Who Is Endtime Israel?
In theological discussions, the term "supersessionism" (also called Replacement Theology) refers to the belief that the ancient nation of Israel is not endtime Israel; the Christian Church is. "Dispensationalism" rejects supersessionism and believes, instead, in "restorationism," the theological position underpinned by the argumentative assumption that God is a respecter of persons, offering one covenant to the Church and a different covenant to the Jews. Therefore, within Evangelical Christianity—almost without exception based on dispensationalism—the formation of the modern state of Israel is central to prophecies about the recovery of Israel from the north country (Jer 16:14-15; 23:7-8; Ezek 20:34-36; 36:22-27; Isa 11:11-13 et al). Therefore, Evangelical Christianity locates humankind in the generic period known in Scripture as "the time of the end."
However, the return of Jews from Germany, Poland, and Russian has not made anyone forget about the Exodus from Egypt, and the promise of Jeremiah's prophecies is that the endtime return of Israel will be so much greater in magnitude that Israel's exodus from Egypt will be forgotten. Thus, "restorationism" has, at its core, too small of a return from the north country to satisfy endtime prophecies about Israel … in typology, Egypt and the king of the south represent sin, while Assyria and the king of the North represents death. Between sin and death lies "life," or Judea, which the Psalmist labels as God's rest (Ps 95:10-11). In the exodus from Egypt, the adult nation counted in the census taken the second year (Num 1:1-3) died in the wilderness, with the exceptions of Joshua and Caleb, because of its unbelief (cf. Num 14:11-12, 20-24, 28-34; Ps 95:10-11; Heb 3:19). This nation, when told that it was under sentence of death, outwardly repented (Num 14:40), but it could not enter God's rest [or into life] on the following day. The writer of Hebrews makes the "rest" of God that disbelieving Israel could not enter [i.e., Canaan or Judea] the visible, physical type of entering into the Sabbath rest of God (Heb 3:16-4:11), with the promise of entrance standing open only for a while (specifically Heb 4:1). And as the nation that left Egypt could not enter into Judea on the following day (Num 14:41-45), endtime Israel cannot enter into the rest of God on the following day, the 8th-day.
The Apostle Paul, writing about his natural kinsmen, says, "God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? `Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.' But what is God's reply to him? `I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace" (Rom 11:2-6).
Elsewhere, Paul writes, "For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God" (Rom 2:25-29).
Circumcision of the heart is by the Spirit, and this first mention of circumcision of the heart is in the Second Covenant mediated by Moses and made in Moab. Therefore, Israel after Calvary includes the remnant of the physically circumcised nation foreshadowed by the seven thousand of Elijah's day—this remnant is represented at Moab by the then-grown children of the nation that left Egypt, children too young to be counted in the census taken the second year. And Israel after Jesus breathed on the ten disciples and said, `"Receive the Holy Spirit [Pneuma 'Agion or Breath Holy]"' (John 20:22) is that nation which wasn't before a nation (1 Pet 2:9-10), but is now a nation that has received mercy/grace. This "uncircumcised" nation is represented at Moab by the uncircumcised children born in the wilderness—these children were circumcised after Israel crossed the Jordan and entered into God's rest (Josh 5:2-7), but before Israel celebrated the Passover.
God consigned all of humankind to disobedience so that He could have mercy on all (Rom 11:32), with this mercy extended initially to the firstfruits, the early barley harvest of Judea [or "life"], then latter to the main crop wheat harvest after the thousand years. Jesus was the First of the firstfruits. As such He was the reality of the Wave Sheaf Offering, presented to God on the day after the Sabbath during Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:11).
Sadducees and Pharisees differed on what Moses meant by the "day/morrow after the Sabbath." Sadducees took the referenced "Sabbath" to mean the weekly Sabbath; hence, Jesus as the reality of the First of the firstfruits would have appeared before God on the first day of the week—and He did (John 20:1, 17). Pharisees held that the "Sabbath" referred to the first high Sabbath [the 15th of Abib] of Unleavened Bread. Thus, Pharisees celebrated the Wave Sheaf Offering and the Feast of Weeks on a fixed calendar date, whereas the Sadducees celebrated both on the first day of the week.
More will be coming about Jesus being the reality of the Sabbath, and the high Sabbaths of God. For now, it is sufficient to note that the celebration of Jesus' resurrection is foreshadowed and commanded in the annual celebration of the high Sabbaths of God. Therefore, the annual celebration of the Resurrection is not a reason for abridging the Sabbath commandment. Only when an Israelite ceases to celebrate the high Sabbaths will the Israelite mistakenly attempt to transfer the authority of the weekly Sabbath to the annual observance of the Wave Sheaf Offering.
