All Nations Blessed by Seed of Abraham

If the nations really understood the contents of this message, then it would be a totally different world. But of course, we live in a time in which neighbors set against neighbor, nation against nation, and the way of peace they do not know. We have covered some of this, or covered some of this material, in our Bible study this past Wednesday evening. I encourage you to listen to the Bible studies if you are not able to attend. When we give them, we have people tuning in to the Bible studies from all over the nation, some church pastors as well. So they are posted on the church's website and on our local website, and you can tune in to those or listen to those if you're mine too. Hopefully you will have that burning thirst for the Word of God and do it in person, if at all possible. Of course, you're receiving the handouts as they're being sent out to everybody that we have on the email list. I want to thank Dr. Erwiller for sending those out and also with regard to Mr. Collingsworth, his service there with them in the past two or three weeks, and also, as he mentioned, the loyal service of his wife, Ethel, during this time. So we won't be repeating the sermon message right now, but I just wanted to say that. This sermon that we have today, How All Nations Become the Israel of God, it will show you how all nations can become the Israel of God and the plan and purpose of God. It could be one of the greatest learning experiences in your life. And as I've said many times with regard to taking notes, take notes on the ideas that are presented. Of course, a lot of people just write down the verses. More important is, what are you going to do with those verses? What are you going to do with the comments, with the ideas that are expressed? So it could be a great learning experience. Why do I say this? Because it will show you the unity of the Bible, how the Bible is a beautiful tapestry woven together around a central theme. And what is that theme? That theme is, God is bringing sons and daughters to glory in his family and kingdom, as we hear so often. And you will see the principle of progressive revelation. You will see how the Bible interprets the Bible. You will come to understand more clearly what prophecy is all about. You will see that the principle focus of prophecy is the establishment of the kingdom of God. You will see that the kingdom of God begins with the church of God. Restoration and the building of the tabernacle of David began on the day of Pentecost in 31 A.D. The theme of the Bible is the kingdom of God, the family of God, and how each person who has ever lived can enter into the kingdom and become members of the family of God. There's one place in the Bible, if you will turn there, to Galatians 6, 16, that uses this particular terminology of the Israel of God. The Bible speaks of the nation of Israel in the spiritual sense becoming the Israel of God. It is God's desire. It has been God's desire from the time that he created humans for all nations to become a part of the Israel of God. So in Galatians 3, we'll start in 15, verse 15. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men, though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man dissolves or adds thereto. It is absolute. It is going to happen. It is what God has spoken. It is what God has confirmed. It is what his son has agreed to. It is absolute.

As I think I said, Galatians 3 later, what I want is Galatians 6, 15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails nothing or anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy in and upon the Israel of God. In one place, in 1 Peter 2, verse 9, we're called a holy nation. The church is viewed as God's nation, the Israel of God. It is God's desire. We oftentimes speak of God's desire being the theme being the kingdom of God and bringing all nations into the kingdom of God. But it is also a holy nation. It is the Israel of God in the spiritual sense. Unfortunately, so many of our people are caught in the prophecies that deal with the enemies of the kingdom of God. Who is the beast? Who are the nations that will make up the beast's power? And all of the things that surround the enemies of the kingdom of God. So have you lost? Have I lost the focus as to what the word of God and prophecy is all about? Basically, all the prophetic timelines that the church has set through the years have failed. From 1975 in prophecy to this, well, we didn't allow for this or that or the other. Moving back to 1982 or something, said, well, the six thousand years are about up and on and on it goes. Daniel 1210 tells us that only the wise shall understand. You have to search the scriptures. You have to dig. You have to meditate. Are you one of the wise? The wise virgins that have their lamps filled with oil? Are you continually digging in the scriptures seeking to understand more and more, to a large degree, how a person can enter the kingdom of God and become a part of the Israel of God, begins with the calling of Abraham. We'll read that right now in Genesis 12 beginning in verse 1, and we'll refer to it when Paul explains it a little later in the sermon how it is fulfilled. The fulfillment of it is not understood by the world. In fact, they think that the restoration of Israel right now is the fulfillment of that of so many of the prophecies. And that partial fulfillment of that is going on is necessary for some of the prophecies to be fulfilled, for the Jews to restore sacrifice, for the abomination of desolation to be set up, for one, to sit in the temple of God as described in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, saying that He is God.

