ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH: WHAT IS NECESSARY for JESUS’SECOND COMING? 

• The subject here presented is based on:
• Literal interpretation of the Bible according to the WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH: it´s necessary to have Biblical concordance in the passages, and the Bible is proved by the Bible.
• Distinction between Israel and Church
• The Church is not Israel and Israel is not the Church
• There are blessings for Israel as a nation and blessings for the Church

Salvation comes only through the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. This is valid for all peoples in all times: present, past and future.

ISRAEL

One only Nation

God’s punishment for not obeying His Commandments (Dt. 4:27; 28:15,63,64)

• Nationally guilty – Will be saved when accept Jesus Christ as Savior
• Subject to God’s Wrath (Jr.30:7)
• Day of the Lord – Day of God’s wrath (Joel1:15; 2:11,31; Rev.15:1,7; 16:1; IThess.1:9-10):Tribulation for nations and Israel
• Coming of the Messiah
• Acknowledgment of Jesus as Messiah on His second Coming
• Judgment for Israel and other nations
• Restoration
• Final (definite) possession of the Land – Christ Reigns

CONDITION: Recognize (accept) Jesus Christ‘s sacrifice as the only means for salvation and that He is the Messiah

CHURCH

Belonging to all Nations

• The Church as mystery(*) (Eph.3:1-7;Rom.16:25-27; Col.1:26-29)
• The coming of the Holy Spirit to inhabit believers in Jesus (Acts 2)
• Perfectly saved now
• Promise of Jesus’ return (Acts 1:9-11)
• Is not subject to God’s wrath (Rev 3:10; 1Thess 5:9)
• Rapture and Resurrection (1Thess.4:13-17 ; 1Co15:52-55)
• Judgment for reward
• Returning with Christ as the Lamb’s Bride
• Reigning with Christ
• Jews converted before Rapture belong to the Church

(*) The plan for the Church was only revealed to the apostles after the Messiah’s rejection by Israel as a Nation. The church interrupts the plan for Israel and then, the time of the Church begins whose extension only God knows. After the Rapture, God restarts the plan for Israel: the day of God’s wrath that ends with the Second Coming of Jesus in person and the establishment of His Kingdom.

Israel is similar to the Church concerning salvation: this is only guaranteed by the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and different from some future promises. We adopted the Premillenialism’s  vision in all papers in this blog, that is, the Church is caught in rapture and returns as described in 1Th 5 and 1Co 15 to reign with Christ on His Second Coming. Scripture does not explain how this will happen.

In the papers “Acontecimentos futuros: um resumo”, “Arrebatamento e segunda vinda de Cristo” and “Profecias de Daniel” (see in this Blog) we can see that seven years of tribulation follows rapture of the Church of Christ, tribulation that will fall over the Jewish people and all humanity who have rejected Christ until the moment of rapture .

This seven year period is referred to as the time of God’s wrath by the prophets, as a consequence of Israel ‘s sin that rejected Jesus in His first coming , not recognizing Him as the Messiah that they had long waited, and the incredulous world that rejects Christ as Savior. The God’s wrath period can only begin with the advent of the Antichrist, after the Church’s rapture (2Th 2:1-2). The Antichrist deceives nations and also Israel with false promises of peace. Tribulation described in the book of Revelation and referred by the prophet Daniel and other prophets as well, ends with Christ’s Second Coming in person, with the condemnation of the false prophet and the Antichrist to be thrown into the lake of fire, with the prison of the Dragon or Satan, and Israel’s and other Nations’ judgment (Rev.19:11-21; 20:1-6).

On the other hand, the Second Coming of Jesus marks Israel’s conversion as a nation and acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah (Zec 12:10-13)

 For Christ returning as a person and prophecies to be fulfilled, it is crucial that Israel remain in the Promised Land, given them by God in eternal possession and to exist as a Nation.

 The Second Coming of Christ has, therefore, close relationship with the Jewish people and the prophecies related to them. Messiah’s coming is waited by the Jewish people since the Old Testament times, as well as the kingdom to be installed and governed by him. Isaiah refers many of these prophecies, giving details of the future kingdom.

Now, we are giving some reasons to show that Israel is important for God’s plan on the second coming of Jesus Christ, and cannot be mistaken with the church, because to such, the promise is for reward ( Luke 6:24; Rev 22:12) and not for God’s wrath, as it is called the tribulation period. So Israel holds extreme importance in future events.

