John McKee delivers the November 2025 Outreach Israel News update. What is actually communicated by the Tabernacle of David, and what it details about the Kingdom of God? This analysis is then followed with a teaching on “Headcovering Garments.”
“With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’ SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO [Amos 9:11-12, LXX]” (NASU).
The statements made by James the Just, half-brother of Yeshua the Messiah, at the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council, were squarely intended to place the salvation of the nations within the context of the final restoration of Israel. The Apostolic assembly had been gathered to address a tenuous situation which had arisen in Antioch, where various hyper-conservative Jewish Believers, who were Pharisees, had insisted that the new, non-Jewish Believers be circumcised as proselytes and be ordered to keep the Torah of Moses for eternal salvation (Acts 15:1, 5). The Apostle Peter testified before the representatives that to do so would be tantamount to tempting God, as Jewish people and those of the nations were saved equally the same way, by the grace of Yeshua (Acts 15:7-11).
James the Just, who would issue the Apostolic Decree (Acts 15:19-21, 29)—which would mandate the new, non-Jewish Believers to adhere to four, non-negotiable essentials in order to have fellowship with Jewish Believers, beginning their path of discipleship—was the one who made the connection between the salvation of the nations and Tanach prophecy taking place. He indicated, “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name” (Acts 15:14, NASU). It cannot be overlooked here that as God’s intention was to bring forth “a people” or laos, ex ethnōn or “out of the nations,” how there was some important background behind this associated with Israel. The Greek term laos is quite loaded, because in the Septuagint it frequently translated the Hebrew am. “In the LXX laós occurs some 2,000 times, seldom in the plural, and with a specific reference to Israel as God’s people. In most instances the Hebrew original is ‘am” (TDNT).[1]
The Greek term laos or “people” is frequently seen in the Septuagint as a reference to the people of Israel (i.e., Exodus 6:7; Deuteronomy 4:20, 14:2; 26:18-19; 32:9). Deuteronomy 14:2 from the LXX affirmed, “For you are a people holy [laos hagios] to the Lord your God, and it is you the Lord your God has chosen to be an exceptional people to him out of all the nations on the face of the earth” (NETS). The thrust of Zechariah 2:11 is often thought to be behind what James was claiming of the nations’ salvation in Acts 15:14:
“Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people [v’hayu li l’am]. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you” (Zechariah 2:11, NASU).
In the Hebrew MT, this prophecy employed the term am, and in the Greek LXX it was translated by the term laos. Stern, as a Messianic Jewish commentator, actually did note in his Jewish New Testament Commentary,
“Although at [Acts] 10:2 and [Acts] 10:42 [laos] refers to the Jewish people…here the implication is that Gentiles do not have to become Jews in order to be included in the laos, because God is now doing something new.”[2]
The viewpoint of James was how the non-Jewish Believers coming to faith in Israel’s Messiah, were going to be incorporated into the am Yisrael, as anticipated by the Prophets (Acts 15:15). But this would surely not be represented as somehow replacing or displacing James’ own Jewish people—rather, as is seen in the prophecy of the Tabernacle of David, the borders of the people of God, indeed Israel itself, would be enlarged.
Anticipating people coming from the nations and joining with the Jewish people, was not something unexpected, but was something anticipated by the Tanach Scriptures. Before referencing Amos 9:11-12—and certainly to discount the meddling nature of those who wanted to demand that the non-Jewish Believers become proselytes—James placed all attention on the responsibility to heed the Prophets. He said, “With this the words of the Prophets agree” (Acts 15:15, NASU), hoi logoi tōn prophētōn, with both “words” and “prophets” in the plural. This indicates that while Amos 9:11-12 may be quoted, James would by no means have limited the inclusion of the nations, or the scope of events to be anticipated, to this single Tanach (OT) prophecy. (A short list of prophecies, which have been proposed by various examiners, include: Isaiah 2:2; 19:18-25; 45:20-23; Jeremiah 12:15-16; Hosea 3:4-5; Zephaniah 3:9; Zechariah 2:11; 8:22; 9).
It is easy to detect from English Bibles, when consulting Amos 9:11-12 and Acts 15:16-18, that there appear to be some differences between what Amos prophesied and what James stated. It has long been recognized among expositors that what appears in Acts 15:16-18, is actually from the Greek Septuagint.[3] Other than the fact that Amos 9:11-12 in the LXX does represent some ancient Jewish views of the restoration of David’s Tabernacle (or Tent), it should not be surprising why James appealed to the LXX, as what he would be ruling would have a decisive influence on how the good news was communicated to ancient people in the Mediterranean basin.