But the beginning of the calling out of a particular family and the promises being passed on and eventually resulting in being fulfilled through Christ, as we shall see, begins with the calling out of Abraham here in Genesis chapter 12 verse 1.

We shall see in physical, national terms that in spiritual terms, and I will bless them that bless you, and they really harp on that, and curse him that curses you, and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Is it through physical nations blessing the rest of the nations of the world, or is it through Jesus Christ? We shall see as we go along. We will see from Scripture how all nations are blessed through the seed, the one seed that's identified in Galatians 3. We will see that it is not through physical descent.

The promises were passed from Abraham to his son Isaac, and then to Isaac's son Jacob, and Jacob had 12 sons, which became the nation of Israel. And the nation of Israel was to be the model nation to bring all the rest of the world into a relationship with God and Christ.

And Jacob received the birthright, and his name was changed to Israel after wrestling with God and prevailing. His name was changed from Jacob, which means supplanter. You know the story of how Jacob and his mother, Rebecca, cooked up this scenario to deceive Isaac into giving the birthright to Jacob.

And they were able to accomplish this, resulting in Edom becoming Jacob's mortal enemy. Edom, Esau is Edom, so either one. Esau becoming the mortal enemy of Jacob and sought to kill him the rest of his life.

Though they did have one meeting after Esau fled, and Jacob fled as well eventually. So Jacob received the birthright, and his name was changed to Israel, meaning prince of God, ruling with God, after he wrestled with the angel, which many commentaries say that was probably Jesus Christ. The nation of Israel was a type of what was to come through the new covenant. So the Israel of God is going to rule and reign with God and Christ when the ultimate goal of God and Christ are fulfilled. There are two Israels and there are two Jerusalems. What do I mean by that? There's physical Israel and there's spiritual Israel. There is physical Jerusalem and there is spiritual Jerusalem. Let's look now at Isaiah 54. In Isaiah 54, and then we'll see how this is interpreted by the Bible in Galatians.

In Isaiah 54, verse 1, Sing, O barren, you that did not bear, Break forth into singing and cry aloud, You that did not travail with child. For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the Lord. Now, what would you make of that if you didn't have Galatians 4 to explain what that meant? Remember I said from this, you learn how the Bible interprets the Bible.

So what we have here is an allegory, as it were, of the woman who did not have any children suddenly travailing and having many children. So this is explained in Galatians chapter 4. The first part of some, about the midpoint of Galatians chapter 4. I'm not going to read all of that. I'll just briefly summarize this with turning Galatians 4 and verse 26. Paul uses the analogy of, and really calls it an allegory, of Hagar representing the Old Covenant and the birth of Ishmael, which was through the flesh, and contrasts that with the birth of Isaac, which was of promise through the spirit. And so he comes down to Galatians 4 and verse 25, where we'll read, For Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem, which now is physical Jerusalem, and is in bondage with her children. And for sure Israel, the modern Israel, is in bondage with her children, surrounded by enemies on every side. But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, spiritual Jerusalem, which is the mother of us all. So, just as Zion can be symbolic of the church, so is spiritual Jerusalem. For it is written, Rejoice, you barren, that bear not, remember Isaiah 54 verse 1, when it is talked about the barren one, break forth and cry, you that travail not, for the desolate has many more children than she which has a husband.

And Israel was married to the one who became Jesus Christ when they entered into the Old Covenant. In Exodus 24 you read an account of that. According to scripture at the end of the age, physical Jerusalem is acquainted with Sodom and Gomorrah. Let's read that verse in Revelation chapter 11 and verse 8. Of course, the charismatic fundamentalists, such as John Hagee with his cornerstone church down in San Antonio, a megachurch, says that there are two avenues to salvation. One, the Jewish path, and the other, the Christian path. The Bible says that there's only one name given unto heaven whereby men must be saved, and that name is Jesus Christ.

