Israel Under the Nations and the Messianic Hope

2002-04-30

Introduction

The expectations of the coming Messiah was the very longing of the people of Israel. Drastic changes were to take place in His coming that would remove them from under the abhorred Gentile regimes. This Messiah was somehow going to be different from any judge or king they had seen, and His coming would be summarized in what was known as the Day of the LORD. Since the times of Solomon, Israel knew nothing but strife; their weak faith led them to a precarious state of independence as a nation and a constant fear of enemies in the land. It was a kingdom with threats from the South in Egypt and the North in Assyria, and Babylon and Persia in the East. The peoples of Ammon, Moab and Edom on the east side of the Jordan were also there. The great empires of the west (Greece and Rome) were also known to come since this was revealed by God’s Word. Israel longed for the LORD to make His move against these enemies and bring them to their land and heritage, so that they may no longer be slaves to Gentiles and to Gentile religions of idolatry. The following brief discussion will examine what the prophets foresaw that would end their dispersion throughout the world and would bring them back to the land promised to their fathers.

Kingdoms Reunited

It is good to mention that physically for the land of Israel, inner strife would cease. Since the reign of Rehoboam in his arrogance, to the exiles of Israel and of Judah, Israel had been a divided kingdom. In Isaiah 11:13, the enmity between the north and the south is gone. In Ezekiel 37, there is extensive imagery in the use of the bones coming to life as Israel is brought back into the land. In addition, Ezekiel takes two sticks, names them with the names Judah and Ephraim, and joins them together to show that they will be one kingdom, and will also have one king, David. The use of David’s name probably would be a synecdochical use, meaning the dynasty of Davidic kings that was eternally promised in 2 Samuel 7. Therefore one of David’s descendants was expected. Either way, the Davidic line would therefore continue to reign, now over a united kingdom for the first time since the 10th century B.C.

Spiritual Renewal and a New Covenant

The land of Israel that was laid waste for a long time was to be revived once again. The prerequisite for this, according to Ezekiel 36, was for Israel to be renewed and cleansed from sins. This is nothing more than a corollary from the curses mentioned in Deuteronomy 28. In 2 Chronicles 36:21, seventy years of rest was required for the land, as the people of Judah were left in exile during that time. A spiritual change was needed before the people could return to the land, that they might live and remain in it. When this cleansing comes, which will be found at the coming of a new covenant, they will live in the land that will compare to the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 36:35). This new covenant ensured a spiritual transformation that would lift them from their transgressions to a new perfected relationship with the LORD God. Jeremiah speaks of such a new covenant that would not be of the sort of the Mosaic covenant, which Israel broke (Jeremiah 31:32). First, God’s law would be placed in their minds, and written on their hearts. New kingdom living would not evoke the command ‘know the LORD’ (Jeremiah 31:34), for everybody already would know Him. Ezekiel also adds that the stone heart would be replaced by a heart of flesh, and that God’s Spirit would be put within them that they might walk in His statutes (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Israel would then be sprinkled clean and able to receive the blessings promised to them and their fathers before them. God often reminds Israel that He does these great things for His name’s sake.

Gentiles Judged

There are two pictures that the prophets portray of the Gentiles at the time of the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. First, there are long passages on their judgment. Isaiah 24 sums up chapters of judgment of individual nations--a pending judgment that hangs over the entire world. There is mention of a breaking of an everlasting covenant that may be an allusion to the words of the Lord regarding to shedding man’s blood in Genesis 9. In Ezekiel 35, there is a vivid picture of the downfall of Mt. Seir, which is in Edom. For example, the Edomites, the brothers of Israel, were especially indicated because of their hatred for the Israelites. The judgment of the Gentiles will belong to the LORD, which will be discussed in the following sections.

Incorporation of Gentiles

The other picture we see concerning the Gentiles is the message of the LORD encompassing the ends of the earth. Following the discussion of judgment in Isaiah 24, there are many allusions to Gentiles being incorporated into the LORD’s plan (cf. Isaiah 9:1-2; 49:6). God is not only the God of the Israelites, but for all peoples. Since He is the God who created all things, He will extend His blessing to all peoples, which will come through His elected Servant He has chosen.

Messiah the Son of a Virgin

The Messiah is called a few different names throughout the Biblical record. Common themes can help one identify that these titles are referring to the same Man. He is referred to as a child named Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14; 8:8; 9:6). He is a sign to the house of David, that a woman would be with child. The word for virgin is suspect by some scholars, since the Hebrew word (almah) in their opinion apparently does not necessarily mean ‘virgin.’ Without going into detail on the debated use of this word almah, it is a reminder and a picture of the Genesis 3:15 promise that the seed of a woman would end the curse and the author of evil that deceived the woman. A woman usually is not referred to as having ‘seed’ as a man would. Though the word is different in Genesis (ishsha meaning ‘woman’ as opposed to almah), we can determine a virgin woman giving birth to a son by this reasoning, and also by progress of revelation by moving from woman (ishsha) in Genesis 3:15 to virgin or maiden (almah) in Isaiah 7:14 and then to virgin or chaste (parthenos) in Greek in Matthew 1:23. This Greek word for virgin is also the same word used in the Septuagint in Isaiah 7:14 (the Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament which predates Christ), proving the English word “virgin” as correct.

