The Church
When people hear the word “Church,” they often think of a brick-and-mortar building or an institution of some kind. But the Church is much, much more than that. It is not just a collection of churches across the world; it is also a body of Jews and Gentiles who know Christ and whose sins are forever forgiven by God. Because Israel rejected Jesus at His First Coming, God paused His program for Israel for an undetermined period, which we call the Church Age. This Age encompasses the period between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel, as discussed in Time of the Gentiles: Daniel’s Prophecies. During this Age, the Church was established as the “called of God” with a specific destination and purpose. In this post, we will discuss the anticipation and beginning of the Church. We will also explore how the Church is an heir of God and partakes of the New Covenant. God’s Plan From the beginning, God’s plan of salvation included the entire world. God chose the nation of Israel to bring the message of light to the world. From Israel came Jesus, the Light God had promised, yet his people, Israel, rejected Him. This rejection was no surprise to God; it was part of His ultimate plan to save us all. Because the Jews rejected Jesus’ invitation to follow Him, He extended His invitation to all who would follow Him, Jews and Gentiles alike. God’s plan that both Gentiles and Jews who believe in Jesus share equally in His inheritance was not made known in the Old Testament. It was only after Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit that this mystery was revealed. When either a Jew or Gentile trusts Jesus as their Savior, they become a child of God and are part of the Church. Promise of the Holy Spirit Jesus had been ministering with His disciples for nearly three years. He tried to prepare them for what was to come by telling them He wouldn’t be with them much longer. He said that He was going somewhere and they couldn’t come now, but not to worry because He was preparing a place for them in His Father’s house and would return for them (John 13:33-35, John 14:1, John 14:2-3). He told them that after He leaves, He will send a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who will be with them and in them forever (John 14:15-17). He promised that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things, help them remember all that He has taught them (John 14:26), and guide them into all truth (John 16:12-13). The disciples’ hope died with Jesus on the cross – only to be resurrected with Jesus three days later. Jesus appeared and instructed them to wait for the Father’s promise, the Holy Spirit. He told them that when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they would receive power and be His witnesses worldwide (Acts 1:4-8). Not even Jesus’ words could prepare the disciples for the reality of the moment the Holy Spirit appeared: they were gathered together under one roof when suddenly they heard a loud noise like a violent wind filling the house. Next, what seemed like tongues of fire rested on each of them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking languages previously unknown to them. Because it was Pentecost, Jews from every nation had gathered in Jerusalem. When they heard the noise of the rushing wind, they came to investigate. They were “amazed and astonished” because they heard “mighty deeds of God” spoken in their language! Emboldened by the Spirit, Peter, the same Peter who had denied Jesus three times, stood before an audience of Jews and preached the Gospel for the first time. He explained that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was now exalted to the right hand of God; He had received the gift of the Holy Spirit and now poured the Spirit on the disciples (Acts 2:33). Peter then told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). He went on to tell them that the gift of the Holy Spirit was not just for them and their children but for all who are far off, as many as the Lord will call to Himself (Acts 2:39). 3,000 were baptized that day: the Church was born! The Church is for Jew and Gentile Alike The Jewish Christians soon learned that the Messiah and the gift of the Holy Spirit were not just for the Jews but also the Gentiles. This truth became apparent to Peter when he went to Cornelius, a Gentile, and began to tell him and his family and friends about Jesus. The Holy Spirit fell on them as he spoke, and they started to speak with tongues exalting God. Peter then baptized them in the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts 10:44-48) By revelation through the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul was given wisdom concerning the Church. The Church was a mystery hidden in the Old Testament and only made known after Jesus’ first coming. The mystery revealed to Paul was that “the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6). Both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled to God through Christ. Both have access in one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:14-18). The Church’s Inheritance The word “Church” is a translation of the Greek word Ekklesia, which comes from the verb “Kaleo,” which means “to call.” The Church is the “called” of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:6). As the called of Jesus, we are citizens of heaven and not earth. Our spirit testifies with the Holy Spirit that we are children of God and fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). Our inheritance is imperishable and undefiled; it won’t fade away and is reserved in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4-5). We eagerly await Jesus
