Dear Emile,
You confuse my words. You look on the surface. Remember, the difference between a rut and a grave is only the depth. I believe you fail to see the forest for the trees.
PART I
Do you understand the covenants?
Genesis 12 records how God told Abram to leave his country and his father's house to go to a land which He would show him.
As part of that call, God made some momentous promises to Abram. First, He promised that Abram's descendants would
become a great nation, and they would be as numerous as the stars. In addition, God promised all the land of Canaan to Abram
and his descendants as an everlasting possession. He also said that all those who blessed Abram would be blessed, and all
who cursed him would be cursed (see Genesis 12:3).
You have to see that this covenant was unconditional. It is sometimes called "the promise". Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and his seed...For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise (Galatians 3:16,18).
Although everyone is aware of the Covenant with Abram, most seem to forget that the same Covenant applied to Abraham's descendants.
And, I will establish My Covenant between Me and you [Abram] and YOUR DESCENDANTS after you through outtheir generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to YOUR DESCENDANTS after you (Genesis
17:7).
The Bible records other covenants after Abraham's. No where does it say, however, that the original one with Abraham and his
descendants was changed or set aside. Galatians 3:17 says the "promise" to Abraham has never been nullified. God called that
Covenant "everlasting," and that is exactly what He meant. In fact, He swore an oath to that effect.
In spite of that, some theologians are teaching a view called Replacement Theology. They contend that because the sons of
Israel proved unworthy, they were replaced by "spiritual descendants" of Abraham—namely, the church. By their way of thinking, every promise to Abraham's descendants now belongs to the church.
He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac. Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance" (Psalms 105:8- 11).
A foundational truth in prophecy is that God's plan never changes. For that reason He never has, and He never will, set aside the Covenant with Abraham's descendants! No one has replaced the "offspring of Israel," and that includes the church. To accept that view, you must come to an unthinkable conclusion—namely, that men might be faithful to their covenants, but not God! Speaking of Israel and this very issue, the Apostle Paul said, ... but from the standpoint of God's choice they [Israel] are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:28-29).
This is important because if you could not trust God in this Covenant, then could you trust Him in the NEW COVENANT?
IF GOD WOULD NOT HONOR THIS COVENANT, THEN, EMILE, HOW COULD YOU HAVE THE FAITH TO TRUST HIM TO HONOR YOUR FAITH AND SALVATION PROMISE IN JESUS? THINK ABOUT THIS.
God made several other covenants with individuals, but there were two with the entire nation of Israel. An early Biblical prophecy revealed that Abraham's descendants would be strangers in a foreign land, where they would be enslaved and oppressed for 400 years (Genesis 15:13-14)
When that time had passed, God sent a man named Moses to those descendants. His mission was to lead them back to the land they had been given four centuries earlier. Remember, that land was given as an everlasting possession of Abraham's descendants.
Three months after Moses led the sons of Israel out of Egypt, God proposed that the entire nation enter into a covenant with Him. That agreement came to be known by several names: the Sinai Covenant, the Law, and finally, the Old Covenant (Testament). God did not replace Abraham's Covenant. This Covenant was an additional agreement. It had no effect on the promises previously made to Abraham.
It was through Moses that God presented the terms of this covenant to the Israelites. It was different from Abraham's. This covenant was conditional. Blessings were mentioned for the nation, but the Israelites had to keep ALL the terms of this proposed covenant. If they failed, severe penalties were promised.
Several curses were promised if Israel did not keep the Covenant. Three of them were:
1.If Israel did not keep the (Sinai) Covenant, the nation would be ruled by her enemies (Leviticus 26:17).
2.Her people would be scattered among the nations (Leviticus 26:33).
3.If, after all this, Israel still did not obey God, then He would punish the Nation SEVEN TIMES MORE for its sins (Leviticus 26:18).
