The Future of the Nation of Israel
Robert Seklemian To the natural man, the situation in which the nation of Israel finds itself today is absolutely hopeless. It may be said that they have the bleakest prospects of any nation in the world, the least chance of survival. Ringed about and outnumbered a hundred to one by ferociously hostile nations—nations who have sworn not merely to defeat them militarily but to exterminate them from the face of the earth—it seems only a matter of a short time when Israel will be no more. This is the way it seems to the natural man. But to the un-natural man, the spiritual man, the man whom God has enlightened with his truth, the prospects for Israel are the brightest and most glorious of any nation in the world. They are the heirs of earthly promises of such grandeur and scope as to almost stagger the imagination. Of heavenly Zion it is said, "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God!" (Psa. 87:3). These things spoken of Christ and the church, the heavenly Israel, are surpassingly glorious. The things spoken of natural Israel, the prophecies yet to be fulfilled on behalf of that people, are also very glorious indeed. First let us assure ourselves that when Jesus sorrowed over Jerusalem saying: "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Matt. 23:38; Luke 13:35), he did not mean that all their earthly promises had failed. How do we know? After these words, in the very next verse, he said that the time would come when they would "see" or recognize him and say of him, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Before declaring their house desolate, Jesus said: "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not." He was here speaking of the special gathering of the high calling, the wonderful opportunity of becoming spiritual Israel, and their national rejection of it. We read: "He came unto his own [his own nation], and his own received him not. But as many as received him [individually], to them gave he power [or privilege] to become the sons of God [the church]." (John 1:11, 12). This special privilege is what Israel had missed. Jesus was not speaking of their earthly promises which are still theirs. He did not cast off natural Israel for ever. As proof let us consider the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 11. Some of the Gentiles in the church at Rome thought that God had indeed permanently cast off his people Israel, that the promises were spiritual only and theirs only. Paul uses this entire chapter to disabuse their minds of such a foolish notion. We read: "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew" (Rom. 11:1, 2). "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded" (v. 7). "I say, then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid. But rather through their fall, salvation is come unto the Gentiles [that is, the high calling was opened to the Gentiles]" (v. 11). "But if their fall is the wealth of the world, and their failure the wealth of the Gentiles, how much more will their full acceptance be?" (v. 12 Diaglott). Note that there is to be a full acceptance, a full receiving back to favor, a full realization and obtaining of all the prophetic promises made to them. Verse 15 is really startling in its implications: "For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world [that is, to permit the development of the church for the Messianic rule of the world], what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" (v. 15). Does this not teach that the resurrection of the dead and restitution will start with the nation of Israel when they have been received back into favor? I think it does. Israel’s Rejection Temporary The apostle then likens the temporary rejection of Israel to the breaking off of the natural branches of an olive tree and the acceptance of the Gentiles to the high calling as the grafting in of wild olive branches. In verses 18 to 21 he admonishes the Gentiles not to boast, not be too proud of this fact, not to say to themselves that the nation of Israel was permanently rejected for their sakes and that all of Israel’s earthly promises are forever lost. Do we need this admonition today? In verses 23 and 24 the apostle suggests that the natural olive branches shall be grafted in again when their unbelief is taken away, that they will return once again to full favor with God. The apostle persists in his argument. He evidently considered the subject very important and that the church at Rome was making a serious mistake regarding the prospects and future role of the nation of Israel. He must have considered it a vital subject because he spent so much time on it. He no doubt foresaw that the time would come at the end of the age when other Gentiles—even some running for the prize of the high calling—would become similarly conceited with themselves, developing a contempt for Israel and God’s promises to that nation. We continue the reading from the Diaglott: "Brethren, that you may not be conceited with yourselves, I wish you not to be ignorant of this secret; that hardness in some measure has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles may come in [that is to say, until the full number selected from the Gentiles for the high calling has been completed]. And then all Israel will be saved; as it has been written, The Deliverer [that is, Christ, head and body] shall come out of Zion, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And this is the covenant with them from me [the New Covenant], when I shall take away their sins. In relation to the glad tidings [the high calling] indeed, they are enemies on your account; but in regard to the election, they are [still] beloved on account of the fathers, because the gracious gifts and calling of God are things not to be repented of [yes, they still have a calling; a role to play in the blessing of the world. God has not repented and changed his plan in this regard]. Besides, as you [Gentiles] were once disobedient to God, but have now obtained mercy by their disobedience; so also, now, these have disobeyed so that they may obtain mercy through your mercy [that is, at the hands of the glorified Church]"—Rom. 11:25–31 (Diaglott). Starting with verse 33 to the end of the chapter, the apostle seems to go into ecstasy: "O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen!" Let us be similarly overwhelmed. Let