1
Why Still Care About Israel
?
Golden Nuggets Review
by Jesse K. Hyder
Book by Sandra Teplinsky; Chosen
Books
; 2013
www.whystillcareaboutisrael.com
or
www.lightofzion.org
Contents
:
Foreword
by Michael L. Brown 13
1. Why Still Care about Israel? 13
2. God’s Inseparable Love 27
3. The
S
anctity of
C
ovenant 41
4. Israel’s
Prophetic Destiny 61
5. The Contention of Election 79
6. The Salvation of Israel 97
7. Rejected Roots and Broken Branches 115
8. The Islamic Middle East and Anti
-
Semitism 129
9. Discerning Truth about Israel Today 149
10. Israeli Statehood and
the Arab/Palestinian Plight 169
11. Israeli Injustice? 191
12. Countering Christian Zionism: Christian Palestinianism 207
13. A Future and a Hope 225
14. Altar of Sacrifice 249
Foreword
about Sandy
T
eplinsky
:
1. She is a lover of God, desiring
to please Him.
2. She is a woman of prayer and compassion.
3. As a trained attorney, she is meticulous in her research and understands proper legal argumentation.
4. She is a careful student of the Scriptures and history and knows how to avoid common in
terpretive errors by using
reliable scholarly sources.
5. As a Messianic Jewish
woman ... she loves and supports the Jewish state without idealizing it.
6. She is burdened to be fail to all.
7. She is burdened to keep pointing readers to Yeshua (Je
sus).
8. She is burdened to be meticulously accurate in all she writes.
9. She is burdened to convey God’s heart for Israel.
Chapter 1
: Why Still Care about Israel?
1.
P14
-
The first question must be, “Who is our God, this sovereign and supreme Crea
tor of the universe?”
2. We discover that
Israel ... is ultimately about Him
.
3. If we want to know what the Lord is saying to us, if we want to pray that His will be done
, if we want to know Him
better in the process: than
a Bible
-
based and factuall
y honest understanding of Israel is essential
.
4.
Through Israel
the Creator is revealing the passions of His heart for all humankind.
5.
He is testing Jews and Gentiles
,
He is refining the Church
,
shaking civilizations
and
establishing His Kingdom
.
6.
He is doing it with extravagant love
–
and He invites us to come, see and take part.
Who Will Benefit from This Book?
7. This book was written for 4 types of readers:
1)
Bible believers who
are interested in Israel
and
want to learn more from a Messianic Jewish Israeli
perspective.
2) Christians who already care much for Israel but want to stay current on issue or gain deeper insight.
2
3) Christians who question or doubt that God still has p
rophetic plans for Israel.
4) Non
-
Christians who are puzzled or troubled by the controversy and quandary of Israel
–
and are willing to
view the matter through the lens of Scripture.
8.
P15
-
The first book
–
Why care about Israel?
–
aimed to raise consciousness about the Jewish state, opening up the
Scriptures and God’s heart
for Israel and the Arab Middle E
ast.
Revised for New Realities
9.
P16
–
This book is intended to inspire Chr
ist
-
like love for the Jewish people
–
but not at the expense of other groups.
10.
Author’s goal is to give the reader
–
as best as God has enabled
–
revelation of His heart through biblical and factual
truth
, from a Messianic Israeli perspective.
11. This updated version unpacks and suggests a response to realities such as:
1) New
s
piritual breakthroughs:
2) New Christian anti
-
Israel theologies:
3) New levels of warfare
:
4) Social justice:
5) Palestinian statehood:
6) Israel’s delegitimization and the new anti
-
Semitism:
7) Islamist awakening:
8) Western ideological revolution:
9) Bible prophecy:
12.
P17
The ultimate focus i
s on Jesus
–
we must cling to the One who is the same today, yesterday, tomorrow.
13.
Our
heart
s
humbly fixed on Him,
our
li
ves
surrendered to the Savior (then)
we should be quite optimistic about the
future, so long as we wholeheartedly follow H
im into it.
Pressing the Reset Button
14.
P18
Set aside certain preconceptions if you have them:
1) Suspend the echo of endless indictments against an allegedly belligerent or oppressive Jewish state.
2) Subdue the extreme opposite cries of others who might deify the Jewish people or their ancestral homeland.
15.
Look at the inspired and authoritative Word of God:
1) See that the Creator King picked an otherwise sorry little strain of humanity called Israel for His own glory.
2) See that He lovingly assigned irrevocable responsibility for service, not superiority.
3) See tha
t His concept of a chosen people differs radically from what may be portrayed by many.
16. Israel has always been about something and Someone much bigger than herself.
17. God is using the tiny Jewish state as a microcosm of what He is doing with us all.
18. God is using Israel to reveal and refine the hearts of humanity.
Gazing into God’s Heart
19.
P19
Mat. 25:40 “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you
did for Me.”
1)
These brothers and sisters of Mine” are the Jewish people
.
2) The Lord was speaking to His disciples explicitly about the end times.
3) Israel would endure much hardship (see Mat. 24:3
–
25:30).
4) Our action
s toward His “brothers and sisters” in that day would affect our eternal destiny.
5) How we treat Israel reflects to a real extent how we would treat the Lord Jesus Himself.
20.
P20
The Creator does not play favorites with Israel.
21. He c
hose Israel so that people in every nation and period of history would know
–
through her Scriptures, her Savior
and her soul
–
His loving mercy and grace.
22. God is not finished with the Jewish nation or with how He wants to bless us throug
h her.
3
23. God beckons us into His heart for His covenant people
. There
-
you will discover a jealous and zealous love for the
Jews.
24. God is allowing Israel to serve as a strategic point of division.
Some will stand with Israel and some will turn aw
ay.
25.
P21
Our stand in the end will be less about the Jewish state and more about Him.
Testing and Threshing in Justice
26.
God uniquely connects Himself to the people and land of Israel.
27.
God picked a spot on earth to put His Name forever
(Jerus
alem: 2 Chron 33:7; 1 Kings 9:3).
28.
God also chose a people
–
the Jews
–
to inherit and inhabit the land of that place
:
1) King David ... built an altar on it ( 2 Samuel 24:15
-
25)
2)
Solomon constructed God’s Holy Temple on it and there His glory came down, dwelling in unequaled grandeur
on earth.
29. Today the Temple Mount ... sifts nations’ souls through their contest for its control.
30. There Yeshua will rule an
d reign in Kingdom splendor
–
something His enemies are scrambling to prevent.
31. The Temple Mount will prove
the consummate testing ground
, the place where Messiah and anti
-
Messiah, and the
follow
e
rs of both, will someday be exposed.
32.
It is
a test God wants us to pass
–
because it is a test of love. And by design, it will involve the Jews
.
33.
P22
True justice is often perverted by the world’s collective understanding and response to Israel as nowhere else.
34. “Whoever touches [Israel]
touches the apple of [My] eye
–
I will surely raise my hand against
them.” (Zech. 1:14
-
15; 2:8
-
9)
35. This is an expression of God’s fiery love for both Israel and the nations.
36. God wants us to make choices that enable our vision to be preser
ved.
37. God wants us to see where we are going, our steps aligned with His.
... to walk in His ways, discerning truth in love.
In New Words of Old
38. The Bible’s most concise yet comprehensive teaching on the relationship between Israel and the Churc
h is found in
Romans 9
-
11.
39.
P23
God’s perspective is Kingdom oriented; ours must be, too.
40.
T
his book digs deep in the pursuit of truth. ... The information ... intensively investigated ... drenched in years of
intercessory prayer.
Rea
ders
will enco
unter ... reality replete with heaven’s heartbeat.
41. A companion website
–
www.whystillcareaboutisrael.com
–
supplements this book.
42. In some instances the author refers to God as Yahwe
h, using the standard English Tetragrammaton.
43.
P24
Anti
-
Semitism refers to prejudicial hostility toward Jews.
44.
P25
Truth must be told so that we can align with righteousness and respond accordingly.
45. The author’s hope is that
as the book brings to light compelling realities and scriptural truths, we will experience
God’s
heart of love and grace.
46. Israel is all about Him.
Chapter 2
: God’s Inseparable Love
1.
