Testimony to Ariel Ministries

by John B. Metzger

I have had the opportunity to observe Ariel Ministries for 16 years and have personally found this ministry to be the best teaching ministry from a Jewish perspective of any that I have seen or known of today. Coupled with that is the primary purpose of Ariel Ministries which is the evangelization and discipleship of Jewish people, as well as Gentile believers. I believe that the material prepared by this ministry has a quality of biblical excellence not often seen.

Founder
The ministry began in the heart of a Jewish believer in Messiah to reach his people for Messiah [Christ] as well as equipping them and Gentile believers in the Scriptures to be effective in their outreach as well as they own personal spiritual growth. His name is Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, born in Siberia, Russia in 1943. After the war with the help of the Israeli underground, the Fruchtenbaum family who were originally from Poland escaped from behind the Iron Curtain and lived in West Germany from 1947-1951. Arnold received Orthodox Jewish training from his father who had himself been reared to assume Chasidic (ultra-orthodox Jewish) leadership in Poland. The Fruchtenbaum family lost most of their family in the Holocaust. His family then immigrated to Brooklyn, NY. He was born again in Messiah through a neighborhood children’s bible class held by Ruth Wardell in Brooklyn, NY at the age of 13. He was discipled by some sound bible believers like Burl Haynie and attended a Memory Bible Camp in upstate NY which is the present site of Camp Shoshanah of Ariel Ministries. The Fruchtenbaum family later moved to the Los Angeles area and upon graduation from high school was told to get out of the house by his father because of his belief in Yeshua [Jesus]. He earned his B.A from Cedarville College in Ohio, his Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary (1970) and his Ph.D from New York University (1989) with a passion to be a servant in the hands of his Messiah to reach Jewish people for His Lord. Upon graduating from seminary, he and his wife Mary Ann started a teaching ministry in Israel. However, this was too effective for the ultra-orthodox establishment in Israel and they had him deported after two years. Once back in the states he saw many Jewish young people coming to faith in Messiah, but also saw there was a lack of biblical teaching from the Scriptures from a Jewish perspective and so Ariel Ministries was born.

Historical Sketch of the Ministry
Arnold had worked with American Board to the Jews (Chosen People Ministries – CPM) before establishing Ariel Ministries. Ariel Ministries began in San Antonio, TX and then later moved to Tustin, CA only to return to San Antonio, TX to be more effective with overhead expenses. The story was told to me by Karl Goldberg, the brother of Louis Goldberg, who was also working for American Board to the Jews. He was asked by CPM to ask Arnold to consider returning to their ministry. However, Arnold knew that God had placed a unique burden to minister to his people by providing quality biblical teaching from a Jewish perspective, so Ariel became a reality in 1977.

Ariel has faced a number of problems over the years which by the help and leading of the Lord were overcome. There is a basic principle that all people in Jewish ministries understand. Anyone that ministers the Gospel of Messiah [Christ] especially to Jewish people will be opposed by the Adversary.

One of the initial factors for a new ministry was how to raise the funds to build a staff to man the office: a secretary for Arnold, an office and the need to bring on staff. If you view www.Ariel.org you will soon discover the multitude of materials that Arnold produced in those early years and continues to develop. Arnold spent many hours studying the Scriptures and rabbinic sources to understand the Jewish background and context of the Scriptures. He also preached throughout the USA and later around the world and slowly the funds came in as people began to discover the treasury of Bible study materials that he was producing to evangelize and disciple Jewish believers in Messiah.

There were other difficulties as Camp Shoshanah was begun. Camp Shoshanah was established originally as a 3 week intensive Bible Camp for Jewish and Gentile believers to be discipled and equipped for effective witness to Jewish people. There were attempts by others to take back the camp property that Ariel was using for this part of their ministry. But praise the Lord today Camp Shoshanah belongs completely to Ariel Ministries and its continuing outreach with 6 weeks of study and the future ministry of a Messianic Bible School year around.

