Foreword to the Third Edition
This is the third edition. It was necessary because so many people were interested in the book, and we ran out of copies more quickly than we had planned.
This third edition also became necessary because the more books were distributed, the more questions and comments arose about certain passages. I saw that clearer wording had to be found for some of these passages. For this, I undertook a work of correction and rewriting which produced the current text that should be the basis for any further printing and translation.
I am writing as a Catholic Christian. That's why you will find many indications pointing to developments between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people, including the Messianic Jews. Even as a Christian totally dedicated to ecumenism and the unity of the one Church of Jesus, I see things with "Catholic" eyes. I hope this will not be an obstacle for Christians from other church backgrounds or denominations to get the best out of my book.
This book is not written primarily for the academic world. It is written as a narrative, a simplified explanation of a complex historical and theological subject. The book is written in "prophetic" language, providing a spiritual overview of the diverse historical developments surrounding the rise and disappearance of Messianic Judaism in ancient times, as well as its rebirth in recent decades. This prophetic perspective also sets the tone to explore the task before us as we seek a fitting response to the resurrection of these "dry bones" by the power of the Holy Spirit, as prophesied by the Prophet Ezekiel (chap. 37).
As a member of the dialogue between Catholic and Messianic Jewish theologians over the past 20 years, under the auspices of high authorities in the Vatican, I learned what it means to face the fact that a miracle is being presented to us before our very eyes. At the same time, I have come to understand how great a challenge it is to bring together these two quite different "worlds" of belief in the same Messiah and Christ, Yeshua of Nazareth. The journey toward each other and forward together into a common future has only just begun.
I have to thank my wife and my children. In their company, I have learned to love, to ask forgiveness, and to reconcile. Their generosity gave me the freedom to work on this greater reconciliation project. I have to thank my secretary, Fritzi Turecek, for many years of faithful support. I have to thank my brothers in the International Leadership Council of TJCII, who challenged me to become the man I am today. Most of all, I give thanks to Fr. Peter Hocken (+) who became my fatherly friend and mentor. I also have to thank my many other Messianic Jewish and Gentile friends—most of all Dr. Mark Kinzer—who taught me to understand more deeply the "Mystery of the Olive Tree". I have to thank the ecumenical community "Umkehr zum Herrn" in Vienna, where my wife and I have found our spiritual home. Our communitarian journey taught me so much about friendship, but also about forgiveness and reconciliation. Lastly, and truly not least, I have to thank my Archbishop, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, who has been my spiritual head and covering for more than 25 years.
Copyright © 2017 by Johannes Fichtenbauer
Revised third edition (2025) by André Villeneuve
