Israel: The Chosen People

The Jews Return From Exile – Part 2 of 2 - by J. R. Church - www.prophecyinthenews.com

Israel: The Central Theme

Geographically, the Bible is set in the land of Israel, and historically, its theme is the people of Israel. It is a Jewish Bible penned by Jewish men giving both the history and the future of those children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

For centuries Gentile Christianity has laid claim to the book declaring that Israel has been dispossessed by God. Historic Christianity claims that the Chosen People are no longer chosen, that God has instead turned His back forever on the children of Israel.

Though it is true that God has punished the Jewish people over the past 3,000 years for their unbelief, it is not true that God has cast away His people forever. The central theme of Bible prophecy is the restoration of the Israeli people -- both to their land and to their God.

The first 11 chapters of Genesis serve as an introduction. They fill in the background and set the stage for all that is to follow. From that point forward, the Bible is essentially the history of Abraham and the nation that descended from him through Isaac and Jacob. The Bible is basically the story of Israel embracing both the past and future.

What About the New Testament? (Read Romans Chapters 9, 10, 11)

But what about the New Testament? Isn’t it distinctly Christian? It’s a little difficult for Gentile Christianity to admit that even the New Testament is a Jewish book, yet it is true.

First of all, Jesus Christ, the most important Person in the New Testament, was of Jewish descent, and He did not lose His Jewish identity after His death and resurrection. Fifty years after Calvary, Revelation 5:5 still referred to Jesus Christ, in heaven, as the "Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David." He is still identified with the family of David, the tribe of Judah, and the people of Israel. He is forever an Israelite.

Furthermore, well over 90% of the people portrayed in the New Testament are Israelites. The only exceptions would be a few Gentiles, such as the Magi from the East, or the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, along with a sprinkling of Roman officials and military personnel. Essentially, the New Testament represents a record of Israelites and their faith in the Messiah.

The New Testament books were penned by Jews -- with the one possible exception being Luke. The 12 apostles were Jewish. Paul, who became the apostle to the Gentiles, was likewise a Jew. Most of the co-workers of these great men were also Jewish.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that the ultimate goal of all true believers is the "city which hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God." In Revelation 21, the holy city, New Jerusalem, is described for us. On its gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. On its foundations are the names of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Every name inscribed in the New Jerusalem is a Jewish name. I must say that no one with anti-Semitic prejudice could ever feel comfortable in the New Jerusalem.

Why, then, does it seem strange -- in fact, almost unthinkable -- to associate the Jewish people with the New Testament? The answer lies in what Christians perceive to be the judgment of God. Because the leadership of the nation had rejected Jesus Christ as Messiah, the people of Israel were separated from their land. At the same time, the early Jewish Christians were separated from their role as leaders in proclaiming the Gospel and building the church.

This double break determined their role in history for the next 18 centuries. They became a nation of exiles. Not only were they exiled from their land, but they were also exiled from the very religion of which they themselves were the founders. It seems as if God sacrificed the Chosen People in order to bring the message of salvation to the great masses of Gentile nations around the world.

God Has Not Forsaken Israel

We are the benefactors of that break in the continuum of history. Let us not forget, however, that God has not forever forsaken His people. Just as Jesus rose again on the third day, in like manner, the resurrection of Israel has been promised in the prophecies of the Bible. Hosea wrote:

"After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight" (Hosea 6:2).

The 1948 resurrection of the Israeli nation not only fulfills Hosea’s prophecy, but is the central theme of each prophet in the Old Testament. For instance, Isaiah wrote concerning the regathering of Israel:

"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

"And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

"The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

"But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab: and the children of Ammon shall obey them" (Isaiah 11:10-14).

The Root of Jesse

These five verses contain some astounding prophecies, most of which have already been fulfilled and others which are yet to be fulfilled -- perhaps in the near future. First of all, Isaiah wrote in verse 10 that the entire picture revolves around one person -- the Root of Jesse.

He will stand as an "ensign," or a banner, of the people, and to Him "shall the Gentiles seek." Furthermore, Isaiah wrote, "His rest shall be glorious." Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecy of the Root of Jesse. And when He was lifted up on Calvary’s cross, He became a banner for all the Gentile nations.

