Mentoring Men for the Master

ISRAEL- GOD’S MIRACLE NATION FOR TIME AND ETERNITY

No honest person can read the Old and New Testament and not conclude that Israel was very special to God from the time of Abraham (about 2000 BC) to 70 AD when the Temple was destroyed and the Jews were dispersed over the globe.  The question is:  Is Israel still special with God?

I will answer this question by pointing out that there is one word that describes the history of Israel – form its birth to the present hour- and that word is “MIRACULOUS,” meaning that the beginning of Israel and its long continuance has been possible because Israel is a “God Thing.”

  1. Israel was Miraculous in its Launching into human history. Israel began with a literal miracle – a miraculous birth.  Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac when they were so old that sexual intimacy consisted of holding hands.  Sarah laughed and asked, “Will I really have a child now that I am old?”  and God asked, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:10-14).  
  1. Israel was Miraculous in its God made Israel the geographical center of the world (Ezek. 5:5).  Tiny Israel is the crossroads where Europe, Africa and Asia all meet.  Jerusalem is the most important city in the Bible, mentioned 8004 times, and the eyes of the world are on Jerusalem to this very hour.  Israel is the spiritual center of the world – here Jesus was born, lived and died.  Israel is the prophetical center of the world.  Look at Israel if you would know what time is on God’s clock.    Jesus will set His feet on the Mount of Olives – The last war of history (Armageddon) will be fought in Israel. 
  1. Israel was Miraculous in its Though only 8000 square miles (NC is 7 times larger) – perhaps the most developed nation on earth. 
  1. Israel was Miraculous in its Language.   Hebrew is the only dead language restored to life in human history.  English, Spanish, and Italian draw heavily on Latin.  “Latin is a dead language, as dead as dead can be.  It killed the Roman Empire, and now it’s killing me.” 
  1. Israel was Miraculous in its It was to the Jews that God revealed His Law – the Ten Commandments.  It was also thorough the Jews that God transmitted the gospel.  All writers of the New Testament were Jews except Luke.  Humanly speaking, we have the Holy Bible through the Jews. 
  1. Israel was Miraculous in its Lord. Surrounding nations worshipped pagan idols as gods; only did God reveal Himself to Israel as the Yahweh, the Great I AM, who created and redeemed human kind from sin, death, and the grave.  Jesus Christ is clearly predicted in the 3rd chapter of Genesis, verse 15 and throughout the Old Testament; the best description of the crucifixion was written by a Jew, Isaiah, 740 years before Christ died.  Isaiah 53- What a miracle! 
  1. Perhaps the greatest Miracle of all has been the Longevity of Israel. The Temple was razed to the ground in 70AD and the Jews dispersed to the ends of the earth and remained dispersed until May 14, 1948, when the State of Israel was declared by the United Nations and recognized as a nation by President Truman almost immediately.  The Romans hated the Jews, even Martin Luther spoke against them, Hitler murdered 6,000,000 in the Holocaust, and yet the Jews continued as a race through it all.  Today there are no Babylonians, no Hittites, no Philistines, Phoenicians, no Assyrians, Ammonites or Moabites.  Today there are 7,500,000 Jews in Israel.  Israel is the 4th strongest military power in the world, and the only Middle East Nation which produces tanks, planes, etc.  Also the greatest grower of citrus fruit in the world. 

Only 5 percent of the population of Israel are God-fearing Orthodox, the nation has made the Sabbath the law of the land – from sunup to sundown every Jew must close shop, use no phones, no buses – except for emergencies, even hospitals shut down.

How about the future?  Though Israel is a secular nation today, the day is coming when Israel will turn to their Messiah and accept Him as Savior and Lord.  Read Jer. 31-34.  “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.  All who try to move it will injure themselves.” (Zech. 12:3).

When it appears that the “good ship of Israel” is going down, in a flash, the tide will turn.  “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” (Zech. 12:10).

Paul unequivocally declares that the day is coming when “ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED.” (Romans 11:26).  Paul means all believing Israel; the unbelieving Israel will be destroyed at the Second Coming (Zech. 13:8-9).

In Ezek. 37:1-14 the prophet described Israel as a “valley of dead bones,” but then he describes how God through the Word and the Holy Spirit will resurrect all Israel (Northern Kingdom) and judge (Southern Kingdom) through the new birth. 

Israel from a Historical and Futuristic Perspective: 

  1. United Kingdom – 1043-931 BC – 110 years under the reign of Saul, David, and Solomon
  2. Divided Kingdom – Israel North, Judah South – 931-722 BC
  3. Israel – Northern Kingdom, fell to Assyria in 722 BC, leaving Judah the surviving Kingdom for 135 years, which fell to Babylon in 605-586 BC.
  4. Babylonian Captivity – 5 86-516 BC
  5. Post-Exilic Period – Persian Rule, the Maccabees, Romans.
  6. The Temple – restored by Zerubbabel – destroyed by Romans in 70AD.
  7. Restoration of Nation of Israel – May 14, 1948.
    1. The land has been restored
    2. The law has been reinstituted
    3. Hebrew language has been resurrected
  8. God’s Future Plans for Israel-
    1. Restoration- Ezek. 37:21
    2. Unification – Ezek. 37:22
    3. Regeneration – Ezek. 37:23
    4. “All Israel shall be saved” – Romans 11:26
  9. Israel – the only Invincible Nation in history – Jer. 31:35-36 – “Only if the sun stops rising, the moon stops shining, the sea waves quit rolling would Israel”
  10. God’s Incredible Promise – “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you” – Gen. 12:3.
  11. Mystery – We must keep in mind that God chose Israel solely because of His sovereign grace and love, not because there was anything special about Israel herself – Deut. 7:7-9.
  12. Glaring Shortcomings – Even though Israel is in the land, observing the law of the Sabbath, and speaking the language, she continues in the main to turn her back on the Lord.  Less than 20% of people practice the Jewish faith, 70% have no religious  beliefs, and only 10% attend a synagogue.
  13. Glorious Day is coming when the Jewish nation will surrender to the greatest Jew of all, Jesus Christ. God Himself has guaranteed that day is coming – Jer. 31:31-34.
  14. The Error of “Replacement” theology – the view that the church has replaced Israel, and the promises of God to His ancient people are transferred to His church. This view is held by liberal and most Reformed theologians on the grounds that when Israel rejected the Messiah the church took her place.  This view is valid only if you spiritualize or allegorize Scriptures passages which clearly declare that Israel is God’s plan for the ages:  “You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.” (2 Sam. 7:24).  Israel is the only nation in the history of the world that has this divine promise.  I just happen to believe that “God says what He means, and means what He said.”