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Friday, May 25, 2018

Gentiles in the Coming Age

We've been looking at Israel's future back in the land. We looked at the 12 tribes. We noted the 12 Apostles of the Lamb sent to Jews. We noted the 12 Apostles will sit on twelve thrones judging those 12 tribes. We saw that in the New Jerusalem, which will come down to earth as a reward, has the name of the 12 sons of Israel on its gates and the names of the 12 Apostles on its foundation.

We haven't said much about Gentiles.

We are going to go back the parables in Matthew 25 in the coming weeks and we will soon see the Gentile nations in judgment when the Lord returns. Again, all that has to do with the earth and the coming kingdom is seen through the filter of Israel and the Jews (the only nations we see in the OT are those who come in contact with Israel or a Jew).

In regard to a mini-timeline of the ages to come (when this age of grace and the silence of God ends) is roughly this:

  • -Israel is placed at the center of God's plan again
  • -Israel finishes the final 3 weeks of Daniel's 70 weeks
  • -The last week being the time of Jacob's Trouble (Tribulation)
  • -The return of the King 
  • -The Millennial kingdom (1000 years)
  • -The final rebellion of Satan
  • -The New Heavens and the New Earth
  • -The New Jerusalem

We have seen these throughout our studies. But back to Gentiles. A day is coming when the whole world will look to Jerusalem to worship the true and the living God.

"Yes, many peoples and strong nations
Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem,
And to pray before the Lord.’ “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’
-Zech 8:22-23

[It is recommended that you read the entire chapter for a full picture of the restoration of Jerusalem and Israel. Chapter 8 finishes the first section of Zechariah written during the building of the temple, and following his visions of the kingdom.]

Yes, those gentiles outside Israel will grasp at the sleeve of a Jew and ask him to take them to Jerusalem to worship. Quite a different scene than the hatred of Israel and the Jews we see in this age.

But Israel will have to have this moment first:

It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo."
-Zech 12:10-11

  • -God will destroy the nations that come against Israel (Jews)
  • -God will open Israel's eyes
  • -Israel will weep for their "pierced" Messiah God, Jesus

Israel has a tremendous future, but it will not come without a period of testing and trouble (the time of Jacob's Trouble).

The wicked teachings of Replacement Theology (which teaches the "church" has replaced Israel) dominate up to 85% of professing Christendom. It has led to horrifying treatment of the Jews by "Christians" and an inability of many to "rightly divide the Word of Truth (2 Tim 2:15)" or to "test the things that differ (Phil 1"10)" to understand prophecy or to understand the Mystery of Ephesians which defines this age.

All true believers must reject Antisemitism in all its forms. The current nation in the land is presently there in unbelief. We still must try to reach them with the message of their Messiah. But God has brought them back there to accomplish things in the future. "True Israel," a "remnant," will come forth in the coming age and then "all Israel shall be saved."

As we have seen many times, the New Covenant is yet future and it is give to Israel alone. We must stop claiming to be under the New Covenant. That is robbery and a product of Replacement Theology and Antisemitism.

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For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.
-Rom 11:25-26 (cp. Isaiah 59:20, 21)