A friend was recently in the Holy land
and took this beautiful picture of Jerusalem
(presumably from the Mount of Olives).
The first thing that flashed to my mind (aside from the
beauty of the scene) was Jesus words in Matthew 23:
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you
who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to
gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and
you were not willing. Look,
your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:37-39)
This past year I have spent a significant
amount of time studying eschatology and inevitably when that subject is
broached the question is raised: What future is there for ethnic Israel, for
the Jews, the descendents of Jacob?
Though that time in study and through time
spent in consideration of the future for national Israel there
is one verse that has stuck in my mind throughout my readings.
Isaiah 8:17 - “I will wait for the Lord who is hiding his face from the descendants
of Jacob. I will put my trust in him”.
The verse from Isaiah was written in the
context of judgement due to the behaviour of King Ahaz who rejected faith in
God for his own plans (2 Kings 16). Instead of relying on the word of the prophet
that God would deliver Israel Ahaz made an alliance with Assyria to overcome his
foes. Instead of winning the battle by
faith in God Ahaz attempted to win the battle through his own works, even
allying himself to a pagan king. In
response God promised that he would use Assyria as an instrument to punish the nation of Israel (Isaiah
8:6-10).
In the midst of this judgement a prophesy about
Christ is announced ‘The Lord… will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock
that makes them fall and for the people of Jerusalem a
trap and a snare’ (v.14). We
know that the stone is the Lord Jesus Christ, both Peter and Paul preached this
in 2
Peter:7-9 and Romans 9:33 respectively.
Faith versus works, this is the story of the
ages. Paul goes into great detail over the
story’s typification as illustrated in the Jews in Romans 9: “…the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a
righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained
their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were
by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.” (v. 30, 31)
Jesus prophesy has come true; Your house is left to you
desolate’. Though the image of Jerusalem
is beautiful you cannot help but notice the prominence of the Dome of the Rock. If you read 2 Kings 16 it is interesting
that Ahaz actually copied the altar of the pagan god of Assyria,
set it up in the temple and gave offerings on it. Today the temple of another pagan god sits in the same spot; it is hard to see this as anything but God’s judgement
on a people who rejected their Messiah.
But, as in Isaiah, even in the midst of judgement there is
hope, and a future of blessing.
“I will wait for the Lord who is hiding his
face from the descendants of Jacob. I
will put my trust in him” (Isaiah 8:17)
The hardening of national Israel has resulted
in blessing to the nations as we the gentiles are ingrafted with believing Jews
into true Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). And a greater blessing is still to come “If their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means
riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion
bring!”(Romans 11:12).
God is gathering the nations and
blessing the world as the gospel is preached to the farthest reaches of the
planet. But one day ‘when the full number of the
Gentiles has come’ (v.25) Israel will turn back to the Lord and what a blessing that will
bring! “If their (national Israel’s) transgression means riches for the world,
and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will
their full inclusion bring!” (v.12)
When the Jews turn to Christ their
Messiah by God’s grace there will be even greater riches for the Gentiles! Sounds to me like a great revival. Consider how the Gospel was spreading rapidly
through the Roman world as Paul wrote his letter. Consider that when Israel turns to the Lord the blessing will be even greater!
We ought to pray for the Jews, we ought
to pray for Jerusalem. When revival comes
to Israel what a blessing will come to the world. The Bible teaches that “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him” (Psalm 22:27) this includes the Jews, the nation of Israel. It will come to pass only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus
Christ so let us pray earnestly to that end and with the prophet Isaiah say together
with hope:
“I will wait for the Lord who is hiding his
face from the descendants of Jacob. I
will put my trust in him” (Isaiah 8:17)
