THE PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ISRAEL
Israel and the End-Times
I. THE MESSIANIC HOPE OF ISRAEL
A. Israel had waited for centuries, they had been under the rule of the Babylonians, the Persians, the Ptolemies, the
Seleucids and now the Romans. They were waiting for the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel, the coming of the Messiah.
Then Jesus entered the scene, preaching “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe
in the gospel.”(Mk 1:15).
B. The Messiah had come! The King of the Jews had come to deliver Israel - however through His teaching Jesus
demonstrated that the Kingdom of God started with inner transformation and repentance, not with political revolution.
So the Messiah lived the perfect life, was sacrificed, died, buried and then raised to life. Then Jesus spends forty days
with his disciples teaching them – we have no record of the teaching, all we are told is that it was about “the kingdom of
God” (Acts 1:3).
C. At the end of this period just before Jesus ascends to the Father, His disciples ask Him one final question. Surely
this is an important question for us to consider.
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
(Acts 1:6)
The question is concerned with when Jesus was going to restore the nation of Israel. One of the primary functions of the
Messiah in the Hebrew scriptures – a political restoration,
D. The Messianic Hope of Israel was that the Messiah/Christ (Anointed One) would:
1. Rid the nation of Israel to subservience to other nations (ie the Romans),
2. Would be of the House of David and would physically rule from the throne of David in Jerusalem
3. Would restore the nation to God and to a glorious political reign. The Messianic Kingdom.
E. Theologians throughout the ages have either overlooked this verse or said that this was further evidence of the
disciples slowness at understanding the true spiritual purpose of the Messiah. The interesting thing however is Jesus’
response.
If Jesus had been teaching them for forty days about the Kingdom of God after three years of ministry demonstrating
the Kingdom of God and the disciples had been so foolish to think that the Kingdom of God was about the restoration
of the Jews in the land of Israel do you not think Jesus may have had a word of rebuke? Do you think that Paul and Luke
would have bothered to record a dumb question? After all Jesus had no trouble telling his disciples “O foolish ones, and
slow of heart to believe…” (Luke 24:25). Yet Jesus does not respond this way instead he tells them “It is not for you to
know the times or seasons the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7)
F. This answer indicates two important facts with relation to the restoration of Israel and the political rule of the
Messiah from David’s Throne:
1) The restoration of the land of Israel to the Jews and the political rule of the Messiah (Jesus) are in the center of God’s will.
2) The exact timing for this to happen has already been set by the Father, but not yet revealed, perhaps not even to the Son.
This is reminiscent of another event – The Day of the Lord (1 Thess 5:1). These two events are clearly synonymous.
G. Summary – We must begin our study of Israel with the premise that we as disciples of Jesus want obey his
sovereign leadership. We want to bring our will in line with His will. We must bring our lives into obedience to Christ’s
heart for Israel, his will to restore the Kingdom/Land of Israel and establish his Throne in Jerusalem.
II. THE CHOSEN PEOPLE – ISRAEL OR THE CHURCH?
A. Many in the church pray for Israel and the salvation of the Jews, but only in the same way as they would pray for
Peru and Peruvians. The Gospel has to be preached to all nations and Israel is one of those nations, however since the
gospel has been open to Gentiles as well as Jews, God now has a “new people” – no longer the Jews, the new people
are the Church – Jew and Gentile together – one new man (Eph 2:15).
B. This belief that the nation and the promises made to Israel have been replaced by the church is called
Replacement Theology or Supercessionism. Many serious bible scholars believe it and there is some biblical truth in it.
As we shall see God did “replace” some things after Jesus: the Mosaic Law, temple worship, unbelieving resistant Jews
are some, but the fact remains that the covenants with the nation and the plans for the land did not change.
C. Replacement Theology is not new, it has been with us since New Testament times, and thankfully the scriptures provide
us with a clear view on God’s heart for Israel in the Last Days.
III. REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY CASE STUDY – CHURCH OF ROME
A. The letter to the Church at Rome is perhaps the greatest response to this view that the church has replaced Israel
B. BACKGROUND TO THE CHURCH: Jewish communities flourished in Rome from the 2nd Century BC. We learn on
the day of Pentecost that there were Jews there from Rome (Acts 2:10), it was probably these converts that started the
gathering of believers in Rome. However it was not uncommon for the Roman emperor to purge Rome of various ethnic
groups, including Jews. We learn in 49 AD from the Roman biographer Suetonius (75-160) that “Claudius expelled the
Jews from Rome because they were indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus.”
The number attributed to this expulsion is 40,000. And we learn of it in Acts 18:2 in relation to Aquila and Priscilla who
had been part of those expelled. In 54 AD Claudius died and his successor, Nero realizing that Jews were good for the
economy invited them back to Rome.
