The Messianic Israel Alliance

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Messiah,

As members of the Messianic Israel Alliance Shepherds Council, we want to clarify an issue that is causing much confusion in the body of Messiah. This topic is as old as the foundations of the world, yet as fresh as the heart of a new born child. A proper understanding of this issue can literally transform lives.

The topic is the restoration of YHVH's Kingdom and how this restoration is to be accomplished.

Many years ago, Messiah Yeshua's disciples asked Him this question: "When will your Kingdom be restored?" Today, thousands of His people across the world are attempting to answer by diligently studying the Scriptures. There is a stirring within their souls that is causing them to explore His Word with a fresh anointing of the Ruach ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit).

However, how do we know this is a move of our mighty Elohim? Are we really hearing from Him clearly? The truth is that no matter how men and women have made mistakes in understanding and acting on this vital message over the years, the message itself remains strong and true. The message has eternal value because it is from YHVH and not from man.

The message is this: YHVH Elohim, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has a plan. He has had this plan from the foundation of time. It concerns His separated and beloved people Israel.

His people have become divided, scattered, and ultimately lost to their true identity through thousands of years of war and dispersion. We believe this separation is now ending, as our loving Father longs to have His people Israel walk as one, and is stirring their hearts as never before. He is removing the blindness and restoring vision to His people, enabling them to see His Word and His ways for what they truly are. He is in the process of restoring the Kingdom to His people.

Like a gathering shepherd, He is pursuing them one at a time, bringing them back into the fold of Israel, for there is no other fold in His Kingdom. You are either Israel, or you are not Israel. If you are not Israel, you are outside the camp.

This is how it was at the first Exodus, and this is how it will be for eternity.

Messianic Israel Alliance

PO Box 700217

Saint Cloud, FL 34744

1.800.829.8777

We implore you to take a few moments to study what we present, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. This is a crucial matter of life and death. Just as there have always been those who lie and distort the truth of YHVH, there are currently many who are telling lies and spreading deception about who the people of Israel really are.

As individuals, we do not gain anything personally by taking this stand to inform you of the truth. We believe we are called by our heavenly Father to help you understand your heritage and your part in Israel. In knowing this truth you will gain much.

The following pages present an overview of our beliefs concerning Messianic Israel. Though much has been written and spoken about what we supposedly believe, most of the words written by our critics are not true. Therefore, we will present a preponderance of Scriptural evidence as reason for our support of Messianic Israel. We will also answer some common questions that are frequently asked.

As you study and pray, ask YHVH to reveal His truth. He wants to bring you home, for He is preparing a people at this hour who will be ready to receive His Son Yeshua as their Messiah and who will work with Him to restore His Kingdom.

As you look at the Word of YHVH, seek His truth and not the understandings of man. We believe the evidence will be sufficient for you to gain the understanding the Father desires for you, but we are readily available to anyone who may have further questions.

Be blessed as you study, and rest in our Messiah's loving arms. Soon He is coming for His bride Israel. May her identity be made known to each of you at this hour.

Yours for the Restoration of the Whole House of Israel,

MIA Shepherds Council

David Pavlik

Scott Diffenderfer

Hale Harris

by the Messianic Israel Alliance Founders, Staff, and Shepherds Council

The Messianic Israel Alliance believes the gift of salvation is a free gift for whomsoever will. The Father is free to gather whomsoever He chooses from among the many people groups on earth. We believe the shed blood of Messiah Yeshua is the source of eternal salvation for every human being, including the twelve tribes of Israel.

We do not believe that salvation is only for Israelites. We instead believe that the doors to the commonwealth of Israel are open to whomsoever the Almighty invites to go through.

The Messianic Israel Alliance absolutely believes in the deity and eternality of Messiah Yeshua, and in repentant belief in His work at Calvary. He is our Redeemer, and therefore can be no less than Elohim, God in the flesh. We believe in the plurality of the Godhead, in His compound unity as defined by the Hebrew word, "echad." We declare this to be the cardinal truth upon which all our faith rests.

