PROMISE, PROPHECY & ISRAEL
INTRODUCTION
What about the people of Israel? Forget about them. They are cursed Christ killers! God has cast them away! They are vermin, less than human, undeserving of life for their despicable deed! They deserve to be exterminated from the face of the earth!
Ironically, several church reformers shared similar views about the Jewish people:
What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews? First, their
synagogues should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or
spread over with dirt so that no one may ever be able to see a cinder or stone of it. And
this ought to be done for the honour of God and of Christianity, in order that God may
see that we are true Christians. Secondly, their homes should be likewise broken down
and destroyed. ----Martin Luther
What is more, the synagogue is not only a whorehouse and a theater; it is also a den of
thieves and a haunt of wild animals ... not the cave of a wild animal merely, but of an
unclean wild animal ...When animals are unfit for work, they are marked for slaughter,
and this is the very thing which the Jews have experienced. By making themselves unfit
for work, they have become ready for slaughter. This is why Christ said: 'as for my
enemies, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them and slay them before me'
(Luke 19.27) ----St. John Chrysostom
I opened with extreme hyperbole for the shock value, but these quotes are no exaggeration! These are genuine expressions of heart felt beliefs; Luther wrote an entire book filled with such ideas. These ideas were not limited to mere debate among intellectuals; they had been literally carried out with a vengeance in the Crusades. My intent in quoting such racist hatred is to draw attention to the Biblical view of man's nature, how we reject the offer of life in Christ and turn to doing what we think is right. This is the pride of life that leads to death.
We see here that men can exercise blind hatred cloaked in the guise of "doing the Lord's work." In the Bible it was Saul of Tarsus, the archetypical example of religious zeal gone amok, slaught- ering the followers of Jesus with a vengeance for defying the ruling authority of Jerusalem. Paul took things into his own hands and got caught up in the natural way of doing the works of God; thus he found himself working against the very God of Israel that he was trying to serve.
Recently, I heard of similar religious zeal that had been turned around by the quickening Spirit of Jesus. The Lord indeed works in mysterious ways, for I was deeply moved by the testimony of a former Muslim terrorist Walid Shoebat. His story is fascinating and his videos are captivating. His great encounter with the LORD came out of a zealous desire to convert his western-born wife to Islam. His first step was to pray and seek the truth of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and the Lord Jesus answered him! Check out his website (www.shoebat.com), it's inspiring!
Mr. Shoebat, who prefers to be called Wally, was confronted with the truth of God by reading the Old Testament accounts side by side with the Koran. That's how he was convicted by the Spirit; the light suddenly was turned on for him, he said that he was made to realize that the good guys of the Koran were the bad guys of the Bible and vice versa! What a miracle!
This was such good news to me. First off, it was a strong testimony that the word of God had penetrated his heart (Heb 4:12) as the sword of truth. And secondly, it had come out of the Old Testament scriptures, the same that testified of Jesus. Much of NT understanding comes from a basic understanding of OT scripture.
In fact, Jerusalem and Israel are the focal point of the nations of the world. God has determined that His Plan of Redemption will revolve around clashes between Israel and the nations. One little piece of real estate the size of New Jersey is the cause of all this tension among the powers of the world.
That's why prophecy is now coming front and center in Christendom. God has laid it all out in His prophetic word. Those of us who study prophecy can see how these world events conform to God's plan established from the foundation of the world. Unfortunately, the portion of Christendom that takes prophecy seriously is a minority; the issue of Israel has divided the Church into two antithetical factions. In broad terms, one side (myself included) believes that Israel has yet to play a part in end times' events, while the other side (Preterists) believes that those events had been fulfilled for Israel in the 70AD destruction of the Jerrusalem temple.
WINDS OF CHANGE
Our modern way of life has surrounded us with the message of CHANGE, of things that are better because they are NEW. Look at the labeling of products today, if it doesn't say New or Improved or both it probably won't sell very well. The subliminal message in NEW is that the old products and services are obsolete and you need to keep up to date or you won't have the best. Keeping up with the times (or Jones's) is engraved in the American psyche and makes us easy victims of appeals for change, especially in the political arena.
The Bible reveals that we are created in God's image, and I believe that this was the inspiration of our country's founding documents. The inalienable rights of life, liberty and property (pursuit of happiness) came directly out of the fact that man is created in God's image (Gen 1:26-28)! Our founders knew it, believed it, and declared it! Sadly, the leaven of secular humanism has eaten away at this biblical heritage and continues to corrupt it to this day.
This change was accomplished inch by inch, such that today God has been banned from public schools and squares, not because of public outcry but because of careful training in our educa- tional system, beginning with Dr. John Dewey (1859-1952) of Columbia University. Dewey took charge of revamping public education in America, and he has been referred to as the Father of Modern Education.
Dewey also is credited with authoring the Humanist Manifesto (1933) after returning from studies of the Communist Manifesto in Eastern Europe. If this is news to you, it's because references to his communist and socialist leanings have been well disguised over the years. Articles written about Dewey usually began with accolades like, "most significant contribution to the development of educational thinking in the twentieth century," or they tout him as a great leader in "progressive thought" and other such superlatives because he offered new and different ideas. When this was combined with "make love not war" anti-establishment generation of the 1960's, it formed a powerful alliance for CHANGE. Humanism always has been powered by anti-God sentiment, yet it was also well-disguised within the language of human progress.