P27
Nothing ... can separate us from the truth of God’s unwavering love. Why? Mercy
and
Grace (Rom. 8:38
-
39)
2.
P28
The flow of Scriptures
(Romans 8
-
9)
is strategic by the Spirit.
3. We are assured of Yahweh’s love for the Church in Romans 8:38
-
39.
4. We
are reminded of the unquenchable flame in His heart for the Jews in Romans 9:1.
5. The New Covenant’s keynote message on Israel is rooted in the revelation of God’s merciful, gracious love.
Why God Loves Israel
6. The first time Yahweh speaks of His lov
e is not at Creation
, but
to the children of Israel (Deu. 7:6
-
8).
7.
P29
God says that He loves Israel simply because He loved Israel
.
8.
His love for the Jewish people ... is according to divine reasoning, sovereign purpose
–
and most of all, mercy
and
gr
ace.
4
9. The Creator’s love for His people exists ultimately for His own sake.
10. He loves because He is love (1 John 4:
8, 16)
. He loves you because love is His nature and character
.
11. God ties His love for the Jewish people to the oath He swore to th
em.
12.
He unconditionally binds Himself by His word to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
.
13. God loves Israel because He loved Israel, because He committed to love Israel.
14. If you are a New Covenant son or daughter, He also loves you, unshakeably.
15
.
P30
God
does not approve of sin on the part of His covenant children, Jewish or Christian.
16
Sin does not extinguish unconditional love
.
17.
It is only when the Church ...
believes that its own existence is based on human achievement, and so fails to
understand God’s mercy to itself, that it is unable to believe in
God’s mercy for still unbelieving Israel
.
Loving in Hebrew
19. It is in Hebrew that God gives us the foundational knowledge of His love, and solid foundations are key to good
constructs of any kind.
20.
P31
Hebrew Scriptures use 3 different words to convey love:
1)
a
hav
, a primary root
, means to love, have affection, be attached to, delight in ... (in Deu. 7:7
-
8)
2)
khashaq
means to love, long f
or, desire, delight in and implies clinging. (in Deu. 7:7
-
8)
3)
keenah
used to denote Yahweh’s ardor, zeal or jealousy. (not in Deu. 7:7
-
8)
21. The point is the passion! God is absolutely amorous toward Israel. She is the object of a divine
love affair.
22. It is not suggested that God’s
heart for Israel excludes
Gentiles from the totality of His blessings.
23. God’s heart for Israel is related to
His ineffable desire to bless all peoples on earth
.
24. God is the Author of language and Hebre
w is the original tongue in which He communicates to His people.
25. In the Hebrew language every word
and
every letter of every word bespeaks something of His nature.
26.
P32
By its 3 component
letters,
ahav
communicates sacrifice, strength, communion w
ith God
and
familial
relationship.
Love Synergized: The Church and Israel
27. Birthed from Yahweh’s love for all humanity, Israel was created for His personal affection and ardor.
28. Israel was to love Him back and mediate His love to others.
29.
Israe
l is lost in her sin apart from her Savior
.
30. The Spirit has an
unending burden of love for the Jews. (Romans 9:1
-
4)
31.
P33
God’s burden for Israel is central to His redemptive plans for all peoples.
32. Not for Israel’s sake but His, the destiny He
designed for Israel will someday be fulfilled.
33. In these last days ... Israel has been placed center stage before a global audience.
34. God’s love story is on divine display as the nations lock in on the tiny Jewish state. And
He is noting our response
.
35. Will it be one of love, “the most excellent way”(1 Cor. 12:31;
13).
36. We gain nothing without love. Love is the greatest gift ... It never fails; it lasts forever.
37. Love is the most valued substance of the universe.
38. Jesus cautioned that in t
he last days, Kingdom conflict between good and evil would greatly increase. ... As a result,
the love of most would grow cold. (Mat. 24:12
-
13)
39.
P
34
Messiah’s true followers, however, will stand firm to the end. They will not just endure the tim
es but engage
with His sacrificial strength in the intimate communion of His
ahav
.
Refining Love
40. Pure
Messiah
-
like love is given without condition, solely to bless the beloved.
41. Such love is the ultimate substance and test of our faith.
4
2. Such love is that which the Lord has always radically required of those who dare follow Him fully.
43. Today,
He is using Israel to help us attain to it
.
44. One Arab believer said: “When I was willing to love the Jews, God filled me with His love for m
e.”
45.
P35
Since Israel’s modern
-
day restoration, many believers have ... viewed
the Jewish state as a prophetic timepiece.
5
46. As a prophetic people through whom God speaks, Israel uniquely reflects the hour of world history.
47. Jesus did not die for pro
phetic timepieces.
48. Israel is His nation of treasured souls, most of whom desperately need salvation.
49. Genuine love does not depend on a prophetic agenda.
50. God wants to take our love to higher levels by taking us deeper into His heart.
51. God is
asking us to
love Israel because He loves Israel, unconditionally, uncompromisingly
.
52. We are to choose the most excellent way in loving God’
s ancient covenant people:
1) Not because the land of Israel is holy
2) Not because
prophecy gets fulfilled there
3) Not because we seek to convert Jews
4) Not because we want to get blessed
Mercy and Grace
53.
P36
In Ezekiel chapter 16 Yahweh recounts His adoring, doting care for Israel ... He gave her His ‘solemn oath’ ...
54. In return, Israel took her beauty and fame and ran off to become a whore ... (Ezekiel 16:15
-
19)
.
55.
P37
God responds to Israel by declaring: “
Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your
youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you” (Ezekiel 16:60)
.
56.
God loves Israel unconditionally. He will not quit or give up on her
.
57.
God will save Israel
by mercy and grace, and she will love Him back.
Tough Love
58. God tells Hosea to marry a harlot ... Hosea must love and keep covenant with her ... their marriage depicts Israel’s
adulterous relationship with God ( see Hosea 3:1).
59. Israel’s jealous
God ... will not stand for it.
He will do whatever it takes to win Israel back
.
60. Yahweh will be like a lion to the Jewish nation. He will tear her to pieces then hide Himself.
61.
P38
God will wait patiently for Israel to admit her guilt, turn back and
earnestly seek Him (Hosea 5:14
-
15).
62. The story bespeaks the tough love of God. In wrath, He remembers mercy; His own love constrains Him.
63. On Israel our long
-
suffering Creator ... stoutly refuses to give up ...
Israel will be transformed by mercy
and
grace
.
A New Covenant
64.
P39
Discipline Israel He must, but destroy or disown her completely? Never!
65. Eventually there came a time when sin so screamed for justice that God exiled the Jews from their land.
66. In this unlikely context of misery and
despair ... hope from heaven descended on the Jews
... a future ‘
new covenant
’.
67. “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with
the house of Judah ... 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 ... For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer. 31:31, 33
-
34)
68.
The
n
ew covenant
was not made with the Church; it
was originally
made with Israel
.
69.
That same mercy and grace extends to all nations
–
but keeps His covenant with Israel intact.
70.
P40
Next ... God reaffirms His commitment to sustain Israel as a nation forever. (Jer 31:35
-
37)
71. The descendants of Jacob have not
ceased being a nation before God.
72. Neither has God rejected Israel because of her sin!
73. Assured He will never reject His Old Covenant people, we can trust He will never reject His New Covenant people.
74.
If you are a Christian
, God’s love, mercy an
d grace for you are no less than they are for Israel.
Israel’s story is very
much yours
.
Chapter 3:
The Sanctity of Covenant
1.
P41
In the ancient world of the Bible, covenant defined and sealed relationship.
2. A covenant was, and still sho
uld be, an oath
s
crupulou
sly honored and protected by all.
3. Romans 9:4
-
5 describes the riches of God’s mercy and grace in His covenant with the Jewish people.
4. In this passage is outlined Israel’s inheritance and prophetic calling.
6
5. Invested in
Israel is blessing for all humankind
–
guaranteed by a blood
-
mediated covenant with Yahweh.
The Abrahamic Covenant
6.
P42
God’s covenant with Israel ... is still in an ongoing sense. The covenants and promises are still Israel’s.
7. “They are loved on a
ccount of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:28
-
29).
