Israel – the people of God

DE

Is Israel still the people of God?

This question still concerns the church of Jesus today and often leads to violent conflicts. What is happening in and around Israel today raises many questions.What is happening today in and around Israel raises some questions, but it is also due to the special situation and is not necessarily transparent to outsiders.  On the other hand, we read in Romans also a clear warning addressed to the church of God:

Romans 11, 17 – 24

17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?


In the Old Testament, more precisely in Genesis 32: 23-32, we find a mysterious story described, which in my opinion says something:

Jacob’s fight at Jabbok. His new name

23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob‘ thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him , and said, Tell me , I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob‘ thigh in the sinew that shrank.

 

The people have gone ahead. I think, this event is prophetic.

Jacob, that is Israel. His two wives, the two maids, and his eleven sons represent the church of Jesus. The man who fights with Israel is Jesus. He could not overcome Jacob: The people of Israel rejected Jesus. The church of Jesus has preceded the people of Israel while Israel is still fighting Jesus (2000 years). Against the forerunners, Jesus does not fight, they are the image of his church, he fights with Jacob (the people of Israel) to overcome him and also bring him home to his kingdom of glory.
Jesus can not overcome Jacob because Jacob does not want it and because there are only volunteers in the Kingdom of God. He hits Jacob on the hip and the hip joint dislocates. That means he limps. The people of Israel lag behind for about 2,000 years because it is true to God, but rejects the one he sent. „Let me go, for the dawn breaks,“ says the man who is Jesus to Jacob. The people of Israel lapse until the new day of God begins.
Israel as a whole comes to faith in Jesus the Messiah when the new era of God begins and Jesus Christ appears in great power and glory to save his people Israel from their enemies, for then Jacob calls for the blessing of God.
This will be a hard time for Israel and in their distress they will scream to God and call for help. Until then, Israel is struggling with God and humans and will after all win because Jacob says, „I will not leave you if you do not bless me.“ He gets the new name of Israel from God (that is, God fights).
To get a new name from God, that means you belong to me now. I’ll give you a new name, a new direction, in the computer age, one would say: a new program.
Now Jacob is no longer fighting God, but God is fighting for Jacob (Israel). This becomes clear in Jacob’s encounter with his brother Esau. So God blesses Israel and give them victory (blessing) at the end of times. Only now does Jacob say: „I saw God face-to-face and yet my life was saved!“

After that, Jacob passes Pnuël (translated: the face of God) and now the sun rises to him. Now it has become clear also about the people of Israel, who fought against Jesus for so long. The new day of God has dawned.

In our time today, the new day of God has not yet dawned. Jacob is still fighting Jesus, but the dawn is already evident. The day is just around the corner.

 

Israel is and remains the people of God, even if they had to go through many hardships, because, as the Scriptures say (Romans 11: 28-29): According to the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake; but after election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For he cannot repent of God’s gifts and calling.

 

We are currently eyewitnesses of what was foretold about the people of Israel about 2,600 years ago by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37. Right now we’re at verse 8 and, I believe, just before verse 9.

 

The church of God can see from the people of Israel, among other things, how much God hates sin. No one will come to him while he is still afflicted with sin, and no one can forgive sins but God alone. He did this in his Son: Jesus Christ the Messiah (God’s Anointed). That is why no one can get past Jesus to God. We need the firm connection (relationship) to Jesus Christ, because he alone died on the cross on Golgotha for our guilt. Therefore there is only in him alone the forgiveness of all guilt for everyone who believes this and sticks to him.

 

Jesus Christ (Messiah), is he this?
  • Born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem.
    • Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
    • (Micah 5,2: But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
    •   Announced by an angel: Luke 1: 30-33: 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
    • The birth: (Luke 2, 13-16)13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
    • An angel confirms to Joseph that the child has been received by God’s Spirit: Matthew 1:20: But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
  • As soon as he was born, his parents had to flee with him to Egypt. After Herod’s death, they moved to Nazareth in Galilee, where he grew up.
    • Hosea 11: 1: When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
    • At his baptism in the Jordan he was confirmed by God himself: (Markus 1,8-11) 8-9 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
  • Jesus‘ entry into Jerusalem is predicted to the exact day in Daniel 9: 24-26.
  • He was voluntarily crucified for us (John 10:18) 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
  • Jesus died for our guilt and sin: Isaiah 53: 4-10: Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
  • Just as the priests had to burn the sin offering outside, in front of the camp of the Israelites, so Jesus was crucified as an eternally valid sin offering outside the city wall of Jerusalem.

Strange things were happening in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus‘ death: And it was already about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, and the sun lost its light, and the curtain in the temple was torn in two pieces from top to bottom. (Luke 23, 44-45 / Matthew 27: 51-54) The curtain in the temple, which separated the holy from the holy of holies and through which the high priest was only allowed to enter the holy of holies once a year, was torn from top to bottom! That means: God himself tore the curtain and thus gave access! If a person had done that, the curtain would have been torn from bottom to top and the death penalty would have awaited him. And the earth trembled and the rocks were torn, and the graves were opened and many bodies of the fallen saints rose and went out of the graves after his resurrection and came into the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the soldiers, who had previously had their jokes with Jesus, were terrified when they saw what was happening and the centurion cried: „Truly, this was God’s Son!“

The resurrection of Jesus is the best documented event in world history! For example, the Roman historian Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD) reports in: Jüdische Antiquities:

“At this time there was a Jesus, a wise man, if he can be called a man at all. For he was the achiever of incredible deeds and the teacher of all people who joyfully received the truth. So he attracted many Jews and also many Gentiles. He was the Christ. And although Pilate condemned him to death on the cross at the instigation of the noblest of the people, his earlier followers were not unfaithful to him. For on the third day he appeared to them alive again, as prophets sent by God had foretold this and a thousand other wonderful things about him. And the people of Christians who call themselves after him continue to this day. „

 

So Jesus could say: John 3:16: „For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“

Genesis 14:18 speaks of a mysterious figure: And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. This Melchizedek can also be read in Psalm 110. Who is this?
In Paul’s letter to the Hebrews 7 we read:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
Melchizedek appears here as a forerunner of Jesus Christ with what he is and does, or is it himself ?? If you want to know more here, I would also like to recommend the following chapters of the Letter to the Hebrews.
A word to my Israeli friends