freedom07

As a nation. Israel is not rejected by God. It is under chastisement for not accepting Messiah when he first came, for God chastises those he loves, his own children. But Israel is also wonderfully preserved in all its troubles, unlike so many ancient nations who have been obliterated or totally absorbed by their conquerors. Israel is also being prepared for the great final acts of human history which will take place when the "fullness of the Gentiles", the "times of the Gentiles" are fulfilled. God has a specific timetable to which he is working. Paul teaches clearly that Israel's blindness as a nation is partial and temporal. Partial because it is not all, but only some who have been hardened. Temporal because this blindness in part is not forever, it has a specific time limit in God's plan. When the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, when the times of the Gentiles is at an end, then God intervenes in a new way in history and Israel as a nation with its leaders will be restored through faith in the Messiah Yeshua. This will result in tremendous blessings to the whole world and to all nations.
Whilst scripture warns us against trying to calculate the time and the hour, it encourages us to recognise the signs of the times. We can see things shaping up to the climax, and we know that the return of our Messiah is near. In the meantime, the priority he himself has set before us is that of being his witnesses, of taking the Good News to both Jew and Gentile, of making disciples of all nations and of preaching the Gospel to every tribe and language. I have no doubt that Jewish believers will be playing an ever increasing role in this mission.