ADVENT FOR ADULTS #23
December 23rd … 2 NIGHTS TIL CHRISTMAS
THE FULLNESS OF ISRAEL
“And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel.” [Luke 2:34]
“Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?” [Romans 11:12]
Why did I spend so much time talking about Israel? Because God spent so much time in his Word talking about Israel. And if we do not factor Israel into the equation, none of the rest of it makes any sense, just like leaving Satan out of the equation (because it makes you uncomfortable) leaves you with religion, but not reality.
In reality the Bible is the only warning we have of things to come. “Perhaps the most compelling of evidences demonstrating that the Bible is the word of God is its unswerving ability to accurately predict future events, often in minute details. Specific prophesies are conspicuously absent from the 26 other religious books that claim to be scripture, including the Muslim’s Koran, the Book of Mormon, the Hindu Vedas, and Buddhist writings.”[1] The Bible contains over 2000 prophesies that have already been fulfilled, many with very specific details.[2] If all past prophesies were fulfilled, we have strong reason to believe that all the remaining prophesies will be fulfilled also.
One of the most shocking prophesies is in Revelation: “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.” [Rev 12:12,13] If you look carefully at this passage, you’ll notice that the devil (who has been on the planet since the Garden of Eden) specifically attacks Israel (because she was the woman who brought forth the man-child.) But notice it also says “having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time”— this “short time” is speaking of the Great Tribulation— “the Time of Jacob’s Trouble” which is soon to come upon the earth. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” [Matthew 24:21]
This means that although Israel is rising again, a further fall is coming. This is why it is so important that we warn everybody— especially Israel. But when we talk like this to folk who are ignorant of the Bible, they often say, “how can you Christians say that the Bible is good news when all you talk about is bad news ?”
God gives us the bad news so that we will listen to the good news and get saved! That’s what I want to emphasize today— 2 nights before Christmas— I want you to look carefully at this amazing passage in Romans and try to understand it: “Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?” [Romans 11:12]
God is saying, the fall of Israel was bad for Israel, but it’s also been “the riches of the world”. What does this mean? It means that after Jesus was crucified and Israel was destroyed and dispersed in 70AD, it was no longer the Jews who carried the message of salvation to the world— it became the responsibility of the Gentiles. And the Gentiles— thanks mostly to the work of the Apostle Paul (who wrote the book of Romans, which I quote here)— have spread the gospel message all over the planet. Millions of people have gotten saved in the 2000 years since the time of Christ. And millions more are due to be saved in the “short time” that remains. This is the wonderful thing about the gospel. There’s no need for us to build spaceships to airlift people off the planet before this “tribulation period”! A person who hears this gospel can be saved instantaneously wherever they are— whether in some dungeon in Iraq, some refugee camp in Syria, or some penthouse in New York City. All that are genuinely sorry for their sin can be saved—“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” [Psalm 34:18] This has been true for the past 2000 years. Despite the fall of Israel, God has been handing out the miracle of salvation to anyone and everyone who comes to Israel’s Messiah for help.
It has been Israel’s Messiah who has brought salvation to the world. And what the Apostle Paul is emphasizing here in Romans, is the fact that if Israel’s FALL has brought such great blessing to so many people, what will be the effect of her RISING AGAIN? What will be the effect of her FULLNESS? What will it be like on the Earth, and for all of us “Gentiles”, when Israel is finally restored to her full glory?
I will give you some hints. First, God will restore scattered Israel completely: “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.” [Ezekiel 36:24]. He will bring his people peace and joy: “For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river.” [Isaiah 66:12] “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” [Jeremiah33:6] “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” [Isaiah 12:3] “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” [Isaiah 55:12] “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” [Isaiah 35:1] “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” [Isaiah 35:5-6] “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” [Isaiah 35:10]
When Israel rises to her fullness, the whole world will be affected, the whole world will be transformed, a new age will begin, an age so astoundingly glorious that all the Gentiles will want to know the God of Israel: “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” [Micah 4:2] Then they (both Jew and Gentile) will finally realize that the God of the whole earth is the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, the son of David! “Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” [Zechariah 8:20-23]
NEXT: CHRISTMAS EVE/ FOLLOW THE LIGHT
GO TO START: ADVENT FOR ADULTS #1
[1] http://www.bibleevidences.com/prophecy.htm
[2] ibid