What three things happen concerning God's
people at the "time of the end"? Daniel 12:1
At that time There will be a time of But at that time
NOTE: This message of assurance was addressed
to Daniel. His people would be the Jewish people, since Daniel was a
Jew. Does this mean that only Jewish people will be delivered in the
final conflict? Is Daniel 12:1 talking about the Israelites living in
the Middle East, New York, or anywhere else? To whom does the term
"Israel" (Daniel's people), apply in the last days? In order to fathom
fully the meaning of this prophecy, we need to carefully examine the
term "Israel" as it appears throughout Scripture. In our search we will
discover that the term "Israel" changes meaning depending upon who the
people of God are at that particular time. The term "Israel" is the
covenant name for the people of God.
ISRAEL IN
THE OLD TESTAMENT What two things did God promise Abraham when
he call him out of the land of Ur? Genesis 13:14-16
Who is the seed promised to Abraham? Galatians 3:16 What is the land promised to Abraham? Hebrews 11:10, 16
They were longing for a better country -- a
NOTE: The promises made to Abraham of land and
seed were very special promises. This did not JUST refer to having many
descendants and to inheriting the earthly Canaan. These promises were
also spiritual promises to be the progenitor of the Messiah and to
inherit the heavenly kingdom. Since these were spiritual promises given
to a spiritual person, not all the descendants of Abraham received the
promises. Isaac received them, but Ishmael did not. Jacob received
them, but Easu did not. Since they were spiritual promises, they could
only be given to a spiritual people.
What was to be Jacob's new name after he had
wrestled with the angel? Genesis 32:27, 28
NOTE: This is the first time the name "Israel"
appears in the Bible. It means, "one who has prevailed with God -- an
overcommer." This is a spiritual term applied to a spiritual person who
has entered into a covenant relationship with God.
As time progressed, the name "Israel" became
the name for the covenant people of God who were mainly the ethnic
descendants of Abraham in the Old Testament. Thus, the people who came
out of Egypt under Moses were called the Israelites when they entered
into covenant with God at Mount Sinai and became the covenant people.
Under David and Solomon, they became a might nation. As long as they
were faithful to God the term "Israel" applied to them. Later, however,
the ten northern tribes seceded from the united kingdom and took the
name "Israel," but they became unfaithful to God. God then calls them a
harlot because they professed to be Israelites but they were not. The
southern kingdom took the name "Judah," and as long as they were
faithful, they, too, could be called Israelites. As we will see even
more clearly in the New Testament, the term "Israel" refers to the
faithful covenant people of God, whoever and wherever they might be.
Name two individuals who were not children of
Abraham who became Israelites and even progenitors of the promised
seed, Jesus. Joshua 6:25 ; Ruth 4:13-22 ; Matthew 1:5
NOTE: Boaz was a descendent of Rahab. He
married Ruth and became the grandfather of David. Both of these noble
women became ancestors of Jesus and appear in His genealogy. Thus, it
was possible in Old Testament times to become an Israelite even though
one was not born an Israelite.
CONDITIONAL
PROPHECY If God announces that a nation or people will
be destroyed and they repent: will God inflict the disaster, or if God
predicts good about a nation and they refuse to obey Him, will God
bring the good to pass? Jeremiah 18:7-10
NOTE: There are two types of prophecy in the
Bible -- prophecies given by divine decree and prophecies that involve
human choice. The great outline prophecies of Daniel and Revelation
that give us God's foreknowledge of human events are not conditional.
However, the prophecies involving the choices of men and nations such
as given in Jeremiah are conditional upon man's obedience. For example:
When Jonah preached to the Ninevites, "Forty
more days and Nineveh will be destroyed" ( Jonah 3:4 ), Nineveh was not
destroyed in forty days. Was Jonah a false prophet? No. Conditions
changed. The people repented and God did not destroy the city.
When God predicted a glorious future for the
ethnic nation of Israel, it would have happened if the ethnic nation of
Israel had remained true to God. Since they did not remain true to God,
the glorious predicted future never happened because such prophecy is
always conditional upon man's choice to obey God's will.
What did God predict would happen to Israel
if they were disobedient and under what conditions would they be able
to return to their land? Deuteronomy 4:27-30
The LORD will
NOTE: There were conditions for their return
from captivity. Only if they sought the LORD and were obedient to Him
could they ever return to their land. As a result of their apostasy the
Israelites were taken into Babylonian captivity. Daniel lived at this
time and knew that it was the sins of his people that had caused this
terrible calamity to come.
Jeremiah had predicted the Babylonian
captivity. Does Jeremiah also give a prediction about their return to
the land of Palestine? Jeremiah 30:3, 11
and
NOTE: Jeremiah not only foresaw the seventy
years of captivity in Babylon, but also predicted that a great company
of Jews would return to the land of Palestine when the captivity was
over. See Jeremiah 31:8, 9 . It is interesting
to note that the texts sometimes misused to refer to the return of the
Jews to Palestine in 1948 are actually predictions of their return from
the Babylonian captivity. These conditional prophecies have nothing to
do with the 1948 establishment of the nation of Israel.
When the Jews returned from Babylonian
captivity, how much time did God give them? Daniel 9:24
weeks
NOTE: As we have previously studied (in lesson
10), this seventy weeks refers to the 490 years that the Jews were
given to make things fully right as the covenant people. When God
allowed the Jews to return from the Babylonian captivity, He gave them
this final opportunity of 490 years. At the end of it, they rejected
the Messiah, crucified Him, and began a systematic persecution of His
followers by stoning Stephen. The nation that once had been the honored
depository of the truth of God killed the Son of God. Therefore, the
spiritual term "Israel," could no longer be applied to them. They were
no longer "overcomers."
