What’s going on with Israel?

If it’s difficult to read or acknowledge what is written in this paper, it might be because you have never heard this or considered it. As Christians we all want to please God, we don't want to be outside of his will. The Bible is our only source to understand these things of God, not traditions, Matthew 15:3. This is the elephant in the room for much of the Christian faith; it is the subject of Israel. 

You will never fit the Bible together the way God wrote it, to understand him and give you hope, if you distort this subject, 5/6 of the Bible is about Israel. Yet in in the seminaries in their systematic theology books there isn't a chapter on Israelology. Anyone can read the book of Isaiah starting in chapter 40 to chapter 49, to find out what God thinks about Israel.

In the first eight chapters of book of Romans the apostle Paul gives us the structure for the doctrine for our faith. He ends chapter eight with, “nothing can separate us from the love of God.” Then he begins chapter nine answering the question, so what about Israel, how did God fail so miserably with them? (See David Guzik’s commentary for Romans chapter nine.) Then Paul spends three chapters and ends that in chapter 11, which clearly explains that God is not through with Israel. There is a future for Israel even though they are now in unbelief, but somehow, in the end, they will repent and "all of Israel will be saved," Romans 11:26. Also see these verses, Psalm 105:5-11, Jeremiah 31:31-37, 32:36-42, Genesis 12:1-7, 15:1-18.

Romans 11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not!  2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. 

25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. 27 And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.” 28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.

The early Church struggled with the prophecies about Israel and its future. This is understandable considering that the Jewish leaders had rejected Jesus, their Messiah, and the nation of Israel was no more after 135 AD. This has evolved into the hatred of the Jewish people and it’s rearing its ugly head throughout the world in our day.

Isaiah 41:8 “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, 9 I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. 11 “See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing.

Like Isaiah says above our Bible is clear on the penalties for mistreating Israel. Also see Genesis 12:1-3, Zechariah 2:8 and Obadiah 1:15 The day is near when I, the LORD, will judge all godless nations! As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads.

Jeremiah 33:23 The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 24 “Have you noticed what people are saying?--‘The LORD chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!’ They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation. 25 But this is what the LORD says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky. 26 I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them.” 

Dr. David Regan- By 300AD allegorizing the Scripture had become widespread. There arose a teaching that is called Supersessionism which says in short, because of their rebellion against God in their rejection of Jesus, God has replaced Israel with the Church, transferring the blessings promised to Israel to the Church. This is also called “Replacement Theology,” and those who believe in it constitute the majority of professing Christians today. Accordingly, they consider modern day Israel to be an accident of history, with no spiritual significance whatsoever.

The roots of Replacement Theology and its fruit of anti-Semitism go back to the very beginning of Christianity. This is ironic when you consider the fact that the Church began as a Jewish institution.

Origen (185-254 AD) – He was responsible for much anti-Semitism. He was also the father of Bible allegory. He found as many as four meanings to any text; he considered the literal to be of lesser value.

John Chrysostom (349-407 AD) – Preached a series of sermons against the Jews. He claimed it was a Christian duty to hate Jews. He claimed that Jews worshiped Satan.

St. Augustine (354-430 AD) – Asserted that the Jews deserved death but were destined to wander the earth to witness the victory of the Church over the synagogue.”

By the Middle Ages, two erroneous concepts had become established Church doctrine: 1) The Jews should be considered “Christ killers” and should be mistreated accordingly. 2) The Church has replaced Israel, and God has no future purpose for the Jews.    

Unfortunately, the Reformation produced no changes in attitude. In fact, the hatred of the Jews was reinforced and intensified by the writings of Martin Luther. In 1543 he wrote a pamphlet entitled “Concerning The Jews and Their Lies.” The document was an anti-Semitic diatribe. Dr. Regan goes on to say that Hitler quoted Luther and much more.

Romans 8:26 says that all of Israel will be saved, how does that work? Israel as a nation was gathered back in unbelief in 1948, so that can only happen after they realize that Jesus is their Messiah, and then, in their repentance, they mourn for him as if they lost their only child. Unfortunately, for them, this happens during the last half of the Tribulation, see Hosea 5:14-6:1.