8.
Israel
’s destiny has not expired
. It has not been transferred to the Church or anyone else.
9.
The Church ... does not replace or supersede Israel
in God’s heart or plans for humankind.
10.
God’s covenant with Israel is still hers; it
is
I still in effect. It cannot be revoked; it is unconditional
.
11. If conditional, a covenant’s fulfillment depends on certain prerequisite conditions being met.
12.
P43
If the covenant is unconditional, then God binds only Himself to do anything.
13.
Sin cannot void or cancel God’s unconditional covenant
.
The Covenant Is Unconditional
14. Yahweh’s foundational covenant with Israel traces to Abraham.
15. “The LORD h
ad said to Abram ‘...
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse
; and
all peoples
on earth will be blessed through you
.’ ” (Gen. 12:1
-
3)
16. Yahweh (says), “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur ... to
give you this land
to take possession of it. (Gen 15
:7)
17.
With Abraham in a Spirit
-
induced sleep, God passes as holy fire between the pieces (of sacrificed animals).
He
declares, “
To your descendants I give this land
.”
(Gen. 15
:18)
18.
P44
To formalize a legal co
venant, animals were cut, then covenanting parties walked between the pieces in solemn
oath to perform their duties.
19. If only one party passed through the bodies ... only that one party undertook to perform covenant duties.
20. The fact that Yahwe
h alone passed between the animals ... establishes that
God’s covenant with Abraham ... is
radically, graciously unconditional
. The covenant was to be fulfilled by the integrity of God alone.
Inheritors of the Covenant
21. “Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish my covenant with him for an
everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.” (Gen 17:19)
22. Isaac fathers Esau and Jacob. Between them, Sover
eign God chooses Jacob and decrees, “In you and in your seed all
the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 28:14)
23. Jacob’s name is changed to Israel and his children become the flesh
-
and
-
blood inheritors of the unconditional
Abra
hamic covenant.
24.
P45
Hebrews 6:13
-
14
, 17 affirms: “When God made His promise to Abraham ... He swore by Himself ... because God
wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear.”
25. God followed the (#1) Abrahamic cove
nant with thre
e other covenants in chronological order:
#2) Mosaic or Sinai covenant (the Law)
#3) Davidic covenant (pertaining to the Messianic Kingdom)
#4) The New Covenant
26. Each covenant builds upon all previous covenant
s
–
but does not cancel any of them out.
Correctly Handle the Word of Truth
27. God wants us to “correctly handle the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15)
.
28. An incorrect handling of truth will usually result ... in an incorrect understanding of God’s covenant wit
h Israel.
29.
P46
The best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture itself.
30. Moses was the premier interpreter of Holy Scripture.
31. Moses’ inspired understandings laid the foundation for all subsequent Old and New Covenant writings.
32. The prophets followed Moses’ approach, and Yeshua’s teachings reflect, amplify and authenticate a Hebraic
-
based
method of interpretation.
33. All the Messianic Jewish apostles and New Covenant authors adhered to the same broad approach.
34. A
t
raditional, Hebraic approach
draws its
presuppositions
from the biblical text itself
.
7
35. The most foundational of these presuppositions is that God is relational, sincerely desiring to communicate wit
h us.
A Hebraic Approach to Bible Interpretation: Pard
es
36.
P47
God generally speaks in a plain, straightforward manner that we can understand.
37. The Master Communicator, God means what He says and says what He means.
38. Hebraic approach summary: Words of Scripture are fundamentally
–
but not exclusivel
y
–
understood according to
their plain, ordinary meaning, in consideration of the literary and historical context in which they were originally
written.
Biblical text should be understood in context
.
39.
Words should first be given their
plain sense or straightforward meaning
before any deeper meanings are sought out
and assigned to them.
40. A
traditional Hebraic hermeneutic
used since the third century BC is known as Pardes
and
consists of 4 main
principles:
1) 1
st
and
fundamental meaning of a biblical text is called
p’shat
(plain)
–
plain sense
and
straightforward, literal
meaning.
Additional layers build upon, but do not replace, the fundamental or p’shat level.
2) 2
nd
Pardes principle, known as
rem
ez
(hints) refers to the symbolic or allegorical understanding. Many times there
is both a plain sense and symbolic interpretation but occasionally a biblical text makes no sense according to its
literal meaning.
3) 3
rd
Parde
s principle, the
derash
(association) level of meaning is determined by comparing Scripture with Scripture.
4) 4
th
Pardes principle, the
sod
(secret) levels of esoteric, mystical or uniquely personal meanings.
(The
remez
,
derash
and
sod
le
vels must not dismiss or exclude a fundamental
p’shat
interpretation)
41.
P48
The New Covenant
is a Jewish book written by Jewish authors, expounding on Jewish concepts, using Jewish
hermeneutics.
42. The fundamental interpretation and application of the New Covenant text is according to the
p’shat
principle.
43.
P49
After the
p’shat
is established, additional levels of understanding and application may then be found.
Symbolizing the Scriptures
44. Pardes ... fell into disuse by much of the Church shortly after the first
-
century apostles.
45. Gentile Church leaders felt a different approach to Bible interpretation would better suit their own traditions.
46. Our Church fathers started to think of Go
d as unrelational, distant and aloof from humanity.
47. They adopted
a new hermeneutic based on new presuppositions that are not founded in Scripture
.
48. Their fundamental approach to Bible interpretation became
symbolic or allegorical
, instead of
plain s
ense literal
.
49. God’s words were understood as mostly referring to the et
h
e
real rather than earthly realm.
50.
P50
What fruit has the allegorical method borne? Fantasy unlimited.
51. In overemphasizing symbolism, an allegorical hermeneutic
does not exp
lain or account for the hundreds of past
literal fulfillments in the Bible of Old and new Covenant prophecy
.
52.
Allegorical hermeneutic
does not allow for literal future fulfillments of prophecy
.
53. Christians who interpret God’s Word according
t
o this approach
rarely regard modern Israel as a fulfillment of
prophecy and some of them strongly oppose her existence today as a restored Jewish state.
Supersessionism: Replacement Theology
54.
P51
To correctly handle the Word of truth, we must
maintain the fundamental strength of the literal
-
grammatical
historical hermeneutic.
55. Different streams of Ch
ristianity
have sought to recover many aspects of Hebraic
-
based hermeneutics.
56. Most traditional denominations and seminaries still r
ely heavily on the allegorical approach.
57.
P52
Supersessionism teaches that God’s prophetic promises and Kingdom purposes for the Jews have been
superseded, transferred or replaced.
58. Supersessionist theologies have inevitably brought about tr
agic expressions of Christian anti
-
Semitism.
59. The apostle Paul denounces all forms of supersessionism in Romans 9
-
11.
60. Classic
supersessionism
is known as
replacement theology
.
8
61. Replacement theology erroneously teaches that Israel has been
replaced by the Church in God’s heart and plans.
62.
Christian Palestinianism
is
a new supersessionism
being used by some as a theological justification and political tool
for anti
-
Zionism and anti
-
Israelism.
Valuing the Physical Realm
63.
P53
A Hebraic
-
based hermeneutic assumes that material reality is quite valuable to its Creator, who declared all that
He had made to be very good.
64. In contrast, Greco
-
Roman thought held a dualistic view by regarding the intangible spirit realm as
intrinsically good
but tangible matter as intrinsically bad.
65.
The New Covenant writers recognized and denounced the influence of this pagan perspective but subsequent
Church fathers reverted back to it.
66. If we regard the material real
m as evil ... we will likely dismiss important passages referring to the prophetic destiny
of flesh
-
and
-
blood Israel.
Interpreting the Old Covenant in Light of the New
67.
P54
How are Christians to interpret the Old Covenant in light of realities s
ubsequently affected by Jesus in the New?
1) We are not to read later text into previously written passages.
2)
Old Testament prophets n
ever reinterpreted preexisting Scriptures in light of their subsequent insights
; neither
should we
.
3)
No new text could ever refute or replace preexisting text ... consistency with all prior biblical writings.
4) New meaning never contradicts the old.
5) The New Covenant ... does not abolish or abrogate that original
more literal meaning.
