Israel in Prophecy -- the Series

Who is Israel?

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1.

Beginning any discussion of Israel in prophecy requires identifying the referent for the naming expression that roughly translates into English as "to prevail or have power with the Almighty or God." Israel can, thus, be said to mean Prevailer with God. The naming expression is assigned to the patriarch Jacob after he wrestled all night with his deity. His descendants, a portion of the physically circumcised progeny of the patriarch Abraham, applied this naming expression to themselves although after the nation's liberation from bondage to Pharaoh, the nation didn't prevail with God but rebelled against Moses and YHWH, their Elohim. Nevertheless, the naming expression remained attached to the descendants of Jacob through the age of the judges and the unified kingdom under kings Saul, David, and Solomon. Following the division of the kingdom after Solomon's death, the name Israel was retained by the ten-tribe northern kingdom of Samaria until drought and captivity dispersed these tribes, who then, historically, identified themselves as descendants of Isaac through using some variation of Sacs. The name Israel returned to the southern kingdom of Judah and to Jerusalem, a reality not acknowledged by the Christian Identity Movement and by theological descendants of Herbert Armstrong, but the reality of Scripture. Thus, following the sacking of the southern House of Judah by the Chaldeans in ca. 606 BCE, the name Israel pertained to the vassal polis of Jerusalem as seen in the twelfth chapter of Ezekiel, especially in verses eight through thirteen. Hence, when Jerusalem was again taken in 586 BCE, the name Israel was applied to the circumcised nation in Babylonian captivity, and then to the remnant that returned to rebuild a scaled-down temple in Jerusalem after seventy years. The northern kingdom (the so-called lost ten tribes) did not, after going into Assyrian captivity, en mass apply the naming expression to itself although the two-house doctrine that developed in English speaking nations during the 19^th-Century has so identified northern Europeans. This doctrine claims, possibly with justification, that northern Europeans are the primary descendants of the ten lost tribes, with the English-speaking nations being the principle descendants of the half tribes Ephraim and Manasseh. This doctrine claims that the circumcised remnant that returned to Jerusalem from Babylon wrongly identified itself as Israel. However, the doctrine has a problem for the Apostle Paul clearly identified himself as an Israelite by birth (Rom 11:1). He then went on to identify the nations as wild olive branches, and not natural branches. The two-house doctrine claims that the nations [usually translated as "Gentiles"] is, or can be a referring expression for the dispersed lost tribes, which Paul identifies, again, as wild olive shoots. So to narrowly restrict Israel as identifying only the birth descendants of the northern kingdom contradicts Scripture. And to teach that endtime biblical prophecies about Israel pertain principally to the English speaking nations is particularly heinous, for the prophetic calamities that happen to endtime Israel will occur because of theology, not biology. Because these disasters are based upon the greater Church's rebellion against God and not on national rebellion, for these nations to turn to the endtime rebelling Church compounds their problems.

Further, to limit the naming expression Israel as pertaining only to the circumcised nation that developed in Judea following the return of the remnant from Babylon to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem is as errant as is the two-house doctrine. When this nation took upon itself the guilt of the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth (Matt 27:25), it also crucified itself as a selected paschal lamb, penned in Judea on the tenth day of the first month (Josh 4:19), and sacrificed to the Law (2 Cor 3:6). This nation did not prevail with God, but rejected the Logos, born as a man. It became a spurned nation, just as was the circumcised nation that left Egypt spurned and refused entrance into the promised land. And as the physically uncircumcised children of the nation that left Egypt crossed the Jordan to enter God's rest (Ps 95:10-11 & Josh 5:2-7), the physically uncircumcised (but spiritually circumcised) children of the Jerusalem above enter into God's rest. Herein is the previously unrecognized parallel: the spiritually circumcised but physically uncircumcised nation that left sin (Rom 8:2) in the 1^st-Century as the holy nation of God (1 Pet 2:9), returned to sin/lawlessness and was sent into captivity in spiritual Babylon. This nation has been in spiritual bondage to lawlessness ever since, with a mere remnant of saints having left Babylon to rebuild the temple--disciples are the temple of God--in the Jerusalem above. The Church universal outwardly maintains its inner lawlessness through its observance of the eighth day as its Sabbath. Like the circumcised nation of Jesus' day, it will be sacrificed on a second Passover to the Law, for it has not, under the covering of the garment of Grace, practiced walking upright before God. Thus, it, like Cain and like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, will kill its righteous brother, and for doing so, it will experience the second death.

Concerning his people, the Apostle Paul wrote,

God has not rejected the people whom he foreknew…at the present time there is a remnant [of Israel] chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened…did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!…For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.…I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. (Rom 11:2-32 -- emphasis added).

Throughout the above passage, Paul identifies the circumcised nation of his ancestry as Israel. This nation of Israel stands in linguistic opposition to the nations or Gentiles. Therefore, from Paul's perspective, the nation of Israel is composed of the descendants of the remnant of Judah that returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple. Israel is not the lost ten tribes, or the descendants of the northern kingdom. To teach a doctrine that has Israel being some other physical nation than the one Paul identifies as such makes the person a false teacher, or false prophet.

However, from the perspective of the New Testament, the doctrine of election enters the discussion. The firstborn of Abraham was Ishmael, but the firstborn of promise was Isaac. Of the sons of promise, Esau the firstborn was hated [that is, not respected] whereas Jacob was loved. Ishmael was circumcised, as was Esau. So physical circumcision is not the mark of election. Rather, being of promise and being loved are the markers that separate Israel from other descendants of Abraham. Thus, whereas Israel has temporarily rejected God so that the fullness of the nations can come to God, Israel will return to God when this fullness of the nations rebels against God upon the man of perdition being revealed (2 Thess 2:3). The full inclusion of Israel occurs during the first half of seven, endtime years of tribulation--occurs when the lawless one attempts to change times and the law (Dan 7:25). The Sabbath remains the signifier denoting that Israel knows the Lord sanctifies the nation (Exod 31:13), and during the first half of the Tribulation, Sabbath observance will separate who is of God from who is of the warring kings of the South and the North.

Within the spiritually circumcised descendants of Abraham are firstborn sons of bondage [spiritual Ishmaelites], and not-respected sons of promise [spiritual Edomites] (not respected because they have sold their spiritual birthright for physical promises). The beloved spiritually firstborn son of promise, apart from Christ Jesus being the first of the firstfruits, is spiritual Israel, the holy nation of the Father. It is this nation that is recovered from death upon the second coming of Christ Jesus.

Whereas the nation of physically circumcised Israel in Egypt was called the firstborn son of God (Exod 4:22), with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, none of this nation entered God’s rest. Instead, their uncircumcised children crossed the Jordan and were immediately circumcised. These uncircumcised children entered the Land Beyond the River that is God’s rest, and these children of the nation that left Egypt equate to the third part of the little ones that the prophet Zechariah references (chap 13, v. 9). Again, this third part of humanity will be spiritually like the first Eve’s son Seth. This third part of humanity will not be born from above until the Holy Spirit is poured out upon all flesh when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of the Most High and of His Christ. Thus, this third part is not made spiritually alive until the middle of the seven endtime years of tribulation. They will not have sinned in the heavenly realm for they had no life in this realm until born from above. And when they are born from above, they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit so that they are able to overcome the flesh. They will be saved if they endure to the end because they are born sinless, and they have been empowered to overcome sin from their spiritual birth. All they must do is endure. Salvation is, for this third part of humanity, this simple. But they will, in enduring, be refined as silver is refined (in fire) and tested as gold is tested (under pressure), the reason why the Messiah doesn’t immediately return when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of Father and Son.