Chapter 13
13:1 ¶ There were present at
that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had
mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And
Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners
above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those
eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they
were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish.
Jesus continues, as
someone speaks of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, and his atrocities
against Galileans at worship. He responds with a question that points at
reality. When someone suffers do you think they were being singled out as the
worst of the worst? Are there not many others just as evil or sinful who go
unpunished? But, if you do not repent and turn from your sins and turn towards
God you will also perish.
He brings up a point
about an accident, the falling of a tower that killed eighteen persons. Again,
He asks them if they think these victims were the worst people in Jerusalem. Of
course not, but unless you repent you, too, shall perish.
Repenting of your sins
against God and turning to Him is a fundamental doctrine of Christ. Paul wrote;
Hebrews 6:1 ¶ Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;
not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith
toward God,
Dead works are defined Biblically as works of the
flesh, sins. Read Hebrews, chapter 9 for the context.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God?
To repent is to turn
from something, changing your mind about it and rejecting it.
Exodus 32:12 Wherefore
should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to
slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn
from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
Ezekiel 18:30 Therefore I
will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the
Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not
be your ruin.
13:6 ¶ He spake also this parable; A certain man
had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon,
and found none. 7 Then said he unto the
dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this
fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it
alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if
not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
Israel is likened to a
fig tree in the Old Testament. Here is one example;
Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness;
I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her
first time: but they went to
Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that
shame; and their abominations
were according as they loved.
This statement about
God’s forbearance and patience as Christ asks the Father for more time with the
warning that there is a specific limit to God’s patience. The time is coming
when the fig tree that is not bearing fruit will have to come down.
For the Christian,
which each one is a type of the nation of Israel, God also calls for fruit to
be produced through the work of the Holy Spirit in how we treat God, our
brothers and sisters in Christ, and our fellow men and women in general.
It has been mentioned
previously that the fruit or proof of having the Holy Spirit indwelling is
found in Galatians, chapter 5. They are sharply contrasted against the dead
works, the works of the flesh. The entire passage and warning bear repeating
here.
Galatians 5:13 ¶ For,
brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve
one another. 14 For all the law is
fulfilled in one word, even in
this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take
heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16
This I say then, Walk in
the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and
the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so
that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest,
which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you
before, as I have also told you
in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of
God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is
no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s
have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in
the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of
vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
If we do not bear fruit
how long should God have patience with us before He cuts us down in this life
on earth?
We, too, should be
grateful that we, when unbelievers, had one more season of restraint before
judgment was to come upon us in this life. And it was God’s forbearance that
gave us time to be saved for eternity as we wallowed blindly in our stubborn
selfishness.
Romans 2:4 Or despisest
thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance
and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance?
13:10 ¶ And he was teaching in one of the synagogues
on the sabbath. 11 And, behold, there
was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed
together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to
him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
13 And he laid his hands on her:
and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with
indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto
the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore
come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou
hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his
ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being
a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen
years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his
adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious
things that were done by him.
I have known elderly
people who were bent over from various diseases. Some call this ‘old-age
posture’. This does not say, though, that the woman was elderly although
old-age in this culture came a lot earlier than it does now for women with
primitive medical assistance and unending, back-breaking work day-in and
day-out. There could have been several reasons for this woman’s trouble. But, Jesus
healed her with words here that are classic, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. If we are not loosed
here we will be loosed upon our physical body’s death and we will not be in the
presence of the Lord in a crooked, broken body of flesh but in a glorified
body, redeemed by God.
Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have
the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our
body.
As Jesus made His
statement of why it was perfectly justified to heal this woman on the Sabbath
He made a point that Satan had bound her. This gives us a clue as to the origin
of certain diseases. A careful reading of the book of Job will show us that
this is possible. Although it is clear that God can directly ordain someone to
suffer from a disease it is also clear that He can give Satan permission to do
that and we would never know the difference on this earth, while we are in this
body.
Job 2:3 And the LORD said
unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright
man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his
integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said,
Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his
bone and his flesh, and he
will curse thee to thy face. 6
And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but
save his life.
