The Uniqueness of Israel #2

[00:00:00] If you would like to turn with me to that scripture that we read together earlier in numbers, in chapter 23 and verse nine. [00:00:10] For from the top of the rocks I see him that is Israel, and from the hills I behold him. Lo, it is a people that dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations. [00:00:25] Just a further word of prayer. Lord, we do want to thank you that when we come to your word, you have given us that anointing. We've already recognized our need of it and we've stood by faith into it in all we want to do now is to recognize, Lord, that that anointing is here for us both for the speaking of your word and the hearing of it, Lord, revive us and quicken us these afternoon sessions or often sleep sleepy times, especially when it's warm, we need the reviving and renewing of your spirit, and we thank you. You can just go through this whole time and all us folks, and revive us and quicken us. And we ask that you do it, Lord, that we may be enabled to get something that's real, of real value to us all. For we ask it in the name of our messiah, the Lord Jesus. Amen. [00:01:24] I was asked if I would speak to you, as you know, about the uniqueness of Israel, and I have already given one time to that theme. And there are a few more characteristics I would like to add to what I have already outlined. And without any further to do, I would like to turn you to Romans, to the roman letter of the apostle Paul, and to chapter nine and verse four and five. [00:01:58] Who are Israelis? Whose is the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises? Whose are the fathers and of whom is Christ? That is the messiah, as concerning the flesh, who is over all God, blessed forever. Amen. [00:02:23] Here is another characteristic, I think, that is unique. [00:02:28] This list of things that have come to the whole world and through the jewish people is surely unique. [00:02:41] I know of no other nation in the world through whom all this has been given. [00:02:48] I mean, the list is tremendous. [00:02:51] The adoption, the glory. Think of that just for a single moment of time. The adoption is the inheritance. And generally speaking, it's thought to be the illustration of the roman form of adoption. [00:03:08] But there are those who believe, who have believed for many years that it is in fact the bar mitzvah, the recognition, when a jewish boy reaches the age of recognition, that he is mature and ready to become a functioning member of the house of Israel. But whatever it is, it is to do with inheritance, whether it's the roman form of adoption or whether it's the jewish bar mitzvah, it is in fact the question of inheritance. And it says to them belongs the inheritance. [00:03:46] To them belongs the glory. Think of that just for a moment. We read in the letter of the apostle Peter that the God of all grace, who called us unto his it eternal glory in Christ Jesus. So tremendous, this word glory. [00:04:06] They search around in some of these modern english versions to find an alternative to the word glory. But there is no alternative. Splendor doesn't come anywhere near it. [00:04:18] And I think there are certain words that you cannot put with any other words. It has to be revealed. Do you what is glory? Glory is really the manifested presence of God. Thats glory. When its not just the presence of God, but its manifested. That is glory. And I think it is a tremendous thing that to the jewish people belongs the glory. In other words, they were called principally, essentially, to the glory of God. [00:04:52] Then I think of the covenants, not just the new and eternal covenant. That is tremendous. According to Jeremiah and Ezekiel, that was a covenant given to the jewish people to which now all the Gentiles have come in. But there is also the davidic covenant, the covenant that God made with David and with his seed forever. And that is another tremendous Covenant. There are other covenants too. We can talk about the Abrahamic and the Mosaic, but its amazing to me that we have this, the covenants. I mean, you dont hear much teaching on the covenants today. [00:05:40] Amongst the Puritans and the covenanters. There was tremendous teaching about the covenants, how they lived in the good of the covenants of God and how they honored them and so on. But it's tremendous to think that here we are told to whom belongs the adoption, the glory and the covenants, and the giving of the law. Well, that's obvious. And the service of God and the promises. Think of that, all the promises of God. Tremendous. Nearly every page has got a promise on it. And we are told in the second letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, chapter one and verse 20, how