As he saith also in Osee (Hosea), I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God (Romans 9:25-26).

Though often thought to be a reference to the Gentiles, Hosea is actually referring to the house of Israel in the text referenced above. Hosea was a prophet in Israel before the northern tribes of Israel were taken captive by the Assyrians and before Judah was taken captive by the Babylonians.

In chapter one of Hosea, God instructed Hosea to take a wife from among the prostitutes, so Hosea married a prostitute named Gomer. Gomer then conceived, and gave birth to a son, and the Lord told Hosea to call his name Jesreel; for God was going to cause the Kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.

Gomer then gave birth again, but this time to a daughter. God told Hosea to call her name Loruhamah, because God said, “I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.”

After Gomer had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare another son. God told Hosea to call his name Loammi, meaning “For ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.” This was the a message to kingdom of the house of Israel as well.

It is after this, in verse 10, that we find the words quoted by Paul in Romans 9:25-26. Here is how it reads in Hosea:

Yet the number of THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place WHERE IT WAS SAID UNTO THEM, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

When the northern tribes of Israel (the Kingdom of the house of Israel) were overtaken by the Assyrians, they were scattered among the nations, never again to recover and become a unified nation. They had become as the Gentiles in the sight of God, for God said of them – “For ye are not my people and I will not be your God” (Hosea 1:9). They lost their inheritance, being scattered under the curse of the law.

However, God’s mercy remained with  Judah because of His promises to David, and He caused Judah to return to the land after 70 years in captivity; but the Kingdom of Israel (the 10 tribes of the north) never recovered.

If it had not been for God’s oath to David, Judah’s punishment would have been more severe. However, God made an oath to David, and God kept His promise. In His mercy, He brought Judah back to the land in preparation for the Messiah, in whom His oath to David would be fulfilled.  Christ is the Messiah, the descendant of David who will reign forever. He is now seated as the King of Israel, enthroned at the right hand of God.

When God disinherited Israel, He said to them; “Ye are not my people.” Yet, He gave them the promise that it shall be said unto them, “Ye are the sons of the living God.” In Romans 9-11 Paul tells us how God fulfilled this promise to Israel.

It was not through the Law, for under the Law they fell under the curse and were disinherited as the people of God. How then, did  God fulfill his promise to those He disinherited? How would they receive life from the dead as Paul says in the book of Romans?

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? (Romans 11:15)

How would God accomplish this? It would come through the THE SALVATION OF THE GENTILES! Paul tells us in Romans, “through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy” (Romans 11:11).

In Romans 10:19 we read the following: But I say, DID NOT ISRAEL KNOW? First Moses saith, I will provoke you TO JEALOUSY by them that are NO PEOPLE, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

Notice the language here: “I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are NO PEOPLE.” This terminology – no people – is the same sort of terminology used to describe Israel by Hosea in Chapter 1, and Paul in Romans 9: “And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are NOT MY PEOPLE; there shall they be called the children of the living God.”

In Romans 11, concerning those who were not a people (whom God would use to provoke Israel to jealously) Paul says: “For as ye in times past, have not believed God, yet have now OBTAINED MERCY THROUGH THEIR UNBELIEF: Even so have these also now not believed, that THROUGH YOUR MERCY THEY ALSO MAY OBTAIN MERCY.

Paul does not mean to say, since God showed you Gentiles mercy, He will be fair and also show them mercy as well. It is much more than that. Paul is saying “the mercy you have received as “not a people” is the same mercy they have too will receive “as not a people.”

For there is NO DIFFERENCE  between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him (Romans 10:12). In essence, God has reckoned Israel along with the Gentiles as being, under sin, so that He might make salvation available to all on the grounds of his mercy and grace.

In Romans 3 Paul says, “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ is UNTO ALL  and UPON ALL them that believe: FOR THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…”

The mention of NO DIFFERENCE, is a reference to the Jew and Gentiles. Paul is echoing his sentiments from earlier in the chapter when he said: “What then? are we (Jews) better than they (Gentiles) ? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that THEY ARE ALL UNDER SIN…”

In correlation with his statements in Romans 3, that all are under sin, both Jews and Gentiles, Paul says the following in Romans 11:

For as ye (Gentiles) in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these (the Jews in unbelief) also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. FOR GOD HATH CONCLUDED THEM ALL IN UNBELIEF, THAT HE MIGHT HAVE MERCY UPON ALL. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:30-33).