The table below compares and contrasts the readings of Amos 9:11-12, from both the Hebrew MT and Greek LXX:
AMOS 9:11-12 (MT) |
AMOS 9:11-12 (LXX) |
| “‘In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,’ declares the Lord who does this” (NASU). | “On that day I will raise up the tent of Dauid that is fallen and rebuild its ruins and raise up its destruction, and rebuild it as in the days of old in order that those remaining of humans and all the nations upon whom my name has been called might seek out me, says the Lord who does these things” (NETS). |
| [11] b’yom ha’hu aqim et-sukkat David ha’nofelet v’gadar’ti et-pir’tzei’hen v’harisotayv aqim u’benitiyha k’ymei olam [12] l’ma’an yirshu et-sh’eirit Edom v’kol-ha’goyim asher-niqra shemi alei’hem ne’um-Adonai oseh zot
|
[11] en tē hēmera ekeinē anastēsō tēn skēnēn Dauid tēn peptōkuian kai anoikodomēsō ta peptōkota autēs kai ta kateskammena autēs anastēsō kai anoikodomēsō autēn kathōs hai hēmerai tou aiōnos [12] hopōs ekzētēsōsin hoi kataloipoi tōn anthrōpōn kai panta ta ethnē eph’ hous epikeklētai to onoma mou ep’ autous legei Kurios ho Theos ho poiōn tauta |
The main difference which one should be able to immediately notice between the MT of Amos 9:11-12, and what appears in both the LXX and James’ quotation, is the usage of “the rest of mankind” (Acts 15:17, NASU) instead of “the remnant of Edom.” Here, the MT reading of sh’eirit Edom was rendered by the LXX as hoi kataloipoi tōn anthrōpōn. This difference can be explained on the basis of how Edom is closely connected to adam, which is not only the name of the first person in the Bible, but also means “mankind, people” (HALOT).[4] The interpretation of “the remnant of man” simply passed into the LXX, which employed anthrōpos, itself meaning “the human race” (BDAG).[5]
A second difference which appears between the MT and LXX is less easy to spot. The MT reads with “That they may possess the remnant of Edom” (Amos 9:12, NASU), whereas the LXX has the totally different “SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD” (Acts 15:17, NASU). Aside from the LXX’s theological value judgments, the MT of Amos 9:12 uses the verb yarash, meaning “take possession of, inherit, dispossess” (BDB),[6] speaking of the restored Tabernacle of David taking a hold of Edom. Contrary to this, the LXX uses ekzēteō, “to exert effort to find out or learn someth., seek out, search for” (BDAG),[7] speaking of this remnant of humanity trying to find the Lord as a major result of the restored Tabernacle of David.
In addition to any theological opinion interjected by the Septuagint’s Jewish translators, it might also be that the verb darash, “resort to, seek” (BDB),[8] could have been the original reading.[9]
The main point of drawing the attention of the Jerusalem Council to Amos 9:11-12, was to emphasize how a restored Tabernacle of David (Heb. sukkat David; Grk. tēn skēnēn Dauid)—representative of a united Kingdom of Israel of all Twelve Tribes at its center—would expand beyond itself. If one follows the Hebrew MT, this is represented by how during the reigns of David and Solomon, not only was the Kingdom of Israel at its height of power, but Edom was annexed by it (2 Samuel 8:14). Or, if one follows the Greek LXX, God’s faithful remnant from among humanity would seek Him, come to a knowledge of Messiah Yeshua, and be a part of the Messianic Kingdom with Him as the Greater David. Either way, a larger restoration of Israel is in view, and there are worthwhile reasons for Bible readers to consider both the MT and LXX to have prophetic validity. There will be a decisive enlargement of Israel’s Kingdom realm, of which those from the nations get to be citizens. Gary Gilbert, in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, concurs,
“The Hebrew version speaks of Israel’s possessing other nations. The Septuagint, which in Luke’s version here is what James quotes, refers to God’s act of restoration of all peoples, Jews and Gentiles.”[10]
James placed the nations’ coming to faith within the prophecies of the restoration of the Tabernacle of David and Israel’s Kingdom. The imagery of David, representing King Messiah, rules over the Kingdom of Israel, and His reign obviously affects not only the Jewish people—but most especially the whole world. Isaiah 49:6, a rather general word, detailed how the restoration of Israel via the Messiah, would involve the tribes of Israel and the nations both being impacted with His light:
“It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6, NASU).
