Romans 10-11
10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
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Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
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2 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
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Paul made a startling prediction, which he called a “mystery” (Romans 11:25). The hardening of Israelite hearts against the gospel is only partial and temporary, “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” Then the veil will be lifted from their minds (2 Corinthians 3:15-16), and “so all Israel will be saved.” Since this term has the same meaning here as in Romans 10:1, this is a prophecy of a mass national conversion to faith in Christ Jesus in the nation that is so hardened and resistant against Him. How could this happen? The account in Zechariah 12-13 tells us that the Spirit will be involved much the way He was directly involved with hardened, resistant Paul on the road to Damascus. Clearly, Paul is a pattern for how the nation of Israel will be saved. Additionally, they will have heard the preaching of the two witnesses and the 144,000 sealed from the twelve tribes. All of this is prerequisite to the return of the Lord as King of Israel.
First, the nation of Israel that was scattered among all nations will be gathered back to the land in unbelief. Then the nations will be gathered against that nation of Israel, God will use them to accomplish the purging of Zechariah 13 and the goals of Daniel 9:24.
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“Zechariah 12:10 – 13:7: The Conversion of Israel
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.” (Zechariah 12:10)
That Israel, as a nation, is to be converted is foretold in many passages of scripture. For instance, in Isaiah 59:15-21 appears the marvelous prediction concerning the coming of the Redeemer to Zion who will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Jeremiah likewise foretold the turning of all Israel to God in 3:11-25. Again, we see a marvelous prediction concerning her conversion in Jeremiah 16:14-18. This same prophet, in chapters 30-33, foretold this mighty return to the Lord. Ezekiel likewise saw Israel’s coming back to God (Ezekiel 34-37). The psalmist sang of this wonderful future awakening in Israel (Psalm 67). The Apostle Paul in like manner foretold the return of Israel at the end of this age and of her genuine conversion (Romans 11). To those who believe the Bible and who have studied the predictions of both the Old and the New Testaments with an eye single to know the will of God, it is apparent that Israel will yet turn to the Lord and be reinstated into His favor. Then she will become the head of the nations and the priestly family (Isaiah 61:4f; Deuteronomy 28:13)
Does Zechariah 12:10 foretell the conversion of the nation of Israel? My answer is yes. In order to see this, we must remember the connection in which this verse appears. As we learned in the last installment, Zechariah 12-14 constitutes a single oracle and foretells the final siege of Jerusalem by the armies of the world. Thus in this oracle we see the Jews in Jerusalem (in Judea especially) in the throes of the great Tribulation Period. This is apparent to one reading Zechariah 12:1-9. In contrast to this picture of the terrific suffering through which the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the people of Judah will pass, the prophet foretells God’s pouring out the spirit of grace and supplication upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of that universal mourning which will be in evidence at that time. In this passage we see only that section of Jewry and of its turning to God that will be in Jerusalem and in Judea. But when we recognize the time of which the prophet is speaking and when we compare this scripture with other passages which hold before the vision of the reader the whole nation, we see that this is but a cross-section of the larger picture of Israel’s return to the Lord at the end of the Tribulation. Had the prophet had the whole nation of Israel throughout the world in perspective here, the language of verse 10 quoted above would have taken on international proportions and the description would have been in accord with that point of view.
How Will Israel Be Converted?
Many excellent brethren tell us that Israel is to be converted by looking upon the Lord Jesus Christ visibly when He returns from heaven to the earth at the end of the Tribulation Period. As proof of the position, this passage is cited. Their reason for thus interpreting this passage is found in the King James Translation which tells us that they shall “look upon” Him whom they have pierced. This prepositional phrase is interpreted literally as meaning that the Jews actually will look upon Jesus physically when He returns to the earth to establish His kingdom. Is this the meaning of the passage? The Revised Version, which follows the Hebrew Text accurately, throws a different light upon this most important question. The rendering appearing in it is “and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced.” This same idiom appears in Isaiah 45:22: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.” From the context of this verse we see that this is an invitation which God gives to the people of the earth who are in the midst of the great Tribulation to look unto Him and be saved. The circumstances of the case and the invitation shows that they are to put their trust in Jehovah in order that they might be saved. Such is the ordinary significance of our phrase. Such is also the meaning of the phrase as it appears in Zechariah 12:10. That this is its meaning becomes apparent to the one who realizes that God’s plan to save people is by the preaching of the gospel. “For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God … For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe” (I Corinthians 1:18-21). Paul declared that God had committed unto him the word of reconciliation and was therefore pleading with men to be reconciled to God (II Corinthians 5:18-21). The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). Has God a different plan for saving Jews from that for saving Gentiles? The apostle declared that there is no distinction now in this respect:
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:11-14)
From this passage we can see that it is God’s plan to save the Jews by the preaching of the gospel the same as the Gentiles.