The political ambition of, especially, the Zionists, who quote scripture to try to prove their right to Jerusalem, is to make Israel, Jerusalem, the capital of the world, and to be able to rule over the rest of the world, which eventually it will do, but it's going to be through Jesus Christ and the saints. So in Revelation chapter 11 and verse 8, and their dead bodies, speaking of the two witnesses, shall lie in the street of the great city, Jerusalem, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. So spiritually, in the negative sense, there is Jerusalem above the spiritual Jerusalem, and physical Jerusalem, where also our Lord was crucified, leaving you no doubt what city that is speaking of. God's purpose for humans, regardless of their race, color of their skin, their ethnicity, or national order, national origin, is for every person who ever lived to have an opportunity to become a part of the Israel of God, the Holy Nation. A Holy Nation made up of peoples from all nations, kindreds, and tongues. And we've already read Galatians 6, 16. Now we look at Romans 3 and verse 29 to make it clear that God is not a respecter of persons, as it says in Romans 2 and verse 10. I believe it is. It might be 12. In Romans 3.29 right now, Romans 3.29, Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles or nations? Yes, of the nations or the Gentiles also. Seeing it as one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith and uncircumcision those who are not Jews through faith. Do we then make boy the law through faith? God forbid. Yea, we establish the law. How do we establish the law? Because if the law were not in effect, it would be farcical to even talk about Jesus Christ dying for the sins of the world, because sin is the transgression of the law. The Old Covenant was a national covenant where the nation of Israel was gathered together as Moses brought them together. He read the terms of the Old Covenant, the Law Covenant in Exodus 24, and the people said that they would obey. It was also viewed as a marriage covenant. It was a national covenant. The nation would receive spiritual blessings and physical blessings, mainly physical, by obeying the terms of the Old Covenant. Today, a person enters into the New Covenant on an individual basis through personally being called, repenting of their sins, exercising faith in the sacrifice of Christ, being baptized, and having received the laying on of hands.

One of the greatest difficulties in rightly dividing the Word of Truth centers on the ability to discern between that which applies physically and that which applies spiritually. Historically, the Church of God in the past 90 years has had difficulty in distinguishing between that which applies physically and that which applies spiritually. Obviously, the overall goal of God is in the spiritual sense. Flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And it is through the one seed, as we shall see, that all nations can be blessed. In my view, we have erred at times in emphasizing the physical over the spiritual. For example, at times, it seems we have emphasized the promises that relate to national greatness more than that of grace, that of divine favor from God and the spiritual blessings. One must be careful in saying that God blesses some people more than others because of race or national descent, because He does not. We're there in Romans 3 to look at 2.11. For there is no respect to persons with God. And we have already read that He is the God of all peoples, no matter whether they be Jew or Gentile. Yet God may work with a particular people or persons more than He does with others. He had to start somewhere, so He started with the weakest of nations. He started with Israel. But that does not mean He loves them or any other people more or respects them more than others. For example, time after time, Jesus would take with Him Peter, James, and John on special occasions. But that doesn't mean He didn't love and respect the others, apostles, just as much. It is said that John was the apostle whom Jesus loved. But once again, that didn't mean that He loved Him more than He loves you.

He loved each one of us so much that He gave His life for each one of us. Great a love had no man in this that He lay down His life for His friends, and Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. Some have approached the promise of Israel's national blessings as unconditional.

However, we could look at numerous passages of Scripture that clearly shows the promise of physical blessings is conditional. Do you think this nation is being blessed right now with what's going on in our world, in which we see the very fabric of our society crumbling around our ankles? And even lower than that. Look at Leviticus 26, verse 13.

We used to talk a lot about the two great national covenants, I mean the two national cursing and blessing chapters of the Bible. In Leviticus 26, verse 13.

I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their bondmen. And I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you go upright. But if you will not hearken unto me and will not do all these commandments, and if you despise my statues, or if your soul abhors my judgment so that you will not do all my commandments, but you break my covenant, I also will do this unto you. I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, and shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of the heart. I read an article this morning, it talked about the broken heart syndrome.

The broken heart syndrome is gripping the peoples of the US especially, which they have now, through research, determined that actually from the broken heart, from a sense of loss, from a sense of stress, and so many things that people are having to contend with, that they could actually measure the effect that it is having, especially on the heart physically, not to mention the emotional part of it.

