We live today in an age of massive carbon-copying when it comes to almost every aspect of human existence. Conformity in religious or Christian circles has become a fetish or a tin-god to millions of people. Anyone who dares to be different is branded as non-cooperative and, therefore, frowned upon and avoided. John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, Martin Luther, Spurgeon, Wesley and others belong to this holy band of non-conformists. Their day hated them, but history halos them. So it is! More and more we find that telling the truth has not increased the popularity of an individual, whether preacher or layman. Unfortunately, millions of alleged propounders of the truth have been influenced by what the public thinks. Many a preacher has been silenced or put on the shelf because he was eager to placate the people who supported him. Friends, a true minister of God will speak the truth as it is in the Bible, without fear or prejudice.
On this Amazing Facts broadcast, we have been seeking to do that very thing. We regard no man or institution when it comes to the telling forth of God's great truth for this age. There is a message which all men must come to know and understand. This message we are striving to give in the fear and love of God. Sometimes we realize that it does cut sharply across the pathway of multitudes of people. Some people have written us that the message is different from anything they have heard before, and yet, friends, it is part of God's great warning message. It is to be sounded to the ends of earth before Jesus returns. It is only different because it has been neglected for so long. The book of Revelation in particular has been simply abandoned by many so-called evangelical preachers and theologians.
I make this explanation, friends, as I begin this new series of broadcasts on questions and answers. Perhaps some of the questions and even some of the answers may be a bit new and startling to those who have not delved into much doctrine or prophecy in God's Word. Yet, these things are for our own admonition. A great blessing is pronounced upon those who search and study the Word of God like a mine of truth. The rich treasure which is brought forth as we study sincerely and prayerfully is the most rewarding result of being a Christian. With these things in mind, let's turn to the first question today which has reference to the Jewish people.
Is it not true that all the Jews will be gathered to the Holy Land and be saved as a nation after Jesus comes?
Perhaps this question has been suggested by a scripture in Romans 11:26, "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." The question arises whether this is referring to the physical, literal nation of the Hebrew people or not. Is it possible that God is going to somehow miraculously transform the Jews who have never believed in Christ and prepare them for entrance into His glorious spiritual kingdom? Certainly there is no question as far as the Jews are concerned. They have several organizations formed to help anybody who wants to return to Palestine. The British-Israel society has also contributed to this program. But friends, is there evidence that the Jews have a monopoly upon religion and the promises of God? Now, it is true that many wonderful promises were made to this people, to the literal descendants of Abraham. But, I wonder if you ever notice that these promises were all conditional. We do not have the time to go back into the Old Testament and read all those promises made to Abraham and his seed. But, let's notice in Galatians 3:16 this text: "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made."
Now, what promises, friends, are referred to here? What did God tell Abraham that he and his seed should inherit? What was to be their reward? The answer to that is found in Romans 4:13, "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Notice that the promise was that Abraham would receive this world as an inheritance. But did he receive the world as a reward? The fact is that he did not own a square foot of this earth. He was a pilgrim and sojourner: he traveled from place to place as a nomad, living in tents. In Hebrews 11:8-12: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promises."
Now, friends, notice that these people did not receive the world at all. They died without even seeing the promise fulfilled to them. But it says plainly Abraham was looking for a city which had foundations whose builder and maker was God. That is, undoubtedly, talking about the New Jerusalem that will come down upon this earth and settle as the future capitol of the new earth. Now some people get angry when the word Jew is mentioned. We shouldn't get wrought up about the Jews. We are indebted to them for all the religion we have. For one thing, the Bible is Jewish. It is written by Jews in the Jewish language. Moses was a Jew, as was David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel.... But you say, "Well, I take the New Testament." Well, that is all Jewish, too. The disciples, Paul and the apostles, all of them were Jews.
Now, God talked face to face with those people. He loved them deeply. Jesus Christ Himself was a Jew and, consequently, a son of Abraham. Every gate to the new Jerusalem is a Jewish gate, as you find in Revelation 21:12, because the name of a Jew will be written upon each one. Some of those folks who hate the Jews so much when they get to heaven will be looking around for a Gentile gate to get in, but they won't find any Gentile gates.
Well, you say, what hope is there for people who are not the descendants of Abraham, for those who have not been of the lineage of the Hebrew people. Well, friends, the Bible explains how God simply transferred those promises over to other people who would become His children by faith.
Listen, no one will get into the kingdom of God merely because they happen to be born into the right family. Fleshly ancestry will never qualify a single individual to a home in God's beautiful new earth of the future. The Jews as a people were called of God and were given many, many promises of what might come to them if they faithfully obeyed the commandments of God. But, friends, those promises were given on condition of obedience. The promises themselves did not fail in any respect, but the people simply failed to measure up to the conditions of those promises. Then what happens to the promises? Have they been destroyed and put aside because the people failed? Absolutely not. The promises will still be fulfilled but not to the Israel after the flesh. All Israel will be saved but not the literal, physical descendants of Abraham, because Gentiles now by faith have become the children of God and the spiritual Israel of God. Notice this text in Galatians 3:27-29: "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
There it is, friends, in very simple language. Anyone who believes in Christ and who comes in faith to accept Him becomes a member of Christ's spiritual family and becomes thereby a spiritual descendant of Abraham and heir of the promise that was made. This is the reason then, that the kingdom of God is made up of all people from all races and lands. Those who accept Jesus Christ and who have the faith that Abraham had in God will be accounted as the children of Abraham. The promises that were made to Israel will be fulfilled to these spiritual children of God.
In Romans 11 God represents the nation of Israel as an olive tree. Let us follow the history of that tree as it is described by Paul beginning in verse 17. "And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee."
Notice that a wild olive tree is to be grafted in to this nation of Israel. Now, who is represented by the wild olive tree? Paul makes it very clear in verse 13: "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles...." So Gentiles may be grafted in to the tree that was the nation of Israel. Now, reading on from verse 19: "Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee." Verse 23: "And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?"
Here in these texts, friends, the Gentiles or non-Jews will be accepted by God and actually receive of the promises that were given to the literal nation of Israel. Those promises were not fulfilled to Abraham or to his children after the flesh. They did not inherit the earth as God plainly declared, but they did look for the holy city of God and the earth restored again. Yes, indeed, all of God's spiritual children and spiritual Israel will receive this new earth, after it is cleansed of the curse of sin and turned back to the first dominion again.
Even the Jews may come as individuals and be grafted into the trunk once more. By faith they may receive salvation through the Son of God even as the Gentiles who are grafted in, but there is no people, or race, or nation who will be accepted merely because of their physical ancestors.
In Romans 4:13, 16 we read: "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.... Therefore, it is of faith that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all."
So "if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise," and the promise is, friends, to receive the world. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." We look to the day when all God's children of all races and nations will be gathered as one people and be granted the beautiful new earth without any curse of sin.