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Are God's Promises
All
Conditional?
Are all of God's promises conditional? Are they all
carried out only on the basis that the promised recipients live up to some prescribed
level of behavior?
There are many Christians who sincerely believe this very thing. Is it possible
that some of the promises of God are strongly conditional while other of His promises are
just as strongly irrevocable?
Lev. 26:3,4 -- If you follow my decrees and are careful to
obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops
and the trees of the field their fruit...
Vs. 6 -- I will grant peace in the land, and you
will lie down and no one will make you afraid.
Vs. 12 -- I will walk among you and be your God, and
you will be my people.
Vss. 14-16 -- But if you do not listen to me and carry
out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry
out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring
on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain
away your life...
Vs. 20 -- Your strength will be spent in vain, because
your soil will not yield its crops, nor the trees of the land yield their fruit.
Vs. 25 -- And I will bring the sword upon you to
avenge the breaking of the covenant.
No question about it, the promises and threatenings connected with the Sinaitic
Covenant were dependent on the Israelites keeping their promise of obedience. Notice
again:
Jer. 7:22-24 -- For when I brought your forefathers out of
Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and
sacrifices, but I gave them this command: "Obey me, and I will be your God and you
will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that all may go well with
you."
But they did not listen or pay attention;
instead, they followed the stubborn inclination of their evil hearts.
Once again, the strongest possible linkage of obedience to the covenant is required in
order to receive its promises.
Jer. 11:3-5 -- Tell them that this is what the Lord, the
God of Israel says: "Cursed is the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant
-- the terms I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of Egypt...
I said, "Obey me and do everything I
command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.
Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to
your forefathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey -- that you possess
today.
Vs. 7 -- I warned them again and again saying,
"Obey me."
Vs. 8 -- But they did not listen or pay attention;
instead they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
So I brought on them all the curses of
the Covenant I had commanded them to follow, but they did not keep.
I believe that we have adequate proof from the preceding that the promises and curses
pertaining to the Sinaitic Covenant was on the basis of obedience or disobedience, on the
part of the Israelites, to that Covenant.
New Covenant
Now I want to go to the New Covenant promises and the basis
of their being fulfilled.
Is it in the same language as in the Old Covenant? All the promises of
restoration of Israel in the Holy Land are a part of these promises. Are they all
done away with due to the conduct of the Israelites?
The Covenant God made with Abraham reveals promises of the irrevocable type. The
fulfillment of these promises is a part of the New Covenant. (Eze. 37:27 --
"My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be
my people.")
Gen. 22:15-18 -- The angel of the Lord called to Abraham
from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself," declares the Lord,
"that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I
will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as
the sand on the seashore.
Your descendants will take possession of
the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring (seed) all nations on earth will
be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
The promise is not based on the future behavior of the descendants of Abraham. It
is built on God's word that He will do what He said He would do. This promise was
based on what Abraham had already done -- not withheld his only son as a sacrifice,
as God had ordered. Later we have God passing this promise on to Abraham's grandson
(Jacob) and his descendants.
Gen. 28:13-15 -- "I am the Lord, the God of your
father Abraham and the God of Isaac.
I will give you and your descendants the
land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth,
and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.
All peoples on earth will be blessed
through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you
go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have
done what I have promised you."
"I swear by myself" declares the Lord. Is there any greater
guarantee in the universe than this, that this Covenant will be carried out? "I
will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." This is the
highest level that an unconditional, irrevocable promise can be placed.
Paul states that the Covenant given at Sinai does not invalidate the promise previously
made to Abraham. And that it still awaits fulfillment.
Gal. 3:15-18 -- The promises were spoken to Abraham and to
his seed. The Scripture does not say, ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people,
but ‘and to your seed’ meaning one person, who is Christ.
What I mean is this: The Law,
introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the Covenant previously established by
God and thus do away with the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham
through a promise...
Vs. 22 -- But the Scripture declares that the whole
world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus
Christ, might be given to those who believe...
