Article II

     In our last article on this subject we noted that the land promise made by God to Abraham has been fulfilled, noting the passages which teach this.  Therefore, there is no need for Christ to return to earth to fulfill this promise, for it has already been fulfilled.  We encouraged our readers to examine the evidence presented and draw the conclusion that was warranted by the facts.  We ask the same for this study.

HAS GOD PROMISED TO RESTORE ISRAEL NATIONALLY TO PALESTINE?

     Is it the case that God promised to restore Israel nationally to Palestine, but due to Him not expecting the Jews to reject Jesus in his initial coming to the earth, he was unable to make his promise good?  If so, then perhaps there will be a need for Jesus to return to this earth and make good his Father's promise.  If not, then another tenet in the doctrine of premillennialism is shown to be false.

     The promise of God to restore Israel to Palestine was conditional, as we see in Deuteronomy 30:1-10: "And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.  If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:  And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.  And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.  And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.  And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.  And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good:  for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:  If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul." Clearly, from the phrase in v 2 "Shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice..." to the phrase in v 10 "If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law..." we see that the promise to restore them was conditioned on their obedience to the Lord's laws. The fact that it was a conditional promise indicates that the Lord need not fulfill it should the people not meet the conditions.

     Because of the people's rebellion against the will of God the promise was amended in Isaiah 10:20-22: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.  The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.  For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return:  the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness." Now notice, only a "remnant" would return, though there were to be many of them, "as the sand of the sea".  It is no longer the aim of God to return each Jew to Jerusalem, but only a portion of the Jews because of their rebellion.  But is this something that will yet happen?  or has it already happened?

     God placed a time on the fulfillment of this promise, saying: "Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.  And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations" (Jeremiah 25:8-12).

Again the same prophet wrote: "For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  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.  And I will be found of you, saith the Lord:  and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive" (Jeremiah 29:10-14). So from the citations so far offered we see that the promised return was conditional, that only a remnant would return, and that the return would happen 70 after the departure.

     In II Chronicles 36:17-19 we see that the period of captivity had begun: "Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age:  he gave them all into his hand.  And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.  And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof." From yet another prophet we learn that the 70 years not only started, but actually were accomplished and the promised return of the remnant happened: "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people?  his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:1-3). In Ezra 9:15 Ezra said, "O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous:  for we remain escaped, as it is this day:  behold, we are before thee in our trespasses..."  Nehemiah spoke of the return of the remnant as well (Nehemiah 1:3), as did Haggai (1:12-14).  There is no need for Jesus to return to the earth and restore Israel nationally to Palestine, for God has performed all that he promised in this respect.

WE PLAN TO CONTINUE THESE THOUGHTS IN A FUTURE ISSUE.

     Are you a christian?  Have you believed (Hebrews 11:6), repented (Luke 13:3), confessed (Matthew 10:32), and been baptized (Acts 22:16)?  Are you being faithful (Revelation 2:10)?  Call on us at the Enon church of Christ.
 Tim Smith
 1272 Enon Road
 Webb, AL 36376

VOLUME XIX               April 28, 1996             Number 17

HOSPITAL NEWS:  Jack Gott was admitted and released from the hospital last week.  He is scheduled for more tests soon.

MONTHLY MEAL:  Benny and Joanie Butler invite everyone to bring a dish and stay after Sunday morning services for lunch!

RESPONSE:  Marilyn Crawford responded to the invitation after the evening service 4-21-96 asking for prayers and restoration.  Let us remember her in our prayers and encourage her in every good way.

SYMPATHY:  Our sympathy is extended to the family of Bill Hopkins.  He passed away last Thursday and was buried Sunday afternoon.  He was the Son-in-law of George and Alyne Blevins.

SYMPATHY:  Our sympathy is extended to Larry and Mary Kirkland in the passing of his uncle.  He was buried last Sunday afternoon.