Are the Jews still God's chosen people? - The Mystery of the Jewish People

Those who say that they are Jews but are not. A famous statement by Jesus in the book of revelation. And people want a quick and easy answer to the question of who are these people who say that they are jewish but in reality are not? The answer for people has oftentimes been whomever they dislike most. The pointing of the finger at anyone that they deem bottom of the barrel in society. And today, with the wars and the rumors of wars and Israel being on the center of the world stage and the rise of anti semitism, this statement has been taken more than ever before, perhaps in recent years, to point in a certain direction. Lately, people have pointed to all jewish people living in the land of Israel today as being who Jesus spoke about. But is this actually who he spoke about? People are asking the question yet again. Are the jewish people still God's chosen people? And they'll say, well, look at all of the sins among those living in the land of Israel today. Look at all of the stories coming out of the land of Israel today of christians being persecuted by jewish people. Do these testimonies mean that Israel is no longer the chosen people that they once were, and half christians now replace the jewish people as God's people after all? I mean, wasn't the old covenant made with Israel? And now there's this new covenant that's been made with the Christians. These are all very sensitive matters, but the Bible can provide us the answer from the God who is the God of love and justice. But to answer it we need an extended look of scripture, a note on terminology. While we understand gentiles can be grafted into Israel by faith due to the subject of today in this teaching, when referring to Israel, we're referring to the native born Israelites, descendant from the twelve tribes of Israel. And we'll begin with the book of Romans, chapter eleven. Speaking of the standing of the jewish people with God, I ask then, has God rejected his people? By no means. For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul himself is a jewish person and he points to God's redeeming power in his own life as evidence that God is not done with the jewish people. For remember that Paul himself was a pharisee of Pharisees, as he said, who persecuted christians harshly in his day. And yet despite his murderous deeds, the God of Israel came and revealed to him the identity of the messiah of Israel. Yeshua Paul had a miraculous encounter, turned his whole life around and became one of the main advocates for following the Messiah. Paul, describing himself as a sinner of sinners, who many would have thought is beyond God's reach, shows us that there is truly no one who is beyond God's reach. And especially with the jewish people, God still has a plan. In verse two, he goes on and tells us God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah? How he appeals to God against Israel? Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life. But what is God's reply to him? I have kept for myself 7000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too, at this present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace. Paul points back to the history of Elijah and brings it into the present situation and makes the point that when it seems like these people are beyond redemption, as Elijah thought and even spoke to God, God had a different perspective of a remnant, a remnant that he had a plan with, that he was saving, that he was changing. Even though from Elijah's perspective and from the perspective of many today, Israel seemed too far gone. But God knew that he had a plan. And this was the same situation with even the messiah, Yeshua himself. In Matthew 23 37, we see him say, o Jerusalem, Jerusalem, this city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it. How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you were not willing? See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Yeshua proclaims to them that they have many sins and that they will be left desolate. But he also says that there is hope, because a day will come when Israel will proclaim. The jewish people will proclaim, blessed is he who comes in the name of Jesus. Yahweh, speaking of Yeshua himself. See, even at the moment of his crucifixion, when Yeshua was hanging on the cross, to the whole world, it seemed as if all was lost. But God had a different perspective. That through his death, burial and resurrection, he would become the first fruits of the resurrection, and that the rest of the world could be resurrected and saved from their sins through his sacrifice. No one expected it. And I want to submit to you that that is exactly what God has planned with the jewish people today. He is planning something that no one is going to expect, except for those who have carefully looked at what the scriptures proclaim. Romans eleven seven. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened. Here we see that Paul is highlighting that as a whole, the big picture. Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. Israel was seeking a messiah. Israel was seeking freedom and deliverance, but they missed Yeshua for the most part, Paul highlights that an elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, pointing to this group of jewish people who in the first century and beyond would quickly obtain Yeshua, the messiah and the salvation that he offered them. But then the rest of the group, as he says, was hardened. And that's exactly what we see today. We have a group of messianic jewish people who believe in Yeshua, the Messiah, and then we have the larger jewish community who are, as Paul describes, hardened. And we'll explore a little later what that means precisely. Romans eleven eight. He goes on and says, as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear down to this very day. That sounds a little grim, doesn't it? They have eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear down to this very day. Look at some of what the prophets also write of Israel in Ezekiel twelve two. We, son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but see not, who have ears to hear but hear not, for they are a rebellious house. Jeremiah 521 says, hear this, o foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but see not, who have ears but hear not. Verse 23. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart. They have turned aside and gone away. So we see. Even the old prophets proclaim Israel's struggles. Is this the end of the story? See, many like to think so. Today, the world at large hopes to rob Israel of her election, that Israel and the jewish people has been forgotten. There are nothing special. But Paul comes and says something that's just amazing. In romans 1111, he says, so I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means. Rather, through their trespasses, salvation has come to the gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. So there's a lot that's in this one verse. First he says that they may have stumbled, but they have not fallen. And then he also says that their stumblings will actually bring forth good fruit, that through their trespasses, salvation has come to the whole world. And that in the salvation coming to the whole world, that will run its way back to Israel to make Israel jealous for that very thing that changed the whole world. What are we talking about? Remember what their trespass was, amongst other things. Matthew 27 24. Pilate said, I am innocent of this man's blood. See to it yourselves. And all the people answered, his blood be on us and our children. Now, first of all, let's remember that the blood of Christ is spilled not because of the jewish people sinse. The blood of Christ has been spilled because of the sins of the whole world. You and I, spiritually speaking, we were all in that crowd who cried out, crucify him because we all had the sins. That was the very reason why he went, because, as he said himself, he went on his own accord. He decides no one takes his life. He lays it down freely, but in the flesh. We see that the jewish people's leadership in the first century were the ones who conspired to put him on the cross. So even though that was a trespass and God used it for good, as God planned from the beginning, that was still their trespass. And so that is the trespass that Paul is referring to, saying that yes, he was crucified, but that became a blessing for the world. Romans 1112. Now, if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean? For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? Paul is saying there is something coming. There is a full inclusion coming, an acceptance of them coming. And if the state of things as it is now has brought salvation to the world, what is going to come? When that full inclusion of them comes, what blessing will come upon the world? Brothers, sisters, it boggles my mind that people who call themselves christians have at times hoped to persecute and be part of the problem with the jewish people not helping them, but instead being their enemies. Instead of the fact that our messiah and Paul and all of his apostles, they were jewish people themselves. And they said, the messiah said to the jew first, and then to the Greek, the jewish people were always the beloved of God. No one can take this away from them, no matter what you think they have done or haven't done, that they should or shouldn't have done, because nothing changes what the Bible prophetically proclaims about their future. Now let's read on and we'll discover the details further of how this will unravel. We see in verse 23. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. Let's just say that part again. God has the power to graft them in again. Do you believe that? Because a lot of people don't. A lot of people do not believe that God has the power. They think that these people are too far gone, perhaps, or whatever the Bible says otherwise. Verse 24. For if you, speaking to gentiles, were cut from what is by nature, a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree? He's saying basically that it is a bigger miracle that you as a gentile can be part of Israel, that you can be grafted into Israel, that you can be saved by the Messiah. Considering that you were once coming from a pagan heritage, following idols and other gods. And he says that the messiah had the power to deliver you from all those things, how much more does he have the power to deliver? The natural branches who grew up with the Torah, who were taught about God, and even in their own blemishes and mistakes, they are, in this way, natural branches. While we are this. We're this wild olive tree. The gentiles is this wild tree. That looks crazy, right? It's got a lot of, like, craziness that needs to be trimmed and cultivated. But he says this all the more testifies of how God can redeem the natural branches. Now let's talk about that word. Those who are hardened that we touched on earlier, we read in romans 1125, lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery. Brothers, a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come in. Okay, so he uses this word, a partial hardening. And he says that this has happened to Israel, but there's a time limit. It's temporary because he says it's until the fullness of the gentiles has come in. What is a partial hardening? It simply means that in Israel, some have been hardened to the Messiah, and they do not see him, while others have seen him see. This is all a part of God's divine plan. In verse 26, Paul says exactly how Israel will be saved. And he says, in this way, Israel will be saved. As it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob, and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins. Paul says that Israel will be saved in the very same way that everyone else will be saved by the deliverer who came from Zion the Messiah Yeshua now someone else may also ask, how can the jewish people be the elect or the cold of God if they don't even believe in Jesus? Paul answers this very clearly for us in Romans 1128. And he