God foreordained that salvation would be by grace to all who believe therefore whoso ever believes on HIM shall not be ashamed! (Romans 9:33)

The ideology of Christian Zionism goes beyond the gospel of Jesus Christ to cater to unbelieving Jews. It literally gives the Jew who refuses the gospel of Jesus Christ another alternative. One Christian friend said to me “God will use the Law to reveal himself to them once again, otherwise, they will never hear…”

Yet, the Bible says otherwise. Notice the words of Paul In Romans 10:

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

4 For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.

5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Notice that Paul, in context of his heart’s desire and prayer to God, regarding Israel’s salvation, declares that Christ is the end of the Law. He says concerning unbelieving Israelites, who are seeking their own righteousness through the law, “they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.”

Remember the context here is Paul’s heart’s desire and prayer for Israel’s salvation.

Paul continues:

6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; …

In verses 6-8 Paul quotes from Deuteronomy and applies those scriptures to Jesus. The context of the Deuteronomy is Israel being gathered back to their inheritance after being in captivity. Interestingly, Paul does not apply it to the land of Israel, but to Christ instead.

Let’s continue: 

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Notice that Paul says, “there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek.” He says this with regards to non believers. If God has an alternative for the Jew apart from the gospel revealed in the New Testament, there certainly would be difference between the Jew and the Greek. The Jew would then have a special privilege for salvation apart from the gospel. Yet Paul holds them accountable to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and gives them no other alternative.

13 For whosoever (Jew or Greek) shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things! 

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

Paul again quotes from the Old Testament, this time from Isaiah in reference to the gospel. He says, “they have not all obeyed the gospel.” This is a specific reference to the Jews who have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God in Christ.

Though a remnant of Jews have believed the gospel, Israel as a whole has not, and God holds the rest of Israel to the same standard by which He as saved the remnant of believing Jews as well as the Gentiles. If they do not believe the gospel, they, like the rest of the world who rejects Christ, will perish.

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Paul tells us that the gospel is “their sound” and “their words.” Moses testified of the gospel in their Law, and their prophets testified of the gospel as well. Throughout the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord was giving witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ through those whom he sent to them.

God gave to Israel Moses, the prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, the apostles, and the salvation of the Gentiles.

19 But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

21 But to Israel He saith,  All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

The gospel is their testimony, their witness, their message, and if they reject the Gospel there is no other alternative.

Aliyah is a word used to describe the immigration of Jews to Israel.

According to the Law of Moses, God promised He would gather the children of Israel back to into their land after He had scattered them, ONLY if they turned their hearts back to Him to obey all His commands (Deuteronomy 30:1-5; Leviticus 26:40-42).

The modern state of Israel, however, was established with armed force and not with repentance towards God and a commitment to obey Him. As a result of the 1948 establishment of modern Israel, there were more than an estimated 700,000 Palestinian refugees, some of which were Christians.

Since 1948, Israel has yet to become a nation representing the one true God. On the contrary, modern day Israel is a state whose religious traditions are aligned with the Jewish Talmud (a collection of rabbinical teachings which blasphemes against the Lord Jesus Christ).

In contrast to the establishment of the modern state of Israel, consider the following from the book of Nehemiah chapter 1:

1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

5 And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.

7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cup bearer.

Notice that Nehemiah was humble and repentant, and he cited to God the conditions which God Himself had established that the people were to turn to God, to keep His commandments and to do them.

Later in Nehemiah we read the following:

The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples FOR THE SAKE OF THE LAW OF GOD. together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and BIND THEMSELVES WITH A CURSE AND AN OATH to follow THE LAW OF GOD GIVEN THROUGH MOSES the servant of God and TO OBEY CAREFULLY ALL THE COMMANDS, REGULATIONS, AND DECREES of the Lord our Lord (Nehemiah 10:28-29).

These Israelites, who were returning from the Babylonian captivity, bond themselves with a curse because they were dedicating themselves to God and to the covenant God made with their fathers through Moses.

The prophet Jeremiah had foretold of this very thing when he said the following:

10 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.

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

¹² Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

¹⁴ And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and 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 (Jeremiah 29:1-14).

