Fulness of the Jews |
| The calling of
the Jews is one of the great turning points in history. Looking at the history of the
Jewish people, it would be easy to believe that God is finished with the people that he
once called his own. However, although the Bible teaches that the Jews are under
God’s judgment for their rejection of the Messiah, it also teaches that they will be
restored to a place of blessing. This will happen when they acknowledge that Jesus is Lord
and Saviour, the Messiah whom they have been seeking.
The following diagram shows God's covenant with Israel. To the left of the green line is the curse of the covenant. On the right of the green line is the blessing promised in the covenant. The blue line represents the history of Israel. During Old Testament history (above the yellow line) Israel drifted in and out of the place of blessing. During the times of Moses, David and Josiah, Israel moved into the place of blessing. At other times, they moved over the green line into disobedience and the curse. God has always dealt with Israel as a nation. It was brought out of Egypt and established in the promised land as a whole nation. In the ups and downs of their later history God treated them as one, so the whole nation shared in both blessings and curse.
The ministry of Jesus is represented by the yellow line. Israel, as a nation, rejected Jesus and passed to the left under the curse of the law (Matthew 23:37-39). Jesus filled the terms of the covenant on behalf of all those who believe in him. So the church (red arrow) receives the blessing of the covenant. (The new covenant is not really new, but is a fulfilment of the old covenant through the death and resurrection of Jesus.) As the church grows, the red arrow will become much larger. At the present, the nation of Israel is still on the left of the green line, under the curse. Although the nation of Israel has been restored, its restoration as achieved "by the sword" (Ezekiel 38:8) It was not by the direct hand of God, but by miliary and political action. The restored nation is still being trampled by the Gentiles. However, God has not forgotten Israel. The time will comes when Israel will be restored to blessing. God’s promise to Israel is most clearly stated in Romans 11. Paul says that although the Jews have stumbled, they did not fall beyond recovery (v.11). He promises that the time will come when Israel is reconciled to the Lord and grafted back into his olive tree. So the Lord promises that all Israel will be saved (v. 26).
Although the Jews have become God’s enemies by rejecting the gospel, their election is still sure for the sake of the patriarchs. Once God calls a people he does not change that calling (Is 54:10, Jer 31:37). When the Fulfilment of Israel comes, the vast majority of Israel will come to believe in Jesus. Through believing in Jesus, they will move back over the green line into the place of blessing. This is what Paul meant by being grafted back into the olive tree (Romans 11:22-24). The church and Israel will become one, in Jesus. Salvation will come to Israel as a nation. God will deal with the entire nation at the same time. Each individual will have to come to faith of course, but God will work things so that this happens to the whole nation at the same time. The leaders of that nation will be touched by the Spirit. Just as the religious and political leaders rejected Jesus (representing their people), the religious and political leaders of Israel will believe and serve Jesus. |
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