Ariel Yaakov, in the book, Evangelizing the Chosen People: Missions to the Jews in America, 1880-2000, does an excellent job of capturing the emotional component of the struggle between those resistant to Jewish evangelism and those who are perpetuating Jewish evangelism. The Jewish fear of losing identity, being annihilated or assimilated continues to move me, not from a place of pity, but from an understanding that this innate reaction reveals an internal reverence and acknowledgement that this Jewish identity is special and is to be protected even when the person isn’t following the tenets of the faith associated with this identity.
Yaakov addresses head on the connection between eschatology as a motivation for mission. Yaakov labels this as “an intensive messianic, premillennialist hope that viewed the Jews as the chosen people and emphasized the role of the Jews in God’s plans for the …show more content…
While Yaakov considers these believers to be “converts”, he does acknowledge that the writings of earlier “converted” Jews include a self-perception of being simultaneously Christian and Jewish (page 221). Yaakov ascribes this self-perceptions as being the result of a lack of missionary or denominational control in these congregations. Yaakov delivers the historical claims of Messianic Jews as being aligned with the original Jewish followers of Yeshua with skepticism. While it may be historically accurate to say that the original Jewish followers of Yeshua were not called “Messianic Jews”, Yaakov seems to miss that point that the significance is in the alignment and acknowledgement that the first believers were, in fact, Jewish. He maintains that in spite of the claims of the alignment with first century believers, that Messianic Judaism is merely the offshoot of earlier efforts to evangelize the
Yaakov addresses head on the connection between eschatology as a motivation for mission. Yaakov labels this as “an intensive messianic, premillennialist hope that viewed the Jews as the chosen people and emphasized the role of the Jews in God’s plans for the …show more content…
While Yaakov considers these believers to be “converts”, he does acknowledge that the writings of earlier “converted” Jews include a self-perception of being simultaneously Christian and Jewish (page 221). Yaakov ascribes this self-perceptions as being the result of a lack of missionary or denominational control in these congregations. Yaakov delivers the historical claims of Messianic Jews as being aligned with the original Jewish followers of Yeshua with skepticism. While it may be historically accurate to say that the original Jewish followers of Yeshua were not called “Messianic Jews”, Yaakov seems to miss that point that the significance is in the alignment and acknowledgement that the first believers were, in fact, Jewish. He maintains that in spite of the claims of the alignment with first century believers, that Messianic Judaism is merely the offshoot of earlier efforts to evangelize the