One needs to understand that CHANGE language is the backbone of social revolutionists; it is their "code language" for erasing God from the human conscience. They are masters at redefining words to fit their worldview. The carefully crafted messages of modern education have been used to eliminate God from the public arena. For example, liberal Supreme Court justices have been steadfastly against the Biblical view of man's nature; they believe that man is basically a good and social animal, that with "a little guidance from the State" man is capable of improving the culture. Instead of defending the Constitution as written, they have made it their duty to redefine Constitution to be a "living document" in order to keep it current with "changing cultural values."
But changing values is no guarantee that change will be for the better! Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg in a special PBS TV interview recently said that the language of the Declaration of Independence was directed toward a different audience, that it doesn't speak the language of our generation, and that it's out of touch with our multicultural society. This means that she has a different worldview from the founders; moreover, that she also presumes it to be a superior view because it keeps pace with changing values, as if collective values were evolving toward some supreme good. Nonsense!
At the core of such "cultural change" is a denial of God, plain and simple. And it has its roots in the theory of evolution which is now rooted in public schools. Evolution took off like wildfire in Darwin's lifetime because the intellects of his day embraced it as "scientific proof" that God was not the creator. The "great titans" of that age were Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud andFriedrich Nietzsche, intellects whose purpose in life was to eliminate God from the realm of social and behavioral sciences. "Change" is a humanist code word that suppresses individual achievement and substitutes group-centered definitions of social good.
This worldview was set forth during the Ages of Reason and Existentialism! It is the heritage of humanism and relativism. And it's amplified by the advertising industry because it "sells" products. And it sells well because it has been taught in the public education system; people have been, frankly, brainwashed into thinking that what they now possess is "outdated" "old hat" "obsolete" "passe," and the solution for this "created" dilemma is CHANGE, NEW, IMPROVED, MODERN, PROGRESSIVE and whatever other adjectives that are known to motivate people to to acquire and consume more goods and services.
Such words are so ingrained in the American psyche that it's very difficult to raise awareness without being accused of being an extremist. The normal reaction to such criticism is along the lines of, "Oh, brother, where do you come up with such stuff?" or "What's wrong with you? are you against improving lifestyles?"
Groups bent on cultural change (socialists, communists, humanists, etc.) use these same words to overthrow traditional institutions and the so-called "establishment." And the Church is not exempt from such influences. The Church and God are seen by these socialist movements as institutions to be attacked and destroyed in bringing "progress" about. It was Karl Marx that said, "religion is the opiate of the people (masses)," and he set about to destroy it. Humanism, existentialism, communism all have common roots. They infest all institutions in varying degrees, including the Church. And Church traditions are particularly vulnerable. The Bible is the Church's standard of truth, however, and we Christians are to measure all things against the Rock of God's word.
CHURCH TRADITION
The basic issues of church doctrine were debated long ago by "Church fathers" at the First Council of Nicaea and by succeeding Councils of Bishops, and many of these doctrines were carried over during the reformation to Protestant churches in the form of Replacement (Covenant) theology. But some of the Apostolic doctrines relating to Israel were modified by these Bishops as the Church came under increasing Gentile influence.
However, the Biblical plan of salvation was progressively revealed starting with the creation and was further refined through the faith of Abraham, then through the mediator Moses who was a figure of Christ the eternal mediator and great high Priest. Christ fulfilled that which Moses could only point to, for the promises were made to Jew and Gentile alike.
How does tradition influence gospel preaching? For one thing, the number of times I've heard the Cross of Christ preached are countless, but not so with the Resurrection. I have recently discovered the reason for this; it's related to interpretation that ignores the interdependence factor between the Old and New T estaments. This is the way most Christians have heard the gospel preached. The assumption is that Jesus' words and deeds in the four gospels is self sufficient for preaching to Jew and Gentile alike, and it provides a sufficient knowledge base for in terpreting all prophecy. I call this preaching the partial gospel. For a good synopsis of the full gospel, see 'http://www.icr.org/article/3956/
But Jesus' words and deeds in the gospel books were not self evident, even for His own people, else they would not have delivered Him to the cross. The things of God are spiritually discerned, and the scribes and pharisees were spiritually blinded by their own self importance and refused to heed the prophets’ voices. Like their fathers before them that killed the prophets of God, they could not bear to have their positions of power and privilege challenged.
Being that Jesus is the subject of OT scripture (Luke 24:25), an understanding of His deeds and words that define who He is are derived from an understanding of OT prophecies. And being that Jesus Himself relied on these scriptures to explain what He said and did while among the
Jews, doesn’t it seem a bit presumptuous to think that NT revelation alone is sufficient to form a comprehensive doctrine of scriptural truth?
I decided to set my conclusions up front so there is no doubt about where this is leading. In accordance with God’s plan of redemption, He created man in His own image, male and female, but they yielded to the serpent; God put enmity between his seed and the woman’s Seed, and He shall bruise the serpent’s head. That’s God’s plan in its simplest form and He will accomplish it, but God does nothing in secret as He works out His purposes among men. God has given us all the knowledge necessary to understand His plan of salvation in Jesus Christ, not only in His first coming, but in His present work and second coming. Jesus revealed Himself in glory to John, “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, ‘Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;’’” (Rev 1:17-19).
God fulfilled His plan in Jesus Christ, the Seed of promise. God sent Him into the world as the son of David/Son of God, a man and God born of a virgin, to gather the lost sheep of Israel. He lived a perfect life according to Law, doing many signs and wornders to prove He was Messiah, but Israel refused to receive Him. Through Israel’s failure, Jesus was given as a covenant to the people and the Light of life to the Gentiles. Jesus the Son of man was made a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, thus, the Lamb of God sacrificed Himself according to Law, offering remission of sin for all according to Law. On the third day Jesus: was raised up in power as the only begotten Son of God, was given all power and authority, was seated at the Father’s right hand.
