Favouritism

(An excerpt from the New Covenant).

 

Does Israel receive Favouritism?

For the short while Satan’s presence is confined to the earth the great tribulation is the result. This is the final testing for Israel as a nation. If they are to receive the position of ‘favoured nation status’ they must repent and ‘overcome’ while they are still under the circumstances of this world. While Satan is present with his influence, they must choose of their own free will to accept and follow Christ in order to qualify for their future position.
This is the same process for all the ‘first fruit’ Saints. They must ‘overcome’. What they ‘overcome’ is the influence of Satan. Instead of the 'easy way out' they choose to make a stand and 'fight'. If they persevere with the help of the Holy Spirit and succeed, then they receive the ‘well done faithful servant’ badge of honour.

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.   Matt 25:21

Israel and by that term it should be remembered that we are talking about many nations in the end time, are the only people referred to as a nation that turns fully to God in the end time.

In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. 5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.   Jer 50:4

After years of brutal treatment in captivity Israel finally ‘sees the Light’. They seek Christ before He arrives, if only just before.

The Overall Purpose

When you look at the basic facts it all becomes disarmingly transparent.
The Saints over time throughout all of history have been a separate group called for a very specific purpose. After overcoming this world they are ready for positions of leadership. Who will they lead? Who are to be the people they are kings and priest over? Without a ‘kingdom’ they are out of a job. Their purpose would have been thwarted.
Israel must succeed in making the transformation. This is so important that in Malachi we are warned should they not complete the journey set before them, God will call His whole plan off.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.   Mal 4:5

Before we conclude this thought, who are the ‘children’ being referred to in this passage?
It would not be those that have been ‘called, chosen and faithful’; they were given God’s spirit to lead and guide them. They are responsible for making their ‘own election sure’. No one else can do it for them. If they needed someone to ‘turn their heart to the fathers’ they will never have what it takes to make it to being a ‘first fruit’ in the first place.
This passage in Malachi is about another group that must turn to ‘the fathers’ meaning the spiritual ‘founders’ or foundations of faith as found in the bible. They must turn back to believing and acting on what God’s word says. The ‘fathers’ are the current day ministry, the ‘children’ are Israel as a whole.
Once the end time starts, the ministry will be held responsible for leading God’s people back to Him. Without turning to God they have no way of surviving through the end time.

Here is the point being made in Malachi. The expression ‘smite the earth with a curse’ is accurately rendered in English as: ‘I will smite the earth with utter destruction’.
Should a failure occur at any of the links in the chain, (a) someone to come and stir the ministry (fathers) up (b) the ministry to pull their weight and (c) the population as a whole to respond, then the earth is destined for complete destruction.

To ensure Israel does not make a mistake this time, the circumstances are such that they have every incentive or no option, whichever way you wish to describe it, to ensure their success.
In the end, God is love.

 

After Christ’s arrival back in Jerusalem Satan and his angels (demons) are banished and ‘bound up’ for one thousand years.
The world is now free from the weight that had them shackled to a life of never-ending struggle. (None of this however gives us an excuse. We were always free to ignore Satan).

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.   Rev 20:1

Life without a severe handicap may seem a huge relief, more than enough to get on with living. That is just the start however. Not only is Satan gone, now we go from one extreme to the other. From having a severe handicap living with crutches, to being an Olympic runner.
Christ is with us, in Person.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.   Isa 9:2

This article will be expanded