68.
P55
Messiah is the crowning centerpiece of the Hebrew Scriptures!
69. The Old Covenant is the New concealed; the New Covenant is the Old revealed.
70. How should Christians interpret Old Covenant passages about Israel in light of the New?
1) Where the Scriptures deal with the Jewish people ... apply these passages to Israel first and with priority.
2) Having honored His original intentions, apply to other situations in light of the New Covenant.
3) Keep Yeshua at the cen
ter, navigate issues on Israel with integrity
... receive rich blessings.
Romans 9 and the Promised Land
71.
P56
In Romans 9:4
-
5 Paul reminds us that
God’s promises to Israel, about Israel, are still Israel’s
.
72. The promise of land, a core component of t
he Abrahamic covenant. (Genesis 12:1, 7; 17:19)
73.
Read i
mplicit reference to the land promise in connection with Israel’s future national salvation. (Rom 11:26
-
27)
The Mosaic Covenant and the Land Promise
74.
P57
The Mosaic Law places clear conditions on Israel’s ability to inhabit or physically possess the land. (conditional)
75. The Abrahamic covenant that contains the land promise is everlasting. (unconditional)
76. The Hebrew prophets ... speak of territorial e
xile, but they also promise a return
–
based on grace, not good works.
77. The prophets describe how, when Israel disobeyed God, she
temporarily lost physical possession of the land
.
78. Israel never lost its promised ownership. (Galatians 3:17
-
18)
79. Isr
ael’s promised, irrevocable ownership is no cause for arrogance or excuse for sin on her part, but remains a
covenant reality that cannot be extinguished.
The New Covenant Upholds the Land Promise
80.
P58
The New Covenant never explicitly repeals
the land promise to I
s
rael ... it does not explicitly repeat the promise.
81. A proper hermeneutic assumes ongoing relevance for every promise that is not specifically canceled.
82. If the New Covenant is silent about a specific promise, that promise is sti
ll in effect.
83. The New covenant does not directly and clearly restate the land promise.
84. Scattered isolated verses ... are consistent with other New Covenant teachings that reflect Israel would ... be
physically restored and living in the Promise
d Land.
9
85.
P59
Yeshua also said that Jerusalem would not see Him again until the holy city ... blessed and welcomed Him back.
Israel’s religious leaders would have to be in Jerusalem, with the Jews back in their land.
(Mat 23:39)
86. Like Yeshua,
Paul implicitly affirms the land promise in Romans 11:25
-
27.
87. The apostle foresees the Jews living in the Promised Land when Messiah
(Israel’s deliverer) comes again.
88. Yeshua’s
teachings
reflect and implicitly affirm Israel’s future presence in the
land.
89.
P60
Both Old and New Covenants promise that a time will come when God’s focus shifts back to national Israel,
both physically and spiritually.
90. Israel’s restoration will reflect the same mercy and grace that extended the Kingdom to t
he Gentiles.
91. Prophets
... collectively ... describe a gradual process of a literal return by the Jews to the land, followed by a spiritual
return to the Lord.
92. When Israel’s return reaches its consummate fulfillment,
heaven will break gloriously
loose on earth
.
Chapter 4
: Israel’s Prophetic Destiny
1.
P61
“
Theirs is the adoption to sonship, theirs the divine glory ... the receiving of the law, the temple worship ... Theirs
are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised!
Amen.
”
(
Romans 9:4
-
5
)
Adoption as Sons
2.
P62
The Jewish people are God’s adopted firstborn son.
3. As Yahweh’s firstborn,
the Jewish nation is typically the first to get whatever He has in store for the rest of us.
4. Israel serves as an example and prophetic microcosm of His larger dealings with humanity.
5.
P63
Israel is given a certain priority, but not superiority.
6.
Gentiles who give their lives to Jesus are also adopted as full sons or daughters into God’s family of faith.
Divine Glory
7.
Israel’s “is” the divine glory.
8. The Holy Scriptures themselves, God’s Word with which Israel has been entrusted, reflect Hi
s incomparable glory.
9. A singular dimension of His divine glory still remains with Israel:
1) In the process of her miraculous restoration.
2) In her growing Messianic remnant ablaze with faith.
4) God is preparing Israel to humbly serve
the nations in a future, greater glory that will converge heaven with earth.
5) Yeshua will return to rule and reign in Jerusalem, from where His glory will cover the globe. (Hab 2:14, Is 60:1
-
2)
Receiving of the Law
10.
P64
Because theirs is “the receiving of the law” a certain anointing is on Israel to love, comprehend and minister
God’s Word. ... the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. (Romans 3:12)
11. God has been restoring to the Church a Yeshua
-
centered love for His entire Word. ... He is setting us free.
Fulfilling the Law
12. “Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)
13. The word translated “law” is the Greek word
nomos
... the same word used throug
hout the NT for
Torah
.
14. The Torah technically constitutes the 1
st
5 books of the Bible, but can also refer to all the Hebrew Scriptures.
15. The term
nomos
, does not speak strictly of the commands and statutes, it also speaks of the Spirit
-
empowered
means by which believers grow in grace by appropriating God’s instruction in holy
love
.
16. In using the term
nomos
, the Jewish writers of the New Covenant refer to His Word engraved on our hearts. (Jer31)
17.
P65
“All Scripture is God
-
breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so
that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16
-
17)
18. The “all Scripture” to which Paul r
efers
–
and the importance of which he affirms
–
is the Old Covenant.
19. Yeshua Himself clarifies that He did not repeal the Old Covenant. (Matthew 5:17)
20. Messiah encourages Torah teaching for New Covenant believers. (Matthew 13:52)
29
companies that do business with Israeli enterprises
–
particularly in
the West Bank.
32. The stated
goal of the movement is to economically isolate and thereby strangle the Jewish state
.
33. Several large Christian denominations are among the most vocal advocates of BDS.
Does Israel’s Military Violate Human Rights?
34.
P199
The concept of human rights, in its purest expression, derives from the Bible.
35. God’s Word attributes inherent worth and dignity to every human being, for all are created in His image.
36. The Bible advocates mercy and compassion for the needy and opp
ressed.
37. Based originally on biblical values, an international human rights movement developed in the mid 20
th
century.
38.
It gradually jettisoned the Judeo
-
Christian worldview for secularist goals.
39.
When
Islam
ism
appeared on the global scene
,
without biblical moorings the human rights organizations were
unable or unwilling to withstand
it
.
40. Israel has borne the brunt of today’s new skewed human rights movement.
41.
P200
Israel has had to maintain a strong military defense simply to
stay alive and that defense force has had to deal
with enemies who do not conform to traditional Western standards of military conduct, fair play, reason or logic.
42. Israel has tried hard and successfully to require it military to operate within
the rule of law.
43. Israeli defense forces have adopted what is probably the highest ethical standard of any modern army.
44.
P201
Sometimes, charges of human rights abuse come from checkpoints to prevent militants from sneaking in:
1) It is not un
common for terrorists to disguise themselves as pregnant, sick or injured women.
2) Some have t
ucked
explosive devic
es in their underwear or private body parts; strip searches may be necessary.
3) Even apparent humanitarian emergencies have bee
n used to stage terror operations; booby
-
trapping ambulances.
45. Does justice require that Israel bear full blame for the dilemma?
How Do Human Rights Organizations Treat the Conflict?
47. The UN Human Rights Council has made the Jewish state the one
and
only permanent standing item on it agenda.
48. In 2003, the Council passed a resolution that condones terror
–
if it is aimed at Israel.
49. In 2013 the Council declared that private companies must consider boycotting Israel because of
its allegedly
crimi
nal
occupation.
50. Human Rights Watch
issu
es condemnations almost monthly
and almost exclusively against Israel.
51. The NGO’s original founder has rebuked it for sacrificing its vision and mandate because of what he calls an “unjust
obsession with
Israel, the only nation in the Middle East that genuinely strives to safeguard human right
.”
52. Amnesty International publishes regular reports that single out and uniquely chastise the Jewish state.
53. International human rights ch
ampion Natan Sharansky ... cautions that
human rights can be safeguarded only
through clear moral criteria
. He warns these criteria are rapidly eroding, evidenced by the
double standard used
against Israel
and measures taken to delegitimize he
r by today’s human rights activists.
