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 Endtime Ministries...
Australian Bible College Course

The Calvary Bible Fellowship of N.Z.
has given permission for an Australian Diploma Course
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of our Despatch subscribers.
Unit 7...
   ... ISRAEL ... GOD'S CHOSEN NATION.
  by W.B. Howard...Editor of Despatch
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Introduction 

The nation of Israel in God's Word is a thrilling study.
This unit can only deal with the bare bones, we pray that it will inspire the student to delve further into the history and future of the Holy Land.

Remember to read as many of the Scriptures given as possible, as doing so diligently is acquainting you with Bible record, getting you moving around with confidence in the Scriptures. Some larger quotes, whole chapters, or chart references, may be read at a later stage in your private devotions, in order to keep the study in progress, and finished in a reasonable time slot.

...Click here for details
re charts that are either unclear or not included
 

.Study notes& background
research is from:

.... SECTION ONE ....
Does the Bible tell us that Israel
   is a special nation, chosen by God?
What is the special symbol of the Jewish people?
Who is their Messiah?
There are voices raised in today's world which insist that the Jews have invented for themselves a special place in God, that they have merely fabricated themselves as chosen of the Creator. This is not so, for the Holy Bible shows that God Himself chose a nation to show forth His Grace and Glory - that nation was Israel. God made a number of covenants with Israel, which are recorded in the Old Testament. (Genesis 12:1-3). These we will look at later in this study. But first, what are the various names given to God's chosen people in Scripture?

There are three scenes, and three names,
in the mighty drama of the Chosen Nation:
 

1. The Hebrew Family. Genesis 11:10 - 50:26.
2. The Israelitish Nation. Exodus 1- IIKings 25..
3. The Jewish Church. Ezra. Nehemiah. Prophets.
Scroggie tells us that the Hebrew Family is from Abram to Joseph. The Israelitish Nation is from Joseph to Zerubbabel. The Jewish Church is from Zerubbabel to Nehemiah.

We often think that the designations Hebrew, Israelitish and Jewish are exactly the same. This is strictly speaking not so, for the history of the chosen people shows that: "Hebrew" came early in its history; "Israelitish" or "Israelite" came later; "Jewish" came later than both the previous designations.

What is the significance of these names?

All Israelites were Hebrews, but all Hebrews were not Israelites. All Jews were Israelites, but all Israelites were not Jews.

Let me quote from Scroggie here: "The Jews were the descendants of Judah; the Israelites were the descendants of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel; and both Jews and Israelites were the descendants of 'Abram the Hebrew' (Gen.14:13)." The word "Hebrew" is first used in the Bible in the above verse. It may be derived from "Eber," Abram's ancestor (Gen.10:25).

"HEBREW" is the linguistic designation, to do with the language spoken. "ISRAELITE" is the national designation. "JEW" is the religious designation.

FAMILY - NATION - CHURCH.

In these terms the Old Testament history of the chosen people is summed up. The "Family" expanded into a "Nation", and the "Nation" contracted into a "Church". The Family was Hebrew, the Nation was Israelitish; and the Church was Jewish. The following chart will aid your understanding, from Scroggie, "The Unfolding Drama of Redemption." p.43.

CHART ONE....
 

THE UNFOLDING DRAMA OF REDEMPTION, No. 3
Prologue
Act I
Genesis 1:1- 11:9.
Genesis 11:10 - Malachi 4:6
Revelation of the Redeeming Purpose Progression of the Redeeming Purpose....Preparative
1...Creation to Fall, Genesis 1-3 Scene 1. 
The Hebrew Family...Abram to Joseph Gen. 11:10- 50:26
2...Fall to Flood,  Gen. 4:1- 8:14 Scene2. 
The Israelitish Nation...Joseph to Zerubabbabel 
Exodus 1 - Ezra 1
3...Flood to Babel, Gen. 8:15 - 11:9 Scene 3. 
The Jewish Church....Zerubabbel to Nehemiah 
Ezra (Ester), Nehemih, Haggai, Zechriah, Malachi.
Judaism was not Christianity, it was a preparation for it. In this Church Age we must turn constantly to Christ Jesus, for He is the highest revelation of God - Emmanuel, God with us. In Christ Jesus, one dispensation closed, and another opened:

1. Christ Jesus was the Omega, or ending, of the First Covenant or Testament.
....He was the Finisher and Author.
2. Christ Jesus is the Alpha, or beginning, of the Second Covenant or Testament.
....He is the Starting-point and Goal.