This (Jeremiah’s prophecy) is exactly what happened according to the book of Nehemiah, and it happened just as it was required according to the Law of Moses, for the prerequisite for aliyah (according to the Law) is repentance towards God (Deuteronomy 30, Leviticus 26:40-42; Daniel 9:1-21; Nehemiah 1:1-11; 10:28-29 Jeremiah 29:10-14; Ezra 9:7,15).

So the questions that we must ask in all fairness is this; “Why doesn’t the aliyah of modern Israel look anything like those who returned after the Babylonian captivity?”

There simply is no doctrine or precedence in scripture which supports a Jewish national aliyah to Israel without there first being a turning of the heart towards God!

 

Are there yet still unfulfilled covenants by which God is indebted to the modern state of Israel? If so, then what specific covenant is still active and binding?

Christian Zionists are often very ambiguous when making their covenant claims regarding Israel and they fail to address the details involved in those covenants such as circumcision and the law.

Not all that long ago, I heard a well known minister say, “I run with Israeli Jews.” Well, such statements perpetuate the ambiguity of the covenant theology within Christian Zionism, for such statements would lead unsuspecting Christians to think that Jews in Israel have a special covenant status with God that other Jews, such as American Jews, don’t have.

An important detail that Christian Zionists leave out is that the land inheritance was dependent on physical circumcision. The uncircumcised male (even if he was a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) had no inheritance in the promised land.

Did you know that?

Furthermore, circumcision only qualified the male descendant to be an heir to the land. It did not guarantee he would be blessed in the land. In fact, there were many times throughout the history of ancient Israel that God’s judgment fell on Israelites within the land. Just read the story of Israel and you will see it over and over again.

Only obedience to God based on the Law of Moses guaranteed the blessing of God within the land of promise. Disobedience and rebellion against God and his law resulted in Israelites being cursed and expelled from the land.

Christian Zionist advocates sometimes make the vague claim that God is faithful to his covenant promises to Israel regarding the land. By implication, they mean that only blessings will come from God to the Jews who live within the land Israel, yet no such theology has ever been taught in scripture.

God’s oath to Israel regarding the land was that he would bless them for their obedience and curse them if they forsook him to serve other gods. The Zionist will not tell you that God’s promises to Israel regarding the land included his severe judgment on Israel in the land if they sinned.

Though there are some godly, wonderful, Jewish people, there is no such theology in the Bible which advocates that God will only bless the Jew simply because he is in the land of Israel. God will bless those Jews who seek him and those who do so will be led to Jesus Christ. God is seeking for those who are true worshipers as Jesus said in John 4, who will circumcise their hearts before God as Paul says in Romans 2.

For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.  ~ Romans 2:25-29

Physical circumcision (the seal of the covenant God made with Abraham) profits only if the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled. Therefore a Jew which fails to fulfill the Law loses his inheritance as a descendant of Abraham, and his circumcision is now considered as uncircumcision in the sight of God.

On the contrary, the uncircumcised person (the Gentile) who fulfills the law through his obedience and faith in Jesus, is considered as circumcised, and a Jew inwardly, and a true child of Abraham in the sight of God.

Every covenant that God has ever made with the nation of Israel finds its fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. Though various covenants were made with individuals within Israel, there are four covenants which specifically had to do with Israel in God’s redemptive plan for humanity. They are as follows:

1. God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob .

Christ is the seed of Abraham to whom the promises were made and all who belong to Jesus (whether Jew or Gentile) are Abraham’s children (see Galatians 3, Romans 4 and 9).

https://michaelbattle65.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/is-the-land-inheritance-still-relevant-today/

2. The Law given through Moses.

Christ is the end of the Law and those who trust in Him fulfill the righteousness of the Law (see Romans 10).

https://michaelbattle65.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/what-covenant-does-modern-israel-have-with-god/

3. God’s promise to David concerning the Messiah reigning on his throne. 

Christ is exalted at the right hand of God in fulfillment of the promises made to David (see Acts 2).

https://michaelbattle65.wordpress.com/2015/07/23/christ-enthroned-at-the-right-hand-of-god/

https://michaelbattle65.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/jesus-and-the-third-temple/

4. The new covenant.

Christ shed his precious blood and has become the High priest of a better covenant established on better promises in fulfillment of the new covenant promised to Israel (see Hebrews 8).

https://michaelbattle65.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/the-new-covenant-with-israel/

https://michaelbattle65.wordpress.com/2017/12/14/israel-and-the-cross/

Understanding these four covenants in view of Jesus Christ will cause a person to have good and sound doctrine, rather than being swept up in the vagueness of the covenant theology taught by Christian Zionism which leaves out vital details.  