many soever be the promises of God in the Messiah is the. Yea, yes. And through him is the amen. So every one of these promises in the Messiah is. Yes, that's immediate. But the amen can take time, the actual working out of it. I always remember how I first learned about the promises of God and how to live in them and by them. There was in the church in which I was an old sister who'd been quite a famous. She and her husband, famous opera singers. She had not. She'd been brought up in a christian home amongst the early brethren, but had fallen right away, gone into the cultural world, become a big name in the opera world, and then suddenly found the Lord in the most amazing manner and really became an extraordinary lady. The rest of the church thought she was slightly nutty because she was always talking about Jesus. [00:07:33] And you only talked about Jesus when the pastor came to tea. [00:07:38] You know, sort of thing. You know, it's a little bit overboard to talk about, but she talked all the time about the Lord Jesus. She would say things like, you know, when I get to glory after I've seen our blessed Lord Jesus, I'm going to make a beeline to Isaiah because I have some questions I want to ask. This was the kind of person she was. It was all very real to her. And she used to say to me, you know, however many so ever that these promises are in Christ is the guest and through him is the amen. But it never meant anything to me. She taught my sister to sing. She. My sister had a contralto voice, and she was teaching my sister to sing. And I used to go sometimes and collect my sister and take her home. And on this famous occasion, when I got there, my sister had already gone with somebody else home. So Aunt Yella said, come. Come in and have a cup of tea. So I went in and had the cup of tea with her, and she said, excuse me, I'm an old lady, and I've lived my whole life in the art and cultural world. And now I'm having to do practical things, and I'm no good at it. And all over the floor were these sort of cutout things she was doing. And there was a sewing machine there, and she got stuff in it. And she made the cup of tea and sat me down and was talking about the Lord Jesus and going on with her sewing. And then all of a sudden, the whole thing jammed. And she looked at the needle and she fiddled around with this and fiddled around with that. [00:09:00] And then she looked at me and said, lance, do you know anything about sewing machines? And I was only 13. I'd only been saved a year. And I looked at her and I said, can't hear lie. I know the first thing about a sewing machine. I've never used one. I don't know anything about them. Oh, she said, then, my dear boy, she said, we have to ask our heavenly Father. Sit. She said, sneel. And with that, I shot down on my knees. And she knelt next to the thing. And I've never forgotten the prayer. Her arm went up like this. And she said, heavenly Father. Lance Dearboy and I have been having a wonderful time of fellowship about your dear son. But she said, you know, lord, I'm an old lady and not very practical lady. And I'm trying to do something with this sewing. And the machine's gone wrong. And she said. I asked Lance, dear Lord. [00:09:55] And he can't do anything either. And she said, now, she said, here are the two of us. We're coming to you with one of the promises. How many so ever be? The promises of God in your son is the yes and through in the amen. We're coming with one of those promises. She said, both of us. Now, I didn't know anything about this. But anyway, both of us are coming to you on these promises. [00:10:15] Two corinthians, chapter one. And I'm sorry, Hebrews, chapter one and verse 14. That the angels are sent forth to minister to those who are the heirs of salvation. Send an angel now, Lord. To put this machine right according to your promise. Which is yes in the Lord Jesus. And amen to him. Then she bowed her head so I had eyes like saucers. Waiting to see what would happen. Was something going to appear. But nothing happened. And after a while I said, auntie, I said, try it. Shoosh it. Give the angel time. [00:10:54] And now here you laugh. But this is what happened. She suddenly got up and said, thank you, heavenly Father. You never fail. She pulled the stone, went straight on with the book. [00:11:06] Now, you might think. You might think that's rather stupid, like a fairy tale. But the fact is, it changed my life. We had all the great preachers in the pulpit. Dukes in Billy Graham Ward. Eyre or Eyre Ward. I never can remember the name. And whole lots of others that came to preach. And they all gave these wonderful messages. But we never thought you were supposed to put them into practice. But that day I thought, now, Lord, can