By Pastor Bruce Oyen
E-mail: bk_oyen@hotmail.com
The theme of this posting might seem odd. It is this: "The Birth Of Jesus And The Restoration of Israel." The theme came to mind recently when reading the Christmas story in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. I do this every year when we get close to Christmas, the time of year in which many Christians reflect on and celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And, since it is November, 2011, it is close to that time of year.
As we thoughtfully read through the Biblical accounts of the birth of Jesus, we find that these chapters are profoundly deep in meaning. And we understandably focus on favorite Biblical statements such as these in Luke 2:8 - 14: 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Quoted from the New King James Version.)
Though these verses are the heart of the Christmas story, they aren't the whole story. The story of the birth of Jesus includes more than the important subject of salvation and forgiveness, which are given to those who believe in Him as their Savior. The story of His birth reaches far into the future, and includes something that is still future. How far off in the future, we do not know, and it is not good to dogmatically guess at it.
Though these verses are the heart of the Christmas story, they aren't the whole story. The story of the birth of Jesus includes more than the important subject of salvation and forgiveness, which are given to those who believe in Him as their Savior. The story of His birth reaches far into the future, and includes something that is still future. How far off in the future, we do not know, and it is not good to dogmatically guess at it.
What is yet future is stated in Luke 1: 30 - 32, which says this: 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Quoted from New King James Version)
To what do these verses refer, that is yet future? The Pulpit Commentary answers the question. It says this: "These words of the angel are as yet unfulfilled. They clearly speak of a restoration of Israel, still, as far as we can see, very distant. Nearly nineteen centuries have passed since Gabriel spoke of a restored throne of David, of a kingdom in Jacob to which should come no end. The people, through all the changing fortune of empires, have been indeed strangely kept distinct and separate, ready for the mighty change; but the eventful hour still tarries."
Personally, I think it is very possible that the promise of Israel's restoration as a nation, with the Lord Jesus reigning as King from His earthly, millennial throne, spoken of here by the angel, could be fulfilled in the near future, not in the distant future. But even if the fulfillment of this promise is in the distant future, we can rejoice that its fulfillment is absolutely certain, for it is a promise from God through the angel to His people.
But what we Christians should eagerly anticipate to come before the restoration of Israel, and the reign of Jesus as King, is the return of Jesus to take Christians to be with himself. This is what we call the rapture of the church. It is referred to in many New Testament passages, perhaps the most well-known of which is 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 18. This could happen today. It might not happen for a long time. We don't know exactly when it will happen.
Following the church's rapture will be a 7-year period of tribulation on the earth. We read about this in Matthew 24 and elsewhere.
But what we Christians should eagerly anticipate to come before the restoration of Israel, and the reign of Jesus as King, is the return of Jesus to take Christians to be with himself. This is what we call the rapture of the church. It is referred to in many New Testament passages, perhaps the most well-known of which is 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 18. This could happen today. It might not happen for a long time. We don't know exactly when it will happen.
Following the church's rapture will be a 7-year period of tribulation on the earth. We read about this in Matthew 24 and elsewhere.
Following this tribulation period, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth, put down His enemies, and set up the kingdom spoken of in the Luke 1 passage referred to above. This is a great theme of both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
For those who might be new to this Biblical subject, and who would like to study it out more fully, it would be good to start by reading 2 Samuel 7:10 - 17; Isaiah 2:1 - 22; and Matthew 19:28. A good cross-reference Bible will lead you to other verses about this subject.
I suggest you get The Ryrie Study Bible.To take a look at this study Bible, click on this link: http://www.christianbook.com/kjv-ryrie-study-bible-hardcover-letter/9780802489081/pd/8908X?product_redirect=1&Ntt=8908X&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP
It would also be good to read Renald Showers' book, There Really Is A Difference. To take a look at it, click on this link: http://www.foi.org/Store_ProductDetail.aspx?pid=72FFG5141ceeFegcF
Another important book to read on these themes is by John Walvoord. It is called, The Final Drama (14 Keys To Understanding The Prophetic Scriptures). To take a look at this book, click on this link: http://www.christianbook.com/final-drama-fourteen-understanding-prophetic-scriptures/john-walvoord/9780825439711/pd/3971X?product_redirect=1&Ntt=3971X&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP
These books give the Biblical reasons for believing in the coming literal, earthly kingdom of Israel in which Jesus Christ reigns as King for a millennium (1,000 years).
For those who might be new to this Biblical subject, and who would like to study it out more fully, it would be good to start by reading 2 Samuel 7:10 - 17; Isaiah 2:1 - 22; and Matthew 19:28. A good cross-reference Bible will lead you to other verses about this subject.
I suggest you get The Ryrie Study Bible.To take a look at this study Bible, click on this link: http://www.christianbook.com/kjv-ryrie-study-bible-hardcover-letter/9780802489081/pd/8908X?product_redirect=1&Ntt=8908X&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP
It would also be good to read Renald Showers' book, There Really Is A Difference. To take a look at it, click on this link: http://www.foi.org/Store_ProductDetail.aspx?pid=72FFG5141ceeFegcF
Another important book to read on these themes is by John Walvoord. It is called, The Final Drama (14 Keys To Understanding The Prophetic Scriptures). To take a look at this book, click on this link: http://www.christianbook.com/final-drama-fourteen-understanding-prophetic-scriptures/john-walvoord/9780825439711/pd/3971X?product_redirect=1&Ntt=3971X&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP
These books give the Biblical reasons for believing in the coming literal, earthly kingdom of Israel in which Jesus Christ reigns as King for a millennium (1,000 years).
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