us not be inclined to begrudge the Jews their precious promises because of their past imperfect performances. Let us remember that we were totally unworthy of the high calling, that it is only by the grace of God—his unmerited favor—that we have this glorious hope set before us. Let us consider some of the unfulfilled promises to the nation of Israel that must shortly come to pass. These prophecies are very numerous and we cannot cover them all. In preparing this lesson I collected over 200 scriptures on the subject and there are many more. God’s Israel Not Today’s Israel First we should realize that the nation of Israel as presently constituted is not the nation of Israel that God will favor and use in his Messianic Kingdom. The present government of Israel is an interim government organized by men according to the best wisdom of this world. It was necessitated by the regathering of Israel to maintain order and discipline, to exercise police power, to permit an orderly and systematic repossession of the land in fulfillment of prophecy, and to plant and build up the country. It is not in its present form the promised throne of David. No! There is to be a glorious re-birth of the nation of Israel based upon a great conversion. The new government of Israel will not be parliamentary-based but will be a benevolently autocratic under the rule of The Christ. Before this happens there must first be a great day, a time of special and intense trouble for Israel. We read: "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it" (Jer. 30:7). Gog and Magog The prophet Ezekiel gives us more detail. In chapter 38 the chief of the forces that will attack Israel is identified as Gog. We read: "In the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people; against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste; but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them [this has not yet been completely fulfilled]. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm. Thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord God, It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought. And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages. I will go to them that are at rest; that dwell safely; all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates; to take a spoil, and to take a prey. To turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God, In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses [the modern version of the horse in warfare is the tank], a great company and a mighty army. And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel as a cloud to cover the land [this suggests a cloud of war planes in the sky]. It shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen [or nations] may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes" (Ezek. 38:8–12,14–16). When these forces attack Israel, the eyes of the world will be upon them. Every nation will be watching. With modern satellite communication which makes worldwide television possible, this can be literally true. Ezekiel expresses it eloquently: "And it shall come to pass at the same time, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy, and in the fire of my wrath, have I spoken. Surely, in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel . . . And I will plead against him [Gog] with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people, that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone" (Ezek. 38:18, 19, 22). This is symbolic language. The prophet uses the words fury, jealousy, wrath, a great shaking, pestilence, blood, an overflowing rain, great hailstone, fire, and brimstone. These were the most destructive things men knew at that time. Today men consider atomic bombs and the rockets that propel them to be the ultimate in destructive force. Although Gog and his allies will be liberally equipped with these, they are puny things indeed compared with the power of God. So we do not know and cannot comprehend the exact form in which this tremendous power of God will be expressed against the enemies of Israel. But we do know that it will be demonstrated in a most spectacular manner and that the whole world will witness it, will know that a most unusual thing has taken place—something that can be attributed only to God. What they see will convince them that it is indeed the Almighty God who is fighting for his people Israel. Millions of atheists, agnostics and heathen the world over will be instantly converted to God. "Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself. And I will be known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the Lord" (Ezek. 38:23). This is confirmed two chapters earlier: "And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen [or nations] . . . And the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes" (Ezek. 36:23). Most important of all, this great act in its defense will instantly convert the nation of Israel. Yes, they do need conversion. There are few really believing Israelites among them; they still rely upon their own strength. When it is suggested that the invaders might attack them, they say, "Let them come. We can handle them!" But when they have reached their extremity in Jacob’s trouble, been humbled in defeat, and then see the great act by which God delivers them, they will be truly converted. That will be a sincere and complete conversion. It is then that they will say, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." At long last the prayers of Israel will be answered. For centuries they have prayed so fervently without response. Don’t you think they prayed with all their hearts in Hitler’s concentration camps? Don’t you think they prayed desperately when led to the ovens? Six million Jews went to their deaths praying. But God did not seem to hear them. In God’s kingdom it will be different! We read: "Then shall ye call upon me; and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you . . . And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:12, 13). Of that time we read further, in Jeremiah 30:9, 21: "They shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king whom I will raise up unto them." Verse 21 refers to their supreme prince and ruler, the glorified Jesus Christ, who was born a Jew and who is now exalted to the presence of God. The Moffatt translation beautifully brings out this thought: "Their