this old lady who half the church thinks is slightly nutty. [00:11:44] Is it possible that she stood on a natural promise. And that an angel came and touched this machine? [00:11:51] And if she can do it, can I? [00:11:55] And that started me on the way to know the Lord in experience. That not all the preaching from the pulpit. Could have ever led me into the promises of God. How tremendous are the promises of God. Leave on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. [00:12:15] Think of that. That's fundamental. Think of some of the other. [00:12:20] My God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I could go on and on. There are thousands of promises. And, you know, promises are really rather like vitamins, everything condensed into a pill. [00:12:44] Years ago, I was not very well. I was quite young, and I. [00:12:48] I can't remember what it was, but something the doctor said to me, my dear boy, I have to give you some pills. I want you to take these pills each day. He said, this is the equivalent of a fruit shop. [00:13:00] So you take one or two of these a day. And he said, it's as if you've eaten the whole fruit shop in one. And then as I was taking these pills, I thought to myself, that's what promises are. They are the whole truth of God in vitamin form, in pill form, condensed in a way that is so simple that you and I can stand on it and experience it. Anyway, the promises. How did the promises come to you through the jewish people? [00:13:34] Isn't that amazing? Think about it. All these promises, however many there may be, they came to you through the jewish people. Or you say, don't just work, just. It's the New Testament. I've got promises in the New Testament. Right, right. That's quite right. But every one. But one of those writers was jewish. [00:13:56] Not just the Old Testament, the New Testament as well. Yes. Just think about it. [00:14:02] And the patriarchs, well, you talk about Abraham, you think of the lessons you've learned to Abraham. You think one day you might meet him. Just imagine that the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, so many others we could talk about every one of them. It's amazing. They're all yours. Through them, I find that this tremendous. And of course, the Messiah. Well, I'll talk about him in just one moment on his own. But all these other things, just think of this word also in Romans eleven and verse eleven. But by their fall, salvation is come to the Gentiles. [00:14:52] That means that even through the fall of the jewish people, salvation come to the Gentiles. It's amazing, isn't it? [00:15:03] Now, if their fall is the riches of the world and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness. [00:15:13] Think about it for a moment. Here is one of these characteristics of the uniqueness of this nation, that even in their fall, salvation came to the Gentiles. To the gentiles, you have come into riches through their fall and through their loss. Well, I can only just very simply underline these things and emphasize them. But I think it is tremendous. The revelation of the heart and mind of God, originally given to the Jewish people. Is now yours. [00:16:01] If there had been no Jewish people, there would have been no revelation of the heart and mind of God. [00:16:09] Think about it. [00:16:12] It is amazing. When God appeared to Abraham and said to him, in your seed, all the families of the earth will be blessed. It's to just consider it for a few moments, this uniqueness. Now, other nations have Given US things. I mean, the Egyptians have given us a whole lot of very ancient monuments, and so have the Babylonians. We have an enormous number of huge ruins in different places, old Babylon, Shushan, Nineveh, and we could a whole lot of other things. Even the Greeks have given us a tremendous amount. Of course, they've given us modern democracy, so called. [00:17:03] THEy had it in a different form. But nevertheless, according to the European commission, the European civilization, its source was Greek. [00:17:15] WELL, I don't know ABOut ThaT MYSELF, but they say that the last pope, John Paul II, pleaded with the European Commission that they would at least mention the Bible as one of the sources, if not the source, at least one of the sources of european civilization. And they refused. [00:17:37] And to this day, it is stated that the source of european civilization is greek, it's hellenistic. [00:17:46] Amazing. They've given us all that, but only through only one people has the knowledge of God himself come to us. The knowledge of his heart, of his mind, the word, the word of God. Sometimes when we think of Torah, we only think of law and laws. [00:18:09] But I often think that the word is equivalent