In His supreme authority in heaven, Christ Jesus: is a better Mediator than Moses, has a better Priesthood than Aaron, in His blood is a better covenant to Israel, in His death is remission of sin, in the power of His resurrection is a life-giving Spirit, the promise of eternal life to everyone that believes, making them co-heirs with Him of the promise. Jesus rules now from the right hand of the Father until His enemies shall be made His footstool. The time of judgment against His enemies shall be announced by the Father in His time, but God’s redemptive plan has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ; all things have been done for Him and through Him and in Him, past, present and future. Jesus has revealed what Judgment Day shall be like when He comes; He gave it to John in the symbolism of The Revelation.
My guess is that this way of stating the salvation plan may sound unfamiliar, at least in some respects, especially Christ being declared the begotten Son in the resurrection. But this is truly Biblical and ties the plan together; it erases any artificial barriers that might be inserted between the cross and the resurrection. It also makes a necessary connection between the OT and the NT, defines the relationship of Israel and the Church, and declares a future for Israel. It’s not a new plan, for it had been foreshadowed through Israel before Christ drank His cup and rose again.
There is a distinction in how Jesus is presented to Jew vs. Gentile: He is the Messiah and earthly King to the Jew while He is the ascended Lord and Savior to the Gentile; the gospel preached by the incarnate Jesus was to Israel, and the twelve continued to preach that gospel message with the expectation that Jesus would return soon to restore the kingdom; some years later Jesus anointed Paul to take the gospel of His death and resurrection to Jew and Gentile alike. Peter found Paul's preaching hard to understand in some respects (2Pet 3:16); for one thing, Paul seldom mentions repentance which was a major part of the kingdom gospel to Israel and John the Baptist's call to Israel's children.
When this is ignored it causes confusion and generates a confusing gospel message. Paul’s message to gentiles was not the gospel of the kingdom; he knew the difference and therefore could be all things to all people. If his gospel preaching in the synagogues is laid alongside his preaching to gentiles, such distinctions are made quite evident. But Church tradition has been dominant for so long that these distinctions have been totally obscured to the contemporary Christian.
D & R/C CAMPS
Well, that’s why good doctrine is so essential. It’s not to replace the faith of Christ, but to keep our focus on the Rock of salvation, knowing that we may stray but He will not. Yes, we all like sheep have gone astray (Isa 53:6), following our own way and molding the truths of God into our own image. We want to be little gods, making our own decisions. This is the doctrine of original sin. We need to keep that in mind so we may recognize that pride is the source of our downfall, and it all started with one little modification to God’s commandment. This seems overly simplified, I know; but then again, with only one commandment to keep why did Adam so easily go astray? The door was open to temptation as soon as the woman added one little modifi-cation (or touch it) to God’s command in the presence of Adam, God’s steward of the garden. Satan is clever in his deceit, he knew she had overstepped her bounds; she was then a willing participant in his war against God. The rest of the story is well known, as Paul has written in several of his epistles, for instance, “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” (Rom 5:18-19).
Romans, of course, is the great book of Christian doctrine. If we accept what Paul has said here, it means that the sin nature is inherited but that our righteousness is also inherited. In other words, we can do nothing to escape our sin nature, but God is just and requires us to do nothing to earn our righteousness, only to receive it by faith. Adherence to this one doctrine can save so much grief and misunderstanding. But what does man do? he persists in adding good works so as to take pride in participating in his own salvation. What is the work that God demands of man? to Believe! It does not require repentance, that came as a result of the Law! It was John who preached the gospel of repentance. Listen to Jesus, “Then said they unto him, ‘What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.’” (Joh 6:28-29). Why complicate it?
Christ warned about such things in His declarations about the evil things that come from the heart of man. No man of his own volition is found righteous, no not one. During the reformation there were few Bibles printed in native languages, the people were dependant upon the clergy for knowledge of God. Today there is no excuse for being dependant and ignorant, for anyone can read the Bible in his own language. Nevertheless, man cannot save himself by knowledge alone...he knows not how to be righteous within himself but must seek wisdom and salvation from above.
So I repeat my opening question without the inferred conclusion. Who are the people of Israel? How did they come to be known as God’s chosen people? After all, they did demand that Jesus should be crucified. Yes, except Jesus could forgive sins and He did so from the cross, not holding the Jews accountable, for He said they did it in ignorance, and He willing paid Israel’s and the world’s sin debt by the shedding of His innocent blood.
Jesus knows the heart of man, how desperately wicked it can be. And thank the LORD that Jesus died while we were all yet sinners, that He did not wait for us to seek Him. While we were in darkness, He shined the light of His grace upon us and sought us out. And that is precisely the way Israel became the chosen people. So those who want to deny a future for Israel, boldly speaking for God and saying that He has cast them away forever, are denying the words of Jesus from the cross. In effect, they deny that salvation is of grace.
But such attitudes were commonly accepted in those days, in part because of gross ignorance about what the Bible really says. So “Christian” clergy could misapply and distort Bible verses at their whim, and the result was rampant anti-Semitism. They were wolves in sheeps’ clothing, saying they were doing the Lord’s work. Ironically, while staking the claim to be spiritual Israel, the reformed churches were turning upon virtual kinsmen.
Now by which He is able to begat His seed in the promise of the Holy Spirit, thus sealing believers with the assurance of bodily resurrection to glory forever, that His Seed might produce abundant fruit for a new world without end, the promised gift of eternal life. That’s a mouthfull, but the gift is by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a truth that befuddles many whose doctrine of eternal life centers on the cross alone.