2Corinthians 12:7 And lest
I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan
to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
And yet;
Deuteronomy 28:58 If thou
wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book,
that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; 59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues
wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even
great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long
continuance. 60 Moreover he will bring
upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall
cleave unto thee. 61 Also every
sickness, and every plague, which is
not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until
thou be destroyed.
You cannot possibly
know whether God has permitted Satan to harass you or whether it is part of
God’s perfect, direct will. You can treat the physical symptoms and underlying
physical and emotional causes of a disease but you will not know now from where
it came. But, it is clear in this passage that Satan doesn’t just afflict important
people like Job. He deals his misery to common people as well. In fact, death
is his bailiwick on this earth now.
Hebrews 2:14 ¶ Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise
took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the
power of death, that is, the devil; 15
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage.
There is an implication
in passages like this that while we seek the most advanced medical knowledge to
treat the unpleasant, painful, and even deadly issues of life we must also look
to the spiritual side of illness. Consider the following;
James 5:14 Is any sick
among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick,
and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him.
13:18 ¶ Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God
like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19
It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his
garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in
the branches of it. 20 And again he
said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid
in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 22 And he went through the cities and villages,
teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
Notice how Matthew writes
these using the phrase Kingdom of Heaven
in Matthew 13 and then note the other cross-references between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven, using only by Matthew
who also uses the Kingdom of God.
Evangelicals have often said these two phrases must refer to different things
and argue that the Kingdom of Heaven
has to refer to the physical millennium of Christ’s thousand-year reign.
However, there are plenty of references to Christ’s reign on earth before the
Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20:11. Using cross-referencing as a
guide rather than mere opinion and denominational dogma let’s examine and
compare the two phrases.
Matthew 19:23 ¶ Then said
Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly
enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God.
Matthew 11:11 Verily I say
unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than
John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until
now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
With;
Luke 7:28 For I say unto you,
Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the
Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom
of God is greater than he.
…then…
Matthew 13:10 And the
disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them,
Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
With;
Mark 4:10 And when he was
alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is
given to know the mystery of the kingdom
of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
And…
Matthew 13:31 Another
parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man
took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which
indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest
among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge
in the branches thereof.
With…
Mark 4:30 And he said,
Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of
God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It
is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is
less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and
becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the
fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
Luke 13:18 ¶ Then said he,
Unto what is the kingdom of God
like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19
It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his
garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in
the branches of it.
And…
Matthew 13:33 Another
parable spake he unto them; The kingdom
of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three
measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
With…
Luke 13:20 And again he
said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom
of God? 21 It is like leaven, which
a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
[see comments on Luke
12:41-53]
And…
Matthew 18:3 And said,
Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as
this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
With…
Mark 10:14 But when Jesus
saw it, he was much displeased,
and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever
shall not receive the kingdom of God as
a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Luke 18:16 But Jesus called
them unto him, and said, Suffer
little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not
receive the kingdom of God as a
little child shall in no wise enter therein.
And…
Matthew 4:17 From that time
Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
With…
Mark 1:14 ¶ Now after that
John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye,
and believe the gospel.
And…
Matthew 5:3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
With…
Luke 6:20 ¶ And he lifted
up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
A mustard tree can grow
as tall as 20 feet with a branch canopy as wide as it is tall with low branches
just above the ground. The parable of verse 19 seems to be a prophecy of the
unnatural growth and temporal power of the institutional church and how the fowls of the air, notable as types of
Satan in Mark 4:4 and 15 become a part of it hiding either within its branches
or in its shadow. [see comments on Luke 12:41-53.] A possibility of the meaning
of the woman and the three measures of meal parable is found in those comments
as well.
The more positive
interpretations of these parables are that they represent the supernatural
growth of the Gospel. The woman in this interpretation is then the church, the
virgin bride of Christ. However, my opinion is that this presents some problems
when Christ uses typology like fowls of
the air and leaven, which have
negative connotations in prophecy.
Another example of this
type of reasoning is that some church traditions have the following character
as the Christian church.
Revelation 6:2 And I saw,
and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was
given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
However, Christ comes
with a sharp sword in Revelation 19:15 and the written word of God is likened
to a sword in Hebrews 4:12. Which Bible character comes with a bow?