Altogether, God sentenced the nation to 430 years of punishment. During that time, Israel's enemies would rule over Palestine, and the people would be banished to other lands. For the first 70 years of the sentence, the Jews were in Babylon. At the end of the captivity there was little desire to return to the land and the Covenant. The result was devastating. Because the Jews did not respond to the first two punishments above, God increased Israel's remaining punishment by seven times. So, instead of 360 years, the remaining sentence became 2,520 years. Converting that sentence from Biblical years (360 days each) to calendar years, there was a remaining punishment of 2,483.8 years. Adding that period to the day the Babylonian captivity ended brings us to May 14, 1948. On that day, after nearly 25 centuries, Israel's sentence was completed. It was then that modern Israel once more became a sovereign nation!
According to the Book of Hebrews, the Sinai Covenant became obsolete at the death of Messiah. When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete (Hebrews 8:13).
That does not mean God did away with His moral law, better known as the Ten Commandments. In fact, Messiah said that would never pass away. What did pass away was the conditional agreement that had been offered through Moses. So, since Messiah's death, Israel has not been under any conditional agreement with God. In other words, as far as the nation of Israel is concerned, there are no longer any promised blessings for keeping the law nor curses for breaking it.
As far as modern Israel is concerned -- the only covenant still binding on Israel is Abraham's, so any attempt to deny Abraham's descendants access to their land (all of it) is nothing less than striving against God. He did, after all, give it to them as an everlasting possession.
If God knew the Sinai Covenant was destined to fail, why did He propose it? The answer is that the Sinai Covenant was vital in
preparing the way for the final plan of redemption—the New Covenant. Before Israel could accept that plan, however, the people needed training and understanding, and the Sinai Covenant supplied that.
Abraham's Covenant contains no requirement that his descendants accept
Jesus as Messiah before they return to the Land. According to prophecy, that acceptance will occur, but it is not a prerequisite
for Abraham's descendents to enjoy their covenant right to the Land.
The Sinai Covenant wdid this
1. it showed Israel what constituted sin
2. it made them aware how sin permeated their lives
3. it made them see how powerless they were because of it
As specific commandments were given in the Law, the Israelites gained first hand knowledge of the meaning of sin. As the Apostle Paul
wrote, "I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said "You shall not covet" (Romans 7:7).
God knew the Sinai Covenant would be broken. The prophets consistently foretold that it would happen. They warned Israel to repent. Because they refused to listen, God said He would forsake the Nation and
bring judgment on the Land and its people.
What word of comfort did God have for the Nation as it was being
carried away into captivity?
"As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy, and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the Lord (Jeremiah 31:28).
"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah" (Jeremiah 31:1).
It is noteworthy that the Covenant was made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah—not the church. Yet, many believe that because Israel rejected Him as Messiah and king, Jesus removed the house of Israel and the house of Judah from the New Covenant and replaced them with the church. As support they quote the words of Messiah when he said that the kingdom of God would be taken away from Israel and given to a nation producing the fruit of it (see Matthew 21:43).
While it is true that the nation of Israel was set aside (temporarily), the covenant with the house of Israel and the house of
Judah was not set aside. Who were the first converts? Were they not all from the house of Judah? In fact, it was some time before there was such a thing as a Gentile Christian. And even then, the Apostle Paul went to great lengths to insure that those Gentile converts knew where they stood concerning the promises made to Israel.
...remember that you were separate from Christ [Messiah], excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:12-13).
In the Book of Romans, Paul made an analogy which should have set the record straight. Gentile converts were compared to wild olive branches which were grafted into a cultivated olive tree. In other words, the Gentile believers are pictured as benefiting from what God had established for the people of Israel. The wild branches can exist because of the tree, but they certainly cannot replace the tree.
Moreover, those who hold "replacement" views are even mistaken about the disposition of the Nation itself. By focusing exclusively on the promises to individual New Covenant believers, they have completely overlooked a number of New Covenant promises for Israel as a Nation.
Since Messiah's first coming, countless Jews have enjoyed the promises of the New Covenant—but only the personal ones. The nation, on the other hand, has yet to experience a single promised New Covenant blessing.