That Israel is thus to be converted to God by the preaching of the truth is seen from a careful study of such passages as Isaiah 62. In verse 6 of this chapter the prophet was speaking to those who are “Jehovah’s remembrancers” prayer-warriors, we call them. Then in verse 11 he tells of God’s proclamation which He has sent to the ends of the earth saying, “Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. And they shall call them The holy people, The redeemed of Jehovah: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken” (Isaiah 62:11,12). This passage when viewed in the light of the context shows that God has sent a proclamation to the four corners of the earth to the people who believe in prayer, commanding that they tell the Jews about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with His reward and with His salvation. This is authority from high heaven to every praying Christian to do his utmost to give the message of redemption to Israel. This command focuses attention upon the second coming of our Lord, for to lay emphasis upon the second coming is also to emphasize the first coming in order to make the message intelligible.
There are many other passages which show that the truth must be given to Israel the same as to any other race in order that she might look unto Him whom she pierced, to the end that she might be saved. Since the believers are the ones who have the truth relative to our Lord and His atoning sacrifice for our sins, it is the duty, the responsibility, and the privilege of the believer to preach the gospel to all Israel in order that she might turn to God.
Having seen from other passages that Israel is to be converted by the preaching of the gospel, we may assume here that the truth is given to her by faithful witnesses and that in the time of her greatest extremity toward the very end of the Tribulation she will turn to the Lord and He will pour out the spirit of grace and supplication the Holy Spirit who causes this in the life of the penitent believer and they shall look in absolute trust and confidence toward Jesus whom they, nineteen hundred years before, pierced.
When Israel is thus brought under conviction by the preaching of the gospel and by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, she will put her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The sense of her guilt will be overwhelming. There will be a mourning over the national sin of the rejection and execution of Messiah such as has never been known in the annals of world history. It is quite probable that the revival which will result in the complete conversion of Israel will begin at Jerusalem. This may explain why the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem are mentioned in particular.
“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness” (13:1). In reality the fountain was opened nineteen hundred years ago when our Lord was crucified upon Calvary, but Israel as a nation did not see that fact. Not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God, they fulfilled those predictions which foretold His execution (Acts 13:27). This situation I might illustrate by Hagar and Ishmael. They were out in the desert ready to perish because of lack of water. In desperation Hagar gave up. Finally the Angel of the Lord came to her, opened her eyes, and she saw that but a very short distance from her there was a fountain of water. It had been there all the time but she did not know it. Her eyes were holden so that she did not see it. The fountain for sin and uncleanness for Israel was opened nineteen hundred years ago, but because of her rejection of Messiah her eyes were holden or blinded so that she could not see it. When, however, in the Tribulation the gospel message is fully given to the nation, the faithful remnant will give heed to the truth, will accept the message, come to this fountain, drink, and thus have eternal life.
From Zechariah 13:2-6 is a prediction that, when this revival begins in Israel, the sentiment will swing positively against all spiritism, which we know will be prevalent in the latter days. In this passage the land of Palestine is especially in view. Whenever anyone will then be accused of spiritism or prophesying, he shall be put to death. There will be cases, as we learn from the prophecy, in which young men will be accused of prophesying. They will deny it, affirming that they are not prophets at all but tillers of the soil. In some instances the accusers will call attention to some wounds on their bodies, between their arms, and will imply that these were self-inflicted in their fits when under the influence of an evil spirit. Immediately they will reply that they did not receive them while engaged in prophesying but that friends had injured them when they were associating with them. Very unfortunately, Zechariah 13:6 has been understood as a prediction of our Lord’s crucifixion, but this interpretation is impossible when one looks at the entire context. The facts show that the prophet was speaking of those who will be accused of being in league with demons and prophesying falsely.
