Israel’s Rejection

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Short Summary
The discourse explores the theme of Israel’s rejection, emphasizing the interconnectedness of Israel’s destruction and eventual restoration as foretold in scripture, particularly Luke 21:24. It contrasts dispensationalism with replacement theology, affirming that God’s covenant with Israel remains intact despite their disobedience and diaspora, and highlights prophetic lessons from biblical history and figures like King Saul and King David to encourage faithful obedience and practical application of God’s Word.

Long Summary
Detailed Bullet-Point Summary of the Discourse on “Israel’s Rejection”

Introduction and Greetings
– Christian greetings sent from the Metro Ecclesia in Detroit.
– Mention of Sister Ruth and Sister Shane (currently in Chicago) who could not join.
– Title: *Israel’s Rejection*; Theme text: Luke 21:24.
– Emphasis on the inseparability of Israel’s destruction and restoration in biblical prophecy.

Theme Text (Luke 21:24)
– “They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24)
– Describes Jerusalem’s destruction and Gentile domination as a temporary period.

Big Picture View: Dispensationalism vs. Replacement Theology
– Many fail to see the big picture due to narrow Bible interpretations and lack of understanding of dispensations.
Replacement Theology (Supersessionism):
– Christian doctrine asserting the Church has replaced Israel as God’s covenant people.
– New Covenant through Jesus replaces Mosaic covenant.
– Held by Catholics and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Dispensationalism:
– Opposes replacement theology.
– Believes God is not done with Israel as His chosen people.
– Israel’s sin leads to judgment and correction, not forfeiture.
– Prophets predict Israel’s eventual restoration to their land and to God.

Historical and Political Context
– Reference to President Jimmy Carter as being anti-Semitic due to promoting a two-state solution between Arabs and Israelis.
– Two-state solution is not seen as God’s preferred plan.
– Carter also gave away the Panama Canal and created the Federal Department of Education.
– Humanitarianism is not necessarily linked to political decisions.

The 144,000 in Revelation (Chapters 7 & 14)
– Some Christians interpret the 144,000 as literal Jews saved at Christ’s return.
– Speaker’s view: The 144,000 symbolize the Church (overcoming saints), not literal Jews.
– Symbolism in Revelation:
– Numbers followed by time elements are symbolic; numbers alone are literal.
– The 144,000 represents spiritual fulfillment, not literal tribal Jews.
– Reasons against literal interpretation:
– Revelation was written after AD 70, after Jerusalem’s destruction.
– Genealogical records (Matthew and Luke) lost after temple destruction.
– Many Jews today do not know their tribal origins.
– The 12 tribes represent a typological picture fulfilled spiritually in the Church.

Jesus Cursing the Fig Tree (Matthew 21 & Mark 11)
– Jesus curses a barren fig tree symbolizing the state of Israel.
– Event occurred near Jerusalem before the final Passover.
– The fig tree’s withering parallels the destruction of Israel in AD 70 and Jewish Diaspora.
– The “time of favor” for Jews started with Jesus’ death (33 AD) and ended with destruction of Masada (73 AD).

Historical Timeline of Jewish Disfavor
– Two major exiles:
– Northern Kingdom (Israel, ten tribes) taken by Assyrians.
– Southern Kingdom (Judah, two tribes) taken by Babylonians.
– King Cyrus allowed Jews to return (~538 BC), prefiguring Jesus’ return in 1874 and Jewish return to Palestine starting 1878.
– Jewish disfavor period: 33 AD (Jesus’ crucifixion) to 1878 AD (first Jewish settlement in modern times).
– Scripture reference: Hosea 2:14-15 (God’s promise of restoration).

Luke 21:20-24 Expanded
– Foretells Jerusalem’s siege and destruction.
– Calls for immediate flight of inhabitants.
– Describes great distress and wrath.
– Confirms Gentile trampling until fulfillment of Gentile times.

Leviticus 26 and Its Connection to Luke 21:24
– Leviticus 26 outlines blessings for obedience and punishments for disobedience.
– Verses 18-28 mention “seven times” (interpreted as 2520 years of Gentile dominance).
– Diaspora and eventual regathering of Israel prophesied.
– Reference to Daniel’s prophecy of four Gentile empires and Ezekiel 21:25-27 about overturning until rightful ruler comes.

Three Kings of Israel as Prophetic Types
– King Saul: Represents the Jewish age.
– Started humble but fell due to fear, impatience, and disobedience.
– Failed to fully obey God (1 Samuel 15:3), sparing Amalekite king Agag and livestock.
– Failed to repent properly, leading to rejection by God.
– King David: Represents the Gospel age.
– Committed sin but repented sincerely (2 Samuel 12:13).
– Exemplifies the importance of repentance and forgiveness.
– King Solomon: Represents the mediatorial age.
– (Not elaborated in detail in this discourse).

