Do Not Discount Israel – Or Do It To Your Own Peril – Arrogance In Jerusalem Series

DO NOT DISCOUNT ISRAEL – OR DO IT TO YOUR OWN PERIL – ARROGANCE IN JERUSALEM

[1]. INTRODUCTION

Earlier this year there was a release from an organisation of Catholic and Orthodox leaders in Jerusalem that was an affront to Protestant Christians, to Jews and to Israel.

Before we enter into that I want to begin with an important part of scripture for a correct setting in this matter I will share on. Jesus had died for the sins of the world, and rose again, and for 40 days He taught His disciples, but the time had arrived for Him to go back to heaven. The disciples were with the Lord on the Mount of Olives. Then we read this – {{Acts 1:6-7 “When they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, IS IT AT THIS TIME YOU ARE RESTORING THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority,”}}

This Kingdom to which the disciples were referring is the promised one in the Old Testament over which Messiah reigns as King – {{Zechariah 14:9 “And the LORD will be KING OVER ALL THE EARTH; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.”}} Read the rest of Zechariah to see it in the setting of the Lord’s reign in His earthly Kingdom. It is a kingdom of peace when implements of war are made into plough shears. (Isaiah 2:4) – Note the words “never again will they learn war.” This peace is also the time in Isaiah 11.

The restoration of Israel is a major theme in the Old Testament in all the prophets especially in Isaiah and Jeremiah. That has never been cancelled out. The immense weight of prophesies wait for fulfillment.

The disciples asked Jesus about this Kingdom’s timing and the Lord told them the timing was not theirs to know. Jesus DID NOT DENY THE KINGDOM. It is fact.

[2]. QUICK LOOK AT SIMEON

In Jesus’ time the continued hope for restoration and blessing for Israel was alive. {{Luke 2:25 “Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was righteous and devout, looking for THE CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”}}. It would be Messiah who would bring in everlasting righteousness and consolation, and the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises, and Simeon knew it was to be the Lord who would do that.

Simeon had a great revelation from Holy Spirit in what would happen. Jesus was not going to bring in the kingdom suddenly to Israel at that time, but there was sorrow ahead. This is what he said to Mary – {{Luke 2:35 and a SWORD will pierce even your own soul - to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”}}. The crucifixion would pierce Mary’s soul.

Simeon knew this kingdom would be the consolation for Israel but God was not going to give them the kingdom of peace and righteousness to men whose heats were unrighteous. That would be pearls before swine.

The cross paved the way for man’s acceptance to God and without that, there could be no kingdom set up. The righteousness the Gentiles have through the cross will be the same platform the Jews will have in Messiah’s kingdom for Israel. The blood of Christ gave us the New Covenant and from that issued the Church.

God will save all Israel in a future day and it will be through the very same covenant of the cross. {{Romans 11:26-27 and thus ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” “And THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, when I take away their sins.”}}

The New Covenant for Israel is just another aspect of what was accomplished in Christ’s death. Here is that Jewish Covenant described –

{{Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, “declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. “And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”}}