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As a part of my series of posts on “God’s Plan For The Ages” it is important to note that without including Israel, and God’s love for Israel, that a large “gaping” hole is left, and the total plan of God is “left incomplete.” Therefore, there will also be included in “God’s Plan For The Ages,” posts that will address “God’s Love For Israel,” and the role that Israel will play in the end times scenario of the Millennial reign of Christ (1,000 years). The following is a conversation, with scriptures, that will show that God’s love has never left, and will never leave, “His Chosen People.”
Consider the following passages of Scripture that relate to God’s love for Israel.
Deuteronomy 7:6“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.
Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.”
Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.
Zechariah 2:8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.
Zechariah 14:1-3 The Day of the Lord 1 Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled,And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.
Overview Of God’s Choosing And Keeping Israel
The perfection of God’s creation has been completed. (Gen 1:1/Gen 1:31). Adam and Eve have fallen in sin (Gen 3:6), with the result being the curse on all of God’s creation, to include human, animal, natural, soul, spirit. Everything, that was the result of God’s creation suddenly became flawed, including the procreation process of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:17). However, God has a plan for the restoration of all that was cursed through a Redeemer (Gen 3:15), and an eternal punishment for the deceiver of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:14). The Redeemer will be called Immanuel, Yeshua, Jesus, and will have a blood line that runs from the third son of Adam and Eve, who was Seth, through Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, King David, and the miraculous conception of Mary by God’s Holy Spirit (Luke 2:26-38)
Abraham was known as a Hebrew. The identity of Jew came from Judah, who was Jacob’s fourth son, through Leah, who was Jacob’s first wife. (See a discussion on Hebrew, Israel, Jew in the link: http://www.jewfaq.org/whoisjew.htm). David, King of Israel was promised that his house and his kingdom will endure before God forever, and that his throne shall be established forever (2 Sam 7:16;17) and that the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before God to offer burnt offerings (Jeremiah 33:18). The fulfillment of these two promises to David will take place in the Millennial reign of Christ (Zech 14:9, Rev 20:4) when the Glory of the Lord will fill the temple (Ezek 43:1-5); the Glory of the Lord had departed the temple (Ez 10:18).
Three feasts will be observed each year during the Millennial reign of Christ (Feast of Tabernacles, Zech 14:16, Feast Of The New Year (Ezek 45:18-20), and Feast of Passover (Ezek 45:21-24). Levitical priests will minister before the Lord in the millennial temple (Ezek 44:15-16). It is important to know that the things of the millennial temple are not related, in any way, to the church, but are totally things that are of the Jews, per God’s Holy Word. It is important to also know that the church is no longer mentioned in scripture after Revelation 3:22.
The places where God would appear to the Jews are: the Tent of Meeting (Ex 33:7); the Tabernacle in the desert (Ex 40:33); the Temple which was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem (I Kings 7:51/2 Chronicles 5:1). The Glory Of the Lord was God was present in the Tent Of Meeting (Ex 33:18:33). The Glory of the Lord was present in the Tabernacle in the desert (Ex 40:34).
The Glory of the Lord was present in the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kg 8:11)(2 Chr 5:14) (1004 B.C.). But, things changed. The King of Assyria captured the northern kingdom (Samaria/Israel) and carried Israel away into exile into Assyria (in 722 B.C., 2 Kg 17:6) because of the sins of Israel (2 Kg 17:7-23). Between 597 BC and 586 BC, the Babylonians took Judah, the southern Kingdom, captive to Babylon (2 Kg 24:17-25:11) for the same reasons of Samaria (2 King 17:19).
The Temple in Jerusalem was burned by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC (2 Kg 24:9/2 Chr 36:9). In 597 BC, the prophet Ezekiel had a vision of the Glory of God departing from the Temple (Ez 10:18). The Glory of God will return to the Temple that is present in Jerusalem during the Millennium (Ez 43:15). After 70 years of captivity, a remnant of the captives from Babylon, returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple (536-516 BC, with an interruption from 534-520 BC). The governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, led those captives back to Jerusalem and oversaw the rebuilding of the Temple. Therefore, the second temple that was built in Jerusalem was known as Zerubabbel’s Temple, although the Glory of God never returned to that temple, and was desecrated by the Selucid, Antiochus Epihanes, in 169-167 B.C. King Herod remodeled Zerubabbel’s Temple, but the Glory of the Lord was not there, either. Of course, when Jesus was present during Herod’s time, “He was God,” in all of His Glory.” That Temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. A temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem during the Tribulation (Dan 9:27, 2 Thes 2:4, Rev 11:1-2) and will be the place where the Anti-Christ will say that He is God. Still, the Glory of God will not be present in the Tribulation Temple. Not until the time of the Millennium will there be a temple in Jerusalem where the Glory of God will be present (Ezek 43:15); at that time, the importance of the Jews will be made manifest.
Israel will be restored at the time of the Millennium. Even though the northern and southern kingdoms were scattered to all parts of the world (722 BC, 2 Kg 24:17-25:11; 586 BC 2 Kg 24:9), with the reason being stated in 2 Kg 17:9. Still, God told both groups that they will be restored to their own land (Ez 36:24;25-29;37:11-14).
The regathering of the Jews has not yet happened, and will not happen until the second coming of Christ (Matt 24:29-31..compare with Ez 37:11-14…Matt 25:31-46; Zach 14:1-5; 9-20; Rev 19:11-21; 20:1-15). Consider what Jesus told His disciples, soon to be apostles, what their role would be in the Millennium (Matt 19:28; relate this verse to Acts 3:19-22, following).
Matthew 19:28
28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The nation of Israel had not been restored, but the Temple leaders were present during the time of Christ, and were often trying to discredit Him. (At the time of this discussion, Israel had not been returned to their homeland; and would not be returned until the end of the tribulation and Battle of Armageddon.) In Matt 21:33-46, key vs 43 and 45, Jesus told the Temple leaders that their religious leadership would be taken from them and given to the church, which would be the spiritual light until the time of the rapture (1 Thes 4:13-18). In the year AD 29-30, the church would be birthed on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-41). In AD 70, the temple would be destroyed by the Romans. The words of Jesus were fulfilled. This situation did not relate to the nation of Israel, but to the Temple leaders, who should have known that Jesus is the Christ.
The Apostle Peter Speaks Of The Millennial Kingdom (Refer to Matt 19:28)
Acts 3:19-22
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.
The Restoration Of All Things (Isa 11:6-10; 35:1-10; Ez 36:24-26; 44:3; Joel 2:26; Mt 19:28; Rev 19:1-10).
Jews will have a place of prominence during the Millennium.
Zechariah 8:22-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations
Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem,
And to pray before the Lord.’
23 “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.”’”
With this overview having been completed, the series will be continued on “God’s Plan For The Ages.” There will also be posts that will show, in more detail, the intimate relationship that God has with the Jews, and their place of importance that will be very pronounced during the Millennium. During that time there will be a Jewish temple, but not a church building.
All Things New
Ever since the time of the fall in the Garden Of Eden, God has been planning for the realization of the next words of Scripture.
Rev 21:5 “… I am making all things new…;” “Rev 21:6 “…It is done…”
This series of posts began on June 30, 2016. The completed posts can be found by clicking onto the following link and selecting category “Journey.” https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/
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Eternity 