There was another issue where some tried to change the purpose and goals of Ariel Ministries. But Ariel Ministries has stood firm on their primary goals to evangelize Jewish people and disciple them in the scriptures from a Jewish perspective.

Over the years many of us have had the opportunity of a life time to journey with Arnold on his study tours of Israel. Words cannot convey to the reader the impact these tours had on my life and the lives of those who have taken his 3 or 5 week study tours. However, during the first Intifada in the early 90’s the board of directors had to cancel trips to Israel for safety issues on the fears that had arisen out of the news reports in Israel.

In 1974 while Arnold was still with American Board to the Jews (Chosen People Ministries) he wrote his first book Jesus was a Jew published in 1974 and dedicated it to Ruth Wardell who led him to faith in Messiah Yeshua years before in Brooklyn. It is a great apologetic study on who Jesus is and how the Rabbis view him as well as a great study on Isaiah 53, one of the greatest passages to use in witnessing to a Jewish person. This book deals with the identity of the Servant of the LORD being the Messiah and not collective Israel. This book has been reprinted in 1989 and 2010 because of it usefulness in Jewish evangelism by many other Jewish ministries and individuals

In 1983 Arnold published his first work on the prophetic sequences of the book of Revelation called The Footsteps of Messiah. Twenty years later in 2003 he made a major revision making it one of the most comprehensive works on the end-times published to this day. He brings forward the Old Testament passages that inter-relate with the Revelation text of John the Apostle.

Also in 1983 he published a small work on the Song of Solomon called Biblical Love Making. The uniqueness of this book is that he presents it as a literal love story of courtship, wedding and sexual intimacy between Solomon and his wife Shulamit, while many commentators incorrectly interpret it as an allegory of Christ and the Church.

Beginning in 1983 Arnold began writing a series of manuscripts originally for Ariel’s radio ministry on different topics which today there are 191 biblical and doctrinal topics presented which must be viewed on their website to appreciate the broad range of studies for believers.

In 1989 Arnold published his signature work, a book that literally is the only one of it kind in print called Israelology: the Missing Link in Systematic Theology. Most men prepare for the ministry by going to Bible College or Seminary and are taught the doctrines of Christology, Holy Spirit, Church, Sin and Salvation as well as all the other theologies. But if you take Israel out of the Bible, what do you have left? The answer is, very little! So why do we not study Israelology because it consumes so much of what is written in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament? It is a classic work on Israel past, present and future dealing with everything that relates to God’s plan for Israel. This work was revised in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2001.

In 1998 Arnold published a great reference book on showing that Jesus fulfilled everything that the Law and the Prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures [Old Testament] prophesied concerning His First Coming. This book is a study of the 30 First Coming references of Messiah Yeshua called Messianic Christology. This book is a tremendous tool in the hands of believers who want to witness to Jewish people about Messiah [Christ] Yeshua [Jesus] and all that Moses and the Prophets prophesied about the First Coming of Messiah, that Yeshua fulfilled.

Dr. Fruchtenbaum developed a radio program, a training institute in Biblical Studies [Camp Shoshanah], established Messianic Congregations through the ministries of Ariel missionaries in different metro areas where Jewish people live, and a large resource library for individual believers who have a passion to share the Gospel of Messiah effectively to their Jewish neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances. To name each of the subjects taught on Arnold’s MP3’s and DVD is to numerous, but the enrichment in believers spiritual growth will greatly enhance your knowledge and ability to witness with understanding will be enhanced greatly.

Years ago Ariel tried to be a multi-faceted ministry in trying to reach out to the Jewish community at large. Ariel has found over the years that it is better to develop the areas that they excel in so that they can be more effective. So Ariel Ministries is moving ahead with their teaching and discipling of believers in the local church, Camp Shoshanah and through the large amount of resources available to effectively train believers in reaching Jewish people for Messiah. View their website: www.Ariel.org

Ministry’s Growth
Once Ariel Ministries focused on its strengths, the teaching of Arnold Fruchtenbaum and Camp Shoshanah are forging ahead. By developing a first class website and making the material more available to a computer iterate world. Ariel has focused on changing over their material from paper to MP3’s and DVD’s. They are beginning to set up material on E-Book and making his books available now on Logos. This makes Ariel’s material available to a much wider audience, the whole world. E-books for example are far more inexpensive to send to believers around the world then using traditional mailing.