1. God will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel. (Jeremiah 33:6-7).
2. Israel will not be a prey to the nations, and will not endure their insults anymore. (Ezekiel 34:28-30).
3. God will gather the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah from all over the world. He will return them to Israel, where they will dwell in safety. (See Jeremiah 32:37-41).
4. The Nation of Israel will exist before God forever. (See Jeremiah 31:36-37).
5. Jerusalem will never be overthrown again. (Jeremiah 31:40).
6. Messiah will be king over Israel, and He will rule forever. (See Jeremiah 33:15).
To make certain no one missed the Messiah, God gave the prophets incredibly detailed descriptions of Him. Unfortunately, the Jews were not like the church, which loves to dwell on the individual New Covenant promises. Instead, the Jews of that day were focused solely on what God promised to do for the Nation.
As their leaders observed Jesus, they chose not to believe the prophecies about Him. Because He did not have the appearance of a man who would lead the Nation to its former prominence, they ignored their Scriptures and rejected His claim to be their Messiah. In other words, they did not live by faith. The result was that all the national blessings of the New Covenant were delayed for centuries. On top of that, at that time the people brought a dreadful curse upon themselves. During Messiah's trial they foolishly called for His blood to be on their heads, and so it has been these nearly 2,000 years.
According to Zechariah, however, the delay will not last forever. One day Israel "will look upon Him whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son." (See Zechariah 12:10). Then the Jews will accept Messiah, and the "National" promises will be theirs.
Don't forget that many of the early Jews did accept Him. Remember, all
of Messiah's earliest followers were Jews. That is significant because they paid dearly for their belief; they became outcasts from their families and all of Jewish society. Their loses were slight, however, when compared to the resulting calamities for the Nation.
Emile, we all know that most Jews rejected Jesus' claims. There seem to be two reasons Israel rejected Messiah at His first coming. The first springs from the New Covenant promises. Imagine being a Jew living under pagan Roman masters. Since childhood you had been taught the New Covenant promises in the Scriptures. You were aware that it
was Israel's destiny to be chief among the nations, not slaves to a hated Gentile nation. You also knew that one day God would send the Messiah / Redeemer to restore the fortunes of the Nation.
Then suddenly, a prophet appears in the land. Many are saying he might be the one. It's even reported that He has done great miracles, and healed all sorts of diseases. Then you get a glimpse of Him and his peasant followers. Now be honest. Would He look like the sort of man who could gather an army and throw out the hated Romans? Probably not. And besides, the Jewish leaders were saying Jesus was doing those miracles through the power of Satan. Because the Jewish leaders focused solely on the national promises, they were blinded to the many prophecies Jesus was fulfilling before their eyes. Oh, they were correct to look for one on whose shoulders the government would rest, but their timing was off.
The second reason Israel didn't know the "time of their visitation" was because God prevented them from knowing. He gave them "a Spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not." That is because He was about to reveal a mystery that even the prophets hadn't seen. Incredibly, God was going to make the New Covenant available to people other than the Jews.
The prophet Ezekiel explained why God plans to bless Israel in the last days. Is it because they deserve it? On the contrary. God denied there was any merit by the house of Israel. Instead, He would act solely because of His own Name:
"I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord God. "Let it be known to you, be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel" (Ezekiel 36:32).
Israel had been privileged to learn first hand what God expected from His creation. They in turn were supposed to teach the nations what God is like, and how to approach Him. What did Israel do with this revelation? Well, as priests to the nations, the Israelites were complete failures. Their continual rebellion made them of little use to God in that endeavor. In fact, the only lasting accomplishment of the Israelites was that they thoroughly profaned God's name! From the nations' viewpoint, there was nothing in Israel's experience which made them anxious to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To their pagan minds, the mere fact that Israel was overthrown meant other gods were more powerful. In addition, the harsh way God dealt with Israel made Him appear less than appealing. After all, what nation would want to come under the kind of judgment Israel experienced?
