Did you ever wonder why Israel "rejected" the Promised Messiah when He came? Think about all the miracles Christ performed? Think about the fulfillment of so many Old Testament prophecies that Israel should have recognized from Old Testament records! Think about John the Baptist who prepared the way for Christ according to the prophets! So many things were prophesied and so many things happened yet Israel still rejected both the King and His message of the Kingdom! Why?
Christ was born under the Law of Moses. Christ was circumcised according to the Law of Moses. Christ lived under Law of Moses. Christ taught the Law of Moses in the Temple and in the synagogues. Even Christ's "Sermon on the Mount" taught the moral righteousness of the Law of Moses to the multitudes. Did some receive? Yes. Did the majority receive? No. Israel's backslidden state hindered the "nation of Israel as a whole" from recognizing the Messiahship of Christ. That is the reason why Christ taught in His sermon on the mount that Israel's righteousness was to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees.
Matt 5:20...For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Israel as a whole nation was living in a backslidden state. Israel was not keeping the Law of Moses. Their backslidden state pointed to the fact that Israel had made the commandment of God (the authority of the Torah) of none affect by their traditions. Jesus said in Matthew...
Matt 15:6-9...Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
This traditional teaching of men (Israel's interpretation of the Torah) was the teachings of the Babylonian Talmud that had crept into Israel from Israel's Babylonian captivity in 600 BC. This Talmudic teaching had caused Israel to deviate from the true authority of the Torah which contained 613 Laws and Commandments given to Israel to keep them holy.The Law of Moses kept Israel busy recognizing the God of Israel... and prevented them from drifting into pagan and heathen religions. The Law of Moses ministered holiness to the hearts and lives of Israel as a chosen nation separate from all Gentile nations. The holiness of heart and conduct taught from the Law and Commandments would cause Israel to recognize the fact that Christ was the promised Messiah recorded in their Holy Scriptures. Jesus told Israel if they would have believed Moses they would have believed in Him for Moses in his law taught of Christ.
John 5:46-47...For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
John 5:39...Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
The holiness that Israel was to have according to the Law of Moses allowed Israel to focus on the Promised Messiah which was foretold in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Luke 24:24-49 These holy writings birthed by the Jewish nation all pointed to Christ the Promised Messiah. Jesus during His Earthly ministry taught the moral holiness of the Law in all His messages. Jesus told Israel to have faith in His Messiahship... but also to do as Moses commanded. Israel lacked faith which caused them to lack obedience to the Law of Moses. Note how Jesus told the leper that he healed to do as Moses commanded...for a testimony to Israel.
Matt 8:3-4...And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Jesus made another statement about Israel keeping the Law when He reproved the Pharisees for their religious works in the public.
Matt 23:3... All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
The backslidden state of Israel is a reason why Israel as a complete nation rejected John the Baptist, the 12 disciples, and the 70 disciples Christ sent 2 by 2. Israel rejected the King and His message of the Kingdom during the earthly ministry of Christ that lasted about 2 1/2 years. Through Israel's rejection, Old Testament Prophecies continued to be fulfilled. 18 prophecies said Israel would reject the Messiahship of Christ. No prophesies in the Bible say Israel would accept Him as the promised Messiah.
From Israel's rejection of the King and the Kingdom... both the prophecies of the crucifixion of Christ and His Earthly reign in the Kingdom of Heaven are fulfilled or to be fulfilled after the Rapture of the Church. Remember, because of Israel's rejection...God's promise of the Earthly Kingdom was postponed until the 1000 year reign of our Lord where " all" of Israel will accept the Messiahship of Christ. Notice what John's Revelation said about "Thrones", and those who will reign with Christ for 1000 years.
Rev 20:4-6... And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years
All the Raptured saints (members of the Church, the body of Christ) will return with Christ and step down to the Mount of Olives after the Great Tribulation (which by the way is a Jewish Tribulation prophesied in the Old Testament).
Zech 14:4-5...And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
At that time after the seven year Tribulation... all of Israel will "accept" Christ at the beginning of this 1000 year reign. No more backslidden state for Israel. The Law will flow from Zion. No more Jewish captivities. No more deviation from the truth about God's holiness. All of Israel will have a holy heart at this time. All the Raptured saints will have a holy heart at this time. Holiness will be the only standard on Earth where Christ will physically be seated on the Throne of His father David in Jerusalem. The holy King our Christ, the holy members of the Church (Raptured Saints). and the holy nation of Israel (Tribulation saints) which will then begin in Jerusalem....is where Christ will reign for 1000 years with all His saints.
1 Thess 3:13...To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
This early Kingdom promised from the foundation of the world will spread throughout the whole earth for the 1000 year period. In the beginning it's not a universal Kingdom but will spread during the 1000 year reign. The reason the 1000 year reign of Christ was never mentioned in the Old Testament but only in John's Revelation is because Israel had a chance to receive the Kingdom of Heaven before Christ went to Calvary. Unfortunately because of Israel's backslidden state from keeping the Law... the Kingdom and the King were both rejected! This Message of the Kingdom (a simultaneous message of both the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven preached to Israel) was the central theme recorded in the four Gospels. Also remember this return of Our Lord is return with the Church where Christ comes back in Divine Judgment to purify an bless His chosen people Israel! The goat nations are Egypt who also help Israel in the Great Tribulation! All this was God's plan from the foundation of the world!
Matt 25:31-34...When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
I'm glad Christ went to Calvary and is now exalted in the Throneroom! We now have the Church the body of Christ! We now have the ministry of the Spirit instead if the ministry of the Law! We now have God's Divine Grace which is a greater blessing than the Law given to Israel only. We now have a greater holiness than the holiness of the Law that Israel backslid from. It's called the Grace of God. Glory! The beautiful Grace Covenant! The Grace of God that produces a greater holiness than the holiness of the Law because the Holy Spirit minsters to our hearts. Remember the Holy Spirit had not been given during the earthly ministry because Christ had not been glorified. John 7:39. We today have a greater blessing than the the Law of Moses and it's the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Church, the body of Christ (present tense). Glory! No man could keep the law of Moses but any man can keep Christ in the heart through faith in the Grace of God. Glory! I'm getting blessed just thinking about the splendor of God's Divine Grace! When we get out of the Kingdom message to Israel and get into the Gospel message to the Jew and Gentile we get the to great power of God's Divine Grace. God's Grace Age is where He keeps the Holy Spirit present in our lives! I truly like what the Grace of God teaches today as a result of Christ's death, burial, and exaltation! Glory!
Titus 2:11-14...For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works
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