I think a lot of people have got confused with this subject of true Israel over the years because they fail to recognize the centrality of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Many get tangled up in the activities of national Israel, old covenant rituals, laws, locations and traditions and fail to see that these only served as temporary pointers to the coming of the Messiah and the introduction of the new covenant. All of the old covenant promises and covenants find their fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the realization of every single Old Testament type.
Jesus reveals, in Matthew 13:17, that the old covenant prophets and righteous leaders longed for His day, asserting: “verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
He was the long-anticipated deliver of Israel.
Nathanael testified to Philip in John 1:45: “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Our Lord accomplished every expectation that the Old Testament writers predicted.
Even though they did not have a full epiphany of Him, the old covenant prophets were preoccupied with the Messiah’s person, His appearance and His ministry. The Old Testament text gradually and assuredly steered history ahead to the fulfillment of every ancient promise. The momentum and revelation grew the closer it got to the first advent.
There is an undoubted steady unfolding continuity of plan and purpose from the Old to the New Testament, concentrated on the promised Messiah. Christ is indeed God’s final, fullest and ultimate revelation of perfection and truth. In fact, Jesus Christ is the key to understanding the biblical covenants.
Jesus famously rebuked the two downcast disciples on the road to Emmaus on resurrection day, stating: “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).
After this, he began to open their eyes to the meaning of the sacred pages. Luke 24:25 records: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Despite the fact that these disciples had sat under the teaching of the Lord for 3 ½ years they were still largely ignorant of the full meaning and import of the Old Testament Scriptures. That is why Jesus had to explain the meaning and application of these Old Testament passages to them in detail. He had to show how they spoke about Him. They should have known all this, but didn't because of their human limitations and lack of faith. Because of this they needed Jesus to interpret the ancient Scriptures that referred to Him for them.
Jesus began at the beginning with Moses in the Pentateuch and followed right through to the prophets showing these disciples the things pertaining to Himself, His sufferings and His glory. He revealed the Gospel message in the Old Testament pages. Jesus was not just referring to the Old Testament pages. We often see the descriptive coupling of Moses and the prophets as an alternative description of, and distinction between, the written Word and the spoken Word. That is likely why Moses and Elijah joined Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. They represented both groups and together they pointed to our Redeemer.
Our Savior continues in Luke 24:44-46: “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.”
His intent was to confirm that He completed every demand that was made of Him from the ancient inspired pages. His life was the perfect realization of predicted Old Testament prophecy.
The central theme of the Old Testament Scriptures is the exact same as that in the New Testament – it is Jesus Christ. He was/is the hope of Israel. He was/is the hope of the nations. It was only through Christ’s sinless life, His atoning death and His glorious resurrection that we can experience freedom from the curse of sin and deliverance from eternal punishment.
Jesus was indeed the “hope of Israel” – the only hope. Those among this privileged nation that were given the Gospel and ordinances of God who took a hold of the covenant promises – by faith – entered into a relationship with God and experienced personal salvation.
Jesus reveals, in Matthew 13:17, that the old covenant prophets and righteous leaders longed for His day, asserting: “verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
He was the long-anticipated deliver of Israel.
Nathanael testified to Philip in John 1:45: “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Our Lord accomplished every expectation that the Old Testament writers predicted.
Even though they did not have a full epiphany of Him, the old covenant prophets were preoccupied with the Messiah’s person, His appearance and His ministry. The Old Testament text gradually and assuredly steered history ahead to the fulfillment of every ancient promise. The momentum and revelation grew the closer it got to the first advent.
There is an undoubted steady unfolding continuity of plan and purpose from the Old to the New Testament, concentrated on the promised Messiah. Christ is indeed God’s final, fullest and ultimate revelation of perfection and truth. In fact, Jesus Christ is the key to understanding the biblical covenants.
Jesus famously rebuked the two downcast disciples on the road to Emmaus on resurrection day, stating: “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).
After this, he began to open their eyes to the meaning of the sacred pages. Luke 24:25 records: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Despite the fact that these disciples had sat under the teaching of the Lord for 3 ½ years they were still largely ignorant of the full meaning and import of the Old Testament Scriptures. That is why Jesus had to explain the meaning and application of these Old Testament passages to them in detail. He had to show how they spoke about Him. They should have known all this, but didn't because of their human limitations and lack of faith. Because of this they needed Jesus to interpret the ancient Scriptures that referred to Him for them.
Jesus began at the beginning with Moses in the Pentateuch and followed right through to the prophets showing these disciples the things pertaining to Himself, His sufferings and His glory. He revealed the Gospel message in the Old Testament pages. Jesus was not just referring to the Old Testament pages. We often see the descriptive coupling of Moses and the prophets as an alternative description of, and distinction between, the written Word and the spoken Word. That is likely why Moses and Elijah joined Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. They represented both groups and together they pointed to our Redeemer.
Our Savior continues in Luke 24:44-46: “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.”
His intent was to confirm that He completed every demand that was made of Him from the ancient inspired pages. His life was the perfect realization of predicted Old Testament prophecy.
The central theme of the Old Testament Scriptures is the exact same as that in the New Testament – it is Jesus Christ. He was/is the hope of Israel. He was/is the hope of the nations. It was only through Christ’s sinless life, His atoning death and His glorious resurrection that we can experience freedom from the curse of sin and deliverance from eternal punishment.
Jesus was indeed the “hope of Israel” – the only hope. Those among this privileged nation that were given the Gospel and ordinances of God who took a hold of the covenant promises – by faith – entered into a relationship with God and experienced personal salvation.
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