part 36: All Israel Shall Be Saved
Puzzled About Revelation, august 18 2022
“Who is Israel? What is God’s plan for Israel and the nations in the last days? What is the purpose of the Great Tribulation? How will “all Israel” be saved?”
main text: Revelation 7:9-14
recap
The 144,000 = The FULLNESS of the Gentiles and ALL (REDEEMED) ISRAEL!
“The Mystery of Israel”
“In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 3:4-6)
Dispensationalism
Most “popular” prophecy teaching in the Body of Messiah is based on Dispensationalism—the teaching that the Church and Israel are separate entities with separate covenants and separate destinies. Dispensationalists teach that when the “fullness of the Gentiles” have come in and the “times of the Gentiles” are over at the end of the “Church Age”, the Church will be “raptured” to heaven before the Tribulation, which is also called the “time of Jacob’s Trouble” (Jer. 30:7).
As we shall continue to see, this false teaching is “another gospel” that divides the Body of Messiah and fails to understand God’s plan & purposes for both Houses of Israel in the last days—the House of Israel/Joseph/Ephraim and the House of Judah.
This is the false teaching that the pre-trib rapture is based on!
This Week: Who is Israel?
“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the fullness of the Gentiles (Heb. melo haggoyim) has come in, 26 and IN THIS WAY all Israel will be saved.”
The Apostle Paul called Israel a “mystery” that will be revealed in the last days once the FULLNESS of the GENTILES has come in; at that time, all Israel will be saved. What did he mean by that? How and when will they be saved?
Revelation 7 holds the key to understanding this mystery…
Rev. 7:9-14: The multitude in white robes
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
These in white robes have NOT been SPARED from the great tribulation, but rather, those who have come through it.
(Note: The Contemporary English Version (CEV) makes it even clearer that the ones in white robes are not removed: “…These are the ones who have GONE THROUGH the great suffering...”) (Rev. 9:14)
Those in white robes are the SAINTS, who have believed on the Lamb.
Rev. 6:9-11: “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the FULLNESS of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.”
Those in white robes are both those who were under the altar (Rev 6:11) and those who are before the throne and the Lamb, those who have been killed (martyr witnesses).
Rev. 12:10-11: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him (the dragon) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
Jeremiah
The reference to “the time of Jacob’s trouble” comes from Jeremiah 30.
“These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah… 7 How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.”
During the reign of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, the kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms: north and south. The northern kingdom of ten tribes was often called “the house of Israel” or “the house of Ephraim.” The “fullness of gentiles” is figuratively called Ephraim (Gen. 48:13-14,17-19, see part 35 of this series).
Northern = Ten tribes = “House of Israel” = “House of Ephraim” = “Jacob” = “Fullness of Gentiles.” The northern kingdom was scattered among the nations after the Assyrians conquered them in the 8th century BC.
Southern = “Judah” (the ruling tribe from which Messiah would come, along with the tribe of Benjamin.)
In Jeremiah 30, God is speaking to both the northern and southern kingdoms when He says, “How awful that day will be! None will be like it.”
Matthew 24:21 says: “For then there will be great distress [tribulation], unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.”
Jeremiah 30:7 continues, “It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.”
In Revelation 7, it is the “great multitude” that is saved out of the great tribulation. Once again, this supports the view that Jacob is both a “nation” and a “fullness of gentiles.”
The clarification here is that dispensationalism believes that “the time of Jacob’s trouble” is for the Jew alone. However, the saints are also part of Jacob. The saints are also part of the “seed” of Jacob as we learned last week.
Therefore, the time of Jacob’s trouble is not just for the Jewish nation, but also for all of the saints who are “reckoned” as the seed of Abraham, the seed of Jacob.
Note: Recall from last week’s message that Abraham was told in Genesis 17:4-8 that he would be the father of many nations (including gentile nations) and that the covenant promises, including the land promises, are for ALL his seed (including gentiles).
“Then the dragon was enraged at THE WOMAN [Israel/Jacob] and went off to make war against the rest of HER SEED —those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of JESUS…”
Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Therefore, we can see that the SEED of the woman is not only the Jewish nation, but also the saints, as the woman’s seed are those who hold to the testimony of JESUS.