Endtime Israel is, according to Paul, the nation in covenant with God under the law of faith that is the righteousness that comes from faith, with his law of faith being the Moab covenant first mediated by Moses, and now mediated by Christ Jesus. The return of Israel from the north country is, now, the recovery of Israel from death through the giving of everlasting life.
* * *
"Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
However, the return of Jews from Germany, Poland, and Russian has not made anyone forget about the Exodus from Egypt, and the promise of Jeremiah's prophecies is that the endtime return of Israel will be so much greater in magnitude that Israel's exodus from Egypt will be forgotten. Thus, "restorationism" has, at its core, too small of a return from the north country to satisfy endtime prophecies about Israel … in typology, Egypt and the king of the south represent sin, while Assyria and the king of the North represents death. Between sin and death lies "life," or Judea, which the Psalmist labels as God's rest (Ps 95:10-11). In the exodus from Egypt, the adult nation counted in the census taken the second year (Num 1:1-3) died in the wilderness, with the exceptions of Joshua and Caleb, because of its unbelief (cf. Num 14:11-12, 20-24, 28-34; Ps 95:10-11; Heb 3:19). This nation, when told that it was under sentence of death, outwardly repented (Num 14:40), but it could not enter God's rest [or into life] on the following day. The writer of Hebrews makes the "rest" of God that disbelieving Israel could not enter [i.e., Canaan or Judea] the visible, physical type of entering into the Sabbath rest of God (Heb 3:16-4:11), with the promise of entrance standing open only for a while (specifically Heb 4:1). And as the nation that left Egypt could not enter into Judea on the following day (Num 14:41-45), endtime Israel cannot enter into the rest of God on the following day, the 8th-day.
The Apostle Paul, writing about his natural kinsmen, says, "God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? `Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.' But what is God's reply to him? `I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace" (Rom 11:2-6).
Elsewhere, Paul writes, "For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God" (Rom 2:25-29).
Circumcision of the heart is by the Spirit, and this first mention of circumcision of the heart is in the Second Covenant mediated by Moses and made in Moab. Therefore, Israel after Calvary includes the remnant of the physically circumcised nation foreshadowed by the seven thousand of Elijah's day—this remnant is represented at Moab by the then-grown children of the nation that left Egypt, children too young to be counted in the census taken the second year. And Israel after Jesus breathed on the ten disciples and said, `"Receive the Holy Spirit [Pneuma 'Agion or Breath Holy]"' (John 20:22) is that nation which wasn't before a nation (1 Pet 2:9-10), but is now a nation that has received mercy/grace. This "uncircumcised" nation is represented at Moab by the uncircumcised children born in the wilderness—these children were circumcised after Israel crossed the Jordan and entered into God's rest (Josh 5:2-7), but before Israel celebrated the Passover.
God consigned all of humankind to disobedience so that He could have mercy on all (Rom 11:32), with this mercy extended initially to the firstfruits, the early barley harvest of Judea [or "life"], then latter to the main crop wheat harvest after the thousand years. Jesus was the First of the firstfruits. As such He was the reality of the Wave Sheaf Offering, presented to God on the day after the Sabbath during Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:11).
Sadducees and Pharisees differed on what Moses meant by the "day/morrow after the Sabbath." Sadducees took the referenced "Sabbath" to mean the weekly Sabbath; hence, Jesus as the reality of the First of the firstfruits would have appeared before God on the first day of the week—and He did (John 20:1, 17). Pharisees held that the "Sabbath" referred to the first high Sabbath [the 15th of Abib] of Unleavened Bread. Thus, Pharisees celebrated the Wave Sheaf Offering and the Feast of Weeks on a fixed calendar date, whereas the Sadducees celebrated both on the first day of the week.
More will be coming about Jesus being the reality of the Sabbath, and the high Sabbaths of God. For now, it is sufficient to note that the celebration of Jesus' resurrection is foreshadowed and commanded in the annual celebration of the high Sabbaths of God. Therefore, the annual celebration of the Resurrection is not a reason for abridging the Sabbath commandment. Only when an Israelite ceases to celebrate the high Sabbaths will the Israelite mistakenly attempt to transfer the authority of the weekly Sabbath to the annual observance of the Wave Sheaf Offering.
Endtime Israel is, according to Paul, the nation in covenant with God under the law of faith that is the righteousness that comes from faith, with his law of faith being the Moab covenant first mediated by Moses, and now mediated by Christ Jesus. The return of Israel from the north country is, now, the recovery of Israel from death through the giving of everlasting life.
"Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."
Labels: circumcision, dispensationalism, endtime, Evangelical Christianity, exodus, Israel, Jews, Pharisees, restorationism, Sabbath, Sadducees, supersessionism, Unleavened Bread, Wave Sheaf
posted by T, L & F … at
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