(contd.)
7. ISRAEL'S PRESENT CONDITION
There are three New Testament words which aptly describe her national plight. We must remember that what Israel is politically is always the result of what she is religiously. In this connection, the Holy Spirit describes the plight of this people by the words "fallen," "desolate," and "blinded."
7.1 Fallen
Jesus said, "Whosoever shall fall on this stone (meaning Himself shall be broken" (Matthew 21:44). Romans 9:32 and 1 Peter 2:8 make it clear that the nation trippped and fell over the Messiah who had come in lowly grace to deliver them. They had looked for deliverance from their Roman conquerors rather than from the enslavement of their sins, and this had blinded them to the claims of their true Messiah. They rejected Him and were consequently broken. (Read Romans 11:11, 12, however, how God has overruled this.)
7.2 Desolate
"Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Matthew 23:37-39). During the past two thousand years, Israel has been nationally fallen and religiously desolate. Their temple has been completely destroyed and even its very site was for centuries in the hands of the infidel, which accords exactly with Hosea 3:4. True, the orthodox party has clung to the empty shell of ritualism, but any spiritual life has long since fled. In heaven's reckoning, they are desolate religiously.
7.3 Blinded
"Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded....that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:7, 25). The story of Elymas (Acts 13:6-12) perfectly illustrates this condition. Notice, however, that the blindness was, and is, temporary and not permanent.
8. THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL
No amount of human or diabolical effort to destroy the nation, or keep her from Palestine will permanently succeed. God's Word is sure.
8.1 The Repeated Prophetic Assurances
The Old Testament abounds in predictions that some day Israel will return to her land. God declared, "And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away...and to break my covenant with them...(Leviticus 26:44). In Isaiah it is written: "The Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left..." (Isaiah 11:11; 43:5, 6). To Jeremiah the same revelation is given: "I will...have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land" (Jeremiah 12:15; 23:3; 24:6; 30:3, 18; 31:8; 32:37-41). Other passages dealing with the same theme are Ezekiel 20:42; 28:25, 26; 36:24-27; Hosea 3:4, 5; Joel 3:1; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:6; Zephaniah 3:20; Zechariah 8:7, 8; 10:10).
8.2 The Great "Until" Passages
The Lord Jesus made it clear that "the times of the Gentiles" would come to an end. They would last until they were fulfilled. Then of course "the times" of Israel would commence. "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25). Israel, long despised and spurned, will yet have her day.
8.3 The Testimony of Paul
The apostle Paul is explicit. "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid...God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew" (Romans 11:1, 2). On the contrary the Hebrew olive branches which have been broken off from the tree, "if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again" (Romans 11:23).
8.4 The Beginnings of Prophetic Fulfillment
God has miraculously preserved Israel even in spite of her century-long persecutions. During this long period from the Cross to the present, Israel has been scattered among the Gentiles (Luke 21:24). Only in recent times has this people been re-established as an independent nation in part of their ancient land. This startling development, initiated in May 1948. Israel was recognized as a republic in the family of nations. Never forget: the promises of God stand forever.
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