Why Israel is Important – Part 4
“Never Cast Aside”
Romans 11:1, 25-27
1.
As we're finishing up the section in Romans
dealing with Israel, we're still wrangling with the big question – will God
ever cast me away?
a.
If I trust in Him for salvation, is my position
secure?
b.
If God would toss Israel to the curb, His own
chosen people, maybe I should be concerned that He might toss me to the curb if
I'm disobedient, I mean, look at Israel, hasn’t God cast them away?
2.
Now you might be surprised to learn that there
are some Christians that believe that because Israel rejected Jesus Christ,
that God has in fact cast them aside.
I say then, has God cast away His people?
3.
This morning we’re going to take some time to
address a theological position.
a.
What Paul is describing here is a doctrine
that’s often referred to as replacement theology, or covenant theology.
b.
Which holds that because Israel rejected Christ
as Messiah, all of the promises and covenants that God made to Israel are now
nullified, and the NT church has replaced Israel as the recipient of Gods
promises and covenants.
Tenets:
4.
The Jewish people are no longer God's chosen
people. Instead, the Christian church is
now God's chosen people.
5.
Any mention of "Israel" after Acts
chapter 2 (Pentecost) is actually referring to the Christian church,
Replacement
theology causes several theological problems:
6.
The need to twist the numerous prophecies concerning
Israel in the end times…
7.
Requires Christians to go through the
Tribulation period (The “elect” that are described in Revelation)
8.
Eventually you end up with an "Amillennial"
view, meaning that the book of Revelation, and all end-times prophecy are
nothing more than an allegorical messages
a.
Where the symbols in Revelation / Daniel / Zechariah
are not tied to specific events but point to themes throughout church history.
b.
The battles in Revelation are viewed as
spiritual warfare
c.
The millennial kingdom described in Revelation
and Ezekiel become metaphorical, it began at Christ's resurrection and is
manifest in the hearts of saints on earth.
d.
The belief that the church's mission is to usher
in the "golden age" of Christ's rule in people's hearts, resulting in
godly overtones in politics, entertainment, family, and social life. (Heaven on
earth)
9.
Which is problematic, for two reasons:
REASON #1: The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, 25; Mark
13; Luke 21), when Jesus disciples ask Him about when the end will come, Jesus
gives an overview of end times and the tribulation, sort of “spark notes” for
the book of Revelation that hadn’t been written yet!
REASON #2: The angel
that revealed the visions to John warned us:
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the
prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the
plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words
of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of
Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:18-19
10. Another
consequence of Replacement Theology; Anti-Semitism – the denigration and
persecution of Jews because they “killed Christ”
a.
"We are now Gods chosen people, you blew
it"
11. Well,
I tell you all of that to lead into the fact that Paul completely refutes and
debunks replacement theology right here:
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For
I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God
has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.
12. Paul’s
point “If God is done with Israel, and they’re no longer part of God’s plan,
how do you explain me?”
a.
Paul was as Jewish as he could be! And He was a Pharisee, so he was as
legalistic as he could be!
b.
Add to that, he persecuted Christians and the
church relentlessly…
c.
So if you were to say God would cast someone
away, it certainly would have been Paul.
13. Yet
God saved Paul, and the point being that if God didn’t cast out Paul, He won’t
cast out Israel.
a.
Israel did reject Christ, but God did not cast
Israel out of His promises, out of His covenant with them.
b.
Rather Paul explains their position as having
“stumbled:”
11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall?
Certainly not! (Verse 11)
14. There
is a difference between stumbling and falling.
a.
You stumble, you can get back up.
b.
It happens with you and I, we love God, we're
saved, but sometimes we blow it, we stumble, but God doesn't cast us out (good
thing!)
If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot
deny Himself. 2 Tim 2:13
15. In
other words, God will not break His word that He gave to Isreal.
a.
God will fulfill His promises to Israel, even if
only a remnant actually receive those promises.
16. What
are those promises?
a.
As we've seen there are many, but all of the
promises that God made to Israel culminate in one end result: The final and
complete reconciliation of Israel to God.
(Skip to verse 25)
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be
ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion (I.E.
Don't get arrogant thinking "we're God's people now...), that blindness in
part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
(God has a plan to save a whole boatload of Gentiles, you and me!) 26 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; 27 For this is My covenant with them, when I take away
their sins.” (Isaiah 59:20-21)
17. Paul
is quoting from Isaiah, and considering this promise as a future event
a.
When Paul says “all,” I believe he means
all.
b.
Now we could say that Paul is speaking
generally, and “all” could mean “many,” but we have to consider what God has
said He will do.
Look at the big
picture
18. Rapture:
True followers of Christ are called to Christ
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.1 Corinthians 15:52
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16
19. Seven
Year Tribulation: The first 3.5 years will be peace, but at the mid-point the
temple will be desecrated by the Anti-Christ, and a great persecution will come
to the Jews, and to any who are saved during the tribulation, at the hands of
the Anti-Christ
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one
week;
But in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to
sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes
desolate, Daniel 9:27
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for
the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:21-22
This persecution will
be intense:
And it shall come to pass in all the land,” says the
Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one–third shall be
left in it: I will bring the one–third through the fire, will refine them as
silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name,
and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say,
‘The Lord is my God.’” Zech. 13:8–9
a.
Just as in the past God has purged from His
people those who do not believe, it will happen again.
20. But
many Jews WILL be saved:
a.
There will be preaching by 144,000 Hebrew Billy
Graham’s (Rev. 7:1–8; 14:1–5),
21. God
will send two witnesses, one of which we believe will be Elijah (Rev 11:3–13),
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the
coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Malachi 4:5
22. There
will be an angel that traverses the entire earth proclaiming the gospel to
whomever will listen (Rev 14:6),
23. all
of this will be a time of testing for Israel:
Ezek. 20:33–38
“As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely with a
mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I shall be
king over you. And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you from
the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched
arm and with wrath poured out; and I shall bring you into the wilderness of the
peoples, and there I shall enter into judgment with you face to face. As I
entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt,
so I will enter into judgment with you,” declares the Lord God. “And I shall
make you pass under the rod, and I shall bring you into the bond of the
covenant; and I shall purge from you the rebels and those who transgress
against Me; I shall bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they
will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the Lord.”
Ezek. 20:33–38
NOT a time of testing for the church – to the faithful church:
Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also
will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to
test those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 3:10
24. And
the end the armies of the Anti-Christ will be assembled at the door to Israel,
and Christ Himself will return (Rev 19), and the nation of Israel will see Him,
“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. Zech 12:10
25. It
will be the greatest “Ah-Ha” moment in history, when not only does Israel
recognize The Lord Jesus, they will mourn that they crucified the Messiah,
(just like when the scales came from Paul’s eyes)
26. And
the nation of Israel will be a nation of believers who are ready for the
kingdom of the Messiah Jesus.
(Jer. 31:31–34; cf. 32:38)
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the
house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their
minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be
My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his
brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of
them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity,
and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer. 31:31–34; cf. 32:38)
Why is this important to us?
Because…
#1 – God is going to do what He say’s He
will do, Jesus will return, there will be a seven year tribulation, where God
is going to separate those who rebel against His offer of salvation through
grace, Jew and Gentile alike
#2 – There will be a Millennial Kingdom,
and there will be an eternity where Gods people, Jew and Gentile alike, will
dwell with Him forever.
#3 – most important - God will not cast
away those who are His
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these
things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright
and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who
hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take
the water of life freely. Rev 22:16-17
Copyright © 2014 Clay Ritter.
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