How many times have you ever heard; “the Jews are God’s chosen people?” Most likely, you have probably heard it a time or two, and quite possibly repeated it yourself at some point; but have you ever heard anyone qualify that statement by explaining what it really means?

Why was Israel chosen?

Israel was chosen by God to fulfill God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to bless all the families of the earth.  God’s original plan was to make Abraham the father of MANY nations and He chose Israel to be the vessel through which He would do this. God gave Israel the Law, and it was through keeping His covenant (the Law) that Israel would be a blessing to the nations; but Israel failed in her commission.

However, God is faithful.

In Romans 1:16-17 Paul introduces the gospel of Jesus Christ by declaring;  “it is the power of God unto salvation TO EVERYONE that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek, for in the gospel of Christ, the righteousness of God is REVEALED!

Yet, Paul leaves us hanging beginning in the very next verse, as he now speaks of the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against ungodliness. From Romans 1:18- Romans 3:20 we hear no more about this “righteousness of God” which is revealed through the gospel of Christ.

Romans 1:18 begins with the wrath of God being revealed from heaven and Romans 3:20 ends with not only the Jews but the whole world standing condemned in the sight of God, because of the Law – Israel’s covenant – which has brought forth the knowledge of sin.

Israel did not keep the Law, and consequently, failed in her commission to glorify God in the midst of the nations. Rather than being a holy nation and a blessing to the whole world, Israel’s disobedience has caused the nations to blaspheme against God.

Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? FOR THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES THROUGH YOU, as it is written.  For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision (Romans 2:23-25).

Through Israel’s disobedience to God’s law, wherein she was unfaithful, she had become no different than the godless nations around her. Like those nations, she too was under the power of sin!

Beginning in Romans 3:21 Paul now picks up where he left us hanging in chapter one and says: “BUT NOW THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD WITHOUT THE LAW IS MANIFESTED, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST unto ALL and upon ALL them that believe: for there is NO DIFFERENCE…”

In Jesus Christ, God has revealed His righteousness (His covenant faithfulness as N.T. Write puts it) and God has fulfilled His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that through Abraham’s seed all the families of the earth would be blessed.

Jesus is the true seed of Abraham, and the embodiment of what Israel was called to be. Through Him alone the promises made to the Fathers have come to fruition. In Jesus Christ, Israel’s calling to bless all the families of the earth is fulfilled, and in Him the righteousness of God (God’s covenant faithfulness to do what he promised) is revealed.

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, TO CONFIRM THE PROMISES MADE TO THE FATHERS: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, for this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust (Romans 15:8-12).

God in Christ has accomplished what he had chosen Israel to do.

In Acts 2, Peter interprets the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus at the right hand of God as the FULFILLMENT of the scriptures that the Messiah would reign from the throne of David. Notice carefully how Peter articulates this:

Therefore BEING A PROPHET, AND KNOWING that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, HE WOULD RAISE UP CHRIST TO SIT ON HIS THRONE; HE SEEING THIS BEFORE SPAKE OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD EXALTED, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT ON MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE THY FOES THY FOOTSTOOL. *** THEREFORE**** let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:30-36).

In the texts above, Peter is quoting David from Psalm 110 when he says, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.”

First, notice the words “the Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand.”

Peter quotes this in reference to David as a prophet knowing that God would raise up the Messiah to sit on his (David’s) throne. So as a prophet, foreseeing the enthronement of the Messiah on his (David’s) throne, David said, “The Lord said unto my Lord, SIT ON MY RIGHT HAND.” As a prophet, David foresaw by the Spirit of God that the promise of the Messiah reigning on his throne would not be an earthly enthronement, but a heavenly one, at the right hand of God.

Secondly, notice the next part of the text that Peter quotes from David: “till I make your enemies your footstool.”

