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Study Guide for Land of Revelation A Reconciling Presence in Israel Chapters 16 - 20 By Roy H. Kreider This Study Guide is also available for download as a Word document or in PDF Acrobat format. See also Land of Revelation in the Herald Press online catalog.

Foreword & Chapters 1 - 5	Chapters 6 - 10	Chapters 11 - 15
Chapters 16 - 20	Chapters 21 - 25	Chapters 26 - 30
Chapters 31 - 35	Chapters 36 - 40	Chapters 41 - 46

Chapter 16, ESSENTIAL VISION

1. Why is vision so essential? What kind of vision is intended by “hazon”? What are those dire consequences if hazon is lacking? What was the important missiological principle discovered in this text from Proverbs?
   
2. How do we differentiate between vision that is God-given, and vision that has its source in the soul, the consensus reached by a group process? How can the God-given vision be sought and received? How does the prophet Ezekiel designate vision that has its source in the soul? See Ezekiel 13:2–7.
   
3. A “dugith” is a sail boat designed for group-fishing expeditions. How did this name and the defining vision for this center express the dynamic meaning signifying hazon?
   
4. Why was the choice of the title “Hayahad” so appropriate for a conjoint publication centered upon the life and ministries of the local assemblies emerging in the Land?
   
5. In what ways did the visit of the Christian editors as guests of the Israel government, led by Dr. Carl F. Henry, utilize the occasion to play a helpful role in confronting the advisor to the government on our behalf? What glimmer of hope was revealed in the response of the official on whether our struggle to continue on in the Land might eventually be successful? What was that “art of effectual warfare” that we would have to learn?
   
6. What can be discerned regarding the contributing factors that resource tenacity to press on in this purpose-driven struggle to continue in this difficult Land?

Chapter 17, CHRISTIAN WITNESS TO JUDAISM

1. In what ways were the mission and the method of Jesus in this Land a model in ministry for us? What does it mean, and what are the implications that the barrier between Jews and Gentiles has been removed? Since in Jesus “walls between are down,” how do we explain the existence of so many attitudinal walls of prejudice and animosity and ill-will that have been erected and are allowed to stand?
   
2. What does it mean that the central message proclaimed in mission is of “the one new man” made possible through Christ’s reconciling death on the cross? Since this teaching was given in relation to the wall removed between Jews and Gentiles, is the message of “the one new man” a universal message applicable for all alienated people-groups?
   
3. In what way does the Christian approach to the Jewish people differ from an approach to people of other non-biblical belief systems? What does John 4:22 mean? Could the promised Messiah Jesus have come into the world through any other people-group? How is our salvation history rooted in the history of Israel and the Jewish people? Is the early history of Israel an essential and foundational part of the gospel message?
   
4. What does this break signify, that Judaism did not accept Jesus as the fulfillment of the messianic promise, so that Christianity exists in a broken relationship to its origins? How do we answer this list of troubling questions? How is it that the people most schooled and best suited to accept him did not accept him? How deeply have you thought about it, and how intently have you prayed? Is this Jewish refusal a disquieting reality upon your consciousness? How far is your church urged toward an authentic witness to Jewry in the hope of overcoming this rejection of Jesus, and of removing the dividing wall of hostility?
   
5. How did the formation of the rabbinical school at Yavne profoundly affect Judaism? How has it affected Christianity? What was the faith orientation and focus of pre-Yavne Judaism? How was it changed, and what was the changed focus after Yavne? What new element was introduced into synagogue readings and prayers? Why is it that Christianity stands as Judaism’s only serious challenge to its existence?
   
6. In what way was Christianity changed? How has its witness needed to change in its approach to a changed Judaism? Why does the Church need this encounter with Jewry and Judaism? Why does Jewry need a dialogic relation with the Church?

Chapter 18, ENSIGN TO THE PEOPLES

1. Why does the pathway on which God is leading bring us into exceeding narrowing straits? How do difficulties aid in discovering new doors opening? What were those new doors beginning to open for us in the Land?
   
2. How was the creation of a Christian travel agency in Israel a contribution to the Church at large, to the church in the Land, a special benefit to Israel , and consistent with our basic purpose in being there? How was this a bold experiment, and a radical new approach and method, given the limited range of freedoms available for us?
   
3. From where does the title “ensign to the nations” originate? In Isaiah 11:10, to whom does this title refer, and what does it signify? Where did the original vision for an agricultural settlement of believers have its beginning? Why was Orie Miller keenly interested in relating to this vision and its unfolding? Why was it so important to him that we get involved?
   
