HoHum:
A Texan is visiting Israel and feeling thirsty, he stops at a house along the road. "Can you give me a drink?" asked the Texan. "Of course," says the Israeli, and he invited the Texan to come in. "What do you do?" asks the Texan. "I raise chicken," says the Israeli. "Really?" says the Texan. "I'm also a farmer. How much land do you have?" "Well, out front it's 50 meters, as you can see, and in the back we have close to 100 meters of property. What about your place?" "Well," says the Texan, "on my ranch, I have breakfast and get into the car, and I drive and drive and I don't reach the end of the ranch until dinnertime." "Really," replies the Israeli. "I once had a car like that too."
WBTU:
Isaiah 66:8- Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. Many people feel that this was fulfilled on May 14, 1948 when Israel was declared a nation, felt like it happened in a day.
Give some history since the close of the NT on Palestine. I am painting this picture with broad strokes and some artistic leeway. When Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, many Jews died and many of the remaining Jews scattered from Palestine. Yes, some stayed around Jerusalem but, like when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in BC 587, they dispersed. The diaspora (scattering about) of the Jews from their homeland has occurred throughout history. Palestine has had a complicated history. After the destruction in AD 70, as far as the faith is concerned, paganism reigned until Constantine. Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire (well, he started the process). Christian oriented government reigned in Palestine until the advent of Islam. Islam reigned until the Crusades. The Crusades happened when Christian pilgrims were mistreated (some cases killed) and turned away from the historical sites of the Bible. Christians held Jerusalem for some years. After these times of animosity, the Muslims began to realize that it was to their best interest (money) to engage in tourism. Like the Jews, they now gladly welcome guests. Before WW1, Palestine was controlled by the Ottoman Empire (Muslim based). After WW1, the UK controlled Palestine until after WW2. In 1948, through the help of the UN, Jewish people proclaimed the establishment of the state of Israel. The modern state of Israel has done well for itself. Their population and territory has grown immensely from very humble beginnings. Jewish immigrants began arriving around WW1 and a flood of immigrants came with the advent of WW2. The Nazi party in Germany systematically tried to eliminate the Jews. Probably seen information about the concentration camps and the showers that were used to practice genocide. 11 million undesirables were murdered with 6 million of them being Jews. Persecution against the Jews has been widely practiced throughout history but in the last 100 years it has been intense. The issue is that these Jewish immigrants have pushed out the Palestinian Arabs who have lived there for generations. The Israelis have moved these Arabs to places like Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. Much like what Americans did to the Native Americans (Indians) and moved them to reservations, this is what the Israelis have done to the Arabs. Many have proposed a 2 state solution where these Palestinian Arabs would have their own country. Hard line politicians are against this. They want to destroy each other or at best think that the other group just needs to go away. If they would just leave (the Israelis go back to where they were before, or if the Palestinian Arabs would just go to other Muslim countries) then things would be so much better. It is a complicated situation especially with the war in Gaza right now, Hamas started it and Israel wants to finish it.
This brings us to our topic at hand, the signs of the end of the age. Many say that the establishment of the modern state of Israel back on their ancestral home is a big sign of the end of the age. I am thankful that many Hebrews have gone to Israel and made that place their home. It seems like a good place for them in their ancient homeland. However, when it comes to end time (eschatology) doctrine, I think that many people are leaving out the NT book of Hebrews. Bringing back the temple and OT practices is against what is talked about in Hebrews. Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). Throughout the book of Hebrews, the covenant through Jesus Christ is mentioned as better than the covenant given to the Jews (Hebrews 7:22; Hebrews 8:6 says that the covenant through Christ is superior). Considering that Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT it would seem that many Jews would be Christians. This is not the case with very few claiming Christ. As it was in the days of Paul, so it is today. Romans 10:1, 4: "Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved… Christ is the culmination (end) of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Robert Jeffress, preacher in Texas, said this recently, “Jesus and His apostles made it clear that Israel is central to the events and purpose of the End Times. That’s why questions about the end of history inevitably arise whenever Israel faces existential threats, as they have in nearly every generation. The apostle Paul, himself a Jew, reminded the Romans that “As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable (Romans 11:28-29).” Must be cautious about equating the modern nation of Israel with the promises of God that come through Jesus Christ
Thesis: Modern nation state of Israel is not necessarily the heir of God’s promises to ancient Israel
For instances:
I. Wrong to equate modern Israel with ancient Israel—2 different things
Ancient Israel was a theocratic monarchy in covenant with YHWH, a covenant centered on the Torah, the Law of Moses. Modern Israel, while making special provision for Jewish citizenship and drawing on Jewish ideals and values, claims, and aims, is a secular democracy. It makes no official claim to be in covenant with God and does not have the Torah as the basis for its laws.