Vss. 26-29 -- You are all sons of God through faith in
Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are
all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's
seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Now we can see that everyone has the opportunity of being a part of these wonderful
promises made to Abraham, if we belong to Christ. Isaiah, speaking by prophetic
inspiration, tells us how these promises will be implemented.
Isa. 54:2 -- Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your
tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.
Vs. 3 -- For you will spread out to the right and to
the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities...
Vs. 5 -- For your Maker is your husband—the Lord
Almighty is his name -- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is
called the God of all the earth.
This is speaking of the time after the Second Coming when Christ will be dwelling and
reigning in Jerusalem. Isaiah 54 is all about "The Future Glory of Zion."
Jeremiah describes the same time and circumstances:
Jer. 23:3-6 -- I myself will gather the remnant of my
flock out of the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their
pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.
I will place shepherds over them who will
tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,
declares the Lord.
The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what
is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live
in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our
Righteousness.
I would like to take some excerpts from Psalm 69. This is a prayer Christ prayed
while on the Cross as shown in vision to David.
Ps. 69:3,4 -- I am worn out calling for help; my throat is
parched. My eyes fail, looking for My God. Those who hate me without reason
out-number the hairs of my head; Many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to
destroy me...
Vss. 7,8 -- For I endure scorn for your sake, and
shame covers my face (he is stripped and naked on the cross). I am a stranger
to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons.
Vss. 20,21 -- Scorn has broken my heart and has left
me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.
They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
Vs. 23 -- May their eyes be darkened so they cannot
see, and their backs be bent forever...
Vss. 27,28 -- Charge them with crime upon crime; do
not let them share in your salvation. May they be blotted out of the book of life...
Vss. 34,35 -- Let heaven and earth praise him, the
seas and all that move in them, for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it.
Vs. 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 un-speakable pain and torture and a
feeling of separation from His Father, one would expect Him to say (if He mentioned it at
all) -- forget about all those promises I made about restoration of Israel. Look at
His actual response and remember -- this is in spite of His crucifixion (Verses
34-36).
Ps. 69:23 -- He states "May their eyes be darkened so
they cannot see."
Because of their cruel and unjust treatment of Christ, He abandoned them after having
them hardened in their spirit of rejection. This abandonment was not to be permanent,
however. Paul gives us insight as to its duration:
Rom. 11:25-27 -- 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 so all Israel will be saved as it is written: The deliverer will come from Zion; he
will turn godlessness away from Jacob. "This is my covenant with them when I
take away their sins." (Paul quotes from Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9.)
Because of their rejection and crucifixion of Christ, the Israelites were blinded and
hardened in that state of rebellion to God, and God abandoned them. We have no basis
to conclude that this rejection (by God) is permanent -- if we study the Scriptures
regarding this rejection of the Israelites.
This abandoning of the Israelites to their hardened hearts is to last until the last
Gentile is called in. Then this hardening will be removed and the survivors that
remain in Jerusalem at that time will all be saved. That time being the Second
Coming.
Let us look at another Old Testament source, speaking of this same problem.
Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, speaks of this same problem of Israel being abandoned;
the why and the how long.
Micah 5:1 -- Marshall 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.
Then they spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and
again.)
Micah 5:2 -- But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are
small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over
Israel, whose origins are of old, from ancient times. (This is to identify
which of Israel's rulers verse one is speaking of.)
Vs. 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."
Therefore Israel will be abandoned (because of the crucifixion) until the time
when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers returns to join the
Israelites. This clearly tells us that after this "until" they will
no longer be abandoned.
We know, from what Paul told us in Romans 11:25, that this spiritual hardening of the
Israelites in a state of rejection of Christ, is to last until the last Gentile is
called in. This occurs just before Christ's Second Coming.
How does this fit with the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the
rest of her brothers return to join the Israelites? This has to be speaking of
Gentile believers who belong to Christ -- from every nation, kindred, and tongue
and people. They will be gathered together and join the Israelites immediately
following the Second Coming. Remember that all these Gentile believers belong to
Christ, therefore "they are of Abraham's seed and heirs according to the
promise" (Gal. 3:29).