These very same words are employed by the author of Hebrews in describing the enthronement of Jesus at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:13; 10:13). In 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 the apostle Paul applies them to the exalted Jesus as well.

Also Psalm 110 is the Psalm which testifies that the Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews expounds on this and tells us that Jesus the exalted King at the right hand of God, is also our great high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek was a King and priest and Christ enthroned at the right hand of God is our King-Priest.

The exaltion of Jesus upon the throne of David is not something in waiting which is yet unfulfilled. Rather, the fulfillment of God’s promise to David became a reality when God raised Him from the dead and highly exalted Him at His own right hand.

When he had by himself purged our sins, (He) sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high… (See Hebrews 1:3).

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom (Hebrews 1:8).

Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man(Hebrews 8:1-2).

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

(I, Paul) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:17-23).

Jesus enthroned at the right hand of God is not a temporary enthronement as He awaits the lesser one in Jerusalem, Israel. Rather, Jesus entered into His glory after His resurrection (Luke 24:26; John 17:5, 24; Acts 2:33; 3:13) and was enthroned at the right hand of God, where the New Jerusalem is – the true Holy City of God. From there, Christ will reign forever!

When Christ returns He is not taking a lesser throne. He reigns forever, being highly exalted at the right hand of God, and in that power and authority He will come again!

Does God have a love for Israel that surpasses or is independent of His love revealed in and through Christ Jesus, or was the love that God revealed in Christ the fulfillment of His covenant promises to Israel?

Consider the words of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. When John the Baptist was 8 days old he was brought to the temple by Zacharias and Elisabeth to be circumcised according to the instructions given in the Law of Moses.

Zacharias had been unable to speak since the announcement by the angel Gabriel that God had heard his prayers and his wife Elisabeth would have a child. Since Zacharias could not speak, the people decided to name the young child after his father thinking this was right.

However, Elisabeth spoke up and said, “Not so; but he shall be called John.” The people replied, “there is none of you kindred that is called by this name.” They then signaled to ask Zacharias asking him what the child would be called. Zacharias asked for a writing table, and wrote, “His name is John.”

The Bible says “they all marveled” and immediately Zacharias’ tongue was loosed, and he spoke, and praised God. The scripture says, “Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying…”

Before telling us what Zacharias’ prophesied, Luke gives us this interjection – “Fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea, and all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, WHAT MANNER OF CHILD SHALL THIS BE! And the hand of the Lord was with him.”

With a causal reading, it is very easy to miss the impact this had on Israel. The sign of Zacharias not being able to speak, and then his tongue being suddenly loosed at his child’s circumcision ceremony along with the words of his prophecy caused the fear of the Lord to come on the people. They talked among themselves holding these things in their hearts and asking the question – “What manner of child shall this be!”

Now consider the words of Zacharias’ prophecy which spread throughout the region, and the impact these words must have had on those who were looking for hope in Israel.

Zacharias prophesied the following:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he swear to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:68-79).

Through Zacharias’ prophecy, the Spirit of God was interpreting what the redemption of Israel as foretold in the Old Testament scriptures would actually look like.  God was was visiting His people to save them, and this child John, was the forerunner who would reveal their Savior to them ( John 1:31).

God”s love for Israel -His saving grace, His mercy, and His redemption – is revealed in Jesus Christ. In the land God gave them (the land in which they were now servants to others because of the curse of the Law), in that land, the Messiah came and redeemed them with His precious blood. He did this not to restore them to their physical inheritance. He did it to bring them into their true spiritual inheritance. Through repentance and faith in Jesus, God fulfilled His purpose in the calling of Israel by giving them their true inheritance in of the Kingdom of God and as citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem which is above.

He offers the same to all, both Jews and Gentiles alike; for God SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON!

A lot of people will quote that Paul was taken to the 3rd heaven in an effort to support their claims of visions and heavenly experiences, but have you ever noticed the context of Paul’s description of being caught up into the third heaven?

In second Corinthians 11 and 12 the apostle Paul is correcting the Corinthians for allowing false ministers, especially false apostles, to take advantage of them. During his rebuke Paul uses sarcasm at times and that’s one reason why we should never a take any single verse out of its setting.

With regards to Paul’s heavenly experience, he mentions it reluctantly. He doesn’t share it to provide proof that he was sent by God. That’s the tactic of false apostles. Paul tells about this experience to show the Corinthians that these kind of things are not what we are to boast in.