The Chosen People were the Christ-bearers, in that their purpose was to be the race through which the promised Messiah would come. He HAS come, and died on the Cross for the sin of the whole world! Right through the history of God's dealings with the Hebrews, the Israelites, the Jews, all through the Old Testament, CHRIST JESUS is the sum and substance of the Divine revelation, just as He is in the New Testament. Christianity, per se, began with the birth of Christ, yet Judaism is an integral part of the Plan of Redemption, which found its goal in the Cross of Calvary.

Christ Jesus said Himself of the Old Testament: "In the volume of the book it is written of me" (Psalm 40:7; Hebrews 10:7; Luke 24:27,44: John 5:39). Throughout the Jewish writings of the OT, History, Prophecy, Wisdom, Poetry, and the Apocalypse of the Old Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ is being revealed, His glorious first coming is being prepared. "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:3).

Scroggie writes on p.494:

THE MESSIAH OF THE CHOSEN NATION.

The Jews awaited the arrival of the Messiah throughout their OT history - they are still waiting. Yet, the Messiah came and He was rejected by Israel. A sample of that poignant rejection is seen in Matthew chapter 12. The chosen nation had God's prophetic Word, yet they could not comprehend that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah of promise. Today, we see something similar, we have prophecy of the Second Coming of Christ, and the Rapture of His Bride, yet few can comprehend. Why did the Jews not see the fulfilment of the prophecies, and why do so many in the churches today not see the fulfilment of the "signs of the times?"

1. The Messianic Prophecy was partial, in that we cannot get a completed picture of God's glorious Plan, until it is actually fulfilled - we can see things as doctrines, not reality, and miss the real-life fulfilment.

2. The purposes of God in any age are progressively revealed, they become more clear as time progresses. They are spiritually discerned, as people understand their unique relationship with the Almighty. Mere lip-service people cannot go on with God, and miss the prophetic impact as found in Scripture.

3. The Old Testament prophecy came often in types and symbols.

4. The Old Testament has prophecy which is both primary and ultimate. That is, the prophets of the OT spoke of those events which were occurring in their own day, relating to Israel's history. Yet, often the prophecies were also related to a distant future, which was the ultimate fulfilment (Note Isaiah 7-9). Who could miss Christ Jesus in these passages, yet Israel did.

5. The OT prophets were inspired of the Holy Spirit, often they did not fully apprehend, as you and I can now, what it was that the Holy Spirit had inspired them to write or say! See Hebrews 1:1. The "sundry times' is literally "in many portions and many ways", little by little. "Divers" means "diverse" , dissimilar ways, assorted ways, disassociated ways.

CHART TWO. (Clarence Larkin, p.6-7)...copyrighted do not reprint without permission .
(sample only...send for large chart if printing not clear)

AN OUTLINE, THEN, ON GOD'S PURPOSE WITH ISRAEL.

When the whole of mankind failed to come to Jehovah God, in OT times, He turned to one man who would respond and understand His Plan. (Genesis 11:1-9; 12:1-3) Abram was this man, and he did respond to God's call and His covenant. The Covenant which God made with Abram is the root of prophecy, and the very foundation of God's unseen government of the world:

What does this Covenant mean to the rest of the world,
and to Christians?

The Covenant was a FAITH covenant on Abram's part, it was GRACE alone on God's part (Galatians 3:6-9), and Abram received a FOURFOLD BLESSING:

The astonishing thing is that it is this very Covenant with Abram, the Hebrew, which is historically developed in the whole Bible, from this point on. Scroggie tells us of that Covenant: Yes, the Chosen Race of the Hebrews had a redemptive purpose in God, their blood-sacrifices were shadows of the One who would come to be the Saviour of the world, the Lamb of God. The details of these sacrifices are thrilling to any believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, for they look forward to His death on Calvary, just as we in the Church Age look backward to His death:

Sacrifice was the very fabric of the religion of Israel, yet they did not realise that their Messiah would suffer when He came, they thought He would be a Sovereign Ruler only. The nearest approach to Christ as a sufferer is found in Isaiah 52:14, 15; & 53, which is so precious to the Christians on this side of the Cross.

The New Testament opens up the whole arena of the Suffering Saviour and the sacrifices. Paul was inspired to write of the sacrifices of the Jewish dispensation as being types of the true Sacrifice which was Christ our Lord (1 Cor.5:7). The author of the book of Hebrews reveals the true significance of the Old Testament sacrifices, seen in the glorious light of Christ's substitutional death (chs. 9 and 10). Christ Himself accepted the sacrifice system of Israel and spoke of this as Divinely originated (Matt.8:4); He also spoke of His own death as "the blood of the new testament, (covenant) which is shed for many" (Mark 14:24; Matt.26:28; Luke 22:20, 1 Cor. 11 :25).