Awake O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts:
smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.” (Zechariah 13:7)
This verse is undoubtedly a prediction concerning the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ because He is called “my [God’s] shepherd” and He is a man and at the same time God’s “fellow” or equal, as the Hebrew indicates. This verse was literally fulfilled by our Lord’s crucifixion nineteen hundred years ago. When the true Shepherd was smitten, the little flock the apostolic company was scattered. But God’s protecting hand was over them and took care of them. Finally, on the day of Pentecost, they were welded into a spiritual unity by the coming of the Spirit of God. On that memorable occasion the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ they gave forth the corporate testimony concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of our adorable Lord. God took care of them, is now protecting His people, and will continue to guard His own until Jesus comes.”
READ MORE: http://www.ariel.org/dlc/dlc-exw-zec21.htm
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“Israel’s entrance into a covenant with the antichrist and the erection of the Tribulation temple (Dan 9:27) are obviously prophecies that she will fulfill while still in unbelief. Thus, any analysis that discounts God’s present hand on the Jewish nation simply because Israel is currently in unbelief fails to take into account all of the biblical data.
Furthermore, if faith and obedience are the criteria used to determine whether God’s hand is upon modern Israel, then such a standard also forces one to conclude that God’s hand was never upon the nation during the 1300 years of biblical history when the nation was in the land. Unbelief and disobedience characterized the nation during this era as well. In sum, the modern state of Israel, even in its present state of unbelief, could very well represent the initial gathering in preparation for the coming Tribulation period. This view is nothing new for traditional dispensational interpreters.
Note the following quote by John F. Walvoord as he reflected upon the prophetic significance of the modern state of Israel:
Of the many peculiar phenomena which characterize the present generation, few events can claim equal significance as far as Biblical prophecy is concerned with that of the return of Israel to their land. It constitutes a preparation for the end of the age, the setting for the coming of the Lord for His church, and the fulfillment of Israel’s prophetic destiny.2″
READ MORE: Q231 : Is Today’s Return of Israel Scriptural? / A231 : by Andy Woods
http://www.spiritandtruth.org/questions/231.htm?x=x
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“Is Modern Israel Fulfilling Prophecy?”
by Thomas Ice
“Is the current state of Israel a work of God as predicted in Bible prophecy or is it merely an accident of history? I believe that modern Israel is a Divine work and is in the process of fulfilling Bible prophecy. I believe that Israel, as she is constituted today, is a work of God in progress preparing the nation for the tribulation, which will lead to her national conversion, the second coming of Christ and His millennial reign.
Christian Support for Israel
On the one hand, there is great support for Israel generally among the Evangelical Christian Community. This is likely the main reason that opinion polls in the United States show great support for the modern state of Israel, in contrast with Europe, which tends to overwhelmingly support the Arabs. It is not the Jewish lobby that is so effective in America, while they struggle across the Atlantic. The reason there is such great support for Israel in the U. S. A. is because biblical Christianity resonates more here than in the Old World. There are not many Bible-believing Christians in Europe compared to this country. Further, there is a greater number of Muslims in Europe than in North America. Their influence is driving opinions in Europe in much the same way that Evangelicals tip the scales in this country.
While the larger majority of Evangelicals have always supported Israel, the Jewish community is only recently becoming convinced of this support.
National Review’ s Rod Dreher says evangelicals who hold a ” divine right” viewpoint support Israel with an ” uncritical fervor that exceeds that of even some American Jews.” Orthodox Rabbi Daniel Lapin, in an article posted May 7 on National Review Online, says American Jews are ” waking up” to Christian support.[1]
For many Evangelicals, the modern state of Israel is such an important item, that it will be the central issue by which they will determine who to vote for in this year’ s election. For Christians like myself, we believe that it is still a dictum of history that God will bless those who bless Israel and curse the one who curses Israel (Gen. 12:3).