54.
P203
As a result of global censure of Israel, only in Israel do the following phenomena occur:
1) An entire civilian population endures foreign militant attack
–
regularly
–
without reprisal.
2) Proportionately large swaths of land are relinquished to enemy states with no guarantee of peace in return.
3) Terrorists convicted of mass murder publicly declare their intent to kill more Jews when released from jail.
4) Israel suffe
rs more than a million cyber terror attacks every day.
5)
National borders are illegally breached on a semi
-
regular basis my militants
and
civilians in cahoots with them.
6) Israel is pressured to shrink itself to suicidally narrow borders that
cannot be defended from invasion.
7) Israel is being threatened with nuclear genocide.
55. Why the above? A respected secular journalist concludes, “Singling out Israel for opprobrium and international
sanction
–
out of all proportion to any other
party in the Middle East
–
is
anti
-
Semitic
,
and
not saying so is dishonest.”
When Is Criticism of Israel Anti
-
Semitic?
56.
Not all criticism of Israel
reflects
anti
-
Semitism
57.
P204
The US Department of State regards criticism of Israel to be anti
-
S
emitic when:
1) An expression
delegitimizes Israel
,
3
0
2) A double standard
is
used for Israel vis
-
Ã
-
vis other states
, or
3) An attempt
is made
to demonize Israel by using images associated with classic anti
-
Semitism.
58. Across the nations
and
even in some churches, it seems the new anti
-
Semitism flourishes in full 3
-
D
59. A small number of very left
-
wing Jews, including Israelis, comprise some of Israel’s most viciously vocal critics.
60.
P205
of Israel’s left
-
wing historian
-
activists, Ben
ny Morris ... recanted much of his life’s work in 2012. He
disappointedly concluded that
the core reason for the ongoing conflict and injustice was the Palestinians’ persistent
refusal to accept the existence of a Jewish state
.
Pursuing
Justice
61.
The issue
is not a cycle of violence; it
is about the survival of the Jews on a miniscule slice of their historical
homeland
.
62.
P206
As we near the end of the age and spiritual warfare heightens, underlying currents of anti
-
Semitism are bound
to intensify. Secularism, Islamism and more will increasingly impinge on biblical values of moral justice.
The Father
is sover
eignly allowing individuals and nations to make choices that will chart their destinies
.
Chapter 12
: Countering Christian Zionism: Christian Palestinianism
1.
P207
Palestiniam believers who carry God’s heart for the Jews comprise a very small remnant
in Palestinian church.
2. The majority of Palestinian Christians do not claim a spiritual rebirth experience or intimate walk with the Lord.
3. They identify as Christian mainly in a cultural sense.
4.
P208
Political
-
nationalist aspirations are general
ly more important to them than intimate surrender to Messiah,
personal study of His Word or sharing the Gospel.
5. Increasingly, they are influenced by the Islamist world in which they live.
The Traditional Palestinian Church
6. Traditional Palest
inian Christianity does little to quell the conflict with Israel.
7. The traditional Palestinian Christian view reflects the same anti
-
Jewish theology expressed by much of the Church
throughout the Arab Middle East.
8.
P209
God says, “Anyone who
claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness”(1 John 2:9)
Palestinian Evangelicals
9. A new theology, with varying expressions, has emerged out of the Palestinian
-
Israeli conflict.
10. Palestinian evangelicals are conf
ronted with a dilemma:
1)
Should they side with Palestinian nationalism or
2) With a biblical view supportive of the Jewish state?
11.
P210
Most have resolved the issue by denying God’s present restoration of Israel.
12. They
interpret the S
criptures symbolically
, so that any Jewish ties to the land can be superseded by new
developments and realities.
13. At the core of their reasoning is a hermeneutic of the Bible virtually
the
same as that used in replacement theology.
14. Many believe that all Old Covenant promises,
including
those about land, have been fulfilled in the Person of
Messiah.
15.
Palestinian fulfillment doctrine ... teaches that Israel’s calling is superseded and done away with, leaving no biblical
justification for her existence today.
Christian Palestinian Fulfillment Theology
16. Frequently, Palestinian evangelical views on Israel incorporate into fulfillment theology ... liberation theology.
17.
P211
Liberation theology esteems justice for
the oppressed as a foremost theme of Scripture.
18. Social justice becomes the lens through which the entire Bible is read.
19. Palestinian theology teaches that Old Covenant prophecies concerning Israel and the Kingdom vanish in Jesus Christ,
who h
as fulfilled them.
20. The reasoning is not scripturally based and the logic is rather circular.
31
21.
P212
It is not the Church that disinherits or replaces Israel this time, but Jesus Himself.
22. Zechariah 14:3 refers to the apocalyptic battle in which
Jesus returns to Jerusalem. ... The passage can only be fairly
understood as a prophecy yet to be fulfilled, on the ground of the physical Mount of Olives.
23. Palestinian fulfillment theology interprets the Bible allegorically.
24. Allegorical appro
ach rejects the Hebraic
-
based interpretation of Scripture taught by the Scriptures themselves.
25.
The allegorical method is primarily
symbolic and subjective
.
26. “Israel” is not seen as referring prophetically to the physical land or people of Israel, th
e Jews or their restoration.
27. Such an approach to Bible interpretation is
intrinsically disposed toward delegitimizing Israel’s existence
.
28.
P213
Some Christian Palestinians adopt ... a preterist theological view.
29. Preteris
m
teaches ... prophecies ... f
ulfillments have already entirely occurred.
30. Preterist
m
doctrine denies any future for national Israel or a last days restoration of the Jews.
31. Preteris
m
can allow Israel to be superseded by any gro
up presenting a
claim, including
militant Muslims.
Sympathizing with Islam
32. Palestinian evangelicals rarely read the Old Covenant. The Jewish state is rarely viewed through the lens of Scripture.
33.
But o
ne aspect of the Hebrew Scriptures still has major significance
for them
–
the link between Israel’s sin
and
exile
from the land.
34. They do not study prophecy or think much about the end times.
35. Most don’t expect Jesus to physically return to Jerusalem as it encourages a Jewish restoration to the Holy Land.
36.
P214
Chri
stian Palestinians avoid
and
reinterpret the Old Covenant ... lack a solid foundation in the Scriptures.
37.
They are
a small minority within an Islamist majority ... desperate to prove their patriotism ... resistance against
Israel.
38. Some have embraced anti
-
God
and
anti
-
Jewish dispositions reflective of fundamental Islam.
39.
If Israeli administration in the West Bank ends, an Islamist government could come to power
, making
Christian life
much worse
.
40. How will they deal with an Islamist government on
c
e they are forced by sharia law into
dhimmi
status?
41. Christians in Gaza are now dealing with sharia law ... intimidation, harassment, forced conversions, martyrdom.
Justice for the Foreigner
42.
P215
Christian Palestinians often argue that Israel fails
to follow her own code of moral justice.
43. Exodus 22
-
23 does require that Jews not mistreat or oppress a stranger or foreigner in the land.
44. In contex
t the Scriptures presuppose
strange
rs have
first submitted to the God of Israel
and
the covering of H
is
people.
45. Such an individual was called a
ger
and was placed under the protection of Israel and her God.
45. Israel was never to tolerate a violent stranger not submitted to the ways of Yahweh.
46. Repugnant to God was the idolatrous foreigner who po
lluted the land by worshiping false gods. (Ex 23:32
-
33)
47. The foreigner who despised God’s people and whose aim was their annihilation could never claim protection.
48. Collectively, Palestinians do not qualify as
ger
-
type foreigners.
The Christian Pale
stinianist Movement
49.
P216
Sampling of what evangelical Christian Palestinianist leaders teach:
1) Jesus was a Palestinian, His Jewish identity merely a misconception of Western Christianity.
2) Real Christianity exists only in Palestine.
3) Christian Zionism “is not connected to Christianity in any way.”
4) Jesus is on the cross again with thousands of crucified Palestinians around Him.
5) Palestine has become one hugh Golgatha. The Israeli government crucifixion system operates daily.