Sorrow the heart, and you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it, and I will set my face against you, and you shall be slain before your enemies, that they ate you, shall reign over you, and you shall flee from when none pursues you. And it goes on and on. You think that the covenant blessings were not conditional?

That's the physical side. We're more interested in the spiritual side.

The ultimate promise made to Abraham, as to how all peoples of the world can be blessed through his seed, are fulfilled through Christ. Now we go to Galatians 3 and verse 14, where I mistakenly turned a few minutes ago. Galatians 3, 14, we shall begin. Please go there. Galatians 3 and verse 14. This understanding is so critical for people to understand.

Galatians 3, 14.

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the nations through the physical seed of Abraham? No, that's not what it says. Through Christ, that you might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Brethren, I speak after the manner of men, though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannuls or adds thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. I read Genesis 12 and verse 3. He said, Not unto seeds, as many but as of one, and to your seed which is Christ.

So how are the promises made to Abraham fulfilled? It is through Christ becoming a part of the Israel of God. Now we look to verse 26.

Galatians 3, 26. For you are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. It is not through ethnicity. It is not through national origin. It is not through the color of your skin. It is not through any of those physical things. It is through faith in Christ.

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female. Speaking spiritually, for you are all one in Jesus Christ and Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. It is not through ethnicity once again. You look back at Romans chapter 9. Quickly now to Romans chapter 9, and we see what I've just said, stated by the Apostle Paul. Once again, Romans 9, 10. Neither because they are Abraham, the seed of Abraham, are their children. But in Isaac shall your seed be called. Why? In Isaac? Because Isaac was born of faith. Abraham and Sarah were passed at the time of childbearing when they were promised that they would have a child. And you know how that Abraham and Sarah tried to work it out through the flesh and Abraham fathered a child by Hagar, which is Ishmael, which represents the Old Covenant, the fleshly part. But in Isaac shall your seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh. These are not John Hagy or anybody else. These are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. The children of the promise. And so we just read from Galatians 3, If you be in Christ, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

So in my view, we have at times over emphasized the importance of the national part of it. In my view, we cannot overemphasize the importance of how we become spiritual Jews. Now, once again, we look at how do you become a spiritual Jew? A little bit of a summary here back in Romans 2. Remember, way back we had Bible studies on mastering the book of Romans.

In chapter 1, Paul takes the Gentiles to task. In chapter 2, he takes the Jews to task. He begins to summarize here at the end of chapter 2. Verse 25, For circumcision verily profits if you keep the law, but if you be a breaker of the law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision, that is, in the spiritual sense. Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not this uncircumcision be accounted for circumcision, that is, spiritually?

And shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature, if it fulfilled the law, judge you, who by the letter and circumcision do transgress the law? For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly.

And circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit, and not in that which is written, whose praise is not of men, but of God. So that is how you become a spiritual Jew, as it were, to circumcise in heart. This is the process by which our hearts can be circumcised.

God's forgiveness and mercy can be extended to anyone who allows the Word of God and the Spirit of God to circumcise their heart and to be recipients of God's mercy, His forgiveness. And neither sins blotted out and received the Spirit of God in their minds and hearts. God will save those who are true recipients of His mercy. Spiritually, they are circumcised Jews. So why did God choose Israel to serve as a type of that which was to come in Christ? As I stated earlier, the answer is He had to start somewhere.

So He began with one of the least known peoples on the face of the earth. Ezekiel 16 describes how Israel, the Israel state, when God came along, found them, and cleaned them up. Let's look at that briefly in Ezekiel 16, verse 1. Again, the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations. Of course, the abominations that are present at the end of the age of nothing new has been all the way through from the Garden of Eden to the present.

And say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem, Your birth and your nativity is in the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, your mother a Hittite. And as for your nativity in the day that you were born, your navel was not cut, neither were you washed in water to supple you. You were not salted at all nor swaddled at all. None I pitied you to do any of these unto you, to have compassion upon you, but you were cast out into the open field, to the loathing of any person in that day that you were born. That's the condition of Israel. That's the condition Israel is becoming today.