Fighting God
Yet, even within the Christian community in America, there are those who do not believe that the modern state of Israel is related to God’ s Sovereign plan for history. Preterist Gary North has boasted that he has a book already in his computer for when ” Israel gets pushed into the sea, or converted to Christ.” [2] Lutheran Don Matzat has said,
The present-day nation of Israel is no more involved in God’ s plans for the future than is France, England, Germany, the United States, etc. The teaching of the New Testament is very clear- Jesus fulfilled everything pertaining to Israel and formed the New Israel.[3]
Even a number of dispensationalists today say that there is a restored nation of Israel in God’ s plan for the future, but there is no reason to think that the current nation of Israel is necessarily prophetically significant. Current president of Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Mark Bailey said,
Is that what is happening today? I can’ t say for sure. It is the first time in 2,500 years, though, that you have this kind of constitution of people in the land, but I don’ t know what that means. This may be the prelude to end-time events, but I think we’ re presumptuous if we try to give it meaning beyond that. It may be, that’ s all we can say.[4]
It is not surprising, in light of his view of the present state of Israel, that Dr. Bailey recommends Christians not support Israel politically.[5]
Modern Israel IS a Work of God
There are many reasons why we can say that the modern state of Israel is prophetically significant and of stage-setting significance for the tribulation. I will list a few here, but will do a more thorough job in a forthcoming book. First of all, Israel is not going to get pushed into the sea. Second, France, England, Germany and the United States are not mentioned hundreds of times throughout the Bible as is the case with Israel. The Bible says many times that Israel is not done in history, but many Christians act as if that were not true. Paul said in Romans, ” I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!” (Rom. 11:1a).
There are dozens of biblical passages that predict an end-time regathering of Israel back to her land. However, it is a common mistake to lump all of these passages into one fulfillment time frame, especially in relation to the modern state of Israel. Modern Israel is prophetically significant and is fulfilling Bible prophecy. But readers of God’ s Word need to be careful to distinguish which verses are being fulfilled in our day and which references await future fulfillment. In short there will be two end-time regatherings: One before the tribulation and one after the tribulation.
Hebrew Christian scholar Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum- a graduate of Dallas Seminary- explains the biblical basis for the current state of Israel as follows:
The re-establishment of the Jewish state in 1948 has not only thrown a wrench in amillennial thinking, but it has also thrown a chink in much of premillennial thinking. Amazingly, some premillennialists have concluded that the present state of Israel has nothing to do with the fulfillment of prophecy. For some reason the present state some how does not fit their scheme of things, and so the present state becomes merely an accident of history. On what grounds is the present state of Israel so dismissed? The issue that bothers so many premillennialists is the fact that not only have the Jews returned in unbelief with regard to the person of Jesus, but the majority of the ones who have returned are not even Orthodox Jews. In fact the majority are atheists or agnostics. Certainly, then, Israel does not fit in with all those biblical passages dealing with the return. For it is a regenerated nation that the Bible speaks of, and the present state of Israel hardly fits that picture. So on these grounds, the present state is dismissed as not being a fulfillment of prophecy.
However, the real problem is the failure to see that the prophets spoke of two international returns. First, there was to be a regathering in unbelief in preparation for judgment, namely the judgment of the tribulation. This was to be followed by a second world-wide regathering in faith in preparation for blessing, namely the blessings of the messianic age. Once it is recognized that the Bible speaks of two such regatherings, it is easy to see how the present state of Israel fits into prophecy.[6]
First World-Wide Gathering in Unbelief
In 1948 when the modern state of Israel was born, it not only became an important stage setting development but began an actual fulfillment of specific Bible prophecies about an international regathering of the Jews in unbelief before the judgment of the tribulation. Such a prediction is found in the following Old Testament passages: Ezek. 20:33-38; 22:17-22; 36:22-24; 37:1- 14; Isa. 11:11-12; Zeph. 2:1-2 and Ezek. 38- 39 presupposes such a setting.