I believe this requires careful consideration as to who comprise the group referred to
as "her brothers" who join the Israelites. Isaiah gives us a beautiful
picture of this group of survivors in Jerusalem who have just undergone 3-l/2 years of
trampling by the Gentiles and are then set free at Christ's Second Coming.
Isa. 4:2-5 -- 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 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 hiding place from the storm and rain.
This is the group that the Gentile brothers will be joining -- not as Jews and
Gentiles, but as brothers of one nation with Christ as their king and David their prince.
There will also be an upgrading of the earth at that time -- at least in the
Holy Land. Notice the conditions as described by Isaiah:
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.
Doesn't sound like a dark, deserted, chaotic world, does it? Isaiah, a contemporary of
Micah had a prophetic vision of this same pregnancy, and which helps to fill in the
missing pieces.
Isa. 66:7,8 -- 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 things? (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.
Vss. 14-16 -- 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.
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. For with fire and with His sword the Lord will execute
judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the Lord.
This woman in labor is Zion, God's church in the end-time. She gives birth to a son,
a male child, her children -- (the 144,000).
Before Christ comes in all His glory He is first revealed to every nation, kindred,
tongue and people by the ones that He has purchased with His blood and sealed with the
Holy Spirit to accomplish this awesome task. We know it can't be speaking of God's
church giving birth to Jesus because that happened before Israel was abandoned.
Israel was abandoned at the time of the crucifixion, and this birth was to take
place when this abandonment will be lifted. You will notice that immediately
afterward, in the time frame of this event above, it describes the Second Coming.
It is important to understand that all of these promises to restore the Holy Land to
the redeemed is scheduled to occur at the time immediately after the Second Coming, and
was prophesied to occur at this time -- at least from the time of David, 1000 years
before Christ.
In the portrayal of Zion's pregnancy and delivery it is as if God divided up the
picture into three indispensable pieces. He revealed these three portions through three
prophets. We have already considered the pieces of the puzzle as given by Micah 5:3
and Isaiah 66:7-16.
Some have insisted on obtaining all of their information from the portion of the
picture as presented in Revelation 12:1-5. And, while it looks plausible that this
refers to Jesus' birth by studying that portion of the puzzle alone; by studying all
three pieces as a whole it gives a very different picture. This is the danger we
run into when we ignore the Old Testament prophecies of end-time events. It is the
danger of having our scenario seriously flawed.
There is one more pregnancy that we need to understand because it is speaking of the
same event we have been considering. It is the one that is so often misunderstood.
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 twelve
stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give
birth.
Then another sign appeared in heaven: An
enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads...
The 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. (In the apparitions of Mary going throughout
the world at this time, the apparitions of Mary claim to be this woman of Revelation)
It is obvious that this is speaking of the same pregnancy and delivery as described in
Micah and Isaiah. It can't be referring to the birth of Christ for the first verse
of Revelation states that this book is the revelation of Jesus Christ to show His servants
(144,000) what must soon take place. I don't believe we have any hard
evidence from Scripture that the 144,000 are already sealed. This was to inform them of
what must soon take place -- not what took place 2000 years ago.
Revelation gives us a vivid account of how this male child -- (144,000), was
snatched up to God and to His throne. After they have completed their 1260 days of
prophesying we find this account:
Rev. 11:7-12 -- Now when they have finished their
testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill
them...
For 3-l/2 days men from every people,
tribe, language and nation will gaze on their dead bodies and refuse them burial...
But after the 3-l/2 days a breath of life
from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven
saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud,
while their enemies looked on.
It is important for us to remember that these are all prophets (they will prophesy for
1260 days -- Rev.11:3). They have all been martyred for their testimony of
Jesus (the Spirit of Prophecy) and the Word of God. They all will be redeemed
from the earth 3-l/2 days following their martyrdom.
Now, to get back to the difference of basis in carrying out the promises of the
Sinaitic Covenant versus the everlasting New Covenant after the time of the cross.
The Sinaitic Covenant was based on the Israelites keeping their promise:
Ex. 19:5 -- Now, if you obey me (God) fully
and keep my Covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.
