The Salvation Of The Church And The Torah Portion For 9/23
Apr 6, 2017 8:16:22 GMT -6
watchmanjim likes this
Post by Gary on Apr 6, 2017 8:16:22 GMT -6
I'm cross-posting this great article from Jeff:
On September 23, 2017, as the great sign of Revelation 12 aligns in the sky, those gathered in synagogues around the world will give ear (ha'azinu) as the Song of Moses is recited from Deuteronomy 32 (see Hebcal). Each year throughout the long centuries of exile, the Jews have read carefully arranged portions of the Torah (parashot) until every word from Genesis to Deuteronomy has been covered. *For more on the weekly Torah readings, see here.
This particular shabbat on 9/23/2017 (Tishri 3, 5778) will be a "Sabbath of Return," because it falls between Rosh Hashanah (Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). There is great anticipation among watchful believers that the resurrection and rapture of the Church could occur on the Feast of Trumpets this year (Tishri 1-2/Sept. 21-22), a day or two prior to the great sign. As noted by Daniel Matson (here and here), the sign of Revelation 12 appears to be designated specifically for the nation of Israel (c.f. 1 Cor. 1:22). Based on this assumption, I returned to Deuteronomy 32 to see if there was something hidden in this passage concerning the deliverance of the body of Christ. Sure enough, there is:
They have made Me jealous with what is not God; they have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation" (Deuteronomy 32:21, NASB).
In the book of Romans, chapters 9 through 11, the apostle Paul provides us with the best commentary on the LORD's plan to make Israel jealous via the salvation of the body of Christ. Having the Holy Spirit as his guide, Paul strings together a series of Old Testament passages to explain God's reason for Israel's "partial hardening" (Rom. 11:25) and His great mercy toward the Church—those who were once "not a people" (Rom. 9:25) and "a foolish nation" (Rom. 10:19). Notice, please, whenever you study and interpret these chapters in Romans, that Paul never confuses his terms and always makes a distinction between "Israel" and "the Church" [also referred to under the broad category of 'the Gentiles'].
The purpose of this study is to clarify how the resurrection and rapture of the Church fulfills Deuteronomy 32:21, a key text that "church-going" and studious Israelites will hear on September 23, 2017. Moreover, the deliverance of the body of Christ (Rev. 12:5) is not an isolated event but integral to the LORD's plan to wake up a slumbering Israel and provoke them to jealousy. Israel's jealousy will result in a feverish and desperate return to the LORD, their God, and the eventual fulfillment of Rom. 11:26-27, which is their final and complete salvation.
And I Think That I Too Have the Spirit of God
Ok. So I got cute and clever with the heading up there, and lest you think I'm being conceited, I was quoting Paul from 1 Cor. 7:40. I'm glad this great man of God spoke with the authority of the Holy Spirit. It certainly gave me comfort as I was looking for other passages in the Old Testament that confirmed my suspicions about Deut. 32:21. I had prayed for clarity and understanding, and then I realized Paul had already done my homework for me (thank you, LORD)!
Before we get to the meat of his argument in Rom. 10:17-21, I'll begin with an example of the Church/Israel distinction that is so important to grasp, especially if we are going into the Old Testament to study encrypted and veiled "Church" prophecies:
And just for good measure, why don't we start with Rom. 9:23. In contrast to 9:22, where God patiently puts up with "vessels of wrath," God shows great favor on "vessels of mercy" in 9:23—the same group also mentioned in 9:24, "Even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles" (NASB, emphasis mine). He then cites two verses from Hosea in 9:25-26, where not-a-people become God's people by sovereign choice (still referring to the Church at this point).
But! Ah, look out for those contrasts in Scripture. Paul switches gears now in 9:27, "But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel..." (HCSB, emphasis mine). If your English translation doesn't have the contrastive "but," then that means the translators have made an interpretive decision to use a connective such as "and" or "also" (the Greek word de should, in most cases, be translated as "but," although the term does have flexibility). This may seem like a small matter. But it makes a huge impact on the way we interpret the text.
Further support for this contrast can be found a few verses later in Rom. 9:30-31, "What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness...but Israel, pursuing the law for righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law" (HCSB, emphasis mine).
