The Re-Gathering of the Jews

March 31, 2004

RE-GATHERING OF THE JEWS

Part I

Today’s Israel is not the result of prophecy having been fulfilled in 1948. It doesn’t matter how much you want to believe it, or how many renown theologians believe it. It doesn’t matter how many millions of books are sold depicting it as being the fulfillment of prophecy—such as, Hal Lindsay’s “The Late Great Planet Earth,” or Tim LaHaye’s and Jerry Jenkins’ the “Left Behind” series.

Millions of Christians have fallen for lies of the silver-tongued orators who pound pulpits and stomp their feet, proclaiming, “Praise God! Israel is back in their land, and the next thing that the Lord will do is to descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air …” When such utterances are made, we are struck with the thought—How can they be so unaware of the right division truth?

The Bible is crystal clear concerning as to when it will be accomplished. The Bible is just as clear how the Lord will gather Israel and prepare them to return to their ancient land of promise.

The Bible Answer to When Will God Again Deal with the Jews

When the Lord Jesus Christ establishes His Government in the earth and begins His rule over the nations, the Jews are still scattered among the nations. For the most part, they will be living in unbelief.

A little known truth is that when the Kingdom of God comes, He raises Nebuchadnezzar from the dead and sets him over a world-wide empire (see studies on Nebuchadnezzar). The Kingdom rule begins with the nations. This is affirmed by several passages of Scripture which are mostly ignored for lack of understanding.

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.” (Matt. 12:18-21). [NIV]

This cannot, in any way, refer to the 2nd Coming of Christ. This victory is achieved without Jesus Christ having to quarrel or cry out. His voice will not be heard “in the streets.” The victory over the nations comes without doing damage. The antichrist has not yet been born. The Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9:24 still awaits fulfillment. The Jew is not back in “the land.” The weakest (a bruised reed) will not be broken, nor will the ones close to death (a smoldering wick) be snuffed out. In His Name (Jesus Christ), the nations will put their hope. This is a description of how the Kingdom comes upon the earth—the first phase is Gentile-ward.

When Jesus Christ made the statement in Matthew 12:18-21, He quoted Isaiah 42:1-3:

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” [NIV]

There is no mention of Him bringing Israel back to the land before He establishes justice in the earth and before the nations trust in Him. In fact, the nations of the world submit to the reign of Christ, and praise Him before the Jews return to the Land.

The Apostle Paul mentioned this in Romans 15:12, “And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.” Gentiles, here, are the nations.

The heavenly rule of Christ over the earth begins with the nations, while Israel is scattered among them. None of this has happened. It is yet future. The Lord is not, now, ruling and reigning over the nations of the world. Therefore, it cannot happen until He rules and reigns from heaven.

Who are the Israelites that now live in the “postage stamp” size nation called Israel? According to the Word of God, it is not the Israel of prophecy. Today’s Israel is not the work of Christ Jesus. To say it is, is to disgrace Christ, and the promises He made, as God, to the fathers of Israel. Their promised land was to be from the Nile River of Egypt to the Euphrates River of present day Iraq (Genesis 15:18). [i]

When the Kingdom comes, the Lord establishes a world-wide empire and this “global empire” He, initially, gives it to Nebuchadnezzar. This global empire is a single realm that governs every living human being on the earth during the early part of the “latter days.” The Lord appoints kings and removes them (Daniel 2:21) at His Own will during the time He is manifesting His dominion over the earth. He allows men to exercise rule over the kingdom He established. Perhaps many of these kings will have been raised from the dead to assume kingship over this world empire.”

It is during the reign of these monarchs, under the authority of Jesus Christ, that He Personally begins to plead the living descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Endnotes:

[i] Notice the size of modern Israel as compared with that of Great Britain. To equate the State of Israel with the fulfillment of the promise God made to Abram and his seed is preposterous. Those who believe that the present State of Israel is the realization of God’s promise leaves me to wonder what a pip-squeak god do they believe in.

Genesis 12:2-3, “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” To think God will bless America because she is friendly and supportive of today’s Israel treats the Word of God with contempt. The truth of this, awaits the latter days.

April 7, 2004
RE-GATHERING OF THE JEWS
Part II

Modern-day Israel does not meet the Scriptural requirements to be Israel of prophecy. It should be pointed out, in this connection, that the present nation of Israel is not the “Israel of God.” What we see, or hear, or read about in today’s news is not prophecy being fulfilled “before our very eyes.” Even though teachers and preachers of prophecy herald “the end time” is here and now.

The Jews in Palestine, overwhelmingly, are unbelievers. They are secularists, irreligious, and socialists. In fact, it is widely recognized that most Israelis are atheists. Today’s Israel is not the work of God. As dispensationalists, we recognize He is not directing the course of human events during the Dispensation of the Mystery. If not God, then “who is?” some may ask. The Apostle Paul answers the question in Ephesians 2:2-3; the prince of the power of the air—Satan. This is a hard saying; who can receive it? Today’s nation of Israel is the work of Satan—“the prince of this world” (John 12:31). He has been the “behind-the-scene” director who orchestrated the creation of the “Zionist Movement” in Europe in 1860. The Zionist Movement’s goal was for the nations to create a “home- land” for the Jews. Through all the various stages the “movement” went through, it finally culminated in Jewish terrorists forcing the British to abandon its’ “Balfour Declaration” in 1948. And wouldn’t you know it, the United States was the first nation to give the “new Israel” the recognition it needed to become a free and independent nation.