Vss. 7,8 -- So Moses went back and summoned the elders
of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak.
The people all responded together, "We will do everything the Lord has said."
Let us now turn our attention to the New Covenant. In Hebrews it is
comparing the Sinaitic Covenant being ministered by the earthly priests with Christ our
high priest ministering the New Covenant.
Heb. 8:6 -- But the ministry Jesus has received is as
superior to theirs as the Covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, (Sinaitic)
and it is founded on better promises.
Note that the old one was based on the Israelites keeping their promise; "We will
do everything the Lord has said." The New Covenant was based on better
promises. Notice:
Heb. 8:10 -- This is the covenant I will make with
the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will
put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be
their God, and they will be my people."
How obvious the absence of if you do this -- then I will do that.
These promises are built on the Word of God -- not on man's promise to merit
them by obedience. God's promises will be carried out as He has sworn to do, but
only those who believe on Christ and submit their lives to Him will be candidates to
receive these gifts.
Gal. 3:28,29 -- There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave or
free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to
Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Where so many have gone astray is to take these promises to be fulfilled under the New
Covenant and apply the rules that applied to the Old Covenant. The better promises,
as brought out in the quote from Hebrews, is referring to the promises of the Israelites
in the Old Sinaitic Covenant versus the promises of God in the New. Could anyone
doubt that the latter are based on better promises?
We find another illustration of the better promises of the New Covenant. Note:
Deut. 6:25 -- And if we are careful to obey all this law
before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.
The basis for our righteousness under the Old Sinaitic Covenant was to be our obedience
to keep all the rules and regulations of that Covenant. Note the basis for our
righteousness in the New Covenant:
Rom. 3:21 -- But now a righteousness from God, apart
from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
Vs. 28 -- For we maintain that a man is justified by faith
apart from observing the law.
Is there any question about this being the major one of those better promises? At
our best our righteousness based on keeping the law was as filthy rags in God's sight.
Now, by confessing our sins and admitting that we are sinners, we turn from our sins
and place ourselves at the mercy of God, He forgives us all our sins and gives us His robe
of righteousness and makes us in His sight just as if we had never sinned --
justification.
Now let us consider some of these promises of God concerning restoration of Israel.
These promises are all scheduled to occur in the future so can in no wise be a part
of the promises of the Sinaitic Covenant.
The entire chapter of Jeremiah, under the heading of "Restoration of Israel"
is not speaking of the restoration of Israel after the Babylonian Captivity because it
states that they will serve "the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will
raise up for them." Notice carefully the language of the promises made in
this chapter, and notice also the total absence of "I will do this, if you do
that."
Jer. 30:3 -- The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I
will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land
I gave their forefathers to possess, says the Lord.
Vs. 7 -- How awful that day will be! None will be
like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.
(Only the Second Coming can fill this description.)
Vss. 8,9 -- In that day, declares the Lord
Almighty, I will break the yoke off their necks and tear off their bonds; (The
Israelites in exile at the time of the end. See Zech. 14:2).
No longer will foreigners
enslave them. Instead they will serve the Lord their God and David their king,
whom I will raise up for them. (Where else can this logically be placed
except after the Second Coming?)
Vs. 11 -- I am with you and will save you, declares
the Lord. Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I
will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but only with justice; I will not
let you go entirely unpunished.
Vss. 21,22 -- Their leader will be one of their own;
their ruler will arise from among them. (Christ) I will bring him near and he will
come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?" declares
the Lord. So you will be my people, and I will be your God.
First of all, we must see that these promises are made in the time frame of the Second
Coming. "How awful that day will be! None will be like it."
Can you think of any other day that can replace the Second Coming; to answer this
description?
Secondly, notice the total absence of, "If you will do this, then I will do
that." The previous "If you will be my people (obey me) I will be your
God." This has been replaced by better promises; "So you will be my
people, and I will be your God."
The promises now have been made dependent on the Word of God Himself. The only
thing conditional now is, am I going to be a part of the group who benefits from these
promises? If we belong to Christ then we will be entitled to these promises
because "then are we Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise."