The Messianic Israel Alliance believes that the true ekklesia, the New Covenant congregation of called-out ones, was not called to be separate from Israel and is not to see itself as a separate entity. The true ekklesia consists of saved Jews, saved Israelites from the lost ten tribes, as well as saved non-Israelites. Collectively, we are Yeshua's ekklesia, and are called to be the Israel of YHVH Elohim. Those whom the Messiah has purchased by His shed blood are called by Him to share citizenship in the commonwealth of Israel and to have the full privileges of citizenship. This identity as a Believer in Israel supercedes all other identities: Jew, Greek, male, female, bond, free. All members of the Body of Messiah are deemed to be Israelites, whether through physical birth, or by being brought nigh by the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit), because Israel is called to be a united holy covenant nation.

The Messianic Israel Alliance often refers to non-Jewish Believers as "Ephraim," and in some cases, the title might be applied to the "church," meaning the true called-out ekklesia/congregation of the Messiah, those whom the Father Himself will deem acceptable. However, because the title has been so misused, we do not encourage use of the word "church" to describe the Body of Messiah. We also try to avoid using the term "Gentile" when referring to non-Jewish Believers.

The Messianic Israel Alliance does not believe that everyone in the "church system" is a biological descendant of one of Israel's tribes, or even Abraham. Neither do we deny salvation to any who are not related to Abraham, or claim that there are no "Gentiles/foreigners" (those who are not biologically related to Abraham) in the Body of Messiah. To say that the Father is gathering "Israelite" branches (meaning both Ephraim and Judah) does not deny salvation to those who are not physically related to Israel, because both houses include "proselytes/ converts/sojourners."

To call the wild olive branches "Ephraim" is no more a denial of salvation to "Gentile proselytes" than it is to call all Jewish people, including their proselytes, "Judah" or "Jews." The Book of Esther tells us that Judah has had proselytes, yet everyone calls the Jewish people and these gerim "Jews." Therefore, we conclude that to deny use of the proper name/title of "Ephraim," or "Ephraimites," to the olive branches who once became wild, and their proselytes/gerim, is to use a double standard. We declare that if Judah and sojourners are called "Judah," it is proper to call Ephraim and his sojourners "Ephraim." Furthermore, these are the titles the Father uses in Ezekiel's last days "two sticks reunion" (Ezekiel 37:15-28). To define the collective people of Israel, we have chosen to use these titles in the same manner.

The Messianic Israel Alliance believes the promise of physical multiplicity given to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was passed to Joseph's son, Ephraim, and that those of Ephraim were destined to become a melo hagoyim, or fullness of the Gentiles/ Nations. We believe these promises are being fulfilled through the Father's gathering of non-Jewish Believers from every nation. Because the promises made to our fathers emphasized multiplication of their physical seed, we believe those being gathered are primarily descendants of these patriarchs-but that no one, Jew or non-Jew, can prove such biological descent.

We therefore declare that physical descent can in no way be viewed as a requirement for salvation, and that only the Almighty Himself can know who is a biological descendant of the patriarchs. We believe that many of the non-Jewish followers of Yeshua are probably returning Ephraimites, the children of those who were once scattered among the nations in 722 BC. They are the Lo Ami of Hosea, those who once were "Not-A-People," but now are being restored through Israel's Messiah, as promised by the prophets. These "former Gentiles" being gathered from the nations are now beginning to recognize their identity as part of the redeemed people of Israel, because the end of their blindness to the truth of their Israelite roots is at hand.

The Messianic Israel Alliance believes that any and all who are biologically unrelated to the patriarchs of Israel, and yet are being drawn to the Commonwealth of Israel by the Almighty, also are called by Him to be united with His chosen people Israel. They are to live in harmony with that people, and to be regarded as full citizens. Their former nationality is to give sway to their call to first be a member of the Father's Commonwealth of Israel; they are to no longer behave as, nor be considered as, "Gentiles" (pagans). We believe that in the end of days, the One true God will have but one covenant people; those of the nations will, in the end, either accept His divine rule or be excluded from His Kingdom.