Since that day, Gentiles around the world have found, through Christ, the forgiveness of their sins. We have been drawn to the foot of Calvary, and there we have found salvation.

His Millennial Reign

Then, wrote Isaiah, "His rest shall be glorious." Over the past 20 centuries Jesus Christ has been lifted up to the throne of God and has been seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. He is presently awaiting the establishment of His earthly kingdom, which shall last for a thousand years. It will come to pass in the seventh millennium -- the great Sabbath rest. Yes, His rest shall be glorious.

The Second Redemption of Israel

In verse 11, Isaiah tells of the redemption of Israel:

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people ..." (Isaiah 11:11a).

Isaiah wrote of a specified time, "in that day." How do we know we live in that day? Because of the following words: "... the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people ..."

Isaiah wrote in the days before the Babylonian captivity, but he did not simply write that the Lord will set his hand to recover the remnant of His people. He went beyond that. He saw a second dispersion of the Jews from their land and wrote that "in that day the Lord shall set His hand AGAIN the SECOND time."

I believe we live in that day. The return of the Jew to his land in this century does not represent the first return or the third return. The rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948 marked the second return of the Jews to their land. Isaiah, then, zeroes in on this generation in the giving of his prophecy.

A Worldwide Return

In verse 11, Isaiah continues by giving the locations from which the Jews shall return:

"... from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea." (Isa. 11:11b).

In the first dispersion, the people were led into Babylonian captivity, and when they returned, they returned from Babylon. But in that day designated for the far future, the Israeli people will return from many lands:

"And he shall set up an ensign for the [Gentile] nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:12).

Isaiah indicated that the second dispersion of the Jews would be to all nations and that when they returned one day, they would return from the four corners of the earth.

Isaiah wrote in a day when the Israeli nation was divided. There was a split between the north and the south. Ephraim was the leading nation of the north, and Judah of the south. There was a continuing feud between the two factions. However, Isaiah wrote that in that day when the Lord reaches out His hand the second time to regather the people, there would be no division among the tribes:

"The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim" (Isa. 11:13).

How indicative of the Israeli nation today! It is no longer a nation divided against itself. Israel is one.

Surely this is the generation which marks the fulfillment of Isaiah’s great prophecy. We have reached that point in history. The Jew is back in his land and all the tribes are united.

Military Victory

The next prophecy is fascinating:

"But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west..." (Isa. 11:14a).

This appears to be indicative of the 1956, 1967, and 1973 Arab-Israeli Wars. What happens in the rest of the verse, however, is yet to be fulfilled. Isaiah wrote:

"... they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab: and the children of Ammon shall obey them" (Isaiah 11:14b).

According to Isaiah, Israel will obtain an understanding with the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan. King Hussein once declared that he would not negotiate with Israel over the future of the confiscated West Bank. One Jordanian politician was upset. He was in favor of negotiations and said, "If we do not negotiate with Israel today over the West Bank, we may eventually have to negotiate with Israel over the East Bank." According to Isaiah’s prophecy, such an agreement will come to pass.

The Potter’s Vessel

In Isaiah 43:1, the prophet again took up the theme of Israel’s restoration:

"But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine" (Isaiah 43:1).

In the previous chapter, Isaiah wrote about the judgment of God upon Israel. But in this verse he turns from judgment to mercy and begins the verse by saying, "But now ..." Oh, what a glorious promise! God has not forever forsaken His Chosen People! Please note two things Isaiah wrote in this verse.

First, the Lord "created" the nation and, secondly, He "formed" the nation. When He created the people of Israel, a flaw appeared. Like the potter who remade his broken vessel, the Lord is now in the process of restructuring the nation. First, He created them -- today, it seems that He is in the process of forming them:

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isaiah 43:2).

Again, we can see the accuracy of biblical prophecy. The vivid phrases of this verse depict the history of the Jewish people through a period of almost 2,000 years. They have, indeed, passed through the rivers and walked through the fire. There is only one explanation for their continued survival as a people. God has been with them:

"For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

"Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life" (Isaiah 43:3-4).

The great message, in these verses, is that God loves Israel with a supreme love. This is a revelation of tremendous importance. God places a special value on His Chosen People and, though He permits them to pass through the fire, He has a purpose in it. And Isaiah gives us the reason why:

"Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" (Isaiah 48:10).

