Part 1— The Voices of the Prophets
Introduction
While the current State of Israel remains in opposition to God, rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, there will one day emerge a nation composed of the believing descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Modern-day Israel is not the final fulfillment of God’s promises, but as we will see, it is a partial fulfillment. God said there would be a Jewish country prior to Christ’s return. So here we are. Pretty remarkable, whether or not one agrees with the events that led to the formation of modern-day Israel. This article will prove from the Bible that God still has a plan for the Jews.
The Israel of God
The Promised Seed
Back to the Beginning: God’s Covenant with Abraham
A Redeemed Jewish Nation
- Hosea 3:4-5. Hosea predicted that Israel would be
without a king or priesthood for “many days.” That’s a Bible phrase that can literally
mean centuries or even millennia (Dan. 8:26, 10:14, 11:33 KJV). After these
“many days,” the Jewish people would one day return with a believing heart in
“the latter days” (KJV). That’s a phrase that pertains to the end times. In
other words, this was not fulfilled in the past. Hosea says, “Afterward shall
the children of Israel return and seek the LORD their God, and David [Christ]
their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days” (Hos.
3:5 KJV). Here we have born-again Jews being part of the final nation.
- Jeremiah 32:36-42. Jeremiah predicted that the Jews would
return to their homeland from all the countries that God had scattered them. Critics
will say we are ignoring “historical context” when we apply this to a future
kingdom, but we are doing no such thing. Notice that Jeremiah references the
New Covenant that God would make with the Israelites. A covenant that would
“give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me [God] forever” (vs.
39). “An everlasting covenant” in which God promises to never turn away from
them (vs. 40). In other words, the return from the Babylonian captivity was not
the ultimate fulfillment of this passage, and the destruction of Jerusalem in
70 AD was not the end of the story. “I will plant them in this land assuredly
with my whole heart and with my whole soul” (vs. 41). God always keeps his word.
- Jeremiah 33:15-26. Jeremiah again predicted that saved
Jews would dwell in the land safely. That they would trust in the Lord for
righteousness—not in their own religious works as in the past. It is during
this time that Christ—“the Branch”—would reign on the throne of David “in the
land” (vs. 15, 17). This is important because some critics claim the kingdom is
already here, and that Christ currently reigns on a throne of David in heaven.
But the prophet Jeremiah made it clear that Christ would, in fact, reign “in
the land.” The very land in which the born-again Jews would reside. God vows
that if the sun, moon, and stars were to fail, that only then will he not only
cast away the seed of Jacob [Israel], but also “David [Christ] my servant” (vs.
19-26). A remarkable pledge!
- Ezekiel 11:16-20. Ezekiel predicted that the Jews
would return to their homeland from all the countries they had been scattered;
that they will do so as born-again believers with the new covenant in their
heart. Without a doubt, this is applicable to the church. But it is directed
immediately to the Jewish believers.
- Ezekiel 16:59-63. God acknowledges the fact that Israel
had broken the covenant that they had made with Him. Yet God would still
“remember” his covenant and therefore establish “an everlasting covenant”—a new
covenant that would never expire. He would bless his people in the end, but “not
by thy covenant”—not by the old one they had violated. The future redeemed
Israel will “be ashamed” of their old ways, and God will be “pacified” toward
the Jewish people despite all that they had done.
- Ezekiel 36:21-35. Ezekiel again predicted that the
Jewish people would return to their homeland with a renewed and cleansed heart;
a heart that will be saddened by their long history of rebellion (vs. 31-32). In
a land that will be rebuilt and become “like the garden of Eden” (vs. 35 KJV).
- Ezekiel 40-48. Ezekiel predicted a Jewish temple
that would be rebuilt. Chapter after chapter, Ezekiel details every court, the
measurement of each piece of furniture, the central fixtures, the gates, the
steps, the archways, and the chambers. When the dimensions of this temple are
added up, it is more magnificent than Solomon’s or Herod’s during the time of
Christ. This temple is so glorious that the river of life even flows from the
side of the altar and runs through the land (47:1-11). The tree of life even
grows along the riverbanks (47:12). So if this temple has never been built,
when will it be built? The answer is obvious to those not stuck in the mire of
symbolism. This temple will be built during the glorious reign of Christ whose
throne will remain in the inner court (Eze. 43:5-7).