This child would be able to choose the good and avoid evil (Isaiah 7:15). He will sit on the throne of David, and therefore from his lineage he will descend, and will rule forever (Isaiah 9:7). In Isaiah 9:1ff, this One is pictured as peaceful, yet also a warrior, which are two motifs that can be traced throughout the Old Testament.

The Suffering Servant

God also refers to Him as ‘My servant’ (Isaiah 42:1). He will bring forth justice to Gentiles, and is pictured as one who comes in peace. This servant is to be a covenant to the people (Isaiah 42:6). The term servant shows up again in Isaiah 49, which at first glance appears to be Israel (cf. Isaiah 49:3). This, however represents an individual, because He is to raise up the tribes of Jacob (Isaiah 49:6). This clearly cannot be truly literal Israel, but a man Israel, that can restore the nation Israel and also be a light to the Gentiles. This Servant will be treated shamefully (Isaiah 52-53), and there will be nothing physical about Him that people would desire (Isaiah 53:2). He will suffer for other people, and will be offered as a sacrifice for sin (Isaiah 53:10). In Daniel 9:26, the Messiah is cut off, ‘but not for Himself,’ which is reminiscent of this as well. This provides an affirmation that this Servant is most likely this Messiah for whom Israel was waiting.

A King of Peace and Mercy

Another image of peace is alluded to in Zechariah 9:9, as peace is His message, not seen as a warrior, but as a king riding on a donkey and a colt. The traits of peace link these passages together. The terms Messiah (meaning anointed, cf. John 1:41; Acts 4:26; Psalm 2:2; for Messiah = Christ = anointed) in Daniel 9:26, often used of kings in Israel (e.g. Saul in 1 Samuel 24:6; David in 2 Samuel 19:21, Solomon in 2 Chronicles 6:42), could link also to the king in Zechariah 9:9. Moreover, in Isaiah 11, the Rod of Jesse and a Branch that will grow from the roots suggests someone from David’s kingly line. Pictures of mercy on the poor and meek (Isaiah 11:4) are followed also by judgment of the wicked. The state of His reign of peace are shown in the images of animals that no longer have enmity with each other. The remnant will be brought back to the land (Isaiah 11:11) from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:12). In the following lines, a united kingdom is seen, and the plundering of their enemies begins. In short, the coming of the Branch will restore a united kingdom with the remnant back in the land, and they will truly rest from their enemies.

Keeping these things in mind, Israel would first need to be given new hearts under a new covenant with God, and then they would be enabled to live in the land (Ezekiel 36:26, 33). He will put His Spirit in them that would cause them to be obedient; when He says “within you,” the “you” is plural, meaning as individuals (Ezekiel 36:27). They will be made clean from their former sins. Then the dry bones are seen to be gathered in chapter 37. Following this, the kingdom is made one, never to be divided again, and they are not to be defiled with idols again (such as Jeroboam son of Nebat and the subsequent Israelite kings that forsook the true worship in the Temple). The Davidic king would then reign over this kingdom (37:24). Then they will eternally live in the land and this King would be their king forever (Ezekiel 37:25). Keeping in mind that enemies of Israel would be plundered at the time of this reunified Israel in Isaiah 11:13ff, they know that also to live in the land their enemies must be cut off. In Zechariah 9, Israel is defended against various enemies, and Israel is fitted for battle against Greece (Zechariah 9:13).

The Return of Elijah

When John the Baptist is standing in the wilderness, preaching repentance, the people of Israel knew exactly the implications of what this meant. Dressed in the clothing of Elijah, John showed up just as it would have seemed in Malachi 3:1 and Malachi 4:5. They expected a new covenant, a regathering of their people abroad, a king from the line of David, and the driving out and judgment on the Romans that had domination over the entire world. They were expecting the dramatic changes that the prophets spoke of that they might be free from the society they lived in. What they did not expect was that the process would not take place in their lifetime. During the Triumphal Entry, the people of Israel would accept Jesus as He marched into Jerusalem, anticipating the Gentiles to be thrown out and judged, and that He would take the throne.

Prerequisite Purification from Sin

From the context of what is said by the prophets that were discussed, it seems that Israel’s sin first must be dealt with before any of these other things can take place. We know from a myriad of texts that justification before God comes by faith, such as Genesis 15:6. Their faith could never be made complete without a point in history where the LORD could redeem His people through His chosen servant by suffering as a sin offering for the unrighteous (Isaiah 53:10). Though they might have seemed to accept Jesus as He marched through Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the event had to come to pass where Jesus would go to the cross. Even so, Jesus says in Matthew 26:27-28 at the Passover, “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Then this message of the LORD as the sovereign God and of His salvation had to go to the ends of the earth (cf. Isaiah 49:6). The Jewish hatred for Gentile domination became much of the focus, and perhaps why that, after a week of Jesus not conquering the Romans, they wanted no more parts of Him. Either way, their faith in Him could not be complete without Him going to the cross. This sacrifice was a prerequisite before Gentiles could be judged, the Davidic king would be on the throne, and the new covenant would be sealed. The good news is that one day the Jewish nation will one day turn to the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 11:26) and see Him as the same Messiah as was prophesied from the beginning.