Genesis 21:20 And God was
with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
Who is Ishmael and who
are his spiritual descendants? Think about it. If the character in Revelation
6:2 is the Christian church representing Christ on earth, which is supposed to
have the fruit of the spirit, has no abiding country or kingdom on earth, and
is to love God and their neighbors why is he followed by war, famine, plague,
death, and Hell? You see how there are problems with that interpretation. It sounds
like whomever first came up with that interpretation of the verse in Revelation
6 was trying to justify the extortions and murders of the institutional church
of the last two thousand years.
In Luke here, look at
the past dozens of verses. Jesus is giving warnings and negative statements,
admonitions, and making His disciples aware of some realities about their
present and the future. Just as the book of Job explains how painful reality
will be even for the most righteous Jesus’ prophetic warnings rightly divine
the events of the last two thousand years. We must remember that all reality is
a production of God’s perfect or His permissive will no matter how horrible
that reality might be. The book of Job explains that we will probably never
know why God allowed ten million Chinese to be killed by the Japanese in World
War Two, roughly the same amount of Congolese killed by the Belgians before
World War One and before or why the Holocaust was allowed to happen or why a
newborn baby has hydrochepalus and dies a horrible death. The book of Job and
other books simply teach us that as difficult as it may be we must trust God,
the hardest thing for a Christian undergoing a horror to do. He will allow what
He will allow and He will make happen what He will make happen and we have to
believe that He will make us understand His will when we are with Him in
eternity. Putting a happy face on prophecy by taking verses out of context does
not help us understand a fallen world under judgment. It certainly does not help
us interpret God’s word so we can apply it daily.
No, I believe these
prophecies, in keeping with the context, are negative.
Jesus is making His way
towards Jerusalem.
13:23 ¶ Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few
that be saved? And he said unto them, 24
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25
When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the
door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord,
Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence
ye are: 26 Then
shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence,
and thou hast taught in our streets. 27
But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from
me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham,
and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves
thrust out. 29 And they shall come from
the east, and from the west, and
from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in
the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold,
there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
Here, based on the
context, seems to be a direct attack on Israel’s unfaithfulness. Verses 28 and
29 show that this passage is referring to them and to the multitudes of
Gentiles who will believe and turn to God through Christ. It is also clear that
many people who claim to be Christians are not and this will be sorted out in
time. It is possible to attend church, even to pray and read your Bible, and no
more have a heart of faith and belief than someone who claims to be an atheist.
2Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the
faith; prove your own selves.
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be
reprobates?
The Jews here who do
not come into the kingdom of God are said to be workers of iniquity. This is a phrase used frequently in the Old
Testament writings. In the following it is evildoers.
Psalm 37:1 « A
Psalm of David. » Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be
thou envious against the workers
of iniquity.
The trouble with the
religious elite of Christ’s day on earth was that their disobedience to the
spirit of God’s commands expressed itself by their creating volumes of rules
and regulations that had nothing to do with Him but only their own
self-righteousness and that their actions prevented others from believing in
faith. This is not unlike many Protestant Fundamentalists today in America.
Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one
proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than
yourselves.
Jesus makes it clear
here that there is a limit to God’s forbearance and patience and there will
come a time when they will plead too late to enter into God’s abode.
13:31 ¶ The same day there came certain of the
Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill
thee. 32 And he said unto them, Go ye,
and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to
morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to
morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish
out of Jerusalem. 34 O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee;
how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather
her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate:
and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when
ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
On one level, Christ
reveals the three days of His time in the tomb and preaching in Hell. It is
important to note the use of perfect
and perfected have to do with being
complete and finished, possessing what you need to fulfill your purpose.
2Chronicles 8:16 Now all
the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of
the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.
Colossians 4:12 Epaphras,
who is one of you, a servant of
Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye
may stand perfect and complete in
all the will of God.
James 1:4 But let patience
have her perfect work,
that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing.
And so, when the work
was done and the man who was also God had paid the price for our sins…
John 19:30 When Jesus
therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished:
and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
On another, more
literal level, He is referring to His ongoing work and that He will arrive in
Jerusalem, to accomplish His mission, in three days. Jerusalem is a place, He
says ironically and with no small bit of sarcasm, that seems to have a monopoly
on killing prophets sent from God.
