ARMAGEDDON: (Part 1) - WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THAT FINAL WAR OF ARMAGEDDON? HOW CAN ALL THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD BE INVOLVED IN IT? HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ONLY ONE GROUP, THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, TO SURVIVE THIS HOLOCAUST? WHO ARE THE MYSTERIOUS KINGS OF THE EAST THAT EFFECT HER VICTORY? HOW IS ISRAEL DELIVERED FROM HER ENEMIES BY THE DRYING UP OF THE EUPHRATES RIVER, AS DESCRIBED IN REV.16:12?.....We need to find out if the present nation of Israel is the same Israel which is designated in the book of Revelation as the people of God. WILL THE LITERAL NATION OF ISRAEL COMPLETELY REVERSE ITSELF AND BECOME CHRISTIANS? Millions of Bible students believe that this kind of spectacular conversion must take place in order for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. They base their belief upon the prophecies found in Jer., Eze., Isa., etc., regarding Israels restoration and final triumph. Are They Correct? Is The Israel Of The Old Testament The Same Israel Of The Book Of Revelations? Repeatedly, the nation of Israel was warned of the dire consequences of disobedience. Because of continued patterns of rebellion, God allowed them to be decimated and scattered into Babylonian captivity for seventy years. Some modern commentators have made the mistake of applying these prophecies of restoration to some future gathering of Israel. They refuse to see that the restoration spoken of by Isaiah and Jeremiah has already taken place. Over and over God gave warnings to Israel:(1Kings 9:4-7). Finally, as related through the prophet Daniel, God allotted a probitionary period of 490 years for the Jewish people to see what they would do about the Messiah(Dan.9:24). That prophetic time period of 70 weeks (a day for a year) (Eze.4:6) began the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem [Artaxerxes decree in 457 B.C.(Ezra 7:11) and ended in A.D.34]. In that same year the gospel began to go to the Gentiles, Stephen was stoned, and Paul went forth to begin his unique ministry to the non-Jews. The occasion marked the formal and final separation of Israel from its covenant relationship. Jesus had explained to the Jewish leaders in the clearest possible language that their rejection of Him would seal their own rejection as the children of the kingdom (Matt.21:43). There is no mystery as to why the hundreds of specific Old Testament promises were never fulfilled to Israel. They utterly failed to meet the conditions of obedience. Otherwise, they would have inherited the earth, been delivered from all their enemies, and made Jerusalem the worship center for all nations. Will Gods Promises Fail Just Because The Literal Descendants Of Abraham Did Not Meet The Terms Of The Covenant? Were The Promises Transferred To That Other Nation To Whom Jesus Said The Kingdom Would Be Given? Even though the local fulfillment failed when Israel failed to be faithful, the promises were never nullified or withdrawn. They will be honored, but only to that nation which Jesus said must replace the Jews as receivers of the kingdom. Who Is That Nation, And People? (1Pet.2:9,10) - Here is the new nation which replaces the nation of Israel. The Gentiles who will receive the true Messiah now enter into the New Covenant, ratified by the blood of the cross, and become the true spiritual Israel Of God. They who were not Gods people become His Holy nation. Will They Receive The Very Same Promises That Were Given To Abrahams Descendants? The Bible says that they are counted as the actual seed of Abraham. (Gal3:29) (Rom.9:8) (Rom.2:28,29). True Israel will be characterized by circumcision of the heart and not the flesh. What Is Heart Circumcision(Col.2:11) Just as the Old Covenant was represented by the cutting off of the physical flesh, so the New Covenant would be exemplified by the cutting off of the fleshy nature of sin. In other words, all who accept Christ and are born again are the truly circumcised and the only true Jews. And according to Paul they also will inherit the promises made to Abraham. The door was left open to the literal Jews through the preaching of the apostles until A.D.34, the end of Daniels seventy-week prophecy. From that time on no recognition is given to Israel as a nation. Israel - is Gods people, made up of all those who accept the Saviour whether Jew or Gentiles. The Old Testament imagery and terminology is still used, especially in the book of Revelation, but Israel is now the church. There was no failure of the promises, they simply were transferred to the true spiritual Israel, which is the church, made up of all true believers in Christ. (Amos 9:11) - Many modern interpreters apply this promise to some future construction of a physical temple. But the Bible principle is that there is a secondary, worldwide fulfillment which is not physical, but spiritual. (Acts 15:14-16) No one should be looking for any restored, literal temple to be built. The body of Christs church is now the temple (1Cor.3:16), and we are the lively stones of that spiritual house(1Pet.2:5). Some have felt confused because much of the Old Testament terminology is carried over into the New Testament description of the church. Words like kingdom, nation, Israel, temple, Jerusalem, Zion, tribes of Israel, etc. (Matt.21:43).LET US REPEAT ONCE MORE THAT: the kingdom prophecies given by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc, have a double application - one to be fulfilled locally; the other to be fulfilled on a worldwide scale in the last days. And the church takes the place of the nation as Gods true chosen people. [J. Crews]
Posted on: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 03:55:25 +0000
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