Israel in the Plan of God

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The Place of Israel in the Plan of GodDr. Stanford E. Murrell

The question of national Israel in the plan of God has become a source of great concern sincethe inception of the New Testament Church. Anumber of conflicting positions have been takenwithin the body of Christ.

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Position Number one.

National Israel nolonger has a place of prominence in the planof God. Because of sin and rebellion thekingdom privileges have been taken fromIsrael and given to a new entity.

“Matthew 21:43 Therefore say I unto you,The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”

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Position Number Two

. National Israel hasa pre-eminent place in the plan of God.Israel is the focal point of human history.The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, andJacob of a physical land a physical seedforever is to be honored. The greater Son of David in the person of the Messiah will ruleand reign over a rebuilt Temple and presideover a re-instituted sacrificial system – atleast for a 1,000 years. The concept of aneverlasting account is appealed to.

Genesis 17:7 And I will establish mycovenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for aneverlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee,and to thy seed after thee.Genesis 48:4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee,and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

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Position Number

Three. National Israel hasbeen set aside and is now under divinediscipline. Part of the divine discipline is theloss of being the primary force in worldevangelism. That privilege has beentransferred to the Church consisting of Jewsand Gentiles. Nevertheless, national Israel isnear to the heart of God. One day there willbe a great spiritual revival in the land of Palestine and so all Israel will be saved. TheJews will then have a privileged place as arace in the future.

Romans 11:1-36 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also aman Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of thetribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast awayhis people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? How hemaketh intercession to God against Israel,saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men,who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present timealso there is a remnant according to theelection of grace. 6 And if by grace, then isit no more of works: otherwise grace is nomore grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no morework. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the electionhath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 8(According as it is written, God hath giventhem the spirit of slumber, eyes that theyshould not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. 9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence untothem: 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. 11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto theGentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of theworld, and the diminishing of them theriches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? 13 For I speak to you Gentiles,inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which aremy flesh, and might save some of them. 15For if the casting away of them be the

reconciling of the world, what shall thereceiving of them be, but life from the dead?16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump isalso holy: and if the root be holy, so are thebranches. 17 And if some of the branches bebroken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree,wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olivetree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, Thebranches were broken off, that I might begraffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief theywere broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God:on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in hisgoodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still inunbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is ableto graff them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild bynature, and wert graffed contrary to natureinto a good olive tree: how much more shallthese, which be the natural branches, begraffed into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should beignorant of this mystery, lest ye should bewise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullnessof the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, Thereshall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerningthe gospel, they are enemies for your sakes:but as touching the election, they arebeloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For thegifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past havenot believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even sohave these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtainmercy. 32 For God hath concluded them allin unbelief, that he might have mercy uponall. 33 O the depth of the riches both of thewisdom and knowledge of God! Howunsearchable are his judgments, and hisways past finding out! 34 For who hathknown the mind of the Lord? Or who hathbeen his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and throughhim, and to him, are all things: to whom beglory for ever. Amen

.Each of the positions has adequatedefenders. Rather than take the role of aprophet consider some definite concepts theBible clearly states. In this way the place of Israel in the plan of God might better beperceived.Anticipating the fall of man God determinedto redeem many souls from the effects of sin. To accomplish this plan of redemptionthe Lord raised up a physical nation to work through spiritually. Provided the peoplehonored the conditions of the covenant theytoo would be honored. The people would becalled Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews. Therewould be priesthood. A land would beprovided in Canaan. The years passed andproblems arose.Not all of the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had a heart forGod. Some had faith while some did not andthat created a problem. How could spiritualblessings be given to a nation that hated andrebelled against the very God who broughtthem into existence? According to the willof God a divine decree was issued. Godwould recognize that not all Israel wasIsrael. The physical seed could continue butthe ultimate blessings would be reserved forthose who had the faith of Abraham. Afterthe Messiah came, some other drasticchanges would be made. The primary thrustfor world evangelism would be given to anew nation, under a new covenant, with newconditions, and a new name called theChurch. A wild olive branch, the Church,will be grafted into the natural olive branch.

Through the church a spiritual continuationof the true seed of Abraham would berealized.

Galatians 3:7 Know ye therefore that theywhich are of faith, the same are the childrenof Abraham

.In all of this the church is not an afterthought but the guiding goal in the Plan of Redemption.

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives,even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it

;Because all of this is true the followingstatements can be made.

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Those who compose the Church are thetrue seed of Abraham. The glory of theChurch is not to be given a physical raceor nation.

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The future belongs to the Church.Anyone who wants a future must cometo Christ.

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If the nations of the earth have a place inthe eternal age it will not be along thelines of race or borders but because of regeneration.

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Realistically, there will only be onenation in the eternal age – the church.

1 Peter 2:9 9 But ye are a chosengeneration, a royal priesthood, an holynation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hathcalled you out of darkness into hismarvellous light:

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A racial people with nationalistic goalsmust not be allowed to take over theessential glory of the Church. Allpersons are included in the Church.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,there is neither male nor female: for yeare all one in Christ Jesus

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The Salvation of Israel in Romans 9-10-11

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is richunto all that call upon him.

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Romans 10:12~*~

And so all Israel shall be saved

~* ~Romans11: 261. Chapter 9, 10, and 11 of Romans dealwith a problem that was of particularconcern during the days of the apostle,the rejection of Israel and the salvationof the Gentiles.2. The question is not Israel vs. the Churchbut Israel vs. the Gentiles. As theChurch must not be equated withnational or physical Israel apart fromfaith in Christ so the Church must not beequated with national or physicalGentiles apart from faith in Christ.3. Historically, God had blessed nationalIsrael with material and spiritualprosperity.

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God had made definite promises toAbraham, the father of the Jews, to blesshis seed.

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God had honored Israel above othernations.

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God had entrusted to Israel His writtenWord, the Old Testament Scriptures.

Romans 3:1 What advantage then haththe Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way:chiefly, because that unto them werecommitted the oracles of God.

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