says, as regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of the forefathers, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Paul highlights that because some jewish people do not believe in Yeshua as the messiah, they may consider some christians as being their enemies. Again, this is not all jewish people, but some do. And yet Paul says that even if this was to happen, as with regards to their election, they are still beloved for the sake of their forefathers. Paul points to the fact that they come from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel. And because of that, the gifts and calling of God is irrevocable. God has a plan because of the promise that he has given their forefathers, that he will have an offspring through their seed, that a messiah will come forth through their seed. And may I say that that is exactly what has happened. God has used that line of David. See, the calling of someone is not nullified simply because they have done a wrong thing. King David himself murdered a man in order to take his wife. And God didn't take away his kingship or his calling because of it. In fact, when Yeshua the messiah was here, he reinforced himself as the messiah that has come through that lineage of David himself. And we all are not really that different from David. We have all done acts of disobedience. We have done wrong things. We have done wrong things even daily by works, we are all disqualified from God's calling on our lives. But by faith, because we are grafted into that offspring of Abraham, we become of his seed. Spiritually speaking, the power of Christ is able to save us and how much more so to save Israel? And you may also pd how can it be that those people living in the land of Israel are the elect if they persecute christians? The question that I will have for you is, are christians guiltless in this themselves? If we love to point the finger, let's just consider this for one moment. The degree of persecution that people who call themselves christians have thrown to the way of the jewish people throughout history is we cannot even measure it. Even in the most recent years, which is really, it's not been that long. With the unspeakable acts done at the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. Dare I remind you that those who called themselves christians and followers of Christ jumped in with the nazi regime. And there were few who stood up. We know of those who stood up, like Bonhoeffer, who was a Christian, who was a pastor, who was a scholar, and who was killed for it. But there were many who sat down, who kept quiet, and who did nothing while people were murdered. Well, genocide occurred in their midst. And this was. Why did this happen? It happened long before Hitler showed up in the hearts of people. Because people, Hitler just pulled them into a place where it became mainstream and acceptable. But see, the lukewarmness began long before Hitler showed up, which was what primed them for being deceived by the Hitler of that day. And I want to submit to you, brother sisters, that that lukewarmness is in mainstream Christianity today. And I really hope, and I really pray that the next Hitler of this world is still a far ways off. Because I am not sure how many people who call themselves christians will stand up as they should have in the forties and in the thirties. We have not even taken accountability for any of the persecutions that Christianity has done throughout hundreds and even thousands of years towards jewish people. Take out the log that is out of your, in your own eye first. Then you will perhaps be able to see clearly what is in your brother's eye. And may I say that if you are a jewish person watching this, I would like to apologize on behalf of those who have called themselves follower of the Messiah, who never acted like it in past times, and who never stood up for you when they should have. This is not to be representative of Yeshua, who was the jewish messiah to the jew first. He never did any of that, and he never persecuted his own people. Titus three three says, for we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God, our saviour, appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us ritually through Jesus Christ our savior. Now let's address some objections. Some say that not all descendants of Israel are Israel. They get this from a reading of Romans nine six, where Paul says, but it is not as though the word of God is failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham, because they are his offspring. But through Isaac shall your offspring be named. This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. Paul points us back to how Isaac came forth compared to Ishmael. I would remind you that between Abraham and Sarah there was some dispute and some unbelief because they first had Hagar come, because of their unbelief in God's ability to bring forth a child through Sarah. And so Ishmael the child, came forth as the child of the flesh. And Isaac, which was the promised child, which God miraculously birthed through Sarah, was the one that is the child of faith. And so in the same way, this is all simply to say that those who are considered Israel ought to have faith, because Abraham had faith, Isaac had faith, Jacob had faith, Moses had faith, and so forth. And so ultimately we, if we want to be considered Israel, we have to have faith in God's promise. God chose Isaac, and he did not choose Ishmael. Why is this? Well, the scriptures tells us that. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. God's plan of salvation on an individual basis and how that works out is often a mystery to us. However, one thing is certain, that it is those of faith that are Israel. So on an individual basis, who gets saved and who doesn't? God decides that, not me and not you. That also means that we can't be the ones to judge other people as to how far gone they are or what chances they have and how worth it it is to try and reach them, or what their value is or any such thing. Based off our speculations on whether they are saved or will be saved or not, Zechariah 1210 writes of a coming day where he says, I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that when they look, look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him as one weeps over a firstborn. Verse twelve, he says, the land shall mourn, each family by itself, the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves, and the house of Nathan by itself, and the wives by themselves. Through the prophet Zechariah, God proclaims that Israel will look upon the one they have pierced, and they will have mourning, even so far as to say that each family and the wives and each individual family member will be mourning on an individual level. This will not even just be corporate. It will also be individual. That means that there will be a distraughtness in the hearts of the individuals, which will lead to many giving their hearts to him completely. We don't fully understand what this will look like. We don't know when this will happen exactly, but we know that it is proclaimed to happen. Yeshua spoke of his return and gave us another hint about it in Matthew 23 39. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Considering that he is saying that Israel will have an acknowledgement of his identity as being blessed before he comes, this very well might indicate that, well, the Israel and jewish people will see him and recognize him for who he is before the second coming. One way that Paul tells us this will happen is by the Gentiles. That even though Israel was hardened, that her heart will be softened again when she sees how the Gentiles have been saved and delivered by the messiah. That this gospel of Yeshua is so powerful that it can even save pagan gentiles who are once far off from anything resembling holiness. But I want to submit to you that God's people must follow the example of Christ, the best example of that righteousness who obeyed the Torah and who never abolished it. Many christians today have taught that he practically did abolish it, and this has only served to drive the jewish people further away from their jewish messiah. The restoration of the law of God in this age, as I speak, is a move of God to draw the jewish people back to him as they see the power of the Holy Spirit working, changing christians. Romans 1111. Salvation has come to the gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. Another objection that is often raised is that a true jew is one that is, one inwardly. And this has come from Romans 228. For no one is a jew who is merely one outwardly, nor a circumcision outward and physical. But a jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart by the spirit, not by the latter. His praise is not from man but from God. Some have said by this that therefore, if one does not believe in Jesus right now, you're not a true jewish person at all, and you do not deserve that identity. Now, is this what Paul is actually meaning when he said what he did? The context reveals to us in verse 21, you then, who teach others? Do you not teach yourself what you preach against stealing? Do you steal? You who said that one must not commit adultery? Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols? Do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. And he actually goes on in verse 25 to say, for circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law. But if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So if man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? So we see that Paul actually is addressing something completely different, and that is hypocrisy. That if you say, well, look, I'm a jewish person. I'm circumcised. I have my bloodline inheritance and heritage, and Abraham is my father. That is my security, that is my righteousness, and that is my holiness. He is saying, Paul is saying, that's not how this works. That if you are jewish, then act like it. Not in hypocrisy. Do not teach one thing and do another. And he even goes on to say that a gentile who keeps the law is better off than a bloodline jewish person who doesn't keep the law. Because ultimately, what we do and our actions matter, and we can't rely on our bloodline alone before God. I would like to add that there are many jewish people who have not seen Yeshua yet and who do their best to obey God's law today without hypocrisy. And they are jewish according to Paul. Since Paul's concern in his ladder was hypocrisy in what we teach others to do while not doing it ourselves, we have to understand that there is such a spectrum of people in Israel today and around the world who consider themselves jewish. There is the elect, as Paul called them, who have already accepted Yeshua. There is those who have been under a partial hardening. In other words, they have temporarily been unable to see the messiah, but they will one day see him. And then there are those who are deniers of the Messiah, and they will be deniers of him, acting as if everyone is deniers of the messiah and enemies of the cross to their last breath, is so far from the truth and is ignorant of the reality of scripture. We cannot simplify the people of Israel and paint them with a broad brush that is dangerous and opens the door to all kinds of anti semitisms. There are many sects within Judaism itself. There are many political beliefs within Israel itself. They're not all the same. So I have to warn you that we cannot judge them based off merely what we see from our perspective right now, today, today, someone may seem beyond hope of finding Christ, but you may well be wrong. Paul was a murderer of murderers. But as a jewish person, he found his messiah. And remember also the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 1330, where Yeshua spoke of how even if there are tares among the wheat, we have to wait until the time of harvest, when everyone has grown up before we can distinguish the tare from the wheat. Because if we try and do it prematurely, then what will happen is we will tear out the wheat with the tares. In other words, we will judge people