LESSON 26

THE JEWISH QUESTION

1.  What nation did God choose to be His representatives and custodians of His truth?

Genesis 13:14-17;  26:1-5;  28:10-15.

2.   Because of Israel’s sins they were taken into Babylonian captivity for 70 years [2 Chronicles 36:11-21; Jeremiah 25:9, 11] after which they returned to Palestine under the Persian rulers Darius, Cyrus, and Artaxerxes  [Ezra 1:1-3; 6:1-12; 7:11-28].  Daniel was one of the captives in Babylon.  While there what prophetic time period did Daniel foretell was allotted to the Jewish nation? [See chart at end of Lesson].

3.   Before the time allotted to the Jews expired, to whom was the gospel first preached?

Matthew 10:5-7; 15:22-28.

4.   To what did God compare Israel and the Gentiles?

Jeremiah 11:16, 17; Romans 11:17.

5.   What did God say He would do to some of the branches?

Jeremiah 11:16;  Romans 11:17.

6.   Who is the BRANCH into which both Jew and Gentile are grafted in?

Jeremiah 23:5, 6.

7.   Since the allotted time for the Jews has expired [A.D. 34] does God make any distinction as to race or nationality?

Romans 2:28, 29; Galatians 3:28, 29; Acts 10:34, 35.

8.   Who then is a true Israelite today?

Romans 8:28, 29; Acts 10:34, 35

9.   Does the fact that one descends from Jacob literally through the flesh make him a true Israelite?

Romans 9:6,7; Galatians 6:15, 16.

10.   What did Christ do to the “middle wall of partition” that was between the Jews and the Gentiles?

Ephesians 2:11-18.

11.   Does God have a separate plan for the Jews and the Gentiles?

Ephesians 2:19-22; Romans 11:17.

12.   What is the only means of salvation for Jew or Gentile?

Romans 11:21-14; Acts 4:12.

13.   How many families does God have?

Ephesians 3:14, 15;  4:4, 5.

14.   What is the name of this family?

Galatians 6:16; 1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 12:22, 23.

15.   Do the prophecies pertaining to the rebuilding and restoration of Jerusalem have any spiritual significance?

Compare Amos 9:11-15 and Acts 15:13-17; also read the who chapter of Isaiah 60 and 61:1-6.

16.   When did the Gentiles come to the light of the gospel?

Isaiah 60:3; Acts 10:34, 35;  13:36;  15:7, 14.

17.   What other prophecies speak of the same thing?

Joel 2:28-32; Isaiah 54:1-5;  56:4-7.

18.   Can we see any connection of this with the prophecy in Haggai 2:6-9?

19.   How does Paul speak of the glory of the ministration of the Spirit?

2 Corinthians 3:7-11.

20.   How was this glory manifested:

Acts 1:4-8;  2:1-4;  1 Corinthians 12:7-11.

21.   If the foregoing is true, what about the present day return of the Jews to the land of Palestine?

Answer:  A careful observation of the conditions and circumstances connected with the present return seems to indicate that it is primarily a NATIONALISTIC move.  One must be careful not to stretch scriptures out of context, yet we must not close our eyes to events that obviously God has a hand in.  ALL THE PROPHECIES

which speak of Israel’s return were given BEFORE the Babylonian captivity.  Therefore the first application must have been relative to the return from this captivity.  However, it is also obvious that every detail of those prophecies was NOT fulfilled in that return; furthermore, the present return of the Jews also fails to comply fully with the specification of the prophecies.  We must therefore conclude that there must be a duplication and repetition of the fulfilling of those prophecies.  Events in the Middle East certainly indicate a Sovereign Hand working on behalf of Israel. There is more to come before Israel will recognize Christ as their Messiah and Saviour.  The “times of the Gentiles” [Romans 11:25; Luke 21:24] appear to be running out and we must look to the Jews for the culmination of prophecy.

22.   What about the so-called “lost tribes”?

Israel and Judah were united after the Captivity [Ezekiel 37:15-22].  The Septuagint Version was made by six men of each tribe [285 B.C.] and James addresses the “Twelve Tribes” in his day [James 1:1].

DATA:  The literal years of Babylonian Captivity as recorded in 1 Chronicles 36:21; Jeremiah 29:10 and Daniel 9:2 ended at the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem [B.C 457].  See Daniel 9:25 and Ezra 7:11-23.

All prochecies relative to the return and restoration of the Jews and Jerusalem was given BEFORE  457 B.C.

Nebuchadnezzar besieged and destroyed Jerusalem, took Zedekiah the last king of Judah captive and killed all his sons [2 Kings 25:1-11; 2 Chronicles 36:11-21] and took the Jews into Babylonian captivity.

The Return and Restoration of the Jews and Jerusalem was accomplished under the Persian kings Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes.  See Jeremiah 25:12;  29:10;  2 Chronicles 36:22,23; Ezra 1:1;  6:14;  7:11-21.

70 weeks of years were allotted to the Jewish nation during which time God directed His special favour towards them, sending His only begotten Son to die for the sins of the whole world.  This time period ended in 34 A.D.  The Jews as a chosen nation were cast off [Romans  11:15-23] and the gospel went to all peoples [Acts 13:46].  The final calamity upon Jerusalem came in 70 A.D; the temple was destroyed and the Jews scattered among “all nations”.

“GAP THEORY”

The “Gap Theory” in which the last week of the 70 weeks is said to apply in the last days when the “ANTI-CHRIST”  is supposed to rule is mere human speculation. The Bible does not warrant us to cut off the last seven years from the original 483 years and to apply it to a “Tribulation Period”.  There have been many periods of time in which God’s people were subjected to severe tribulation.  Millions of saints have died a martyr’s death, cruel tortures have been inflicted upon God’s people for centuries.  Of course this tribulation shall increase to the end of time but “Anti-Christ” has been here since John’s day [1 John 2:18].