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First, Israel is not the secular, political national people who occupy the land;  just as we are Christians above and beyond America’s borders, so too are the Chosen People of God, the Jews, beyond Israel’s borders.  There is one distinction however; the LORD God specifically gave His people the Promised Land to inhabit and possess, unlike any other people in history.  Though its borders are shrinking constantly with terrorist attempts to remove that possession from them by a world focused on their destruction, the Covenanted People of Israel who physically descend from Abraham through Jacob and have full rights to that land, called Israel, and it will figure prominently in future eschatological events. Thus, my references to Israel in the rest of this discussion are speaking of the Covenanted Jews, not the Israelite citizens that have no connections to God.

Saucy, in his article “A Rationale for the Future of Israel” speaks of the different considerations concerning Christian views of Israel.  I reject the dominant opinion that Israel’s mission as a nation ended with their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ.[1]

And though Saucy references several excellent scholars holding the view that Israel functions as a part of God’s salvation for the world in the future, I am not convinced.[2] Certainly, salvation shadows appear in the Old Testament, and theological concepts developed dispensationally as God revealed more and more to His people as receivers of developing faith concepts that set them apart from other nations (Exodus 19:5-6). However, it is the sacrifice of Christ and the redemption of His shed blood through God’s promise that ultimately offers that salvation; Jews do not figure into that singular event that has been determined from the beginning of sin to save all men, and it is the only door open to eternal life. At some point, I believe that devout Jewish eyes will be opened after Ezekiel’s Temple is built (Eze. 44), and after final sacrifices to the LORD God are accomplished (Eze. 44:15-27), and that God will remove their blinders, they will recognize the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved. Their salvation is our salvation through Christ; in final measure, both the Chosen and the Adopted people of God celebrate our family relationship together upon the New Heaven and the New Earth; but that salvation comes through Christ alone.

I agree with Bright that the Land of Israel has a destiny in history in unfolding eschatological events; however, it is the dedicated Jews who love and serve God who will play the important parts revealed in the prophecies of Isaiah. [3] Quite frankly, I suspect the secular Israelites will disperse quickly when trouble escalates; it will be mostly the lovers of God that will remain in Israel, that have prepared for the rebuilding of the Temple that will usher in the traumatic events that will result in great bloodshed as the antichrist moves in their midst for a time.  But, it is the God-loving, committed Israelites that will be a part of the unfolding End Times events.

Israel remains a channel of revelation because the story is not fully told yet; God’s predestined future, shared to us in prophecy in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation, has not yet unfolded.  But it is not the literal, secular people of Tel Aviv, but the deeply religious, dedicated Jews that place themselves in harm’s way often to defend their right to possess the land of Israel, and serve their God according to the things they know from the past.  It is the Jews that are quietly gathering the implements to use in the Temple when it is constructed again; they are praying “Next year in Jerusalem” all over the world during the awe of Passover celebration, quietly leaving their comfortable lives and going to a crowded country that is filled to its borders with immigrants gathering to be witness to the coming Times. It is the heart of God that beats in His people and it is these people who will take part in prophecy fulfillment. (Eze. 39:23, Ps. 102:13-15)

Wherever I stand, I always stand for Israel, God’s Chosen People, and their right to exist and possess the land given to them by God.  It is my destiny, and yours; Israel plays a critical role in the coming eschatological events that will unite us all with our Lord, save us, and give us resurrected life eternal together.

Isaiah 60:1-22 and Amos 9:11-15 time period interpreted

Isaiah 60:1-22 gives answer to the previous Isaiah 59:1-21 which shows sin is separating Israel from God.  Isaiah is given the great vision of a restored Jerusalem, with a restored Temple, and a righteous people in future time, following God making judgment against Israel’s enemies, and moving the eschatological events forward. Ezekiel 40-48 and Revelation 21-22 give visionary symbolism of Jerusalem that corresponds to Isaiah 60. But, it is a matter of timing, where Ezekiel’s Temple is built, sacrifices accomplished, eyes of the devout Jews opened, salvation coming to them through Christ, and finally the end of this world, the ushering in of a New Jerusalem, and New Heaven and a New Earth, where all God’s people come together in righteous and peaceful eternal life.

As we discovered in our last discussion, Ezekiel’s Temple is an earthly structure with earthly service that is made out of ordinary materials (Eze 40:16, 22, 26, 34, 37, 42; 41:16-22, 25, 26). However, John’s description of the New Jerusalem speaks of rare gems and white robes.  One has the Temple, and the other is filled with the “Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb” (Rev 22:21).

Amos 9 shows Israel’s presumption of her election and shows that total destruction will not be total, but saved for a blessing for a qualified few.[4] Once again, history has not portrayed the fullness of the times spoken about in Isaiah 60 or Amos 9.  One day, Israel will be restored fully with prosperity (Amos 9:13-15)

While many of the passages seem able to connect to present-day events, especially the right of Israel’s survival, Isaiah’s prophecies are mostly for future events that have yet to unfold. (Amos 9:11). Micah 4:7-8 connects perfectly to this idea, showing that the Lord will ONE DAY rule over them from Jerusalem forever.  Daniel 2:44 speaks that God will set up a temple that will crush kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will endure forever. And Daniel 9:24-27 mentions the seventy years of desolation, the same desolation spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15.

In my opinion, Scripture supports the conclusion that Isaiah 60 and Amos 9 are future eschatological events that have not yet happened.

Kathy L. McFarland

Bibliography

Guenther, Allen R. Hosea, Amos Believer Church Bible Commentary. Scottdale, PA.: Herald Press, 1998.

Saucy, Robert L. "A Rationale for the Future of Israel." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 28, no. 4 (1985): 433-442.