The Church is used to thinking of the Great Commission as its “marching orders.”  That these words were the last words spoken by Yeshua before his ascension lends them additional weight.  However, Yeshua hinted at and Paul taught something else, related especially to the destiny of the Jewish people, termed the fullness of Israel in contrast to the fullness of the nations (Lk 21:20-28; Rom 11:12-16, 22-36). Just as the fullness of the nations has a commission attached to it, so with the fullness of Israel.  

The Greater Commission is the implied mandate to gather in the fullness of Israel in contrast to the Great Commission, the explicit mandate to gather in the fullness of the nations. 

While the Great Commission was given explicitly as a command, the Greater Commission is an implied mandate to prepare the way for and to help bring to fruition prophesied events.  Scripture prophesies eventualities not simply for our information, but to call us to align ourselves with or prepare for them (see 2 Pe 3:11-14).  So with the fullness of Israel. Having been told of this  we must ask ourselves what part we are called to play in expediting this consummation.  

Paul compares the fullness of Israel to the fullness of the nations by calling the former ‘greater riches’ than the latter  (Rom 11:12, NIV).  The imperative to expedite this “greater riches” is therefore the Greater Commission, greater because it leads to the “life from the dead” (the general resurrection) in contrast to the Great Commission which leads to the “reconciliation of the world,” (Ro 11:15) in context, seen as the salvation of the nations (Ro 11:11). 

To expedite the Greater Commission is to serve that commission in all appropriate ways.  This includes not simply gathering, but rather helping Israel enter into the fullness, the consummation, foreseen in Scripture.   Ezekiel summarizes this nicely for us in 37:21-28, telling us it includes seven aspects:  gathering to the Land, restoring Jewish unity, Jewish spiritual renewal, allegience to Messiah, a Jewish return to Torah based covenant faithfulness, the reality of the Divine Presence in the midst of Israel, and the vindication of God’s name through the vindication of Israel.  Expediting these ends is especially the mission of the Messianic Jewish Remnant, who is called to be a sign, demonstration and catalyst of God’s consummating purposes for Israel, the fullness of Israel.

This will mean that we Messianic Jews should be applauding and assisting any and all aspects of this consummation wherever and however they are advancing.  We are not supposed to be forming an alternative Israel, but rather to be the Messianic Jewish Remnant serving God’s purposes for and within Israel.  

This does not mean that the Church has nothing to do with all of this.  But that will have to wait until next time when I discuss what I term, “paramission.”