They're becoming a pariah to the rest of the world. And when I passed by you and saw you polluted in your own blood, I said unto you, When you were in your blood, live. Yes, I said unto you, When you were in your blood, live. I've caused you to multiply as a bud of the field, and you have increased and waxed great, and you are come to excellent ornaments, your breasts are fashioned, using physical analogy for spiritual, and your hair is grown, whereas you were naked and bare.

So God came along and cleaned them up, but yet, as we shall see from Hosea in just a moment, they became low rahama, not having obtained mercy, and low ami, not my people. So verse 9, I washed you with water. I thoroughly washed away your blood from you. I anointed you with oil. I clothed you with broidered work. And he goes on describing what he did for them. Verse 14, In your renown went forth among the nations, for your beauty, for it was perfect even through my comeliness, which I had put upon you, says the Lord God.

But you did not trust, but you did trust in your own beauty, and have played the harlot because of your renown, and poured out your fornications on everyone that passed by, his it was. And so, spiritual fornication. The book of Hosea is an allegory showing how Israel went astray and committed spiritual fornication, and then how they will be restored upon repentance and acceptance of the Messiah, the begotten Son of God. The same path that all nations will have to go through. So let's turn to Hosea. Hosea right after Daniel, first of the minor prophets.

Not minor in content or importance, but minor in length of the book. Hosea being one of the longer books. Back when I used to teach minor prophets at the college, it would take us a month to cover the book of Hosea, and then of course you leave out a lot. Hosea 1-1.

Hosea means salvation. The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Bariiah, in the days of Uzziah. So Hosea was contemporary with Isaiah. Jotham Ahaz and Hezekiah, the same four kings that are named in verse 1 of Isaiah 1-1 are named here. Kings of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Jehuash, the king of Israel. Beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea, and the Lord said to Hosea, Take unto you a wife of Hordim's and children of Hordim's, for the land is committed great Hordim departing from the Lord.

So Hosea was commanded to take a wife of Hordim's or of idolatry. The northern kingdom had been taken captive by Assyria and had turned to idolatry under Jeroboam. The wife of idolatry represents Israel as a kingdom. Israel was married to the one who became Jesus Christ, and as we mentioned, they entered into that covenant relationship in Exodus 24. The wife of idolatry represents that kingdom, the kingdom of Israel, who was married to Christ, the one who became Christ. The Hordim described in Ezekiel and Hosea symbolizes what Israel did, religiously and spiritually, intermarrying and making alliances with other countries. The children of Hordim refers to the people after they departed from him. Now we look at Hosea 1.3. So he went and took Gomer, the wife of Diblium, which conceived and bear a son. Israel was a harlot and wasn't even discriminate about it. They didn't realize that God's great mercy and love had given them their greatness. We read that from Ezekiel. He was the one who made them great. And the Lord said unto him, in other words, God said to Hosea, Call his name Jezreel. Now Jezreel has two different meanings, two different applications. Jezreel means God sows, and God can sow destruction or he can sow restoration.

In this particular case, he sowed destruction because of Israel's disobedience and rebellion against him.

Now Jezreel is also a place. It's sort of like a triangle up north. You start and the plains of Jezreel come down the valley into Jerusalem. A lot of great battles have been fought, lost, and won in the valley of Jezreel. The valley of Jezreel is also mentioned in Revelation about a place where the final battle being fought. Bo is symbolic of military and political might. So God says, and the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel. God sows either destruction or restoration, for yet in a little while I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day that I will break the bow of the military might of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. They were taken captive 721 to 718 B.C. at the hands of the Assyrians. And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo Ruhamah. Lo in Hebrew is equivalent to the English word not, and Ruhamah means mercy, not mercy, not having obtained mercy.

I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, but I will utterly take them away. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah. Of course, Judah was preserved as a nation through all of this because you remember the promise back in Genesis where it says that the scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come, which means Christ. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah. Now the word for mercy in Hebrew is, as I've said, Ruhamah.