From the beginning, however, God had a remedy for Israel's predicted failure. It was another covenant. When it was established, Israel would change, and God would vindicate His Name.
The Scriptures reveal much about how the New Covenant promises for the Nation will be implemented.
1. The period during which the Covenant is applied to the nation is known as "the time of Jacob's trouble."
2. The primary object of this period will be the chastening and purifying of Israel. "I will chasten you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished" (Jeremiah 30:11).
3. God has a secondary purpose in ordering a period of great calamities as the New Covenant is put in force—the destruction of sinful nations.
4. Only one third of Israel will survive this time of trials. Those that do survive, however, will become a blessing toall the world.
"And it will come about in all the Land [Israel], that two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested" (Zechariah 13:8-9).
5. God will judge every descendant of Jacob in the world. (Ezekiel 20:33-38).
6. In that day God will make Jerusalem a problem for the whole world.
In the last days all the nations will participate in a great siege against Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be captured, the houses
plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled. At that moment, however, the Lord will come and all the holy ones with Him. Immediately, He will destroy all the armies which have come against Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:2,3,9; 14:2,5). It is after Jerusalem is delivered that Israel will recognize their God.
"Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be holy, and strangers will pass through it no more" (Joel 3:17).
7. A Redeemer will be sent to Israel. "And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob" (Isaiah 59:20).
The New Testament book of Hebrews tells us that Messiah is the mediator of the New Covenant. A mediator is a middle man who acts to bring two or more estranged parties back together. For Israel, the coming of the New Covenant means there is no way back to God other than through Messiah—no other way to become God's people again—no other way to be cleansed. Because the Sinai Covenant is obsolete, only Messiah can restore them to their former place of God's favor and blessing.
So, Emile, let's skip to the end of the Tribulation. It is interesting that after all history and the entire Tribulation, there are still Jews who will refuse to believe in Jesus.
Two-thirds of the Jews will have perished, but 1/3 manages to live through trumpet judgments, bowl judgments, and murderous persecution by the false prophet. According to the prophet Daniel, the survival of each and every remaining Hebrew was orchestrated by God. Notice in the following verse that their names were written in the book BEFORE they were rescued:
"And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book WILL BE RESCUED" (Daniel 12:1).
Although it is difficult to understand, they were rescued because God had (beforehand) chosen them to receive His Holy Spirit. They were predestined to become part of God's redemptive plan—that is, the New Covenant with the house of Judah and the house of Israel. One obstacle still remains: no one can become part of the New Covenant apart from belief in Messiah. Yet, these Hebrews still refuse to accept Jesus as Messiah.
At first that attitude may seem surprising. Obviously, the Jews will have seen what takes place at Armageddon. The glorified saints in their midst will certainly prove that God endorses Jesus as the Messiah. Yet, they still cannot (or will not) recognize Him as the one their ancestors rejected so long ago. Why? Because opposition to Jesus is deeply embedded in Jewish hearts. And who can blame them? For nearly two thousand years, Jews have been abused and brutalized in the name of this Jesus. For that reason, opposing Him practically defines what it means to be a Jew. Nowhere is this more evident than in the immigration laws of modern Israel. The official position is that anyone who accepts Jesus as Messiah cannot be a Jew. He is instead,
Christian.
Missionaries who have worked among the Jews will testify that only one thing can penetrate their opposition to Messiah—the grace of God. According to Zechariah, in a single day God will supply that grace! At that time, the Holy Spirit will be poured out on the entire nation of Israel. Then the Hebrews will look upon Jesus and recognize His true identity, and they will deeply mourn.
"And I will pour out on the house of David [the Jews] and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, The Spirit of grace and supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born" (Zechariah 12:10).
But God is gracious, and He quickly moves the people from the state of mourning to one of comfort. On that day, He (figuratively) opens a cleansing fountain for them, and both the national and personal sin of rejecting their Messiah will be washed away. We see that Paul was speaking literally when he said all Israel would be saved. Imagine how heaven will rejoice as the whole nation of Israel is born again in a day.