All right. I think you get the picture. Now here's the bigger picture, and I think you'll find this as intriguing as I did upon first discovery.
The Salvation of the Church through Israel's Messiah as Testified in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms
Does Deuteronomy 32:21 speak of the salvation of the Church occurring before the fulfillment of God's promises to His beloved firstborn, Israel? Let's clear up any doubt and listen again to a physical descendant of Israel, a "kinsmen according to the flesh" (Rom. 9:3). The apostle Paul cites our verse from Deuteronomy in Romans 10:19, but in order to understand why he does this, we need to look at the surrounding context.
In Rom. 10:17-21 you'll find all three divisions of the Hebrew Bible referenced in rapid succession. These three divisions are the Law (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi'im), and the Writings (Ketuvim); Jesus takes His disciples on a similar journey into the Old Testament in Lk. 24:44-45 (note: the third division of the OT is referred to as "the Psalms" in this passage). Paul will also take us on a journey through the OT, and by the testimony of two or three witnesses (in this case, the witnesses are the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms), he will testify against Israel, saying, in effect, that they have no excuse for their current plight:
Rom. 10:17 — Above all, the message about the Messiah (a.k.a. the gospel) has to be proclaimed in order to be believed and obeyed (c.f. Rom. 10:15-16). This verse establishes the context for what follows.
Rom. 10:18 — Next, Paul appeals to Psalm 19:4. Curiously, this particular verse in the psalm has nothing to do with a human messenger. The message about Christ, the gospel (10:17), "...has gone out to all the earth..." by means of "the heavens," or "the sky" (Ps. 19:1-2). When Paul asks rhetorically, "Did they not hear?" The they is Israel, which is also confirmed in the next verse.
Rom. 10:19 — Yes, Israel has heard the message about Christ—it was first embedded in the heavens and then relayed to earth by special revelation (10:18); then Paul asks if Israel understood or knew the meaning of what they had heard proclaimed from the heavens. Yes, they did have knowledge according to God's word as written in the Law, "...First, Moses said..." (Here it is, Deut. 32:21)! God's judicial decree and promise to make Israel jealous by saving a foolish nation "without understanding" confirms the answer to Paul's rhetorical question, "Did Israel not understand [what they had heard]?" Yes, Israel was a nation of understanding (c.f. Rom. 9:4).
Rom. 10:20 — Israel also had knowledge/understanding according to God's word as written in the Prophets, "And Isaiah says boldly, "I was found by those who were not looking for Me..." These two verses, 10:19-20, should be understood as OT prophecies concerning the salvation of the Church. In essence, Moses and Isaiah agree and prove Paul's point, "You [Israel] knew very well that the LORD, your God, was going to turn His attention to another nation when you rebelled against Him and stubbornly refused to repent."
Rom. 10:21 — Look carefully at Isa. 65:1-2. I had doubts at first whether 65:1 was in reference to the Church, but like I said before, Paul has already done the homework for us. Look at the contrast between what was cited in 10:20 and now in this verse, "But to Israel he [Isaiah] says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people" (HCSB, emphasis mine). Consequently, it's not enough to hear or know about the gospel...you must, by God's grace and power, trust and obey the message about Christ (c.f. Rom. 1:5; 2 Thess. 1:8).
Summary: I've taken you through Rom. 10:17-21 so that you can see how Deut. 32:21 is used in context. It is interpreted by Paul to be a "Church-verse." More specifically, Paul's usage of Deut. 32:21 advances his argument that God will [ironically] save Gentiles [along with a few Jews] first, before He turns His focus back to Israel. Isa. 65:1-2 confirms the tightly-woven contrast between Israel and the Church as cryptically hidden, yet revealed in the Law and the Prophets. Oh, and don't forget that Paul's rationale began with the gospel going forth from the heavens (Rom. 10:18), and by implication, Israel should be looking up in order to study the sky again...real soon (Rev. 12:1-2)!
From Jealousy to Jesus
A jealous God scorned who in turn provokes Israel to jealousy by showing love to another? Is this some kind of high-school musical? Me genoito! (By no means). Though one could call this the great drama of the ages, God is in no way being melodramatic or carnal. Hopefully, your first encounter with a passage like Deut. 4:24 wasn't like Oprah's (see here), because a misunderstanding of godly jealousy could result in major stumbling (wrong belief + persistence in error = wrong living and bringing harm to others).