In other words, the seed of promise in Abraham was passed in the flesh, being sealed in the flesh with the sign of circumcision. The word became flesh in the virgin birth of the son of David, fully God, fully man; the flesh was put to death and raised up in resurrection power to be the only begotten Son of God; then the promise was passed as an inheritance through the power of His Spirit, making new creatures in Christ, sons of Abraham through faith, creating a people for His name from the Gentile nations. This is the essence of God’s plan for making Abraham to be a blessing to all peoples of the earth during the Church Age. It was passed along within the house of Israel until the promise was melded with the promises made to David, of whose house and lineage came the Son born of a virgin, the promised Seed and Heart of God’s plan since Gen. 3:15. But that was not the end of passing life by His Seed, for Jesus Himself was laid in the earth as the Seed of life, and He produced fruit and new seed by making sons of God in the power of the Spirit.
Covenant theology stops here, believing all prophecy before the second coming to have already been fulfilled. But phase two was not the end of promise for national Israel, for Abraham was to be made a great nation above all nations. Jesus Himself was the Lamb of God for the sake of Israel as well. This is the part of God’s plan that is least understood, the essence of rightly dividing the word of truth, the essence of the division within Christendom between covenant and dispensational theologies. What I say here will no doubt create angst among most of my audience, because it’s the part I struggled with the most.
Jesus was the Lamb on the Cross but also the High Priest of the order of Melchizadek, coming from the seed of the tribe of Judah rather than Levi. It was absolutely necessary for Christ to be declared High Priest in order that He might sacrifice Himself as the Lamb and all should be done in accord with the Law to the last jot and tittle. Thus, His own blood was considered in Hebrews to be the blood of sprinkling, His blood of the new covenant as He described it at the last supper. I believe this to mean that Jesus was Himself made to be the New Covenant for Israel. At the second coming, He shall give the remnant of Israel a new heart and a new Spirit and wash away their sins by the power vested in Him at the Cross.
But Christ's final words of forgiveness have been set aside according to those in the replacement camp; they presume that Christ's spoken word was somehow only temporary, that the Church was always meant to replace Israel. But how can this be? Christ is fully God! can He deny Himself? for this unconditional word of forgiveness was spoken from the mouth of the Living Word himself! Likewise unconditional were the promises spoken to the uncircumcised Abram and repeated to his circumcised seed Isaac and Jacob, promising that the LORD shall always be their God, also that He shall give to them and their seed after them the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. And God took them out of Egypt under Moses (in a figure of Christ) who mediated the commandments on the mountain of God; then the LORD purged them in the wilderness and led them into the promised land under a new captain Joshua. They possessed it and Israel became a great name under King David and his son Solomon, but they did not continue to obey the statutes and judgments of the Law, and thus God punished them by the curses that were part of the Mosaic Covenant.
But such an interpretation simply confuses two plainly stated and unique covenants. Heart circumcision was part of the new covenant that came through Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the purpose of which was to promise the Jew a new heart and a new Spirit, that the law should be written on their hearts. Why? to enable them do the statutes and judgments that were commanded of them, that they might abide and prosper in the promised land. The fact is that the promise of this land had nothing to do with the spiritual realm — the terms of the covenant had only one requirement to meet, that all male offspring should be circumcised. Nothing more, nothing less.
Without question, the Church has inherited certain spiritual promises through Jesus, e.g., that we are children of Abraham by faith, as reported in Romans and Galatians. And why does Paul call us children of Abraham? what has that to do with saints of the Church? Simply to equate Jew and Gentile, that there is no difference for those in Christ; which means that Jews in Christ have inherited the spiritual promises as well. Some say this makes them a completed Jew, ready for the restoration to come. And is it not true that the Gentile saint also is made ready for the restoration? Yes, for there is no difference. This would include the twelve apostles, who were promised that they would sit as judges over the twelve tribes of Israel (Mt 19,Lk 22), and they would drink wine at His table when the Kingdom of God comes (Lk 22,Mt 26). Likewise, it was revealed to Paul that the saints would judge the world (1Co 6).
Now mention is made in Hebrews of a heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God; still, this is not the promised land, which is a specifically defined geographic area with physical boundaries, like the Euphrates River, named and identifiable to this day. But they would have us believe that heavenly Jerusalem, by extension, may be called the land of promise where Jesus is now occupying the throne of David in heavenly Jerusalem. It cannot be denied that the place where Messiah now abides is a heavenly sanctuary, and, because God’s sanctuary on earth was the holy tabernacle (temple) in the holy city of Jerusalem, that therefore Messiah’s abiding place may be called the City of God or the heavenly Jerusalem. That is not in question here. But to make the claim that it is also the land that was promised to Abraham is quite another question, one which most definitely is not supportable by scripture.
Furthermore, since God has said that He reveals His purposes before they come to pass
(Isa 42:9,43:19; Amos 3:7; John 13:19), if such a spiritual throne were in His purpose, it surely would have been prophesied beforehand, or else would have been revealed as a mystery to Paul. Clearly David’s throne is not a heavenly one. As for the notion of a spiritual land of Caanan, it’s simply too sad for words, robbing the remnant of Israel of their gift of mercy. It’s not what they deserve but it’s what God has promised, and He is faithful. Of course, songwriters have added to the confusion by writing lyrics about heaven as a land. The one that comes to mind is Beulah Land, Beulah being a name for the restored land of promise found in Isaiah 62:4. As anyone knows, singing a refrain really cements a concept, so people unfamiliar with scripture get heavenly land ideas drilled into their minds. The song Beulah Land, by Edgar P. Stites, is such a song and has this refrain:
O Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land,
As on thy highest mount I stand,
I look away across the sea,
Where mansions are prepared for me,
And view the shining glory shore,
My heav’n, my home forevermore!