to the word. In other words, it is the very means by which God has transmitted the knowledge of himself to us, the word of God. How wonderful it is that all this has come to us through the jews. So we don't have so many monuments from the jews. We don't have all these other things, but what we do have is the knowledge of God, and above all, the salvation of God. Now, there's another characteristic that I would like to mention too in this connection, and it is that what God has begun, he is going to complete. [00:19:03] God is a completer. He never leaves anything undone. [00:19:08] Many human beings start things and never finish them, but God, when he starts something, he always completes it. And I find it very beautiful that the Lord Jesus speaks to himself in one or two places as the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. And then, incredibly, to the church at Laodicea, that lukewarm church that was represents so much that's affluent and half hearted. He says, I am the amen. [00:19:54] Now, amen simply really means it's done. I mean, it comes from Amin the word to believe, I believe, amen, is. You're really saying I believe that. I have faith for that. That is so. [00:20:12] And the Lord Jesus is the. That is so. It's done. It. It's finished. Alpha and omega. Not just alpha, but omega. The whole, the complete Alphabet, the whole mind and heart of God revealed. And not just the beginning, but the end and everything in between. The process from the beginning to the end and the first and the last and everything between. Isn't this amazing? [00:20:50] God is a completer of things. He's not going to leave his purpose unfinished. He's going to complete it. Now, what was his purpose? We talked earlier about his choice of Israel. Why did God choose Israel? Because he loved them. Was there any other reason that we can deduce from the word of God as to why he chose them? What was his purpose in doing? I think it was something to do with reaching the nations of the world with the knowledge of himself. [00:21:26] It was to be an instrument, a vehicle, an agency, a means by which he could come to every tongue and every ethnic group and every race, every color in the world and bring them to a knowledge of himself. It was never meant to be purely inward looking Judaism. [00:21:51] It was meant to be, as it were, some. Something that went out to the ends of the earth. [00:21:58] If you want to prove what I'm saying is true, read the prophets. Read what they say. They speak of all the nations coming from the ends of the earth, how they will bring gifts, how they will come and worship the king in Jerusalem, how they will taste of the salvation of God. It is everywhere. You'll find it in all of them. You'll find it in the Zion, obviously so. But in Jeremiah, in Amos, you will find it in Zechariah, you will find it in all these prophets. They speak of the same thing. Now, the wonderful thing, I always think that the second psalm is a window into the. Into world history, and particularly a window into the last phase of world history. You remember what psalm two is all about. Why do the people imagine the vain thing? Why do they meditate a vain thing? And so on the kings of the earth and the rulers take counsel together, saying, let us break his bonds and cast away his cords from us. They look upon, they take counsel together against the Lord and his messiah. [00:23:15] Isn't that interesting? And here you are in the Old Testament and you have a prophetic psalm. And it is absolutely amazing that it is all to do with the nations of the world meditating a vain thing. And they look upon the revealed word of God as bondage, as fetters, as something unhealthy. I remember years ago a swedish professor in Sweden saying, until Sweden is rid of its christian conscience, our mental homes will be filled with people with nervous breakdowns. [00:23:55] Well, Sweden has basically lost its christian conscience and mental homes are still filled with people with nervous breakdowns. But that's exactly what they're saying. They are saying that all this thing teaching on sex from the Bible, this idea about gay rights and all the rest of it from the Bible, it's unhealthy, it's restrictive, it's limiting. [00:24:21] It's sort of not good for the health of people. [00:24:28] It's interesting. We've come right to psalm two right there. But what does the Lord do? He says, he that sits in the heavens, he's not even stood up. He's not stood up in fear or upsetting. Anyway, he that sits in the heavens will laugh. [00:24:44] He will have them in derision. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will tell of the decree. [00:24:52] This day have I forgotten thee. Thou art my son. This day have I forgotten thee. Now listen. Ask of me and I will give you. This is the father to the son. [00:25:05] Ask of me and I will give thee the gentiles for your inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. [00:25:17] I find that tremendous. Thats just where we are. Just where we are. We are now at the point where the gospel has gone to the ends of the earth. And men and women from every nation, every tongue, every kith and kin have come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. [00:25:39] I find it so tremendous to see it like this. [00:25:46] Well, I don't know if I'm making sense to you or whether you're asleep, but I know that it's not easy in the heat to stay awake. So I suggest you to go to sleep. If it helps you. Don't do as Dennis Clark used to say. Don't try to stay awake. It's dreadful watching people going all trying to keep away. Better have a good little sleep. And then suddenly my voice, suddenly when I raise it, will wake you up with a start. And you'll get at least something out of this time. [00:26:22] But to come back to this again, this matter. Where are we? I'll tell you exactly where we are. Listen. Listen to me, please. Now you can wake up for the moment, then you can go to sleep. [00:26:36] I would not rather have you ignorant of this mystery lest you be wise in your own conceits that a hardening in part has befallen Israel until the full number of the gentiles become in. [00:26:51] And so all Israel shall be saved. [00:26:56] Even as it is written there shall come out of Zion a deliverer. He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins. [00:27:13] As touching the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as touching the election, the predestinating counsel and will of God, they are beloved for the patriarch's sake, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [00:27:32] Now, if I understand this right, please listen to me. Some might not not agree with me here, but I don't upset you. But let me at least have a moment to explain my own position on this. When it says all Israel will be saved, who is all Israel? [00:27:51] Does it mean every jew is going to be saved simply because he is a jew? [00:28:00] What does it mean all Israel? I understand it very clearly. It is the olive tree. And in that olive tree, a wild olive branches grafted in through God given faith. They are part of the olive tree. The trunk is the jewish people, the roots and the jewish people. But they have been grafted in. You have all, every one of you who is gentile in your background, you've been grafted into the good olive tree by God given faith. The saving work of the Lord Jesus, the finished work of the Lord Jesus of Galilee. But what about the natural branches? They're laid on one side. [00:28:41] But he says, if you, being a wild olive branch, were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I would not bothers. Have you ignorant of this mystery? It's a mystery. It has to be revealed. [00:29:01] You can't reason it out. [00:29:04] How can a people who. Who are. Who are not saved, who are. Who are living in sin, who are disobedient, who are Christ rejecting, is it possible that God has hardened them? [00:29:16] A hardening in part has befallen them until the full number of the gentiles, not the full time, not the times of the. But the full number of the gentiles become in. And so all Israel shall be saved. That means that every gentile, in my estimation, who has been saved by the grace of God, every single gentile saved by the grace of God is a partaker of the commonwealth of Israel. There's no middle wall of perdition. They've come into something which we can call the one new man in the Messiah. Isn't that wonderful? [00:29:56] Is it any wonder that Satan is doing a war dance? [00:30:02] Is it any wonder that he's mobilizing every single weapon, every single person he can to liquidate the jewish people? Why, if he cannot stop the gospel going to the ends of the earth and men and women, for from every gentile ethnic group in the world and colour coming to know God through the Lord Jesus, then he will do everything in his power to frustrate the fulfillment of God's purpose by liquidating the jewish people before they can be saved. [00:30:37] That's why I fear another holocaust. [00:30:44] I remember how Saddam Hussein said, I will gash and incinerate Israel. Gas and fire. [00:30:55] That's why that little man, Ahmad al Dinajad, who a whole number of the ayatollahs believed to be the Mahdi, the muslim messiah, the 12th imam, he says he is not. He says he is the forerunner to the Mahdi, but a whole number of the ayatollahs, they believe he is the Mahdi. Thats why its so serious, what he said. Not once, four times. We will wipe Israel off the face of the world, man. [00:31:32] Weve