Notice again from the book of Ezekiel. We find promises of restoration of Israel
in the same time frame as reported in Jeremiah above:
Eze. 36:22,28 -- 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, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone...
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.
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.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.
Notice the statement, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am
going to do these things." All these promises that God is making for
their restoration as a people and as a nation are not to be based on their level of
behavior; a behavior which was obviously in rebellion to God. Instead, it was built
on the statement, "but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned
among the nations where you have gone."
It is obvious that this promised restoration will be carried out in spite of the
deplorable spiritual condition of the Israelites. That is because it is on the basis
of a promise of God to do it. That is what makes this restoration irrevocable.
And remember the words of Paul: "But God in his grace gave it to Abraham
through a promise (Gal. 3:18). In His Grace means that in the unmerited favor of the
descendants of Abraham these promises would be carried out.
Eze. 36:26 -- I will remove from you your heart of stone
and give you a heart of flesh...
Vs. 28 -- You will live in the land I gave your
forefathers; You will be my people, and I will be your God.
Vss. 33-36 -- 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. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying
desolate in the sight of all who pass through it.
They will say, ‘This land that was
laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins,
desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited.’
Then the nations around you that remain
will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was
desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it."
(How dare we tell God He won't do it?)
Did you notice that sentence, "On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I
will resettle your towns and the ruins will be rebuilt." Notice that it is
God doing the cleansing, and this is not completed until after His Second Coming.
Then He will resettle and rebuild their towns.
If it is not clear to you that this is a total lack of conditional language which the
Lord uses in giving these promises, then go back to the beginning of the study and compare
the instructions to the Israelites on their receiving the Sinaitic Covenant.
These promises listed above are as sure as the Word of God Himself. The
restoration will be done according to His word, but only those who qualify as His children
will be included in its citizenship.
Let me give you an example of the trouble we get into when we mix the instructions and
rules of these Two Covenants.
Some sincere Christians hold that the events prophesied by Ezekiel in chapters 38 &
39 can never be carried out due to Israel's permanent rejection, as a nation, by God.
One of the major problems we encounter with this is that the battle described in
these two chapters is describing Christ's Second Coming and the Battle of Armageddon,
which occurs in the area surrounding Jerusalem.
There are many points to prove that this is a description of Christ's Second Coming.
For the constraints of space I will bring out and concentrate on two of them.
We pick up where Gog, (the Antichrist) the general of the armies of all the earth
(One World Order) are surrounding Jerusalem to attack her.
Eze. 38:18-20 -- This is what will happen in that
day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, My hot anger will be aroused, declares the
Sovereign Lord. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall
be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.
The fish of the sea, the birds of the
air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the
people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will
be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.
"Will tremble at my presence." This is proof positive
that this mother of all earthquakes is due to Christ's presence. This should satisfy
all that this occurs at His Second Coming. Compare the above with the great
earthquake at His Second Coming as described in Revelation:
Rev. 16:18-20 -- Then there came flashes of lightning,
rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake.
No earthquake like it has ever occurred
since man has been on the earth...
Every island fled away and the mountains
could not be found.
There is no question that these are speaking of the same earthquake at the same event.
Now, notice God's invitation to the birds and beasts to feast on the carnage and
slaughter at His Coming.
Eze. 39:17-20 -- Call out to every kind of bird and all
the wild animals: "Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am
preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel.
There you will eat flesh and drink blood.
You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of princes of the earth as
if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls -- all of them fattened animals from Bashan.
At the sacrifice I am preparing for you,
you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. At my
table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every
kind," declares the Sovereign Lord.
Now compare a description of this same supper and God's invitation in Revelation.
Rev. 19:17,18 -- And I saw an angel standing in the sun,
who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair,
"Come, gather together for the great
supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses
and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great."
You will notice that both events are more fully covered in Ezekiel's description.
Both sources are given by inspiration from God and are, in each book, describing
the same end-time event -- Christ's Second Coming. I would like to point out
that, during the description of this carnage, the Lord pauses to make this statement:
Eze. 39:8 -- "It is coming! It will surely take
place," declares the Sovereign Lord. "This is the day I have spoken
of."