As we contemplate the purposes of God with the Jewish nation, let us keep always in mind that the New Testament's revelation is vital to the interpretation of the Jewish dispensations of the Old Testament. There is a strange tendency today to imagine that the deeper, more spiritually edifying revelation is in the OT, and that OT Israel is somehow greater than the Christian era. No, the whole Jewish sacrifice, the feasts, the testings, the offerings, all lead to and end with the Messiah - the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour. Scroggie, and other sound and reliable Biblical expositors, tell us that, in reality, the whole history of Israel is TYPICAL.
That is, they are shadows of what would be revealed, pictures of what would eventually come in the Christian Dispensation, the Church Age.

In the end, in the climax, "But now once, in the end of the world (ages), hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Heb.9:26). Therefore, the Jewish feast, sacrifices, era, has been fulfilled in "the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Heb.10:10-14).

CHARTS THREE p.p. 498. 499...Scroggie

Types...
Not only are there many messianic types in the Old Testament, but the whole history of Israel is typical. The Apostle Paul, speaking of the Exodus, says:

`These things became for us types (tupoi)' `Now all these things happened to them (as) types (tupoi), and were written for our admonition in whose daysthe ages have reached their climax' (1 Cor. 10:6, 11)

Because some claim to see types where they do not exist, is no reason for denying them where they do exist. An inspired Apostle says, speaking of the rock in the wilderness:

`They drank of that spiritual rock that followed them,
and that rock was Christ' (1 Cor. 10:4)

And Again:

`Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us' (1 Cor. 5:7)

But numerous types are evident which are not expressly declared to be such; and the types are of many kinds.
 

1....Typical Persons
ADAM: 
type of Christ as Federal Head (Rom. 5:12-21)
MELCHISEDEC:
type of Christ as Priest-King 
(Gen. 14:18-20; Ps. 110:4; Zech. 6:13; Heb. 8).
JOSEPH: 
the most perfect type of Christ, as Beloved Son, 
Suffering Servant, and Gracious Sovereign (Gen. 37 - 50)
MOSES:
type of Christ as Prophet (Deut. 18:15, 18; Luke 7:16)
DAVID: 
type of Christ as King (2 Sam. 7:12-17; Rev. 11:15; 12:10; 19:16)
 
 
2 ...TYPICAL THINGS
The Tabernacle:
type of the manifestation of God bodily-wise among men 
(John 1:14; `dwelt' is `tabernacled')
The Ark: 
type of Christ as God-Man (Exod. 25:10,11; John 1:1-14) 
The Manna:
type of Christ the true Bread from heaven 
(Exod.14; John 6:48-51; Rev. 2:17)
The Brazen Serpent:
type of Christ `lifted up' to die for our healing (John 3:14)
The Rent Veil: 
type of Christ rent that there might be a free way 
of access for us to God (Exod. 26:33; Mk. 15:38; Heb. 10:20)
 
 
3. ...TYPICAL ORDINANCES.
The Passover: 
(Exod. 12; 1 Cor. 5:7)
The Offerings: 
types of Christ who satisfied every requirement of God, 
and perfectly met every need of ours. 
The Meal Offering tells of His unblemished life; 
and the BURNT, PEACE, SIN, 
and TRESSPASS Offerings 
represent various aspects of His vicarious 
death for us.
Day of Atonement: 
Ritual of the `two goats' (Lev. 16). 
The slain goat, type of Christ our propitiation 
(1 John 2:2):The scapegoat, 
type of Christ as the believer's substitution 
(2 Cor. 5:21).
The Two Birds: 
The one clain: Christ in death; 
the one liberated: Christ in resurrection. 
 
 
There are also typical
Places,
Numbers, and
Colours;
but special attention should be given to:
 
 
4. TYPICAL OFFICES.

 Of these there are three outstanding, the Prophet; the Priest; and the King; and the need for these is deep-seated in us, as the following Chart shows:

CHART FOUR - . p.500. Scroggie.
 

... THE MESSIAH ...
OLD TESTAMENT
NEW TESTAMENT
EXPECTATION
REALIZATION 
ANTICIPATION
ACCOMPLISHMENT
LONGING
SATISFACTION
...THE HUMAN NEED....
...THE DIVINE SUPPLY........
 
