The Dark Night

It is 12:43 PM Saturday afternoon in the flow of existence. We just got back from driving over to GR to get a book and to check out the new Barns & Nobles bookstore. We left here around 10 o’clock AM this morning. It has been a cold rainy windy day.

We went to Grand Rapids to Baker Book House to pick up a book I wanted titled “Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew” by Jonathan T. Pennington. I got the this book 50% off the retail price because it was slightly damaged. I also picked up a used book a Baker’s titled “Jesus and the Origins of Christianity/Volume 1: Prolegomena To The Life of Jesus” by Maurice. A while back I bought a church garage sale volume 2 of this work titled “Jesus and the Origins of Christianity/Volume II: The Life Of Jesus” by Maurice Goguel.

Carol bought a the new Barns & Nobles “Field Guide To Birds Of North America”. I do not buy many new books since we are poor. For a book lover there is never enough books. I could spend a small fortune on books. I did see a new biography in Samuel Johnson by David Nokes. I also came across a writer name Niccolo Ammanti that I want to check out at our local public library some day soon.

I do not remember what time I got up. Carol got up early to go to a grocery store that was having specials. So when I got up I made a pot of coffee and then I just sat trying to wake up. I laid around the house till we left for Grand Rapids.

This afternoon we will watch college football and just float through the day.

Last night I hardly remember. My mind is a blank.

music Junior Boys “So This Is Goodbye”

I think we got up around 7:30 PM and watched TV. Time just keeps flying by.

Well I will close to wait for the college football game to come on. Look at my books and write some words in my private diary. The Lord is faithful.

music: Willard Grant Conspiracy “Regard The End”

It is 2:04 PM Friday afternoon. The day has gotten away from me! I usually get out of rhythm when Carol is off from work. I usually go with her on her errands instead of spending the morning hours writing and reading my books. I like being with my wife when she is off from work, so I go with her on her errands.

We got back from doing errands around Noon. On one of our errands we stopped at the local public library to return a book and pick up a DVD. Everytime we are at the library we visit their used book room. I picked a book for a dollar today titled “Women In The Priesthood? A Systematic Analysis in the Light of the Order of Creation and Redemption” by Manfred Hauke “is a German priest who teaches dogmatic theology at the University of Augsburg.” On the back cover of this book was a recommendation by Hans Urs von Balthasar “Undoubtly the definite work available on this important topic.”

This morning we went to a garage sale that was selling books. Many years ago I bought an old book from these people titled “The World To Come; Or Discourses On The Joys Or Sorrows Of Departed Souls At Death, And The  Glory Or Terror Of The Resurrection” by Isaac Watts (published in 1845). This morning we saw nothing worth buying for our library.

So Time has gone by today normal. I have been carrying around with me a book titled “Future Israel: Why Christian Anti-Judaism Must Be Challenged” by Barry E. Horner.

This morning I got out of bed around 6:24 AM. It has been raining all day and it rained all night. We are having a soaker. This morning I read for morning worship The Gospel of Matthew and Ben Witherington III’s commentary on the Gospel of Matthew on chapter 13.

This morning we left for errands around 9:47 AM it was pouring rain and did not get home till Noon.

I do not know what I will do this afternoon to keep myself awake? Existence keeps rolling along.

Carol has gone to bed to take a nap. She told me tonight we have sexual intercourse. I need to make love at least every ten days or I start to feel up-tight.

Last night I watched television and read my books. I read a book on the life of Samuel Johnson till 12:33 AM. I started reading an paper titled “Israel as the Hermeneutical Crux in the Interpretation of Prophecy” by one of my Old Testament professor Dr.  Willem A. VanGermern. I have these books by Dr. VanGermern in my library—

“Interpreting the Prophetic Word” by Willem A. VanGermeren

“The Progress of Redemption: The Story Of Salvation From Creation To The New Jerusalem” by Willem VanGemeren

Well I will close to wander my cell and pray I am awake tonight for the bedroom fireworks.

