Israel's Role in the World

A. Four Areas That Should Not Be Difficult - But Are

1. Israel’s role during the Church Age (Romans 11:25).

2. Old Testament types/shadows - the purpose of the law (1 Corinthians 10:1-4).

3. The gifts of the Holy Spirit ( 1 Corinthians 12: 1, 2).

4. The rapture of the Church (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

B. The Temporary Blindness of Israel

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Romans 11:25

C. The Seed of Abraham

“In blessing, I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.” Genesis 22:17

1. From Abraham came a natural and spiritual seed.

   a. The sands of the sea (racial Israel).

   b. The stars of the heavens (saved of all nations).

2. The racial Jew is descended from Abraham’s natural seed, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

3. The spiritual seed of Abraham is the Lord Jesus Christ.

   “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.” Galatians 3:16

4. The saved of all nations come from the spiritual seed of Abraham, the Lord Jesus Christ.

   “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29

5. Racial seed is not necessarily spiritual seed of Abraham.

   “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” Luke 3:8

D. The Treasure (Israel) and the Pearl (Church)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,  who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44, 45

1. The landowner and the merchantman are Jesus Christ.

2. The treasure is Israel and the pearl is the Church.

3. The treasure comes from the land, diamonds, rubies, etc…

4. The pearl comes from the sea (Gentile nations).

5. Treasures are formed. A pearl is built.

6. The treasure is buried until the pearl is complete and lifted up out of its place.

7. Once the pearl is lifted, the treasure is dug up again.

E. Israel’s Present Role in the World

“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city. To finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem
until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.

And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war, desolations are determined.
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week, He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.” Daniel 9:24-27

1. Israel is the treasure

   a. 70 weeks = 490 years.

   b. 7 weeks = 49 years to rebuild Jerusalem.

   c. 62 weeks = 434 years after city rebuild to crucifixion.

   d. 69 weeks = 483 years to the crucifixion of Jesus.

   e. 1 week = 7 years of tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week).

2. The Church is the Pearl

   a. Stands between Daniel’s 69th and 70th week.

   b. Jewish time did not end, it stopped (2 stopwatches ).

   c. When the rapture comes, the Church will go into heaven.

   d. God will dig up the treasure again and Israel will complete its last seven years.

   e. The Church cannot be here for the tribulation. The earth shifts back to Jewish time for 7 more years.

   1. A temple

   2. Sacrifices

   f. World conditions will resume at the beginning of the tribulation as it was at the crucifixion.

   1. Israel will again be under the control of Rome.

   2. A 7-year treaty will be made for Israel.

   3. Antichrist will sit on a throne prepared for Messiah.

F. Israel’s Future Role in the World

1. In the Old Testament, Israel was the custodians of the gospel and the word of God.

2. After the resurrection of Jesus, the Church received that role until the rapture of the Church occurs.

3. At the rapture, the pearl is gone and the treasure is dug up again.

4. Israel will return again to be custodians of the gospel and of the word of God.

   a. When the Church is gone, the first ones saved will be 144,000 Jews, 12,000 of each of the twelve tribes.

   b. Those Jews will evangelize and :

   1. Their converts will preach the gospel in the first half.

   2. Angels will preach the gospel in the second half.

   3. Two witnesses will preach the gospel in the second half.