Office 
Function 
Type
Reference
Antitype
Office
Time 
Reference
Prophet
To Reveal because of Blindness
Moses (Deut. 18:18)
Oral and written Prophecies
Prophet 
Past (Luke 7:16)
The Gospels
Priest 
To Represent Because of Sinfulness 
Aaron (Heb. 5:1-5)
Leviticus
Priest 
Present (Heb.4:14-16)
The Acts  
and Epistles
King 
To Rule because of Wilfulness 
David (2 Sam. 7:12-17)
David's Reign and Psalms
King
Future (Rev.11:15; 12:10; 14: 16) 
The Revelation 
......
ISRAEL'S SYMBOL, IS IT THE STAR OF DAVID?

(Read notes enclosed, on the Star of David, after this section is read...
if Online click here for access to Despatch magazine Vol. 6:3...
(Sep. '1994)...pp.30-31. )

The notes enclosed show clearly that Israel's symbol or spiritual logo is NOT the Star of David! Their symbol is historically the Seven-lighted Candlestick, or Lampstand, the Menora, NOT the 666 of the Star of David. This Menora is a glorious type of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, which I will examine.

THE MENORA, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

In chapter eleven of Isaiah, a glorious prophecy of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ is presented. From verses 1-10 the prophecy shows that the Davidic Kingdom of the Jews will be restored by Christ, in the Millennial Reign - not yet. David's Son will return in glory this time, not as in His first coming, a helpless babe in Bethlehem. (Luke 1:31-32; Acts 15:15-16). Chapter eleven is in striking contrast to chapter ten, which shows the Assyrian, a type of the Antichrist, shown as a proud cedar of Lebanon. (Isaiah 10:33-34). When the Messiah is pictured, He is a twig out of a hewn-down stock, just a shoot from its roots.

The Branch, the Messiah, is humble, His was a lowly birth. Ah, but the twig does not stay small, it grows to bear fruit. Eventually Christ's wondrous power will overthrow the Antichrist himself, and He will rule in justice, peace and righteousness. Then the Isaiah 11 passage leads into a spiritual corresponding to the seven-lighted lampstand - the true Jewish symbol, the Menora. In verse two we see Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Read Isaiah 11:1. The Bible shows that the house of David had become so corrupt that it only resembled a poor stump of a cut down tree. Nevertheless, there would grow out of that stump a shoot or twig that would take the place of the whole trunk. There is a confirmation of this prophecy, in Philippians 2:7-9; Matthew 2:23. Jesus Christ being called a "Nazarene" has application here. The Branch is a "shoot" which bears fruit, it springs forth from the earth-covered roots. "Netzer" from "natzer", Vine tells us, means to "shine" or "blossom", this is why the word "Nazarene", to shine or blossom, is a confirmation of Isaiah's prophecy.

Isaiah 11:2 brings us to the picture of the MENORA. Christ's perfect character is shown in "The Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon Him." Following this are six spirits in three pairs, giving us SEVEN attributes. These can be divided in this way:

The Images shaft, "The Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon Him"; The three pairs of branches from its sides; 1. "the spirit of wisdom and understanding" 2. "the spirit of counsel and might" 3. "the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."

Compare now the Menora as shown in Exodus 25:31,32. Also read carefully Revelation 1:4; 4:5; 5:6.

THE LAMPSTAND is Christ Jesus,our Light (John 1:4,9; 8:12; 9;5). He shines for Israel in all His fullness, as the sevenfold spirit (Hebrews 1:8-9; Rev.1:4). The Old Testament Tabernacle had all natural light excluded, compare 1 Cor. 2:14-15.

"The spirit of wisdom and understanding" this relates to the powers of the mind. "Wisdom" is discernment about matters - "understanding" discerns differences in these matters.

"The spirit of counsel and might" this deals with practical activity. "counsel" is the spiritual ability to make right decisions, "might" is the power used to have those decisions carried out.

"the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord" relates to fellowship with Jehovah God. Christ knows God - and does nothing to displease Him. John 8:29; John 8:55. The word used in "I know Him" is "oida", meaning I know Him intuitively and fully.

Does the Bible show that the Hebrews, Israel, the Jews were the Chosen People and Nation of the Lord?
Yes, it surely does.

What is the true symbol of Israel today?
The Seven-lighted Lampstand, the Menora.

Who is their Messiah?
The True Light, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour, the ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God.

CHART FIVE - (Clarence Larkin, p.p.59-60. The Jews).
(sample only...too large to include here send for this chart)


 
 

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 Endtime Ministries...Christian Resource Centre
Editor of Despatch W. B. Howard
   despatch@mail.cth.com.au
http://www.despatch.cth.com.au