Zechariah 12:9 For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced (Jesus) and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. 11 The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the great mourning…

Jeremiah 30:7 In all history there has never been such a time of terror (the Great Tribulation). It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel (not the Church). Yet in the end they will be saved. (Just like in Romans 11:26.)

Jesus stated that there is a requirement for his future return. The requirement for the Second Coming of Christ is that Israel receives him as the Messiah, Luke 13:35.

Matthew 23:37 Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one (Jesus) who comes in the name of the LORD!’”

 Here is how the very early Church fathers, the disciples of the Apostles, wrote about end times, by Dr. Ken Johnson. For the first 200 years the disciples of the Apostles all taught the same doctrine. They all taught Premillennialism, which means that Jesus will return to earth in the future, and set up a Kingdom that will last for a literal 1000 years (Millennium) as prophesied in the Scripture. Jesus will reign from the city of Jerusalem. Prior to this, there will be a seven-year period during which the Antichrist will rule the Earth. During the last days, the Jews will return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. In the years, A.D. 200–300, a movement arose teaching that these doctrines were symbolic of historical events.

Polycarp traveled with the Apostle John for 20 years. Polycarp had a disciple named Irenaeus. Irenaeus wrote a five volume set of books covering much of Church doctrine in 170 AD, titled Against Heresies. In it he said that those Premillennial events above must be fulfilled. Against Heresies 5.35 “these are literal things, and Christians who allegorize them are immature.”

The 7 year Tribulation will be a time of refining for Israel, so that God can receive a faithful remnant back to him. There is always a remnant! Even during the Dark Ages, there was a remnant of the true Church. Micah 7:18 Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant. Many times in the Old Testament a refined and forgiven future remnant of the Jewish people are seen, Isaiah 10:20-21. This group is revealed during the last half of the seven years called the Tribulation. Those years are described in Daniel and Revelation as 3½ years, 1260 days, 42 months, or time, times and half a time. Satan goes after the Jews in Revelation 12:5-18 and 2/3 of the nation of Israel will die. 1/3 will come through refined as the remnant, that the Bible promises, when it says that “all Israel will be saved” in Romans 11:26 and Jeremiah 30:7. 

Zechariah 13:8 Two-thirds of the people (Jews) in the land will be cut off and die,” says the LORD. “But one-third will be left in the land. 9 I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. 

At the beginning of the Tribulation the Antichrist will allow the Jews to rebuild their temple and start sacrifices, Rev. 11:1-12. When a second century Church father was asked whose temple this will be, he answered, “Christians don’t sacrifice.” Yes it will be a Jewish temple. It looks as if the Jewish leaders believe that the Antichrist is the Messiah, John 5:43 and Isaiah 28:14-15, because he allows them to build their Temple. Their hope in him will end 3½ years later, when he persecutes them. Jesus tells the Jews about this event in Matthew 24:15 pointing to Daniel 9:27. Paul tells us this happens when the Antichrist walks into the Temple, stops the sacrifices and declares himself God. This event is called the “Abomination of Desolation.”

Matthew 24:15 Jesus said, “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about--the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea (not New York) must flee to the hills.”

Daniel 9:27 The ruler (the Antichrist) will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven (7 years), but after half this time (3 ½ years), he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness (Antichrist) is revealed--the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the (future) temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

The last seven years of this Age, is called the Tribulation. It is a time for God to to judge the world and to bring Israel back to God through Christ. We, the Church, are the Bride of Christ, and our Groom, Christ Jesus, will come for us, John 14:1-3, before and “keep us FROM the great time of testing that will come upon the whole earth,” Rev. 4:10. For our God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ not to pour his anger on us, 1 Thessalonians 5:9. The story of how God separates the believing and saved Church body from the 7 years of judgement is told in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:1-9, and 1 Corinthians 15:50-53. But that’s another subject.