The Prophetic Future of Israel and the Role of the Church
How are we to view the role of the Church as it pertains to the prophetic future of Israel? Many eschatological discussions commonly focus on what may happen when a person goes when they die or when the rapture will be. These kinds of discussions are somewhat focused on the individual, but we need, in this hour, to be aware of the Lord’s purposes for His Body as a whole as this age draws to a close and the millennial kingdom nears. Our Lord will soon rule for a thousand years from Jerusalem, here on earth, and all Israel will be saved! (Jeremiah 31:34, Romans 11:26 ). Much is left to happen here on earth! So let us inquire of the Scriptures so that we do not remain ignorant.
Israel still has a central place in the plan of God, and we, as the Church, are part of that. Do you know that God will still fulfill His purposes with Israel and that we are called to an important role as believers?
The apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 11:1&2: “Has God cast away His people? God forbid…God has not cast away His people who He foreknew.” He goes on to say that there is a remnant in Israel who believe in Christ according to the election of grace although as a whole Israel’s eyes have been darkened for a season. Yet, even this is to a good end: through Israel’s fall, salvation comes to the Gentiles, for to provoke Israel to jealousy! (Romans 11:10&11). These are deep waters! How does God turn sin and unbelief to salvation?
God called Israel into a covenant that He Himself would be faithful to even if Israel was not (Psalm 105:8, Judges 2:1). Israel did not recognize the Messiah who came in the person of Jesus Christ and, thus, they went into captivity. Jerusalem fell and the Jewish people were scattered into the nations. Paul says that Gentile believers have now been “grafted in” (Romans 11:17) to partake of the salvation given to Israel. Israel was chosen by God to show forth His grace, not because they were better than any other people, but because of divine calling. Yet, Israel had to obey the Law and make sacrifices for sin because the perfect sacrifice of Jesus had not yet come. They labored under the demands of the Law of Moses and the sacrifice of animals to atone for their sins.
Jesus came and died for us to open the door of salvation to all men, not through works of obedience to the Law and following its many demands, but by believing and accepting what He has done to atone for our sins. Structural, mechanical works are now replaced with relational faith and obedience. So what does this mean? As God calls Israel back to a place where they will recognize and worship Him when He appears, He calls us to “make Israel jealous” by showing forth that we are saved by adhering to Christ and not by accomplishing works of the Law (Romans 11:11). We have all the benefits of Israel but we have been given them freely by grace. Our freedom in Christ, rightly used, is meant to provoke Israel to jealousy by revealing what God had intended all along: one becomes relationally right with God by clinging to Him and obeying Him freely. This gift should not make us arrogant, but full of gentle compassion and great humility.
Yet, Israel is still largely blind to this and to Yeshua, the Messiah who bought her freedom. So what is our purpose? Just as if we would prepare to receive a guest who did not know their way around, so now we, who know the plan of God, are called to stand with Israel as she is prepared for her final and complete return to the Messiah–one that will involve much tribulation. We are called to stand with Israel as many prophesied things will seek to come against and destroy her. God has given us wisdom revealed in the prophetic scriptures to see the “time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7) and to be found as servants to her in her greatest hour of need.
God has everything perfectly under control. He sees the end and the complete and total salvation of Israel on that Day when He comes on the clouds where “every eye will behold Him and see the One whom they have pierced.” (Zechariah 12:10). We are midwives to that event so do not believe that we will be watching this from heaven. The Church will be on earth to stand with Israel and to give her aid and direction. In Daniel 11:33 it is written that the “maskilim”, the wise ones, will instruct many in those days in the middle of great tribulation and deception. We have a formidable task and calling as believers who already recognize the Lord’s Christ and his plans for the end of the age. Let us begin to pray for our Jewish neighbors and friends who do not yet know Him. Perhaps they are not open to hear us yet. So, we wait patiently and pray as God waits patiently.
Your role and my role are vital as we intercede for and seek to aid Israel in whatever way He shows us. We work with God and His purposes no matter what it may cost.
Rose-Marie Slosek is on the Board of Directors of Women of the Word. She also serves on the Lead Teams for FAI Emmaus Online School and Frontier Alliance International Homefront. Rose-Marie travels regularly to Israel. She can be reached at rmslosek@comcast.net