The beginning of Israel as a separated people by God starts with:

God’s promise to Abram:

 Gen: 12:1-3

1 – “The Lord had said to Abram: “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 -“ I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you ; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing.

3 -I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you and all people on earth will be blessed through you.”

 Gen17:6-8

6- “I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you and kings will come from you.

7 – I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and your offspring after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

8 – The whole land of Canaan where you now reside as a foreigner I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you, and I will be their God”.

Gen.17:2

“Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your number”.

Gen.17:19

”But my covenant I will establish with Isaac…….

“I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him”

Therefore we see that the covenant established with Abram in Genesis 12, in Gen 17:4 called Abraham, holds the following promises:

1. Numerous descendants (This would happen through Isaac and his grand-son Jacob, who received the name of Israel).
2. A land in eternal possession, under divine government.
3. Blessings to the ones who bless them, curses to the ones who curse them.
4. Through Abraham all families of the land will be blessed.
5. Kings would come from Abraham’s offspring.

All these promises were fulfilled except one: eternal possession of the land. All families on Earth received the blessing of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, since Jesus Christ is Abraham’s descendant, according to His genealogy (Mat.1:17)

In the year 70 AD Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus and so the Jews were forced to leave Jerusalem. After the last upheaval through the years 132-135 AD, the state of the Jews was definitively extinct. They were dispersed all over the nations of the world, remaining without a country until 1948 AD.

As promised by God, however, there was always a small number of Jews living in Israel.

In 1882, a first Jew migratory movement started to the Promised Land, due to the persecution in Russia. Slowly this migration increased, mainly caused by the Nazi persecution, since the 29^th of November, 1947, when the United Nations approved the distribution of land to Jews, an area of around 5.598 square miles for a population of 700.000 Jews.

On May/14^th/1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed independence establishing The State of Israel. However, Israel received a much smaller land allotment than that given by God when the Jews arrived at the Promised Land, in the end of the Exodus (Figs. 1,2 ,3).

From 1948 on, Jews have been migrating to Israel, coming from several regions of the world, according to Roger Libie, 2012. He tells several prophecies already fulfilled in relation to this migration.

*Today, Israel’s territory is of approximately 8.500 square miles for a population of about 9.000.000 inhabitants.

From the book of Ezekiel 47 and 48, we know that the future definitive land belonging to Israel will be a greater territory than that of today and the division among the tribes will be different from that initial one. (fig6). Even with a small territory, the Arabic Nations have never accepted Israel’s existence and over and over have tried to reclaim the land, which they wrongly think belongs to them.

Israel has been under attacks from Arabic Countries, went through 4 important wars, 3 of them with the aim of expelling the Jews from their territory. If this Nation still resists until today it’s because God is in control of History and will fulfill His will.

Some facts demonstrate divine intervention in the life of this people:

1. On the following day of the Palestine division, November/30/1947, confrontation started between Arabic and Jewish people, and only ceased after the peace agreement in 1949. On the day after the Declaration of Independence of Israel, May/14^th/1948, Israeli/Arabic war broke out. Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq armies attacked the new State of Israel, initiating the 1948 War, or also known by Independence War, the “Nakba” for the Palestinians. The United Nations, in 1949, negotiated peace but Jordan took possession of East Jerusalem, prohibiting Jews to pray on The Lamentation Wall, without any manifestation from the United Nations against it.
2. Suez War (1956): in July/1956, Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, threatening France and Great Britain interests. By agreement with these countries, Israel attacked Egyptian forces, followed by the forces of France and Great Britain. The confrontation led Israel to occupy the Strip of Gaza and Sinai, but they had to return them by pressure of the United Nations, United Sates and Soviet Union.
3. Six Day War (1967): On June/5^th/1967, on the imminence of being attacked by Egypt, Jordan and Syria, Israel started The Six Day War against these countries, for their second attempt to eliminate Israel. Israel takes the Sinai Peninsula (later returned to Egypt), Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Lamentation Wall and Golan Hills. After the cease fire decreed by the United Nations, Israel maintained its armies in the occupied territories and stimulated the West Bank colonization. (fig4)
4. Yom Kippur War (1973): On October/6^th/1973, the sacred day of fast to Israel, Egypt and Syria attacked again Israel in Sinai and the Golan Hills starting the Yom Kippur War (or October War to the Arabs). After great setbacks, when many Israeli soldiers died, their forces reversed the situation. (fig.5).
5. Golda Meir, their First Minister, renounced in 1974.