- Joel 3:9-21. Joel predicted a future Jewish country
where God would assemble a number of heathen nations to be gathered against; at
which time the Lord returns to destroy the heathen and dwell in Zion, the
result being a time of complete blessing, with the Jews in their land forever.
- Micah 4:1-7. Micah predicted that “in the last
days” a “remnant” of Jewish believers would become “a strong nation.” “The LORD
shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even forever” (vs. 7).
Christ will be the king and judge of the earth, ushering in a time of peace and
prosperity (vs. 3-4). “The house of the LORD shall be established” (vs. 1)—his
temple will be rebuilt. “And many nations shall come” to Jerusalem and pay
their respects to “the God of Jacob” (vs. 2)—the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Micah 5:2-8. Micah again predicted that there
would be a “remnant” of Jewish believers who would be taken care of and
protected by the “ruler in Israel”—the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 2). Though given
up for a time, Israel will one day be provided for by Christ: “the remnant of
[Christ’s] brethren shall return” (vs. 3). Though Christ would one day die for
the sins of his people, “now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth” (v.
4). Jesus will come forth to rule the world from his place in Israel.
- Micah 7:16-20. Moreover, Micah predicted a
future Jewish nation composed of a “remnant” of Jewish believers whose sins
have been forgiven. This nation will grow and become the envy of the world. God
pardons their sin and performs all that “thou hast sworn unto our fathers from
the days of old” (vs. 20 KJV). At long last, God fulfills his covenant with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Zephaniah 3:12-20. Zephaniah predicted there would be an
afflicted “remnant” of Jewish believers whom God had forgiven, who will return
to their homeland and be blessed forever, thereby growing into a praiseworthy
and glorious Jewish nation, never to see evil again.
- Zechariah 11:10-14. Zechariah predicted Christ’s
betrayal and the resulting national destruction in 70 AD. God broke his
covenant in a restricted sense. God delayed his promise and would finalize his
covenant at a later time. This is what Ezekiel 37:11-28 says would
happen. God would reunite “the tribes of Israel” (37:19 KJV) with “David”
(Christ) as their king “forever.” God says he would put his spirit in them (vs.
14), that it would be “an everlasting covenant” (vs. 26 KJV); and that God
would again set up his “sanctuary” and “tabernacle” in the midst of them “for
evermore” (vs. 26-28 KJV). So the Jews will partake of the New Covenant
promises and the indwelling of God’s Spirit. They will be spiritually enabled
to obey God the way they should have done the first time, the result being a
virtual heaven on earth.
- Amos 9:8-15. Amos predicted that God would “destroy [Israel] from off the face of the earth” (vs. 8 KJV)—a testament to the foresight of the scripture regarding the events in 70 AD. But then God adds, “not utterly” (KJV). So how can God wipe Israel off the map, and yet not destroy Israel completely? God in his mercy will bring the Jewish people back into their ancestral land to rebuild it and be blessed in it forever, never to be removed again; an everlasting covenant. “I will plant them upon their land, and they shall NO MORE BE PULLED UP OUT OF THEIR LAND which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God” (vs. 15 KJV).
- Zechariah 12:9-14. Zechariah predicted that a future Jewish state would be
surrounded by many nations, at which moment Christ would return to punish those
nations and set up his kingdom. These surviving Jews are born-again believers
who will finally recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah. They will see him
with their very eyes and mourn over the one who was “pierced” for them. (Verse
10 was only partially fulfilled in John 19:37.) Their grief over their past
rejection of Christ will prompt them to enact a fast. From the Jewish tribes down
to the Jewish family and down to the individual person, the men even fasting
from any relations with their wives. The land will be cleansed by “a fountain
opened to the house of David” (Zech. 13:1 KJV). A fountain filled with blood
from the wounds of Christ (Zech. 13:6-7).
- Zechariah 13:8-14:5. Zechariah predicted that just prior
to Christ’s return, there would be a future Jewish state that would suffer
horrifically, losing two-thirds of its population (Zech. 13:8). However, a
third would survive and enter the kingdom on earth (13:9). Many nations will
surround Jerusalem, abusing the women and enslaving others (14:2). But there
would be “the residue” (14:2 KJV), a surviving remnant who would be defended at
Christ’s coming (14:3). Christ will descend upon the Mount of Olives, splitting
the mountain into several parts (14:4-5), thus making a path for the river to
pass from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.