Ariel Ministries is working on some new material. The life story of Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum is in the hands of the editor. He has just completed a revision of his book Hebrew Christianity which was first published in 1983 (revised 1995). The newly revised edition will be called The Remnant of Israel which will give needed material on the growth and changing face of the Messianic Movement. Another book that many people in Jewish ministries are eagerly anticipating will be the historic publication of The Life and Ministry of Jesus the Messiah which will be a complete thorough study on the Life of Yeshua from a Jewish perspective in the Gospels. Many people have asked for such a book when I speak on the Jewishness of the Scriptures as it relates to the life of Christ in the Gospels. All the research studies have been done and now the writing of the manuscript must be done. This book will be a one of a kind book.

Ariel Ministries is moving towards a year around training school at Camp Shoshanah located in upstate New York for the express purpose to equip and train Jewish and Gentile believers to reach out to the Jewish community.

Ariel Ministries has begun publishing books by a variety of authors, an example of that is the book published by Ariel Ministries called Discovering the Mystery of the Unity of God which is a book dealing with the Tri-Unity of God and the Deity of the Messiah exclusively of the Hebrews Scriptures [Old Testament]. This is a significant work dealing with the primary theological areas that Rabbinic Judaism rejects.

Methods of Operation
Ariel Ministries is a faith work, meaning that it is supported by believers who value the need to have quality biblical material to reach the Jewish community for Messiah. It is not supported by any denomination or corporation, but by individuals and churches who have a burden to see Jewish people come to faith in their Messiah.

Ariel Ministries policy from its very beginning was to make needs know to God and let Him supply through His people. Ariel does not send out appeal letters. But for example will let God’s people know about the vision and need for Messianic Bible Training Center [Camp Shoshanah] and let God place it on the hearts of believers.

Ariel Ministries has a Board of Directors who oversees the ministry and its direction and then the CEO directs the day to day ministry operations.

Present Outreach
Ariel Ministries in the past has operated in many cities in the USA. Today they have staff in Israel, Chicago, IL and Charlotte, NC with eight branches in Canada, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.

A new website was begun in conjunction with other Jewish missions called
www.Messiah.com.e . You will have to visit the site to appreciate it and the testimonies of Jewish people who have come to faith in Messiah Yeshua.

Ministry Plans for the Future
Along with the future publication of Life of Messiah from a Jewish perspective. Ariel Ministries has begun a commentary series with three volumes completed: Genesis in 2009, Judges & Ruth in 2007 and Hebrew Messianic Epistles (Hebrews, James, I & 2 Peter and Jude) in 2005. More are on the table to be published. Fruchtenbaum Family History and the Holocaust is now in the hands of the editor. Please continue to pray that it will be published by the end of the year.

Points of Blessing
Because of Ariel Ministries Jewish people have come to faith, been trained and are now serving in many different capacities.
The main building to be used for the Messianic Bible Training School is nearing completion. Pray for the funds that will finish it off. Ariel will not go into debt to finish it.
Many more people are becoming aware of the need to evangelize Jewish people and disciple them in the faith.
“Come and See” on Ariel website has been a successful tool in discipling both Jew and Gentile in the doctrines of the faith.
For the faithful service of Arnold Fruchtenbaum and Dan Rigney who just went home to be with the Lord.
Each year, Ariel supporters through the Lord placing this ministry on their hearts has provide for the ministry in that each year ending in the black.
For the Lords provision of large gifts for Camp Shoshanah and the needed support to finish making the Camp and Bible Training Institute equipped and ready.

Prayer Support
Prayer is something that Ariel Ministries values and desires from all those who are interested in Jewish missions. Would you contact us and visit our website to pray with us for a harvest of souls, both Jewish and Gentile?