By Jonathan Allen, Thursday 19^th March 2020 at 11.42 am

Over recent years, as Daniel Juster, the Senior Apostle of the Tikkun America network has been travelling the length and breadth of America, visiting the now twenty-five congregations in the network, a frequent subject for his talks has been the 12 Pillars.

Why pillars?  The ancients viewed the earth resting on pillars – “For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and on them he has set the world” (1 Samuel 2:8) – and pillars were a significant architectural component of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem: “He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same” (1 Kings 7:15).  Pillars are also seen as part of tghe structure of heaven – “The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke” (Job 26:11) – while Paul writes of the apostles in Jerusalem: “James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars” (Galatians 2:9).

In the Jewish writings, although the word ‘pillar’ is not used, it is implied in the quote from Simeon the Righteous, one of the last men of Great Assembly, who used to say: “The world is based upon three things: the Torah, the Divine Service and the practice of kindliness”(Pirkei Avot 1:2).

Dr Juster sees the ministries of Tikkun being being built on 12 Pillars and writes:

Since the formation of Tikkun as a restoration oriented
Messianic Jewish network in 1984,
our Lord has graciously granted greater
understanding of our walk together. This
compilation of “The 12 Pillars” provides an
understanding of those things biblical that
bind us together in a common vision and
commitment. My desire is that they become
convictions of our leaders and people –
convictions that they will maintain by
continued vigilance.

Rabbi Michael Weiner, the leader of Shomair Yisrael congregation in Knoxville, TN, has used the 12 Pillars as the basis for an extended series of posts on his daily “Rabbi’s Reflections” mailing list and in the following series of articles, we too are going to explore these pillars that are so fundamental not just to the ministry of Tikkun, but to the life of all congregations and ministries in the Body of Messiah.