And will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by the bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by horsemen. Now when she had weaned Lo Ruhamah, she conceived and bare a son, and then God said, Call his name Lo Ami. Once again, remember, lo means not, and ami means people. Not my people, for they are not my people, and I will not be your God. So God was allowing the kingdom of Israel to cease for the time being, but not the people.

2 Kings 18 verses 11 through 13, which I'm not turning to, describes how the kingdom of Judah was allowed to continue for about 120 years.

You remember even when Judah was taken captive. It was not true with Israel at that time. When Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians, there was no promise that they would immediately come back to the land. But if you know Jeremiah's prophecy, when Judah was taken captive, they said, Jeremiah said, I will bring you back and I will restore you here.

And then, of course, the Romans came and scattered them once again. And now again, about 2,000 years later, beginning in 1947, with the UN resolution, they were allowed to return.

It started with the Balfour Declaration in 1917, and eventually, they became a nation recognized by the UN in 1948.

So God did break the bow of the military strength and might of Israel, and the Assyrians conquered the nation. The northern ten tribes took them captive.

And Lo-ru-hamma, meaning not having obtained mercy, now we read this Lo-ami.

So Judah was allowed to return as Jeremiah prophesied, and they did receive mercy at that time.

And they remained God's people for about another 120 years.

So the aspects of having mercy on Judah had the aspect of physically and spiritually, because physically they were allowed to return.

And spiritually, the promise was there that Christ would come from Judah.

And when Christ comes again, Jerusalem is surrounded by armies and in dire straits.

God is going to save them and crush their enemies.

And he does this by his Spirit.

As we have previously noted, spiritually, we are called Jews by Paul, and redemption comes through Jesus Christ, who was a Jew.

Jesus was by descent a Jew. That's Hebrews 7-14.

Now we have, and I've said this going back to a sermon I gave over in the Hawkins High School and somewhere around the years, 1996-97, with regard to this Messianic Jewish movement is one of the greatest, most insidious things that's happening, in that people can say, oh yeah, Jesus was a Jew. You needed to rediscover your Hebrew, your Jewish roots, and do things that Jesus did.

Well, Romans 10 very clearly says that the Jews have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

And as we have mentioned, Acts 4-12 says that there's only one road to salvation, and that is through Jesus Christ.

And God's ultimate goal is to bring all nations into a relationship with Him, whether they be Jew or Gentile.

If you look closely into Messianic Judaism, you will find that many of them believe in immortality of the soul.

They don't understand being begotten and born into the family of God as glorious, radiant spirit beings.

In circle, let's see what year this was. Somewhere around 1990-95, I think.

I don't remember the exact year. Some 1994-95, you remember when the 1995 came to split in worldwide, that an organization called the Sabbath Fellowship of the Sabbath or something like that.

And I was invited to a seminar that you had Samuel Bacheochi from Seventh-day Adventist, who had written books on about the Sabbath.

He had a minister from the Baptist Sabbatarians up in New England.

Also, there was a Messianic rabbi who had degrees from Harvard and Yale, who gave a presentation.

I gave a presentation about begettle and birth, resurrection, and how we become spirit-born children of God.

After it was over, he came to me and said, I would like to hear more about the nature of God and what we shall be.

I said, how do you view the resurrected Christ?

He said, frankly, I've never considered it.

Yet he was very educated, very articulate, and was able to express their beliefs quite fluently.

If you look at the website, you can see that they hold services on Friday evening and Sunday morning.

They give a little recipe like Franklin Graham gives in his commercial on Fox, with how you can be saved and go to heaven.

So, anyhow, enough of that. So, what has happened, as we explained in the Bible study, on Wednesday night, a lot of people say, if you would turn to 1 Peter 2 now, there has been a strong movement among the religious community to say that the Jews have replaced the church.

I said that wrong. The church has replaced the Jews. I said it backwards. The church has replaced the Jews. Now, God is going to restore Israel, and it will become the model nation in the millennium. But bringing all people into a relationship with God in Christ has been transferred now to the church. Remember what we've read where Israel becomes Lohruhama and Loami? In Hosea, we just read it. Now we're going to read this in 1 Peter 2 and verse 9.

Speaking of the church.