4. What was the dynamic in the vision for Nes Ammim that was gradually unfolding that ignited interest and commitment for the formation of an international and inter-church organization and executive committee? What were those countries invited to participate in the administration of the project in Israel ? What was the missing element that weakened the enterprise from the beginning? What were those early cautions we felt about getting involved in this project?
   
5. In the light of preparations for a major transition within MBM soon to be made known, what was the apparent reason that our missions administrator and wife on this first visit to Israel were requesting this visit to be relaxing time to become better acquainted with us within our sphere of service, rather than discussing complex administrative issues?
   
6. Why was it important for us to be meaningfully involved also within the Arabic-speaking community in the Land? Why was the invitation from the E. M. M. S. Hospital in Nazareth a welcomed direction? How did this comprise an opening door, and a truly significant expression of the vision of “ensign to the nations”?

Chapter 19, THE GATEWAY TO DESTINY IS CHOICE

1. How can the secret plans and purposes known only to the Lord be learned? If the mission of God can only be accomplished when these plans are learned, how can they be discovered? Who were those examples in the Bible that model the rewards of an intimate relationship with God?
   
2. How are the choices we make the gateway to life’s direction illustrated in the personal experience of the manager of the bookstore? How many of the choices we make are imposed upon us, and how many are the result of the lack of spiritual foundations that shape the direction we choose? How do we assure that the wiser choices can be made in situations of extreme test?
   
3. What was the life-changing choice that we faced during the sabbatical year in seminary in Elkhart , Indiana ? Since we were serving under the mission board whose executive was reassigning into administration at board level, why was this a difficult decision? Is there a missionary gifting for service and administration on the complex frontier of Israel , and a different kind of missionary gifting for service in administration in the Overseas Office at headquarters with responsibility for many countries? In this once in a lifetime opportunity to serve at this level, why did the peace of God not come?
   
4. Here was an opportunity presented to help shape not only the vision and response within one nation, but to the nations of the world. Was it not obvious that this invitation was God-given for us? How crucial is it to know precisely the frontier the Lord has chosen to be our sphere of service? How do we align our choices with the choice that the Lord has made for us?
   
5. Having laid down this golden opportunity in preference for service on the Israel frontier, can we now expect that the Lord will smooth out the path in Israel for us?

Chapter 20, EVERY COMMON BUSH AGLOW

1. How did confirmation from the Lord that was definitive and directional come to us of what our return and further ministry in Israel was to be? How did the revelation of the bush aglow impact and alter the life of Moses? In what ways was it a revelation and a paradigm, an illustrative example for our projects and centers, our congregations and ministries, our homes and our relationships in the Land?
   
2. How did the appointment of Dr. Robert and Nancy Martin to medical service at EMMS Hospital in Nazareth become a visible expression of our purpose as reconciling ministry in the Land?
   
3. What encouraging signs of hope were emerging at international and national levels regarding the project Nes Ammim? What reports from Israel were raising serious concerns as to Nes Ammim internal policies? What proposals from the Israeli government were opening the way for significant investment initiatives?
   
4. Why did Orie Miller conclude that I should begin relating more directly to the Nes Ammim project? What did my meeting with Dr. Pilon discover of a basic division and intention within the international committee as to Nes Ammim purpose? Though comprised of four National Committees committed to work together on vision, policies, and purpose, what was beginning to emerge as to how open Dr. Pilon and the German Committee was to discussing a broader basic purpose to which all could agree?
   
5. What crisis within the project obliged our immediate involvement in management? What was discovered of a larger set of issues threatening the project requiring immediate attention? How did the Customs Chief respond on first visit that revealed amazing grace in seeing the crisis resolved? How do we account for the series of gracious responses on the part of Israelis to the legal binds the project was enmeshed in?
   
6. Why were the neighboring Arab villages and Jewish agricultural settlements eager to develop relationships with the community at Nes Ammim? Why were the industrial projects to be initiated stalled from proceeding? Why could the Executive Committee at the international level not resolve the differences and disagreements? Why was the proposal for withdrawal from the international committee recommended, and why was it agreed to?
   
7. How was the Lord seen engineering outward hardship, to bring forth inward graces of the Holy Spirit being developed in us? What was the secret learned in mastery in difficult circumstances? How did this fiery furnace, there by God’s direct permission, reveal the Son of God walking with us?