And another point of consideration is the blessings by the mercy of God. Why is it that the mercy Jesus extended to the Apostle Peter after his thrice denial of the Lord is universally accepted, but a similar extension of mercy to Israel is found to be so inconceivable? But, indeed, can such a denial be justified? After all, it was only after Peter was confronted by the very presence of the risen Christ that he was mercifully restored; and later, only after being endued with power from on high was Peter enabled to truly speak and act in the name of the ascended Christ. Then Peter, being filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, stood and boldly spoke with Christ-like mercy to the lost sheep of Israel, “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.” (Act 3:17).
Likewise with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who was in the very act of pursuing and slaying the followers of Jesus when he was struck down and blinded by the manifest glory of the ascended Christ; he afterwards was healed and commissioned to be the Lord’s faithful servant. And like Peter before him, Paul also testified of God’s longsuffering mercy for Israel; yes, with the indwelling compassion of Christ with which he himself had been restored, Paul declared, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1Co 2:7-8).
But to maintain that, the twelve disciples’ ignorance was pardonable and Israel's was not, is contrary to what Jesus, Peter and Paul all testified concerning the rulers of Israel. Undeniably, the twelve apostles, and even Paul before his conversion, shared a common ignorance with the rulers of Israel! Why? When it’s broken down to basics it’s really a no-brainer, for how could anyone know the wisdom of God before it was revealed? The scripture says that Paul spent three years in the presence of the resurrected Jesus and was given to know mysteries that were never before taught in the scriptures, not even in the four Gospel accounts. The Holy Spirit empowered the twelve at Pentecost, but the twelve were not given these mysteries. The Holy Spirit testified of Jesus, what He said and did, so the twelve could accurately recall His spoken truth, per John 15:26.
It’s important to realize that, when Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom it was only what had been already revealed, not the wisdom of God in a mystery that He later gave to Paul. This may surprise many, especially to those that were taught under reformed (replacement) theology, nevertheless it’s true. Try a word search in the New Testament with mystery (or “secret” in some translations), and you will find 22 occurrences; one in Mark, four in Revelation, and the rest in Paul’s epistles. But none are found in the other epistles, for the original twelve disciples knew nothing of this mystery that Paul preached to the Gentiles; the hidden wisdom is the defining truth of Paul’s gospel of grace.
In any case, whether one be born a Jew or a Gentile, we all share a common malady— that the heart of man is desperately wicked and beyond repair. “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one ’” (Rom 3:10). Absent the Spirit of God, man is totally incapable of discerning righteousness. The natural man is woefully self-centered from the time of his birth, a pitiful creature totally poor and without power to save himself. This is the reason that the Mosaic Law could not save but could only demonstate this sad truth. Even when man is told precisely how to be righteous, he cannot do so. The purpose of the Law was therefore to define sin and thereby show the need for the grace of atoning sacrifice, thus pointing to Christ the Redeemer. Jesus was sent to do for man what he cannot do for himself, that is, to pay the penalty for sin and redeem us.
Now let’s address a few other doctrinal issues, the first being Age of Law v. Age of Grace. Some consider these terms to be mutually exclusive. To the contrary, however, law and grace are both expressions of God’s nature. For the Age of Law was not absent of grace; neither is the Age of Grace null and void of the Law (see Isa 42:21 and Rom 8:2). Even though the Cross separated these ages, God did not change His plan of salvation because of it—no, the cross was always in His mind, as it states in Revelation, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). In other words, it’s fruitless to try to place blame for the cross on the Jews, no matter what the motivation might be, because in mercy it was...in the beginning. And the book of Hebrews says of Him, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Heb 13:8).
Yet there are some distinctions, if you will: —with respect to the Jew, Christ on the cross was the Paschal Lamb who sacrificed Himself once for all and shed His blood to take away all sin, who is the Son of David, the expected Messiah, the Promised King who returns to occupy the throne of David forever; —with respect to the Gentile, however, Christ on the cross was the Crucified Savior who died as the propitiation for sin, who shed His blood for our eternal righteousness, who rose again in victory over death, the very Son of God who ascended and now sits at the Father's right hand, who also sent the indwelling Holy Spirit, the living assurance of ultimate glory for them that believe.
In other words the believing Jew comes to Christ as the Promise Keeper, hearing the gospel of the kingdom, i.e., the restoration of the Davidic kingdom, that Israel shall be a great nation, and that Messiah Jesus shall reign as King from Jerusalem. Also, the Jew comes to Christ believing Him to be the consummation of the three major Jewish feasts, the Paschal Lamb of God sacrificed at the Feast of Passover, the firstfruits of harvest at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the promised King who comes to gather His people at the Feast of Ingathering (Booths). The believing Gentile, on the other hand, comes to Christ as the Redeemer: by hearing the gospel of grace, the mystery of eternal life in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus; by believing that He died for our sin and rose again in all power and authority, giving the assurance of heavenly rest for the soul and new promises of glory, i.e., His coming in the clouds to raise up the saints, His taking the Church to be His bride, His making us to be co-heirs with Him at His return to rule the earth. So the gospel is distinctive in its calling but not in its substance, for once a man is won to Christ the distinctions no longer serve a purpose! (see Eph 2:11-18).
Another issue concerns the nation of Israel as the chosen people. A common misconception is that they were chosen out of all the nations of the earth, as if they were of higher value than all others. But no, they were God's divine creation; He blessed Abram with the gift of faith and restored the womb of his wife Sarai. Israel is an expression of God’s will and sovereign power, created to be an elect people set apart in circumcision by virtue of God's covenant with their father Abraham. God had promised to give them a land and to be their God, “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, ’As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. ...And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’ And God said unto Abraham, ‘Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.’" (Gen 17:3,7-11).