"The deliverer will come out of Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins" (Romans 11:26-27).
After His work of grace with all the sons of Israel, God turns His attention to the rest of the world—at least what's left of it.
Considering the devastating judgments, it is hard to imagine what the world looks like when the Lord returns. The oceans are without life; islands have disappeared and mountains have toppled. And don't forget the damage from those hundred pound hail storms. Moreover, whole territories (such as Babylon) are scorched and desolate.
Surveying the scene, we wonder, could it possibly be worse? Unfortunately for some, the answer is yes. For now the nations
are brought before Messiah to be judged. From His throne, Messiah will judge them. The Bible says He will separate them into two groups. For those on His right, the ones He calls the sheep, he has spectacular news; they will be part of His kingdom. To them He says,
"Come you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me" (Matthew
25:34-36).
During the next 1,000 years, God will begin restoring the world to what He first created—the kind of paradise that existed in the Garden! However, the Millennium is still a transition period. No doubt, the quality of life will be greatly improved over this present age, but effects of the Fall will still remain. The final paradise comes after the thousand years of restoration. Only then will we be able to say
there is no longer any curse (see Revelation 22:3).
And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any
mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away (Revelation 21:4).
At that time, a magnificient city known as the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven. Words fail when trying to describe this city where God will dwell among His people. Abraham must have gotten a vision of it, for the Book of Hebrews says "he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder was God" (Hebrews 11:10).
This new "holy city" is a cubic structure measuring 1,500 miles on each side and 1,500 miles high. It has twelve gates—each one with the name of a tribe of Israel, and the walls of the city have twelve foundation stones—each with the name of an apostle of Messiah. John said the walls were 72 yards thick, and they were made of jasper. The city itself was "pure gold, like clear glass." Obviously, Messiah was not exaggerating when He said, "In My Father's house are many mansions."
I do understand, Emile, that some Jews have been responsible for horrible things. Yet, nothing any individual Jew has done can erase God's Words as they apply to both mankind in total and to the nation of Israel. I do not "support" the "evil" nation of Israel. I try to keep everything in context. Isreal will be dealt with by God, not you or I or the United States. I believe we are very close to the return of Jesus. Then, all will be "worked out". Is it not sad that the majority of people today see an eventual life in Heaven as dependent on "good works". That is the main message of the New Age. All religions are equal if sincere. Salvation is a free gift. During the tribulation period, God will make sure that the true message is understood by ALL -- Muslims, Buddhist, atheists, agnostics, Jews, American Indians -- EVERYONE -- and once they all make a choice, the end will come. It is free, but pride must not get in the way of taking it. Satan has helped to make the people so proud that few believe.
I purposely left out any discussion of the "Rapture". I have read both sides of when God will choose to remove believers. I can see merit in both a pre-tribulation rapture and in God waiting until just before "God's wrath" judgements near the end of the Tribulation. If it is the latter, I fear that the Church, especially in America, is not prepared for any tribulation. They are "ignorant" in the Scriptures concerning the End Times, and perhaps will be "easily deceived" by Satan. I guess, you and I, Emile, should concentrate on ourselves and helping others understand how to obtain salvation. What else can we do?
My thread is aimed at Bible-believing Christians who have a desire and interest in Biblical Prophecy as it relates to current events. My perceptions could be way off. Each must decide what they think is really happening and not. I hope that someone who is not saved will see the correlations I see, and that will make them take a new look at what the Bible says about how to get eternal life. If the Bible predictions concerning end-times are taking place, then perhaps the "one-way" into heaven that it tells is also true. Satan would like nothing more than for the entire world to continue to move towards accepting all religions or none at all. That, I believe, will be what the Anti-christ and the false prophet will fool everyone with. I'm ok, you're ok -- and in the end, billions may perish.
I remain,
SOROS
ps much of the Covenant understanding comes from Mr. Simmons. I think he does a good job of explaining it. |
