Friday 14 October 2016

Israelology

It occurred to me that asking someone how they see Israel fitting into the purpose of God, could be a quick and easy way to locate their appreciation of the Gospel in the whole of the Bible.

Some see the Gospel as something separate from God's plans for Israel - my current understanding is that the Gospel was God's plan for Israel.

They see Paul's Gospel of grace for Gentiles as something different to Jesus' Gospel of the Kingdom for Israel - but I think there is no other Gospel than the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They understand the focal theme of Old Testament Prophecy to be a still-future salvation and Kingdom of Israel in history - but I think Israel's salvation and the Kingdom of God were procured for Israel already, by Christ Jesus' first coming: even though early believing Jews still awaited its consummation at Christ's Second Coming.

Even though we still await the ultimate fulfilment of our blessed hope - still the early Church were living with a new sense of fulfilment that wasn't possible before Jesus came. That was their good news!

The Kingdom Already/Not Yet.

Not, that the Kingdom was delayed and meanwhile we get the Gospel of grace.

Rather, salvation right now - but in two phases: inauguration/consummation.

Some think a Dispensational view of Israel is the only way to make sense of Old Testament Prophecy - but I think the main function of Old Testament Prophecy was to predict the historical stage on which Messiah would come to Israel the first time, procure their salvation, and vouchsafe their place in the eternal Kingdom of God.

And the revelation of the Apostles was that Christ would come twice - that salvation and the Kingdom of God is a two-phase thing.

Not a separate thing - but the same thing, in two phases.

And that Gentiles were to participate in the same salvation, by hearing the same Gospel which Jesus and the Apostles first preached to Israel; they have become part of the same body - the body of Messiah; they have become co-heirs of the same Promises.

The Church is not something separate from the theme of Israel's salvation/kingdom in Bible Prophecy - it's precisely the same thing.

But it did have to happen in Israel first - and afterwards Gentiles were included, fulfilling Prophecy.

They say any view other than theirs is anti-semitic - but the Gospel took nothing away from Israel: rather it was God's best method of procuring the highest good for Israel!

And even though many Jews did not believe, God never closed the door to Jews - any Jew can still rise to everything God Promised, by believing in Jesus.

That placed Israel and the nations on an equal footing - both were condemned with or without the Law: both are candidates to receive the Promises.

The culmination of the Promise is unseen and eternal and we still wait for it from heaven; but spiritually it has already been inaugurated through the cross, and it can be experienced already through the Holy Spirit through faith.

Meanwhile the Gospel took nothing away from God's goodwill towards one's physical health, prosperity, family-life, nationhood and secure boundaries - but we still await the fullest inheritance when He comes.

But only the born-again shall see the Kingdom of God - whether Gentiles or Jews. The same plan covers all.

But since the Gospel took nothing away from God's goodwill towards Israel in temporary, earthly, national matters, Israel could potentially always rise to it.

That's something that has been possible because Bible Prophecy has already been fulfilled and never explicitly revoked - rather than something necessary to happen in order to fulfil Bible-Prophecy for the first time, I think. But I'm still learning.

God has goodwill towards the people called Israelites, in the land called Israel - but He has equal goodwill towards all people of all nations. That's Abraham's blessing!

"In thy seed all families of the earth shall be blessed."

All nations - equally.

Seed singular, which was Christ - not seeds, plural.

Anything that happens now happens on the new platform of the Gospel of Christ - not on the old platform of the Mosaic Law.

That means only the sky is the limit for the modern State of Israel! as it is for all nations. That's far from anti-semitic. It's pro-every nation!

But to expect instead a specialised Law-based, Mosaic Levitical-style future exclusively for Israel independently of the Gospel as if that were the delayed focal-theme of Old Testament Prophecy, makes the Gospel merely something else. Something only temporary.

It misses that the Gospel is the way God wants to do it. It's the only way He's going to do it.

Jesus only always and forever.

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