improperly, we will make mistakes, and we will have to answer to our kingdom for it. And I don't want to be in that position, and neither do you. Now, let's start ending this off with addressing. Now who are those who Yeshua spoke of, who say that they are Jews but are not. And these are like those certain Pharisees who came against Yeshua with such a ferociousness to the point of scheming to murder him, and who were never repented of their deeds. We see that the Messiah writes to the church of Philadelphia in revelation three eight. And he says, I know your works. Behold, I have sat before you an open door which no one can shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word, and you have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not but lie. Behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you so. First we see that the Messiah contrasts who this quote, unquote, synagogue of Satan is that those who say they are Jews but are not with the church of Philadelphia. And he says, the church of Philadelphia, you have kept my word, and you have not denied my name. Then, by nature, those who are of this synagogue of Satan are those who do not keep the word. In other words, they have hypocrisy, and they deny his name. I would like to add that there are also those who say that they are Christians but are not. There are those who do not keep his word, even though they say they're Christians, and they deny his name by that, even though they say they are Christians. Let's be careful to also evaluate ourselves. Number two, we also see that this is these who are proclaimed to be thinking that they are Jews but are not they also trusted in their own bloodline or their race for their righteousness and for their salvation. This is like those we discussed earlier, who are hypocrites in their actions and yet who trust in the fact that they are sons of Abraham by blood. I also want to submit to you that it is also dangerous to look at other outward things like our race or our genealogy or whatever, in order to find justification before God or salvation or righteousness. There are some groups like the black Hebrew Israelites or the white Hebrew Israelites, and just about. There's just about one for every race at this point in the world. Races and groups of people who believe that babies off the color of their skin, that they are righteous, elect and saved. Let's not fall into that same conundrum, because then we will also be of those who think and act and call themselves Jews, who are not, because we do not receive our inheritance based off race. And I cannot stress enough that even in this when Yeshua spoke in revelation regarding these people who will bow down to the church of Philadelphia, he didn't share it with us in order for us to speculate on who those individuals guilty of it is today. He did not come and ask us to try and judge those who are the real Jews and who are the fake Jews. That only leads our hearts to growing cold. It leads us to having no desire to reach them with the gospel of grace available to all. And it makes us ignorant of the parable of the wheat and the tares, which cause us to wait until the end, that God would be the one who makes that judgment. And of the last objections, some have stated that the old covenant was for the jewish people, and the new covenant is for the Christians and Gentiles. Jeremiah 31 31 tells us who the new covenant is made out to behold. Today is our coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. The house of Judah, or what we known as the jewish people. Today, Christians do not replace Israel. People who believe in Yeshua can be grafted into Israel, but we do not replace Israel, nor the jewish people or any other tribe. Romans 1118 tells us, do not be arrogant towards the branches. If you are, remember, it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. God warns us to not boast against the branches, lest we become disqualified ourselves due to our pride. I would like to conclude with Paul's last words on this in verse 23 of romans eleven and even they if they do not continue in their unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. Do you believe that God has the power to graft them in again. Because the gospel, which is the messiah, who has come to die for the whole world, including our jewish brothers and sisters, powerful enough, he has come and set us free from our sins. Because we and of ourselves could not be made clean by any animal sacrifice. We could not be made clean by simply our own repentance. But someone had to die. There has to be a consequence to sin. And that consequence is death, as the scripture proclaims, for the wages of sin is death, and the life is in the blood. So if blood is spilled because of our sin, there has to be a consequence. And Yeshua, the messiah, knowing that we stand no chance in approaching the father in our current state, he came to die for us, to cleanse us, to set us free from our sin and our unrighteousness, so we can draw near to him with a clear conscience. So that the father can see us white as snow. And to the very end, God is still reaching out to the jewish people. The question is, are you? Because he said the gospel is supposed to be to the jew first. Do you consider the gospel to the jew first? Or have you replaced them with someone else? So let us be a good witness to all people at all times, firstly, in our own lives, of how we conduct ourselves and go out of our way to love as Yeshua loved. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters for their eyes and ears to be opened, their hearts to be softened, and for them to see Yeshua for who he is. And if you, the viewer watching this, have any concern regarding whether the jewish people are in Israel today are of the biblical jewish people, consider this video I did up here titled are the Jews in Israel not real Jews? I hope that this has been a blessing to you. I want to say a special thank you to our partners who've made this teaching and every other teaching like it possible. We'll see you in the next one. Shalom.