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Topic: God will yet choose Israel
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Hitch
unregistered
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posted
If you believe the promises of God are yet to be kept please answer the foloowing;
68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
Was this fulfilled literally? Was the nation saved for her enemies?
What is done literlly is the performance of the covenant; Not some fabled national geo-political deliverance ,the promise to Abe is contained in the appearence of the Babe.
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Hitch
unregistered
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posted
One of the foundational positions of DF (Dispensational/Futurism) is the 'Unconditional Covenant'.
Without this there is no basis for the predicted future earthly and spiritual greatness of the Nation.
...That covenant is wholly gracious and unconditional. The descendendants of Abe had but to abide in their own land to inherit every blessing...the latter (the covenant) is everlasting because unconditional
P 20 SRB
Gen 17:1-7
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
Gen 17:8
8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
(KJV)
Gen 18:19
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
(KJV)
It would be near impossible to find anything more specifically conditional. The HS goes so far as to spell out the very conditions that DFs would tell us did not exist. This theme is repeated when God speaks to Issac;
(KJV)
Gen 26:1-3
1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
(KJV)
Gen 26:4-5
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Again the Covenant is based on the condition of faithful obedience, stated in the plainest of terms above.
But still there is more;regarding Israel...
Lev 26:40-42
40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;
41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:
42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
(KJV)
There is no case for an 'unconditional covenant'. It does not exist.
Take care
Hitch
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decibel
Advanced Member
Member # 4737
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posted
I see it has been a while since you posted this but I completely agree that in this, the last moment of the last days, that everything will center around Israel.
One prophecy I believe you missed is one that is, in my opinion, a major theme throughout the Bible. It is the restoration of all Israel (12 Tribes).
Ezekiel 37:21, 22 Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. "
For those who don't know, God divorced the House of Israel due to dissobedience back in the day. The Bible is full of prophecies pertaining to God, in the last days, reuniting the House of Judah and the House of Israel.
Who the house of Judah is should be pretty obvious, the Jews, but here is where many people have very different ideas, The house of Israel. There are some who believe that these prophecies will not come true because the House of Israel was taken by the Assyrians and lost their identity. However I believe that God is a man of His word, and when He promises something, He will do it. God promised, numerous times , He would restore Israel in the last days, all 12 Tribes not just the Jews from the Tribe of Judah. I believe that God has had his eyes on His children who are decendants of the 'Lost 10 Tribes'. Many of these decendants who lost their identity actually think they are Gentiles. Again in my opinion, God is awakening many to who they truely are and in doing so this will be a testament to the power of God as well as fulfill numerous prophecies about this restoration and moving back to the Promised Land.
In my opinion, the House of Israel are 'Gentiles' who are finding out from God their true roots as Israelites and actual Gentiles combined. God is doing this right before our eyes. Many Jews are having the blindfold taken off and finding Yeshua and The House of Israel is beginning to find out who they really are and what is to be done.
Israel, the nation, and the land are the focus of this last day. God is showing His power.
I have started a site in regards to this topic, because God has placed such a burden in my heart in regards to this topic. Feel free to check it out. Red Rain Lounge.com
Posts: 21 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jun 2005
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helpforhomeschoolers
Advanced Member
Member # 15
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posted
God will yet choose Israel
Matthew McGee
Isaiah 14:1 says, "For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob."
Many denominations hold to the view that God has forsaken the nation of Israel forever. They feel that because Israel crucified their Messiah, Jesus Christ, that God has taken away the promises He made to Israel, and has applied those promises to the present day predominantly Gentile church. However, we must not put "what we feel" above what God's Word actually says. In this article, we will examine the following three statements:
1. God made an unconditional everlasting covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
2. According to Bible prophecy, Israel will be back in their own land and will be the central focus in the end times.
3. God revealed the mystery of Israel's temporary fall to the Apostle Paul.
God's Unconditional Everlasting Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
God made unconditional promises to Abraham (originally named Abram) that were not dependent upon any action of Abraham or his descendants. In Genesis 12:3, God told Abram, "... I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." At that time, Abram was 75 years old, and he and his wife, Sarai (later named Sarah), had no children.
Abram was also promised a vast amount of land in Genesis 15:18, "... the LORD (Jehovah) made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates ...." This includes the land where Israel now exists plus a considerable amount of additional middle eastern land.
