The person who regards events in modern Israel as the direct fulfilment of Bible-prophecy, feels that another person who regards those prophecies as already-fulfilled must be anti-Semitic.
But which of the two views of Bible-prophecy is actually most pessimistic about Israel?
The fully-futurist view of Bible-prophecy portrays God as having snubbed Israel for nearly 2,000 years; and portrays God as having only recently begun to show interest in Israel again. And since God is now showing interest sovereignly – unconditionally – it follows that if anyone would have tried to make God interested in Israel any sooner, he might have found God to be flatly disinterested.
The fulfilled-prophecy view, on the other hand, portrays God as the faithful performer of His promises to Israel, on-time, without there having been any unexpected, long, painful delay. And having fulfilled His promises faithfully and on-time, it portrays God as having never since repealed the promises. It means that God’s goodwill towards Jews was never put on hold: any Jew, at any time, could therefore have immediately experienced the promised salvation just as soon as he turned from unbelief to faith in Jesus. God has always been as interested in Jews as He ever can be.
Which of the two sounds more like the Gospel!
But which of the two views of Bible-prophecy is actually most pessimistic about Israel?
The fully-futurist view of Bible-prophecy portrays God as having snubbed Israel for nearly 2,000 years; and portrays God as having only recently begun to show interest in Israel again. And since God is now showing interest sovereignly – unconditionally – it follows that if anyone would have tried to make God interested in Israel any sooner, he might have found God to be flatly disinterested.
The fulfilled-prophecy view, on the other hand, portrays God as the faithful performer of His promises to Israel, on-time, without there having been any unexpected, long, painful delay. And having fulfilled His promises faithfully and on-time, it portrays God as having never since repealed the promises. It means that God’s goodwill towards Jews was never put on hold: any Jew, at any time, could therefore have immediately experienced the promised salvation just as soon as he turned from unbelief to faith in Jesus. God has always been as interested in Jews as He ever can be.
Which of the two sounds more like the Gospel!
The first view of Bible-prophecy regards future suffering as inevitable for Jews, seeing conflict is a major theme of the prophecies. It also implies that Israel’s sufferings are deserved, because that’s what the Bible-prophecies said they were deserved. All of this can breed a political resignedness.
The fulfilled view leaves no blessing out of reach of Israel, seeing it views the Jews as being on the other side of Bible-prophecy – on the fulfilled-side of Bible-promises. Seeing the promises have been fulfilled, the promises are seen as still available at any time through faith. That breeds political optimism.
And there’s another way the fully-futurist view conflicts with the Gospel. If Bible-prophecies are only now being fulfilled, then aside from negating faith as the means of blessing for Israel, it also implies that all nations must revert to Old Covenant rituals in future, or else suffer a curse.
But that’s not how the Apostles explained the Gospel nor understood the Prophets. The Apostles taught that God had faithfully fulfilled all of His promises regarding the nation of Israel, including His promise to bring salvation and righteousness through the Messiah. The Apostles asserted and proved from the Prophets that only believers could experience the promised salvation – including Gentile believers – seeing no-one had been able to be justified through the works of the Law, which has now passed away.
The message of the Gospel meant that the door was left wide open for Jews and Gentiles alike. There’s no anti-Semitism – or anti-anyone – there!
Israel became a nation again in 1948, not so much because that was necessary in order to fulfil any specific Bible-prophecy or Bible time-frame for the first time, but more so, simply because a number of believers stirred themselves up at that time to ask God for it in Jesus’ Name – and we know they were asking according to God’s will, seeing the promises and prophecies, having already been fulfilled, had never been repealed.
Fulfilled-prophecy gives us an idea of what God is willing to do in the present. The door had always been left ajar. And the door was called faith.
Fulfilled-prophecy gives us an idea of what God is willing to do in the present. The door had always been left ajar. And the door was called faith.
The leaves of the tree are still for the healing of the nations.
Whosoever will may come…
All things are possible to him that believeth.
All things are possible to him that believeth.
That’s the Gospel – the good news.
There’s not been a failure nor a delay of God’s purposes for Israel. The Gospel is God’s purpose for Israel and for all nations. What is available for one is available for all. God has no additional program, no additional means – and nothing else need ever be added to our lifestyle, either now or at any time in the future.
Simply the Gospel.
According to the Gospel, Christ is coming the second time, but only the born-again shall participate in the resurrection of the righteous on that day and see His Kingdom.
Since we have nothing to do but to save souls; therefore spend and be spent in this work.
According to the Gospel, Christ is coming the second time, but only the born-again shall participate in the resurrection of the righteous on that day and see His Kingdom.
Since we have nothing to do but to save souls; therefore spend and be spent in this work.
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