Confusion exists in the minds of many Christians regarding Israel's present status as a nation which has been recently attained after almost 2000 years without any polity. For all those years they were "wanderers among the nations" (Hos. 9:1717My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations. (Hosea 9:17)), and they were "as a vessel wherein is no pleasure" (chap. 8:8). Now at long last they have an established government in Palestine; and whereas there were only a very few Jews in Palestine for centuries, there are now 1,600,000 there (an increase of 250% since the nation was formed nine years ago), and an estimated 100,000 more are to take up residence this year.
"Shall a nation be born at once?" (Isa. 66:88Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. (Isaiah 66:8)) is often quoted as a scripture that applies to their becoming a nation when Great Britain relinquished her mandate over the "holy land." It is cited to prove that their announcing themselves as a nation at that time, with the approval of other powers, was the fulfillment of prophecy. This is as much an error on the one side, as to say that God will never reinstate and bless Israel is on the other. Both are untrue according to the prophetic scriptures.
God has surely decreed that that land, "the glory of all lands," will be inhabited by His earthly people in blessing and prosperity. Many scriptures attest this: "And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts." Mal. 3:1212And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:12). "Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: for I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.... And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be My people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee.... And the Lord shall inherit Judah His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again." Zech. 2:4-124And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: 5For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. 6Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord. 7Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 8For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. 9For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me. 10Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. 11And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee. 12And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. (Zechariah 2:4‑12). "And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph [that is, the two tribes and the ten], and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them." Zech. 10:66And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them. (Zechariah 10:6).
These quoted verses are all taken from the post-captivity prophets; that is, from those who spoke to the feeble remnant that returned from captivity in Babylon; so it is evident that these prophecies have not had any fulfillment as yet. They could not have applied to the return of the remnant in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, for they spoke of a glorious state that did not come into being at that time, and which these prophets indicated was yet future. To apply them to any past period of Israel's history is extreme error, for it would turn the Word of God into a mockery. And to say that they will not literally be fulfilled is to charge God with unfaithfulness to His promises—"God that cannot lie."
Many other prophecies could be quoted from Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and other prophets, which are still future, and which can by no stretch of the imagination be applied to any previous time in history. They are plainly future—the future of the people of the twelve tribes of Israel, and of that land given to them by a divine grant, and which was never possessed by them in its entirety. So let us be crystal clear in this matter—blessing for Israel in their land under their true Messiah, and under the new covenant, when the law shall be written in their hearts, is sure. It will come just as surely as day follows night, for "God is faithful."
But those who think that Israel's proclamation of sovereignty nine years ago was in any wise the fulfillment of these promises are, to say the least, grossly mistaken. What we have witnessed in Israel is not the work God describes, but a work of man.
There is one cardinal defect in all such hasty conclusions; namely, they do not take into account the absolute necessity of God's doing it according to His own character. He can never be gracious at the expense of truth. "Grace and truth" came by Jesus Christ, but it is never grace at the expense of truth; grace must have truth as its righteous basis to be of God. The demand of His holiness must be met, so that grace can reign through righteousness.
We have already quoted from the 2nd chapter of Zechariah regarding Israel's coming blessing, but the 3rd chapter of the same prophet is an integral part of the prophecy and belongs with the promises of future glory and blessing for Israel—both for the land and the people. The 3rd chapter shows how God can bless them; let us look at it:
"And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.... Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel." vv. 1, 3. Here is the scene that explains how God can take that people into His favor. First we see them represented in the person of their then high priest—a man by the name of Joshua. He is not shown acting as their priest here, but as a representative of the people in their condition -he "was clothed with filthy garments." This is the condition of the people as seen by God-covered with defilement. Can God bless a people in such condition? No, never. And if the present national reviving of Israel were the work described in Zech. 2, then it is not connected with Zech. 3, and God would be blessing them in defilement.
This "angel of the LORD" is none other than Jehovah Himself; as we read in Exod. 23 "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him, and obey His voice, provoke Him not; for He will not pardon your transgressions: for My name is in Him." vv. 20, 21. Joshua the high priest represents a sinful and defiled people before they will be brought into all the blessing God has promised. The third person mentioned in these verses is Satan—the adversary of God and man. He is bent on opposing the purposes of blessing, but he knows nothing of the ways of grace.
Satan correctly understands the filth of the people of Israel and would press it before God against them. He went before God to accuse Job, and in Rev. 12 he is called "the accuser of the brethren." He overcame the first man, and hence brought in sin and death, and has kept man in fear through that power of death; but Christ has overcome him (Heb. 2:1414Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14)).
What is Jehovah's answer to these accusations of the adversary? "And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that bath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" v. 2. Joshua is silent here; he does not speak throughout, but Jehovah takes up the challenge of Joshua's (Israel's) defilement; He speaks for Joshua and says, "The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan." Who else could rebuke Satan? Even Michael the mighty archangel "durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." Here the "stronger than he," who overcame him, rebukes the adversary, and, as it were, acknowledges the claims of the fires of judgment, but speaks of Israel as being a brand plucked out of the fire. And who but God could thus pluck a person or a people out of those fires? How quickly a brand, a straw, is consumed in a fire! It would soon be gone, but for the grace that would pluck it out in time. Thus will Israel—a remnant, no doubt—be plucked out before they are consumed. He who will bring them "through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined," will remove them at the right moment (Zech. 13:99And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (Zechariah 13:9)).