6) Zionism is just another form of racism.
7) The notion that God has purposes for the Jewish people is at best deeply flawed and at wo
rst heretical.
8) The New Covenant cancels any plans for the Jewish people.
50.
P217
A Christian Palestinian Manifesto was released in 2012:
32
1) It
s stated purpose is to challenge evangelicals to bring peace, justice
and
reconciliation in Pales
tine
and
Israel.
2) It denies the covenantal inheritance of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.
3) It declares that “the occupation” is the core issue of the Palestinian
-
Israeli conflict.
4) There is no mention of the historical
and
ongoing Palestinian agenda to annihilate the Jewish state.
5) The document is silent about any legal or moral right Israel may have to exist.
6) The Manifesto does include a statement saying that anti
-
Semitism
and
delegitimiza
tion of
Israel
are
wrong.
51. Most Jewish believers do not regard the Manifesto as a fair call to peace, justice or reconciliation.
52.
P218
Another Christian Palestinian decree written in 2009 is Kairos:
1) Kairos concludes that
Jewish occupation of Palestinian l
and is a sin against God and humanity.
2) It makes no mention of any sin on the part of Palestinian terrorist
and
Islamists in prolonging the occupation
through terror
.
3) It claims that any theology legitimizing Israel’s presence in the West B
ank is not Christian.
53. Christian Palestinians
and
Arab denominational leaders from Israel collectively make no secret of their aim to
overturn any pro
-
Israel stance within the international Body of Christ.
54. They seek to counteract Christian Zionism o
r Biblical Zionism ... their impact on secular Western society is increasing.
Western Responses to Christian Palestinianism
55.
P219
Many Western Jews
and
Christians believe that Christian Palestinianism aggressively promotes anti
-
Semitism,
replacem
ent theology and the delegitimization of Israel.
56. At a minimum, it is appropriate to ask if the Palestinian Church as heeded the exhortation of Romans 11:17
-
25 not to
be ignorant or arrogant toward Israel, but to tremble in humility.
57. A Chris
tian Zionist leader in the UK comments: “The big lie is Christian Palestinianism, the anti
-
Israel, pro
-
Palestinian
crusade going on in th
e Church today that will say ... ‘We love the Jewish people’ and also ‘
We hate Israel
.’”
58. In 2012, a highly regarded rabbi in the US stated:
“Christian Palestinianism had so influenced the Church that
relations between mainline Protestants
and
Jews in America had hit its lowest point”.
59. Evangelicals are attempting to compel the w
orld to take action that ... could lead to the slaughter of millions of Jews.
60.
P220
Some have unwittingly joined forces with the enemies of Israel who aim at nothing less.
61. The spread of Christian Palestinianism is related to current Western trend to
dismiss the concept of absolute truth.
62. Primacy of the
scriptural
text has been the gold standard of biblical scholarship ... but is currently under examination
and
attack.
Forgiveness at the Cross
63.
Palestinian believers freely share that their theol
ogy stems in large measure from personal pain
and
offense.
64. Let us remember that they are not the first Christians through history to feel offended or victimized. ... But they did
not seek to
reinvent the message of the Scriptures
to accommodate their suffering.
65.
P221
Jesus
is greater than any of our circumstances
–
and can give us the love, peace
and
joy with which to
overcome
.
66. A Palestinian pastor stated: “Palestinian preachers generally did not discuss taking pain
and
of
fense about Israel to
the
C
ross
”
.
With
his next breath,
he said they probably should start.
A New Christian Zionism
67. Some Christian or Biblical Zionists attribute the new Palestinian theology to a demonic force opposing God’s
promises to the Je
ws.
68.
P222
What we
might
learn from Palestinian believers
and
how to best respond to them:
1) We can acknowledge that certain Israeli policies ... have caused unwarranted suffering
and
sometimes abuse.
We
can focus support on Israeli pol
icy makers who advance biblical righteousness.
2)
Some Christian Zionists have in the past expressed little concern for Palestinians. ... They feel they have been
marginalized by the Western Church and many deeply resent it. To rectify the
past, we must seek the Lord for His
compassionate, honest and wise response.
3) We are to intentionally remember that being pro
-
Israel does not mean being anti
-
Palestinian.
4) We must remember the Lord does not want
our ultimate foc
us
on either Israel or putative Palestine, but
on Him
.
33
69. Those who care passionately for the Palestinian people may confuse love with unsanctified mercy.
70. Unsanctified mercy seeks to alleviate suffering at any cost regardless of the injustice that may
result. It does not
align with God’s will or His Word.
It does not flow from a focus on Him.
71.
P223
Christlike love for Palestinian Christians
will not be expressed by aligning with them against Israel. It
will be
expressed by
aligning with them for Jesus and His heart for the Jews
.
72.
When Palestinians understand God’s love, mercy
and
grace for Israel, they will experience it at for themselves.
Healing from heaven will flow to them. Palestinian Christians will begin to walk
in the manifest power of the Gospel
of the Kingdom as never before.
73.
A leading pro
-
Palestinian theologian writes: “The question is, am I as a Christian going to view the Middle East
through the lens of prophecy or the lens of justice?”
74. The ti
me has come to drop the dichotomy.
God does not choose between presumably pro
-
Palestinian justice and
presumably pro
-
Israel prophecy.
75. God’s immense love, expressed in His Word, beautifully reconciles prophecy and justice. It is not a matter o
f
either/or but both/and.
76. The Gospel of the Kingdom revolves around Jesus and His restoration of all nations in mercy and grace.
77. The Gospel thus gives Palestinians, Israelis and everyone else a bountiful future and a hope.
Chapter 13
: A
Future and a Hope
1.
P226
Israel’s reestablishment after the Holocaust of WW2 strikingly parallels Ezekiel’s vision of restoration. The
prophet saw a valley of dry bones, physically and spiritually dead. But God miraculously revived the dry bone
s. Then
He settled His people back in their land. (see Ezekiel 37:1
-
14)
2.
Israel’s restoration would have nothing to do with righteousness on her part
. It has been solely by mercy and grace.
3. We see Israel’s shortcomings and her sin. We wond
er why, if He is truly restoring her, she is not walking more in His
holy ways.
4.
P227
Does Israel’s modern
-
day restoration fulfill Bible prophecy or not?
Does Israel’s Restoration Fulfill Bible Prophecy?
5. The tension that can appear to exis
t between Israel’s restoration and her present condition of spiritual unbelief is
resolved when we read the Bible according to proper interpretive principles.
6. Ezekiel says
God will return the Jewish people to their land before He fully restores
their faith
:
1) First, He will “gather them from all countries
.
”
2) After that, He will “sprinkle clean water” on them and “put a new spirit” in them.
7. Other Hebrew prophets confirm this sequence of events:
1) They describe a Jewish regathering to the land before the end of the age.
2) They are contested by the nations and culminating in apocalyptic warfare.
3) After they are back in the land, Jews collectively turn to Messiah in the context of
a military assault. (Zech 12)
4) The Second Coming of Jesus follows. (Zech 14)
8. The New Covenant describes a similar end times scenario:
1) Yeshua declares, “Jerusalem will be tr
ampled on by Gentiles until
times of the Gentiles are fulfilled
.” (Luke 21:24)
2) Messiah foresees that when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, the trampling of Jerusalem ends.
3) First, a predominant Jewish presence is restored to Jerusalem.
4) After that, the city welcomes Him back. (see Matt
hew 23:39)
9. Romans 11:26
-
27 reveals that in the future, the Jewish people are living in the land when “the deliverer will come
from Zion” and “turn godlessness away from Jacob.”
’
10. None of these events can be interpreted with biblical integrity as having
already occurred in the past.
11.
P228
The reality we see today reflects their last days unfolding.
12.
The promise of land ownership to Israel in the Abrahamic covenant is unco
nditional.
13. In the Mosaic covenant Israel’s ability to physically inhabit the land is conditioned on her obedience to God.
14. If exile occurs, it is only temporary, not permanent. (see Deu. 28
-
30)
15. God promised a singular time
would come in which
Israel would be regathered to her land, then
follow in His ways
34
and never again be uprooted.