“This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 13:49,50

music: Mouse on Mars “Varcharz”

It is 12:22 PM Thursday afternoon and I have something that I want to get off my mind. The other day I mentioned that a friend of mine had stopped by to chat. This old friend is 80 years old and has a small chapel here in town. The man is a teaching elder and is theologically Puritan, Baptistic and Dutch Reformed. Anyway while we were talking we got into the future of Israel in the plan of redemption. My friend is always telling me we need a revival like in the days of the Great Awakening here in america (George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards). What the old Puritans called “the Latter Glory of the Saints”. (check out the book “The Puritan Hope: Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy” by Iain H. Murray-since I got this book out I will quote from it—

“Recognizing this, another school of prophetic interpreters has argued that no Old Testament predictions respecting Israel await fulfillment. The fulfillment has already occurred in the Christian Church. But this claim goes too far, for it leaves out of account Paul’s use of the Prophets in the chapter of Romans now under consideration. Having opened, as we have seen, the divine mystery that the casting off of Israel was not final, he turns for confirmation to the inspired testimony of Scripture: ‘blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins’ (v. 25b-27). This quotation, taken from Isaiah 59: 20 and Jeremiah 31:34, would be valueless in this context were it not that the words quoted collaborate what Paul has already affirmed respecting Israel. The way he employs these texts is proof that the full scope of Old Testament prophecy has not yet been realized in history.

This is of major significance. We have already noted that predictions of Christ’s kingdom in Isaiah and in Jeremiah were considered applicable by the New Testament writers to the Church in the apostolic age. Paul’s use of the same prophets in Romans 11:26, 27 now shows that the fulfillment was only initial and by no means exhaustive. A larger fulfillment still awaits the Church, when the same covenant faithfulness of God which has already brought gospel blessings to the Gentile world will be the cause of the removal of Israel’s sins. Gentile and Jew are thus contained in the same Old Testament predictions, and because of these predictions admit of successive fulfillments and speak of the same salvation there is nothing to prevent what has already been referred to New Testament converts being applied to the future conversion of Israel. Jeremiah 31:34 has both been fulfilled (Heb. 8:8) and is yet to be fulfilled in a day of greater gospel blessing (Rom. 11:27).” pg. 74  Iain Murray)

So my friend and I read from Romans 11 and both agreed there is a future conversion of Israel after the fulness of the Gentiles have come in the Church. “On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nightime-a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.” Zechariah 14:6-9.

I told Carol last night as she was getting ready to go to work that after reading the Old Testament I can not see any more that God’s promises to Israel can all be spiritualized and applied to the Church. There is a future for national Israel “the remnant”—”So says Jehovah of hosts: If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes, says Jehovah of hosts? So says Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will save My people from the east country, and from the land of the setting sun. And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness” Zech. 8:6-8.

My friend Bernie and I both see around here in Dutch Reformed land how some people who claim to be Christians believe because they were baptized as infants became members of the new Israel. Years ago we were members of a small independent Dutch Reformed church Messiah Independent Reformed Church and they wanted to excommunicate our oldest son because he did not make a public confession when he became a teen-ager. This church did not believe a saving conversion made you member of the Body of Christ, but infant baptism. This church believe when an infant was baptized he or she was to be considered a member of the visible Church until he or she showed by outward life otherwise. The young people were encouraged to make public confession as telling the congregation they were now professing they would now take Communion and be an active church member-had become “true” church members-these young people were not professing they had had a radical conversion experience-exercised saving faith or repented of their sins but were accepting intellectually the responsibilities of being a member of the true Israel of God.

One of the reasons we left Messiah Independent Reformed Church was their failure to see that a person had been regenerated “born again” to be a Christian or a church member. Church membership does not save anyone. Infant baptism does not save anyone.

I believe a true Christian is known by his or her love for the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in the Bible. A true Christian wants to be like Christ. The Bible tells by their fruit you shall know them.

It is now 12:37 PM and I am eating some food. It is a quiet day in my cell. I am down in the basement talking to myself as usual. I have a lot on my mind and I have to get out on paper. Writing is the way I unload. I have no one to talk to. My wife is too tired from work to listen to my rants. Also she gets upset by me being so critical about modern american religion christianity-the Dutch Reformed. My wife grew up in among the Dutch Reformed. My wife thinks sometimes I am being critical of her religious convictions. We must speak the truth in love. Also I mainly keeps my thoughts to myself. I write it all down and rarely share my spiritual beliefs with anyone in the spoken word world.