Lessons from King Saul and King David
– Obedience to God is critical; partial obedience leads to rejection.
– Repentance and humility restore favor, though consequences remain.
– Importance of self-awareness, repentance, and learning from mistakes.

Final Admonitions from Joshua 23
– Joshua reminds Israel of God’s blessings and punishments.
– Calls for vigilance in obeying God’s Word (Joshua 23:11).
– Emphasizes that knowledge of God’s Word must impact both mind and heart.
– Without practical application, biblical study becomes mere intellectual exercise.

Conclusion
– Israel’s rejection is a historical and prophetic fact supported by scripture.
– Practical application is necessary for spiritual growth.
– Encouragement to read scripture discerningly and let it transform character to reflect Christ.
– Closing prayer thanking God for understanding His plan and asking for guidance.

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Key Bible Verses Mentioned:

– Luke 21:20-24
– Revelation 7 and 14 (144,000)
– Matthew 21 and Mark 11 (Fig tree cursing)
– 1 Samuel 9:21; 1 Samuel 15:3 (Saul’s calling and disobedience)
– 2 Samuel 12:13 (David’s repentance)
– Leviticus 26:1-45 (Blessings, punishments, “seven times”)
– Ezekiel 21:25-27 (Overturning kingdom)
– Hosea 2:14-15 (Restoration of Israel)
– Joshua 23:11 (Admonition to obey God)

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Summary Remarks:

The discourse offers a detailed overview of Israel’s rejection and restoration from a dispensationalist viewpoint, emphasizing that God’s covenant with Israel remains intact despite their punishment and diaspora. Key prophetic scriptures are examined, including the symbolic meaning of the 144,000 in Revelation, the significance of Jesus cursing the fig tree, and the historical context of Jewish exile and regathering. It contrasts dispensationalism with replacement theology and highlights the importance of obedience, repentance, and practical application of biblical truths in personal spiritual life.

Transcript

We want to bring the Christian love and greetings your brother. In the Detroit area, the Metro Ecclesia wanted their love sent and along with, I guess, Sister Ruth, which I didn’t know. Sister Shane is also in Chicago at this time for the Florence Tabax memorial service, so she won’t be joining us. So the title of our thoughts is Israel’s Rejection, and our theme text comes from Luke 21:24.

They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21, verse 24. One cannot talk about the destruction of Israel without talking about their restoration, and vice versa. You can’t talk about Israel’s restoration without talking about their destruction. We have an outline that we won’t take time to go through, but these will be our thoughts today.

And each slide you’ll see we’ll, we’ll have the outline on it.

So we’re all familiar with the idiom can’t see the forest for the trees means that one is so engrossed in details that the myopic view that one fails to see the big picture. That’s what this chart does for us. It gives us the big picture view. It gives us direction where God has been and where he is going. Most don’t understand the basics of what we are discussing because they have a narrow view of their interpretation of the Bible and most don’t see dispensations.

So the first thing we want to talk about is dispensationalism versus replacement theology. Replacement theology is also known as supersessionism. Something that supersedes is a Christian doctrine that asserts the Christian church has superseded the Jewish people as God’s covenant people. It claims that the New Covenant through Jesus Christ has replaced the Mosaic covenant. Examples of those who believe that their Christian beliefs replace God’s covenant with Israel are the Catholics and Jehovah Witnesses.

So dispensationalism is the opposite of replacement theology, while the Roman Catholic Church believes that it is the New Covenant, that they are the new Israel who have superseded the Old Testament chosen people. Dispensationalism states that God is not yet done with Israel as his chosen people. Many prophets teach the opposite of replacement theology and that Israel’s rebellion and sin have not led to land forfeiture, but to judgment and correction. Yet in the end, God will restore Israel to their ancient land and to himself. What president was anti Semitic?

And we would say Jimmy Carter, what policies in the Middle east did he propose between the Arabs living in Gaza and Israel? The two state solution. Is the two state a solution God is in favor of? And of course we would answer that no, and just a side note, what additional policies did Jimmy Carter enact that are being rolled back?

Jimmy Carter gave away the Panama Canal and he created the Federal Department of Education. This is how the schools were being influenced by the federal government. In all fairness to the late Jimmy Carter, he was a great humanitarian. Point being, you don’t have to be a president and info and have influence over policies in order to be a great humanitarian.

There are those Christians who believe that the 144,000 Jews mentioned in Revelation chapter 7 and 14 will be saved when Christ returns. So let’s review a general rule concerning numbers in the Book of Revelation we notice that all numbers are listed and are followed by symbolic feature when time is spoken of, what follows is a symbolic feature. Hour, day, month are symbolic. The number that precedes these time features is literal. So why the 144,000 are literal are not literal Jews is because of our belief in the two phases of the kingdom of earthly and heavenly.

