The Israelites from Calvary
to Canaan
Christ's Crucifixion Prayer
Psalm 69
I believe the 69th Psalm is Christ's prayer on the cross, as revealed to David in
prophetic vision. It, in no way, can be the experience of David.
Ps. 69:1 -- Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to
my neck.
2 -- I sink into the
deep waters; the floods engulf me.
3 -- I am worn out
calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
4 -- Those who hate me
without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those
who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.
(See John 15:23 -- He who hates me hates My Father as well.
Vs. 25 -- But this
is to fulfill what is written in their Law: "They hated me without reason.")
5 -- You
know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you.
The Jews have charged Him with all types of sins and He was bearing all the sins and
guilt of mankind. Could he possibly have born the guilt and folly of the world and
not feel it? His trust is in God's awareness of the status of these charges.
6 -- May
those who hope in You not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the Lord Almighty; may those
who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.
Peter had just denied Him by cursing and swearing and all had deserted Him.
7 -- For
I endure scorn for Your sake, and shame covers my face. (He has been stripped
naked and nailed to the cross for public display.)
8 -- I am a
stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons;
His own brothers did not believe in Him until after His crucifixion. (See John
7:3-5 -- "Jesus' brothers said to him, ‘You ought to leave
here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who
wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things,
show yourself to the world. ‘ For even his own brothers did not believe in him.")
Vs. 9 --
For zeal for Your house consumes me...
(See John 2:16,17 -- To those who sold doves he said, "Get
these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market?"
His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me.")
9 (Cont'd) --
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
(See Rom. 15:3 -- For even Christ did not please himself but, as it
is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on Me.")
10 -- When
I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;
11 -- When I put on
sackcloth, people make sport of me.
12 -- Those who sit at the
gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.
(See Luke 7:33,34 -- For John the Baptist came neither eating bread
nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon’ The Son of Man came
eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard.’)
13 --
But I pray to you, O Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.
14 -- Rescue me from
the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.
15 -- Do not let the
flood waters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.
16 -- Answer me, O
Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.
17 -- Do not hide your
face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
(See Mark 15:34 -- And at the 9th hour Jesus cried out in a loud
voice... "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?")
18 -- Come
near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.
19 -- You know how I
am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.
(See Matt. 27:28-30 -- They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on
him, and then wove a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his
right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the
Jews!" they said. They spit on him and took the staff and struck him on the
head again and again.)
20 -- Scorn
has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found none.
(See Matt. 26:55,56 -- At that time Jesus said to the crowd,
"Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture
me?
Every day I sat in the temple courts
teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings
of the prophets be fulfilled.
Then all the disciples deserted him and
fled.)
21 -- They
put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
(See Matt. 27:34 -- They offered him wine, mixed with gall; but
after tasting it, he refused to drink it.)
(See Luke 23:36 -- The soldiers also came up and mocked him.
They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save
yourself.")
22 -- May
the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap.
23 -- May their
eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.
This is the hardening of their spiritual understanding that Paul was shown under
inspiration. This was in answer to Christ's prayer at His crucifixion. (See
Rom.11:25 -- Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the
full number of the Gentiles has come in.)
24 -- Pour
out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them.
25 -- May their place
be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
26 -- For they
persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt.
27 -- Charge them with
crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.
28 -- May they be
blotted out of the book of life and not listed with the righteous.
29 -- I am in pain and
distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me.
30 -- I will praise
God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
31 -- This will please
the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.
32 -- The poor will
see and be glad -- you who seek God, may your hearts live!
33 -- The Lord hears
the needy and does not despise his captive people.
34 -- Let heaven and
earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them,
35 -- For God will
save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess
it;
36 -- The children of
his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.
At the close of this prayer, while going through unspeakable pain and torture, and a
feeling of separation from His Father, one would expect Him to say (if He would mention it
at all) forget about all those promises I made about restoration of Israel.
Certainly He had every reason to say it.
But look at Verses 34-36 for His response.
The reason is that Israel's restoration is to be accomplished according to His word --
not on the behavior of the Israelites.
The Israelites
From Calvary to Canaan
In our study of Christ's prayer in Psalm 69:23; "May their eyes be darkened so
they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."
This spirit of unbelief and rebellion of the Israelites was at that time, in answer to
Christ's prayer, hardened in that state of spiritual rebellion. We know this also
from --
35 -- "For
God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there
and possess it;
36 -- the children of
his servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will dwell there.
This tells us that the future restoration of the land of Israel is still on
track. The status of the Israelites is not as certain.
We now turn to Psalm 2 for a picture of activities on earth following Christ's Second
Coming. The NASB has the chapter heading for this Psalm as, "The Reign of the
Lord's Anointed." It presents some of the problems that Christ deals with
during this reign.