No, friends. You should enter Romans 9–11 and exit with the understanding that God is not finished with Israel (this means we cannot be the "spiritual Israel," or "Israel's replacement"). Sorry, not sorry. The accurate and faithful interpretation of Paul's message should lead the Church toward humility and gratitude, not blinding pride and conceit (Rom. 11:20, 25). One of the purposes for our salvation (if not the main purpose) is to provoke Israel to jealousy so that they will repent/return to the LORD, their God—all for His praise, honor, and glory (Rom. 11:11-14, 25-27, 33-36)!
In the past Israel as a nation did not recognize their Messiah, and as a result, salvation came to the Gentiles (c.f. Acts 13:26-27; 28:23-28). Contrary to popular opinion in the Church today, Israel's covenant promises have not been revoked as a result of their disobedience (Rom. 11:28-29). Israel's full salvation has been merely delayed, or postponed, until the Church age has ended. The LORD's work that He began in us (Php. 1:6) will be completed when the dead in Christ rise from the earth and living believers are caught up to them in the clouds (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 12:5; c.f. Isa. 26:19-21, 66:7-8). Thus, the unfolding of Deut. 32:21 can be seen as God's written revelation progressed over time. Based on the study above, I think it's safe to conclude that the resurrection and rapture of the Church serves as the primary catalyst to provoke Israel to jealousy and repentance.
On September 23, 2017, after we who were once "not a people" and "a foolish nation" have been saved and taken up to God in heaven, the scattered exiles and those in Jerusalem will read Deuteronomy 32 once more. Only this time, maybe with fresh insight. The prophet Daniel wrote concerning our time,"...many will roam about, and knowledge [of the Scriptures] will increase" (HCSB), and I'm sure that Deut. 32:21 will jump off the page (or iPhone) for some like it never has before. Granted, many Israelites will persist in error, refusing to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Rom. 9:27-29; c.f. Ps. 2; Jn. 20:31), and we know that many false Christs will abound at that time (Matt. 24:4-5). However, the LORD's objective to get Israel's attention will have been accomplished.
*For more Unsealed articles related to the Great Sign occurring on September 23, 2017, go here.
On September 23, 2017, as the great sign of Revelation 12 aligns in the sky, those gathered in synagogues around the world will give ear (ha'azinu) as the Song of Moses is recited from Deuteronomy 32 (see Hebcal). Each year throughout the long centuries of exile, the Jews have read carefully arranged portions of the Torah (parashot) until every word from Genesis to Deuteronomy has been covered. *For more on the weekly Torah readings, see here.
This particular shabbat on 9/23/2017 (Tishri 3, 5778) will be a "Sabbath of Return," because it falls between Rosh Hashanah (Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). There is great anticipation among watchful believers that the resurrection and rapture of the Church could occur on the Feast of Trumpets this year (Tishri 1-2/Sept. 21-22), a day or two prior to the great sign. As noted by Daniel Matson (here and here), the sign of Revelation 12 appears to be designated specifically for the nation of Israel (c.f. 1 Cor. 1:22). Based on this assumption, I returned to Deuteronomy 32 to see if there was something hidden in this passage concerning the deliverance of the body of Christ. Sure enough, there is:
They have made Me jealous with what is not God; they have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation" (Deuteronomy 32:21, NASB).
In the book of Romans, chapters 9 through 11, the apostle Paul provides us with the best commentary on the LORD's plan to make Israel jealous via the salvation of the body of Christ. Having the Holy Spirit as his guide, Paul strings together a series of Old Testament passages to explain God's reason for Israel's "partial hardening" (Rom. 11:25) and His great mercy toward the Church—those who were once "not a people" (Rom. 9:25) and "a foolish nation" (Rom. 10:19). Notice, please, whenever you study and interpret these chapters in Romans, that Paul never confuses his terms and always makes a distinction between "Israel" and "the Church" [also referred to under the broad category of 'the Gentiles'].
