The position of the Jews in Scripture
The position of the Jews in Scripture, Old and New Testament
The fact that Almighty God is addressing the Jews specifically in the majority of the Old Testament (First or Old Covenant), is self-evident, see: "Israel; My Firstborn son". However, all mankind is being addressed in the general sense, as the Message is focused on the Propitiation of God in ultimately Christ Jesus! The beginning of the Old Testament (OT) is addressing the Creation and Fall of humankind under the influence of Satan, with the consequence of the Flood; and as such is showing the consequence of rebellion of mankind against the Creator God in this creation! As such it is addressed to all mankind, as a blueprint!
From Gen.12:1 God draws out a people for Himself, in the initial form of Abram, later Abraham, for the purpose of forming a people to relate to, in affection; and in “spirit and Truth” (John 4:23-24)!
Abram in FAITH obeys the “call”, and that faith is credited to him as “righteousness” Gen.15:6; which established the principle of ‘faith’ in God’s Word! (Heb.11).
Abraham was called the “friend of God” 2Chron. 20:7, Isa. 41:8 & James 2:23; which underlines the second paragraph! When later, Israel became a Nation, they vowed allegiance to Jehovah God on numerous occasions; and in Deuteronomy, God showed clearly the blessings that would flow from Him if they honoured their vows! But He also showed in Deuteronomy what would happen if they reneged! That reneging is shown in Christ’s crucifixion; and in Zech.13:6, which underlined that His “friends” had done that to Him (i.e. Israel)!
Because of Israel’s duplicity they were put to one side (Lo-Ammi “not My People”); and the offer of “friendship/relationship was/is extended at Acts 28:28 to Gentiles worldwide"; and at this date January 2020, is still in play; with the responsibility for declaring God’s Truth, also passing to the Gentiles!
Abram and his wife Sarah eventually produce Isaac, a son of faith and Miracle, as both were in extreme old age. The reproductive process continues through to Jacob, renamed Israel after his confrontation and struggle with God, who produced 12 sons, who were the fathers of 12 Tribes.
Under Moses the 12 Tribes are released from bondage in Egypt, and in the process the principle of ‘obedience’ to God’s Command (Word) is established, in the form of the “Passover”. Those that did not sprinkle the blood of the perfect lamb on the doorposts and lintel of their homes, received death from the “angel of death” as ‘he passed over’ them; because they were not covered by the "blood of the Lamb"!
After their release from Egypt, the 12 tribes were forced to wander in the desert east of Egypt for 40 years, due to fear and disobedience and rebellion against Almighty God and Moses, even after seeing the pursuing army of Pharaoh destroyed by God in the Red Sea!
After those of the ‘rebellion’ had died; the 12 Tribes under the leadership of Joshua (Grk. Jesus), were led into the "Promised Land", with the commission to honour God’s Name, and to evangelize the local peoples; and the warning from Jehovah not to marry their women, or engage their gods, as that was/is tantamount to consorting with the “god of this world”, (2Cor. 4:4)!
Jehovah God strove with them continually, but to no avail, and they did just the opposite, and after Solomon died, they split in civil war, and declined to the stage of captivity in Babylon, (see: Babylon) for 70 years!
After their return from Babylonian captivity under Ezra and Nehemiah, and Ezra’s strong effort with them to reform to Jehovah and honour their vows to Him; they quickly returned to their old ways, and even wrote their own interpretation and form of scripture, called by some “Wisdom”. See: Changes Made To The Old Testament .
This now is added to the Original, and is termed “Torah”! (It is these perversities, and their perpetrators the Scribes, Pharisees and Priesthood, that Jesus, John the Baptist and later the Apostle Paul railed against so often)!
John the Baptist, Jesus and the Apostle Paul berated the Jewish Hierarchy of the day for adhering to the Pharisaic writings, instead of the Originals given to Moses, known as "Biblical Judaism". It is recorded and well known by the Jews, that the Pharisees in particular were "very flexible" in their interpretations of Torah (for their own motives), and this is confirmed by the Qumran Scrolls. Of the main 'schools', or Groups of the day, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Essens; the Pharisees became dominant, and at the time of the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, (70 years after the crucifixion of Jesus)!, only the "Judaism of the Pharisees", known as "Rabbinic Judaism" prevailed! This grew, and by AD 300, the Pharisaic Interpretations had been tabulated in the "Mishnah". This is the basis of "Modern Judaism".