“He was GIVEN POWER to make war against THE SAINTS and to conquer them. And he was GIVEN AUTHORITY over every tribe, people, language and nation.”
The time of Jacob’s trouble is not just for the Jewish nation. It will target them, but it is also going to target the saints in every nation. This also makes sense when you consider that Revelation 7:9 says that the multitude were from every nation, tribe, people and language.
Isaiah
“The Lord will bring on you and your people and the house of your father a time unlike any other since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”
Note the separation between Judah (Jewish nation) and Ephraim (the ten northern tribes of Israel who were scattered and were “mixed” among the nations, which is figurative of the saints - the “spiritual seed” of Abraham, the son of Joseph mixed among the nations).
In Rom. 11:11-24 Paul speaks of the nation of Israel as an olive tree, and how the gentiles have been grafted in for a time, but also that the nation of Israel can even more easily be grafted back in.
Rom. 11:25-32: “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES (Heb. melo haggoyim) has come in, 26 and IN THIS WAY ALL ISRAEL will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have become disobedient in order that they too may receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.”
“In that Day, the Root of Jesse will stand as a Banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His place of rest will be glorious…
12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s hostility will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will lay hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.”
Notice Ephraim’s jealousy of Judah, and Judah’s hostility toward Ephraim.
We can see that Paul had the understanding that the gentiles were Ephraim and Judah is the Jewish nation, because Paul says in Rom. 11:11: “Because of their [Israel’s] transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious…
Romans 11:28 “As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have become disobedient in order that they too may receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.”
Judah is hostile to the gentiles (Ephraim) and Ephraim is to make Judah jealous. But on the day when God gathers all of the exiles of Israel, and assembles and Judah and the exiles together, Judah’s hostility will be cut off and Ephraim’s jealousy will end, and the two will become one, and will conquer their enemies.
“The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners [Gentiles] will join them and unite with the House of Jacob. 2 Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And Israel will take possession of the nations and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.”
John 17:11: “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.”
Zechariah
“I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. 7 The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. 8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. 9 Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return. 10 I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. 11 They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria’s pride will be brought down and Egypt’s scepter will pass away. 12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,’ declares the Lord.”
Ezekiel
“Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17 Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand. 18 “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’ 19 say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’
20 Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21 and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 “‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.
25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place (Heb. mishkan = TABERNACLE) will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’”
Lev. 23:40 ESV: “And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.”
Deut. 16:13-17:“Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. 14 Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the [Gentiles], the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. 15 For seven days celebrate the feast to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose (Jerusalem – See Dt. 12:4-7; 2 Chr. 6:6). For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete. 16 Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: (1) at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, (2) the Feast of Weeks and (3) the Feast of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:17 Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.”
Hosea 1:5,7: “5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel… 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.”
Hosea 1:10-11: “10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 11 The House of Judah and the House of Israel will be reunited (Heb. qabats + yachdaw = to be assembled/gathered/joined together at the same time); they will appoint one leader [lit. “head” -See Eph. 1:10,22; 4:15; 5:23; Col. 1:18] and will come up out of the land [lit. rise up out of the earth, in resurrection], for great will be the day of Jezreel.”
Additional Scriptures:
Jer. 33:23-26: “23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two families he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as [ONE] nation. 25 This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, 26 then I will reject the [seed] of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the [seed] of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will bring them back from captivity and have compassion on them.’”
Zech. 9:13-17: “13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and make you like a warrior’s sword. 14 Then the Lord will appear over them;his arrow will flash like lightning.The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;he will march in the storms of the south,15 and the Lord Almighty will shield them.They will destroyand overcome with slingstones.They will drink and roar as with wine;they will be full like a bowlused for sprinkling the corners of the altar.16 The Lord their God will save his people on that dayas a shepherd saves his flock.They will sparkle in his landlike jewels in a crown.17 How attractive and beautiful they will be!Grain will make the young men thrive,and new wine the young women.”
Zech. 14:16: “Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up (to Jerusalem) year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebratethe Feast of Tabernacles.”