Israel’s Unbelief Rejection of Messiah

The second violation of the conditional provisions of the Covenant Of The Land occurred when Israel as a nation rejected her rightful Messiah, Jesus, when he came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as legitimate King of Israel (exactly fulfilling Zechariah 9:9). When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38″Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40″I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” – Luke 19:37-44 One might have thought that during the 400 years following the close of the Old Testament (after the book of Malachi was written) the nation would have learned its lessons from history and been ready for the coming of the Promised One. But the priesthood had become thoroughly corrupt and the bulk of the populace wanted relief from Roman Oppression–not release from inner evil, sin and spiritual death. Messiah’s rejection as rightful King in the line of David was followed within a few days by his betrayal and execution. When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate the assembled crowd of Jews was given an opportunity to free Jesus who was completely innocent, or to release a known criminal. In the ensuing clamor the people asked instead for the release of Barabbas (Matthew 27:15-25). It is wrong for us to label Jews as “Christ-killers” because quite clearly all mankind is involved in the conspiracy that put Jesus to death. Representatives of each of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth had a responsible role in putting Messiah to death. Had the Son of God been born in any other country, in any other time, the results would have been the same. The resurrection of Jesus three days after his death and the sudden and dramatic formation of the Church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (50 days after the resurrection) did not turn the heart of the nation to their Messiah. It was only a matter of time until the Jewish followers of Jesus, some thousands in number, were forced to flee Jerusalem. Soon the unbelieving Jews, in their continuing revolt against Rome, provoked the Romans to remove them from the land. As a consequence, the provisional terms of the Covenant of The Land were invoked for the second time by the Owner of the Land. After this second dispersion, lasting nearly 2000 years, God allowed his chosen people to return to their land again. The exciting history of the regathering of the Jews from all lands began more than one hundred years ago–culminating in the rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948 and the tiny nation’s rise to power and a restored place of influence as a modern progressive democracy. Thankfully, God is faithful to his promises in spite our unbelief! The drama of the Jewish people during their Diaspora is little known to most Christians. It is fascinating reading because it demonstrates that God has in fact protected the Jewish people, their religion, values and culture against great pressures to assimilate; against almost constant terrible anti-Semitism; against horrendous persecution down through the ages. The very existence of the Jews today, the recovery of their language, their regathering to the land of their fathers, and the clear signs of their Messianic expectations, are surely among the greatest miracles one can find on the pages of human history

Hardening and Blindness – Romans 11

In the early years when God had moved to call out a church to his name, and because the majority of Jewish people did not accept Jesus as Messiah, the Apostle Paul explained that they had become spiritually blind. The same thing happens to any people anywhere in any age who hear truth from God and ignore it. The Jews are representative–not unique–in their demonstration of all of mankind’s rebellion against God down through the ages. I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. – Romans 11:25 One might ask if the past hundred years of great economic development, prosperity, and overwhelming military victories against enormous odds, has brought the Jews to a place of contrition and repentance and humility as far as their God is concerned–especially since the restoration of the State of Israel was born out of terrible persecution and hardship. It is quite true that many thousands of Jews from all over the world have become believers in Jesus over the past 2000 years, and these have been added to the Church. (See Ephesians 2:11-3:12 for God’s purposes in this present age.) It is also true that there is a small remnant of some thousands of believing Jews now resident in the Land of Israel (Romans 11:5). Yet for the most part Israel is a secular state. Most of her citizens are not only indifferent to the God of their Fathers, but openly hostile to any notions that the God of the Land is anything more than an interesting mythological character now outgrown and to be discarded. People who live in Israel cannot help but be reminded of their past because the Sabbath is observed, and the major biblical feasts are kept by many. Furthermore, archaeology is the national pastime, so there are reminders of early history in the news every day. At the present time about half of the Jews living in the land are “Sabras”–that is, they were born in the land and not immigrants. This younger generation is especially involved in a quest for their roots and identity, and from among the young men of this generation, well over 100,000 are already diligently studying the Torah in the many yeshivas of the land. Although God is known for his great patience and long-suffering, it is appropriate to ask how much longer the Holy God of the Covenants will tolerate the present indifference, rebellion and disregard for his Person that typifies the Israel of the past hundred years. Of course we cannot speak much more favorably about the disregard for God in our own country these days, especially since most Americans have already heard the truth about God, but never taken it seriously. Sadly, we have further indications from the New Testament that tell us that not only will Israel continue in its denial of Jesus as Messiah–they will in fact readily embrace a counterfeit Messiah. Jesus warned his people when he was with them, ―You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41‖ I do not accept praise from men, 42but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?‖ – John 5:39-44 Israel is God’s model nation, yet in spite of the fact that Israel’s history of repeated failure is on public display in the Bible for all to read, God has neither abandoned nor rejected his chosen people. When all the final scores are in concerning all the nations, with their animosity and hatred of the one true God, no one will have any cause for boasting. In fact God will judge all the other nations of the world by how they have treated the Jews (Joel 3:1-21). Decades of God’s grace, kindness, mercy and favor have not turned the nation of Israel towards faith in their God. Nor are they any closer to accepting their true Messiah. Will then God banish the Jews from the land again, perhaps this time permanently? The answer from Scripture is clear. Israel’s final testing will occur in their land and involve the destruction of a majority of the populace, a time of trial compared to which the Nazi holocaust will pale in insignificance.

Modern Israel

As discussed in chapter 1, Ezekiel plainly predicted that the Chosen People would one day be regathered from the various nations of the world, back to their own land, Israel (Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39). The Prophet saw a vision of a valley full of dry bones, shaking and coming back together. Once the skeleton was formed, muscles appeared. Then skin covered the reconstructed body, which is symbolic of the rebirth of Israel. The modern nation of Israel came into existence on May 14, 1948, when the British, who had controlled the area of Palestine since the end of World War II, withdrew their forces and ended their occupation of the land. War and Peace: However, all of the nations immediately surrounding the little sliver of land were opposed to the formation of a Jewish state, so, on the very first day of Israel’s independence, all of Israel’s neighbors declared war against them. Israel miraculously won that war–and four more that have been waged against them during their first fifty years of existence. Chapter 1 shows the ongoing military struggle in Israel and the current threat of annihilation. A peace process should eventually result in a short period of peace between Israel and her neighbors, followed by a great war seen by the prophet (Ezekiel 38-39). Israel’s Glorious Future: After the Church Age is completed, God will turn again to Israel as a nation and focus his activities once again from his unseen headquarters in Jerusalem. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. 15The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: 16″ ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ 18that have been known for ages.‖ – Acts 15:14-18 (The quote is from Amos 9:11-12.) In his great discourse on Israel’s future the Apostle Paul assures us, I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” – Romans 11:25-27 The Old Testament books of prophecy are full of promises of the future blessing of Israel. This will be developed later in the last chapter on the Millennial Reign of Christ and beyond. Next, we must turn our attention to the Church Age. The Church is also a chosen and blessed people to whom the task of evangelizing the world has been given. But there is a definite beginning and end of this period of time. Those who do not distinguish between Israel and the Church cannot understand prophecy.