Ps. 2:1 (NASB) -- Why are the nations in an uproar, and
the peoples devising a vain thing?
2 -- The kings of the
earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against
His anointed.
3 -- Let us tear their
fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us!
(LB) -- "Come, let us break his chains," they
say, "and free ourselves from all this slavery to God."
(Moffatt) -- Let us snap their ties, and fling off
their control.
(KJV) -- Let us break their bands asunder, and cast
away their cords from us.
It is pretty evident from this that these nations of the earth are unhappy with all the
restrictions that Christ has bound them to. They are trying to counsel together on
how they might be able to break these restraints and allow themselves to carry out their
evil schemes.
4 (NASB resuming) --
He who sits in heaven laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.
5 -- Then He will
speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury
6 -- But as for Me, I have
installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.
This is God the Father saying to the nations that He has installed Christ on His
throne in Zion; not that He is going to do it. This is scheduled to take place after
the Second Coming so this leaves no question of when this is taking place.
7 -- I will
surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, "Thou art My Son, Today I have
begotten Thee."
8 -- Ask of Me, and I
will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as thy
possession.
9 -- Thou shalt break
them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware.
Some say this can never happen. Could God be misleading us with a faulty
roadmap? Was He unable to see what so many others have been able to see? I
prefer to believe that God is not the one who is misleading.
10 -- Now,
therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth.
11 -- Worship the
Lord with reverence, and rejoice with trembling.
12 -- Do homage to the
Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in your way, for His wrath may soon be
kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.
All who belong to Christ, those who have committed their lives to Him will be the
citizens of this land of Israel -- both Jew and Gentile with no distinction.
Gal. 3:29 -- If you belong to Christ, then you are
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
These will include all the redeemed and all will be residents of the Holy Land.
These will not be ruled by the iron scepter or be in danger of being dashed to pieces like
pottery. This is reserved for the nations of the earth who are anxious to cast off
these shackles that Christ places on them. Those who want to follow the inclination
of their evil hearts. Notice in
Ps. 2:3 (LB again) -- "Come, let us break his
chains," they say, "and free ourselves from all this slavery to God."
These are the ones who bring on the use of the iron scepter (rod).
Now that we see some of the sentiments in the nations of the earth at that time, I
believe we can see Micah 4 in a better way as he speaks of this same time.
Micah 4:2-5 (NIV) -- The law will go out from Zion, the
word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples and
will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against
nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
Every man will sit under his own vine and
under his own fig tree and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.
All the nations may walk in the name of
their gods; We will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.
The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. These nations
of the earth are not without restraints. It says He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. It doesn't say that He
gives them advice, He settles it!
These laws that Christ sends out from Jerusalem are civil laws. How to live
peacefully with your neighbor. Violence is especially offensive to God.
"All the nations may walk in the name of their gods." This
reveals the absence of religious legislation. This would be the most offensive act
that the redeemed could imagine. A walk which has been thoroughly and permanently
eliminated from their desires; a walk God could never tolerate in His children.
Violence is outlawed. Every man may be able to sit under his fig tree without
fear -- for the Lord Almighty has spoken. In enforcing these rules, can you
not see the need on occasion for Christ to apply the iron scepter to bring about
compliance?
Isaiah adds insight to this same time which might cause these nations to plot to shed
their shackles.
Isa. 60:10-12 -- Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and
their kings will serve you. . .
Your gates will always stand open, they
will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations
-- their kings led in triumphal procession.
For the nation or kingdom that will not
serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined.
It appears from this that they also may be paying tribute. This wealth of the
nations is being brought because they are told to bring it. If they refuse to serve
the holy land and its occupants, they will be utterly ruined. The iron scepter in
operation for sure. Isaiah again reports on activities in this same period:
Isa. 14:1,2 -- The Lord will have compassion on Jacob;
once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will
join them and unite with the house of Jacob (Gentile brothers in Christ).
Nations will take them and bring them
to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as
menservants and maidservants in the Lord's land. They will make captives of their
captors and rule over their oppressors.
Menservants and maidservants in the language of that time was the same as male and
female slaves. Can you see a little better their plotting to break their
subservience to Christ and the redeemed who are living in the Holy Land?
Isn't it easier to see how, at the end of the 1000 years, that these are the nations
that Satan goes out to deceive?
Rev. 20:7,8 -- When the 1000 years are over, Satan will be
released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations, in the four
corners of the earth -- Gog and Magog -- to gather them for
battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.
Nowhere in the Bible does it state that these are raised from their graves for this
occasion.
