Romans 11:25-36, Israel and Jesus’ Return (3)

In this last of our posts concerning Israel as a powerful evidence of the promise of Jesus’ return we want to consider four aspects of God’s promise to Abraham (given in Gen. 12:1-3) and their future fulfillment.

v The promise of a land, Gen. 12:1.  The prophecy of Ezekiel 40-48 is one of many places where this part of the covenant is seen in its future fulfillment.  Ezek. 40-43 describes in detail a future, physical temple.  Ezek. 44 describes the priesthood and the worship.  Ezek. 45-46 speaks of the Prince, a descendant of David, and of the Lord Himself, the Messiah, entering through the Eastern Gate.  Ezek. 47-48 describes the boundary lines for the nations and the tribes.  This is all future.

v The promise of a people, Gen. 12:2.  Hosea spoke of a judgment when Israel would not be God’s people (1:8-9) but followed that with a promise of restoration (1:10-2:1).  Peter quoted this (1 Pt. 2:9-10) when he wrote to believing Jews of the dispersion in his day.  To some that looks like the Church is the fulfillment of Hosea’s prophecy.  But that is not the case: there is still a promised future for the people of Israel (Zech. 13:7-9).  In detail Zechariah says that one third of the people will come through the fire and be saved.  Rev. 11:13 also speaks in detail, of a judgment on Jerusalem where seven thousand were killed and the rest saved.

v The promise of a judgment, Gen. 12:3.  God told Abraham those who cursed him and his descendents would be cursed.  This happened in Israel before the Incarnation when God would judge those that He had used to judge Israel.  But the prophets Zechariah (14:1-19) and Joel (Ch. 3) as well as John in the Revelation (17-18; 19:17-21) indicate there is a future settling of accounts with those who exceeded God’s intent in their hatred and treatment of Israel.

v The promise of the Savior, Gen. 12:3b.  God told Abraham that through him would come a blessing to all the nations.  That, of course, is the promise of the Savior, the One promised first in Gen. 3:15 as the Seed of the woman.  The Savior has come and fulfilled His work of redemption, taking the sins of the world upon Himself so that the offer of the gospel might be extended.  But He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation (Heb. 9:28).  The OT prophets, of course, predicted this, even though they did not fully understand the timing of it all.  The One whom they pierced would come to the nation upon whom God would pour out a Spirit of grace and supplication (Zech. 12:10).  

We will close these thoughts about God’s faithfulness to David in keeping His covenant: If you can break My covenant with the day … and night, so that there will not be day and night in their season then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne! (Jeremiah 33:20-22).  What is at stake is the faithfulness of God.  He will be faithful!