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God's Emerging City
Israel faced fearful consequences when she rejected her Messiah. Significantly, Jesus had prophesied that great judgment would come to that first century generation (Matthew 23:29 - 36; Luke 21:20 - 22). Jerusalem would be devastated and Israel dispersed because she did not recognize the time of her visitation (Luke 19:44). Yet Jesus also prophesied that a time would come when the Gentiles would no longer trample Jerusalem (Luke 21:24).[8] Indeed, that one statement by our Lord guaranteed the ultimate re-gathering of Jews from around the world to their own land.
Today Israel is like a great multitude of dry bones being assembled by the Lord but still without the Spirit or breath of God within her (Ezekiel 37:1 - 14). Some might doubt that God would do such a thing, that He would gather together multitudes of people who have not been born of the Spirit.
So consider how He worked in your life before you knew Him. He drew you personally to himself that you might be spiritually reborn. Because you did not deserve it, His work was entirely due to His mercy and grace. Similarly, the nation of Israel has a coming appointment with the living God. And the consequences for the world will be startling.
Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles (Greek, ETHNOS – the nations), how much more their fullness!
Israel’s failure was that they did not humble themselves so as to receive their Messiah. What were the resulting riches for the world? God released among the nations New Testament apostolic ministry bringing the Good News of the Messiah’s life, death, and resurrection, along with the resulting salvation and eternal life for all who would believe.
Israel’s transgression resulted in God releasing spiritual riches to the nations. Compare the chart below with the verse above.
| Israel | The Nations | |
|---|---|---|
| Their fall | ==> | Riches |
| Their failure | ==> | Riches |
| Their fullness | ==> | Something much more |
Israel’s transgression resulted in riches for the nations. Therefore, we have not received a mere sprinkling of eternal life; instead we have the riches of God poured out abundantly into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Not only that, when His work in Israel comes to His full intent, the results for the rest of the world will be greater than what we have seen so far.[9]
For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.
Paul understood God’s strategy to send him to the Gentiles not only for their sake, but for Israel’s as well. Even in his own lifetime he labored to bring not only Gentiles, but also some from his own nation to salvation. How did he do this? He magnified his ministry; he spoke to the Jewish people concerning what the Lord was doing through him among the Gentiles. He probably spoke of the thousands from the nations who were now personally experiencing Israel’s God, receiving healing from His hand, studying the Law and the Prophets, and openly declaring their love for Israel’s Messiah.
While such talk made some Jews jealous, the reaction of many was rage. Yet some did indeed turn to the Lord. Paul’s labor among the nations was the beginning of God’s mission to make the Jewish nation jealous.
And the promise remains. When His work among the nations comes to a measured fullness, Israel will indeed have her eyes opened, become jealous, and then turn back to Him.
For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
When Israel, those who were of Paul’s flesh rejected their Messiah, and became a national castaway from the focus of God’s saving work, the Lord released His apostolic servants to bring reconciliation to the world. Yet in his own lifetime, Paul still sought to rescue as many of his own people as he could. How he loved his nation.
| Israel (those of Paul’s flesh) | The World | |
|---|---|---|
| Their being cast away | ==> | Reconciliation |
| Their acceptance | ==> | Life from the dead |
In the first century, God turned to the nations offering reconciliation through the power of the gospel. That process continues today. In the above verse Paul stated that though Israel had been cast away, they would at some point be accepted back into relationship with their Messiah. The result for the nations will be life from the dead. What was Paul referring to?
Some believe that the apostle had in view the second coming of Christ and the resurrection. If Israel’s salvation does precipitate Christ’s immediate return that will be truly wonderful. However, it is doubtful that this was Paul’s focus in Romans Chapter 11. Whenever he wrote about the resurrection, he was quite clear and used that specific term. On the other hand, life from the dead sounds more like the spiritual resurrection that occurs when one is born again. For example, just a few chapters earlier, Paul used the almost identical phrase.
And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Or consider the words of Jesus.
Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
Notice that Jesus was saying that the time had now come for the dead to hear and live. Here is spiritual resurrection. When Israel turns back to the Lord, God will release spiritual resurrection, or life from the dead among the nations, on a scale greater than what occurred when Israel fell two thousand years ago. It seems that dynamic outpourings of the Holy Spirit lie in our future where literally millions of people will turn to God.[10] In fact, when Israel turns back to the Lord, it seems that the whole Church may have to make some adjustments in our theological perspective concerning God’s love for the whole world. For example, consider Jesus’ words about the world as a wheat field.
We have often held the perspective that the Church exists as wheat among many tares. However, Jesus’ perspective was that the tares were among the wheat.
While men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
The slaves’ suggestion to get rid of the tares so that there would be a pure wheat field conflicted with the Lord’s strategy to let them grow together. It would be in the time of harvest that He would have the angels remove them.
Since the harvest takes place at the end of the age (Matthew 13:30), and since the end of the age began in the first century (1 Corinthians 10:11, Hebrews 9:26), the time of harvest must occur throughout all of Church history.
Today the angels are at work binding into bundles those destined for destruction. We see people congregating under any number of philosophical, sensual, political, or religious banners. Of course, when those who are tares repent and then turn to the Lord, they find the exit ramp from the road to ruin on which they are journeying. In other words, at that point they cease to be tares because God then transforms them through the power of the gospel into precious stalks of wheat.
Clearly though, Jesus’ perspective was that the world is a wheat field with tares in it, not the other way around.
Because many of us have tended to believe our own perspective of the world or the world’s perspective of itself, rather than Christ’s stated view, our tendency has been to emphasize the present and looming great darkness, the coming of the Beast, and the Great Tribulation. While these are all elements of the overall picture, we have failed to see God’s absolute commitment to take the Gospel of His kingdom to the nations with power and to extend His purpose into the ends of the Earth.
And to be clear, there will come a time when the wheat field will look more like a wheat field than is presently the case.
While it is true that there is great darkness on the Earth in our day, and that Satan will ultimately take his last stand in a final assault against God’s people, yet there is also coming prior to those final days, a mighty worldwide revelation of the glory of God. No part of the planet shall be untouched; the nations are His inheritance.
“I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ “ Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
The revelation of God’s glory shall be so much greater than what Moses experienced that it will amaze the Church, the angels, and the world.
Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?
(2 Corinthians 3:7 - 8 ESV)
Indeed, the Lord will arise mightily and make himself known before He returns. The nations will be without excuse as the Kingdom of God comes into clarity before the eyes of men. The signs, wonders, and power of His kingdom that Jesus displayed in Israel two thousand years ago are again being manifest and increasing, only this time in every nation.
Today we need a spiritual awakening if we are to change the face of the Earth. However, let us be clear. Great awakening is coming and in the end, Satan’s defeat will be evident to all.
Christ’s absolute victory over darkness will become increasingly apparent as unified worship ascends to Him from every nation on earth. While Satan will continue trying to fill the Earth with his darkness as the waters cover the sea, it will be God’s glory from which there will be no place to hide.
He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, like showers that water the earth. In His days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
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