For further study, or if questions, please Call: 907-252-3708, or Visit: www.frr-churchofchrist-ak.org Premillennialism Pt. 2: Will Israel Rise Again? Prepared by Nathan L Morrison for Sunday August 17th, 2014 Text: Rom. 11:26

Intro I. Defining Premillennialism

A. Premillennialism is defined as: “Pre” = before; and “millennium” = 1,000 B. There are many varieties of Premillennialist teaching (Not all are alike)! C. There is a basic shell but the particulars vary from group to group. D. The basic doctrine: D.1.The rapture will take place – believers taken from earth. D.2.Seven years of tribulation – Israel restored, temple rebuilt D.3.Christ returns to reign 1,000 years on earth from Jerusalem (After Battle of Armageddon). D.4.Judgment Day: Saints go to Heaven, and the wicked go to Hell. II. Many people today (and in times past) believe Israel (the Jews) will still play a part in God’s redemptive plan and will one day trump (or outlast) the church! A. “Friends of Israel” and “Pray 4 Zion” and many others, including most denominations… B. Most “Premillennialists” believe after the church is raptured away, the 7 years of tribulation is the time for Israel to return to her former glory, the temple to be rebuilt, getting Jerusalem ready as the throne of Jesus for His 1,000 year reign on earth! III. The “Budding Fig Tree” Doctrine – Mt. 24:32-36 (CF: Mk. 13:28; Lk. 21:29-31) A. They take other passages to show Israel as a nation is always described as a fig tree, so this shows when the fig tree blossoms, the end is near! B. They say Israel “budded” on May 14th, 1948 when for the first time since 136 AD (Hadrian destroyed Jerusalem and renamed the land “Palestine,” the land of the Philistines) Israel was a nation! (www.pray4zion.org/TheBuddingoftheFigTree.html) C. They teach that the “fig tree budded” and so within a generation Jesus will return, or the Rapture will begin. C.1.The problem is in designating what a generation is: most scholars say it is 40 years, which then ended in 1988. Then they say Israel became a nation with Jerusalem as its capital city in 1967 (after the 6-Day War), which its 40 years was up in 2007. So they say it can be any time now! (What defined a “generation” in past generations?)

1 D. Rom. 11:26: They use Mt. 24, Rom. 11 and Jer. 11 to show “All Israel will be saved!” IV. Rom. 11:26: A. Will Israel rise up as God’s chosen people once again? B. Does fleshly Israel hold some trump card over the church when it comes to salvation? (Eph. 5:23: Jesus is Savior of the body! Col. 1:18: The body is the church!) V. Context of Rom. 11:26 A. The context spans over chapters 9, 10 and 11. The context deals mainly with the point that Israel has rejected Christ and that they were resting in their biological background. B. In chapters 3, 4, and 5 Paul really makes the same point concerning the mindset of fleshly Israel – In that they were saved because of their genealogy and not by faith. VI. Will Israel rise again as God’s chosen nation and play some role in end times?

I. The Status of Israel A. Rom. 10:1: In the larger context we can see Israel was not in a protective bubble. A.1.1. NKJ: They “may be saved,” which indicates that they were not saved. B. We also see as we go through the context in Rom. 11 the following:

1. 11:11: their fall 5.11:19: broken off 2. 11:12: their failure 6.11:20: broken off 3. 11:15: casting 7.11:21: God did not spare the natural away; from the dead branches 4. 11:17: branches 8.11:22: on them that fell, severity broken off C. The context is that Israel had fallen, failed, were cast away, broken off, were dead and were not spared – Their status before God was not a protected one!