But the one issue that divides Christendom more than any other is the treatment of prophecy, particularly the collection of prophecies about the end times and whether or not Israel shall inherit a restored earthly kingdom. This is the result of divergent interpretations regarding the events of 70 A.D., when Jerusalem and the temple were leveled by the Romans. Some theologians (preterists) say that end times prophecies were fulfilled at that time, and others say they were not. Some say that Israel has been permanently cast off, that the Church age is the final kingdom until Jesus comes again. Others disagree, myself included. Using the literal grammatical-historical interpretation of prophecy, I am convinced of the futurist position ...that the preponderance of Biblical evidence points to a future seven year tribulation period followed by the return of Christ who shall Himself establish the promised kingdom and rule from David’s throne.
The central message of the Bible is, of course, the person and work of Jesus Christ. God in mercy gave His only begotten Son for our salvation and, at the same time, preserved the new covenant in His blood that He might deliver the remnant of Israel in the last days. Were it not for God’s grace, His longsuffering mercy and faithfulness, Israel surely would have been cut off. By the same token, however, the apostles Peter and Paul also would have been cut off. Again, these great apostles were guilty of rejecting and persecuting Christ, yet in mercy Jesus forgave and regenerated them to build His Church. Paul testified of Christ’s indescribable love and mercy, saying, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8).
Even so, in the face of such evidence, they also presume that the Church has inherited all spiritual promises through Jesus, that the promised land can be interpreted as a heavenly land, and that Jesus is now occupying the throne of David in the heavenly Jerusalem. But this cannot be! The promised land is specifically defined with unmistakable geographic boundaries that are named and identifiable to this day. Furthermore, since God has said that He reveals His purposes before they come to pass (Isa 42:9, 43:19; John 13:19), if such a new thing were in His purpose it surely would have been prophesied beforehand, or else would have been revealed as a mystery to Paul. Without question, the promised land is not a heavenly place but an earthly plot destined for Israel!
And another thing, where grace has been extended, why is it that the mercy Jesus extended to the Apostle Peter after his thrice denial of the Lord is universally accepted, but a similar extension of mercy to Israel they find to be inconceivable? But, indeed, can such a denial be justified? After all, it was only after Peter was confronted by the very presence of the risen Christ that he was mercifully restored; and later, only after being endued with power from on high was Peter enabled to truly speak and act in the name of the ascended Christ. Then Peter, being filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, stood and boldly spoke with Christ-like mercy to the lost sheep of Israel, “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.” (Act 3:17).
Likewise with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who was in the very act of pursuing and slaying the followers of Jesus when he was struck down and blinded by the manifest glory of the ascended Christ; after being so humbled, Saul was healed and commissioned to be the Lord’s servant Paul. And like Peter before him, Paul also testified of God’s longsuffering mercy for Israel; yes, with the indwelling compassion of Christ with which he himself had been restored, Paul declared, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1Co 2:7-8).
But to maintain that Peter and Paul's ignorance was pardonable, but Israel's was not, flies in the face of what Jesus, Peter and Paul all testified concerning the rulers of Israel. It is undeniable that the apostles Peter and Paul shared the common ignorance with the rulers of Israel! How could anyone know the mystery of God, even Christ in us, before it was revealed? Nevertheless, both men were made to suffer the depths of despair before they were sufficiently broken of self to be made new creations in the Lord, that Christ Jesus might receive all the glory. Paul explained it thus, "And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Co 12:9).
Therefore, I submit that Israel shall be restored just like Peter and Paul were restored, namely, that it shall be entirely by the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ, for in the last days the enduring remnant shall see Him come in glory and shall be saved (see Rom 11:26, Rev 1:7). Does this mean that Israel should suffer no consequences for their abominable deed? Of course not, for without question the Jews have suffered more than any people over the centuries.
For whether we be Jew or Gentile there is one factor that is common to us all—that the heart of man is desperately wicked and beyond repair. “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one.’”(Rom 3:10). Absent the Spirit of God, man is totally incapable of discerning righteousness. The natural man is woefully self-centered from the time of his birth, a pitiful creature totally poor and without power to save himself. This is the reason that the Mosaic Law could not save but only demonstrate that even when man is taught precisely how to be righteous he cannot do so. The purpose of the 600+ laws was to define sin, thereby showing the need for the grace of atoning sacrifice and pointing to Christ the Redeemer, who came to do for man what he cannot do for himself, that is, to pay the penalty for our sin.
Now to address a few other doctrinal issues, the first being Age of Law v. Age of Grace. Some consider these terms to be mutually exclusive. To the contrary, however, law and grace are both expressions of God’s nature. For the Age of Law was not absent of grace; neither is the Age of Grace null and void of the law (Isa 42:21, Rom 8:2). Even though the Cross separated these ages, God did not change His plan of salvation because of it— no, the Cross was always in His mind, as it states in Revelation, “...the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev 13:8). And the book of Hebrews says of Him, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Heb 13:8).
