How exactly will the other nations who survived Armageddon receive the same blessing as the “holy remnant” of Israel is receiving?
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘IN THOSE DAYS (when the earthly phase of the kingdom is established) ten men (representing all other nations of the earth that will gather about Israel at that time) from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man (in other words in the restitution work, fleshly Israel shall be used as a medium through whom salvation from spiritual Israel shall flow to all), saying, “LET US GO with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech 8:23)
“Many people shall come and say, “Come, and LET US GO up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion (the spiritual phase of the kingdom) shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (the earthly phase of the kingdom as represented in Jerusalem the capital of the world).” Isa 2:3
“One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.” (Isa 44:5)
Remember the Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel: meaning the people of God; prince with God; soldier of God. (Gen 32:24-28)
“We have heard that God is with you” How will they have heard this?
In two ways first as you recall there were survivors of the attack upon Israel who as eye witnesses of Israel’s miraculous deliverance at the hands of the Lord reported all that they had seen and afterwards as time goes by the world will begin to notice the blessings of health and prosperity bestowed upon Israel and wish to obtain the same.
Zech 8:20-23 along with Ezekiel Chapter 37 together help prove that the New Covenant is with fleshly Israel ONLY. In Chapter 37 of Ezekiel the Lord was in symbol, picturing the restoration of Israel (the “Valley of Dry Bones”), and the establishment of the New Covenant with them.
Note specifically Ezekiel 37 Verses 26-28:
“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace WITH THEM, and it shall be an everlasting covenant WITH THEM (The New Covenant); I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set my sanctuary (the Church) in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary (the Church) is in their midst forevermore.”
This text proves conclusively that the New Covenant is neither made with the Church nor with the world, but with Israel alone.
Note specifically that the Lord mentions three separate entities here, 1) Israel, 2) His Sanctuary or Tabernacle, and 3) the nations. The New Covenant is made with the first entity, WITH THEM, the second will dwell in the midst of that entity, viz. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Rev 21:3) and the third, the “nations” will know that the Lord has sanctified (called out or separated) Israel as His especially chosen people for the blessings of the world, because His Tabernacle (the Church) will dwell in their midst.
Under Israel’s Law Covenant provision was made for the adoption of strangers into their midst with full privilege and fellowship; picturing the fact that all mankind (all nations) are to be incorporated into the Kingdom of the Messiah. Thus, from Israel, under the New Covenant, through Israel's Mediator (the Church), a way of approach to God will be opened up for all the Gentile nations.
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year (that is to say all nations of earth will send their ambassadors to Jerusalem, not that every individual will go up there year to year) to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain (No blessings of restitution). If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain (this may prove to be both literal and symbolic); they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zech 14:16-18)
“The mention of “Egypt” and “nations” not coming representatively to Jerusalem suggests that some nations, as well as at least part of Egypt, will refuse to comply when the Kingdom is first set up. (Other Scriptures show that another part of Egypt will readily fall in line and obey in the Kingdom.) Stripes will be necessary in recalcitrant cases to break the prejudice (amongst many Arab nations as well as others) and to bring the realization that salvation is of the Jew (John 4:22). Jerusalem will be the earthly source of life and hope.”
What is the Feast of Tabernacles mentioned here?
“It represents the world’s recognition of The Christ as the only means of reconciliation between themselves and God, the one Mediator between God and man.
So what have we learned?
Well thus far we understand that the Lord through the agency of the Mediator (The Christ, Head and body) will establish a New Covenant with the house of Israel making reconciliation between that nation and God. This of course will be confirmed first with the living representatives of that nation (the “holy remnant”), and subsequently the rest of that nation (asleep in death) upon their awakening. As such restitution blessing will begin first with Israel.
Soon after the other nations will take note of how Israel is being bless and they will desire to obtain the same. They will then learn that only through the Jews (NOT by the Jews mind you, but through the Jews as God’s earthly representatives) they too may come under this same covenant arrangement and receive the blessing of the Lord, restoration and restitution.
“All nations desire blessing, prosperity, and God desires that all shall have these very favors, and they will be obtainable through Messiah’s Kingdom. Then the blessing of mankind will begin. The Messianic Kingdom (the spiritual phase), invisible but All-Powerful, will be thoroughly manifest in its dealings and its righteous judgments will have control. The blessing will come through Israel, extending to and including “all the families of the earth.”