Because He loved them, He tested them -- just as Job was tested. In these verses, God declares that His love for Israel has also influenced His dealings with other nations.

East, West, North and South

Finally, a distinction is given between those who return from the "east and west" and those who return from the "north and south":

"Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

"I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

"Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him" (Isaiah 48:5-7).

Like the promises of chapter 11, Isaiah repeated that Israel will be regathered from the four corners of the earth. Note the precision with which he gave the prophecy. He said, "I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west."

The "east" primarily refers to Asia and the "west" could represent the great concentrations of Jewish people in Europe, Africa, the United States, and South America.

The verbs used here do not indicate any particular opposition to the Jewish people returning from either the "east" or the "west." In fact -- especially in regard to the "west" -- there seems to be the suggestion of a reluctance on their part to leave.

However, when we come to the "north" and "south," we get a different picture:

"I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth." (verse 6).

How indicative of the "north!" The cry still goes out today, "Give up!" "Give up [My people]!" The "north" must represent not only the former Soviet block of eastern Europe, but Russia itself, as well. The former Soviet Union had a history of being extremely unwilling to permit Jewish emigration to Israel. This makes the message to the north especially appropriate: "Give [them] up! Give up [My people; let them come home]."

Let us not forget about the MIAMI HERALD (1983) newspaper story that pointed out the fact that there had been a strange disappearance of more than 100,000 Jews from the Soviet Union over a previous ten-year period from 1973 to 1983. Some 100,000 Jews were arrested when they applied for permission to emigrate to Israel. No wonder Isaiah wrote that the divine message to the "north" would be, "Give up [My people; let them come home]."

After hearing about an American school girl’s well-publicized letter to then Soviet Premier, Yuri Andropov, which received an answer, a 12-year-old girl in the Soviet Union wrote him a letter of her own. The content of the letter, however, was somewhat different. Irina Tar-no-pol’-sky, of Kharkov, in the Ukraine, appealed to Andropov on behalf of her father, a Jewish scientist who had been imprisoned on a charge of slandering the Soviet state. His crime? Applying for permission to leave for Israel.

Irina wrote, "Not long ago I came to know that an American school girl, Samantha Smith, appealed to you in a letter, and you answered her. So I decided to write you a letter, too. My father, Yuri Tar-no-pol’-sky, is in prison now. He is accused of slandering the Soviet system, and soon he will be tried. But my papa is an honest man. He has never lied. He is under arrest only because we are Jewish and want to leave for Israel."

In October 1983, Irina’s father had begun a hunger strike to protest the plight of Jewish families who were denied permission to emigrate. They were referred to as refuseniks. He had been fired from his job shortly after his application was turned down. Later he wrote, "I am unable to forget that in modern history only the Nazi barbarians refused to allow Jews to emigrate, persecuting them at the same time."

Slander, in the Soviet Union, was punishable by a sentence of three years in a labor camp or five years of internal exile. The Tar-no-pol’-sky family had had no contact with him since his arrest the previous March. And Irina received no reply from Andropov. Such was the plight of the Jews in the Soviet Union. Once again we see both the accuracy and the authority of the Scriptures.

Finally, Isaiah wrote of God’s message to the south:

"I will say to the ... south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 48:6).

There are two southern areas to which this prophecy relates. The first could be the country of Yemen, where nearly 50,000 Jews lived in 1948. Yemen is a fanatically Moslem country, strongly opposed to the state of Israel. Who would have believed that a country like that would have released almost its entire Jewish population shortly after Israel became a state in 1948. In fact, 43,000 Jews were airlifted out of Yemen into Israel in what appears to be yet another fulfillment of Bible prophecy:

"Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare thee on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself" (Ex. 19:4).

The other southern country with a large Jewish population was Ethiopia. And since 1984, a continuing effort to rescue the Falashas paid off with the massive airlift in May 1991. All Ethiopian Jews are now safe in Israel!

"I will say to the ... south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

"Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him" (Isaiah 43:6-7).

Indeed, the return of Israel is the prevailing theme of all the prophets. Without them, none of the historic events in the twentieth-century could have come to pass!