So the Apostle Peter, writing to Gentiles, explains how many of these symbols and prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled by the church of God. So we go back now to verse 5 and read up to this.

Now Zion is obviously a literal physical place in the environs of Jerusalem, but it also symbolizes the church. If you hold your place there and turn back a page or so to Hebrews 12 and verse 22. We overcome unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God. So we see that Zion also represents spiritually, as we'll see more clearly, the church. And the heavenly Jerusalem, which we've already read about from Galatians 4.26. The heavenly Jerusalem, unto an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven unto God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. So verse 6 of 1 Peter 2 is contained in Scripture, and this is a quote from Isaiah 28.16. Behold, I lay in Zion, once again this is a quote from Isaiah 28.16. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believes on him shall not be confounded.

Speaking of Jesus Christ. Unto you therefore which believe it is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. And we have already read the next three verses there, that you are that people that God is counting on to bring all peoples into a relationship with him.

The prophecies can be a bit confusing, but if we keep in mind that the Church of God is the kingdom of God in embryo, we used to hear that quite often, the Church of God is the kingdom of God in embryo, and that the restoration of all things begins in and through the Church, the Israel of God. If you keep that in mind, the picture of prophecy becomes much clearer. Amos prophesies that the restoration begins with the Church of God. Let's go to Amos 9, verse 11. Remember that I said you will learn that the Bible is a beautiful tapestry that is woven together, making a total and complete, justal, a total and complete picture.

In Amos 9, we'll start in verse 8.

Amos 9, 8, Behold the eyes of the Lord God upon the sinful kingdom. Of course, we read about that in Hosea 1. And I will destroy it from off the face of the earth, saying that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, says the Lord. For lo, I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among the nations, like its corn is sifted in the sieve. Yet shall not the least grain fall into the earth. Of course, you have in Revelation 6 the ceiling of the tribes of Jacob before the trumpet plagues are poured out. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say the evil shall not come, overtake nor prevent us.

In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that has fallen, and close up the breaches thereof, and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it in the days of old, as in the days of old. That they may possess the remnant of Edom. Now this word, this translation in the Old King James of Edom is controversial. Some say it should be Adam, because you notice here's the only difference is the vowel point between an A and an E. When we come to, we're going to read how this is fulfilled in Acts 15 in a moment, and there it is for all nations.

Regardless of which one it is, it means the same. It's everybody. And all the heathen, which tends to indicate that it should be Adam instead of Edom, and all the heathen, which are called by my name, says the Lord that does this. Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader who grapes him that sows seed, and the mountain shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. Now we'll go to Acts 15 and see how this is fulfilled in the New Testament. If you remember, the great seal and sign of a one who was a member of the physical Israel was that of circumcision. And when the apostle Peter went to the house of Cornelius, as recorded in Acts 10, and it became evident that God was calling Gentiles as well as Jews, the furore began with regard to circumcision. When Paul was converted, and he went out, and God had revealed that you didn't have to be circumcised to be a part of the Israel of God or the kingdom of God. In Acts 15, this furore was circumcision. Paul and Barnabas had gone out and preached to the Gentiles in various parts of the Mediterranean world, and they were not saying that you had to be circumcised. But there were Judaizers and various congregations who brought this to a head, and finally they had this great conference in Acts. And in Acts 15, we read of this, that Paul gave his testimony, Peter gave his testimony, and finally James, who was the resident pastor there, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, verse 13, stood up and said, and after they had held their peace, Jesus answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me, listen to me. Simon hath declared how God at the first had visited the Gentiles, as in Acts 15, when he went to the house of Cornelius. And they were baptized and received the Holy Spirit, to take out of them a people for his name.

And to this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written. So how did Amos' prophecy that we just read began to be fulfilled? After this, he said, the degrees to the prophets, after this I will return. We'll build up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up.