heard this kind of talk before from Adolf Hitler, another demonized man in whom Satan dwelt. [00:31:46] We've got the same thing all over again. Make no mistake about it. Taqmar dinh Chad means exactly what he says. [00:31:54] If they get hold of a nuclear weapon, the first recipient will be Israel. [00:32:07] This hatred of the jewish people. I ask the question why, if they have done Satan's work, if they, as I said earlier, if they have supported Satan, if they have rejected the Messiah, if they have been the tool of wickedness, why? This is what I don't see. These things is what people say about the Jews. [00:32:32] Why doesn't he support them? Why doesn't he favour them instead? He hates them. He hates them with a ferocious, determined hatred. [00:32:51] It has something to do with the. The purpose of God. [00:32:56] It began with Abraham, when the God of glory appeared to him, when he was in Ur of Mesopotamia. [00:33:07] And when dear Abraham saw in the God of glory the city of glory, and his life was changed. [00:33:22] And God made promises to him. [00:33:26] He said to him, in your seed, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. [00:33:37] But he had a problem. [00:33:40] He had no seed. [00:33:49] It is extraordinary to me that God put Abraham into such a situation, where it became more and more and more and more impossible as he got older and older and older. I feel a bit like this myself now. And older and older and older. And dear Sarah got older and older and older with him. [00:34:19] And in the end, Sarah said, dear, I think we've been barking up the wrong tree. [00:34:26] I think you should take my handmaid as a fine young woman. She can easily bear a child. That's what God must mean. [00:34:37] I mean, it's obvious. Use common sense. [00:34:41] Common sense is the biggest form of unbelief in the world. Normally, when it comes to christian work or the work of the gospel, everyone's always says, use your common sense. Use your common sense. But it really means follow the world's ways. [00:34:57] Common sense. In my estimation, real common sense is when a person says, is God God? [00:35:08] And has he said, then he will do it, and nothing is impossible. [00:35:15] That is real common sense. [00:35:19] So all these schemes for raising money and all these schemes for multiplying churches and all these other things that I see everywhere I go all over the world, I think, if only we could trust the Lord. Dear. Abraham didn't have any scheme at all. The only scheme he did get, he got from Sarah. Not to blame her, but she gave him the idea. And that's with us to this day as a very big problem. [00:35:49] He remained without sin except for Ishmael. [00:35:59] And then it happened. [00:36:03] And Isaac was born of a miracle. [00:36:08] Isaac was born by the word of God. [00:36:13] And everything God really does is born of the word of God. [00:36:21] That's how the church began. [00:36:26] It was born of the spirit on that day of Pentecost, Shavuot, so many years ago, when God turned a congregation of 120 units into a body of 120 members. [00:36:50] And when you get a church linked to the head in heaven, then nothing on earth can stop the fulfillment of the purpose of God. [00:37:01] The whole world is turned upside down by simply having human beings saved by the grace of God, filled with the Holy Spirit in union with a head in heaven. That's the church in my estimation. Now come back to this thing now, Israel. What does God say? He says this. [00:37:23] Come back to psalm two. What did the father say to the son? Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for your, the Gentiles for your inheritance? The Son has asked, and the Gentiles are coming in their droves to the Lord. Thank God for that. Maybe not so much in England and in these western countries, but in Asia, in the far east, in India, in China, in Africa. It is amazing to see what is happening. It is so exciting in South America, so exciting. [00:37:55] Only where humanism has done its deadly work in the church is the whole thing paralyzed. [00:38:03] But wherever you have simple men and women saved by the grace of God and by the Holy Spirit joined to the head in heaven, they see the miracles of the New Testament, and they see nations turn inside out and upside down. [00:38:22] But to come back to the point, not that that isnt a good point, but to come back to the point, I would not bothers have you ignorant of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own conceits that are hardening in part of the fallen Israel until. [00:38:44] Until the full number of the gentiles become. And not meaning that the Lord will wait till the very last gentile is saved. But just like in the early church, there