II. Understanding Mt. 24-25 A. To remove the “Budding Fig Tree” false doctrine, must properly understand Mt. 24-25: 1.1.1. Jesus was answering 2 questions from Peter, Andrew, James, and John (Mk. 13:3), who said, “Tell us” in Mt. 24:3: 1.1.1.a. 1st Question: “When will these things happen?” Answered in 24:4-35 1.1.1.b. 2nd Question: “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Answered in 24:36-51 1.1.1.c. Mt. 24:4: Jesus responded, “See to it that no one misleads you.” 1.1.1.d. Who? Not people hundreds of years later, but the “you” refers back to the “us”: Peter, Andrew, James, and John! 1.1.1.e. Mt. 24:33: Throughout the chapter Jesus says “you” and ends with saying, “When you see all these things…” and says, that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” In answering their questions, He said they would see it! 1.1.1.f. Two Events: Destruction of Jerusalem, and Christ’s 2nd Coming 1.1.2. Divided into 2 sections: 24:15-21 discusses local judgment from which there was escape. 24:37-44 describes universal judgment from which there is no escape. Judgment on Jerusalem Judgment at the End of the World Preceded by signs (24:5-15) No signs of 2nd Coming (24:36-39) Can be escaped by flight (24:16) Cannot be escaped (24:42; 25:31) No personal coming of Christ (24:23) Personal coming of Christ (24:44) Premillennialism Pt. 2: Will Israel Rise Again? 2 Some points from an article by George Parsley & a tract by Tom O’Neal Judgment on earth (24:15) Judgment in Heaven (25:31-46) 1.1.3. The two sections are separated by a time text – Mt. 24:34: Jesus said, “This generation” would see the fulfillment, so everything discussed up to 24:34 would occur within that “generation.” (Not a generation after 1948!) B. Jesus uses the natural phenomenon of the fig tree (24:32) as a lesson in reading the times, to say they could know when summer was nearby by its leaves (The fig tree’s peculiarity is that the blossoms of the fruit appear before the leaves), so by watching for the signs they can know the end is near (AD 70). C. To properly understand Mt. 24, one must distinguish between these two judgments! III. “Israel” is Saved the Same as the Rest A. Mt. 21:43: Jesus told the Jews their “kingdom” is taken away and given to a people, “producing the fruit of it.” 1.1.So if their status of God’s chosen people is removed, how are they saved? (Mt. 23:33-38: “Desolate” = Lk. 21:20: The Roman armies were their desolation!) B. Much of the Roman letter is based on this very point! 1.1.1. Rom. 11:26-27: “and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” 1.1.2. These quotes are summarized from Is. 59:20-21; Jer. 31:31-34. C. Who was this Deliverer that would come and take away their sins? 1. It is Jesus (Mt. 1:21; Jn. 1:29). D. What is this covenant? 1.1.It is the gospel (Rom. 1:16-17; Eph. 1:13). 1.2.Jer. 31:31-34: A “new covenant” not like the covenant with the Jews’ forefathers 1.3.I Cor. 11:25: The “new covenant” is sealed in Christ’s blood! E. Rom. 11:25: But how are the Gentiles and Jews saved? 1.1.They are all saved the same way, by faith (Rom. 3:29-30). 1.2.Peter said, “And He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9). 1.3.Rom. 9:6-8: “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: ‘THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.” 1.4.If not fleshly Israel, who are the children of Promise? 1.5.Gal. 3:8-9, 26-29: If Jew or Gentile belongs to Christ, they are Abraham’s seed! Those Jews who obey the gospel (Rom. 1:16-17) will be part of the “New Covenant” (Rom. 11:15-24) and be saved by the blood of Jesus (Eph. 1:7). 1.6.Rom. 11:15-24: The natural branches (Jews) were cut off the Cultivated Olive Tree, and the branches of the Wild Olive Tree (Gentiles) were grafted on to the Cultivated one. Jews are able to be grafted back in! (Rom. 11:23) F. Fleshly Israel is saved the same way as the Gentiles are – By hearing the gospel, believing the gospel & being baptized for forgiveness of sins! (Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Gal. 3:26-27)