Zephaniah 1:14-18 is one of the most colorful descriptions of ” The Day of the Lord,” which we commonly call the tribulation period. Zephaniah 2:1-2 says that there will be a world-wide regathering of Israel before the day of the Lord. ” Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame, before the decree takes effect- the day passes like the chaff- before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’ s anger comes upon you.”
Ezekiel 20:33- 38 speaks of a regathering, which must take place before the tribulation. The passage speaks of bringing the nation of Israel back ” from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out” (Ezek. 20:34). ” With wrath poured out” is a descriptive reference to the tribulation. Thus, in order this to occur in history, Israel must be back in the land before the tribulation. This passage clearly says that it is the Lord who is bringing them back. The current nation of Israel is in the process of fulfilling this passage.
In a similar vein, two chapters later, Ezekiel receives another revelation about a future regathering of national Israel (Ezek. 22:17- 22). This time, the Lord is ” going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem” (Ezek. 22:19). Like the metallurgist, the Lord will use the fire of the tribulation to purge out the unfaithful. The Lord is going to ” gather you [Israel] and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it” (Ezek. 22:21). Once again, ” My wrath” depicts the time of the tribulation. It also follows here that the nation must be regathered before that event can take place. The outcome of this event will be that the nation ” will know that I, the Lord, have poured out My wrath on you” (Ezek. 22:22). For this to occur, there must be a regathering by the Lord of Israel to the land, just like we see happening with the modern state of Israel. God is at work through the current state of Israel.
Surely, anyone who claims to believe in a national future for Israel would have to say that the valley of dry bones prophecy in some way, shape, or form relates to modern Israel (Ezek. 37:1- 14). The prophet describes a future process through which the nation of Israel will come to be reconstituted and (when the process is complete) enter into a faithful spiritual relationship with the Lord. This multi stage process must surely include the current nation of Israel, in unbelief, that is being prepared to go through a time that will lead to her conversion to Jesus as their Messiah. This is said by Ezekiel to be a work of the Lord (Ezek. 37:14). Thus, the modern state of Israel is a work of God and biblically significant.
Second World-Wide Gathering in Belief
Many passages in the Bible speak of Israel’ s regathering, in belief, at the end of the tribulation, in conjunction with Christ’ s second coming, in preparation for commencement of the millennium. These references are not being fulfilled by the modern state of Israel. Some of the citations include: Deut. 4:29-31; 30:1-10; Isa. 27:12-13; 43:5-7; Jer. 16:14-15; 31:7-10; Ezek. 11:14-18; Amos 9:14-15; Zech. 10:8-12; Matt. 24:31 and many more. I think that this regathering will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) for the nation of Israel.
Matthew 24:31, records a future regathering of Israel, this time in belief. ” And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (Matt. 24:31). This is said to take place after the tribulation (Matt. 24:29), which would be the second coming.
Conclusion
The fact that the last fifty years has seen a world-wide regathering and reestablishment of the nation of Israel, which is now poised in just the setting required for the revealing of the Antichrist and the start of the tribulation, is God’ s grand indicator that all of the other areas of world development are prophetically significant. Dr. Walvoord says,
Of the many peculiar phenomena which characterize the present generation, few events can claim equal significance as far as Biblical prophecy is concerned with that of the return of Israel to their land. It constitutes a preparation for the end of the age, the setting for the coming of the Lord for His church, and the fulfillment of Israel’s prophetic destiny.[7]
It is true that the Bible predicts a future time when Israel will be regathered in belief and will then enter into the kingdom for a thousand years. However, as I have demonstrated above, the same Scriptures also tell us of a time when Israel will be regathered in unbelief, before the tribulation in order that God may complete His plan for national Israel. The current nation of Israel is the beginning of fulfillment of just such prophecy. Modern Israel is the result of God’ s direct intervention in history. I believe that those who speak contrary to this will be found to be fighting God. Maranatha!”
READ MORE:
https://www.raptureready.com/…/ModernIsraelFulfillingProphe…
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