It is interesting to point out that many of the Jews in modern day Israel are cultural Jews. They are thankful for their heritage but many of them are nominal Jews at best. An Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics survey published in 2021 found that among Israeli Jews over the age of 20, about 45% identified as secular or not religious, while 33% said they practiced “traditional” religious worship. Orthodox Jews make up 10%. We find the covenant given to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3: I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Now this covenant is expanded in Genesis 17:8: The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God. Interesting especially since those of Jewish heritage are reclaiming much of the Holy Land. This part of the promise is not repeated in the NT. If a principle or law is repeated in the NT from the Old then it is binding under the new covenant. If it is not mentioned in the New then it is no longer binding. Colossians 2:16-17 says, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” So what land now is the kingdom? In Hebrews 12 the writer is contrasting the Old Covenant with the New and he says in vs. 22: But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. The heavenly Jerusalem? Promised a place, land, in the heavenly Jerusalem. Hebrews 11:16 is speaking about the heroes of the faith and the HS says, “they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Here is the thing, we are promised something better than land and that is an inheritance. 1 Peter 1:3-5: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.” The Jews have lost the land (several times) but in recent days have gotten it back but we have an inheritance, something that never perishes, spoils or fades. Cannot be taken away because it is kept in heaven for us
2. It is wrong to equate modern Israel with the chosen people of God
Now at one time during the days of the Old Covenant they were the chosen people of God. Deuteronomy 7:6: “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” Going back to the original promise to Abraham we find this in Genesis 12:3: all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. How did Abraham bless all peoples? In Genesis 13 we find the Lord saying to Abram after Lot parted from him in vs. 15: “for all the land which you see (there is that land issue again), I will give it to you and to your seed forever (LSB).” Galatians 3:15-16 says, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.” Through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the others through the lineage of Jesus Christ, God set apart, chose, a people of his very own, through whom came the Christ. The blessing of Abraham comes through Christ and not through Israel meaning the nation of Israel. Jesus Christ is a Jew and in that way the people of Israel are chosen, to have the Messiah come through their progeny. However, that is where it ends. Union with Christ makes one Abraham’s seed and heir. Galatians 3:26-29: So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Ephesians 3:6 says, “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” Christians are the chosen of God today and this verse makes it clear (1 Peter 2:9) “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
So what?
We must not assign a special status to the modern-day secular nation of Israel. They are a people just like every other people on earth who need to repent and turn to Christ. If judgment day were today, all who reject the Lord, Jews and Gentiles, will be delivered over to the wrath of God for rejecting Christ.
Things might change quickly and then the temple will be reestablished and we will be worshipping there again. I think we need to emphasize the "once for all" sacrifice of Jesus talked about in Hebrews. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 says about the man of lawlessness, "He opposes and exalts himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, and even sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God." I pray that I will not see that day, it looks dreadful. I know that some talk about how the Lord will come back and establish an earthly kingdom with the temple in operation again. People ask me if I am a pre, post or amillennialist and I say that I am a panmillenialist, It's all going to pan out in the end and I think the Lord has surprises for us all.
While the New Testament does allude to a national revival that will come to the people of Israel in the future (Romans 11), that revival is solely and squarely because they will one day abandon their secularism and bow the knee to King Jesus. Philippians 2:10: at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
