The Edge of Time, pg. 41, by Peter & Patti Lalonde: "A model of the Third Temple has been constructed and sits on exhibit in old Jerusalem. Even a computerized list of candidates who fulfill the requirements of a Temple priest has been drawn up, and rabbinical students have been training for ancient Jewish temple rites and sacrifice."
In the November 1999 issue of Newsweek Magazine, in its comments about Y2K & Christian concerns, says, ". . . the predominant issue in Christian prophecy is the return of the Jews to the Holy Land and the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple."
Today, much of the world has an appetite for sports that match one opponent against another, and there are many different kinds of sports that do this, but the one I'm thinking of is wrestling.
In the Biblical sense we don't think of it as a sport, but as a life and death struggle between the forces of good and evil. Ephesians 6:12 says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood"- But we do wrestle! Every one of us is engaged in a wrestling match "against spiritual wickedness in high places." It's not a physical, but a spiritual grappling for the mastery. The devil has cast his vote against us / God has cast His vote for us, and we hold the tiebreaker!
Where we spend eternity is a choice that only we can make. And it's a choice that has to be made daily. In fact, it's a choice that must be made many times throughout the course of a day. As long as we have temptation we will have a choice to make. And as long as we have fallen flesh, we will have temptation. Therefore, there will be no resting place this side of heaven! We must "fight the good fight of faith," until "this corruptible puts on incorruption, and this mortal puts on immortality."
It is in this life that we must put on the whole armour of Christ's righteousness- and keep it on! But we are always free to take it off and expose ourselves to the devil.
There's only one place in the entire Bible that tells about a physical wrestling match between a human being and his maker. It's recorded in Genesis 32-I'm sure you remember the story. Jacob cheated Esau out of the blessing of his birthright, and because Esau wanted to kill Jacob, he had to run away from home for 20 years.
But the time finally came when God told Jacob to return home. And as he was nearing home he grew fearful that Esau would destroy him and his entire family. So he split them up into two bands that some might escape should Esau attack.
As he was left alone that night he began to plead with God for divine protection. We pick up the story in Genesis 32:24-30: "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
This is the very first time the name Israel is used in the Bible, and as we read these verses, we can see that it has deep spiritual significance. In the beginning, Israel was a special name given to only one man.
And as you know, in the Bible, a person's name was often a description of their character. The name Jacob meant-"heel catcher; or supplanter." You remember when the two boys were delivered that Esau came out first and right behind him was Jacob with his hand around his heel. The word "supplant" means "to trip up the heels."
Jacob was a thief, but after his wrestling match with Jesus he was given a "new character" and a "new name" that was symbolic of that new character. In New Testament language he was born again. The name Israel means, "He will rule" or "prince of God."
And so, the name Israel was a spiritual name that symbolized Jacob's spiritual victory over his past sins. In other words, carnal Jacob was now spiritual Israel.
I laid this groundwork because in a few minutes we're going to see the significance of how spiritual Israel relates to Bible prophecy.
Exodus 4:22, 23: "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn."
Now, in these verses we have a very important development taking place. The name Israel is now being expanded to include, not just Jacob as an individual, but also to his descendents. The entire nation is now called Israel.
And so, the name Israel first applied to a victorious man and then to a people that were also to be victorious. That was God's plan. God also called this new nation, "My son-my first born."
Let's take a look at a few more texts to see what other names God called Israel by.
Psalm 80:8 - "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it."
Isaiah 41:8 - "But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend."
Isaiah 42:1 - "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles."
Now take a look at Hosea 11 and we'll begin to see a turning point in God's affection toward Israel.
Hosea 11:1, 2: "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images."
How sad, in the end Israel failed to live up to its own name. And yet God still had a plan-and we'll see that plan unfold as we turn now to the New Testament.
About 800 years after Hosea penned the words we just read, Old Testament Bible prophecy began to meet its fulfillment as a special event took place.
Matthew 2:1, 13-15: "Now when Jesus was born in Beth-lehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, . . . And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son."
Here we see something interesting. Hosea referred to the nation of Israel as God's son, which He called out of Egypt during the time of Moses. And yet Matthew, quoting Hosea, declares it fulfilled in Jesus Christ! As we continue to compare old and new testament accounts, we're going to begin to see an important Bible principle begin to develop as type meets antitype.
Remember, the first time the name "Israel" is used in the Bible, it's a spiritual name given to one man which means: "Prince of God".
Later on this same title begins to be applied to another man, the man Christ Jesus. In Isaiah 9:6 He is called the "prince of peace."
There are all kinds of parallels between the history of Israel and the earthly history of Jesus. In Hebrew history, a young man named Joseph had dreams and went into Egypt. In the New Testament we find another young man named Joseph who had dreams and then went to Egypt.