After more than ten years had passed, Abram and Sarai were still childless. They were growing impatient, and their faith that God would fulfill His promise was weak. So Sarai convinced Abram to have a son by her handmaid, Hagar, and they named the boy Ishmael.
Then about 14 years later, God appeared to Abram. The "everlasting covenant" (Genesis 17:7) is for Abraham and his seed after him: "... all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession ..." (Genesis 17:8). The covenant was later passed down to Isaac. Genesis 17:18-21 says, "And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year." So God's covenant with Abraham passed on to Isaac, but not to Ishmael.
Isaac was the child of God's promise, but Ishmael had been born as a result of Abram and Sarai's lack of faith. So in the eyes of God, Abraham only had one son. We know this because God told Abraham in Genesis 22:2, "... Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Ultimately God spared Isaac's life, but Abraham passed this test of faith by trusting God and being willing to do as He said.
This covenant was once again confirmed to Isaac in Genesis 26:3-4, "... unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed ...."
When Isaac blessed Jacob in Genesis 27:29 he said, "... cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee."
God also confirmed His covenant to Jacob in Genesis 28:13-15 saying, "... I am the LORD (Jehovah) God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again unto this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." God confirmed His covenant with Jacob again in Genesis 35:11-12.
Israel will be the Focus of the End Times
Another reason that we know that God has not forsaken Israel forever is the prominence Israel has in the end time prophecies which are yet to be fulfilled. The Old Testament is rich with prophecies of end time events. All of the prophecies and visions were given to Hebrew prophets, and most of the events take place in, or are centered around the nation of Israel. Here are four examples:
1. The abomination of desolation will take place in the temple which will be rebuilt in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15).
2. The battle of Armageddon will take place in the Valley of Megiddo in Israel, where all nations will come to fight against Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2-3 and Revelation 16:13-16).
3. When Jesus Christ returns to the earth, He will come down to the Mount of Olives, just east of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4 and Acts 1:9-11).
4. In the millenial kingdom, all nations will be required to come to Jerusalem to worship Jesus Christ the King and to keep the feast of tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16).
There are also end time prophecies recorded in the New Testament which show the prominence of Israel. Here are four examples:
1. In the book of Revelation, our Lord Jesus Christ confirmed through the Apostle John that during the tribulation, 12,000 young men will be chosen from each of the 12 tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:4-8).
2. The division between the people of Israel and the Gentiles is quite evident in Revelation 11:1-2 which says, "And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles ...." Under the law of Moses, Gentiles were not permitted inside the temple. This passage reveals that this will once again be the case during the future seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy, which is commonly referred to as the tribulation.
3. Chapter 12 of Revelation tells how the remnant of Israel will be chased into the wilderness by Satan and his armies where they must remain protected by God for the final three and a half years, commonly referred to as the great tribulation (Revelation 12:6 and 17).
4. Finally, Revelation 21:12 says the new Jerusalem will have "... a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel ...."
We know from the scriptures and from history that many prophecies about Israel have already been fulfilled, and that God, sooner or later, always fulfills His prophecies. In addition to the prophecies above, there are many other great prophecies about the prominence of Israel that have never been fulfilled. So this can only mean that they are yet going to take place. Zechariah 8:22-23 says, "Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord ... In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."
The Mystery of Israel's Temporary Fall
Perhaps the greatest reason that we know that God will one day bring the nation of Israel back into prominence is provided by our apostle Paul in Romans chapter 11. He explains God's plan "to provoke them (Israel) to jealousy" (v.11), adding "... if the fall of them be the riches of the world ... how much more their fulness?" (Romans 11:12). Through the temporary setting aside of Israel, God brought salvation to the Gentiles. But when Israel is returned to that place of prominence in fulfillment of the Bible prophecies, even more Gentiles will be saved as a result.
Paul reveals the mystery of Israel's temporary blindness in Romans 11:25-29 "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion a Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (the unbelieving portion of Israel): For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching election, they are beloved for the fathers' (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) sakes. For the gifts of God are without repentance." When God made His promises to the nation of Israel, He already knew all the wrong that they would do, including crucifying their Messiah, but He still did not add any conditions to the promises. Despite all of this, God will still fulfill all of the promises which He made to the nation of Israel in both the Old and New Testaments. The Almighty God is a God of His Word.
Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002
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