will go up together as brothers, united in Messiah, to Jerusalem. We will hear the Messiah and learn from Him about His ways (Appointments or festivals – Moedim), and walk (יָלַךְ yâlak, where we get the closely related word, Halakhah, which means “the way” or “the walk), in His paths. The law (Torah) will go out from Zion and touch each of the nations – bringing healing and blessing to all who hear and submit to the Kingship and governance of Messiah.

Abraham foresaw this time and stepped in by faith. The generations after saw it also and stepped in by faith. Yet Moses, the great first redeemer of Israel, looked ahead and saw a time of darkness and a time of exile for the Jewish people. Despite the darkness of the future, the prospects of wandering, bitter oppression and persecution, Moses prophesied a day of great restoration. His prophecy, found in Deuteronomy 30, determines that the sun would yet rise again on Jacob. However, to see the fulfilment of that day, an active restoration needs to take place. But a restoration of what?

His description of the following events becomes a roadmap for those who want to enter by faith and participate in the narrative and adventure of restoration. This roadmap to seeing Messiah come is not one of passive musing but active engagement. The expectation, as has been since Moses’ time for the Jewish people and those grafted into Israel by faith, is that we expect Messiah today and make every effort for His coming today. If it’s not today, then tomorrow will be that today.

Deuteronomy 30:3-5 (ESV). Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and He will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will take you. 5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers (and then in verses 9b to 10) For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as He took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Moses’ prophecy speaks of:

1. The people of Israel (their fortune and blessing),
2. The land of Israel and the return of the Jewish people,
3. Obedience and honour of the Torah,
4. His ways (Moedim) or Holy festivals – Sabbath, Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and The Eighth Day Celebration.

Today, we are witnessing the unravelling of the prophetic future that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses had imagined, hoped, and longed for. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the Jewish people were mobilised to envision an independent homeland, and by the mid-twentieth century, the physical and sovereign borders of the Holy Land were etched onto world maps. The prophecy is being fulfilled.

Although ‘replacement theology’ has been the prevalent and mainstream teaching across Christian churches (which has unfortunately shaped and influenced how Christians have treated the Jewish people), we are witnessing the commencement of a shift towards understanding the inherent and eternal purposes of the Jewish people and the land of Israel in God’s ultimate plan for humanity. We are also awakening to the Torah and understanding it as the constitution of the Kingdom of God. People across the world are increasingly engaging with the Torah and returning to walking in His paths and rediscovering the joys of honouring the appointments of God.

So the question remains, how do we become involved in this great restoration?

If we are interested in being involved in what must be restored before Yeshua (Jesus) returns, then I would ask, has the restoration first occurred in you? Are you willing to participate actively in this transformative narrative? Do not merely be a bystander, an onlooker, or a passive observer. This is an invitation to be an engaged participant, a catalyst for change, as we anticipate the return of Yeshua.

Are you living every day as a disciple of Jesus?

In Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV), it is written, “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths—the Torah, the path of righteousness—where the good way lies; walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” This verse emphasises that embracing the Torah is not a burdensome journey but a destined path for all, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles alike. Moreover, its teachings are equally applicable to individuals in various roles, be it men, women, kings, priests, and others, each finding profound relevance in their unique ways.

Yeshua expands on this with His disciples that restoring the Torah (God’s instructions) to one’s own life and exploring its application to your calling “Jew or Gentile” is not burdensome. Matthew 11:29 (ESV) says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” God’s instructions are simple, but it takes adjusting. Imagine a child taking tentative steps in their initial attempts at walking. This experience evolves into one of growing familiarity, eventually integrating seamlessly into the rhythm of daily existence. Likewise, one may initially embrace God’s commandments with hesitancy but gradually progress until they become an inseparable and indispensable aspect of one’s very being. The yoke of Messiah is not burdensome – it brings restoration and abundant blessing. As you prepare to align yourself with His Yoke (Torah), you pave the way for the advent of Messiah.

Walking as a disciple means following our Rabbi’s instructions, and He never dispelled or contradicted the Torah (that would disqualify Him as the Messiah according to Deuteronomy), but when asked what the most important commandment was, in Mark 12:28, He quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV), the Shema. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

The logical question is then: how do I love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? Yeshua answers that in John 14:15 (ESV), “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

As disciples of Yeshua, we aim to be active participants in the prophecy of restoration:

• We are to support, financially contribute and facilitate the return of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland

• We are to also honour the authority of the Torah – God’s instructions – in our communities (meaning as is applicable to each call – i.e., Gentiles not taking on Jewish identity but remaining Gentiles, and Jewish people not forsaking Torah)

• We are to continue to spread the knowledge of God throughout the Earth, and;

• We are to put God’s appointments back on our calendars. He wants us there. He wants us prepared. But are we willing to make sacrifices to be there?

If you would like to learn how to be involved in the restoration of all things and preparing the world for the coming of Messiah, then I would love to extend an invitation to join us for Kingdom Festival (Australia and Oceania’s Feast of Tabernacles event on the Gold Coast). We will learn together, celebrate together, worship together and experience God together as we prepare ourselves and get in the habit of participating in the Feast of Tabernacles. We would love to see you there!