Israel, the Divided Kingdom
God sovereignly set apart Israel as a nation to enter into covenant with so that all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1). God gave Israel the Word of God to guard, protect, and deliver to the world, not only through the Prophets but through the promised Messiah, the Word made flesh (John 1:1). In Israel and Her Covenants, we began to discuss God’s plan for Israel and His covenant relationship with the nation from whom the Messiah, the Savior of the world, would come. We learned how God passed His promises through the patriarchs from generation to generation and how these covenants of land, seed, and blessing were unconditional, eternal, and literal. We followed the bloodline of Jesus from Abraham, through the tribe of Judah to David, who was crowned the King of Israel. Here, we will fly through history and briefly examine what happened to Israel after King David’s death. From David to Solomon David sat on the throne of Israel for 40 years. His son Solomon ruled Israel for another 40 years. This period is often referred to as the “Golden Age” of Israel because Israel flourished during this time. However, toward the end of Solomon’s life, he began to turn away from God. Even after God’s repeated warnings to not follow other gods, Solomon allowed his foreign wives, through their pagan practices, to influence him and to turn his heart towards their gods.As a result, “his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1 Kings 11:4). Because of his disobedience, God told Solomon that he would strip his kingdom away, but not yet. Out of God’s love for David, He would wait until after Solomon died and take the Kingdom from Solomon’s son instead. Division of the Dynasty After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam reigned over all of Israel (1 Kings 11:41-43). However, as God had previously warned Solomon, He had other plans for the Davidic dynasty. God spoke through the Prophet Ahijah to Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam, and told him that the Kingdom of Israel would be divided because of Israel’s disobedience. He went on to say that Jeroboam would rule over the ten tribes of the northern kingdom but that “for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel,” Solomon’s son, Rehoboam would hang on to one tribe (1 Kings 11:32). Ahijah’s prophecy was soon fulfilled. King Rehoboam acted foolishly. He would not listen to the people of Israel, and they rebelled against him. Only one tribe, Judah, remained loyal to the house of David (1 Kings 12:20). The tribe of Benjamin split its loyalties between the Northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and Judah’s southern kingdom. In an attempt to restore the Kingdom, King Rehoboam gathered 180,000 men to fight against the ten tribes now called Israel. Some Benjamites joined King Rehoboam in this effort. However, God intervened. He sent word through Shemiah, a man of God, saying do not “go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel” (1 Kings 12:24). From that point on, Israel was a divided kingdom, with Judah’s capital, Jerusalem, and Israel’s capital, Samaria. Northern Kingdom of Israel Because Israel did not keep God’s law and sinned against Him, God allowed Israel to be invaded by the Assyrians and scattered throughout the surrounding nations (2 Kings 17:6-7). Israel’s lands were resettled by foreigners (2 Kings 17:24). The ten tribes of the northern kingdom have mostly disappeared from history, although their descendants continue to exist. Southern Kingdom of Judah Unlike Israel, Judah managed to fend off the Assyrian invasion. However, eventually the Babylonian empire conquered Judah and deported the Judah citizens to Babylon. Before God allowed this to happen, He time and time again sent word to them “by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people until there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:15). The people of Judah were held captive in Babylon for 70 years. During this time, Persia conquered Babylon, and Cyrus, the King of Persia, allowed them to return home to Jerusalem. Just as God promised that he would scatter Israel throughout the nations for their disobedience, He also promises that He will bring them back to their homeland and make them dwell in safety (Jeremiah 32:37). God is faithful. Israel will never stop being a nation. The time is near (Revelation 22:10).
Israel and Her Covenants
To understand the prophetic passages of the Bible and have a clearer picture of Israel’s future and our future, we must have a good understanding of God’s covenant promises with the people of Israel.