Israel God S Glory

Volume 3 in this series, Breaking the Bread of Revelation, traces the dealings of God with His Old Covenant nation, Israel, at the close of the Age of Grace. The Book of Revelation unfolds the fulfillment of the Old and New Testament prophets prior to the return of Jesus Christ to reign on the earth. The following verses from Romans 11:26,29 sum up His future dealing with Israel: "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob...for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."

In the prophecy of Jeremiah it says this: “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they have called thee an outcast, saying, It is Zion, for whom no one cares” (30:17). That is exactly true of the history of the Jewish people. They were a people for whom no one cared. For 1,800 years the Jews were outcasts, and everyone looked down upon them and treated them as such. However the Lord Himself said: “I have seen this; I Myself will restore health unto thee. I Myself will heal thee of thy wounds because they have said, it is Zion which is an outcast for whom no one cares.” God is working a work in such a way that this nation of Israel becomes a testimony to the absolute authority and relevance of His Word. That is true of its recreation, its regathering, its rebuilding, and the restoration of its fertility and ecology. However it is in the immediate years that lie ahead that its greatest witness to the faithfulness of God will be revealed to the nations. “When you see these things begin to come to pass, know ye that He is nigh, even at the door” (see Matthew 24:33).

According to the Bible, who really is the “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16)? The name Israel was first mentioned in Genesis 32 when Jacob wrestled with the Lord and the Lord said to Jacob, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). Jacob had a character change. He went from a deceiver, supplanter, and trickster to a prince with God and a champion of God. Therefore, Israel is a spiritual term that lies deep in the heart of God that defines His changed people. They are God’s holy people made up of every tribe, tongue, and nation who have been washed in the blood of Jesus and now have been transformed into the sons of the Living God. This revelation is a must for all believers because this is God’s promise for His people. This is His emphasis in the last days. He died to deliver us from the Law which envelops all of Jewish tradition, customs, and ordinances, which “gendereth to bondage” (Galatians 4:24). For through Jesus “there is neither Jew nor Greek” and we now are all God’s new creation created in Christ Jesus. This is the Israel of God!

Keep walking. This may be the day your Jericho walls come down. We all face them. Strongholds with a strong hold on our lives. Roadblocks to our joy. Obstacles in our marriages. Fortresses of fear blocking us from peace. How can we bring down these walls that keep us from the future God promises? Remember the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho? Those were some formidable foes and big barriers. Max Lucado says the book of Joshua is in the bible to remind us of one thing: God Fights For Us! We can overcome, because He has already overcome. We were not made to stand in the shadow of our walls and quake. We were made to stand on top of Jericho's rubble and conquer. We win, because God's already won. Need a new battle plan for life? Keep walking, keep believing. These may be your Glory Days.