Fact, not fiction, that leads to conclusions. How many facts do we need to make a conclusion about something? Sometimes a single fact is enough to make a case for or against something. Other times a multitude of facts don't seem to be enough. When we are dealing with an important topic surely a multitude of facts is understandable. Irrefutable facts, hard facts, indisputable facts, we need these when we are dealing with the topic of salvation, of eternity. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, more important than our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. A salvation that will give to us an eternity with our Lord, our Creator, our Redeemer, the eternity that we were created to live at God's pleasure.
As we continue to study the Faith of Abraham we do so knowing that it is with the faith of Abraham that we are all to belong to our Lord and Savior. We need to comprehend what it means to have the faith of Abraham. This in-depth study is for the serious student of God's truth. And shouldn't we all be serious students of God's truth? If we can't be serious students when our eternal life is the subject, when should we be such students?
Priorities. God first. Others. Self last. But the world would have us twist them around and put Self first, others, and then God.
God first. Study the following with that in mind- it is truth revealed. Truth, if known then revisited.
Pray, and study- not simply, read, but study! All by the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!
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The Faith of Abraham Pt. 7
CHAPTER VI. AN IMPORTANT QUESTION SETTLED
That covenant stands secure.
And inasmuch as their covenant has passed away, and their national system of worship is abolished, and Jerusalem is no longer the place where men must go to worship the Father, we cannot possibly believe that any special promises or blessings are in reserve for the Jews as a nation; neither promise nor blessing remains for them, except such as are common to all the children of Abraham by faith in Christ. And they can inherit the promises on the same condition and in the same manner that other children of Abraham shall inherit them, and in no other.
We will notice some of the facts which lead us to this conclusion.
Continued…
1. The declaration of Jesus, already referred to, that that arrangement has passed away by which Jerusalem was made a special place of worship, involves the abolition of their national system of worship. To restore this system would be a transgression against the gospel, according to the principle stated by Paul in Gal. 2:18. (Gal 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.)
2. The promise that the new covenant should be made with Judah and Israel, has been fulfilled. The covenant was made and confirmed in the blood of Christ, and by the preaching of Christ and his apostles. But the confirmation of the new covenant was the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles, and it placed all on an equality, making but one body of Jews and Gentiles. See Eph. 3:6
Eph 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel
3. And this leads us to notice that the house of Israel and the house of Judah were in Palestine when the covenant was made. The promises of the restoration of Israel to their own land were twofold:
(1.) Those which were made to the tribes of Israel, the children of Abraham according to the flesh, referring to their restoration after the Babylonian captivity. These have been fulfilled. It is nothing to the purpose that they who claim that literal Israel will be restored again to Palestine, quote a great many prophecies; but the truth depends, not in the number of texts quoted, but in the correct application of them.
It is of no possible avail to quote scripture unless it is correctly applied.
We mean no disrespect to any, but illustrate our remark by referring to the fact that Satan himself quoted the scriptures correctly, but that which he quoted had no reference to that time or occasion.
The Saviour repulsed him by quoting texts which had an application then and there. We will briefly notice some of the evidences that the twelve tribes were there when the new covenant was made.
a. The prophets, except Malachi, all wrote between the years 534 and 800b.c. The decree of Cyrus for the return of the children of Israel was made in b. c. 536, and that of Artaxerxes in 457. Hence, there is no chronological necessity for referring to any future time or event, those prophecies which speak of their returning to Palestine. In truth the whole weight of chronology is against that
view.
b. The decree of Cyrus was liberal, and was proclaimed throughout all his realm.. He said:--
"Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem." "And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts." Ezra. 1:1-4. Artaxerxes, in his decree, said:--
"I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee." Ezra 7:13. Further, that the prophecies referred to a restoration from the captivity in Babylon, is proved in the most positive terms:--
"For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. . . . I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive." Jer. 29:10-14.
