TEACH ALL NATIONS

WBS.303

TEACH ALL NATIONS

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Known as The Great Commission, these parting words of the resurrected Messiah Yahushua to his eleven remaining apostles has served as marching orders to many church denominations and missionary organizations over the past 20 centuries. Most children who have grown up in a church environment probably learned to memorize these verses at an early age; but how many could quote verse 18?  This declaration of the Master did not begin with verse 19; so, for all these centuries the heart and nature of this commission has been misunderstood and misguided.

I am not suggesting that the peoples to whom these men and women throughout the centuries have taken the message of Yahushua were not told the truth about Messiah; or that their conversions were somehow not valid.  No, I am suggesting that the nature of the message they received was not presented in its proper context; and for that reason, their lives were not lived in the fullness of the truth of the Gospel.

The Gospel.  What exactly does that mean?  Yes, we know in the Greek it means “good news,” but historically, what did that term (euangelion) communicate to the minds of the people who responded and became the first century church?  The word is derived from “eu” (good) and “angelos” (angel or messenger); but in the Hebrew, it is “basar.” Both words originally referred to the “reward” for bringing good news.  Later, the concept of reward dropped and it became just “good news.”  The Hebrew “basar” actually means “to make beautiful; i.e., to cause the face to look beautiful due to the effect that joy and gladness produced by good news has upon it.” Historically, it is associated with the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah.

Isaiah 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

3 For thus saith IAUE, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

4 For thus saith IAUE Elohim, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith IAUE, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith IAUE; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy Elohim reigneth!

8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when IAUE shall bring again Zion.

9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for IAUE hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

10 IAUE hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our Elohim.

11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of IAUE.

12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for IAUEwill go before you; and the Elohim of Israel will be your reward.

13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

At face value, the prophet is telling the people of their release from Babylonian captivity and their return to Jerusalem; but on a more spiritual level, he is prophesying of the coming of Messiah who will set the captives free and make beautiful the peoples of IAUE.  Notice, particularly, in verses 7 and 10:  “the publisheth salvation,” and “shall see the salvation of our Elohim.”  In Hebrew, the word for “salvation” is “Yahushua.”  Throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, IAUE repeatedly told us the name of His son who would come to bring His salvation.  In verse 10 it says that “IAUE hath made bare His holy arm.”  He rolled up His sleeves in order to accomplish the work of salvation, baring His holy arm for all the nations to see.

Again, a little later on in Isaiah, he says:

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Master IAUE is upon me; because IAUE hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of IAUE, and the day of vengeance of our Elohim; to comfort all that mourn;

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of IAUE, that he might be glorified.

We remember that this was the passage the Yahushua read in the synagogue, then closed the scroll and said that “this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.”  He was saying HE was the one IAUE has anointed.  “Messiah” means the “anointed one,” and that anointing means he is set apart to be the King IAUE has chosen to rule His people.

This was supposed to be good news, exhilarating news, news that would make the people rejoice and make beautiful their faces as they lit up with the joy over the report.  But Isaiah said:

Isaiah 53:1 But who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of IAUE revealed?

They did not believe the report.  This is why at the end of Isaiah 52 it described the servant of IAUE as being marred beyond recognition as a man…referring to the cruelties of Yahushua’s treatment before he was impaled.  IAUE has bared His arm to the nations and they did not see or accept the work He had accomplished for mankind.  Isaiah 53 goes on to describe what was accomplished by this anointed servant of IAUE.  He bore our sicknesses and diseases.  He bore our transgressions and iniquities.  He carried away all our physical and spiritual maladies, paying the price in full to bring a complete deliverance from all that had held them captive.

Now, let’s revisit the Great Commission from its starting point.

Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Yahushua had appointed them.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18 And Yahushua came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

The word “power” used here literally is “exousia” and means “authority.”  IAUE has bestowed upon Yahusha all authority in heaven and in earth.  That means there is no authority that is equal to or above his.  That means every governments, every principalities, every municipality, every army, every might and dominion falls under his authority.  When we understand this, we will understand what has been missing from our understanding of the Great Commission.  He did not send the apostles out to persuade but to command.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

"Go. Teach. Baptize. Insure the nations are instructed to observe to do all of those things I have commanded you to do. I am their King. As my ambassador, go as one who is acting on a level of authority that is superior to the authority of any man or demon you meet.  Do not go as one trying to convince them to listen, hoping they will agree with you.  Do not try to persuade them with the wisdom of man’s words.  In the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrate to them how it is. Command the nations to obey the King. Tell them the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  Tell them the King is coming soon."