- Zechariah 14:12-16. Zechariah describes Christ’s literal coming and the brightness of his glory consuming the unbelievers’ eyes in their sockets. No, this isn’t symbolic. And no, this isn’t a nuclear holocaust. This is Christ’s second coming. Zechariah 14 directly corresponds to Matthew 24 and Revelation 19. After Christ comes back, destroys the nations, and spares the remnant of believers, he then establishes the redeemed Jewish nation. “Every one that is left” (vs. 16 KJV)— the believers who survived the Tribulation—will visit ethnic Israel year by year. The new law of the kingdom will reinstate a temple service, and the Feast of Tabernacles will be mandated (Zech. 14:16-18). The nations who refuse to comply will succumb to divine judgment such as famine.
- Zechariah 14:16. Notice that Zechariah says, “Every
one that is LEFT of all the nations” will enter the earthly kingdom (vs. 16).
This is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 24. “There shall two be in a field;
the one shall be taken, and the other LEFT” (Matt. 24:30 KJV). Matthew 24 is
one of the main passages used by people who believe in a post-tribulation
rapture. But nobody is actually “taken up.” This is read into the text in
conjunction with the “sound of a trumpet” in verse 31. But “the last trump” of
the rapture just means the final role call for this current age (1 Cor. 15:52;
1 Thess. 4:16-17). If you look at the context, “the one shall be taken" in
the same way the flood came and "TOOK them all away" (24:37-39 KJV - and
all English Bibles predating 1611). The unbelievers of Noah’s day were taken
away by the flood. Destroyed. Likewise at Christ's second coming: The ones NOT
taken are the born-again survivors of the Tribulation who will then be part of
Christ’s kingdom on earth. In the parallel account in Luke, the disciples
asked, "Where, Lord?" (Luke 17:37). In other words, “Where will they
be taken?” Jesus says, "Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles
be gathered together" (Luke 17:37 KJV). Hence, the birds of prey will feast on the dead carcasses that were consumed by the brightness of Christ’s coming (Matt. 24:27-28; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8). Again, nobody’s going up. Believers are only coming down with Christ (Rev. 19:14).
Part 2 — “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”So is it really possible that the New Testament overrides all these explicit passages regarding a future Jewish nation? Should we just spiritualize and allegorize all these texts because of the Church? Was the Church the ultimate fulfillment of all these verses? The answer is No. But let’s take a look at a couple more passages before we tie it all in with the NT.Jeremiah 30Jeremiah deals with a redeemed Jewish nation that will emerge from the Tribulation period. God will cause “my people Israel and Judah”—the combined nation—“to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it” (30:2 KJV). This wasn’t fulfilled when the Jews returned to their homeland after the Babylonian captivity. That was primarily Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. Most of the northern kingdom’s ten tribes remained “lost” as the result of the Assyrian captivity. But here, God is addressing the combined nation in the end times. Jeremiah even ends the chapter, saying, “In THE LATTER DAYS ye shall consider it” (30:24 KJV). The prophet is speaking about a Jewish country that will endure the horrible Tribulation period. “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it” (30:7). This is exactly what Jesus said: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21 KJV). Some would like us to think that this was already fulfilled in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. But what took place in 70 AD can hardly be called the worst that has ever happened or will ever happen.Jeremiah proclaims, “It is even THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE; BUT HE SHALL BE SAVED OUT OF IT” (30:7 KJV). Unlike what took place in the first century, Israel will not be utterly destroyed this time. Israel will be spared. This is a reference to the persecution and punishment of the Jews during the Tribulation, and the subsequent salvation of Israel at the return of Christ. God vows to “make a full end of ALL NATIONS whither I have scattered thee [Israel]” (30:10). Another indicator of the end times. This is about the punishment of nations. Jeremiah 30 corresponds to Revelation 19 where Christ returns to “smite the nations” (Rev. 19:15). Even though God vows to utterly destroy the nations of the world, he says, “Yet will I not make a full end of thee [Israel]: But I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished” (Jer. 30:11 KJV). So God will punish the Jewish state just prior to Christ’s coming, but he promises not to destroy it completely like the other nations. This is how a redeemed Jewish nation emerges from the Tribulation period when Christ returns to set up his kingdom. This corresponds to what we have already seen in Zechariah 14.So a couple things to note thus far:1) Jeremiah taught that there would be a Jewish country prior to Christ’s return, that it would go through a time of tribulation, after which the Lord comes back and punishes the nations of the world.2) Jeremiah specifically refers to the Tribulation period as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (30:7). So the primary focus of the Tribulation is not on the Gentiles or the Church. So where is the Church? More on this in a bit.