Do the Jews, as a nation, participate in this restoration of the Holy Land after the
Second Coming, or is the spiritual hardening to be permanent? Approximately 30 years
after this hardening was applied at the cross, Paul gives us from prophetic insight, how
long this hardening was to last:
Rom. 11:25-27 (NIV) -- I do not want you to be ignorant of
this mystery brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a
hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and all Israel will
be saved, as it is written:
The deliverer will come from Zion; he
will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take
away their sins. (Paul quotes Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9)
This spiritual hardening is to remain until the last Gentile is called in. This
must be just before Christ's Second Coming for sure. It also implies that when this
is lifted all Israel will be saved. We will see the specifics of this a little later
on. We find another piece of the picture in Micah.
Micah 5:1 -- Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a
siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with a
rod.
(See Matt. 27:28-30 -- They stripped him and put a scarlet robe
on him, and then wove a crown of thorns and set it on his head.
They put a staff in his right hand and
knelt in front of him and mocked him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" they said.
They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.)
Vs. 2 (Cont'd) -- But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you
are small among the clans of Israel, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler
over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (This is to
identify which of Israel's rulers verse 1 is speaking of)
3 -- Therefore Israel
will be abandoned (Therefore -- for this reason -- for the
unspeakable crime of the crucifixion) until the time when she who is in labor gives
birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.
This passage is very informative and tells us that this abandoning of the Israelites is
due to their role in the crucifixion. It also tells us that this is not permanent
and it is only to last until she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his
brothers return to join the Israelites.
We know, from Paul's prophecy, that it is to last until the last Gentile is called
in. It has to be those Gentile brothers who return to join the Israelites.
This still hasn't told us all we would like to know about "she who is in labor
gives birth." Isaiah gives us additional information in prophesying about this
same pregnancy.
Isa. 66:78 (NIV) -- Before she goes into labor she gives
birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard
of such a thing? Who has ever seen such a thing? (Obviously a one-time
event)
Can a country be born in a day or a
nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she
gives birth to her children.
Isa. 66:14 -- When you see this, your heart will
rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the Lord will be made known to
his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.
15 -- See, the Lord is
coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with
fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 -- For with fire
and with his sword the Lord will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those
slain by the Lord.
We know now that she who is in labor refers to Zion -- God's church in the end
time. She gives birth to a son, a male child, her children (144,000).
These are the only children God's church gives birth to in the end-time and immediately
after describing this pregnancy and delivery, a description of the Second Coming is given.
The hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants. In the book of
Revelation, which speaks of the end time, it often speaks of God's servants and indicating
them as the 144,000. They are also referred to as His servants the prophets.
The first verse in the book of Revelation states that the book was "to show his
servants what must soon take place."
Isa. 66;14 states that "the hand of the Lord will be made known to his
servants."
The book of Revelation is making known to his servants what was prophesied
in Isaiah. There is one more pregnancy that we need to consider.
Rev. 12:1-5 -- A great and wondrous sign appeared in
heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars
on her head. She was pregnant and cried in pain as she was about to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in heaven: an
enormous red dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that he
might devour her child the moment it was born.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.
And her child was snatched up to God and
to His throne.
Some claim this represents Mary giving birth to Jesus, while others that it is God's
church that is giving birth to Jesus. It is obvious that this is speaking of the
same pregnancy as described in Micah and Isaiah. It can't be referring to the birth
of Christ.
The Israelites were abandoned at the cross and this abandonment was to last until
"she who is in labor gives birth," and the rest of his brothers return to join
the Israelites (Micah 5:3). These brothers, as we have previously noted, are the
Gentile believers from all over the world down to the last one that was called in.
This has to take place in the time frame of the Second Coming.
Let us see if we can better identify the Israelites that these Gentile brothers in
Christ, will be joining. This has to represent a group of Israelites who will be
alive at the time of Christ's Second Coming.
Zech. 13:7-9 -- Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is close to me!" declares the Lord Almighty. (This is
God the Father speaking of the Crucifixion of Christ.)
Strike the shepherd, and the sheep
will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
(See Micah 5: They will strike Israel's ruler (Christ) on the cheek with a rod --
see Matt. 27:28-30. Therefore -- for this read on -- Israel will be
abandoned).
Because of the crucifixion Israel was abandoned, their eyes were blinded spiritually so
they could not see. God turned His hand against the little ones -- (the
Israelite people.)
Now in verse 8 of Zechariah is initiated a series of events which will result in the
reconciliation of the Israelites.
Zech. 13:8 -- "In the whole land," declares the
Lord, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.
9 -- This third I will
bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They
will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, "They are my people,"
and they will say, "The Lord is our God."
This is speaking of the end-time when the One World Order, which is composed of ten
nations with their ten kings with each his army, surrounds Israel and carries out what is
specified in the preceeding two verses. Now it explains how this takes place --
Zech. 14:2 -- I will gather all the nations (10) to
Jerusalem to fight against it;
(See Luke 21:20 -- When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
you will know that its desolation is near.)
