Today, many teach that Israel never received the land that God promised to give them. These teachers and their followers carefully watch events in the Middle East, looking to see if perhaps Israel is about to gain the Promised Land. Like the Bereans who examined all teaching in the light of the Scriptures, let’s ask “What does the Bible say?”
In the summary of the conquest lead by Joshua, the Lord adds some commentary in Joshua 21:43-45. It reads, “So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”
Did you notice that statement? “…the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers…” Can there be a statement any more clear than this? What about the statement “…not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken…”
The idea that Israel still waits to receive the land promise is false. Those who build their hopes on events in the Middle East are sadly mistaken. The fact is that God’s nation is not Israel but His church. Those who come to Christ and put their hope and trust in Him “are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” They are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:5, 9 -10.
Have you been deceived into thinking the Middle East holds the answers to God’s eternal plan? Clear your mind of these ideas and spend some time simply reading your New Testament. Find out just what God’s church is and how it “makes known the manifold wisdom of God…according to the eternal purpose…” that was “…accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:10-11.
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Well, the land belongs to them, but not in the fashion in which they have taken possession of it. There was no Moses or Joshua, no Ezra or Nehemiah, no prophet that came along and told them it was time to take the land back. The irony is that this land is spoken of in prophecy as being troubled when the last temple will be built. I recently read an article where the trumpets, the table of the divine presence (whatever that is), and candlestands were returned to the Holy Land by the Catholic church. The anti-Christ is to make his appearance before Our Lord returns, so ...
The Evangelicals seem to be hastening the coming of the Lord by their actions but the Lord will be sent by the Father when the Father decides the time is right, not when the Evangelicals say it will be so.
The whole of the Land will be returned to Israel upon the return of the Christ. And I like the image of every man having the shade of his very own fig tree to sleep beneath and rest.
Finally.
That's a lot of fig trees. I guess that's why swords will be beaten into plows and spears into pruning hooks. A lot of gardening will be going on.
Must keep our hands busy, otherwise we might get it in our minds to do evil things, like enter politics.
Micah 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
The prophecy in Micah 4:1-4 is very similar to the prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 2. Both of these prophecies were fulfilled on the day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2. Please note:
WHEN: Micah says this will occur “in the last days.” In Acts 2:17, Peter quotes a prophecy from Joel 2 which says, “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel; “it shall come to pass in the last days, says God…” The events in Acts 2 occurred “in the last days.”
WHERE: Jerusalem – Micah 4:2. The events of Acts 2 happened in Jerusalem. See Acts 2:5, 14.
WHO: Many nations, many peoples – Micah 4:2,3. Acts 2:5 “And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.” After this, the gospel was taken to Samaria (Acts 8) and then to the Gentiles (Acts 10 & following).
WHAT: The mountain of the Lord’s house established – Micah 4:1. Those saved that day were “added to the church” (Acts 2:47). In 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul identifies the church as “the house of God.” In Hebrews 12 the writer says that the Christians he wrote to had “come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven.” (vs. 22,23).
WHAT: “out of Zion the law shall go forth, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Micah 4:2. Peter preached the very first gospel sermon after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus in Acts 2. He was preaching the “law of the Lord” and “the word of the Lord” in Jerusalem.
Combined with Joel 2 and Daniel 2 we find that Acts 2 fulfills the right time, place, events, and circumstances described in Micah 4 and Isaiah 2. The Lord’s house has been established and those who are members of the household from many nations are at peace with each other and do not learn or make war with each other. Those who do so are in error and violate the charge from their King, Jesus Christ.
We aren’t looking for a kingdom, we are in one. Its boundaries are not found in Israel, it exists in every nation under heaven. Its people do not fight a physical war but a spiritual one. Let’s set our sights on the heavenly kingdom where they belong, not on an earthly kingdom which has not been promised nor was intended (John 18:36).
The kingdom of God exists wherever two or more people gather in his name, because there he is in their midst.
It is a strange doctrine that asserts that the land promises to Abraham and his seed were previously accomplished in light of Acts 15:14-17 and the promises pertaining to the tabernacle of David in Amos. What is strange about such a notion is that Amos was written some seven hundred years after Joshua and Israel took possession of the land and yet we find that James testifies that the eschatological prophecies in Amos were only then being advanced some fourteen-hundred years after Joshua. And yet it cannot be rightfully construed that all the promises were accomplished in James’ time such as the end of Israel captivity to the nations and their restoration to the land, never to be pulled up again. Judah had yet to be taken captive by the nations when James gave his sermon and the apostle Paul testifies that many of those who were cast off were yet to be grafted in again (Rom. 11).
“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.” Amos 9:14-15
Clearly the meanings’ concerning the promises of the land take the quality of “advancement” and not “accomplishment” until Israel shall no longer be pulled up out of their land and has rest from all its enemies and this is an integral part of the “rest” motif in scripture and the promises IN Christ.
Moreover Amos supports that the prophecy pertains not only to the Gentiles but to the house of Israel as contrasted from these Gentiles.
“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.” Amos 9:8-10
All the Postmillennialists and Amillennialists have to do is reconcile how the Gentiles were EVER sifted amongst the nations to substantiate their analysis of the prophecy in Amos confirmed in Acts! It was the northern tribes that were sifted amongst the nations and the first advent led to the sifting of Judah; consequently, the restitution of all things according to the prophets (Acts 3:19-21) is bound the fruition of the “fullness of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:25) when all Israel is saved and the land restored even according to Amos and the New Testament. The object of the promises in Amos are advanced by Christ’s first advent and only accomplished only upon his return with the restitution of the land and the pacification of Israel’s enemies, albeit a remnant as spiritual Israel the elect.
Michael Neubaum
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