If we interpret the book of Revelation in its normal
grammatical sense, we can see that Israel would again be in the picture,
despite the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. We find a sinful Israel and an rebuilt
temple (Rev. 11:1-8). But we also find a remnant of Jewish believers emerging
in the story, where God supernaturally distinguishes them by their very tribes
(Rev. 7:4-14). This all takes place in a 7-year tribulation period divided into
two 3 ½ year segments (“forty and two months” or “a thousand two hundred and
three-score days,” Rev. 11:2-3; 12:6, 13:5; or “a time, and times, and half a
time,” Rev. 12:14 KJV).
So the Antichrist comes onto the scene at the beginning of
the Tribulation (Rev. 6:2), but he will begin to turn his wrath on the Jewish
people midway through. One of the things he does is kill God’s “two witnesses”
after the first 3 ½ years (Rev. 11:1-7). Another thing he does is impersonate
God by sitting in the Jewish temple (2 Thess. 2:4). The unbelieving Jews begin
to realize they’ve been deceived. Jesus specifically warns the Jewish people
about this. He said, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee into the
mountain” (Matthew 24:15-16 KJV). Jesus points to this event as the wakeup call.
An abomination of desolation (anguish and ruin) will stand in the holy place.
What Jesus said is confirmed by the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. The
antichrist will sit in the temple as if he were God. For the record, the
Apostle John is the one who uses the word “antichrist” (1 John 2:18 KJV).
Otherwise he is known as “the beast” (Rev. 11:7, 13:2-4, 14-17), the “man of
sin” (2 Th. 2:3-4), or that “Wicked” (2 Th. 2:8-9). But for the sake of our
lesson, I’m going to stick with the term Antichrist since it’s the one people
are most familiar with.
So these are the facts: Revelation talks
about an Antichrist whose miraculous power is enough to attract the world and
control the world’s economy (Rev. 13:3-17). The Apostle Paul confirms his
“power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9 KJV). This isn’t symbolic,
and this never happened in the first century as many would like us to believe. Ironically,
preterists (those who believe end-times prophecies were fulfilled in the past) cannot
say for sure who the supposed “antichrist” was in the first century, and the
reason is simple: the Antichrist hasn’t come. And for those who suggest the
Roman emperor was the Antichrist, Nero never performed miracles, and he didn’t
have a false prophet calling down fire from heaven (Rev. 13:11-14).
Furthermore, Revelation talks about a time of tribulation that will come upon
the whole world, ending with the destruction of “nations” (Rev. 3:10, 11:15,
16:14, 19:15 KJV)—not the tribes of Israel. (The Greek word for “nations” is
“ethne” where we get the word “ethnic” from. Naive Bible students assume a
Greek word that LOOKS like the English word must mean the same thing. But the
plural "ethne" in Rev. 19:15 refers to the non-Jewish nations. This
is common knowledge, but preterists are forced to dig up Greek bones in order
to reconstruct their missing link, thus turning “nations” into “tribes.”) The
Apostle John is reiterating what the prophet Isaiah predicted: "This is
the purpose that is purposed upon THE WHOLE EARTH: and this is the hand that is
stretched out upon ALL THE NATIONS" (Isa. 14:26).Again, this never
happened in the first century. Those who believe Revelation involves events
that already took place must perform some serious interpretive gymnastics to
arrive at their interpretation of both Revelation and Matthew 24. The
Tribulation period affects Israel and the entire world and ends with the
destruction of nations. It is unfulfilled prophecy.
“The End of the World”
Jesus commented on the Tribulation
period in Matthew 24. What he said was in response to the disciples’
question about “[Christ’s] coming” and “the end of the world” (Matt. 24:3 KJV).
Christ describes his coming as a visible return to earth—as when lightning
flashes across the entire sky (24:27). No one looks at the sky and wonders
whether lightning really flashed. It’s obvious, and it’s visible. Matthew 24
has nothing to do about a “spiritual” return of Christ in 70 AD. This misinterpretation
is based on a longstanding tradition—not the Bible.