The five year expulsion of Jews from Rome must have had a profound effect on the early church there. In 49AD the
church was probably predominantly Jewish, however when they were expelled there still remained a growing number
of Gentiles who now formed the church in Rome. By the time the Jews returned, the church in Rome had come of age.
And now they were asking questions. Is God finished with Israel? How do I really become righteous? What is God’s
attitude towards the law?
C. With this in mind, the purpose for writing this longest of all ancient letters becomes clearer, Chapters 9-11 are no longer an
addendum to the letter, but rather they become the very climax of the letter. What is God doing with Israel in these last days?
D. Paul demonstrates that God’s purpose for Israel is dynamically related to bringing salvation to the Gentile nations. The Jews
would not partner with the Son in voluntary love, but God will still have His way and fulfill his purpose with regard to Israel
by hardening them and actually making them temporarily resistant to the Gospel. Paul calls this a “mystery” – a hidden
plan in the heart of God.
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion,
that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Rom.11:25)
So what do we learn concerning this hidden plan of God for Israel in the last days?
1. GOD HAS NOT REJECTED THE JEWISH PEOPLE
I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not!...God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.
(Rom.11:1-2)
God first chose and set apart Israel because of his love for the Patriarchs and because of this choosing the Scriptures
are filled with covenants and declarations of love towards Israel.
There were both “conditional covenants” based on the obedience of Israel – the prime example of this is the Mosaic Covenant.
The people could never fulfill the requirements but they were fulfilled and therefore abolished in Christ.
However there were also covenants made with Israel that were both “unconditional” and “eternal”, these were based NOT
upon the obedience of the nation, but rather upon the faithfulness of God to His word, examples of these are Abrahamic
Covenant (Gen. 12.1-3; 13.14-17; 15.1-21; 17.1-27, and 22.17-18). The Palestinian or Land Covenant, (Dt. 29.1-29; 30.
1-10) the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7 cf. 23.5; 2 Chr. 21.7; Ps. 89.3-4, 34-37; Jer. 33.19-26) and the New Covenant
(Jer. 31.27-34 cf. Ezek. 11.16-20, 36.24-38). God has not taken these promises away from Israel, for Him to do so would
make Him a liar.
2. GOD HAS HARDENED/BLINDED THE JEWS FOR THE PRESENT TIME
Although there has and will always be a believing remnant of Jews (11:5) – the early church leadership was entirely
Jewish. There is a blindness that has come upon Israel (11:7-8) at this time – a unique hostility towards belief in the
Messiah.
3. THE BLINDNESS IS TEMPORARY AND FOR A PURPOSE
God has blinded the Jews, hardened their hearts that he might fulfill through them that which they would not voluntarily
step into – salvation for the Gentile Nations. In this Paul gives us an example of his replacement theology. God has
broken off the unbelieving natural branches (Jews) from the olive tree of Israel, in order that wild (Gentile) Branches can
be grafted in. God has replaced some branches in the tree – but we as Gentiles ought to stand in fear of God because
of this for he grafted us in through His mercy, but he can break off the Gentile branches in like manner, and he can
very easily graft back in the natural branches
4. GENTILE SALVATION IS FOR A PURPOSE
Gentile Salvation is not just a means to an end – but it does serve a purpose in making the Jews jealous for their own
Messiah – so that ultimately they may be saved.
I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy,
salvation has come to the Gentiles. (Romans 11:11)
IV. ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED
The fullness of the Gentiles is dynamically related to the salvation of “all Israel” At the end of this age when the fullness
of Gentile salvation is complete all of Israel will come into a saving relationship with their messiah – Yeshua.
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion,
that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.
(Romans 11:25-26)
A. JEWISH SALVATION – There is confusion amongst many of those who say they love Israel regarding Israel’s route
to salvation. Are they saved on the basis of being a Jew? The bible is very clear that this can never be! The technical
word for this belief is Dual Covenantism. It is heresy and it stops believers reaching out to unbelieving Jews with the
gospel of the Kingdom.
He is not a Jew who is one outwardly…but he is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart, in the
Spirit. (Rom.2:28-29)
For they are not all Israel who are of Israel (Rom 9:6)
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon him.
(Rom 10:12)
Whilst they are declared “Holy” i.e. set apart or chosen even BEFORE they come to faith (which is different to Gentiles,
who are only declared holy if they are grafted in to the olive tree by faith). If the Jew remains unbelieving he/she will
be broken off – their name will be blotted out of the book of life (Rev 3:5).
Salvation comes through the gospel - faith in Jesus the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God, through his life, his death and his
resurrection – first for the Jew and then for the Gentile (Romans 1:16)
The type of thinking that implicates dual covenant theology also has an uncritical support of the political nation of Israel
B. THE CHURCH - GOD’S VEHICLE FOR ISRAEL’S REDEMPTION
The salvation of the Gentiles will provoke Israel to jealousy in a number of ways
1. Gentile believers will walk in humility towards the Jews (acknowledging their unique place in God’s plan and
recognizing that they are following the Jewish Messiah)
2. Gentile believers will walk in the love of Jesus and provide help for Jews in the midst of their suffering
3. Gentile believers will walk in the fullness of God’s power and provision. They will be an apostolic witness to
Jesus operating in the Spirit of Prophecy (Joel 2) which is the testimony of Jesus.
