By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #21 ~
God has a lot of unfinished business left to do with regard to the Jews. But many Christians don’t understand His plans, or are uninformed, confused, or in error. In fact, there are some who actually believe God’s work with the Jews is done, is over, is finished. Yes, they say the Jews were the ancestors of the Messiah and the writers of God’s Word, but they say they blew it when they killed the Messiah – they had their chance, and they took themselves out of the picture. Now they readily admit that the Jews have reoccupied Israel, but they still adamantly say there’s no Biblically prophesied future for ethnic Jews, for those who are Jews physically speaking. They say that we’re now in the church age, and that all God’s future plans relate directly and only to the church. Let me explain why their thinking is wrong:
God’s Word is true – it was true when it was written, it is true today, and it is true forever. God is not a man that He should lie or that He should change His mind, and therefore, every single word of God will be fulfilled, which includes His promises to the Jews. “The word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does… The Lord’s counsel stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation (Israel) whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own possession.” Psalm 33:4, 11-12
God’s character is at stake. Do you think God would give all these promises to the Jews, and then not keep His Word? If God has changed His mind, then He has deceived many people, even Jesus’ own mother (Luke 1:28-35). If God doesn’t keep His promises, then He is a liar. But God is not a liar – He will always be faithful to His Word. “Do you think I came to abolish the Law or the prophets? I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17-19
God’s promises are not based on law but on grace, and therefore are unconditional. They depend on God’s Word, and on God’s power, mercy and faithfulness, and therefore can’t be annulled because of Israel’s sin and unfaithfulness. God’s promises to the Jews that they’d inherit some land (Genesis 13:14-17), that Messiah would be King over the entire world (2 Samuel 7:12-13), and that a Jewish remnant would be saved (Jeremiah 31:31-34), will, without question, be fulfilled! “God has remembered His covenant forever.” Psalm 105:8
God’s promises are literal. They are not to be spiritualized. You can’t take some of God’s promises literally, and others figuratively. The promises of Christ’s 1st coming were fulfilled in every detail, and the promises of His 2nd coming will be fulfilled in every detail. How can a person say Jesus was literally born as a baby but won’t literally come back as a King? How can a person say that Old Testament promises for the Jews are not to be taken literally, but are now true for the church? You can’t say these things. Listen to what God says: “Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it and I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11
God’s promises to the Jews are eternal promises. “All the land which you see, I will give it to you and your descendants forever.” Genesis 13:15. How can anyone say God’s promises are not eternal when God says they are eternal? God is not going back on His Word, is He? His promises cannot in any way, shape or form be taken back, be rescinded – they will come true, and they will be true forever. “Thus says the Lord…” Jeremiah 31:35
God never said His promises were changed. Neither God, Christ or any New Testament writer ever actually denied these promises to the Jews, or said they were altered or reneged, and then given to the church. In fact, they were affirmed to be true. Luke 1:54-55, 1:68-79; Romans 15:4
Most of God’s Word is about the Jews. Nearly 70% of the Bible is about the Jews, and close to 23% is about the church. Then you have over 1000 Old Testament verses that restate and amplify God’s promises to the Jews. How can anyone say that the Jews are irrelevant, and that God’s promises to them are null and void? Anyone who thinks God’s future plans for the Jews have been nullified and invalidated are terribly mistaken. Don’t believe those who say there’s no future for the Jews. Believe what God says: “Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem for all generations.” Joel 3:20. “I will make a covenant of peace… an everlasting covenant with them. I will multiply them and set my sanctuary in their midst forever.” Ezekiel 37:26
This is a very important post. I write this for there are many who question God’s promises to the Jews – but we should never question God and His Word. With regards to His future working with the Jews, read the Old Testament, particularly the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets. Take them literally, and believe them, and see how God’s plans for His people, for both the Jews and the church, are now coming true at this time in history. And stay tuned, for there’s much more to be said on this subject in future posts and articles.
P.S. Here is another important article about what the Old Testament teaches us about the Kingdom Age on this earth: Hidden Treasure in the Old Testament.