Critics will argue that it’s not “the
end of the world” (KJV), but “the end of the age” (ESV, NIV, NASV). This is
misleading because it’s a half-truth. Yes, the Greek word aeon means
age, but not necessarily the age that we think of today. Aeon is a
generic word that can mean a timeframe or a limitless age. In fact, aeon
can even mean eternity. That’s how elastic the Greek word is. But Matthew 24:3
is in the context of Christ’s visible coming—if we are to read it in its normal
grammatical sense. So the age in this passage stretches past the first century
to what we’d indeed consider “the end” (24:14 KJV). “Age” is not wrong, but
“world” is more precise. All the English Bibles predating 1611 also said “end
of the world” because it conveyed the extensive age. To come to the point, Matthew
24 and Revelation 19 have nothing to do with an alleged spiritual return
of Christ that some say took place in 70 AD.
“This Generation Shall Not Pass”
Critics will then point to Matthew
24:34. Jesus said, “This generation shall not pass, till ALL these things
be fulfilled.” What things? Jesus’ visible return and the celestial chaos
against the earth (Matt. 24:27-30). Revelation 6:13 confirms what Jesus said
about this celestial chaos. The Apostle John compares these meteor blasts to a
fig tree shaken in a powerful storm, launching figs to the ground. That’s
exactly what the plain word of truth says will happen. And it is this very
generation that will not pass until ALL these things take place. Jesus was not
referring to the first century Jews. And he was not referring to the generation
that lived when the current State of Israel emerged in 1948.
“The Time Is at Hand”
The last thing critics will point to
is in Revelation 1:1 where it talks about “things which must shortly come to
pass.” Revelation 1:3 says, “The time is at hand.” This is used to prove that
Revelation is about first century events. But these phrases are biblical
expressions that are not unique to Revelation. “At hand” is a phrase that
encourages believers to be ready at any moment. The Apostle Peter used this
same phrase: He said, “The end of all things is at hand,” (1 Pet.
4:7 KJV). What took place in the first century can hardly be called the end of
all things. “At hand” is a figure of speech to encourage us to be ready. And
that’s exactly what Peter then says. “[B]e ye therefore sober, and watch unto
prayer” (1 Pet. 4:7). That admonition still applies today. Why? For the time is
at hand.
Over-Spiritualizing the Book of Revelation
If you interpret Revelation in its normal grammatical sense, this
final week is a 7-year period that will involve Israel sometime in the future. The
problem when dealing with Revelation is that there are those who tend to
over-spiritualize the entire book. This is exactly how preterists manipulate and
contort the book into first-century events. They’ll point to Revelation 12 where
we find a Dragon chasing a Woman with child. However, this symbolic passage has
a literal meaning. Revelation tells us. The dragon is the devil who tries to
destroy Christ and, having failed, moves on to persecute Christ’s people. It is
this persecution of Christ’s people that culminates in the Tribulation. Furthermore,
Revelation also tells us that “the seven heads” of the beast relate to “seven kings”
of the past, the antichrist also being a king in connection with the other
seven. And it tells us that the “ten horns” relate to a future coalition of
kings that haven’t come onto the scene yet, which is what the prophet Daniel
predicted (Rev. 13:1 cf. 17:9-12; Dan. 7:23-25). Again, these symbolic passages
have a literal meaning that can be deciphered.
Part 3 — The Hidden Age of the Church
The Interim Period
So then what takes place in between Christ’s death and his physical
return to set up his kingdom? The answer is the Church, the “mystery” of the NT
(Eph. 3:1-10; Rom. 11:25 KJV). Something previously hidden in the OT.
Interestingly enough, when I go to the book of Revelation, I then find what I
would expect to find. Once the Apostle John is caught up to heaven in Rev. 4:1,
the churches of Chapter 1-3 are never mentioned again. In fact, there is no
mention of the Church at all. Why? Because the Tribulation is “the time of
Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7). It is not the time of the Church’s trouble. The
focus is on a future Jewish state. It is my strong belief that the Church has
already been caught up to heaven by this time (1 Thess. 4:13-17).
I want to be clear: The salvation of Gentiles was NOT unknown
in the OT (Gen. 12:3, Isa. 11:10; 42:1, 4, 6; 49:6, 54:3; Genesis 12:1-3 cf. Galatians 3:8; Hosea 2:14-20, 23 cf.