IV. What About Israel Today? A. Even with the Jews rejecting Jesus, it was to them the gospel was preached first (Rom. 1:16-17) and they can be saved the same way Gentiles can! B. World leaders and preachers in the religious world watch world events and even make political moves, all believing Israel as it exists today will still play a part in God’s plan. Premillennialism Pt. 2: Will Israel Rise Again? 3 Some points from an article by George Parsley & a tract by Tom O’Neal C. On May 14, 1948 the establishment of a Jewish nation was proclaimed! But it is important to note that this is not the Israel from the Old Testament: a.1.1. The Biblical nation of Israel was established under the Law of Moses; the modern state of Israel is not under the Law of Moses! a.1.2. The Biblical nation of Israel had a king; the modern state of Israel has no king! a.1.3. The Biblical nation of Israel possessed all the territory promised to Abraham; the modern state of Israel possesses only part of the land! a.1.4. The Biblical nation of Israel had the temple as their central place of worship; the modern state of Israel has no temple! a.1.5. The Biblical nation of Israel had priests of the tribe of Levi; the modern state of Israel has no priests! (genealogical records lost in destruction of 70 A.D. – see Ezra 2:61-63: Levites without proof could not serve as priests!) a.1.6. The Biblical nation of Israel offered animal sacrifices; the modern state of Israel offers none! a.1.7. The Biblical nation of Israel had tribal identity; the modern state of Israel has no such identifying practices! (Genealogical records lost in destruction of 70 A.D.) D. Jer. 4:27; 5:18; 30:11; 46:28: God revealed through the prophet Jeremiah that Israel, though carried away to exile, would not be fully destroyed, but scattered among the nations! E. Jer. 19:10-11: God also revealed through Jeremiah that Israel would never be a nation again! a.1. Jewish people will be scattered among the nations, but not ever a nation as they once were! a.2. Jesus said their house was “desolate” and their kingdom “removed” (Mt. 21:43; 23:33-38) F. “All Israel” that will be saved is made up of those that have obeyed the gospel through faith, been baptized into Christ for forgiveness of sins, the same as the Gentiles!

Conclusion I. Many people today (and in times past) believe Israel (the Jews) will still play a part in God’s redemptive plan and will one day trump (or outlast) the church! A. Some teach saints shouldn’t convert Jews because they will have their time during the Great Tribulation and afterwards in Christ’s 1,000 year reign! B. Others teach to convert them so they can be raptured out with the saints, then the rebellious ones left behind will have a 2nd chance during the Great Tribulation! II. They misunderstand, misuse, and abuse Mt. 24 & Rom. 11 and a host of other passages, when the Scriptures plainly teach under the New Covenant Jew & Gentile alike are saved by faith! A. Some teach that the Jews and Gentiles are together till the “Rapture” then the believers (the church) will be taken away to let Israel shine forth! III. I Thess. 4:16-18: No “rapture” for Jesus won’t set foot on the earth again when He returns, and after the resurrection of the dead and alive in Christ, the wicked will rise and after that the judgment! (Jn. 5:28-29; Acts 1:11; II Pet. 3:10-12) A. There won’t be a “2nd chance” to get it right during a 7 year tribulation period! B. People that say “I’ll wait till the rapture then make it right with God during the tribulation” misunderstand the 2nd Coming of Christ! When He comes again, judgment begins – no 2nd Chance! IV. Both Jew and Gentile alike are called by the gospel and saved by faith through grace (Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 3:8-9), are called Christians (Acts 11:26) and are in the church (Eph. 3:6)! V. Now all men must seek to be a part of the church in this life – God’s chosen people, royal priesthood, and holy nation! (I Pet. 2:9-10) VI. If not a Christian, you need to be! Repent and be baptized! VII. If a Christian in error, don’t wait for “that one day” to come, but repent and seek forgiveness! Premillennialism Pt. 2: Will Israel Rise Again? 4 Some points from an article by George Parsley & a tract by Tom O’Neal VIII. Whatever your requests, let them be known NOW while we stand and sing!

Premillennialism Pt. 2: Will Israel Rise Again? 5 Some points from an article by George Parsley & a tract by Tom O’Neal