I find writings therapeutic. Writing is how I worship the Lord.  I am praying in writing words. I am before the throne of the Trinity right Now as I write these words. We can not hide from God who is All Knowing. “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:26-28.

My mind just went blank so I will close to rest. Carol is off from work the next four nights. (1 Peter 3:7).

music: Grandaddy “The Sophtware Slump”

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
Lest your feet may go astray!
If you are the Lord’s disciple,
Unto sinners show the way!

Refrain

We’ll go out with joy to meet Him,
We’ll go out with joy to meet Him,
At the midnight hour;
If our lamps are trimmed and burning,
When He cometh, when He cometh,
At the midnight hour!

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
Let there be of oil no lack!
Be not like the foolish virgins,
From the entrance driven back!

Refrain

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
Burning for eternity!
Ready for the Lord’s appearing,
Whensoever it may be!

Refrain

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
For the midnight draweth near!
When the Bridegroom quickly cometh,
And we all His voice shall hear!

Refrain

music: Sun Kil Moon “Ghosts of the Great Highway”

It is 11:04 AM Thursday morning in the flow of existence. It is 11:04 AM here in Holland Michigan. I do not know what time it is in London England. We change the clocks this coming Saturday. Where does Time go?

I got up this morning around 7:44 AM. I woke up this morning around 3:05 AM and thought I would not be able to fall back into the state of restless sleep. But I did fall back into a state of slumber. (”The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep” Matt. 25:5 The Parable of the Ten Virgins)

If you want to read a scary book read “The Parable of the Ten Virgins” by Thomas Shepard (1605-1649).

When I got up this morning I made a pot of coffee and got out my Bibles [my large print NIV and my large print NJK) and read some more of the Gospel of Matthew located in the New Covenant treaty. ("Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."" Matt. 26:27-29)

After I read some of the Word of God I wrote in my private diary. (I started keeping a private diary in 1968 Richmond California 11th grade just a wild kid smoking week, dropping acid and chasing girls).

Carol got home from work as I was warming up a egg dish for a morning meal. We talked a little and she went to bed for the day. I was thinking of going to a used book sale this morning, but I was not in the mood to drive out of town. I decided to stay here in town and write in my blogs. I took Rudy for a walk this morning at Kollen Park and then decided to check out a local thrift store to see if they had new used books. This thrift store today was having 50% off all their books so I looked and found these used books to ADD to my book collection (I tell people I collect books for a hobby-I am a book lover (check out these books "A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books" by Nicholas A. Basbanes and "A History of Reading" by Alberto Manguel).

"This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" John 21:24,25

Carol went to bed while I was down in the basement this morning. I decided to take Rudy for a walk and then I drove to a local thrift shop and found these books for my personal library---

"Bullet Park" a novel by John Cheever (this book is a hard back with a nice clean cover-very cool looking!)

"The Spiral Staircase: My Climb out of Darkness" a memoir by Karen Armstrong

"Days Of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father" by Richard Rodriguez

"The Era Of Good Feelings" by George Dangerfield ("America comes of age in the period of Monroe and Adams between the War of 1812 and the ascendancy of Jackson") Winner of the Pulitzer and Bancroft Prize

"Living to Tell the Tale" a novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller" a biography by Judith Thurman (Winner of the 1983 American Book Award). Isak Dinesen wrote the novel "Out of Africa".

After buying these used books for $4.00 I went downtown and got me a mocha and came home to float through the day. It is now 11:40 AM late Thursday morning. I have no plans for the day. Should I feel guilty having no plans? I pray to the Lord to forgive me for my sins. I want my life to be covered with the blood of the Lamb of God. I know my sins and can only cry out for mercy. I live in the shadow of the Cross. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"" Galatians 2:20, 21.

I have to read today many books but I have these on top of my Bibles today---

"The Aims Of Jesus" by Ben F. Meyer With a New Introduction by N. T. Wright (check out this book my dear readers sometime "Jesus & The Restoration Of Israel: A Critical Assessment of N. T. Wright's "Jesus And The Victory Of God"" Edited by Carey C. Newman)

"Future Israel: Why Christian Anti-Judaism Must Be Challenged" by Barry E. Horner [NAC Studies In Bible & Theology]

I recently bought in this series NAC Studies In Bible & Theology this volume “The End Of The Law: Mosaic Covenant In Pauline Theology” by Jason C. Meyer. I have been meaning to look at this volume in this series “Believer’s Baptism: Sign Of The New Covenant In Christ” Edited by Thomas R. Schreiner and Shawn D. Wright.

