We are usually uncomfortable with God’s judgments because we lack a revelation of the greatness of God and His name. When we esteem a person, we are naturally enraged when their name is maligned. The greater revelation we have of the greatness of God, the greater agreement we will have
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is far more than the beginning of the church. It represented a commitment by God to fulfill His promises to Israel and also gives us clues to how God is going to fulfill those promises. In the outpouring of the Spirit, God did not shift His plan from Israel to the nations, He invited the nations to participate in Israel’s story.
The Lord has given the black community a gift to be a prophetic voice related to the issue of Israel for the sake of Israel and the nations. We must recognize that calling and contend for it.
Joseph’s story is a stunning prophecy of Jesus’ life, ministry among the nations, and ultimate intention for Israel. It illustrates how the story of Israel and the gentiles is deeply intertwined because Joseph’s life serves to save both Egypt and Israel. In doing so, it prophecies of Jesus’ activity in the nations.
The subject of Israel is not only a controversial subject in the news, it is also controversial in the church. Because this controversy is not going away, pastors and leaders must prepare their people to approach the subject of Israel biblically and avoid common errors related to the subject.
Evangelism is the beginning of the Great Commission but the Great Commission goes much deeper than that. We are preparing the nations for the return of Jesus and for the conclusion of His glorious plan that joins together the salvation of Israel and the nations.
Paul recognized a divine story was unfolding that would result in both the salvation of Israel and the nations. He also recognized that Israel and the nations were deeply intertwined in that plan and that the Great Commission was God’s means of bringing it to pass.
It is a common assumption that the New Testament shifts the focus from Israel to the nations. The New Testament does give a clear directive to take the gospel to the nations and also describes the spread of the gospel among the gentiles. However this Great Commission is not disconnected from God’s promises to Israel.
Most believers assume that the Old Testament is primarily about Israel and the New Testament is a shift in emphasis in the nations as defined by the Great Commission. However, we must see the Old and New Testament as a single, unified story and the Great Commission as deeply rooted in both the Old and New Testaments.
For too long the church has treated Israel and the Great Commission as two unrelated subjects when in fact they are part of a single mission in God’s heart. The Great Commission deeply connects Israel and the nations in God’s plan to redeem and restore the nations.
I just released a new book centered on one of the major tensions of the New Testament: the New Testament redefines the people of God, but at the same time does not replace promises made to Israel.
Talking with Joel Richardson on the Underground to discuss what it means to love Israel in a biblical way. Join us in Israel next summer in 2017.
