Who Is a True Israelite?

And we're covering one of the most important topics we can in the Bible.

Last week, we had the chance to go over this first part about the question, who is a true Israelite? And as you know, from Genesis all the way to Revelation, we have the Israelite as a main topic. God used Abraham, and out of his descendants would come the children of Israel. And then in the New Testament, it talks about the children of Israel as well, and how God is working a plan through history. Whether we know it or not, he is carrying out this plan. And so, in part two, we're going to cover such an interesting part about this subject, which has to do with the book of Revelation. And who are the true Israelites in this last book in the Bible? Of course, Revelation deals with prophecy. So, what I'm going to provide, I want you to look in the Bible itself. We always examine everything and see what the Bible says. Not so much what human beings can opine, can interpret. We want to see the facts in the Bible itself. And so, we are going to cover this subject, and many times people will ask me, who are the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation? And they're all always interested, they're perplexed, and they have an inquisitive nature. And so, we are going to cover this subject as well. So, it's an exciting topic, and from the first part, I want to just go over briefly some of the key verses so that we can continue in this message with what we had built before. So, let's go over some key scriptures, see a little more about them. One of the key scriptures is Romans 9 verses 6 through 7. Has anybody ever asked you, well, who is a true Israelite? This is one of the key answers that the Bible provides. Romans chapter 9 verses 6 and 7.

Paul is speaking here about the Israelites. He was one himself, of course, and in verse 6 and 7, he says here, get the right scripture, Romans 9, 6 and 7, he says, but it is not that the word of God has taken no effect, for they are not all Israel who are of Israel. So, Paul is saying that just because you're born into either the Jewish faith or you're one with your descendants are from the 12 tribes of Israel, he says just because you're born that way doesn't mean you're a true Israelite. Notice what he says, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham, but in Isaac your seed shall be called. That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. Talking about just because you're circumcised, you might be Jewish, but that doesn't mean that you are converted in your heart. You are born as carnal as anybody else. Just because you're born from Abraham's seed, you don't get your human nature removed. And so he says according to the flesh, he says, but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. So we went through this last time, and another key verse is in 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Of course, there are abundant amount of scriptures, but I covered many of those the last time, so I'll just briefly focus on just a few here. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 19. Paul says, circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. So you see, you become a true Israelite when you come and submit yourself to God's holy, perfect, and just laws. And that's what is constantly mentioned here. It has to be a conversion of the mind and the heart. It's not whether you're circumcised or not that you are converted, and that's what the emphasis is. And of course, if you go to evangelical churches or other churches, they're not going to use the scripture 1 Corinthians 7.19 because it contradicts their teachings. They say the law has been done away. But here it says a true Israelite is the one who keeps the commandments of God. So that's not the problem. Of course, we need the grace of God. We don't receive forgiveness by keeping the commandments of God. We receive them because we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But our lives have to be governed by God's laws, or else we are sinners. We're lawbreakers. That has not changed. Let's go to another scripture, Galatians chapter 3.

Galatians chapter 3 verse 27.

It says, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. This is the way you become a true Israelite, a true Christian. Being baptized in Christ, which means into Christ, you submit to Him, He starts working inside of you, starts transforming us through God's Spirit.

He says, there is neither Jew nor Greek. So it doesn't matter what nationality you come from. We all have to go through the same process. Baptism laying on our hands to receive God's Spirit. There is no other. You can't pay for this with a million dollars. And we've had very rich people that wanted to get baptized because they found the truth of God. But it's more than finding it. It's applying it. I myself knew back in my college days, as I was going through studying theology there at the Ambassador College in Pasadena, that we had the famous chess master, Bobby Fisher, the one who defeated the Russians. And he was so smart that he came to the church. He looked at the Bible and said, which church is it that's keeping this? And he was able to figure out. It has to be a commandment keeping church. So he started keeping the Sabbath day. He started keeping things. And I remember he was living in a condo close by. And while we were there doing sports, playing basketball, we had one of the physical ed teachers with him because to get him to go into exercising and everything else. But you know what? He was never baptized into this church. Even with all the money, even with everything he did, there was one condition he was not willing to do. And that was he was not willing to fellowship with a brethren. He was so far out as far as just absolute uncomfortable just being with brethren. And when the counseling came, he said, look, you have to congregate.

You have to overcome those qualms. You have to put God first. He will help you. He will strengthen you. He said, no, no, I just want to listen to the sermons in my apartment. He said, that is not going to work. Well, he was never baptized because we do not compromise with God's truth. And there's been cases I can tell you many of the powerful and rich who have tried to get in. They can't because it's the same rules for everybody. And so here it mentions that it doesn't matter whether you're Jew or Greek. There is neither slave nor free. Doesn't matter whether you're poor or rich.

