Knesset Bible Study Brings Jews and Christians Together

JERUSALEM, Israel – A first-time Bible study in Israel is being called a fulfillment of scripture. In an historic move, Christians joined Israeli Jews this week in the Knesset to study the Word of God. Many believe it's a significant step toward unity.

Rabbi and Knesset member Yehuda Glick hosted the study. Some 200 Jews and Christians attended the event, cosponsored by the Knesset Caucus for the Encouragement of Bible Study, the Schindler Society and Israel365.

"And now my head will be lifted upon all my enemies and I shall therefore offer in his Temple sacrifices of joy. I shall sing and give praise to the Lord," Glick read from Psalm 27.

"It's exciting to see how the words of the prophets are really coming about," he told CBN News afterward. "We have people from all over the world who to come study Bible from Jerusalem, exactly as Isaiah said, 'The Word of God from Jerusalem.'"

Rabbi Yehuda Glick

Rabbi Tuli Weiss, founder of Israel365, told CBN News, "This is the first time Jews and non-Jews came together at the Knesset to study the Bible together. It's amazing. The Bible – that has been a source of division between Jews and Christians throughout our long history – is now the source of unity between our people."

Weiss believes it's biblically significant the event took place in Jerusalem.

"Well the verse in Isaiah says that from Zion shall come forth the Torah, and it says that in the end of days all the nations are going to come streaming up to Jerusalem and they're going to say, 'teach us the Torah' and that's exactly what's happening here today at the Knesset.  It's really exciting," he said.

Rabbi Tuli Weiss

Dean Bye, international director of Return Ministries, called it "historic."

"Jews and Christians. They say this is historic. It's the first time in the Knesset so for me it's sort of like 'pinch me time,'" Bye told CBN News. "Can somebody say, 'Baruch HaShem [praise His name]? Praise the Lord. [This] really is special."

For years, Glick has campaigned for wider access to the Temple Mount where only Muslims are permitted to pray. That public stance almost cost him his life several years ago when he was shot in the chest at point blank range outside the Menachem-Begin Center in Jerusalem. Glick believes the Temple Mount is key to this matter.

"It's the heart of the whole thing," he explained. "The return to Israel was called Zionism.  Zion is the name of the Temple Mount and connecting to the House of Prayer for all nations, is this exactly thing, what we're talking about, what we see right here. That's what's happening."

Bye said, "We're living in an amazing hour."

"It's humbling. I pray that the Lord will grant many more Christians to have this experience and to be able to go back into the nations as ambassadors – shigurim – to be able to let them know that we are living in probably the most exciting times since the resurrection of Jesus Christ."