(Does this sound conditional to you?)
After the smoke of battle has cleared, life in the Holy Land and on the rest of the
earth goes on; in a greatly reduced population base for sure.
Eze. 39:11-13 -- "On that day I will give Gog a
burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east toward the Sea (Dead
Sea). It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be
buried there...
For seven months the house of Israel will
be burying them in order to cleanse the land. All the people of the land will be
burying them, and the day I am glorified will be a memorable day for them,"
declares the Lord.
When will be the day that Christ is glorified? Agreement should be unanimous that
this can only be at His glorious Second Coming.
Does the Bible outline a 1000 year period of global deso-lation following Christ's
Second Coming? After the most detailed account of the Second Coming, with
description of the great carnage resulting from the Battle of Armageddon, God makes the
following statement:
Eze. 39:25 -- Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord
says: "I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on
all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name...
Vs. 28 -- Then they will know that I am the Lord their
God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own
land, not leaving any behind.
Vs. 29 -- I will no longer hide my face from them, for
I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Sovereign Lord.
For the preceding 2000 years God had abandoned them (hid His face from them). Now
they have been reconciled to Him. "I will now bring Jacob back from
captivity." "Now" being just after His Second Coming that He
has just described.
Be sure to remember that, if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and
heirs according to the promise, and a bona fide member of the house of Israel.
This shows that the exiles are brought back to Jerusalem after their three and a half
years of exile and definitely after the Second Coming -- and not leaving any
behind. Notice Verse 28, "Then they will know that I am the Lord their God."
For the past 2000 years they have refused to accept that knowledge. Now the small
number of the survivors in Israel will be reinstated as a nation. This nation,
however, will include all of the Gentile believers in Christ, and they will constitute one
kingdom with Christ their king and David their prince.
Since Joel 3 is listed in that group of prophecies that some say can never be
fulfilled, due to Israel's behavior, let us turn to this chapter to see if indeed we
must disregard this chapter. The first portion of the chapter is a very descriptive
account of the gathering of the nation's armies to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. This
is to the Battle of Armageddon. Read it all. I will limit my comments to the portion
from:
Joel 3:16-21 -- The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder
from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge
for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. (This can only be at the
time of the Second Coming.)
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!
"The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky
will tremble." Can you write a one-sentence description of the Second
Coming to improve on God's description? He states that, "then you will know
that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, My holy hill."
If He says that we will know it then.
Then why can't we believe it now?
"Jerusalem will be holy." That's because He will be dwelling and
reigning there. "Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all
generations." Prefer this scenario or not, the Lord says that this is what is
going to happen immediately after His Second Coming.
What is this bloodguilt that God has not previously pardoned, but will pardon
immediately after His Second Coming?
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!"
Isn't it getting better in focus; the picture of God's forgiving the Israelites their
bloodguilt and Him carrying out His promises to restore the Holy Land and to dwell and
reign in Jerusalem -- all on schedule; also that the implementation is to be
carried out immediately after His Second Coming?
Do you find evidence in Ezekiel 38 & 39 and in Joel 3 that makes you comfortable
with saying "These promises have never been and will never be fulfilled?"
Do you really believe that, from Scripture, we can show God or anyone else why we may
feel free to disregard a great portion of the prophetic books from Psalms to Zechariah?
Summary of Israelites' Abandonment
—Permanent or Temporary—
Due to the Israelite's rejection and crucifixion of Christ, they were abandoned by God.
Was this abandonment permanent? If it was, then all the prophetic books of
the Old Testament are unreliable and God has failed to tell us so. Does the Bible
supply sufficient information to leave us no excuse from seeing which answer to the above
question is correct? Let's carefully check it out. The answer is clearly
stated.
I find four passages in the Bible which mention the Israelites being spiritually
hardened, abandoned, etc., due to their rejection of Christ -- and the time it was
to last. There may be more. Note the following:
(1) Rom.11:25,26 -- Israel has experienced a
hardening in part, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so
all Israel will be saved as it is written.