C. THE FULLNESS OF THE JEWS
For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
(Romans 11:15)
The salvation of all Israel will not occur until the Lord has brought in all of the Gentiles, however when “all Israel is saved”
it will be part of the whole “Day of the Lord” event. This includes the resurrection and leading into the millennial reign of
Jesus.
V. JERUSALEM AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL
A. Replacement theologians may agree that in the End Times God will bring many Jews into the Church, however
there is much disagreement as to whether God will return them to the land of Israel. For them the land has no significance
of a spiritual kind.
B. Biblically, God chose and prepared the land before he even chose the people (Hebrews 11:8-9, 16). Hebrew
tradition even asserts Adam is buried in Jerusalem.
C. Jerusalem is as much in the heart of God as the Jewish people
I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor (burning desire) I am zealous for her (Zech 8:2)
D. The centerpiece of God’s eternal purpose is for Jesus to come back to fully establish His Kingdom rule over all the
earth as He joins the heavenly and earthly realms together (Eph 1:9).
E. Scripture is clear when the Messiah reigns – he will reign from the City of David – Jerusalem, the Messianic
Kingdom/Millennial reign will be from Jerusalem.
F. Because Jesus has committed himself to returning as King of the Jews to rule the earth from Jerusalem
(Matt 23:39), Satan has committed himself to destroying the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. If Satan can
annihilate the Jews, or keep them offended at Jesus he can prove God a liar and ensure his own survival. Satan is not
cast into prison until after the battle for Jerusalem is won and under Jesus’ leadership (Rev. 19:11-20)
3…And the dragon(Satan) stood before the woman(Israel) who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child(Jesus) as
soon as it was born. 5She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up
to God and His throne….. 13Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman
who gave birth to the male Child. 14But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the
wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
15So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried
away by the flood. 16But the earth helped the woman…17And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went
to make war with the rest of her offspring, (the church) who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony
of Jesus Christ. (Rev.12:3-17)
G. Zech. 12-14 provides the clearest overview in Scripture of the key themes related to Israel’s conflict and salvation. All
nations will stand against Israel, this is the battle for Jerusalem.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples (nations), when they lay siege
against Judah and Jerusalem. 3…I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away
will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it….9 In that day that I will seek to
destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 I will pour on…Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication;
they will look on Me (Jesus) whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him …13:1A fountain shall be opened for…
Jerusalem, for sin and uncleanness. (Zech. 12:2-13:1)
VI. PRAYING FOR ISRAEL’S SALVATION – GOD’S END TIME STRATEGY
6I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention
of the LORD, do not keep silent, 7and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the
earth. (Isaiah 62:6-7)
A. Praying for Israel is God’s mandate for the entire church (“you who make mention of the Lord”)
B. God commands his people to “give him no rest” until Jerusalem enters into the fullness of her inheritance i.e.
unceasing prayer focused on the salvation of Israel.
C. Israel’s acceptance of Jesus as their Messiah depends on them being provoked to jealousy by a predominantly gentile
church (Rom 11:11). The church becoming a prophetic witness is directly related to her stand for Jerusalem in the place
of prayer.
D. The ultimate task of the church (particularly, gentile believers) is to pray for the salvation of Israel and to provoke
the Jews to jealousy (by becoming a powerful prophetic witness), so that they receive the mercy of God.
E. God is today calling forth the “set watchmen” from among the nations who will contend in prayer for the salvation
of Israel and “give Him no rest” for Zion’s sake. This prayer movement will culminate in the return of Jesus, the Salvation
of all Israel and the consummation of God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
VII. WHAT ARE WE PRAYING FOR?
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “may they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your
palaces.” For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” Because of the house
of the Lord our God I will seek your good (Psalm 122:6-9)
A. Spiritual Peace
This is the ultimate goal of our prayers. (Romans 5:1).We must understand that none in Israel will find true and lasting
peace until they turn to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Our greatest prayer should be for the spiritual peace of the nation
of Israel knowing that they are beloved because of the fathers (Rom 11:28) yet are right now, enemies for our sake.
B. Social Peace
C. Political Peace
We should also pray for peace in the political arena. Ultimate political peace will only come when Jesus is the political
leader of Israel in the Millennial Kingdom. For the time being, we should pray for the safety of believers from the threat
of terrorism and the protection of the people from political aggressors who are seeking to “wipe them off the face of the
earth.”
We do not promote the political agenda of secular politicians but we do not agree with politics that seeks to destroy
the Jewish nation.