6- In December 2017, the American President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital and raised indignation of Palestinians and rejection by the International Community.

7- On May/14^th/2018, the 70^th Anniversary of Israel’s creation as a nation, the United States transferred its Embassy to Jerusalem.

8- On March/25th/2019, Donald Trump signed a decree stating that the United States officially recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Hills.

With the foundation of the State of Israel, on May/14^th/1948, it is fulfilled the prophecy in Ezekiel 37, giving the necessary condition to the second coming of Jesus Christ.

In this panorama, we understand how important it is the preservation of the State of Israel.

God preserves Israel because His plans will certainly be accomplished. The country must exist so that Jesus returns in glory. In the description of Christ’s return in the book of Revelation (Rev. 14:1), He is seen in Jerusalem and comes to destroy Israel’s enemies in the battle of Armageddon.

About this subject Zechariah writes:

Zech. 14:1-4

1.“A day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided among you.”

2. “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go to the exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.”

3. “Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of the battle.”

4.”On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.”

Zechariah cites the end of Armageddon (Zech.12:9) and the recognition by Israel of Jesus as the Messiah (Zech.12:10-14):

9.On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.

1 “And I will pour out on the house of David and inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of supplication; and they will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly as one grieves for a firstborn son.

 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David with their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives;

13 The clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives;

9. And all the rest of the clans and their wives.”

It is interesting to observe the intervention on the wars won by Israel against many more powerful and more numerous nations.

All of these show that Israel is under God’s protection and that God has a plan for this nation and its conversion (Zechariah 12).

Nations have not been giving support to Israel against countries which aim for their extermination, except the United States of America.

By the description of Ezekiel 47 and 48 the possession of the land, destined by God to Israel, will be accomplished after the second coming of Christ, when Messiah installs his millennial Kingdom. Fig.6   Bellow:

The description of life conditions in the millennium can be found in the books of Isaiah, Joel and other prophets.

To deny these facts is to oppose God’s promise to Abraham and many biblical prophecies about this Kingdom, and also to deny the literal fulfillment of the prophecies.

We also cannot deny that Israel is God’s chosen people.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all peoples on the face of the Earth to be His people, His treasured possession”.  Dt.7:6.

 CONCLUSION

For Jesus Christ to come back in person, as described in Mathew 24:30, and be seen by all in the world, it is crucial that Israel exists a Nation and inhabits the same territory given to them by God.

Israel as a Nation can count on salvation in Jesus Christ, everlasting possession of the promised land, besides other blessings described by prophets, mainly Isaiah.

We  live in a world that more and more rejects or shuns Jesus Christ and needs to be reached by His Gospel, so that the number of the chosen people be complete and Christ can  then rapture His church.

In the time of the church, it is her attribution to preach the Gospel to all creatures, guided by the Holy Spirit.

After rapture, the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to Israel by the 144.000 assigned people and by the two testimonies referred in the book of Revelation, as well as preached to the incredulous world at large.

Many will convert to wait for the glorious coming of Jesus Christ and Israel, as a Nation, will accept Him also.

We would like to remind that according to God’s promises to Abraham, Anti-Semitism opposes God’s will who promises curses to those who curse them.

Believers should remember that God has promises yet to be fulfilled concerning this people and to those who would come to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior.

Israel and the Church are equal, however, concerning salvation that is solely possible by the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

 BIBLIOGRAFY

1. Bíblia Sagrada. Tradução Revista e Corrigida. São Paulo: Sociedade Bíblica do Brasil1995.
2. Holy Bible. The Scofield Reference Bible. Copyright,   Oxford University Press1967 ( Printed in USA )
3. The Holy Bible. New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan 1984.
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9. Maranhão ZF. Entendendo o Apocalipse, 2001. [internet].Available in https://www.zeliafaveromaranhao.com.br/.
10. Pfeiffer C.F. Baker´s Bible Atlas. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979 ( Reprinting 1961)
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12. Rhodes R. A cronologia do fim dos tempos: uma visão geral da Profecia Bíblica. Porto Alegre: Obra Missionária Chamada da Meia Noite, 2016. Translation from the original End times in cronological order.   Harvest House Pub, 2012
13. Shapira A. Israel: uma história.  São Paulo: Paz e Terra  2018.  Translation from the original Israel: a History. London: Widenfel & Nicholson.

Marialda Höfling de Padua Dias

Março, 2021

Translation from the original :  Israel e a Igreja, of the blog
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By Eni Braga Bley.