The purpose of this study is to clarify how the resurrection and rapture of the Church fulfills Deuteronomy 32:21, a key text that "church-going" and studious Israelites will hear on September 23, 2017. Moreover, the deliverance of the body of Christ (Rev. 12:5) is not an isolated event but integral to the LORD's plan to wake up a slumbering Israel and provoke them to jealousy. Israel's jealousy will result in a feverish and desperate return to the LORD, their God, and the eventual fulfillment of Rom. 11:26-27, which is their final and complete salvation.
And I Think That I Too Have the Spirit of God
Ok. So I got cute and clever with the heading up there, and lest you think I'm being conceited, I was quoting Paul from 1 Cor. 7:40. I'm glad this great man of God spoke with the authority of the Holy Spirit. It certainly gave me comfort as I was looking for other passages in the Old Testament that confirmed my suspicions about Deut. 32:21. I had prayed for clarity and understanding, and then I realized Paul had already done my homework for me (thank you, LORD)!
Before we get to the meat of his argument in Rom. 10:17-21, I'll begin with an example of the Church/Israel distinction that is so important to grasp, especially if we are going into the Old Testament to study encrypted and veiled "Church" prophecies:
And just for good measure, why don't we start with Rom. 9:23. In contrast to 9:22, where God patiently puts up with "vessels of wrath," God shows great favor on "vessels of mercy" in 9:23—the same group also mentioned in 9:24, "Even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles" (NASB, emphasis mine). He then cites two verses from Hosea in 9:25-26, where not-a-people become God's people by sovereign choice (still referring to the Church at this point).
But! Ah, look out for those contrasts in Scripture. Paul switches gears now in 9:27, "But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel..." (HCSB, emphasis mine). If your English translation doesn't have the contrastive "but," then that means the translators have made an interpretive decision to use a connective such as "and" or "also" (the Greek word de should, in most cases, be translated as "but," although the term does have flexibility). This may seem like a small matter. But it makes a huge impact on the way we interpret the text.
Further support for this contrast can be found a few verses later in Rom. 9:30-31, "What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness...but Israel, pursuing the law for righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law" (HCSB, emphasis mine).
All right. I think you get the picture. Now here's the bigger picture, and I think you'll find this as intriguing as I did upon first discovery.
The Salvation of the Church through Israel's Messiah as Testified in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms
Does Deuteronomy 32:21 speak of the salvation of the Church occurring before the fulfillment of God's promises to His beloved firstborn, Israel? Let's clear up any doubt and listen again to a physical descendant of Israel, a "kinsmen according to the flesh" (Rom. 9:3). The apostle Paul cites our verse from Deuteronomy in Romans 10:19, but in order to understand why he does this, we need to look at the surrounding context.
In Rom. 10:17-21 you'll find all three divisions of the Hebrew Bible referenced in rapid succession. These three divisions are the Law (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi'im), and the Writings (Ketuvim); Jesus takes His disciples on a similar journey into the Old Testament in Lk. 24:44-45 (note: the third division of the OT is referred to as "the Psalms" in this passage). Paul will also take us on a journey through the OT, and by the testimony of two or three witnesses (in this case, the witnesses are the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms), he will testify against Israel, saying, in effect, that they have no excuse for their current plight:
Rom. 10:17 — Above all, the message about the Messiah (a.k.a. the gospel) has to be proclaimed in order to be believed and obeyed (c.f. Rom. 10:15-16). This verse establishes the context for what follows.
Rom. 10:18 — Next, Paul appeals to Psalm 19:4. Curiously, this particular verse in the psalm has nothing to do with a human messenger. The message about Christ, the gospel (10:17), "...has gone out to all the earth..." by means of "the heavens," or "the sky" (Ps. 19:1-2). When Paul asks rhetorically, "Did they not hear?" The they is Israel, which is also confirmed in the next verse.
Rom. 10:19 — Yes, Israel has heard the message about Christ—it was first embedded in the heavens and then relayed to earth by special revelation (10:18); then Paul asks if Israel understood or knew the meaning of what they had heard proclaimed from the heavens. Yes, they did have knowledge according to God's word as written in the Law, "...First, Moses said..." (Here it is, Deut. 32:21)! God's judicial decree and promise to make Israel jealous by saving a foolish nation "without understanding" confirms the answer to Paul's rhetorical question, "Did Israel not understand [what they had heard]?" Yes, Israel was a nation of understanding (c.f. Rom. 9:4).