That's the church. That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the nations, the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, says the Lord, who does all these things. Known unto God are all the works from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles the nations return to God. But they were right under them that they abstain from pollutions of idols, fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. As far as Moses is concerned, it's preached every week in the synagogues. Then it pleased the apostles and elders, the whole church, and they sent out Paul and Barnabas. And Paul made his various, what's called, missionary journeys, evangelistic tours, we might call it, around the Mediterranean world. Many of our people seem to be more concerned with the destruction of Gentile kingdoms than the restoration of all things through God. Christ, the restoration of all things will come through Christ and the resurrected saints. The Israel of God and the restoration of physical Israel now converted will participate in the restoration of all nations. Look at Isaiah 66, verse 6. Isaiah 66, verse 6. This is Isaiah 66, verse 6. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple. This is Jerusalem, a voice of the Lord that renders recompense to his enemy. Before she travails, who travails? It is the woman about to give birth. What woman is it? It's the woman, the Jerusalem above the church. She will have more children than the married woman. Before she travails, she brought forth. Before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child who had heard of such a thing. He's not talking about the birth of an individual because of this. Who have heard of such a thing? Who has seen such a thing? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once? And of course, people now, the Charismatic evangelicals, talk about the restoration of Israel and how that is fulfilling this.

But this ultimate fulfillment is the church, when you are born into the family of God. Or shall a nation be born at once? Who is it for as soon as Zion travailed? What does Zion symbolize? We read it from Hebrews 12, 22, and 3.

For as soon as Zion travail, she brought forth her children, not one. But many shall I bring to birth and not cause to bring forth, says the Eternal. Shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb, says the Eternal. Of course not. You'll be born glorious radiant spirit beings, rejoice you with Jerusalem, and be glad with her all you that love her, rejoice for joy with her and all you that mourn for her. That you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations, that you may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For as thus says the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like a flowing stream. Then shall you suck. You shall be born upon her sides and be dandled upon her knees. How beautiful is that! See, the blending of prophecies concerning the Israel of God, the church, the repentant and restored Israel, are oftentimes challenging to distinguish and explain. But first and foremost, remember, God is not going to fully restore Israel until they look on Him whom they have pierced, exercise faith in His blood, be baptized, and receive the laying on of hands.

What I've just said is what the Zionists and the Protestants and evangelicals seem to have forgotten. When Israel repents the Great Tribulation in the beginning of the millennium, Israel as a nation will once again become Ruhama and Ami. Look at Hosea. We go back to Hosea now, and some of this brings it up to the present time. In fact, the last verse there in Hosea, which oftentimes our ministers misapply, it is applying to, we'll start in 10, Hosea 1.10. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as a sand of the sea. This is spiritually, which cannot be measured her number, and it shall come to pass that in the place where it was set unto them, you are not my people. There it shall be set unto them. You are the sons of the living God. Of course, physical Israel is going to be converted, and they're going to be used also to go out and convert the rest of the nations. As it says in Isaiah 66.19. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and recognize, a point is a bad translation, themselves one head. Who do you think that head's going to be? And they shall come up out of the land, for great is the day of Jezreel. So, remember what I said about Jezreel? It can be God sows destruction, or God stores restoration. In this case, He is sowing restoration. This is a unified picture of prophecy and what is going on. Now we go to Hosea 5, Israel's repentance, the Great Tribulation. Hosea 5.

Hosea 5, verse 15.

Now you note in Revelation 7, this great vision that is given to the Son of God. And John is curious about the great multitude in Revelation 7. Revelation 7, verse 13.

All of this is consistent with the olive tree analogy in Romans 11. Israel will be grafted back in, and the Israel of God, composed of Jew and Gentile, will rule and reign with God and Christ forever. The restoration of Israel shall be an answer to their prayerful waiting on the Lord. Their dust and ashes are going to be changed into glory, and they will reign and rule with Christ throughout eternity. Throughout eternity is a misnomer. I said that wrong. You don't go throughout eternity. You just go into eternity. Because eternity lasts forever, you don't go throughout. So I hope you have mastered this, and will be able to teach others what we have said here today. You can, but you have to do as I said at the beginning. You have to dig. Brethren, now is not the time to become a Laodicean, to be lackadaisical. We don't want to become like the Protestants, who have now reduced their services to a 30-minute sermon. That's all there is to it. This is the Church of God, the pillar and ground of the truth. The Word of God is the basis of the truth, so I hope we will make it a part of our being.

Thank you.