The last book I tried to read on the doctrine of baptism was this massive book “Baptism In The Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries” by Everett Ferguson.

I read too much and need to live a holy life before the world goes up in smoke.

Well I will close to put away my books and try to locate my brain.

music: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club “Howl”

It is 9:34 PM Wednesday night. No one is home but me. I am alone with me. Rudy does not count as somebody here with me in our house.

Carol woke up at 6:30 PM in a sour mood so I  just kept my distance till she left for work.

I had did rake the front yard this afternoon. I hate yardwork! I do not care what our yard looks like. I do not care what our house looks like. Our house is a holding tank till death strikes me or Carol.

I did make apple sauce this afternoon. I did not read anything this evening worth mentioning. I should go to bed early and read my books on the life of Samuel Johnson. Tomorrow is a Thursday.

There is nothing on television worth watching tonight. I have been messing with my computers this evening. I took Rudy around the block around 9:05 PM tonight. It is warm outside, but it is suppose to storm tomorrow.

I was going to write about whether the Church is the new Israel but now it all seems so boring. Who cares if the Church is the new Israel? There is the New Covenant eschatological community and there is Israel. I do not see the NT Church in the Old Covenant. There is no one church taught in the Bible made up of the elect.

I got out a book this afternoon titled “The Israel Of God In Prophecy: Principles of Prophetic Interpretation” by Hans K. LaRondelle to look at someday soon. Here is a quote from this book: “A new earth is the final goal of all redemptive history. Man’s ultimate destiny centers in a regenerated earth (Matthew 5:5; 19:28). According to Paul, “The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). Only then will Abraham’s hope be fulfilled and all his children, in Israel and the Church, live together throughout eternity as one family in one city. The apocalyptic realization of God’s inheritance and His glorious dwelling among His people (Revelation 21:3) will be the eternal consummation of His covenants with Abraham (Genesis 7:7), with Moses (Exodus 6:7; Deuteronomy 29:13), with David (2 Samuel 7:24), and of His new covenant with Israel (Jeremiah 31:1, 31; Ezekiel 36:28; 37:23). . . .” pg. 145 Han K. LaRondelle

I keep thinking I should get out this book from my library and look at before the end of redemptive history “Christ Triumphant: Biblical Perspectives On His Church And Kingdom” by Raymond O. Zorn. You should read along with Zorn’s book “Dispensationalism, Israel And The Church: The Search for Definition” Editors Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock.

One of most interest as a Christian is eschatology or the study of the Last Things. I believe we are in the Last Days. I am eager for the world to end. I want to dwell on the new earth. I am sick of sin.

Well it is almost 10 o’clock PM. I will close to go to bed with my books. Tomorrow I should get out this book “Continuity and Discontinuity: Perspectives on the Relationship Between the Old and New Testaments” Essays in Honor of S. Lewis Johnson, Jr. Editor John S. Feinberg. Well time go wander off and find some comfort in a cold book.

music: Black Dice “Broken Ear Record”

It is 9:20 PM Tuesday night. All that is TV this evening are reruns so I decided to come down in the basement to write and listen to music till I get sleepy. I am tired right now, but not in the mood to go to bed just yet.

I have been reading this evening “The Aims Of Jesus” by Ben N. Meyer.

Carol left for work around 7:40 PM. She left for work complaining she was tired.