The city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.
Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the
city.
When Jerusalem is attacked by the One World Order with its ten armies, at the end-time,
two-thirds of the nation will be struck down and perish. One-third will remain and
these God will bring into the fire. One-half of this one-third will be sent into
exile into these ten representative nations while the other half will remain in Jerusalem
and undergo trampling.
(See Luke 21:24,25 -- They will fall by the sword (2/3) and
will be taken as prisoners to ALL the nations (One World Order with its ten
nations).)
25 -- Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the
time of the Gentiles are fulfilled).
See Dan. 7:25 -- The saints will be handed over to him (horn
power) for a time, times and half a time (the times of the Gentiles being
fulfilled).
Notice that God is bringing this civil Conglomerate to punish and trample the
Israelites. This humbles them and prepares them for confession and repentance to follow.
Zech. 14:2 -- I will gather all the nations to
Jerusalem to fight against it.
Daniel 7:25 -- The saints will be handed over to
him. (The Gentile saints are sequestered in the desert out of the reach
of the serpent.)
Rev. 11:2 -- The outer court of the temple has been
given to the Gentiles. They will trample it forty-two months.
This is the punishment that has been prophesied of by the Old Testament Prophets.
Luke 21:22 -- For this is the time of punishment in
fulfillment of all that has been written.
This trampling and humiliation of these captured Israelites are brought to an end at
Christ's Second Coming.
Isa. 31:4-6 -- So the Lord Almighty will come down
to do battle on Mt. Zion and on its heights. (No question this is the Second
Coming)
Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord
will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it
and will rescue it. (This is while the battle of Armageddon is raging.)
Return to him you have so greatly
revolted against, O Israelites.
For in that day every one of you will
reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.
The Lord is not unaware of their revolt against Him. He hardened them in this
rebellion at the cross, and now He removes this hardening and allows and promotes their
reconciliation.
Eze. 36:22 -- This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
"It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but
for the sake of my holy name...
24 -- For I will take
you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into
your own land.
25 -- I will sprinkle
clean water on you and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and
from all your idols.
26 -- I will give you
a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and
give you a heart of flesh...
33 -- This is what the
Sovereign Lord says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle
your towns and the ruins will be rebuilt.
This restoration has nothing to do with the behavior of the Israelites. It is on
the basis of an irrevocable covenant God made with Abraham.
Isaiah paints a beautiful picture of these bedraggled survivors of 3-l/2 years of being
trampled in Jerusalem and half of them being sent as prisoners (exiles) to all the ten
nations of the earth (One World Order) as described in Zech. 13,14:
Isa. 4:2-6 -- In that day the Branch of the Lord will be
beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the
survivors in Israel.
Those who are left in Zion, who remain in
Jerusalem, will be called holy, All who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
The Lord will wash away the filth of the
women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and
a spirit of fire.
Then the Lord will create over all of Mt.
Zion and over all those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming
fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade
from the heat of the day, and a refuge and a hiding place from the storm and rain.
This is the picture in Jerusalem after the Second Coming. The Lord takes pains to
state that these survivors that remain after this period of trampling (and which are freed
from this trampling by Christ's Second Coming) will be called holy, all who are
recorded among the living in Jerusalem. These are the ones that Paul is speaking of
in
Rom. 11:26 -- And so all Israel will be saved.
These survivors in Jerusalem who are liberated at Christ's Second Coming are the
Israelites that Paul is referring to, and the same ones that Isaiah states, "All
of those living in Jerusalem at that time will be called holy. These are the
Israelites that their Gentile brothers in Christ will be joining with to constitute the
redeemed; Citizens of Christ's kingdom on this earth for the next 1000 years.
Isa. 30:25,26 -- In the day of great slaughter (Second
Coming) when the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and
every lofty hill.
The moon will shine like the sun, and the
sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord
binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.
Notice Joel's description of events in this same time frame:
Joel 3:16-21 -- The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder
from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble (Second Coming for sure).
But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Then you will know that I, the Lord your
God, dwell in Zion, My holy hill.
Jerusalem will be holy; never again will
foreigners invade her.
In that day the mountains will drip new
wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water...
Judah will be inhabited forever and
Jerusalem through all generations.
Their bloodguilt, which I have not
pardoned, I will pardon. The Lord dwells in Zion!
What is their bloodguilt that he has not pardoned, but after the Second Coming will
pardon? See Matt. 27:24,25 --
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was
starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd.
I am innocent of this man's blood,"
he said. It is your responsibility!"
All the people answered, "Let his
blood be on us and on our children!"
Would you feel comfortable with the assignment of showing God or anyone else why you
would feel free to disregard much of the prophetic material in the prophecies from the
Psalms to Zechariah -- from the Bible alone?