was a transition from the Jews who were saved to gentiles, and less Jews and more gentiles, and even less Jews and even more gentiles, till in the end, the church became a gentile affair. So at the end, something will happen, whereby, by the grace of God, by the work of the Holy Spirit, when the work amongst the gentiles is coming to its complex completion, God will turn back to the jewish people, with the most incredible consequences. [00:39:32] You know, we're such unbelievers in this matter, this to do with common sense and humanism. [00:39:40] You know, I'm always being told, the problem of a religious jews, they are the problem. [00:39:50] They will never come to the Lord. [00:39:53] So we want them all to be secular, because the secular ones more easily will come to the Lord. This is just common sense in my estimation. One of these days, the Holy Spirit will fall upon one of the most haredi yeshivot in Jerusalem, and they will be saved. [00:40:13] In that day, rabbis eyes will open, and they will see the Lord and become pioneers of the gospel in that day, because it is the work of. Oh, you say, no, no, no, the word just wait, just wait. Are you telling me that the Lord didn't do the right thing at Pentecost? 120 people, we don't even know the most of their names. We know some of the ladies, we know the twelve apostles. This is all we know. Nonentities, forgive me, Lord, because they're not nonentities in the sight of the Lord, but I mean, they're nonentities as far as we're concerned. We don't even know their names. We don't know their pedigree, we don't know anything about their background. 120 people, they'd never been to college, they'd never been to the, thank God, never been to theological seminary, never had all these degrees at the back of the name, titles in front of I dont know what else. [00:41:11] And when the Holy Spirit fell upon him, the whole of Jerusalem was turned upside down. [00:41:18] And no matter what, however iron clad the ecclesiastical, the jewish ecclesiastical establishment was, it could do nothing. [00:41:31] And in the end, when Rome itself came against, fed them to the lions, put them into the arenas, it was Jesus who triumphed, not Rome. [00:41:46] Rome has gone, and the true church is still with us. [00:41:59] This amazing work of God. Listen to the words of that godly old jew, Simeon. [00:42:08] When he said about the Lord Jesus as a babe, taking him in his arms to bless him, he said, a light to lighten the Gentile and the glory of your people, Israel. [00:42:27] Jesus is not the glory of Israel. [00:42:33] But there will come a day when the Holy Spirit does his work, when millions of Jews will recognize Jesus as the glory of Israel. [00:42:51] In that day, the key of David will be given to the jewish people, and with it they will unlock all the mysteries of jewish history. [00:43:06] The suffering, the pain, the hatred, the loss, the recreation of the State, preservation of the Jewish State through seven wars in 57 years. [00:43:24] It's all in that key. [00:43:27] The key that is the messiah, Jesus. Well, dear friends, I hope you can hear me dropping my voice, I think. But isn't this amazing? I think it's amazing to me. [00:43:40] I think this is something that is a characteristic of the uniqueness of Israel. [00:43:52] What other nation has had a history like this? [00:43:58] What other nation is awaiting the fulfillment of the divine purpose? [00:44:08] Well, I must finish time. Time's gone. [00:44:12] But there's one last thing, and I would say this sums it all up. It's hardly need to say anymore. [00:44:20] If there was nothing else that the jewish people or Israel have given to the world, then Jesus, it would be enough. [00:44:35] The messiah is jewish. [00:44:43] I noticed that it says according to the flesh, quite rightly, according to the flesh. [00:44:54] We know that he is God the son. [00:44:57] We know that he is the Incarnate word of God. [00:45:05] But in his flesh, he's jewish. Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, salvation is of the Jews. [00:45:15] And he could have put it another way and said, your savior is jewish. [00:45:27] I find this so wonderful. [00:45:29] He is the savior of the world, but he is also the savior and Redeemer of Israel. [00:45:41] It remains to be seen how he will complete the work where it will start. [00:45:49] Certainly now, probably more jews than at any other time, time in the history of the church. Since the early church, more jews are coming to the Lord. [00:45:59] And interestingly, they do not reject their jewishness as they once did. [00:46:10] That's interesting. [00:46:12] And I think that somehow or other, we're very near to the end of the cycle, and that's why we are watching the whole