The prophetic books in Scripture can be best read in context of whether they were written before, during, and/or after the Assyrian exile and the Babylonian captivity. Prophecy and promises were given to us in those moments on the historical timeline of the nation of Israel and Judah.
The whole house of Israel had been divided into two kingdoms after King Solomon, and we saw how quickly both kingdoms fell into apostasy.
The prophets were sent to bring awareness to the spiritual condition of the people and give warnings of repentance.
There are three major words that Episode 5 is going to elaborate on. Those words are:
Covenant, divorce, branches and covenant (again).
Yahuah’s people broke their covenant with Him, which were His commandments. He forgave them over and over, yet they kept committing spiritual adultery. Eventually, He divorced the northern Kingdom of Israel and cut off her branches.
Restoration came through our Messiah, to bring us a new covenant, in which Yahuah would, through the power of the Set-Apart Spirit, write His commandments on our heart so that we would learn how love and obedience work together.
There is a promise of restoration talked about in the Old Testament that points to the regathering of the nation of Israel and Judah back to the land Yahuah promised them through their ancestors. This is something that hasn’t happened yet.
For those who are “Israel,” we get to take part in those promises. This great restoration will happen when our Messiah returns. However, the majority of teachings today teach us that the church is separate from Israel, or that the church replaced Israel. The problem with that separation, is this:
1. That teaching is not found anywhere in Scripture
2. Believing this actually cuts ourselves off from the prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled.
This regathering of Israel and Judah (all 12 tribes) marks the moment in time when Yahuah comes to make a full end of the nations and set His sanctuary in the midst of His people forever. He has only made this promise to the House of Jacob (Israel)—not to the Gentiles.
How is one no longer a Gentile?
The same way they did it in the “Old” Testament: By committing themselves to the same covenant terms and conditions as the Israelites did and becoming grafted in, as Paul beautifully confirmed in Romans 11.
If you really want to believe that the Church is separate from Israel, and if you believe that the promises made to the House of Israel is entirely separate from the New Testament Church, then you have to exclude yourself from the prophecies and promises that were ONLY made to the whole House of Israel. We don’t get to pick and choose what applies to us. The only choice we must make is whether or not we want to be a part of those promises. And if you want to be a part of those promises, you must understand what it means to be “Israel.”
After all, when the New Jerusalem is brought down to earth, there will be 12 gates that allow entrance into the city (Revelation 21:12). Each of those 12 gates are named after the tribes of the children of Israel. If you aren’t part of Israel, how will you enter?
Let’s clear up some confusion and take a deep dive into history and prophecy in Episode 5 of Season 4: Who is Israel?
Supplemental Documents:
Episode 5 Transcript
Timeline of the Prophets Infographic
Verses
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