Those who prefer to think they can just shoot up to heaven when things get tough on earth are in for a big surprise. We are all here for a purpose, do not for a moment think that purpose is finished when the Lord sends His judgement onto the earth. As He will do when the Islamic confederation goes to attack Israel. Psalm 83, Micah 4:11-12
Now, some more proof of who are the true Israel of God:
[SIZE=medium]From the earliest time, God called [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]Israel[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] to be the focal point of His mediation, as a [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]light[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] to the Gentiles. [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]Pay heed to Me, My people, listen My nation, instruction will shine forth from Me[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]and My judgement will be a light for all peoples[/SIZE][SIZE=medium]. Isaiah 51:4[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]As 1 Corinthians 10:4 and John 1:3 shows, it was Jesus Christ, even in the Old Testament period, who shone His light through Israel to the nations. However, when Israel turned away from God, Jesus stepped out of eternity to continue His divinely ordained role of a light to the world:[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]As long as I am in the world[/SIZE][SIZE=medium], [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]I am the light of the world[/SIZE][SIZE=medium].[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]John 9:5 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Upon His departure, Jesus conferred His presence upon the disciples, John 20:22, and they (and subsequently we) [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]became the Israel which Christ utilizes to mediate His glory to the Gentiles.[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]Mathew 5:14-16 [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]You are the light of the world.[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Acts 13:47 [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]For so has the Lord commanded [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]us[/SIZE][SIZE=medium], saying,[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] I have set you to be a light for [/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]the Gentiles[/SIZE][SIZE=medium], that you should be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]Paul[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] confirmed that Christian believers are the light of the world, shining through our temples (our bodies), and this fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy which says that the body of Christ is to be viewed as [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]born again Israel[/SIZE][SIZE=medium],[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] shining His light to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 49:8[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Many want to see the “Church” as another chosen body, which came into existence when the Jews rejected Christ. Some say that “Church” [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]replaced[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]Israel, while others, cognizant of the many Old Testament prophecies which promise the Lord[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]will yet choose Israel[/SIZE][SIZE=medium], Isaiah 14:1, see a future regathering of ethnic Jews into salvation in Christ. However, salvation occurred in the Spirit of the Lord [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]at the cross[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] – and it obviously began in the first century. Many Jews did receive salvation then and have since. But to make two people - two promises out of it all, is quite wrong and only done in order to support the belief of a rapture, thereby making a further error.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Those true Christian believers who genuinely respond to the Gospel have become [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]Spiritual Israel[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] and the Messianic Jews are the [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]remnant[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]spoken of in Romans: [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Even so then at this present time also [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]there is a remnant[/SIZE][SIZE=medium] according to the election of grace. And if that salvation is by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. What then? Old Covenant Israel did not obtain that which they sought;[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]but the election [/SIZE][SIZE=medium][born again Christians][/SIZE][SIZE=medium] has obtained it[/SIZE][SIZE=medium].[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]Romans 11:5[/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]Ref: [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]James Lloyd[/SIZE]