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 have lost God's protection by 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 fulfilled 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. As the church grows, the red arrow will become much larger.
At the present time, 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 was achieved "by the sword" (Ezek 38:8). It was not by the direct hand of God, but by military and political action. The restored nation is still being trampled by the Gentiles. However, God has not forgotten Israel. The time will come when Israel will be restored to blessing.
The Promise
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 (Rom 11:11). 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 (Rom 11:26).
As far as the gospel is concerned they are enemies on your account, but as far as election is concerned they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable (Rom 11:28-29).
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 Fullness of the Jews 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.
How
Many Christians are confused about how the Fullness of Israel occurs. God’s solution always fits the problem. The Jewish problem is "seeing". Their eyes have been blinded to prevent them from seeing the truth.
God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day. (Rom 11:8).
Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Rom 11:25).This spiritual blindness lasts until the end of the Times of the Gentiles. The Jews need to have their spiritual eyes opened and their hearts cracked before they can receive salvation (this is the only way anyone can come to salvation).
Zechariah prophesied that when the nations besieging Israel are destroyed in response to prophetic prayer, God will pour his spirit out on Israel and open their eyes to understand that Jesus is their messiah.
I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son (Zech 12:10).At the end of Times of the Gentiles, the Spirit of the Lord will be poured into the hearts of Israel. They will receive the Spirit and cry out to Jesus for salvation. The Holy Spirit of grace will give them faith to believe in him.
The Holy Spirit will open the eyes of their hearts. They will stop looking for a warlike messiah and realise that Jesus "who was pieced" by a spear is their messiah. This realisation will produce a great flood of repentance. As Israel realises that Jesus reigns at the right hand of God and that they have been saved by the prayers in his name, the whole land will be filled with tears. When they realise what Jesus has done for them, they will weep with sadness and joy. The weeping will be greater than when King Josiah died (Zech 12:11-14).
Many Christians believe that the Jews will be converted when Jesus returns to Jerusalem, but this could not work. Seeing is not believing. The Jews saw Jesus for three years while he was on earth, but they did not believe in him, because their hearts were hard (Rom 10). Nothing has changed, so seeing Jesus again would not bring them to faith. Israel’s problem is hardness of heart and the only cure for spiritual blindness is the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
The Jewish people will not come to salvation by seeing Jesus return to Jerusalem. Their hearts will be changed when the Holy Spirit moves to open their spiritual eyes.
I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord (Ezek 39:29).
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants (Is 44:3).The Jews will be converted by an outpouring of the Spirit and the preaching of a prophetic church. This is not a change in game plan. The Jews receive salvation like every-one else, by repenting and believing in Jesus.
Blessing to the World
The fullness of the Jews will usher in a time of great blessing for the world.
But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring (Rom 11:12)!This happens in two ways:
When Jewish desolation comes to an end, Satan’s legal authority on earth will be gone, so he will be easily routed. As Christians bind his authority, he will be exposed as weak and feeble. With evil massively curtailed, the biggest obstacle to the Kingdom will be gone. A rapid decline in evil will open the way for the Kingdom of God.
The Fullness of the Jews is not just blessing for Israel, it means “life from the dead" for the church.
For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead (Rom 11:12).
The Jews will be back in the team where they belong. The church will no longer be truncated. The Holy Spirit will no longer be constrained by part of the body of Jesus being missing. With his team complete, the Holy Spirit will have a new freedom to work in the world
The Fullness of the Jews opens the way for rapid advance of the gospel. God will be free to pour out his Spirit and bring his Kingdom to fulfilment. This event is the major turning point in history, so Christians should be working and praying for this time to come. They should be praying for the Jews to be restored to a place of blessing, so blessing will return to the entire world. (Prayer for the military success of Israel will not do it.)
Revelation
John received several visions of the fullness of the Jews.
Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel (Rev 7:4).The numbers sealed are symbolic not literal. Ten symbolises completeness and twelve represents Israel. 12 squared times 10 cubed is a perfect symbol for the fullness of Israel. Twelve is also the number representing the apostles. This is a promise that Israel will fulfil the apostolic calling announced to Abraham (Gen 12:3) and Moses (Deut 4:6-7).
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth... They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb (Rev 14:1-4).This is the fulfilment of the sealing seen in an earlier vision. It leads to a powerful advance of the gospel.
Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people (Rev 14:6).
The eternal gospel will be proclaimed to all those who live on earth.
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