We feel comfortable with the idea that the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation chapter 7 and 14 apply to the Church, while our Christian friends apply this number to literal Jews who will be converted just prior to our Lord’s return. We would like to state two natural reasons that we have used in witnessing that gives good reason why the 144,000 mentioned are not literal Jews. First, the Book of Revelation was written after AD 70 after the destruction of Jerusalem the Diaspora. Second, the genealogy given in Matthew and Luke was given to prove who the Messiah was through birth. Once the nation was destroyed, genealogy was of no use to the Jewish, just as today Jews seemingly no seemingly know what tribe they are Jews today, few Jews today seemingly know what tribes they are from.

The reason for the genealogy the Babylonian Captivity was precisely to prove the lineage of Jesus. Once Jesus was born and the temple destroyed along with its records, the genealogy of Matthew and Luke was was a record is a record for us today. So when Revelation 7 enumerates 12,000 from each tribe, this cannot be a literal Jews because the written genealogy is lost and only God would know who they are, and God does not need to write down anything he does not forget. Again, the Scriptures were written for our admonition and understanding the Creator.

Some Jews today through oral tradition say they know what tribe they are from and maybe genetics can also verify this. I didn’t look this up. The point being it doesn’t matter anymore because the Jewish 12 tribe picture had its fulfillment in the type. So then the 144,000 are the saints or overcoming church members that will reign with our glorified Lord in heaven. Hence the number 144,000 is correct and the world and the word followed is symbolic.

Jesus curses the Fig tree the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree is record. It was recorded in both Matthew 21 and Mark 11 and both accounts Jesus and his disciples were walking from Bethany to Jerusalem to just before the Passover feast. The incident occurred when Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem for his final passover. So let’s read. In Mark 11:12 Jesus curses the fig tree.

On the following day when they came to Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing in a distance a fig tree and leaf. He went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, may no one ever eat fruit from you again.

And his disciples heard it. Then the lesson from the withered fig tree. Verse 20. In the morning as they passed by, they saw a fig tree withered away to its roots. Verse 21.

Then Peter remembered and said to him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered. This literally happened. The nation of Israel was destroyed in AD 70 by the Roman armies and the Jews were dispersed throughout the world until their time of favor would start from the death of Jesus in 33 AD + 40 years brings us to the destruction of the last Jewish stronghold, Masada in 73 AD. Notice the scripture only talks about the destruction of the nation of Israel. As many scriptures are pointed for a lesson and do not unfold the entire story.

1845 years of disfavor we have two separate periods of time when the Jews were taken from their land. The first was when the kingdom was divided into Israel. The ten tribe kingdom. The northern kingdom taken away by the Assyrian empire. Then about 147 years later, the Babylonians took the southern Two Tribe kingdom of Judah.

Then King Cyrus who allowed the Jews to return to the land allowed of Israel or Palestine. The reason the tribes were taken is because of their idolatry and disobedience to the word of God. Many prophets came and told the leaders what corrections were needed. The Northern Kingdom had nine ruling dynasties, 19 kings, while the southern kingdom was only ruled by the descendants of David and they had 20 kings. This is not the period of time we are talking about.

And there are many pictures contained in this narrative? The one picture we are interested in is that King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to the land of Palestine. King Cyrus represents Jesus at his return in 1874 with the Jews starting to return to the land of Palestine in 1878. So then our period of time we are discussing is from 33 A.D. when our Lord was crucified until favor is returned to the Jews in 33 AD the crucifixion of Jesus to 1878 AD the establishment of the first Jewish settlement Petitva is on Hosea 214 and 15. We won’t read that because I think everybody’s familiar with that scripture.

But in review the Jewish disfavor started with the crucifixion of Jesus 33 AD and began to come to an end in 1878 with the establishment of the first Jewish settlement Petitva, and that’s in Hosea 2:14 and 15.

Now let’s review our theme text in Luke 21:21 24. This text is expansive and it describes Jerusalem being taken, but it also has a hint that this would only be for a time. So Luke 21 starting in verse 20 the destruction of Jerusalem foretold. When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it.

For these are the days of vengeance as a fulfillment of all that is written. Woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing infants in those days. For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people, and then verse 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Now let’s talk about why this desolation of the Jews took place. There’s a tie into Luke 21:24 to the Old Testament in Leviticus chapter 26. We’re not going to read the all this. We’re not going to read the chapter. But what we will do is outline this.

