By this He did not mean that none of them
could or would be saved. But that Israel as a nation would lose its religious
leadership. And that this leadership, including the preaching of the Gospel of
the kingdom of God, would be given to others. By this, of course, He meant His
church. Once again God's law of replacement was put into operation: National
Israel went into a decline, and Christ's church rose as predominant, and
continued to be predominant to this very day — 1900 years later!
By His own admission, Jesus was sent to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 15:24; 10:5, 6). They were given the unique opportunity to head up the new order foretold by God's prophets, but they fumbled it by rejecting and crucifying the Son of God, and were displaced.
But no matter how confused and terrible things look
in chapters leading to the crucifixion, everything is completely under God's
control. Many lines of prophetic Scripture meet at this juncture and are
fulfilled, including our Lord's glorious resurrection from the dead. Once
again Jesus made this very clear (Luke 24:25-27; 44-48).
Dr. Luke writes that, following the descent of the
Holy Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost, many priests joined the new faith
(Acts 6:7). But the book of Acts also shows the increased persecution of
believers by the Jews. They hounded the Apostle Paul from city to city, even
whipping him five times with forty lashes, save one — 195 stripes! (See 2 Cor.
11:24).
In Rome, at the close of the book of Acts, Paul
invited the Jewish elite to his prison house. He spent a full day explaining by
their Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. They disagreed among themselves.
Then he told them that the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in their rejection
of Christ, and that now he will go to the Gentiles with his gospel message
(Acts 28:17-28) "and that they will hear it."
When Jesus began preaching the kingdom of God and
calling out His disciples, He was confirming God's promise in Gen. 3:15, and
renewed to Abraham (Gen. 22:15-18). God's promise to Abraham that in his seed
(Christ) all the nations would be blessed, reaches back to Adam and forward to
the last believer born of woman.
God's people — the church of the living God, the elect,
the remnant, those given to Christ, the Israel of God — are a united and select
people drawn from the total of mankind. The Apostle John was given a preview of
this vast redeemed throng "of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues," including 144,000 "of all the tribes of the children of
Israel" (Revelation chapter seven). In Genesis, God's promise to Abraham
was made; in Revelation we see it fulfilled. Like Jesus said, all flocks will
be gathered together "and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd"
(John 10:16).
Although Abraham is called "the father of us
all" (Rom. 4:16), Scripture tells us that Abel, Enoch and Noah were saved
by faith several centuries before Abraham was born. The book of Romans is built
upon the prophet Habakkuk's teaching that "The just shall live by
faith" (Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:4). God has always been "rich unto all that
call upon him" (Rom. 12:13; Joel 2:32).
These Scriptures, and many others, teach that God has
always been accessible by faith, and by all people since God created man in His
own image. And there is this good reason: The atonement of Christ was made for
all, and is efficacious to all who believe (John 3:16; 1 John 2:1,2). Even the
law, Paul writes, could not nullify God's promise to Abraham as a covenant of
faith made 430 years earlier. God's promise to Abraham, he wants us to
understand, had priority as it was made first (Gal. 3:17-29).
Even so, the great Apostle
also wants us to understand that God's calling to the nation Israel served a
most important purpose. To them, among other things, belonged: The glory, the
covenants, the law, the promises, the fathers, "and of whom as concerning
the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever" (Rom 9:4,
5).
But their national importance and calling were only
temporary and parenthetical. The reason? The Scriptures pointed to a new and
better v/ay to be put in force by the Messiah, the Lord's Christ. Hence the
faithful in Israel looked forward to His coming. Nathanael quickly recognized
Him, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel"
(John 1:49).
The great range of Scripture, therefore, from Genesis
to Revelation, presents us with two models:
1) The nation of Israel consisting of twelve tribes.
The law on stone, the land, the temple, the city where the Lord put His name,
the Aaronic priesthood with its Levitical system of offerings and sacrifices,
the Passover, feast days, Sabbaths. And privileges and rights based on a strict
system of inheritance by geneology. Being faulty, the New Testament took its
place (Heb. 8:8-13).
2) The New Covenant instituted by Christ. The writer
of the Hebrews (12:18-24) contrasts the two covenants. He tells us that we are
not come to Mount Sinai with its terrors, but "Unto Mount Sion, and unto
the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem ... To the general assembly
and church of the firstborn ... And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant
..."
Our salvation is not tied to a temple in Jerusalem,
to animal sacrifices, or to a restricted land. rather, it is our relationship
with Christ that counts. By contrast, the New Covenant is strikingly different
from the Old Covenant, and far better. It also retains the old and permanent
values (Rom. 13:8-10).
Believing Israelites are included. Like others of
whatever nationality or tribe, they are invited to respond favorably to the
great invitation, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come ... And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17).
It is heartrending to see Jews praying at the Wailing
Wall, when the water of life available through Christ is offered so abundantly
and free. We will be wise to heed the biblical admonition and not fall after
their example of unbelief (Heb. 3:12), or harden our hearts as they did (Heb.
4:7).
Like our Lord Jesus Christ and the great Apostle to
the Gentiles, we may weep and pray for them and for others who, for whatever
reasons, reject our Lord's gracious offer of eternal life and blessedness.
Always remember that many IPS are included in our New Testament: IF ye abide in
me. IF my words abide in you. IF you can believe. IF ye have faith. And that,
like Israel, our candle may be removed and replaced unless we keep it burning
brightly for all to see (Rev. 2:5).
Escondido, Ca 92025
U.S.A.
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