Romans 9:24-25; Zechariah 14:16-21). It is the interim period between Messiah’s death and the
Tribulation that was not known in the past. It has been well said that Christ’s
death and Christ’s earthly reign are like two mountain peaks in prophecy—the
prophets couldn’t see what lay in the valley in between. You could say the
church age is an added destination, but not the final destination. This is not
to suggest that the church is an afterthought. Not at all. But it is an
addition to God’s plan, not a replacement of God’s plan. God’s plan would now
be reinterpreted to include the church for the time being—but not to exclusion
of ethnic Israel. Just like the word “rapture” or “trinity,” the phrase “church
age” does not appear in the Bible, but the concept does. It is the Church that
is a “mystery,” something unknown in the ages of the past. Paul addresses this
at length:
Ephesians 3:1-10 (KJV)
Vs. 1. “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner
of Jesus Christ FOR YOU GENTILES, if ye have heard of the DISPENSATION of the
grace of God which is given me to you-ward.” “Dispensation” is just a
big word for a dispensing; something God dealt to Paul in order to then deal
with mankind. This is where we get the word “dispensationalism.” Dispensationalism
is simply the belief that God has dealt with mankind by different means
throughout the ages. Being labeled “a dispensationalist” is sometimes done in a
critical manner by those who hold an opposing view. To be clear, there are
professed dispensationalists who hold views that I do not think are biblical.
So there is a spectrum of dispensationalism. But we do find in the scriptures
that God used different methods in the various “dispensations” or time periods
throughout history. It doesn’t mean God’s plan of salvation has ever changed
with each administration—there is no such thing as “dispensational salvation.” But
there was certainly a time after the Fall, for instance, when there was no human
government or death penalty—Cain killed Abel and was allowed to live. Then after
the Flood, God instituted human government and authorized the death penalty. God’s
administration had changed for that period. God then had a method of dealing
with Israel during the Law. And in the current age in which we live, God has a
method of dealing with mankind apart from the ceremonial laws of the Jews. We
are under another administration now.
Vs. 2-6. Paul continues: "How that by
revelation he [God] made known unto me THE MYSTERY [something previously
unknown in the OT]; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye
may understand my knowledge in THE MYSTERY of Christ) which IN OTHER AGES WAS
NOT MADE KNOWN unto the sons of men, as it is NOW REVEALED unto his holy
apostles and prophets by the Spirit; THAT THE GENTILES SHOULD BE FELLOWHEIRS,
and of THE SAME BODY, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.”
Notice Paul did not say that the salvation of Gentiles was not known in the
past. What wasn’t known is that Jews and Gentiles would be part of “the same
body”—the Church. We’re in a timeframe where God broke down the wall of
partition that once separated Jews and Gentiles. God got rid of the Jewish
“ordinances”—all those ceremonial rules that set Israel apart from the world
(Eph. 2:13-22). God nailed all those special rules to the cross, such as
dietary restrictions and the Sabbath (Col. 2:14-17, 20-22).
Vs. 7-10. Paul continues: “Whereof I was made
a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the
effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all
saints, is this grace given [or dispensed], that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is THE
FELLOWSHIP OF THE MYSTERY”—the Church composed of Jews and Gentiles—"which
from the beginning of the world HATH BEEN HID in God, who created all things by
Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in
heavenly places MIGHT BE KNOWN BY THE CHURCH the manifold wisdom of God.”
The “mystery” is “the church” as one body composed of Jews
and Gentiles. It is this very period of time that occurs between Daniel’s 69th
and 70th weeks. Critics will argue that I am “creating a gap,” but
I’m not creating anything. If we interpret the scriptures in their normal
grammatical sense, it is obvious that Christ has not yet returned visibly to
destroy all the nations of the world. It is also obvious that all the
prophecies regarding a future redeemed Jewish nation haven’t been fulfilled
yet. And it is clear that an identifiable, miracle-working Antichrist has never
been on the scene. Which means we are currently in an interim period.
The Final Fulfillment of God’s Promise to Abraham
The apostles never suggested that God’s covenant with the
Church replaced God’s covenant with Israel. No such thing exists. It is only
read into the text by those with the preconceived idea. The apostles merely
reinterpreted the OT promises by making them applicable to the Church. They
then laid out the rules for this current age. But they never denied the future
fulfillment of God’s covenant with ethnic Israel!
