The Yeast Of Yerushalaim

THE YEAST OF YERUSHALAIM. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is like yeast. As yeast is worked into the dough and changes its structure positively, so the gospel is dispersed into societies and changes them from the inside. To mix the yeast of the gospel into societies, Jesus sent His disciples out to make disciples of all nations: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Jerusalem is pronounced Yerushalaim in Hebrew. In this city Jesus was crucified, raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven, and to this city He will return. In Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit came into the hearts of believers, inspiring them to spread the gospel worldwide. The Acts and letters of the apostles show how the yeast spread throughout the Roman empire in the first century. When the yeast of Yerushalaim has done its work, Christ will return to renew heaven, earth, and Jerusalem.

Man and beast exert themselves to surviveby fight, flight, or submission. Respecting the pecking order prevents conflict, but when leaders are challenged, lethal fights for dominance may occur. However, the survival of the fittest is sometimes thwarted by the sheer tenacity of the underdog. In first century Corinth, nine-year-old Jason is teased and bullied by his pugnacious rival, Krato, who is two years older. Jasons grandfather urges him to take the submissive role until he and his rival are both adults. Then the two year difference will vanish, enabling Jason to throw off Krato's reign by beating him in the discus and javelin events at the Isthmian Games. When that long anticipated day arrives, Jason is both winner and loser. His dream turns into a nightmare. He flees for his life, bringing immense hardship on himself and his beloved Tabitha. Sexy Diana tries luring Jason in the wrong direction. The apostle Paul arrives with the holy gospel in their wicked city. The Christian message is woven into the fabric of choices and consequences. Circumstances beyond their control eventually bring the four Corinthians together in a place of horror. In the face of death, old beliefs are turned upside down. They only have a broken spear for defense.

The carpenter of Nazareth becomes the teacher and healer of Capernaum. But how do ordinary folks perceive the young rabbi? Amos, the baker of the village, struggles to reconcile his old ideas about the Messiah with the image of his new friend Yeshua, hailed by some as the Son of God. Soon a devastating loss makes Amos world crumble. Judas Iscariot and the butcher, Barabbas, are among the suspects. Comforted by Yeshua, Amos airs the question that many have uttered in despair: Why are nasty burdens laid upon nice people? In his search for answers, the abduction of Amos friend, Mary Magdalene, brings them in contact with Bedouins in the Negev. They discover that these nomads, too, search for clarity about the Messiah. At the Hanukkah feast, the Great One stuns Jews and Arabs alike with new perspectives on the first and second coming of the Messiah. Amos soon witnesses how the worst is laid upon the best at the Place of the Skull. This seemingly tragic end of a good life spawns astounding blessings for Amos, his friends, and even his former enemies."

THE YEAST OF YERUSHALAIM. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is like yeast. As yeast is worked into the dough and changes its structure positively, so the gospel is dispersed into societies and changes them from the inside. To mix the yeast of the gospel into societies, Jesus sent His disciples out to make disciples of all nations: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Jerusalem is pronounced Yerushalaim in Hebrew. In this city Jesus was crucified, raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven, and to this city He will return. In Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit came into the hearts of believers, inspiring them to spread the gospel worldwide. The Acts and letters of the apostles show how the yeast spread throughout the Roman empire in the first century. When the yeast of Yerushalaim has done its work, Christ will return to renew heaven, earth, and Jerusalem.

1. Jerusalem: a charismatic city -- You only see when you hear -- The Intimation of an answer -- The Widow is a bride again -- The Wall -- City in trance -- The Challenge -- 2. Engagement to the land -- To Repudiate the Bible? -- The Bible is our destiny -- The Eclipse of the Bible -- Singularity -- The Drama -- Continuously asserting our right -- In Dialogue with the land -- Memory -- Dwelling in the land -- Emissaries -- 3. Between Hope and distress -- Hope -- Waiting -- Promise -- Distress -- The Miracle of the resurrection -- Disaster -- Pioneers -- The Land -- 4. Israel and meaning in history -- Memory of history -- History is not consumed -- Living toward redemption -- Mount Sinai and Mount Moriah -- The Allegorization of the Bible -- Body and spirit -- Immediacy of meaning -- 5. Jews, Christians, Arabs -- Two levels of redemption -- The Christian approach -- Islam and the land of Israel -- Arabs and Israel -- 6. A Rendezvous with history -- Remember -- A Re-examination -- A Spiritual underground -- Gratitude -- A Community of concern -- Peace -- Meaning -- Index.

The saga of the city from its founding thousands of years ago to the present.

Centuries before anyone could make sense of these fantastic warnings, the prophets declared that the mysteries of Revelation would not be understood until the Last Days. Verse by verse and chapter by chapter, Jack Van Impe, reviews John's portrait of history's final claims.

This is the first translation with commentary of selections from The Zohar, the major text of the Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. This work was written in 13th-century Spain by Moses de Leon, a Spanish scholar.