The People of the Land
Most of us have been taught and accepted the traditional thinking that Old Jerusalem has been replaced by New Jerusalem - the 'physical' with the 'spiritual'. a supposition that is just not supported by scripture. Now, before you start sending me galleys of scripture to underscore your position, let me state that I once was of the same mindset as you, believing all the scripture you would advance until I, too, was challenged to find anywhere in scripture where it is written that Elohim has abandoned His Plan for those called by His Name, His People of the Book.
This is not a matter of replacement, but it is a matter of restoration, for even Paul states that the Jews have been blinded for a time, for a purpose. I know you have read this before, but re-read Romans 11 from this perspective. If Elohim is the One Who has caused them to be blinded, He is also the One Who is responsible for them to once again see. The Essence of this Person I have come to know over the past 40 years will not allow Him to abandon anyone - not you, not me and not them. Is it all clouded and veiled? Yes - but that is for Purpose also.
The Tanakh (Old Testament) is very clear about the renewed (New) covenant being only with the seed of Abraham via Isaac and Jacob (Jeremiah 31:31-34). When Yeshua came, He came to His People - the physical People of that seed. He was born of that seed. He was Jewish. The ones who rejected Him were not the People, the throngs who followed Him into wilderness areas, neglecting their sustenance to be able to be near Him. Those who rejected Him were the religious leaders of His time and taught their followers so. Those that incited the small crowd gathered in Jerusalem on the day of His Crucifixion were those who felt threatened by His Presence among the People. They were the religious leaders - not those Jews who embraced Him.
That you and I have the opportunity to partake of the Goodness that has been spread abroad because of the sacrifice of that Seed does not negate, or replace, what went before (John 4:22). It is in addition TO. It is we who have been grafted INTO the Jewish root - not the other way around. There is but one Israel, there is but one Church. What we are witnessing in this hour is a convergence of two entities into this earthly realm that are to form this 'one new man' spoken of in Ephesians 2:14-17.
Here, again, is where we need to allow God to be God. We think we know, when in reality, we are seeing through a veil dimly. There is no other people on the planet through all of time that God has said, "these are my people" and made a covenant over them with Himself so that it could not be broken (Genesis 22:16).
The teaching of the actual restoration of Israel was from the teaching handed down to the Pharisees, rabbis and lawyers in the days of Yeshua HaMashiach. Yeshua never said their teaching was wrong. He criticized their interpretation and man made rules. When the disciples asked Him about the restoration, He did not say there was not going to be any. He only said that we are not to know the exact time. When we read
Amos 9:8-15,
there is no doubt that this is about an Earthly restoration of Israel. But notice verse 12. It is not only Israel but others from other nations, who accepted YHVH as their Elohim and will also be included.
Read Zechariah 14. This is not about a spiritual Israel and a heavenly Jerusalem - verse 10 names explicit places and is no allegory to any heavenly or spiritual place. Deuteronomy 32. has been declared by many as being a spiritual or allegorical representation about Israel whereby Israel is condemned by YHVH and therefore abandoned. However Deut. 32:43 says
"Sing for joy nations his people because the blood of his servants he avenges, and vengeance he causes to return to his adversary and he makes atonement for his land people."
This is a literal translation from the Hebrew which is from a song in poetic language. "Nations" mean groups or nations apart from Israel. We could therefore translate the first part as "Sing for Joy groups of His people not belonging to Israel." There is no "and" between land and people in the Hebrew text although most translators put it there. However, we could say that "land people" refers to the nation Israel in the land of Israel. And although the language is poetic, it is not spiritual about a spiritual people in a spiritual land. Here again is confirmed that other nations (or in this case possibly groups of persons apart from Israel) turn to YHVH. This is because they will see what YHVH is doing for Israel in those days.
The main arguments brought forward by the proponents of replacement teaching are the many references in the Tanakh where YHVH condemns the nation Israel. It is a pity that they skip over Ezekiel 36:22-36, or not read it in context. Let me quote the literal text of verses 22 & 32 & 36.
22. "Therefore say to the house of Israel; so says Adonai Yahveh; not for your sake I will do (it) to the house Israel, but for my Holy Name, which you defiled in the nations where you came to."
32. "Not for your sake I say, Adonai Yahveh; it may be know to you, be ashamed and humiliated of your ways, house Israel."
36. "And they should know, the nations left alive all around you, that I Yahveh, I build the torn down, I plant the desolate, I Yahveh have spoken and I will do it."
One has to have a great imagination to come up with an explanation which says that this is anything else but the nation Israel. There would be no nations left around the "spiritual Israel" - the Church, because the church is a part of those nations. But the biggest refute is to the statement that YHVH has done away with Israel because of their behavior.
The restoration is not for the sake of Israel, but for the sake of YHVH's Name - Jeremiah 31:35-36. We must remember that YHVH's Name stands for everything He represents. To show His Name or what He stands for, He is going to restore Israel. YHVH is using Israel exactly because they are a stubborn nation who has turned away from Him time and time again. It proves that His decision counts regardless of the behavior of others. That this thought is exactly the platform from which Yeshua extends personal salvation shows it to be in keeping with the Character and Integrity, the Essence of Who YHVH Is. When your children don't do as you hoped, do you cast them away? No. you may not be very pleased, you may punish them - but you don't stop loving them or caring for them.
That Israel is restored as a nation does not exclude the necessity of embracing Yeshua Yahveh on an individual basis, but is meant to be a beacon by which all are drawn to the awesomeness of this One True God so that they might readily embrace Him. That these two thoughts are working hand in hand to fulfill YHVH's purpose in this final hour should not come as a surprise, be cloaked in mystical allegory or considered to be mutually exclusive. YHVH is plainly revealing Himself in and through His People to the nations of the world - this people and this land of Israel and all who would call upon His Name. That they continually muck it up only goes to show how truly awesome His Hand is on behalf of their redemption - as it is in yours and mine, individually.
- then who is?
When I was in Israel last, I discovered that (like the USA which is considered a Christian nation) probably 70% of the nation is secular. While the prophecies are being fulfilled that the Jews are coming from the four corners of the earth back to the Land of Israel, the truth is most of them are not coming TO the Father, but to escape persecution. However, of those who embrace the same God we worship, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, most are looking with eager anticipation for Messiah - the same Messiah you and I are looking for. They are looking for a Person - the same Person you and I are looking for. They just don't know His Name yet. That they don't yet know His Name does not negate their belief in the Father. We are each going to have to embrace Him on an individual level. But, I daresay, like me, you rejected Him before you knew Him. Let us not be too hasty to write these people off just yet.