GOD'S PURPOSE FOR ISRAEL (Part I)

Transcription

1 GOD'S PURPOSE FOR ISRAEL (Part I) Thus far we have considered eight of the nations surrounding the land of Israel. When we studied Egypt, for example, we accepted that Egypt means Egypt, - we didn t try to see any hidden or profound meaning. Similarly, Gaza means Gaza, Syria means Syria, Libya means Libya, Lebanon means Lebanon. So, therefore, when we come to Israel, Israel means Israel and not, - for example, - a synonym for believers or the Church Likewise, Jerusalem means Jerusalem and not the New Jerusalem Zion means Zion and Babylon means Babylon and not Rome. Unless the Scriptures clearly indicate otherwise, the first and primary means by which we deal with this subject of God s plan for Israel is to be a literal meaning. As we have studied the nations, many of the prophecies seem difficult, - almost impossible, - to comprehend and yet we accept them because they are contained in God s infallible Word. They show us how His plan for the nations will enter a new period of time never before experienced on this earth, Is. 2:2 it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. Let s begin our study of God s plan for Israel in that place where the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, that is, in Jerusalem. Now, remember, we have absolutely no warrant to spiritualize or symbolize this mountain of the Lord s house that is established in the top of the mountains. Let s play by the same rules as we have done thus far in our previous studies. When Paul was teaching the Corinthians concerning the hope of the resurrection of the saints, he wrote, I Cor. 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. This is the day when the Lord shall come to this earth not in a secret rapture but when every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him (Rev 1:7). Jesus, Himself, described that day, Mt. 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. And what will happen then? Let s turn to Is. 24:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. This very definitely settles this scene on the earth. It is not to be understood symbolically, it is to be understood literally.

2 These are the enemies of Jerusalem and therefore, the enemies of the nation of Israel, the people of God, and God Himself! The Old Testament people to whom Isaiah was writing were then informed, v.22 And they [i.e. v.21 the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth that the LORD shall punish] shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Other portions of Scripture corroborate the terrible times that will happen next, for a short season, v.23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed Where is that going to happen? That's going to happen on this earth (v.21) and when, - after the many days' when the prisoners who were gathered in the pit were visited' [paqad attended to, punished cf. Ps. 59 To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. 1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. 3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD. 4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold. 5 Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit [paqad] all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors] Surely that corresponds with another passage in the New Testament Rev. 20:3 And cast him [i.e. v.2 the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan] into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled Or as Isaiah renders it, Is. 24:22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. 23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. It cannot be any more plain! Let s continue, Is. 25:5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. v.6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. What! That s what Paul wrote in I Cor. 15:54 Death is swallowed up in victory. And it is also where John quoted from in Rev. 21:4! So, where will this take place in a literal Jerusalem, or in a spiritual Jerusalem? Well, unless we re going to change the rules so late in our studies of the nations, this is going to happen in an earthly Jerusalem! There is absolutely no warrant to understand it any other way. If Libya means Libya, and Syria means Syria, and Lebanon means Lebanon then Jerusalem must surely mean Jerusalem! 2

3 Isaiah continues, 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. 10 For in this mountain [cf. 24:3] shall the hand of the LORD rest. And what about the enemy nations, such as Moab (part of modern-day Jordan)? v.10 Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. 11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim: and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands. 12 And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust. Whilst the host of the Gentile-enemy high ones, and the Gentile-enemy kings of the earth upon the earth fail in their attempts against the people of God (24:21), gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and [they] shall be shut up in the prison then, during those many days (v.22), here is what God in His Word says, 26:1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. 2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength [Jehovah Ysur]. Then what? Here is how God will establish His reign, 26:12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. [i.e. You have fulfilled your age-old promises] 13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us [e.g. Egypt, Babylon, Medes and Persians, Greeks, Romans, Ottoman Empire, etc.]: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish [they have been shut in the prison during those many days, v.21-22]. 15 Thou hast increased the nation [i.e. of Israel], O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. That hasn t happened yet, but it will, and that is how the people of God will realise it The enemy has been gathered into the pit (24:22), and they are locked up until after the many days' when God will visit them again. But during those many days the Lord Jesus Christ is reigning from His throne in Jerusalem. At this present time, prior to the Second Advent, Ezek. 44:1 tells us, the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east, - over towards the Mount of Olives from where Jesus ascended into Heaven, and to where the angels promised He would return, Acts 1:11 this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven not symbolically, but literally not in the clouds, but to the earth. And the Lord made a particular point of saying to Ezekiel, v.2 This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, 3