James knew that the restoration of Israel had started with King Messiah’s reign having begun, and not only with many of his fellow Jews having acknowledged Yeshua, but also with people from the nations coming to faith in Him. A long, hard process had started. So, James’ attestation in Acts 15:19, prefacing the Apostolic Decree, “wherefore I judge: not to trouble those who from the nations do turn back to God” (YLT), was a wise word. Requiring the new, non-Jewish Believers, to become instantaneous proselytes to Judaism, keeping the Torah to be saved (Acts 15:1, 5), was surely contrary to the will of God’s Spirit. The New Covenant enacted by God’s Spirit, however, would write the Torah onto the hearts of His people (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:27)—something which would take place at His pace, not the pace of any demanding mortal. According to Tanach prophecy, the nations were to come to Zion and be instructed from Moses’ Teaching, as the word of the Lord went forth (Micah 4:1-3; Isaiah 2:2-4).
James emphasized that since the nations coming to faith was something prophesied in the Tanach, that those who were turning to the God of Israel need not be troubled. The Greek verb epistrephō, employed in Acts 15:19, mainly means “to cause a pers. to change belief or course of conduct, with focus on the thing to which one turns” (BDAG).”[11] It is notable, though, how it appears in a prophetic word like Amos 9:14: “Also I will restore [Heb. MT: shuv; Grk. LXX: epistrephō] the captivity of My people Israel…” (NASU).[12] With the very verb describing Israel proper’s return, applied to the salvation of the nations, this should be taken as a good indicator of how the Apostles not only recognized that the salvation of the nations signaled a major step forward in Israel’s ultimate, corporate redemption—but they really did consider the non-Jewish Believers coming to faith, to be participants within such a restoration, along with them (Acts 15:14; cf. Zechariah 2:11). Jewish and non-Jewish Believers were all going to be involved, and all were to be brothers and sisters in the Lord. It was/is to all culminate, in what is embodied by the promise,
“My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them” (Ezekiel 37:24, NASU).
Even today, we have still not witnessed the complete restoration of David’s Tabernacle. Many of today’s Messianic people are of the conviction that the very reason our faith community has been growing in significant numbers, the past several decades, is indeed to see Israel’s restoration completely come to fruition in the not-too-distant future. Although many things will need to be sorted out by God’s sovereign hand, it is something which involves more than just Jewish people coming to faith in Israel’s Messiah; it will affect the whole world and people from all nations who call upon Yeshua for salvation.
If we interpret Amos 9:11-12 and Acts 15:15-18 from the perspective of representing an enlarged Kingdom realm of Israel—with a restored Twelve Tribes at its center, King Messiah’s reign extending beyond itself, and the righteous from the nations likened unto those annexed territories like Edom—then obviously, non-Jewish Believers are not a part of some separate “Church” entity per dispensationalism or bilateral ecclesiology.
The expectation of Amos 9:11-12, referenced by James the Just in Acts 15:15-18, with the restoration of the Tabernacle or Tent of David, does not at all envision the Jewish people or a restored Twelve Tribes of Israel, as being displaced by those of the nations. It is more appropriately concluded that an enlarged Kingdom realm of Israel, or a Super-State of Israel, as it were, will ultimately emerge, with Yeshua the Messiah Himself as its Sovereign Monarch. The Jewish people surely do not stop being “the people” (cf. Acts 26:23), but the Kingdom of God does receive many new citizens—citizens which only the work of the Messiah Himself could see enter in.
None of today’s Messianic people should deny the fact of how there are finer details regarding the restoration of the Tabernacle/Tent of David, which are likely only going to be known as the Messiah’s return draws nearer in future time. The reality is, though, when Amos 9:11-12 and Acts 15:15-18 are read in concert with other passages—the impetus witnessed is one where the righteous of the nations move toward the Jewish people and toward Israel. They might not be physical Israel, but by having sought Israel’s Messiah, they do get incorporated into Israel’s Kingdom realm. Most importantly, such non-Jewish Believers need to join with their fellow Jewish Believers, with both working together as co-laborers in the restoration of Israel, heralding the return of King Yeshua!
NOTES
[1] H. Strathmann, “laós,” in TDNT, 499.
[2] Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, 277.
[3] Barbara Aland, Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger, eds., Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition (New York: American Bible Society, 1993), 366; Leonard Greenspoon, “The Septuagint,” in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, pp 562-563.
[4] Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, eds., The Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 2 vols. (Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill, 2001), 1:14.
[5] BDAG, 81.
[6] Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1979), 440.
[7] BDAG, 302.
[8] BDB, 205.
[9] Ben Witherington III, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 459 indicates this as a possibility.
[10] Gary Gilbert, “The Acts of the Apostles, in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, 229.
[11] BDAG, 382.
[12] Cf. Amos 9:9.