In our next post we will consider the Lord’s chosen representatives in the earthly phase of the kingdom who will lead the work of education and recovery.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘IN THOSE DAYS (when the earthly phase of the kingdom is established) ten men (representing all other nations of the earth that will gather about Israel at that time) from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man (in other words in the restitution work, fleshly Israel shall be used as a medium through whom salvation from spiritual Israel shall flow to all), saying, “LET US GO with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zech 8:23)
“Many people shall come and say, “Come, and LET US GO up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion (the spiritual phase of the kingdom) shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (the earthly phase of the kingdom as represented in Jerusalem the capital of the world).” Isa 2:3
“One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.” (Isa 44:5)
Remember the Lord changed Jacob’s name to Israel: meaning the people of God; prince with God; soldier of God. (Gen 32:24-28)
“We have heard that God is with you” How will they have heard this?
In two ways first as you recall there were survivors of the attack upon Israel who as eye witnesses of Israel’s miraculous deliverance at the hands of the Lord reported all that they had seen and afterwards as time goes by the world will begin to notice the blessings of health and prosperity bestowed upon Israel and wish to obtain the same.
Zech 8:20-23 along with Ezekiel Chapter 37 together help prove that the New Covenant is with fleshly Israel ONLY. In Chapter 37 of Ezekiel the Lord was in symbol, picturing the restoration of Israel (the “Valley of Dry Bones”), and the establishment of the New Covenant with them.
Note specifically Ezekiel 37 Verses 26-28:
“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace WITH THEM, and it shall be an everlasting covenant WITH THEM (The New Covenant); I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set my sanctuary (the Church) in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary (the Church) is in their midst forevermore.”
This text proves conclusively that the New Covenant is neither made with the Church nor with the world, but with Israel alone.
Note specifically that the Lord mentions three separate entities here, 1) Israel, 2) His Sanctuary or Tabernacle, and 3) the nations. The New Covenant is made with the first entity, WITH THEM, the second will dwell in the midst of that entity, viz. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Rev 21:3) and the third, the “nations” will know that the Lord has sanctified (called out or separated) Israel as His especially chosen people for the blessings of the world, because His Tabernacle (the Church) will dwell in their midst.
Under Israel’s Law Covenant provision was made for the adoption of strangers into their midst with full privilege and fellowship; picturing the fact that all mankind (all nations) are to be incorporated into the Kingdom of the Messiah. Thus, from Israel, under the New Covenant, through Israel's Mediator (the Church), a way of approach to God will be opened up for all the Gentile nations.
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year (that is to say all nations of earth will send their ambassadors to Jerusalem, not that every individual will go up there year to year) to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain (No blessings of restitution). If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain (this may prove to be both literal and symbolic); they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zech 14:16-18)
“The mention of “Egypt” and “nations” not coming representatively to Jerusalem suggests that some nations, as well as at least part of Egypt, will refuse to comply when the Kingdom is first set up. (Other Scriptures show that another part of Egypt will readily fall in line and obey in the Kingdom.) Stripes will be necessary in recalcitrant cases to break the prejudice (amongst many Arab nations as well as others) and to bring the realization that salvation is of the Jew (John 4:22). Jerusalem will be the earthly source of life and hope.”
What is the Feast of Tabernacles mentioned here?
“It represents the world’s recognition of The Christ as the only means of reconciliation between themselves and God, the one Mediator between God and man.
So what have we learned?
Well thus far we understand that the Lord through the agency of the Mediator (The Christ, Head and body) will establish a New Covenant with the house of Israel making reconciliation between that nation and God. This of course will be confirmed first with the living representatives of that nation (the “holy remnant”), and subsequently the rest of that nation (asleep in death) upon their awakening. As such restitution blessing will begin first with Israel.
Soon after the other nations will take note of how Israel is being bless and they will desire to obtain the same. They will then learn that only through the Jews (NOT by the Jews mind you, but through the Jews as God’s earthly representatives) they too may come under this same covenant arrangement and receive the blessing of the Lord, restoration and restitution.
“All nations desire blessing, prosperity, and God desires that all shall have these very favors, and they will be obtainable through Messiah’s Kingdom. Then the blessing of mankind will begin. The Messianic Kingdom (the spiritual phase), invisible but All-Powerful, will be thoroughly manifest in its dealings and its righteous judgments will have control. The blessing will come through Israel, extending to and including “all the families of the earth.”
In our next post we will consider the Lord’s chosen representatives in the earthly phase of the kingdom who will lead the work of education and recovery.