God’s sarcasm and His
sense of irony is found in several places in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 44:9 ¶ They that
make a graven image are all of
them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see
not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. 10
Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and
the workmen, they are of men:
let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and
they shall be ashamed together. 12 The
smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers,
and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength
faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 13
The carpenter stretcheth out his
rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh
it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to
the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the
cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the
forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. 15 Then shall it be
for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth
it, and baketh bread; yea, he
maketh a god, and worshippeth it;
he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with
part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he
warmeth himself, and saith,
Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17
And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith,
Deliver me; for thou art my
god. 18 They have not known nor
understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot
understand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding
to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon
the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I
fall down to the stock of a tree? 20
He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he
cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
Isaiah 22:18 He will surely
violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the
chariots of thy glory shall be
the shame of thy lord’s house.
2Kings 21:13 And I will
stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of
Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down. [Sorry,
fundamentalists, but it okay for a man to wipe a dish.]
It cannot be honestly
denied that God’s hand was in the revolt of the Jews against Rome that ended in
the disastrous siege of Jerusalem by the future emperor, Titus, and the Bar
Kokhba Revolt that led to the Emperor Hadrian’s rooting out of Jewish nationalism
in Judea, the murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews and the elimination of
thousands of villages, that ended in the loss of the Jewish homeland and the
greatest Diaspora of Jews throughout the empire and elsewhere.
It is not antisemitic
to explain that the Jews suffered greatly for their rejection of God through
Christ, a fact of history.
1Thessalonians 2:16
Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill
up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
But, God is not done
with the Jews, the first people He created for Himself out of the Gentiles.
Many believe that Revelation, chapter 12, reveals a supernatural deliverance of
the remaining Jews who believe in Christ their Messiah, the Saviour of the
world, from Satan’s final holocaust.
Christ will appear to
them. In the following cross-reference comparison it is clear that the Jews are
being visited at the end of human-centered history.
Zechariah 12:10 And I will
pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit
of grace and of supplications: and they
shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they
shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his
only son, and shall be in
bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which
pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even
so, Amen.
For remember that it is
God’s own standard that determines this. Remember that Israel is God’s
firstborn as the church is His offspring through Christ (Psalm 22:30).
Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt
say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even
my firstborn:
And that Israel was
also God’s spouse as the church is the bride of Christ (2Corinthians 11:2).
Jeremiah 3:14 Turn, O
backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a
family, and I will bring you to Zion:
God, then, in this
figure of speech, has divorced the nation of Israel.
Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw,
when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put
her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah
feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
But God has a standard
of treatment of a wife who is hated, which means despised, held in contempt,
not loved, as per the Bible definition found in Proverbs 5:12, Amos 5:21, Matthew
6:24, & Luke 16:13. Here, in the following it is the opposite of beloved.
Deuteronomy 21:15 ¶ If a
man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him
children, both the beloved and
the hated; and if the firstborn
son be hers that was hated: 16 Then it
shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that
he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:
17 But he shall acknowledge the son of
the hated for the firstborn, by
giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
At the end of the day
Israel shall be saved.
Romans 11:1 ¶ I say then,
Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the
seed of Abraham, of the tribe
of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away
his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how
he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and
digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I
have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there
is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if
it be of works, then is it no
more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the
election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 8 (According as it is written, God hath given
them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should
not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be
made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they
may not see, and bow down their back alway. 11
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to
provoke them to jealousy. 12 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 fulness? 13 For I speak to
you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine
office: 14 If by any means I may provoke
to emulation them which are my
flesh, and might save some of them. 15
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? 16 For if the
firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be
holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken
off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with
them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou
boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken
off, that I might be graffed in. 20
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by
faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21
For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of
God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue
in his goodness: otherwise thou
also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also,
if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to
graff them in again. 24 For if thou wert
cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to
nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own
olive tree? 25 For I would not,
brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in
your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the
fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is
written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and
shall turn away ungodliness
from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I
shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but
as touching the election, they are
beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For
the gifts and calling of God are
without repentance. 30 For as ye in
times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their
unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now
not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief,
that he might have mercy upon all.
For now, though, Jesus is giving them warning after warning as the prophets
did before Him.
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