Paul wrote this 30 years after the crucifixion, at which time this hardening was
applied, and it was to last until the last Gentile was called in. Surely this is
still in place and must continue until just before the Second Coming. Surely the
last Gentile has not yet been called in.
(2) Micah 5:1,3 -- They will strike Israel's ruler
on the cheek with a rod.
(The soldiers and mob at Christ's trial and crucifixion, -- John 19:3 NEB --
"Then time after time they came up to Him, crying, "Hail, King of the
Jews!" and struck Him on the face.)
Therefore (for this reason -- the crucifixion) Israel will be
abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers
return to join the Israelites.
We have seen from statement # 1 that this occurs at the time of the Second Coming, so
this would have to be in the same time frame. Isaiah 66:7,8,14-16 tells us that this
is referring to Zion, God's church in the end-time, giving birth to her children
(144,000).
If the Israelites were abandoned until, this would mean that until would
represent the time when they would no longer be abandoned as a nation. We know that
individually they have never been abandoned by God.
(3) Acts 3:19-21 -- Repent, then, and turn to God,
so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and
that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you -- even Jesus.
He must remain in Heaven until the time
comes for God to restore everything as He promised long ago through His holy prophets.
This states that Jesus must remain in heaven until (His Second Coming) which is the
time for God to restore everything as He promised long ago through His holy prophets.
This requires no bending or manipulating the text to see that this is referring to
the restoration, as listed in all these prophetic books, which is to take place at
Christ's Second Coming.
Just before His crucifixion Jesus made the following statement regarding the
Israelites:
Matt. 23:38,39 -- "Look, your house is left to you
desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is
He who comes in the name of the Lord.’ "
Why is their house (temple) left to them desolate? Because Christ's presence will
no longer be in it. It had been there when the Sanctuary was built in the
wilderness, and it was there during Christ's earthly ministry; but His presence was to
remain absent until they say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
We know that this has not happened yet and is not scheduled to happen until
Christ's Second Coming.
Jer. 31:38-40 -- The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate...
The city will never again be uprooted or
demolished.
Eze. 37:25-28 -- They will live in the land I gave to
my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived...
I will make a covenant of peace with
them; it will be an everlasting covenant.
I will establish them and increase their
numbers and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be
with them; I will be their God and they will be my people.
Then the nations will know that I the
Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is with them forever.
This will be the time when His presence will again be in His sanctuary. It is all
a part of this promised restoration. This must happen immediately following the
Second Coming because the city and the sanctuary that will be built for Him will never
again be uprooted or demolished.
Eze. 36:28-36 -- I will remove from you your heart of
stone (the spiritual hardening He had placed on them at the crucifixion) and give
you a heart of flesh...
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... (after the Second Coming for sure).
"Then the nations around you that
remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what
was desolate. "I the Lord have spoken and I will do it."
(Can you imagine finite human beings saying "No way is this going to
happen!")
The Israelites will be restored to their special standing before God as a nation, not
due to their merit to deserve it, but because of the irrevocable promise God made to
Abraham -- by the grace of God alone -- the same way that every
sinner will be saved.
We come now to making a final decision to the question, were the Israelites permanently
and irrevocably rejected by God due to their rejection and crucifixion of Christ?
I believe the four passages of Scripture that have been presented, one from the Old
Testament and three from the New, make it very clear that this abandonment of the
Israelites was temporary. Reconciliation will be re-established at Christ's
Second Coming.
For those who would want this to be further verified, I believe God made a very
powerful statement for He knew some would contest this unreasonably generous decision
(from a human standpoint) by God to reconcile the Israelites as a nation after all they
did.
Jer. 31:35-40 -- This is what the Lord says, He who
appoints the sun to shine by day; who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who
stirs up the sea so that its waves roar -- the Lord Almighty is His name,
Only if:
(1) the heavens above can be measured and
(2) the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,
declares the Lord.
Consider these two statements that follow, "Only if."
Only if these situations should exist do we have permission by God to consider
that that assumption might be possible. It doesn't require a scientist to realize
that we are not even close to meeting the requirements demanded in the "Only
ifs" above.
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