Yet there are some distinctions, if you will: —with respect to the Jew, Christ is the Paschal Lamb who did sacrifice Himself once for all, who shed His blood to take away all sin forever, who is the Son of David, the expected Messiah, the Promised King who ultimately returns to occupy the throne of David forever; —with respect to the Gentile, Christ is the Crucified Savior who died for many as the propitiation for sin, who shed His blood for our eternal righteousness, who rose again in victory over death, the very Son of God who ascended and now sits at the Father's right hand, who sent the indwelling Holy Spirit, the living assurance of ultimate glory. In other words, the Jew looks to the Abrahamic promises, the restoration of the earth and the millennial kingdom, Israel made to be a great nation, and the reign of Messiah the King from Jerusalem. Thus, the Jew comes to Christ believing Him to be the Paschal Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and believing that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham. On the other hand, the Gentile comes to Christ by hearing the gospel of life in the death of Jesus, believing Him to be the Redeemer, the Son of God, the heavenly Victor, the recipient of all power and authority; then he looks for Him to fulfill His unique promises, coming in the clouds, raising us up to be with Him forever, taking the Church as His bride, even making us co-heirs with Him at His return to rule the earth. There is the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of grace, but once Jew or Gentile is won to Christ this distinction loses any significance!
Another issue concerns the nation of Israel as the chosen people of God. A common misconception is that they were chosen out of all the nations of the earth, as if they were of higher value than all others. But no, they were God's divine creation; He blessed Abram with the gift of faith and restored the womb of his aged wife Sarai. In a sense, Israel was an expression of God’s will and sovereign power, created to be an elect people set apart in circumcision by virtue of God's covenant with their father Abraham. God had promised to give them a land and to be their God, “And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, ’As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. ....And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’ And God said unto Abraham, ‘Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.’" (Gen 17:3,7-11). So Abraham circumcised himself and his household as a token of God's covenant promises to him and his seed. Simply said, the only thing required of Abraham’s seed (to keep the covenant and enter the promised land) was the circumcision of every male child (see Gen 17:14, Jos 5:2-7).
But the one issue that divides Christendom more than any other is the collection of prophecies concerning the end times, particularly whether or not the promised Davidic kingdom is a future event. This is the result of divergent interpretations regarding the events of 70 A.D., when Jerusalem and the temple were leveled by the Romans. Some theologians say that most end times prophecy was fulfilled at that time (preterists), and others (futurists, dispensationalists) say they were not. Preterists take the position that Israel has been permanently cast off, that the Church age dispensation is the final kingdom, that Christians must prepare things for Christ's return so He can rule the earth. Others disagree, this author included. Based upon the literal grammatical-historical interpretation of prophecy, I am convinced of the futurist position...that the preponderance of Biblical evidence points to a future seven year tribulation period followed by the return of Christ who shall Himself establish the promised kingdom.
The great message of the Bible, of course, centers on the Person of Jesus Christ. God in His longsuffering mercy gave His only begotten Son for salvation, while preserving the new covenant in His blood for the remnant of Israel that endures the tribulation. Were it not for God’s great mercy and faithfulness, Israel surely would have been cast off. By the same token, however, the apostles Peter and Paul also might have been cast off. Again, these great apostles were guilty of rejecting and persecuting Christ, yet in mercy Jesus forgave and regenerated them to build His Church. Paul testified of Christ’s indescribable love and mercy, saying, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8). So how could it be, pray tell, that God’s justice is served by denying Israel the same mercy? Should we in the Church receive mercy and Israel not?
Deut. 6:1-2; 29:1,13; 30:11-14,19-20 [ Therefore Choose Life . . . for the LORD Is Thy Life ]
(6:1-2) Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God
commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: (2) That thou
mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee,
thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
(29:1) These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the
children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
(29:13) That he may establish thee today for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God,
as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
(30:11-14) For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it
far off. (12) It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, ‘Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us,
that we may hear it, and do it?’ (13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, ‘Who shall go over the
sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?’ (14) But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy
mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
(30:19-20) I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and
death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (20) That thou
mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him:
for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land 1 which the LORD swore unto
thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
[ NOTE 1: Life for the Jew is to dwell forever in the (promised) land. ]
COMMENT: After the 40 year sojourn in the wilderness, Moses spoke all the law to the people of Israel at Moab,
before Joshua was anointed to be God’s new mediator. The LORD made a covenant with Israel; Moses wrote
the words into a book of law, and ordered it placed in the ark of the covenant beside the one made at Mt. Sinai
(Ex 25:16). This was the third covenant with them: 1-at their creation (Abrahamic), 2-at the exodus from Egypt
(Mosaic), and 3-this one at Moab (Palestinian). There were two more covenants: one with their greatest king
(Davidic) and a final one in the last days (New Covenant).
The Psalmist said, “I love thy law” (Ps 119:165), and gushed forth 176 verses of praise. It is his lavish
expression of love for what the law meant to him, that he might know and understand God’s heart. Jesus declared
the heart of covenant law: judgment, mercy and faith (Mt. 23:23). (cont’d next page)
Deut. 30:11-14,19-20 (cont’d)
In vs.11-14 above, Moses reveals the spirit of the law in a metaphor, also used by Paul in his epistle to the church
at Rome (Rom 10:4-10). These words reveal the heart of the law; that is, this commandment [God’s word] is not hidden
[as in heaven], nor is it far off [as beyond the sea]; but the word [truth, knowledge of God] is near [given to Moses], in the mouth [to
be taught to their children], and in the heart [acknowledged under oath], so to do it [to live by it]. And spreading the gospel
message was after a similar pattern, as Jesus revealed in the parable of The Sower.
God says to choose life in this way: love the LORD thy God, obey and cleave unto Him, so to live. Not that life is in
doing the letter of the law; no, it says to choose life, “for He is thy life.” Jesus said, “seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Mt 6:33).
Deut. 29:26-29; 30:1-8 [ In that Day, the LORD Shall Circumcise Hearts, that They May Live ]
(29:26-29) For they went and served other gods, and worshiped them, gods whom they knew not, and
whom he had not given unto them: (27) And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring
upon it all the curses that are written in this book: (28) And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger,
and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day. (29) The secret things
belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever,
that we may do all the words of this law.