I thought what I would write about was the New Testament teaching on the kingdom of God. But that is such a big subject that I decided to forget it. Read these books on the kingdom of God before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  “So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:6-8

So here is a list of books on the kingdom of God in my book collection—

“The Aims Of Jesus” by Ben F. Meyer

“Jesus And The Kingdom Of God” by G. R. Beasley-Murray

“Pure Kingdom: Jesus’ Vision of God” by Bruce Chilton [Studying The Historical Jesus]

“Jesus Of Nazareth: Millenarian Prophet” by Dale C. Allison

“Jesus And The Victory Of God” by N. T. Wright

“The Kingdom Of God In The Teaching Of Jesus In 20th Century Theology” by Mark Saucy (I will stop here for a moment and quote from Saucy’s chapter THE APOCALYPTIC KINGDOM pg. 195 “. . . . Ben F. Meyer’s 1979 study “The Aims of Jesus” begins our look at the apocalyptic Kingdom establishing the case for a Third Quest. Early on in “Aims” he affirms the goal pursued in the New Quest, Jesus’ inner world of aims and intentions, but he repudiates the means adopted to achieve that goal. History is more than “minute examination of gospel date with a view to passing judgments on them. It is reconstruction through hypothesis and verification. Its topic is ‘aims and consequences.” Part one of his work functions therefore as an inquiry into issues of hermeneutics, philosophy, and historiography that sets the stage for the discussion of Jesus and his Kingdom that follows in part two.

The topic of eschatology best satisfies Meyer’s conditions for establishing the aims of the historical Jesus. First, from the time he embraced the prophetic scheme of the Baptist to his crucifixion on a Roman cross, there is no doubt that Jesus’ public and private words and actions were keyed to the eschatological concept of the Kingdom. Second, Jesus’ ministry as centered around the theme of the Reign of God best accounts for the de facto existence of the Christian church, as well as its departure from Judaism. For Jesus God’s reign ultimately referred to the realization of God’s will for the restoration of Israel and the nations. In contrast to the Baptist’s announcement of the Kingdom as the “wrath of God,” Jesus’ version was primarily a positive message that came to be known as “gospel,” the good news of salvation. Jesus understood God’s reign as “an approaching order of things” that comes as a gratuity to the unworthy of Israel. “Kingdom of God” had a periphrastic function for the nearness of God himself with his intentions to lavish the blessings of the eschaton on the poor, the sick, and the hungry. In terms of temporality, seeing the reign in terms of the fulfillment of God’s will allows for great flexibility. For Meyer, the Kingdom is present when Jesus announces God’s will for Israel to repent and when he begins to “restore” Israel religiously; it is future in the imminent and final act of the history and the posthistorical restoration of all humanity.” )

“The Coming Of the Kingdom” by Herman Ridderbos

“The Gospel of the Kingdom: Popular Expositions on the Kingdom of God” by George Eldon Ladd

“The Challenge of Jesus’ Parables” edited by Richard N. Longenecker (in this book read section II. Parables of the Kingdom pg. 79 on Matthew chapter 5. Matthew’s Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:1-52) by Donald A. Hagner)

“A New Vision For Israel: The Teachings of Jesus in National Context” by Scot McKnight (I highly recommend this book on understanding the historical Jesus)

“Christianity In The Making” Volume 1 “Jesus Remembered” by James D. G. Dunn (read chapter 12 The Kingdom of God pg. 383)

I could list more material on the NT teaching on the Kingdom of God but the above books should be of help. I keep forgetting to mention a book I highly recommend when reading the NT Gospels. Check out this volume “Dictionary Of Jesus And The Gospels” Editors: Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, I. Howard Marshall. (read the article in this book “Kingdom Of God/Kingdom Of Heaven” pg. 417)

Well it is now 10:19 PM I suppose I should sign off for the night. Put away my books and go to bed and read on the life of Samuel Johnson. Tomorrow will soon be here. We can not escape time.

music: Lucero “1372 Overton Park”

It is 5:29 PM Tuesday evening in the flow of existence. I have had a normal day. Existence just keeps ticking like a time bomb.

This morning Carol and I took Rudy for a walk at Window on the Waterfront. It has been a damp gray day.

After our walk we dropped a DVD off at our local public library and came home. Carol cooked till 2:30 PM and then went to bed to take a nap. Carol works tonight and tomorrow night and then is off four nights.

I read my books on the Kingdom of God and then went downtown to see how the folks were at the Full Circle music store and at Village Used Books this afternoon. I bought two CD’s for my music collection.

On the way home I stopped at the local public library to see if they had any books by Samuel Johnson. The library did not have any books by Samuel Johnson, but they did have a biography on him that I checked out titled “Samuel Johnson: The Struggle” by Jeffrey Meyers. I have other biographies written by Jeffrey Meyers in my book collection. Also at the library I picked up for a dollar a play by Samuel Beckett titled “Waiting For Godot” a tragicomedy in two acts.