4 and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. That Golden Gate (as it is called today) is literally shut, - it s closed, it s blocked, it has been filled in, and nobody can pass through it, - but God says there is a day coming when it shall be opened, v.3 It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. This is at the commencement of that period of the many days when Christ s reign will begin. Yes, He is reigning now. He is sitting at the right hand of His Father in Heavenly places, Eph. 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Far above all! Then, at the conclusion of this present period of this world s age, He will return and He s coming to reign from Jerusalem. He came literally two thousand years, and He is coming literally again! Here is how it will be when He reigns from Jerusalem, Is. 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth Is. 65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and 4

5 eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. Look at Is. 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. Some would question and say that is the new heavens and the new earth in Rev. 21:1. Well, there in Rev. 21:1 John speaks about a new heaven singular whereas Is. 65:17 speaks about new heavens plural, and we cannot overlook the distinction. And something else Isaiah mentions that does not match the description John gives of the eternal state. Is. 65:19 says, the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. In the new heaven and new earth that we read about in John 21, there is no more death (v.4) so the one hundred year old child will not die, and neither will there be any one hundred year old accursed sinners because they won t be there! And, what of us Gentile believers? We have been spending our time referring to the earthly nation of Israel. Well, don t forget the angels instructed Joseph to call the Baby in the manger Jesus, Mt. 1:21 for he shall save his people from their sins. That term, His people, primarily, is not symbolic language referring to the Elect as Jn. 1:11 also illustrates, He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Don t forget, take it literally! Remember also how Jesus said to the Syro-Pheonician woman, Mt. 15:24 I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. So, let s keep the Word of God in its proper context, - let s not read our theology into the Scriptures, but rather, let s take our theology from the Scriptures! So, what about us Gentile believers then? How shall we be part of God s great plan concerning Jerusalem, and Christ s reign? Well, very simply, God has not cast away His people, - the Israelites, the Jews (Rom. 11:1). There is coming a time when He will draw them onto Himself, - we ve been referring to that day in the writings of the prophets. There are many portions of the Old Testament we could turn to in order to emphasize how this work is presently underway, but He will bring it to its absolute fulfillment on that day. We know, though, Judaism does not presently recognise Jesus Christ as the Messiah. 5

6 They are still waiting for Him to appear. Paul explains their eyes have been darkened that they cannot see (Rom. 11:10) and even though millions visit holy sites of Christianity in the land of Israel every year, the Jews, - themselves, - continue to stubbornly reject Christ. Is it an irreparable condition? No, it's not, for there is coming a day when they will realise Jesus Christ as the real and true Messiah, and they will turn to Him as a nation, v.25 that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. That is God s promise to Israel! Paul was quoting from Is. 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. 20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. During this present age, - when Israel is in a state of spiritual blindness, - Gentile believers from the wild olive tree (v.17) are being grafted in to that olive tree. Why an olive tree? Well, that was one of God s descriptions for Israel in the Old Testament, for example, Jer. 11:16 The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit. That is the privilege He has afforded us to be grafted into the house of Israel. Previously, as Eph. 2:12 describes, we, - Gentiles, - had been aliens/foreigners from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off [the Gentiles] are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Now, v.18 through him we both [Jew and Gentile in Christ] have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. God s plan for Israel is being worked out at this very moment, and it will come to pass just as He has arranged it in eternity. We, also, are privileged with the same salvation He first extended to Israel, - it is not one salvation for them, and another for us We have been grafted in. It is Jesus Christ Who died on the cross of Calvary that is the only salvation for all who believe... and He is not finished with Israel. This is the great plan God has for the nations through Israel, - our salvation through the Messiah, the Son of David, the Son of God. May God encourage us again as we consider these wonderful works He is doing in our world today in the plans He has for His people! Amen. 6