(30:1-8) And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse,
which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God
hath driven thee, (2) And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I
command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; (3) That then the
LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all
the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. (4) If any of thine be driven out unto the outermost
parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: (5) And
the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he
will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. (6) And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart,
and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest
live. (7) And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which
persecuted thee. (8) And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments
which I command thee this day.
COMMENT: The events described in these verses are prophetic events, since they could not have occurred
before Israel first entered the land of Canaan. So God revealed these things to Moses that they might have wisdom,
but what about the “secret things” (v.29)? Perhaps this was a way of saying that solid food (Christ) was coming, but
that they were not ready, that they first needed to digest the milk that had been given (the law).
With respect to the prophecy verses, 1, 2 and 3 seem to fit the pattern of Israel’s return from the Babylonian
captivity, where Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah obeyed the voice of the LORD, confessed Israel’s sins and cried out for
God’s mercy. Jerusalem and the temple had been laid to waste by the Babylonians, but the LORD heard the cries of
righteous men and made a way for Israel to return and rebuild the temple and the holy city. That’s His mercy.
Verses 4-8, however, clearly refer to another time, since hearts of stone cannot be circumcised, and they shall
not have hearts of flesh until the last days (Ezek 11:19), at which time also the curses of the covenant shall be put
upon the heads of their enemies. This passage again shows the mercy of God as being the power behind Israel
being gathered from the nations to the promised land.
Just so, Israel shall yet live in the land, but not without the presence of the LORD their redeemer when He shall
deliver the new covenant promise of circumcised hearts, and they shall live in the promised land for the length of
their days. In the interim, they must wait in faith upon the LORD: remnant Israel cannot receive her inheritance until:
(1) the time of the Gentiles (the Age of Grace) is complete, (2) Jacob’s trouble (Daniel’s 70th week) comes upon
Israel, (3) God’s righteous wrath (vengeance is Mine) is poured out on the earth, and (4) the holy city and the
promised land are regenerated (restored). After these things, then the LORD: (1) shall deliver the promise of the
new covenant, (2) set His sanctuary in the holy city to dwell among them, and (3) rule forever from the throne of
David, that the children of Israel may live the length of their days in the land.
Micah 6:5-8 [ The LORD’s Righteousness: Do Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly with God ]
“O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son
of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.”
(6) Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him
with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? (7) Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with
ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of
my soul? (8)He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do
justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
COMMENT: Balak’s question arises from the same lack of knowledge (of God) as did that of the rich young
ruler, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Mt. 19:16). Paul calls the
law a tutor which points to Christ (see Gal 3:21). Being the focus of the entire Bible, Jesus is the end of all law
and prophecy; He declared justice, mercy, and faith too be the heart of the Law. And Paul preached faith,
hope, and love as the heart of the gospel. There is no gap between the OT and NT but a continuum of God’s
truth, which is that redemption is in Christ the LORD (Jehovah).
There is a theme in these prophecies, that the law was given in mercy. Judgment and mercy were revealed
in the Passover and the sacrificial system: the death of an innocent victim was accepted in mercy for judgment
against sin. So when the leaders of Israel enforced the letter of the law without mercy, they were severely
rebuked: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and
cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought
ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Mt 23:23). They failed in their understanding of the
law: they practiced law in darkness – without knowledge, mercy or faith.
Jeremiah 3:11-14,17-18,20 [ The LORD Is Merciful, Withholding Judgment on the Repentant ]
(11-14) And the LORD said unto me, “The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than
treacherous Judah. (12) Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, thou
backsliding Israel,’ saith the LORD; ‘and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful,’
saith the LORD, ‘and I will not keep anger forever. (13) Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast
transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green
tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice,’ saith the LORD.” (14) “Turn, O backsliding children,” saith the
LORD; “for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring
you to Zion.”
(17-18) “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be
gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the
imagination of their evil heart. (18) In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of
Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an
inheritance unto your fathers.
(20) “Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously
with me, O house of Israel,” saith the LORD.
COMMENT: An important doctrine to take away from these verses is that repentance restores Israel to God in
this life. It means that God holds back His judgment against sin, that the LORD is long-suffering in His mercy.
His judgment against sin stands forever, but life is in the LORD and whoever comes to Him in faith shall be
saved. Faith is faith, whether it looks forward or back to the cross. Sin was judged at the cross; the penalty of
all past, present and future sin of whosoever believes is washed away in the flood of the Son’s blood. The Lord
GOD’s anger with Israel, however, is not forever; remnant Israel shall survive in judgment because God’s
mercy also endures forever and He is faithful. But salvation for individual children of Israel was ready and
waiting, as John the Baptist announced to them, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17).
There was no stipulation except for repentance; the kingdom was available to whosoever would.
Other things to note are: that Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and that Judah shall join
Israel as one nation under God, and they shall come to the land of promise “at that time.” Jesus declared it in
Matthew, “For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, ‘Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord.’” (Mt 23:39). And only the Father knows when that day shall come.
Hosea 4:1, 6:4-7 [ His Judgments Are as the Light; a Beacon for Knowledge of God ]
(4:1) Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the
inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
(6:4-7) O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your
goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. (5) Therefore have I hewed them
by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that
goeth forth. (6) For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt
offerings. (7) But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously
against me.
COMMENT: Hosea 6:6-7 is the LORD’s rebuke to the children of Israel (Ephraim and Judah). Typically, these
judgments are stated in a form expressing the spirit of covenant law, rather than the letter. God desires worship
in spirit (Jn 4:24), not in empty rituals. The essence of verse 6 above is precisely the same truth Jesus cited in
rebuking the Pharisees, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!