The Messianic Israel Alliance believes that from the beginning the Elohim of Israel called His people to worship Him in spirit and in truth, to be circumcised of heart, as was our forefather, Abraham. We do not believe the Messiah has one bride and the Father has yet another, nor do we believe that there are two separate covenant peoples. Israel is comprised of Judah and her companions, and Israel (Ephraim) and her companions (Ezekiel 37:15-23). We believe that Israelites are forever Israelites and during their time on earth they and their descendants can be in various stages of belief, or even unbelief, and yet continue to be biological descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel.

The Messianic Israel Alliance emphasizes that all Believers are physical people, but that to please the Father, they must worship Him in spirit, that is, be regenerated by His Spirit, be "born from above." In Messiah Yeshua, we become "one new man," but this truth does not negate the facts about Ephraim's scattered seed, nor deny his rightful place in Israel. Judah, Ephraim, and their companions comprise one new Israel: a physical and spiritual people.

We do not separate Believers in the Messiah based on supposed genetics. Greater Israel is a physical people called to walk a spiritual walk of faith like that of Abraham.

The Messianic Israel Alliance declares that our God is absolutely not finished with the Jew. We believe that it is the hand of the Almighty that has brought Judah back to the Land.  

We do not believe in Replacement Theology, meaning that the "church" has replaced the Jew in His divine plan. We do believe however, that to separate the true ekklesia/congregation of the Messiah from its identity as part of Israel propagates the idea of spiritual and physical Israel, and encourages belief in replacement theology. This in turn causes those who believe they are "spiritual" to look down on, or to envy, those whom they perceive as being only "physical" Israel, or to envy those deemed to be blessed by being "physical heirs." We instead believe the Father has called us to be one people with no distinctions in race or nationality.

We also renounce "Reverse Replacement Theology," meaning we do not believe the Jewish Believers of today have replaced the nonJewish Believers in the Father's economy. Even as those of Judah cannot be replaced, so those of brother Joseph cannot be replaced. Both houses need to be fully restored in Messiah Yeshua. Neither is replaced by the other. Judah, Ephraim, and the Gerim (strangers) who sojourn among them are called to live together in harmony as citizens of Israel. Neither is to defame the other.

The Messianic Israel Alliance does not endorse the teachings of the late Herbert W. Armstrong, nor those of what many call "British Israelism." We find many fallacies among these teachings. We especially deny any forms of anti-Semitism, and/or denial of the deity of Messiah Yeshua. Therefore, for anyone to say that the beliefs of the Messianic Israel Alliance are anything like the beliefs of "British Israelism" is much like saying that Messianic Jews are like Catholics, since both believe in the Only Begotten Son of God.

The Messianic Israel Alliance does not endorse racial discrimination in any form. We believe the seed of Israel was scattered among all nations, thus the collective people of Israel will reflect that diversity, which was created by the Almighty Himself. We delight in the ethnic variety found in Messianic Israel and reject no one based on race or color. Neither do we prefer Jew or non-Jew over one other.

The Messianic Israel Alliance encourages all Israelites to honor the eternal truths of the Torah, to live their lives by its precepts and wisdom. Moreover, we believe that all twelve tribes were present when the Torah was given to Israel, that it is the history of our people, and the constitution upon which Israel bases her nationhood. We do not believe the Torah is for the Jews alone. We believe the essence of the New Covenant promise is that YHVH Himself will write the truths of Torah on the hearts of His people, and that this is done by His Holy Spirit, by the Ruach HaKodesh. We strongly encourage that all Israel honor Torah; however, we oppose legalism in these matters.

We believe the New Covenant is promised in Torah, and that it is therefore an extension of and a continuation of the Torah, the Writings, the Prophets. It is the inspired Word of YHVH Elohim, and is to be honored as such.

The Messianic Israel Alliance believes that the olive tree of Roman 11 describes the two houses of Israel. The natural (cultivated) olive branches of whom Paul wrote described the house of Judah, and the wild olive branches those of scattered Ephraim. We believe that both the houses of Israel, Ephraim and Judah, were hardened in different ways. Both have stumbled over the Sanctuary that is the Stumbling Stone. We believe the root of the olive tree of Israel is Messiah Yeshua, and that we who are rooted in Him are called to walk in a way that causes others to want what we have in Messiah.

THE RESTORATION OF THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL

The Messianic Israel Alliance believes the Restoration of the Kingdom to Israel has not yet occurred, and that its full restoration has hallmarks that prove it to be a future event.