And by the way, God hardly calls anybody rich because they don't last very long. There is neither male nor female. So see, women have the same spiritual potential as men do. They are co-heirs. So again, the level of the women are raised to the point where, yes, they are co-heirs. We treat men and women with the same respect. No one is better than the other. He goes on to say, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. We're all in this spiritual body called the church. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. All of these races, you become an heir of Abraham. Can you imagine the blessings that now are available to all of us? One more scripture, which I didn't mention the last time, Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3, again, repeated about this principle. This is repeated again. Philippians 3 verse 2.

He says, beware of dogs, which are people that are impure, morally impure. Beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation, for we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Doesn't matter. We're all together. We're all brethren. He says, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. Talks about, well, if you want to look at the heritage, the pedigree. He was a Jew and a Hebrew of Hebrews, Pharisee. He was top of the line. And then he says all of this. He says, verse 7, but what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

He said, all of that doesn't count now. It's how do you obey God? How do you serve Him? How do you submit to Him? How do you follow Him? That's what counts. So that helps us understand who a true Israelite is.

Now, to finish this topic, we're going to the most important part because this has to do with prophecies that are going to be fulfilled in the future. Very well it can happen in our lifetimes. It can happen in just a few more years ahead. And so it's important to analyze this about who is a true Israelite. And this is a prism that will help us understand the Bible better. So let's go to Revelation chapter 1. And again, since it's prophecy, I have to qualify that this is the best we understand as of now because God can reveal more things. So this is the best we understand. In Revelation chapter 1 and verse 1, here's the key to this point about who is a true Israelite being brought up. Verse 1 says, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him. So it's actually the revelation of God the Father given to Christ to show His servants. So who's He talking about? Talking about the servants in the church, those who are part of the church, things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John. So here's the transmission. God the Father, Jesus Christ, an angel to John who wrote it down. He says to His servant John, who bore witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that He saw.

Blessed is He who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near. And of course, for God, one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day to Him. And God knows when to intervene in world affairs. So it goes on to say, verse 4, John, to the seven churches which are in Asia. So it's not talking about Jews in synagogues. No, He's talking to the churches. This book was written for the church. And it starts identifying to whom it is. He says, grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, talking about Jesus Christ and from the seven spirits who are before His throne. And other parts of the Bible tells us there are angels that carry out, that notify what is going on because God has this government presently made of angels. And so they have different duties, as it's mentioned in Revelation. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead. And so here is an important truth. He's the first born. It means the first one who had the spiritual birth. And once He was resurrected, He was raised up as spirit. And He sits at the right hand of God the Father. And so there haven't been other people that have been resurrected before to spirit, kind.

And the ruler over the kings of the earth, to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and has made us again. Who's He talking about? All of these scriptures I was mentioning before, you come into the church, you become a true Israelite, you become part of these people that God is talking to here and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

So God is calling us to a position in His Kingdom to be kings and rulers when Jesus Christ comes back. And those kings and rulers have to be going about their Father's business now. We have a work to do. Yes, there's physical work. There's all kinds of things, but those are secondary to the spiritual work that we are involved in. Getting this work out, doing our part in the congregation, serving, helping, participating. That's the way God starts saying, hey, this person, they have the spirit of service. I can use them more and guide us as He can.

He says, He has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Verse 7, Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him, even so, amen.

So yes, and talk about those who pierced Him, it does have to do with the descendants of those that crucified Christ. And the Jewish people still deny that Christ is the Messiah. And you can read in Zechariah 12 where it talks about that there will, the Jewish people, when Christ comes back and they say they will see whom they pierced, and there will be this repentance that will take place, and they will be converted.

Right now they are blinded by Satan, by their own character and teachings as well that denies Jesus Christ. So this book is not about the Jewish people, the physical Jewish people. It's made very clear in this first chapter. So let's go to Revelation chapter 3 and verse 10. Here He's talking about the churches, and basically you can see that from the church at Ephesus, that's where the headquarters church eventually ended up.

Once Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans and the true church had to flee, they fled to a place temporarily called Pella. They were protected there during all of this destruction of Israel at that time. Eventually, as the different apostles died, the one that remained was the apostle John, and he was the one that continued teaching, and he ended up in Ephesus. That was where eventually, I remember he went to Patmos, which is across Ephesus, where he was exiled, and then he came back to it.