So chap. Verses 1 through 13 is the promise of blessing for obedience. Verse 14 through 17 is the promises of punishment for disobedience. Verse 18 through 28 is the promise of the seven times the Gentile times seven times 360 is the 2520 years. Remember this was the Babylonian captivity from 606 to 600.

606607 BC and then we have verses 29 through 33 is the promise of the diaspora. This is the tie in to Luke 21. Then 34 through 39 is the Diaspora itself and then 40 through 45 is the time of returning or regathering Leviticus 26, 1828 so we see the seven times are mentioned four times in Leviticus. It’s in verse 1821, 24 and 28 and this is a foreshadowing of the four Gentile empires of later shown in Daniel which would fulfill this prophecy, and then we also have Ezekiel 21:25, 27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn and it shall be no more until he comes who right it is and I will give it to him.

Now let’s talk about discuss the three prominent kings of Israel in a prophetic picture. These three kings represent three great the three great ages. King Saul represents the Jewish age, King David represents the Gospel age, while King Solomon represents the mediatorial age. The practical picture will be our focus and this overlaps or is the same as the prophetic picture of the nation of Israel and why they lost the heavenly calling as a nation. King Saul started out good and ended up bad.

How did King Saul from a fall and lose his calling once again? Once again King Saul represents the Jewish age. Saul started out good. Saul started out as a humble and unassuming Young man and 1st Samuel 9, verse 21 when the Prophet Samuel informed Saul that he was to become King, Saul answered. In 1st Samuel 9:21 Saul answered, I am only a Benjaminite from the least of the tribes of Israel, and my family is the humblest of all families of the tribe of Benjamin.

Why then have you spoken to me in this way? King Saul falls from favor. King Saul allowed fear and a lack of faith and impatience to dictate his actions that led to God rejecting him. King Saul’s pivotal decision that led to his impending downfall was the battle against the Amalekites. The prophet Samuel told King Saul to destroy everything 1st Samuel 15:3 however, Saul spared Agag, the king of Amalekites and also kept the best of the livestock under the pretense of offering them a as sacrifices to God.

God didn’t need that. When confronted by Samuel, the prophet Saul attempted to justify his actions in contrast to King David when confronted by the prophet Nathan with the story about the two men, one rich and one poor, with the rich man being King David and the poor man being Uriah. This is in 2 Samuel chapter 12. Let’s read that. 2nd Samuel 12:13.

David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. Nathan said to David, now the Lord has put away your sins. You shall not die nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord. The children, the child that is born to you shall die. Then Nathan went to his house.

The lesson for us, always do what is right, no matter what. It’s easier said than done, isn’t it? When we do this, digress, realize it, and ask for forgiveness. See, ask for forgiveness. This seems.

This seems David went against his own conscience at this point. Once we ask forgiveness in David’s case, as in many of our cases, there is a consequences that there are consequences that we must face that will bring us back to memory what we have done in order for us to learn the lasting lesson. Some of these lessons for us can be quite humiliating because they are out there, open for all to see. Instead of repentance, King Saul continued to fall further from favor. I am not a psychiatrist, but it seems like King Saul had some kind of paranoia, concerned about losing his kingdom, David and then the witch of Endor, and Saul’s final downfall.

In Conclusion, in the 23rd chapter of Joshua, we have. We have his admonitions to the Jewish people. Joshua recaps all their victories that they had because God was with them. Then Joshua tells the Israelites, if they turn from God, the punishment they will receive. We see what happened to the Jewish people and how they were removed from their land and endured extreme difficulties.

What’s the lesson for us? In Joshua 23, verse 11, it states, Be very careful. In other words, we must know the Word of God in order to adjust our thinking. We need to be very careful so that we can properly love the Lord our God. Our topic was Israel’s rejection.

We discussed scripture that pertained to Israel’s rejection, and I have not come across anyone who would disagree with the historic facts. We also added some practical applications. Why did we do this? Because without the practical application, this exercise would be just that, mental gymnastics without an application, nothing more, nothing less.

So let us discerningly read the Word of God so that it not only is remembered in our minds, but most importantly, enters into our heart so that we can become an image of. Of our Lord Jesus, and we now turn the meeting back over to our chairman.

Thank you, Robill. I appreciate the discourse.

Can you please close this session with a word of prayer? Sure. Dear Father in heaven, we come before thee, giving thanks for this day, Giving thanks for the opportunity that we have here with the Toronto brethren and, and with everybody that’s online, we’re thankful for all the encouragement that gives each and every one of us to be able to see each other. We also especially thank thee for the sacrifice of thy dear son and understanding the plan of God in advance of the world of mankind and all the details that we understand that we can shape our characters and be more in tune with thy plans and purposes.

And we ask this all in Jesus most holy and precious name. Amen.

Amen. Thank you, Brother Bill.

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