Acts 15:13-19. The Apostle James quotes Amos 9:11-12 to prove that
the Gentiles would be saved as well as the Jews. But James never suggests
reinterpreting Amos 9 to exclude ethnic Israel. He gives no such disclaimer. The
passage literally reads, “IN THAT DAY WILL I RAISE UP THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID that
is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins,
and I WILL BUILD IT AS IN THE DAYS OF OLD: That they [the Jewish people] may
possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen [Gentiles], which are
called by my name [which are saved], saith the Lord that doeth this (KJV)” Amos
9 is actually a kingdom promise. There will be saved Jews and Gentiles in a
literal millennial kingdom (Rev. 20:6) with Israel as the leading nation of the
world (Zech. 14).
Acts 2:16-21. On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter quoted Joel 2:23-32
and made application to the Church. Joel predicted the outpouring of God’s
Spirit upon all believers (2:28). And he stated that all who called upon the
name of the Lord would be saved (2:32). This began at Pentecost. So while Peter
reinterpreted Joel 2 to include the Church, he never suggested that the Church replaced
ethnic Israel. While Pentecost was the first installment of Joel 2, it wasn’t
the final installment. This won’t take place until the Tribulation period when
God will “shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and
pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come” (Joel 2:30-31). This
is exactly what Jesus said would happen (Matt. 24:29-30). It just so happens to
be detailed throughout Revelation as well. The plagues that literally befell
Egypt and Pharoah were a small-scale version of what God will unleash on the
world and the Antichrist.
Romans 11:25-29. The Apostle Paul also confirms that the OT can be
reinterpreted to include the Church, but not to the exclusion of a future
Jewish nation. Yes, “they are not all Israel which are of Israel” (9:6). It’s
not enough to be Jewish—you must be born again. But there will be a born-again
Jewish nation when all is said and done. “For I would not, brethren, that ye
should be ignorant of THIS MYSTERY [that which pertains to this current age],
lest ye should be wise in your own conceits [prideful imaginations]; that
blindness IN PART is happened to [ethnic] Israel, UNTIL THE FULLNESS OF THE
GENTILES BE COME IN. And so ALL Israel shall be saved [both spiritual AND
ethnic Israel, the judicial blindness on the Jews being removed]: as it is
written [Paul begins to quote Isaiah 59:20-21 in its normal
grammatical-historical sense], ‘There shall come out of Sion [Zion] the
Deliverer [Christ], and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob [not the
Church]: For THIS IS MY COVENANT UNTO THEM [the Jews], when I shall take away
their sins.’ As concerning the gospel, they [the Jews, in general] are enemies
for your sakes: but as touching the election [God’s choice], they [the Jews] are
beloved for the fathers’ sakes [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob]. For the gifts and
calling of God [the election and salvation of Israel] are without repentance
[God will never have a change of heart]” (Rom. 11:25-29 KJV).
Hebrews 8:8-17. In this passage, the writer of the book of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah
31:31-34 where God promised to make a new covenant with his people. The writer shows how a “new” covenant would make the
previous covenant “old.” And if it’s old, then it is ready to be done away
with. This is where some Bible students make a grave mistake. They assume that
if the old covenant is done away with, then there can’t be a revived Jewish
nation with a new temple system. But this is false. There can be no temple in
the current age—that would be a violation. But the Church is only the first
installment of the New Covenant. The prophet Jeremiah ultimately foretold of a “new
covenant” that God would make “with the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah” (vs. 31 KJV). While some Bible students will intractably follow their
mirage of symbolism, the fact remains that “Israel and Judah” are not the Church.
Interestingly enough, Hebrews 8 only stops at Jeremiah 31:34. Why? Because verses
31-34 are applicable to the church. But the remainder of Jeremiah 31 is
specific to ethnic Israel. In verses 35-37, the Lord vows that as long as the
moon and stars remain in space, and as long the heavens can’t be measured,
ethnic Israel will never cease to be a nation!
- From the moment God gave “the commandment” to Gabriel to go and tell Daniel the vision, until the rebuilding of the wall, is 7 weeks (49 years). These are obviously prophetic weeks, whereas the wall wasn’t rebuilt until decades later.
- From the rebuilding of the wall until the death of Messiah is 62 weeks (434 years). Incidentally, the cross of Christ fits this timeframe, thus revealing the nature of these prophetic weeks. We can see there is no other interpretive framework. Each day represents a year.
- That’s a total of 69 weeks (483 years).
- But that leaves us with one week left. In other words, there is a 7-year period involving the Jews that has not been fulfilled.
