[ From an article at Jewish Roots of Christianity]:
How Many Distinct Symbols Do You See?
"This symbol represents a recent discovery in terms of how the early church identified itself... whether you see 1, 2, or 3 symbols may depend on whether you have discernment in your identity as a Gentile believer in the Jewish Messiah..."
[Key excerpts]:
"You see, God has made ONE NEW MAN from TWO distinct parts.... Jewish and Gentile believers in ONE BODY of MESSIAH..
"Many in the Church today feel that 'we Gentiles' as the Church have somehow replaced national Israel and the Jewish people in terms of the covenant promises of God... and this has in turn affected how many read and interpret the Bible in regard to Israel."
"So why does this symbol have anything to do with that?? The Evangelical Press News Service (EP) released an article in July of 1999 that quoted the following:
"A Messianic Seal from the Christian church in ancient Jerusalem has been rediscovered after 2,000 years. This ancient symbol was found on Mount Zion. It is believed to have been created and used by the Jewish believers who called themselves Nazarenes in the first Messianic Church."
[also]:
"The Messianic Seal of the Jerusalem Church, the ancient three-part symbol has, since 135 AD, been suppressed by various Israeli groups or agencies, such as the Israel Museum and Orthodox rabbis in the Old City of Jerusalem, while simultaneously being buried for these nearly two millennia by the church."
[be sure to read the full article]
[more on "replacement theology" here]
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