But this was the last headquarters of this Ephesian era of the church. And as you go progressively through history, each one of these churches has to do with a church era. And as we get to the end times, we come to Revelation chapter 3, and let's start picking up in verse 7. It says, And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. Right. So again, it's not talking about Jewish people. It's talking about church people and through time. So now we come to a place here where it describes there's going to be a period of great tribulation that happens in the world.

Never has been before. Never will again. This is a place where the church is coming to, to this part. And he says, these things says, He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David. Talking about Jesus Christ. He's the one that opens and closes. He who opens and no one shuts. And shuts and no one opens. Jesus Christ is over everything. Except God the Father is above him. And then he says to the church, I know your works. See, he's interested. What is the church doing? Is it getting the gospel out? It's not about just nice preaching and let's be nice to everybody.

We've got a work to do. It's urgent. This world is coming to a catastrophic end. And we need to remember that we have a job to do, to help people change their lives before it's too late. He says, I know your works.

See, I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it. For you have a little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied my name. So this is the time of the open door period where the world now through transportation, through internet. We can get to people in China. We can get to them in every place in the world. And if they want to, they can find the truth. God has to be working, but you also have to be interested.

If you don't show any interest, God's not going to take you by the collar and say, oh, I'm going to convert you anyways. No, you have to show an interest, a yieldiness to it. Check it out. Look for it. Prove it for yourself if it's so or not. He goes on to say, indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan. So the term here, synagogue, has to do with a church, a group here who say they are Jews and are not.

So there are some that say, oh, yeah, we're part of true Israel. We want to teach you these things. And their traditional Christianity is filled with false teachings, pagan teachings.

And although they are very big, they control the microphone today, not us. But it says, they say they are Jews, and it's talking here spiritually, and are not, but lie. Indeed, I will make them come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you. So one day when you become a spirit being, you become part of the God family, they will have to come and recognize where the truth was. And they will have to admit they were wrong. They were teaching a wrong Christianity. He says, verse 10, this is the promise that we want to focus on, because you have kept my command to persevere. And it has to do with persevering God's word as the literal translation has to do, which it has here in the margin. He says, the word of my patience or perseverance. In other words, you have persevered in God's word. We have retained these truths through thick and thin, through trials, through tests, through false brethren, through persecution, outside and inside. And we have persevered. We have not given up. He says, what is the blessing? I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. So I see it's not talking about some local place, talking about a test that is going to test the whole world. And God says, and before that happens, and things come crashing down, He's going to pull His people out. He's going to protect. And so it's important to know who is a true Israelite and who isn't. Because it says there in Isaiah that people will throw gold in the street, trying to earn their freedom, earn their protection. It won't matter at that time.

Money is not going to buy you protection. Only God's Word following it will. He says, and then, behold, I am coming quickly. So in this era, it says He's coming quickly. Hold fast what you have. Talk about those truths that no one may take your crown. So you see, you will receive the crown to rule under Christ if you don't disqualify yourself. And then somebody else will be called. And that position that could have been given to you will be given to someone else. Because God does not respect any person. He's going to give opportunities to people. And it depends on what a person does with their lives. And so after Revelation 3, we go to Revelation 6. Revelation 6. At the latter part, verse 12, okay, so the plagues start falling, and God's going to shake this world like it's never been shook before. And it says here in verse 13, He says, I looked when He opened the sixth seal. These are events that are going to happen here on the earth. And behold, there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became like blood. So usually in an earthquake, this huge, it'll black out things.

It says, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its late figs when it's shaken by a mighty wind. So this could be an asteroid or a meteorite shower. It can also be from the upheavals that eventually all of these things fall back on the earth, just like it did in Mount Vesuvius. It says, then the sky receded as a scroll when it rolled up. And every mountain and island was moved out of its place. The earthquake is going to be so, so tremendous. It's going to be worldwide. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every Fremont, it doesn't matter what class of society you are, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. The shaking was so terrible. So that's what people do. They flee their homes. They go to the hills. They try to get into some of these caves where they can be protected.