This is why the Truths of the Messiah of Almighty God, as depicted and prophesied in the "Biblical Judaism" of the Old Testament (OT), are not accepted by the Jews who adhere to the current "Rabbinical Judaism".
Jesus as the 2nd person of the Godhead, visited the Jews in the flesh, and pronounced His Messiah-ship as per the OT prophecies, Isa. 61:1 and half of v.2. He was at pains in His Ministry to state that He had come to the Jews only, Matt. 10:6 & 15:24, (at that time).
Before His death by crucifixion, at “the last supper”, He stated that He was/is “The New Covenant” (The Passover Lamb) in His Body and Blood! Heb. 8:13 & 12:24.
The majority teaching is that the Jews had finally rejected Jesus as The Messiah of God at Matt. 27:25; but Jesus prayed for their forgiveness (Luke 23:34) and the Acts period shows that they had another 30+ years to hear the truth of Jesus’s Sacrifice from Paul and the Apostles! Their Jehovah God did not "put them to one side", until Paul had visited the last of the major Synagogues in Rome which coincides with Acts 28:25-28, and their then “Lo-Ammi condition. Saul, as he was originally called, was a "Chosen vessel", Acts 9:15. See: Apostle Paul:
Paul was "Chosen" because of his great knowledge and ability, and his sincere heart! His purpose was to be a 'bridge' between the OT and the New Covenant, and to explain to the Jew first, the significance of Jesus and His Sacrificial Work!
Despite the work of Paul (and others), the offer of the New Covenant of Jer. 31 to the Jews was rejected by them at Acts 28:28. The destruction of the City and Temple followed, and also their dispersion worldwide, as predicted in Deut. 4, if they corrupted God's Word and Commandments; and did not keep their fidelity to Him, in their repeated vows!.
When, and not before, they rejected Messiah Christ Jesus at Acts 28:28 a new 'Age' ("Administration") began; the so called "Age of Grace". At that same time, the 'Gifts of Pentecost' ceased, and Paul and others could no longer heal. The purpose for the 'Gifts', the evangelising of the Jews had gone, they were and still are Lo-Ammi!
A further error is propagated by many Protestant groups, re. the position in God's Plan of Salvation for Israel. Many groups teach that Israel is displaced by God for ever, and the Church has taken its place. That is not so, and shows a lack of knowledge of the Bible, see: Replacement Theology.
In this 'Age', the Jews are set to one side (Lo-Ammi, Hosea), and any Jew who is in the "Body of Christ", is there by the same criterion as any Gentile, they "trust in the Blood of Jesus The Christ" for their personal Salvation; and death (the first and the second, have no power over them)!
The majority of Jews are not in the "Body of Christ)!" (because of their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah), and whether living or dead from approx. AD 70 onwards await the "resurrection" specific to the Jews of Dan. 12:2 &13 and Ezek.
The fact of the "Lo-Ammi" (not My people) condition of the Jews at present, means that their "Prophetic progress" is at present halted. The fact of the 1948 'temporal' establishment of the 'State of Israel' and the fact that in 2018 it reached 70 years, augers that their 'Spiritual' Establishment is not too distant. When that happens, they will be again "Ammi", (My people), and all events in prophecy OT and NT, (New Covenant) will quickly progress.
It is the writers personal beliefs that all 'resurrected' Jews will be given the opportunity to "look upon Him who they pierced" (Zech. 12:10), and that very few will then reject Christ Jesus. (The destination of these resurrected Jews is different to that of Christ's Body, and almost certainly relates to their dwelling in the expanded Israel to the borders promised by Almighty God. Gen. 15:18).
The "Ideal Israel", the "Jeshurun" of the OT, will then become the "Kingdom of Priests" to God in the "Promised Land", to the borders stated in Gen. 12:7, 15:18, 24:7, 48:4 & Ex. 32:13, which will have worldwide effect for the surviving, (see: World Population Reduction) Gentile Nations. That condition will last for 1000 years, prior to the release of Satan for a short period.
When that has come to pass, Jehovah will then have fulfilled His Promise to the Patriarchs, in Ex.19:6!
See: Kingdom of Priests unto God. Also "Israel; My Firstborn son".
To conclude; in the opinion of the writers, the destination of the Jewish Nation is not the same as "the Body of Christ", which is/will be Blessed beyond present ability to describe. But, there will be many individual Jews who are in the "Body". See: (The Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ:).
This subject is discussed in some detail in www.revelationsmessage.co.uk.
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