Ezekiel (vss. 37:15-28) described three things that will be evident when both the houses of Israel are fully reunited and restored:

Israel will experience a full return to all her promised land, and not a partial return as we see today. We will not be trading promised land for supposed peace.

Israel will be blameless, without idols. Idolatry will not be found in either house. There will be no more pagan practices, nor Babylonian writings that confound.

One King will rule over all Israel. That King will be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords-Messiah Yeshua. This reunion and restoration of the whole house of Israel is necessary for the Kingdom to be restored to Israel. It is spoken of as the restoration of the "fallen tabernacle of David," and so will resemble David's reign. David ruled over all Israel, both houses.

The Messianic Israel Alliance is working to restore the broken brotherhood of Judah and Ephraim. We seek to minister to both the houses of Israel-that the Kingdom might be restored to all Israel.

The Messianic Israel Alliance believes that when the returning non-Jews realize that they are citizens of the Commonwealth of Israel, and are accepted as equal heirs by their Jewish brothers, racial divisions will fade into the background. Having a proper perspective on this issue helps to empower us. It encourages us to be the royal priesthood, the peculiar nation of Israel that we are collectively called to be.

The Messianic Israel Alliance believes the above described points of faith, but does not believe the truth about both the houses of Israel should be the focus of our faith. It is instead part of our foundational understanding of who were are as a people. We furthermore believe that this essential truth should not be hindered nor denied.

This paper is open to additions by the MIA.

Messianic Israel Alliance Founders:

Angus and Batya Wootten

MIA Shepherds Council:

David Pavlik

Hale Harris

Scott Diffenderfer

Messianic Israel Alliance

PO Box 700217, Saint Cloud, FL 34770

Phone 800.829.8777 Fax 407.347. 3770

The Hope of Messianic Israel

Messianic Israel believes Yeshua Ha'Natsree (Jesus of Nazareth) was and is the true Messiah, the Lion of Judah, the Branch Who will fully reunite all Israel; that He died and rose from the dead and lives at the right hand of the Almighty; and according to the ancient Holy Scriptures, Yeshua is YHVH Elohim appearing in the flesh, as Yeshua demonstrated in Himself (Deu 18:18-19; John 8:58; 10:33; Mat 12:6-8; 9:35; 15:31; Isa 11; 53; Micah 5:2-4; Luke 24:46; Isa 8:14; John 2:22; Acts 3:15-17; Heb 13:20; 1 John 4:2; 2 John 1:7; Rev 5:5; John 1:1).

Messianic Israel believes we are made righteous in Messiah Yeshua. (He is the heart of Abraham's unconditional covenant.) The sign of the New Covenant is circumcision of the heart, which leads to repentance, confession, salvation, faith, and to good works in Messiah. The conditional Mosaic covenant presents the eternal truths of Torah (YHVH's teaching/instructions) to His people, the hearing of which brings about blessing or curse (respond and be blessed, disobey and lack). In the New Covenant, Yeshua's Law is to be written on our hearts by the Spirit (Rom 4:13-16; 5:2; 10:10; 1 Pet 1:19; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:16,29; Titus 3:5; Heb 10:38; 1 John 1:9; Eph 2:8; James 2:14; Deu 28; Ezek 36:26; Jer 31:31-33; Heb 10:16; Gal 2:16; John 5:46; 10;30; 14:2; 15:10).

Messianic Israel is a people whose heart's desire is to fully reunite the olive tree of Israel-both branches -Ephraim and Judah-into one redeemed nation of Israel- through Messiah Yeshua. They seek to arouse Ephraim from obscurity, and by example, to awaken Judah to the Messiah-and thus to hasten both Yeshua's return to Earth and the restoration of the promised Kingdom to Israel (Mat 6:10; 12:25; 21: 43; 24:43; Luke 22:29-30; Mark 13:34; Luke 22:29-30; 2 Chr 11:4; Eze 37:15-28; Jer 11:10,16; 2:18,21; Rom 11:17,24; Eph 2:11-22; Acts 1:6).