I came home and now I am talking to myself down in the basement. I should make a pot of fresh coffee for Carol. I usually have a pot of coffee ready to make when Carol gets up to face another night of work.

I suppose this evening I will watch television and go to bed around 11 o’clock PM. Tomorrow is a Wednesday in the flow of existence. Time stops for no man.

I have been mainly reading this afternoon “The Aims Of Jesus” by Ben F. Meyer [With a New Introduction by N. T. Wright].

“Often overlooked, however, is another, equally fundamental, facet of the proclamation, undistinctive in itself (for it stands in conspicuous continuity with biblical and Judaic eschatology) but charged with consequence for the understanding of Jesus’ career; namely, the tie between the reign of God and the restoration of Israel.” Ben Meyer pg. 132,133

I will close to listen to music and make a pot of coffee.

music: Babyshambles “Shotters Nation”

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” Matt. 4:17

“3. Jesus the Jew. The late Ben Meyer, in a rather uncharitable review of Crossan’s “This Historical Jesus”, claimed that the leading themes of the traditional quest for Jesus have been “eschatology, fulfillment of scriptural promise, prophecy, type, messianic consciousness, and so on.” In Crossan’s book, however, “Judaic tradition is not in evidence: neither covenant, nor election, nor Torah, nor prophecy has any bearing on Jesus’ mission.” Whether this is a fair estimate of Crossan may be left to others to decide. The only point here is that the methodology promoted in this chapter produces a thoroughly religious and thoroughly Jewish Jesus who belongs with Meyer’s traditional quest. Jesus was much concerned with the prophetic tradition and with the interpretation of Torah. His thought focused on the culmination of Israel’s story and so his speech was dominated by the hope of salvation and the threat of judgment. His summons to repentance was an urgent plea for the spiritual reformation that was widely expected to herald the advent of the Day of the Lord. Jesus, in sum, was a Jewish prophet who demanded repentance in the face of the eschatological crisis and interpreted his own person and ministry in terms of scriptural fulfillment. And his chief goal, as an actor in the cosmic drama, was “the eschatological restoration of Israel.”" pg. 68, 67 Dale C. Allison “Jesus Of Nazareth: Millenarian Prophet”

“Both by its self-understanding and its understanding of Jesus, early Christianity offers significant confirmation of the view that the goal of Jesus’ career was the eschatological restoration of Israel. We may begin with confirmation from early Christian self-understanding.

From the start this was an essentially ecclesial self-understanding. Its first categories-the community of the outpoured Spirit, the Zion of the last days, the remnant of Israel, the restored qahal of the desert-corresponded in substance and sometimes in striking detail to what we take to have been Jesus’ goal.

In part of the epistle to the Romans which dealt with how God integrated the unbelief of Israel into his plan of salvation for the world (chs. 9-11), Paul asked (Rom. 9:22-24) whether the scriptures had been contradicted and defeated by the non-entry of the bulk of Israel into messianic salvation. His answer (Rom. 9:27-29) was that the scriptures had been fulfilled! The Isaian threat/promise that a remnant would be saved (Isa. 10:20-23) had found historic realization. Paul’s intention was to make a statement not on the aims of the historical Jesus but on the providential aims of God. The statement found its full expression in chapter 11. Had God rejected his people, Israel? The answer-no! (Rom. 11:1)-was developed in terms of remnant theology, beginning with the classic text of 1 Kings 19. As in the Israel of Elijah’s day, ’so, too, at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace’ (Rom. 11:5). The following sequence (Rom. 11:7-12) culminated in the theme of unbelief made to serve God’s saving purpose: ‘If their failure only means riches for the nations, how much more will their full inclusion mean!’ (Rom. 11:12). This, in turn, set up the mysterion: God would save all Israel (Rom. 11:27) for his gifts and his call were irrevocable (Rom. 11:28). Paul’s subsumption of the historical encounter of Christ and Israel (cf. Rom. 15:8f.) under the category of the salvation of the remnant correlates well with how we have defined the perspectives and purposes of Jesus. So does his naming the church ‘the Israel of God’ (Gal. 6:16).” pg. 239 Ben Meyer “The Aims of Jesus”