JESUS'
MESSAGE TO ISRAEL The fig tree was a symbol of the nation of
Israel. What did Jesus say would happen to the fig tree if it did not
bear fruit? Luke 13:6-9 Why was Jesus unable to gather Israel to
Himself and what was to happen if they refused to be gathered Jesus? Luke 13:34, 35
But you were
NOTE: God's presence would be withdrawn and no
longer would Israel have the privilege of being the chosen people of
God.
What would happen to ethnic Israel's
privilege of being the chosen people? Matthew 21:43-45
The kingdom of God will be
NOTE: What a stunning announcement! The
privilege of being God's chosen people would be taken away from the
Jews and given to someone else who would produce fruit.
THE NEW
TESTAMENT ISRAEL According to the apostle Paul, who is the
real Jew after the cross? Romans 2:28, 29
A man is not a Jew if he is only one
NOTE: Paul makes it clear that after the cross
the real Jew is no longer the ethnic Jew, but rather the one who has
accepted Jesus the Messiah. Paul clearly indicates that the term,
"Israel," is a spiritual term applied to a spiritual people
Who are the real children of God in the New
Testament? The children of the flesh or the children of the promise? Romans 9:6-9 How only, then, can an ethnic Jew become a
spiritual Jew, according to the New Testament? Romans 11:14, 15, 19-21, 23
If they do not persist in
NOTE: The only way an ethnic Jew can become a
true Israelite after the cross is by accepting Jesus as Messiah and
becoming a believer. The New Testament is very clear that the term
"Israel" no longer refers to an ethnic nation, but to a spiritual
people who have accepted Jesus and Lord and Savior.
Is there any longer a division between Jews
and non-Jews in the New Testament? Ephesians 2:14, 16, 19-22
In this
NOTE: No longer are there two separate groups,
Jews and Gentiles. Paul affirms that all believers, regardless of
ethnic origin, are now part of one body -- The Christian church.
According to the apostle Paul, this one body is now the new Israel.
If a person belongs to Jesus, what does Paul
call him? Galatians 3:28, 29
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's
NOTE: Paul states an emphatic truth: If you
belong to Jesus, you are Abraham's seed. Abraham's seed was called
Israel. Thus, all faithful Christians are true Israelites. Paul further
states that his new Israel, the Christian church body, is the heir to
the promises made to Abraham. Thus, all Old Testament promises made to
Israel and finding their fulfillment after the cross are fulfilled in
the new Israel that has come into existence -- the Christian church.
Any reference, therefore, to Israel in the end
time must refer not to the nations of ethnic Jews, but to the new
Israel brought in existence by the cross -- the Christian church. To
apply any prophecy in the Bible to the ethnic nation of Israel in the
Middle East today is to deny totally the New Testament teaching on the
nation of Israel.
THE FINAL
ISRAEL The 144,000 are said to be sealed and ready
for Jesus to come. From whom do the 144,000 come? Revelation 7:4
from all the tribes of
NOTE: Since this is a reference to the last
days, the 144,000 made up of the tribes of Israel must refer to
spiritual Jews and not ethnic Jews.
Who do the 144,000 follow? Revelation 14:4
They follow the
NOTE: The "Lamb" refers to Jesus the Messiah ( John 1:29 ). The 144,000 follow
Jesus. Obviously, they are not an ethnic Jewish group, but they are
Christians.
What events are happening on the earth when
the 144,000 are sealed? Revelation 7:1-4
Do not
NOTE: The final great time of trouble is about
to begin. But before it comes God seals his final Israel. Then at the
end He delivers them.
Who does Daniel say is delivered in the final
time of trouble? Daniel 12:1
people
NOTE: Daniel indicates that it is his people
who are to be delivered in the end time. John the Revelator tells us it
is the 144,000 who are to be delivered. (In addition to the 144,000,
John saw a great multitude that no one could number. ( Revelation 7:9 ) Obviously, out of
the Earth's billions, more than a literal 144,000 will be saved.)
Daniel's people and the 144,000 are the same.
What does the dragon seek to do to the
remnant people of God? Revelation 12:17
to make
NOTE: Revelation 12:17 describes the final
battle that seeks to destroy God's remnant people that keep the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. It is the final battle
foretold in Daniel 11-12. It is Satan's final attempt to conquer God's
Israel.
Let's review several points that we have
learned in this lesson:
The term "Israel" is a spiritual term
referring to a spiritual people. The term "Israel" originally referred to the
ethnic descendants of Abraham in the Old Testament. However, even then
non-Jews could become Israelites if they accepted the God of heaven. All prophecies involving the choices of men
and nations are conditional, thus the prophecies of Israel's glorious
future were conditional upon obedience. Since they were not obedient,
the predications are not fulfilled through ethnic Israel but are,
instead, fulfilled through the new spiritual Israel. Jesus warned that the privilege of being
God's chosen people, the Israel of God, would be taken from the Jews
and given to another people that would produce fruit. The apostle Paul
verifies that this new entity has come into existence. He declares it
to be the Christian church body. After the Cross the term "Israel" refers
only to those people who've accepted Jesus as Messiah. The term "Israel" today refers to God's
final people who are preparing to meet Jesus when he come, and not to a
nation in the Middle East. The battle of Daniel 11:45 refers not to a battle
in the Middle East, but to Satan's final attempt to destroy the remnant
people of God described in Revelation 12:7 .
The Ultimate
Deception web pages take an opposite position
from what is presented here on the centrality of modern Israel. Stop on
by if you wish to contrast the views.
