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That is a very dangerous thing to say.
God said that Israel would be restored..........And Israel was restored........just like it says.
Conditional:
Israel will be restored, IF they heed the Lord's instructions.
Unconditional:
There will be a TRUE Israel restored--and it is up to anyone to become a part of that Israel of God. The question is, who will be the vinedressers to tend the Vineyard? According to this study that I put together, it will be the Gentiles who are the Vinedressers (or Husbandmen) that tend the Vineyard, which is the House of Israel:
The Israel of God and the False Charge of "Replacement Theology"
This, is, unconditional.
This article in the link above goes along well with another one I wrote, entitled:
The Antitypical Fulfillment of Old Testament Typology Concerning Ancient Israel: Conditional Types of Unconditional Antitypes
What really happened:
National Israel failed to live up to its covenant promises to the Lord. The Lord did not break its covenant with Israel, but the national establishment of Israel broke its covenant with God, rejecting the Messiah and crucifying Him afresh. (Heb. 6:6)
The central concern with the interpretation that national Israel will be restored, regardless of their decisions, is the failure to recognize that Gods promises to the national state of Israel were conditional. It is also a failure to recognize that Gods promises have had A, B, and C backup plans depending on faithfulness to Him.
Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, IF ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, THEN ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. (Exodus 19:3-6)
See also: Duet. 28: 1, 2, 9, 13, 15, 58; 1 Kings 2: 4; Jer. 17: 24-27; Ezek. 43: 7-11; Zech. 6: 15.
Notice the words if and then. God said that if Israel obeyed, then they would be His peculiar treasure. That tiny word if involves a big issue. That word has to do with conditions. God loved Israel, He chose them apart from any obedience in their part. He brought them out of Egypt, bore them on eagles wings, and brought them to Himself. Yet, contrary to popular opinion, Gods use of the word if made it clear that the continuation of His favor to the Israelites was conditional upon their response to His goodness, upon their choices to obey. In other words, the members of the chosen nation must themselves choose correctly, or the consequences would be disastrous!
Forty years later, Israel entered the Promised Land and remained their for about 800 years. During this period, many responded to Gods love by obeying His voice. But the majority strayed from the path of righteousness. Again and again, God manifested His mercy by raising up prophets and pleading with Israel to return to the covenant. Yet apostasy continued and deepened. Finally, after hundreds of years of warning, disaster struck. In 722 B.C., the northern tribes were carried away by the cruel Assyrians. In 586 B.C., Judah was taken to Babylon. Such was the result of wrong choices.
In 586 B.C., the armies of Babylon demolished Jerusalem and burned the temple with fire. The Jews were removed from their land and carried into captivity. Yet, in the mercy of God, this exile was not to be permanent. The prophet Jeremiah predicted that God
would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:2). After 70 years the Jews would leave Babylon, return to their land, and rebuild their temple and their city. God had decided to give His chosen nation
another chance to respond to His love. In simple terms, the Lord was saying:
You blew it, Lets try again! This second chance had to do with the 70 weeks.
Dispensationalists try to accuse Historicists of God not really meaning what He says. But this is a diversionary tactic to avoid the real issues that are involved pertaining to these promises.
The question we should be really asking is: Does God ever break a promise or covenant with anyone? Or is it the people that choose to break covenants with God? Quite frequently we find the conditional element of the word IF and THEN associated with Gods promises to Israel. You will find numerous phrases scattered throughout the Old Testament such as
If ye hearken unto me, THEN
.I will
., which clearly demonstrate that all Gods promises are conditional based on Israels faithfulness to Him. This becomes embarrassingly simple logic that Dispensationalists have chosen to ignore.
One of the strongest examples can be found in 1 Kings chapter 9:
And IF thou wilt . . . do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever
But IF ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or YOUR CHILDREN, and will not keep my commandments
Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people. (1 Kings 9:4-7)
We see here how the conditions to these promises are
clearly laid.
I ask the question, do dispensationalists really grasp the deep implications involved with these conditions? Or are they going to conclude that Gods conditions really dont mean conditions? I propose that when the Lord establishes conditions for promises to be fulfilled,
he means just what he says! And God has NEVER changed his conditions. God has always placed before all mankind the options of
life or
death. To have it any other way is to excuse the sins of national Israel, calling evil good and good evil, and making light of Israels rejection of the Son of God.
The verses cited cast but a small glimpse on the example of conditional promises given to Israel in the Old Testament. But there are many more. In Jeremiah 18:6-10, we see God addressing Israel and then comparing it to any nation that will repent or do evil in His sight. In Deuteronomy 7:8-12, we see Moses instructing the Children of Israel that if they would keep the commandments, the Lord would keep unto them the covenant which he swore unto their fathers! And on the other hand, continuing in Deuteronomy 8:1, 19 and 20, if they disobeyed God they would perish like the nations that they were to dispossess. This is not to mention the warnings that the land would spue them out also, as it had spued out their predecessors (Leviticus 18:26-28; 20:22).