Messianic Israel deems the Jewish people to be the identifiable representatives and offspring of Judah and "the children of Israel, his companions," and that non-Jewish followers of the Messiah from all nations have been, up to now, the unidentifiable representatives and offspring of Ephraim and "all the house of Israel, his companions" (Gen 48:19; Hosea 1-2; 5:3; Eze 37:16; Jer 31:6-9; Gen 15:2-5; 26:3; 28:4; Heb 11:9; Isa 56:3,6-8; Eph 2:11-22).

Messianic Israel affirms that the Jewish people have been kept identifiable as seed of the patriarch Jacob, YHVH's covenant people, to preserve His Holy Torah (Law), Feasts, and Shabbat (Sabbath); that the salvation of the Jewish people through their acceptance of Messiah Yeshua will be the crowning act of mankind's redemption, and is necessary for the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel. Further, the Father plans that Ephraim, they being the "wild olive branch," stimulate Judah to want what they have; they are called to walk in a way that will make Judah jealous of their relationship with the God of Israel (Gen 48:19; Isa 11:13; 37:31,32; Zec 2:12; Eze 37:15-28; Hosea 1:7; Rom 10:19; 11:11,14; Mat 23:39).

Messianic Israel believes the non-Jewish followers of Yeshua are predominantly returning Ephraim, those who were once among the Gentiles/Goyim/Nations as "LoAmi," "Not-A-People," but have now been restored to the commonwealth of Israel through their covenant with Israel's Messiah; that they are no more Gentiles/Goyim/of the Nations, but fulfill the promised restoration of uprooted Ephraim, and Jacob's prophecy that Ephraim would become "melo hagoyim," the "fullness of the Gentiles/Goyim/Nations." As Ephraim, they have been kept in mystery until recently, being used to preserve the testimony of Yeshua, the Messiah of all Israel. Their awakening, recognition, and performance as Ephraim, and their union with Judah, is a necessity for salvation of "all" Israel and the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel (Gen 48:19; Hosea 1:9-10; 5:3; 8:8; Amos 9:9; Jer 31:18-19; Zec 10:7; Rom 9:24-26; 11:26; Eph 2:11-22).

Messianic Israel declares that Believers in Yeshua were not meant to replace Judah as Israel, but as "Ephraim," they are part of the called out ones (ekklesia), and in these latter days, the Father is leading them to, whenever Scripturally possible, join with Judah; that Judah (faithful Jewish ones who will receive Messiah) and Ephraim (faithful non-Jewish Messiah followers) ultimately will fulfill the destiny of the two houses of Israel: that together they might fulfill the prophesies about the one, unified, victorious people of Israel (Jer 31:9; Rom 8:29; Col 1:15,18; 2:12; Heb 12:22-24; Lev 23:2-36; Exo 19:5; 1 Pet 1:1; 2:9; Jer 3:18; 23:6; Zec 8:13; 12:1-5; Mat 25:31-46; Exo 12:48-49; Num 15:15-16; Isa 56:3,6-8).

Messianic Israel maintains that up to this general time "blindness in part" has happened to all (both houses) of Israel, and as the blinders are lifted, non-Jewish followers in Yeshua will gain insight into their role as Ephraim and become defenders of Scriptural Torah and of Judah, and due to this character change, many Jewish people will accept Yeshua as Messiah. This process has begun as indicated through the Messianic Jewish movement (Judah), the Christian Zionism movement (Ephraim), and the Messianic Israel movement (union of Judah and Ephraim) (Isa 8:14; 11:13; Rom 11:25,26; Jer 33:14-16; 31:18-19; Ezek 37:15-28).

The reunion and full restoration of the two houses:

This is the hope that burns in the hearts of those of Messianic Israel

This paper may be photocopied in its entirety for free distribution.

©BRW

Yeshua Is The Life-Giving Root of Israel's Olive Tree The Father called both "the house of Israel and the house of Judah" "a green olive tree" (Jeremiah 11:10,16).

Yeshua said, "I AM the root and the offspring of David" (Rev 22:16). We seek the full restoration of Israel's Olive Tree.

We offer this paper in the spirit of an olive branch and invite you to freely distribute it in its complete form to Believers in both houses of Israel.

© Copyright 2002 Messianic Israel Alliance