But while Satan is rebuked and thus silenced by divine power, is God going to bless a defiled people, even though at the last moment He snatched them out of the terrible fires of "the great tribulation," "the time of Jacob's trouble"? No, that cannot be! not any more than the father in Luke 15 would bring the degraded prodigal, defiled by the swine's pens, into his house in the condition in which he came from the "far country."
God in His sovereign rights had "chosen Jerusalem," and the next step is that Joshua, representing the people, must be cleansed. Jehovah gives commandment, "Take away the filthy garments from him." All is done for him as for the prodigal. His defilement must be removed before God can bless him, or that people, as He purposes to do in a day that is coming shortly.
Joshua must also hear from the lips of "the Angel" these words: "Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee." Thus the repent ant remnant of Israel will look on Him "whom they pierced," and enter into real self-judgment before God; then they will understand that it was He whom they crucified who actually bore their sins on the cross. They will then say in the language of Isa. 53 "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities." v. 5.
Further, "the Angel" says, "I will clothe thee with change of raiment." He was not only cleansed from his iniquities, but clothed in a manner suitable to God Himself, just as the son in the parable of Luke 15 was clothed after his father commanded, "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him." Those whom God takes into favor must be attired suitably to His own presence. Nothing less will suit either His presence or His heart. Just as those who come into the king's house in the parable of Matt. 22 had to have the wedding garment, so all must be clothed with the robe of God's providing.
How happily the Apostle Paul had learned the lesson when he said, That I may have Christ for my gain, and be "found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Phil. 3:8, 98Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:8‑9). Perhaps no one ever had a better garment of human righteousness and religious attainment than he, but he had learned its worthlessness and was glad to be rid of it in order to be clothed with "the righteousness which is of God by faith."
Then in Zech. 3, verse 5, the prophet seems to speak as though he were in concert with the mind of God: "And I said, Let them set a fair [or, pure] miter upon his head." One thing more was requisite; he needed to be crowned. Joshua was now to represent a chosen, cleansed, and clothed people in their new and holy standing as a nation of priests. The miter was the priestly headdress of fine linen on which was the plate of pure gold. God had promised that people of old that on the condition of obedience they would be "a peculiar treasure" unto Him, and be a "kingdom of priests, and a holy nation" (Exod. 19:5, 65Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:5‑6)). But, alas, this never came to pass, for all was lost immediately by transgression.
The Apostle Peter, by the Spirit of God, applied these words to the feeble remnant of the Jews who accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior (1 Pet. 2:5, 95Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)
9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9)). They came into these blessings before the day when the nation will, and came into them in a richer and fuller way than Israel will know it by-and-by. All believers of this day are "holy priests" to "offer up spiritual sacrifices" to God, and "royal priests" to show forth His praises and, as it were, dispense royal bounties. But a chosen, cleansed, and clothed Israel with a new heart will offer up praises to God and show forth His glories; for He will be glorified in them as His earthly people, as He will be glorified in us, His heavenly people. Joshua and his "fellows" are to be "men wondered at" (or, men to be observed as signs) in that day (Zech. 3:88Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (Zechariah 3:8)).
One more statement remains to be noticed in this remarkable chapter which stands out as a pre-requisite to that nation being "born at once"; namely, "And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." v. 9. In order for the new Israel to be born at once, the iniquity of the land must also be removed in one day. This will be done at the fulfillment of the great day of atonement, when that people, "beloved for the fathers' sakes," but cast off for the rejection of their Messiah, shall look on Him whom they pierced and be in heaviness for Him (Zech. 12:10-1410And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. (Zechariah 12:10‑14)). They will mourn as truly repentant souls with "repentance not to be repented of." So before the promises of God for the earthly blessing of the children of Israel can be fulfilled, it will be necessary for them to pass through "the time of Jacob's trouble," and then see the Lord Jesus with the marks of the crucifixion in His hands, and they will pass through a time of exercise such as Joseph's brethren did when he revealed himself to them, saying, "I am Joseph." The land itself will also be cleansed.
Before we close these comments on the order of Israel's restoration, it should be noted that whether it be Israel of the future, or the sinner of today, God's principles of dealing are the same. The enemy would gladly accuse, but it is God that justifies and, when He does, who then can condemn? We need to know that we are cleansed from our sins, and clothed—clothed with the "best robe" and are fully fit for His presence; also that we
have the pure miter on our heads, or, in other words, have been made holy and royal priests to God; and all began with His sovereign choice. May we lay hold of the words of the poet:
"Though the restless foe accuses-
Sins recounting like a flood,
Every charge our God refuses;
Christ has answered with His blood."
And may we so rejoice in what His grace has done for us that we shall spontaneously offer up more of the sacrifice of praise to God as holy priests, for that is the portion of each saint—young or old, newly-saved or one who has had a long life as a Christian, man or woman. Public ministry has not been given to all, but all can offer up praise to God. Ministry comes down from God to His saints, but praise and worship can and should ascend to God from every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a sad commentary on our lack of occupation with Christ and with the grace of God, that worship is lacking in us as the saints of God.