When God called Israel out of Egypt, He called that nation "My Son." When Jesus came out of Egypt, God said, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."
When the nation of Israel left Egypt, all the people went through the Red Sea, which represented their baptism according to 1 Corinthians 10:2. And in Matthew 3:15-17 we have Jesus being baptized in the Jordan River "to fulfill all righteousness." And as He came out of the water there was a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
After Israel passed through the sea they spent 40 years in the wilderness. And immediately after Jesus was baptized, He was "led of the Spirit into the wilderness" for 40 days (day for year).
At the end of the 40 days, Jesus resisted the devil's temptations by quoting 3 scriptures from Deuteronomy. The very same book that God gave to Israel at the end of their 40 years in the wilderness.
Why all these similarities? Coincidence? No!!! Jesus repeated the history of Israel-point by point-in order to overcome where they had failed. He became the new Israel (The Prince of God), the one victorious Man who overcame all sin.
Are there more similarities?
Matthew 12:14-21: "Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."
Here Matthew is doing the same thing he did with the writings of Hosea. He is quoting Isaiah the prophet this time, which in its original context referred to Israel.
Isaiah 42:1-3: "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth."
Let's look at a few more examples-
First born
Seed / Servant
In the New Testament name Israel not only belongs to the One victorious man, but to all who belong to Him.
In the Old Testament God made a covenant with the 12 tribes of Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Exodus 24:3-8, "And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do. And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood, and put [it] in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words."
Did Israel do "all that the Lord had said"? No. Literal Israel failed-they broke their covenant with God. Therefore, once again Jesus repeated the history of Israel and accomplished where they failed.
At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus made a new covenant: not with the twelve tribes this time, but with twelve apostles. Not at Mt. Sinai, but in an upper room on Mt. Zion. Before offering Himself as the great Sacrifice, He said this: "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Matthew 26:28.
Since the words "testament" and "covenant" are synonymous this means that Jesus Christ, the true seed, was making a new covenant with a new Israel.
According to the New Testament there are now two Israels and the proof of this is found in the apostle Paul's writings.
Romans 9:1-8 "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth 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 as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."
Galatians 6:15, 16 "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."
According to what Paul said, there is an "Israel according to the flesh", and there is an "Israel of God." An "Israelite according to the flesh" would be one who is a literal descendent of Abraham (or Jew), but one who is of the "Israel of God" has nothing to do with physical heritage-but rather the faith of Abraham. He can be a Jew, but he can also be a Gentile.
In Jesus' day, the majority of the Jews claimed to be the children of Abraham and heirs to the promises of God based on lineage. But Jesus said of them, "Ye are of your father the devil."
John 8:39-47 "They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."
The apostle Paul backs up what Jesus said. Romans 2:28, 29, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."
Today, over in the middle east, and all over the world, there are millions of Jews who still believe that God's promises will be fulfilled through them, the physical descendents of Abraham. They claim to be both the "Israel of God" and the "Israel according to the flesh." And as if that isn't enough of a deception, the evangelical Christian churches today second the motion. They are under the delusion that the promises God made to literal Israel thousands of years ago can only be fulfilled by literal Israel today.
If we were to come to the same conclusion, then we must also conclude that Jerusalem and the modern Jewish nation will eventually become the center of the final battle of Armageddon. That a third Jewish temple will be rebuilt, that antichrist will gain control of that temple after Jesus raptures His church-and every other erroneous conclusion in between.
There is a worldwide system of false prophecy today that is deceiving millions into thinking that Armageddon is only a Middle East conflict that will not involve them personally. But I'm here to tell you that Armageddon is a spiritual battle that will involve all of us-and has nothing to do with geographical location.
The idea that the final battle between good and evil will be fought in some valley in the Middle East is part of "the wine of Babylon" that will deceive all nations- and is deceiving all nations today!
The apostle Paul taught that the time would come when the majority would "Turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). We are now living during that time!
Today, Satan's agents are telling us to look downward toward a rebuilt third temple on earth. But God would have us direct our attention to the temple in heaven.
Revelation 11:19 says, "The temple of God was open in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament."
The devil wants us to focus on "Israel according to the flesh" and to a rebuilt temple in old Jerusalem that will have no ark, and therefore no holy presence.
But the true "Israel of God" will focus on the true temple of God and will keep the commandments of God through faith in Jesus Christ our great High Priest, who now ministers the benefits of His own shed blood in the true temple which the Lord pitched and not man.
And so, let's keep our eyes on Jesus, what do you say? And let's uplift His downtrodden law by allowing Him to perfectly reproduce His character within our hearts.