(2 Sam 7:10
-
16; Jer 31:21
-
40; Amos 9:11
-
15; Rom 11:26
-
27)
16. This is the promise He has been prophetically working out over the past hundred years. The p
rocess is not
instantaneous; it is progressing gradually over time.
17.
As God regathers the Jews, He is also saving
and
growing a remnant among them that loves
and
follows Yeshua.
They are preparing the nation for spiritual revival in the future.
18.
P229
After Ezra, the Jewish people lived in the land for 500 years, with only a remnant faithfully serving the Lord.
19. Israel’s spiritual condition then was comparable to her condition today ... her collective unbelief at this phase of her
restoration is consistent with the Scriptures.
20. This does not excuse Israel’s sin, but demonstrates God’s extreme mercy
and
grace that sustains her today.
Twice Cursed and Divinely Reversed
21.
God’s Word describes two
–
and only two
–
exiles a
nd returns to the land (see Isaiah 11:11):
1) The first exile occurred from 723 to 586 BC. The Jews who re
turned under Ezra came from
Babylon.
2) The second exile which took place in AD 70, dispersed the Jews all over the earth.
21. This
se
cond
dispersion would end when God regathered His people “from all the countries”. (Ezekiel 36:24)
Unlike the first,
the
second
regathering is global in nature
.
22. Other prophets were shown a similar worldwide return in the last days. (Isa 11:10
-
12
;
Jer 16:15; 23:3; 29:14)
23. The Zionist movement starting in the late 1800s represents
the only global Jewish regathering in history
.
24. It is not a coincidental mistake of history in which the Jewish people regathered themselves.
25
Our God is soverei
gn over the rise and fall of nations (Acts 17:26
-
27). He alone can remove His covenant people
from their land or return them back to it.
26.
P230
God uses human beings in the process, just as He used King Cyrus, Artaxerxes
and
others
to bring
about
Israel’s first regathering (see Ezra 1:1
-
4; Neh 2:4
-
9).
27. In the process of Israel’s restoration today, the loving support of believers from the nations is a sign that the “time t
o
show favor” to Zion has come (Psalm 102:13; Isaiah 49:22).
28. Their blessing
and
succor points presciently to the fullness of the Gentiles. The fullness of the Gentiles suggests that
the times of the Gentiles are coming to a close.
29. In Israel’s present restoration ... God has merely
and
magnificently do
ne what He said He would do, reversing His
curse and fulfilling His Word.
Israel Is a Work in Progress
30.
Israel’s restoration to the land and to the Lord is not an instantaneous event
but
a work in progress.
31.
P231
Human beings exercise free will an
d demonic opposition exists. ... temporary setbacks occur.
32. The Jewish state has relinquished most of the land acquired in wars she was forced to defensively fight.
33. The nation is beset by much of the same sin affecting the rest of the world
–
and also
the Church.
34. There is sexual
and
ethical immorality, drug addition, human trafficking, widespread abortion, etc.
35. But if we deny the prophetic truth of Israel’s restoration because Jews still sin,
to be fair, we ought to also deny the prophet
ic truth of the Gospel because Christians still sin.
36. Israel’s restoration will not reach perfected fulfillment until after the Lord returns.
37. What have we seen and heard about modern Israel?
:
1) For the first time in 2000 years Jews have
returned from the ends of the earth to their ancestral home.
2) Their ancient language has been revived.
3) Against all odds, Israel has defended herself from millions of mortal enemies surrounding her.
4) The nation has thrived, rebu
ilding ancient cities and making deserts bloom.
5) Fruit from the Promised Land blesses every continent ... oranges
and
grapes to biomedical/technological etc.
6) Jerusalem is mostly not trampled down.
7) Since the city was returned to I
srael in 1967, more Jews have come to faith in Yeshua than in the previous 1900
y
ea
r
s
.
8) Indigenous believers now worship Messiah in every city and town.
9)
Some
Israeli
believers go out to the nations ministering the Gospel.
35
38.
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Bless
ed is he who is not offended because of what God is doing in our day!
Can We Be Neutral Bystanders?
39.
The prophet (Obadiah 10) reminds us that
we will be treated according to how we have treated the Jews
. (Gen 12:3)
40. Obadiah’s message applies
uniquely to Christians because they have been embraced like brothers into a Jewish
-
rooted family of faith.
41.
Ignoring Israel’s assault or exploitation by others is the same as aggressively attacking her
. (Obadiah 11)
42.
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When Israel’s enemi
es act violently against her, God does not want us staying silent, ignoring her plight or
neutrally standing by.
43. If we do not get involved, or at least pray, we may ourselves be counted by Him as her enemies.
44. Israeli foreign minister Abba Eb
an said at the inception of the Six Day War: “As we looked around us we saw the
world divided between those who were seeking our destruction and those who would do nothing to prevent it.”
45. Obadiah admonishes seriously those who go beyond
neutrality and take open delight in Israel’s defeat. (Obad 12
-
14)
46. Obadiah issues a clarion call to every generation: “The Lord’s vengeance will soon fall upon all Gentile nations
.
As
you have done to Israel, so will it be done to you.
Your ac
ts will boomerang upon your heads.” (Obadiah 15 TLB)
Is Arab Palestine in Prophecy?
47.
P234
When God gave Ezekiel visions of a Jewish restoration, He included a sobering message for those seeking to
overrun “the mountains of Israel” or her “ancie
nt heights” (Ezekiel 36:1
-
3)
48. The mountains
and
ancient heights include Judea
and
Samaria, also known as the West Bank.
49.
God decrees judgment for those staking claim to these territories for their “ancient hatred” and for shedding Jewish
bloo
d (Ezekiel 35:5).
50. Then God chastises other nations joining in the fray: “... I have spoken against the rest of the nations ... for with glee
and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession ... But you, mountains of Israel, will
produce
branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.” (Ezekiel 36:2
-
3, 5, 8)
51.
P235
The Scriptures indicate that despite many warnings, the nations impose ill
-
intended
divisions of Israel’s land
.
T
hey are sev
erely judged: “
At that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations
and ... enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people
among the nations an
d
divided up my land
.” (Joel 3:2 NIV)
52. In modern times; the nations have
divided up Israel’s land
over a
nd over again, going
back to the British
Mandate.
Jerusalem: Pray for the Peace or Prey for the Piece
53. Psalm 122:6 gives us a succinct
and
enduring prayer request: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love
you be secure.’ “
54. Yeshua wept on only two occasions in His earthly ministry, one being over Jerusalem
.
(Luke 19:41
)
55. How best to pray for Jerusalem:
1)
Pray for the Prince of Peace to be welcomed into the hearts of those who live here. He alone
–
no international
community or coalition
–
can bring lasting peace to Jerusalem.
2) Pray that His Kingdom will come
and
His will be done in Jerusalem as it is in heaven.
3) Listening to the leading of the Spirit, go on to the specific
and
critical issues of the day.
4) Realize that praying for Jerusalem means not just lifting up Israel’s capital city, but th
e whole Jewish state.
5) Pray for Jerusalem’s large Arab population, too.
56.
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Jerusalem is destined to serve as the flashpoint of Kingdom conflict on earth.
57. Entities
and
empires will prey for their piece of the place where God’s name has b
een put.
58. As events unfold, God will note our hearts’ response to them.
59. Will we resign from responsibility or stand up and speak out?
60. At minimum, He wants us to care and to pray.
61. The 10 categories below provide a flexible framework into whic
h specific details can be added as the Holy Spirit leads
and circumstances change.