There has been nothing but strife, turmoil, and wars in the region ever since. This is not how God will accomplish His promise to ancient people. The Land that His Israel will occupy will be that of His promise of Genesis 15:18. From the River Nile to the Euphrates River is the territory He promised to Abraham and his descendents through Isaac and Jacob.

According to my reckoning, when the converted Jew is brought back to settle in the Promised Land, it will encompass the following nations, as we know them today: that part of Egypt east of the Nile, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. A comparison of God’s promise with the “microscopic” nation of today’s Israel only reinforces the fact that this is not the work of God.

When the Lord’s new world order is imposed upon the world and the prince of darkness is overthrown along, with his corrupt and evil governments—then will the Lord begin to deal with the Jew.

Jeremiah foretells of this; “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

The Lord will write on the tables of the Jews’ heart, His law. He will be their God, and they will be His people before He places them in the Land. Here are what most students and teachers of the Word overlook; all of the true descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be raised from the dead, and those living at the time. That is when the Lord Jesus Christ begins to determine who among them, will qualify to enjoy the bounty, blessings, joy, peace, and life in the Land of Promise.

Ezekiel tells us a great deal about this process in chapter 20:33-44. The first thing to notice is that the Lord deals with the Jew before they take up their permanent residence in the Land. There will be a place on the rejuvenated earth where He will gather them together:

“And I will bring you out from the people (i.e. the nations), and I will bring you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered …” (v. 34).

“…when I bring you out from the people (i.e. the nations), and gather you out of countries wherein ye have been scattered …” (v. 41).

The place where the Lord gathers the progeny of the three patriarchs is designated as “the wilderness of the people” (v. 35). The word is a little misleading inasmuch as when the earth is restored, there will be no desert or place of desolation on it.

The “wilderness of the people” is symbolic of the wilderness in which the Hebrews wandered. Here, in Ezekiel 20:35, the “wilderness of the people” indicates there will be an area, or neutral zone, in which the Jew will be completely separated from the nations and totally dependent upon the Lord.

It will be in this area, or region, that the Lord will say, as He did with Israel of old, “I will plead with you face to face. Like I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you” (vs. 35-36).

“And I will cause you to pass under the rod [like a Sheppard uses his rod or staff as he inspects his sheep, as they pass under it], and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant” (v.37).

It is during this process that the Lord determines which sheep are allowed to enter into Israel’s restored kingdom. We can, mentally, picture this as being likened to:
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

The Jews who are not to be allowed to enter will be the rebels as here described, “And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me; I will bring them forth out of the countries where they sojourn, and they will not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD” (v. 38).

The rebels will be men without a country during the kingdom of God. Notice that the rebels will not even dwell in the former land of their sojourn, and if they are not allowed to enter the Land—where will they dwell? It is apparent that there will be a place for them to dwell in the restored earth. I can’t locate where it will be or describe what it will be like. But, the Bible names the place—outer darkness. I’ll use a hyperbole to simply say, “It’s a place where the sun don’t shine.” These were to have been the “children of the kingdom,” because of their rebellious heart-attitude they forfeit their right, just like Esau, who found no place for repentance.

“And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:11-12).

The “pure in heart” will be admitted into the Promised Land. No form of corruption will exist in the State of the “Israel of God.” No corrupt politicians will be allowed to practice their deceit. Corrupt institutions will not exist. Every person will be accountable for his or her own sin. There will be a dramatic reversal of death reigning over mankind. Instead of death reigning, as described in Romans 5, life reigns.

When the Jews are re-gathered and resettled in the Land, they will be identified with their tribes. Each of the twelve apostles will be raised from the dead and become the ruler of a tribe of his own. David will be raised and become the anointed-one (i.e. the messiah) king over the nation. Israel will not be a socialist democracy. In other words, Israel’s leaders have already been chosen by the Lord.

Therefore, there will be no elections. David, as king, will rule in righteousness under the direct authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. The nation of Israel will be a “kingdom of priests.” She will be blessed of God to such an extent that she will be a model government which all other nations will want to emulate.

When the Lord leads them from the “wilderness of the people” into the Land—not a gun- shot will be fired, not an armored tank will roll, not an army will march, not a bomber or fighter plane will be used to secure the Land for the returning Jew.

There’ll be no resistance to the Jews acquiring the Land. Those nations who surrender the Territory will gladly do so, because they, too, are submissive to the divine arrangement. The turmoil in the Middle-East will have been settled when the Lord Jesus Christ assumes His sovereignty over the earth.

The Bible says of the returning Jews, “I will be sanctified in you before the heathen” (Ezek.20: 41).

We have only scratched the surface, but if the foregoing is true, it is clear that today’s Israel, in no way, shape, form, or fashion meets any of the divinely revealed requirements to being the Israel of God.