Notice what he says in context:

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him. “This boasting will do no good,” but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:30-12:4

I find it interesting that Paul didn’t describe his experience as a spiritual Disney World or fantasy land like so many of those who make such claims.

Paul goes on to say the following:

That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:5-10

The difference in a true minister and a false one is this: A false minister will boast in his supernatural experiences, but a true minister will only boast in his weakness so that power of the Lord will rest on him and Jesus will be glorified.

Under the Old Testament ancient Israel consisted of those who were physical descendants of Abraham, as well those who were Gentiles who became Jews by conversion.

Allow me to give you one example from scripture: During the time of Esther, King Ahasuerus  reigned over 127 provinces reaching from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1; 8:17) and many Gentiles in those provinces converted and BECAME JEWS.

There are also other examples in scripture of Gentiles who became Jews, and there are instructive scriptures in the Old Testament which address how the Jews were to accept those Gentiles who would be grafted into Israel from the outside.

Many Christians who hold to unwavering support of the modern state of Israel do so because they think the Jews in Israel are the direct descendants of Abraham and consequently are in covenant with God, yet they never consider the question: “What about the converted Jews?”

Did you know the modern state of Israel recognizes and grants citizenship to converted Jews? Many never think this one through.

If you believe that modern Israel in the Middle East is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, allow me to ask a very simple question and give you something to consider: What about converted Jews?

Do you consider converted Jews (formerly Gentiles) to be real Jews and in covenant with God?

If not, why? They were in scripture and If you are going to claim that modern Israel is in covenant with God you must go all the way and accept converted Jews (formerly Gentiles) because converted Jews were in covenant with God (via Israel’s covenant) in the Old Testament.

If modern Israel is in covenant with God then converted Jews are as well, which would mean that Gentiles have a route into covenant with God WITHOUT Jesus Christ!

Such theology ought to alarm you, for there is no covenant relationship with God apart from Jesus Christ: not for the Jew or the Gentile.

“The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples FOR THE SAKE OF THE LAW OF GOD. together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and BIND THEMSELVES WITH A CURSE AND AN OATH to follow THE LAW OF GOD GIVEN THROUGH MOSES the servant of God and TO OBEY CAREFULLY ALL THE COMMANDS, REGULATIONS, AND DECREES of the Lord our Lord” (Nehemiah 10:28-29).

Why did these Israelites, who were returning for the Babylonian captivity, bind themselves with a curse? It is because they were dedicating themselves to God and to the covenant God made with their fathers through Moses.

The Law of Moses was accompanied with a curse (aka, the curse of the law). The Law of Moses was a binding covenant on the nation of Israel and being a partaker of that covenant meant being subjected to the curse for not doing all that the law demands.

This is precisely why Paul warns the believers in Galatia not seek justification by the works of the law, because the curse accompanies the law. The law demands the continuation in the works of the Law to all who are under it and therefore all who do not continue in all things contained in the law are under a curse.

You cannot separate the curse from the law covenant given through Moses. Those who attempt to do so are guilty of trespassing the very law they claim to obey. They claim they are not under the curse, while at the same time claiming that the law is still binding. Yet, the law itself says, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

Those who teach such error by putting others under their private interpretations of the law often excuse themselves for not keeping all the Law which the law itself actually demands. In this they reinvent the law with the portions they deem enforceable.

The Law of Moses was a unit, and not some divided up thing that some have made it into. Yet some have turned it into something that the Bible never reveals it to be. It was never a broken up dysfunctional system. According to the Holy Scriptures the Law Covenant was first ratified with the blood of animals, then the Law was given, then the priesthood, the sacrificial system, the various statutes and ordinances including the festivals were put in place and served as rule of life and constitution for the people of Israel in the flesh.

These were all interlinked and you cannot have one without the other. If any part of this covenant is obsolete, it is all obsolete. You do not, and cannot have the Law covenant without the blood of animals, the Levitical priesthood, the tabernacle/temple, the brazen altar, the laver, the lamp stand, the table of shew bread, the golden altar, and the Ark of the Covenant.

Jesus died and rose again, not to keep a remnant of the Law covenant in place, but to give us a better covenant established on better promises.