Pray for
:
1) The outpouring of a “spirit of grace
and
supplication” (Zech 12:10), leading to the salvation of Jews, Arabs and
36
others in Jerusale
m. (Isa 30:19; Rom 10:1; 1 Tim 2:3
-
4);
2) Strengthening and maturing of the Body of Messiah (John 17; Acts 4:29
-
31; Rom 15:26
-
27), including laborers for
the harvest (Luke 10:2);
3)
Righteousness
and
wisdom for all spiritual, gove
rnmental, social, military
and
other authorities (1 Tim 2:1
-
2; Pro
21:1);
4) Domestic
and
internal unity, accord
and
peace within Jerusalem (Psalm 122:3, 8);
5) Physical restoration through God’s regathering of the Jewish people (aliyah)
and
material prosperity (Psalm 147:2;
Jeremiah 30:17; Psalm 122:9);
6)
Security, protection
and
defense from attack (Psalm 91; 125), including salvation for Israel’s enemies who seek to
overtake her (Psalm 83:18);
7) The
outworking of prophetic events according to the ideal timing of God (Eccl 3:1
-
8; Matt 24:22);
8) Your church’s and nation’s blessing of Jerusalem (Gen 12:3; Obadiah);
9)
Intercessors
who give God “no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and
makes her the praise of the earth” (Isa 62:6
-
7);
10) Fulfillment of Jerusalem’s destiny as the City of the Great King (Matt 5:35) that blesses all nations (Psalm 48;
Isa 2:2
-
3; 62:1
-
2)
Praying for Jerusalem’s Temple
62.
P237
Bear in mind that the Jewish people preparing to build a
third
Temple hope to reconstruct not just an edifice,
but a whole system designed to substitute the blood of animals for Messiah’s atonement.
63. Resumed animal sacrifice will render the Crucified
One, in their eyes, more irrelevant than ever.
64. Some of these zealots anticipate that the Temple will herald the coming of their messiah
–
a man, definitely not
Yeshua, who establishes world peace.
65. Yeshua may completely cleanse this Temple w
hen He returns, then rule and reign from that purified place.
66. The Temple project is mentioned in Scripture only in connection with its desecration. (Dan 9:25
-
27; Matt 24:15;
2 Thes 2:3
-
4; Rev 13:14
-
15)
67.
P238
The Bible
has
a
fourth
Temple where
only the true Messiah will be worshiped in holy splendor. (Ezekiel 40
-
48)
68. This
fourth
Temple will be enormous in size, many times larger than the entire Temple Mount. (Ezekiel 42:15
-
20)
69. Whether the sacred structure pertains to the com
ing Messianic Age, whether it exists in the new heaven and earth
–
or both
–
we cannot yet be sure.
70. Yeshua died for living temples He would, by the Holy Spirit, indwell (2 Corinthians 6:16).
71. We can invest wholeheartedly in those living t
emples: Jewish, Arab
and
other believers in Jerusalem who love and
follow the Lord. They carry the presence of the Prince of Peace wherever they go.
Psalm 83 Conspiracy
72.
To align with God’s heart
and
Kingdom plans, those who pray for Israel ne
ed to have at least a general understanding
of end time prophecy concerning her.
73. Different believers hold different interpretations of specific end times events
and
details. Some Christians even
insist the events will not occur at all because they have been fulfilled spiritually in Jesus.
74.
P239
Psalm 83 describes a besetting Middle East campaign against a beleaguered Jewish state.
75. A military operation based
on the alignment of nations in this passage has never historically taken place.
76. Others believe the psalm literally relates how every nation in her neighborhood unites against Israel:
1) Edom
and
the Ishmaelites (now Jordanian
and
Palestinian area
s, together with Saudi Arabia).
2) Moab (Jordanian
and
Palestinian areas).
3) Hagrites (Syria, Saudi Arabia
and
possibly Egypt).
4) Gebal (north Lebanon).
5) Ammon (Jordanian
and
Palestinian areas).
6) Amalek (Sinai desert).
7) Philistia (Gaza).
8) Tyre (southern Lebanon).
37
9) Assyria (areas of Syria, Iraq
and
possibly Turkey
).
10) Lot (Jordanian
and
Palestinian areas).
76
. Verse 4 sounds their
cry: “Come ... let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’
s name is remembered no more.
”
77. Since the moment she became a modern state, Israel’s enemies have rallied to this refrain.
78.
Psalm 83 ... is not necessarily limited to a military campaign in the traditional sense. The weapons used against Israel
here refer mainly to a conspiracy of spoken words.
79. A war of now wages relentlessly against the Jewish state by all the people groups described above. It seems Israel is
already experiencing a limited prophetic fulfillment of Psalm 83.
80. Th
e psalm closes with a prayer: “May
they ever be ashamed and dismayed ... Let them know that you, whose name
is the LORD
–
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:17
-
18)
81. Yahweh’s overarching goal in end times warfare is to
m
anifest His supremacy
.
82. He will ultimately use the Islamist/Arab/Palestinian
-
Israeli conflict to do it.
Ezekiel’s Vision of War
83.
P240 Ezekiel 38
-
39 describes a cataclysmic war that has not yet taken place.
84. “... In future years you will invade a land ... whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of
Israel, which had long been desolate ... and now all of them live in safety.” (Ezekiel 38:3
-
4, 8)
85. This “great horde” descends from th
e “far north” (verse 15), joined by Persia, Cush Put, Gomer
and
Beth Togarmah
(see verses 5
-
6).
86. The Jewish people are living in their land but
are not yet following the Lord
.
87. His purpose in the war is to draw both Israel
and
the nations t
o Himself.
88. The passage indicates that Israel experiences a significant ... period of peace and prosperity before the assault.
89. Some Bible scholars believe this has already been achieved, and so the war could occur at any moment.
90. Others believe the
war may not take place until the Great Tribulation.
91.
P241
For many years, prophecy teachers identified Russia as leading the Ezekiel 38 invasion.
92
.
With the rise of fundamentalist Islam, some now theorize the onslaught will be led by either Iran or
a revived
Turkish
-
based caliphate.
93. Other than Russia
and
part of Turkey, the nations
and
peoples listed in Ezekiel 38 appear to be located in the Middle
East, North Africa
and
Central Asia.
94. Every state in that region is now Islamic
and
none is friendly toward Israel.
95. Yahweh plans to pulverize this coalition that invades Israel when she is enjoying relative calm and rest.
96. H
e
decimates her enemies with a monstrous earthquake, accompanied by lightning, fire
and
brimstone, torrents of
bloodshed
and
a plague (Ezekiel 38:19, 22).
97. Displaying His awesome power, God stuns the world in His defense of the Jews:
1) “And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sig
ht of many nations.
Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 38:23
)
2) “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay
upon them. From that day fo
rward the people of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God ... I will no longer
hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel.” (Ezekiel 39:21
-
22, 29)
Zechariah’s Prophecy of Jerusalem
98. The prophet Zechariah describes a scenario in which God pours out His wrath on a cohort of nations invading
Jerusalem. In chapters 12
-
14, he foresees a series of events leading to the Second Coming
and
Millennial Age:
“I am going to make
Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling ... On that day, when all the
nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who
try to move it will injure them
selves ... On that day
I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem
.”
99.
P242
In this context,
Jerusalem recognizes her Messiah, repents and returns to God
:
“
And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusal
em a spirit of grace and supplication.
They
will look on me, the one they have pierced
, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve
bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son ... On that day a fountain wi
ll be opened to the house of David and
41
46. Such heroes were the exception t
o the collective Christian response to WW2.
47. Martyred for his own stand against Hitler, Rev. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The Church ... has been unwilling to
suffer for what she knows to be right. Thus the Church is guilty of becoming a traitor to the Lordship of Christ.”
The Joy of the Cross
48. Standing for God
and
sharing His heart for Israel means sacrifice of self
–
and for some perhaps even martyrdom
–
in
the spirit of Romans 12:1.
49.
Those who bless Israel are blessed
. They bless God who blesses bountifully of Himself in return.
50. If He uses the Jew
ish nation to summon us to the
c
ross, the cross summons to us the Blesser Himself.
51.
P258
51. P258 Famed missionary
-
martyr Jim Elliot said “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what
he cannot lose.”
52. If I am willing to share i
n the fellowship of His suffering, becoming like Him in His death, I may know Him in the
glorious power of His resurrection. (see Philippians 3:7
-
11)
53. Yeshua endured the cross for the joy set before Him. So, too, will those who wholeheartedly f
ollow Him.
54. “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over
her” (Isaiah 66:10)
55. As you
pour yourself out for God’s Jewish nation
, prepare to exult in the King of Glory and H
is infinite splendor,
forever. Because in the end, it is all about Him.
56. May the Lord bless you from Zion,
H
e who is the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 134:3)
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