Alan Dale Gross
Active Member
"WILL ISRAEL BE RESTORED AS A NATION?"
"Under the above title, "WILL ISRAEL BE RESTORED AS A NATION?", a writer, in a recent issue of a religious periodical, undertakes to give scriptural evidence in support of the Doctrine that the Natural Seed of Jacob are hereafter to be Reconstituted as an Earthly Nation, and as such are to Reoccupy the Land of Canaan.
"This attempt is commendable.
"Because it is surely incumbent upon those who uphold the Doctrine that the Natural Seed of Jacob are hereafter to be Reconstituted as an Earthly Nation, and as such are to Reoccupy the Land of Canaan, to bring clear proof thereof from the Word of God.
"Moreover, it will help the reader to form his own independent judgment on the important matter we are considering, if we call his attention to the passages of Scripture relied upon by those who hold the Doctrine of the National Restoration of Israel.
"What evidences then does this writer advance?
"First he quotes Jeremiah 31:35-37; and to this passage particular heed should be given; for of course the first witness will be one upon whose testimony special reliance is placed.
"Here is the passage:
"Thus saith the Lord that Giveth the sun for a light by day,
and the Ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night,
that Divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar;
"The LORD of Hosts is His Name: If those Ordinances Depart from before Me,
then the Seed of Israel shall Cease from being a Nation before Me Forever.
"Thus saith the Lord; If Heaven above can be measured,
and the Foundations of the Earth Searched Out beneath,
I Will also Cast Off all the Seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord."
"Do these verses declare that the Earthly Israel
are hereafter to be Restored Nationally?
"Looking at the context, which is the way to learn what is the Subject of the Prophecy, we find that the verses quoted above follow immediately God's Promise of the "New Covenant."
The "NEW COVENANT" GOD PROMISES IS STATED, BY GOD HIMSELF,
As BEING;
"not according to the Covenant that I Made with their fathers in the day that I Took them by the hand to Bring them Out of the land of Egypt, which My Covenant they brake."
"Under that Old Covenant Earthly Blessings were Promised to an Earthly people, including National Existence and the Possession of the land of Canaan.
"Those Blessings, moreover (and it is important to observe this) were made to Depend upon Express Conditions, to be Faithfully Observed by that people, and were to be FORFEITED if those conditions were not observed.
"But that Old Covenant, God "Made with their fathers", the Lord Declares, "they brake",
so, the people of Israel FORFEITED the BLESSINGS of that OLD COVENANT that had been Promised, by God, to Israel as an Earthly people, including them having a National Existence and the Promise for their Possession of the land of Canaan.
"And now, through Jeremiah, God Proclaims the Great Fact that He Will Make, "a New Covenant," at a Future Time that would to be an entirely different ETERNAL COVENANT.
"The Epistle to the Hebrews explains fully this Prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the New Covenant, the Prophecy itself being quoted in full in Hebrews 8:7-13, and in part in 10:15-17.
The "NEW COVENANT" God made is the "EVERLASTING COVENANT," Secured by the Blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13: 20).
This "NEW COVENANT", which God made is an "EVERLASTING COVENANT" and has NOW BEEN Established with a Heavenly People, those who are "come to Mount Sion, and to the City of the Living God the Heavenly Jerusalem, . . . and to the church of the first born (ones) who are written (i.e. Enrolled) in Heaven" (Hebrews 12:22, 23).
This "NEW" AND "EVERLASTING COVENANT", which GOD ESTABLISHED WITH HIS HEAVENLY PEOPLE is SECURED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST and is: "a Better Covenant Established upon Better Promises" (Hebrews 8:6).
This "NEW" AND "EVERLASTING COVENANT", GOD ESTABLISHED WITH HIS HEAVENLY PEOPLE, which is SECURED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, IS GOD THE FATHER'S PROMISE OF EVERLASTING LIFE, whereunder every Repentant and Believing sinner, whether Jew or Gentile, WHO HE BRINGS TO FAITH IN THE BLOOD OF THE SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, IN HIS DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION, FOR THEIR SOUL Receives the Forgiveness of their sins (Hebrews 10:12-18).
And finally,
This "NEW" AND "EVERLASTING COVENANT", GOD ESTABLISHED WITH HIS HEAVENLY PEOPLE, which is SECURED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, IS GOD THE FATHER'S PROMISE OF EVERLASTING LIFE, is the Only Covenant under which God henceforth Deals with Any Part of the Human Family;
Because Hebrews gives Great Prominence to the Biblical Doctrine Truth that the Old Covenant, with its Conditional Promises of National Prosperity and an Earthly Country (with those Promises having been LONG SINCE FORFEITED by the Rebellion and Apostasy of the People of Israel, as the Nation of Israel)
HAS BEEN SET ASIDE COMPLETELY AND FOREVER
As shown in Hebrews 8:13;
"In that He saith, A New Covenant,
He hath Made the First Old.
Now that which Decayeth and Waxeth Old
is ready to Vanish Away."
& Hebrews 10:9;
"Then said He,
Lo, I Come to Do thy Will, O God.
He Taketh Away the First,
that He May Establish the Second."