Take specific note to the statements of the conditional nature of a great number of promises and prophecies made to the literal nation of Israel. In each case the fulfillment of the promise was conditioned on obedience:
(a) their status as the chosen people, Ex. 19:5, 6; Deut. 28:9;
(b) a great nation, Deut. 28:1, 7, 9, 10, 13 (compare verses 15, 25, 48);
(c) a holy nation, Ex. 19:6; Deut. 28:9;
(d) blessings, Deut. 7:9-14; 28:1-14 (compare verses 15-68); 30:16, 19;
(e) the land, Deut. 8:1, 7-9; 30: 19, 20 (compare Lev. 18:26-28; Deut. 28:15, 64); 1 Kings 9:3, 6, 7; 1 Chron. 28:8; 2 Chron. 7:16, 19, 20; Eze. 33:24-26; 36:26-28;
(f) the Davidic line of kings, 1 Kings 2:3, 4; 8:25; 9:4, 5; 1 Chron. 28:4-9; 2 Chron. 6:16; 2 Chron. 7:17-22; and
(g) blessing to the nations, Eze. 36:23, 33-36; 37:23, 28.
But since the
conditions laid forth were only
partly met, the
promises were only
partially fulfilled in Hebrew history. We also see that Solomon was chosen
to be king over Israel for ever (1 Chron 28:4), along with many more promises that his nation would prosper and stand for ever, yet after Solomon sinned against the Lord, these conditional promises were not fulfilled. After Solomon apostatized, and although he saw the folly of his ways before he died, his kingdom was divided and ten of the tribes were permanently lost to his dynasty. Now while it is true that his descendants ruled Judah as long as it lasted as a nation, the kingdom did eventually come to an end and the crown of Davids dynasty was removed
until he come whose right it is (Ezekiel 21:27). This is referring to the
divine Son of David (Matthew 21:5,9). Although Solomon and the royal line of David failed to realize and live up to the conditions of the promises laid forth, the prophecy of Davids seed
meets its antitypical, unconditional fulfillment in Christ, who will yet rule over an eternal kingdom (Ps. 89:3, 4; Isa. 9:6, 7; Jer. 23:5; Luke 1:32, 33).
This concept is only appreciated once we understand that in his righteous days, and in the full glory of his reign, Solomon was a
type of Christ. God had informed David that he would bear a son who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be
Solomon (margin,
Peaceable), and I will give him
peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall
build an house for my name; and he shall be
my son, and I will be
His father; and I will establish the
throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever. (1 Chronicles 22:9, 10. It becomes evident the meaning of Solomons namesignifying peace, and that he was to build Gods house and was to reign over Israel
for ever.. It was Solomons throne that was said to be
the throne of the Lord. (1 Chron. 29:23) We see how Christ is the one building Gods housethe temple of the Lord (See Matthew 16:18; Zech. 6:12, 13; 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 6:16; Ephes 2:21; 1 Tim. 3:15, etc). It was Jesus who spoke of Solomon in
all his glory, and the Queen of Sheba coming from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a
greater than Solomon is here. (Matthew 12:42)
It was also during Solomons reign that he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel
dwelt safely, every man under his vine under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba,
all the days of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:24, 25). One cannot help but notice the peaceful state of his kingdom was clearly expressed in the meaning of his name. In Psalms 72, the title heading reads: A Psalm for
Solomon. In verses 3 and 7, notice the expressions The mountains shall bring peace to the people
in his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the
moon endureth. (Psalms 72:3,7). Without doubt, these words refer to the kingdom of Jesus Christ, typified by Solomons peaceful kingdom which reached all the way to the borders, and to the river Euphrates (see Gen. 15:18) of the typical land promised by God. Someday, the eternal kingdom of Christ will stretch from pole to pole, and there will be abundance of
peace so long as the moon endureth.. In 1 Chronicales 22:10, Gods promise declares, He shall be My son, and I will be his father, and this is quoted in Hebrews 1:5 and applied to Jesus! For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou
art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be
to him a Father, and he shall be to
me a Son? (Heb. 1:5). The Spirit of God had revealed to David that the promises concerned not only his son Solomon, but more particularly referred to
a greater than Solomon. (See Acts 2:30-36).
With these principles in focus, it should be clearly evident to the discerner of Gods spiritual Word that just like Jesus Christ, the Messiah, fulfilled this conditional prophecy to Solomon antitypically, so likewise local Palistinian Israel will meet its antitype in global, worldwide Spiritual Israel under the banner of Christ.
If ye a be Christs, then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29).
(Continued
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