prince shall be one of themselves. Their ruler shall be native-born. I will grant him access to myself, and he shall enter my presence. For how else could one dare to enter my presence? says the Eternal." As Ezekiel says: "So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel . . . And the heathen [or nations] shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One, in Israel . . . So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day and forward" (Ezek. 39:7, 22). A New Covenant The scriptures clearly teach that the New Covenant will be made with the chastened and converted nation of Israel. This is what Paul says:"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant [that is, the Law Covenant], and I regarded them not, saith the Lord" (Heb. 8:8–12 [quoting from Jer. 31:31–34]). It was the rank and file of Israel who were led out of Egypt and who broke the Law Covenant. The Law Covenant was made with them. The covenant instituted at Mount Sinai was not made with Moses but with the people of Israel. This is clearly shown in the account: "And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep them, and do them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us; even us who are all of us alive here this day" (Deut. 5:1–3). Notice how positively he emphasizes this fact, stating it in different ways. We continue the reading in Hebrews: "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 8:10–12). In Jeremiah regathered Israel is described as the ones with whom the New Covenant is to be made: "Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath. And I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely" (Jer. 32:37). Then the prophet says:"And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good. But I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me" (v. 40). As further proof we cite the words of Ezekiel: "For thus saith the Lord God; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath, in breaking the covenant" (Ezek. 16:59). This clearly describes unfaithful natural Israel. Then he goes on: "Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth [that is, the Law Covenant], and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord" (vs. 60 ,62). Thus the scriptures clearly indicate that under the New Covenant the benefits of the Messianic Kingdom will start with Israel and spread from them to the rest of the world. Israel will be the door to the highway of holiness. This is brought out by Jeremiah speaking definitely of Israel: "Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coast of the earth; and with them the blind and the lame . . . They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters [the same river of the water of life mentioned in Rev. 22:1] in a straight way [the highway of holiness mentioned in Isa. 35:8] wherein they shall not stumble" (Jer. 31:8, 9). This harmonizes with Isaiah’s words which indicate that Israel will be the gate to the highway of holiness. It was of Israel that he prophesied: "Go through, go through the gates, Prepare ye the way of the people. Cast up, cast up the highway, gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people" (Isa. 62:10). And his words two chapters earlier: "Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night, that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles [or nations]" (Isa. 60:11). Resurrection of the Dead The resurrection of the dead will start with Israe. Paul says, "What shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" (Rom. 11:15) Also the words of Ezekiel: "Ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves" (Ezek. 37:13). Physical healing will start with Israel. It was said of Israel, "Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them." (Jer. 33:6) Moral reform and restitution will start with Israel: "A new heart also will I give you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them" (Ezek. 36:26, 27). "I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. And I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God" (Ezek. 11:19. 20). The earth will begin to return to Edenic conditions first in Israel. Referring to the land of Israel Ezekiel says: "They shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden." (Ezek. 36:35) And in the Psalms: "Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us" (Psa. 67:6). All these wonderful things the rest of the world will see and observe. As we read in Jeremiah: "It shall be to me a name of joy; a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them" (Jer. 33:9). It is of such things that the world will hear. They will hear that in Israel the lame man leaps as an hart and the tongue of the dumb sings! They will hear that in Israel men are actually returning to the days of their youth, that their families separated by death, are being reunited, that the land of Israel is full of joy and praise to God. A Showcase Nation Thus Israel under the Ancient Worthies will be a showcase nation. It will be a most natural thing that the world will ask: "How can we share in these good things? How can we obtain the same benefits?" They will be in a hurry to act to obtain the same blessings. The scriptures tell us of this. There is no mistaking the clear import of these scriptures: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities. And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts. I will go also! Yea, many people, and strong nations, shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold, out of all languages of the nations; even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you" (Zech. 8:20–23). "And 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 into it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. And he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion [the heavenly phase of the Kingdom] shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem [the earthly phase of the Kingdom]" (Isa. 2:2,3). "In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths" (Micah 4:1,2). "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem" (Jer. 3:17). Thus will be fulfilled the prophecy found in Acts: "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written: After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up; that the residue of men [all the rest of mankind] might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world" (Acts 15:14–18). |