While many declare that ten tribes were lost, and never returned from the captivity of Babylon, the word of God declares that he gathered them from all nations and from all places whither he had scattered them. We cannot reject the word of God, and therefore cannot receive the theory of those who teach that they were not returned. Of the time of their restoration there can be no doubt, for
the Lord said it should be after seventy years were accomplished at Babylon.
c. It is assumed that only two tribes returned from that captivity, and that ten tribes were dispersed and lost. But that is only an assumption, for which there is no shadow of foundation in fact.
The Persian empire, in the days of Ahasuerus, was divided into one hundred and twenty-seven provinces (Esther 1:1); and the Israelites were scattered throughout the empire; and the decree for their defense and deliverance from the malice of Haman went to every province in the empire. Esther 9:17. The decree of Cyrus for their return was proclaimed throughout his whole realm. Artaxerxes, also, addressed his decree to all the people of Israel in all his kingdom. All returned who were willing to return. And they were not hindered by reason of any disability on their own part, for the king commanded the people to assist them with money, goods, and beasts. Thus did the Lord, in his providence, make every provision for the fulfillment of his promise. There is no promise that he would bring them back against their will.
d. Although critics mostly discredit the statement of Josephus in regard to the origin of the Septuagint, it seems that his testimony is entitled to more consideration than is generally given to it, inasmuch as their objections are solely of a critical, and not at all of a historical, nature; while he sets it down as a historical fact, even giving the very words of the correspondence between the parties. He says that Ptolemy Philadelphus sent a request to the Jews to send six men out of every tribe for the purpose of translating the law into the Greek. When they were sent, word was returned to Ptolemy thus: "We have chosen six men out of every tribe, whom we have sent, and the law with them." He says that seventy-two were sent, seventy being engaged in the work, from which number of translators the name of the Version is derived. Thus twelve tribes were represented. See Josephus' Antiquities, B. 12, chap. 2, sec. 4-7.
e. This evidence of the presence of the twelve tribes is corroborated by the Scriptures.
That the tribe of Levi was represented in the return from the captivity is evident, for all the priests and servants of the temple were of that tribe. Of the priests alone, of the family of Aaron, Ezra gives the number who returned to Palestine under the decree of Cyrus, 4,289. Ezra 2:36-39. And he further says:-- "So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and
the porters, and the Nethinim, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities." Ezra 2:70. "And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in their cities, the people gathered themselves as one man to Jerusalem." Ezra 3:1; Neh. 7:73.
And most decisive is the testimony of Ezra concerning the dedication of the temple, built after the return from Babylon. "And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy; and offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel." Ezra 6:16, 17. "The children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt-offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin-offering." Ezra 8:35. If ten tribes were absent, it is truly strange that no mention was made of it, when a sin-offering was made for the twelve tribes; for "all Israel" which dwelt in their cities. And is it not strange that people will persist in setting forth the idea that all Israel were not in their cities, when the proof is so strong that they were, and not a hint in all the Scriptures to the contrary?
There is also another class of promises concerning the gathering of Israel, but these are not spoken of "Israel after the flesh," but, of the true Israel, who are the seed of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ. These promises are found in both the Old and New Testaments. Thus spoke the Lord:--
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem." Isa. 27:12, 13.
With this compare the words of the Saviour:--
"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matt. 24:30, 31.
The time of the gathering of the elect of God is fixed by these words of the Saviour; it will take place at his coming. He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet to gather them,--when the great trumpet shall be blown, as Isaiah says.
Compare 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
With these agree the following words of the apostle:--
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him." 2 Thess. 2:1.
But one may inquire, Can the gathering of the elect, the Israel of God by faith, at the coming of Christ, consistently be called the gathering and the return of Israel unto their own land? Most assuredly it can; and it is so called by the express word of the Lord himself. That the resurrection of the just will take place at the coming of Christ, all will admit. Then we read the following:--
"Prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land; then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord." Eze. 37:12-14.
The opening of the graves of all Israel shall take place "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear." It is his voice that will raise the dead. When the Son of man comes, the great trumpet will be blown, and the elect of God will be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.
This is the only gathering of Israel that remains to be fulfilled. And, all ye saints of God, partakers of the faith of your father Abraham, rejoice, for that day is near to come, and the angels will gather every one who, by living faith, is united to Christ, the heir of the promise.
To be continued…
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