world sort of boiling up as we come nearer and nearer to this thing. You don't think Satan is going to allow this to happen without an enormous fight? [00:46:36] You don't think he's going to just allow the purpose of God to be completed without seeking in one way or another to frustrate that purpose? [00:46:50] No. It's wonderful. [00:46:53] Why is it wonderful? I'll tell you why it's wonderful. This messiah given to us, to the jewish people who died for our salvation in our place bearing the punishment of our sin in his own body on the truth who was raised on the third day and ascended to the right hand of God is coming back and it is the same Jesus who comes back. Hes not a spirit. [00:47:25] He has marks in his hands, in his feet, in his thigh. [00:47:31] Theyre there forever. [00:47:34] It is the same Jesus. [00:47:37] Now this leads me to say one other thing about this and I've said it before. Some of you have heard me say it before but Jesus was born king of the jew he was acclaimed king of the jew and when he died they could have put above his hid a whole number of titles taken from the things that were said about him or the things he himself said but they took only one thing Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews he was born king he was acclaimed king you will notice how people used to call out to him son of David but most christians who read their bible that just goes in one ear and out the other runs off them like water off a duck's back well, son of David. But what they were really saying is, you know, it's like crown prince they recognized him as the many of the poorer people as the house of David of the royal see even the town of has a little phrase in it Yeshua speaking of Jesus Yeshua who was of the royal seed this means that when Jesus ascended to the right hand of God he actually ascended as a king and when he sat down at the right hand of God that to me is something so exciting that most believers do not give enough importance to the ascension. He sat down at the right hand of God. He's not fighting, he's not in a nervous state, he's not waiting to see what's happening. He sat down and the Father said to the Son, you sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool so the Lord Jesus is to sit while the father makes his enemies his footstool I find that wonderful and I find it wonderful that the churchs job, if she only knew it is to be a free will offering in the day of his power, because he says in that wonderful 110th psalm about his rod, the rod of his authority going forth from Zion. Rule, the father says to the Son, rule in the midst of your enemy. From his seated position, from a finished work, from something absolutely complete, he is to reign until every enemy is under his feet. [00:50:26] Well, there are an awful lot of enemies and they seem off his power. [00:50:32] It doesn't look too much at present as if the Lord is winning this battle when we look at the world around us, but he is. He's won it. That's why we're just waiting for the final, final word when we hear that great shout of the archangel and the trumpet and he appears in the clouds with great power and glory. Praise the Lord. [00:51:03] I can only say this, this matter of Israel, this uniqueness of Israel is very simply to do with this king. [00:51:14] No other nation in the world has had a king who died for their sin and who was raised on the third day and who ascended at the right hand of God as a man, as a human being, and is seated at the right hand of God. [00:51:33] No other nation has a king who is actually enthroned at the right hand of God. No other world king has ever sat at the right hand of God. [00:51:46] Only Jesus. [00:51:49] That means, as I have so often said, Israel thinks she's a republic. In fact, she is a king. [00:51:59] That makes her unique. And where does the king come back? [00:52:04] Not to Washington, not to London, not to any other the great cities of the world. He returns to Jerusalem. [00:52:15] I find that tremendous cycle is complete. And if you have been saved by the grace of God, as I have, well, all in this together, well, all be there to see the coronation of that peace. Well, may the Lord help us. These few thoughts on the uniqueness of Israel. [00:52:44] We're going to see a lot of conflict in these days ahead, and you'll need this word to come back to you. [00:52:52] Behold the king. [00:52:55] Keep your eyes. We see Jesus crown with glory and honor. I think it is. I can't just remember the exact words in Hebrews, too. You can check it. [00:53:10] We see Jesus crown with glory and honor. He has not been unseated, nor will he be. And he's not fighting. He doesn't have to. He's won the battle. [00:53:26] Praise the Lord. [00:53:40] Thank you.