And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath has come and who is able to stand. So now we come to the latter part of the Great Tribulation. Basically the last year, first it's Satan's wrath, which is two and a half years. That's called the Great Tribulation. And then it's the wrath of the Lamb, the period of time when God himself intervenes. And so we get to chapter 7. What happens before this wrath of the Lamb is unleashed upon the earth? Verse 1, After these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth. And these are basically the four positions north, south, east, and west. So it's every part of the earth holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. This is what he's commissioned to do. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth and the sea or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. So, okay, what's happening to the true Israelites? God is going to protect them during that time. And I heard a number of those who are sealed. 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed. So again, God is dealing with spiritual Israel, with the people that he is calling. He inserts into this olive tree. We all become part of Israel. And so there are going to be 144,000 that are going to be miraculously protected during that time. Goes on to say, verse 9, And after these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number of all the nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, crying out with a loud voice, saying, salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb. And basically here, these are the ones that have perished during that period of the great tribulation. And now they are resurrected. It says, verse 11, All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the thrones and worshiped God, saying, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, this is one of the 24 elders that are there showing that they are angelic elders. Who are these harayed and white robes and where did they come from? And I said to him, sir, you know, and he said, these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation. They were in the tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore or thirst anymore. And it says, verse 17, For the lamb who is in their midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. So here is a group that is converted and is persecuted during the time of the great tribulation. They were inside, but the 144,000 is this group that's protected from what happens during this whole period. So we want to continue. And by the way, this is the booklet we have, the Book of Revelation Unveiled.

And you can order it free or you can download it at our website. I want to read from page 37, talking about the 104,000. It says, This ceiling, when you said put a seal, has to do with receiving God's Holy Spirit. So one may become spiritually converted. As Ephesians 1 13 through 14 says, having believed you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, which is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession. The 144,000 of Revelation 7 are mentioned again in Revelation 14, which we're going to go, where it becomes clear that these spiritual, quote, first fruits will have repented and been converted before the beginning of the day of the Lord. And so that group, they are already part of the church, and many more will come as the times get more dire. People are going to be shaken up. And so let's go to Revelation 14. Now, those 144,000 are pictured not before the wrath of the Lamb, but now it's when the Lamb comes back. And they are going to be with the Lamb in Zion in Jerusalem. Verse 1, it says, then I looked and behold a Lamb, talking about Christ, standing on Mount Zion and with him, 144,000, having his Father's name written on their foreheads. And so here's again this group that is so special to God. They're highly esteemed.

And if they're the ones that come out of the church of Philadelphia, that they have been faithfully preaching the gospel, faithfully maintaining the truths, obeying God all of this time, God knows how difficult it has been, living in the midst of what has turned out to be like in Noah's day and Lot's day, we're living in the most perverted time and it's getting worse by the day. And those that persevere are highly esteemed. Now, there's going to be many more from the first resurrection. That great multitude is going to be part of the first resurrection, but there's something special about this group, this little flock that persevered to the end. And Christ is with them. And it says, verse 2, and I heard a voice from heaven like the voice of many waters and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. Now, these are these are not the 144,000. These are angelic choirs that is there. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. So they are taught that song that is being sung. And who are they? They are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. Again, this is all symbolic. We become spiritual virgins when we enter the church. We are preparing to be the bride of Christ. And so these have not defiled themselves, going back to the world, losing the truths that they have been given. It says these are the ones who were not defiled, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. See, there's no resistance. What is it, Lord, You want us to do? That's what we do. We follow our Lord's commandments.

Let me read from the book, from a commentator, Robert Mounce.

Mounce, he says, the 144,000 are here pictured as the promised bride of Christ, who as they await the day of marriage, have kept themselves pure from all defiling relationships with the pagan world system. They have resisted the seductions of the great harlot Rome, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication. And so, in Revelation 19, 6 through 9, that's when the bride is ready. It's prepared. We're all waiting for that redemption. And so that 144,000, which we look at and we say, who are we? And of course, I hope I'm one. I don't know. I'm doing our best to be part of it. But it's this group. It's not somebody that just repents at the last minute during the Great Tribulation. We're talking about people that have been lasting decades, serving, giving, supporting, obeying, submitting to God. Those are the ones that are the firstfruits that God really deserves. And he really respects. So let's go to Revelation 19. As we wrap this up, Revelation 19. In verse 6, it's talking about, let's see, oh sorry, Revelation 21, verse 10.

It says here, and he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. And then it goes on and it says in verse 12, I'm talking about the city, and she had a great and high wall with 12 gates and 12 angels at the gates and the names written on them, which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. Brethren, that's part of the spiritual Israelites, because you see, we're going to be part of that dwelling place. We're going to be part of that administration that God, the Father, is finally going to establish. And so who is a true Israelite? It's a person who perseveres in God's Word, who keeps the truths to the very end, who participates, who serves, who doesn't become weary of well-doing. In Revelation 20, verse 20, it says in the contemporary English version, Lord Jesus, please come soon. Those are the last two verses in the Bible. I hope this all helps and is encouraging to hang in there, do your part, because you will be greatly rewarded by God.