Rom. 10:20 — Israel also had knowledge/understanding according to God's word as written in the Prophets, "And Isaiah says boldly, "I was found by those who were not looking for Me..." These two verses, 10:19-20, should be understood as OT prophecies concerning the salvation of the Church. In essence, Moses and Isaiah agree and prove Paul's point, "You [Israel] knew very well that the LORD, your God, was going to turn His attention to another nation when you rebelled against Him and stubbornly refused to repent."
Rom. 10:21 — Look carefully at Isa. 65:1-2. I had doubts at first whether 65:1 was in reference to the Church, but like I said before, Paul has already done the homework for us. Look at the contrast between what was cited in 10:20 and now in this verse, "But to Israel he [Isaiah] says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people" (HCSB, emphasis mine). Consequently, it's not enough to hear or know about the gospel...you must, by God's grace and power, trust and obey the message about Christ (c.f. Rom. 1:5; 2 Thess. 1:8).
Summary: I've taken you through Rom. 10:17-21 so that you can see how Deut. 32:21 is used in context. It is interpreted by Paul to be a "Church-verse." More specifically, Paul's usage of Deut. 32:21 advances his argument that God will [ironically] save Gentiles [along with a few Jews] first, before He turns His focus back to Israel. Isa. 65:1-2 confirms the tightly-woven contrast between Israel and the Church as cryptically hidden, yet revealed in the Law and the Prophets. Oh, and don't forget that Paul's rationale began with the gospel going forth from the heavens (Rom. 10:18), and by implication, Israel should be looking up in order to study the sky again...real soon (Rev. 12:1-2)!
From Jealousy to Jesus
A jealous God scorned who in turn provokes Israel to jealousy by showing love to another? Is this some kind of high-school musical? Me genoito! (By no means). Though one could call this the great drama of the ages, God is in no way being melodramatic or carnal. Hopefully, your first encounter with a passage like Deut. 4:24 wasn't like Oprah's (see here), because a misunderstanding of godly jealousy could result in major stumbling (wrong belief + persistence in error = wrong living and bringing harm to others).
No, friends. You should enter Romans 9–11 and exit with the understanding that God is not finished with Israel (this means we cannot be the "spiritual Israel," or "Israel's replacement"). Sorry, not sorry. The accurate and faithful interpretation of Paul's message should lead the Church toward humility and gratitude, not blinding pride and conceit (Rom. 11:20, 25). One of the purposes for our salvation (if not the main purpose) is to provoke Israel to jealousy so that they will repent/return to the LORD, their God—all for His praise, honor, and glory (Rom. 11:11-14, 25-27, 33-36)!
In the past Israel as a nation did not recognize their Messiah, and as a result, salvation came to the Gentiles (c.f. Acts 13:26-27; 28:23-28). Contrary to popular opinion in the Church today, Israel's covenant promises have not been revoked as a result of their disobedience (Rom. 11:28-29). Israel's full salvation has been merely delayed, or postponed, until the Church age has ended. The LORD's work that He began in us (Php. 1:6) will be completed when the dead in Christ rise from the earth and living believers are caught up to them in the clouds (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 12:5; c.f. Isa. 26:19-21, 66:7-8). Thus, the unfolding of Deut. 32:21 can be seen as God's written revelation progressed over time. Based on the study above, I think it's safe to conclude that the resurrection and rapture of the Church serves as the primary catalyst to provoke Israel to jealousy and repentance.
On September 23, 2017, after we who were once "not a people" and "a foolish nation" have been saved and taken up to God in heaven, the scattered exiles and those in Jerusalem will read Deuteronomy 32 once more. Only this time, maybe with fresh insight. The prophet Daniel wrote concerning our time,"...many will roam about, and knowledge [of the Scriptures] will increase" (HCSB), and I'm sure that Deut. 32:21 will jump off the page (or iPhone) for some like it never has before. Granted, many Israelites will persist in error, refusing to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Rom. 9:27-29; c.f. Ps. 2; Jn. 20:31), and we know that many false Christs will abound at that time (Matt. 24:4-5). However, the LORD's objective to get Israel's attention will have been accomplished.
*For more Unsealed articles related to the Great Sign occurring on September 23, 2017, go here.
