The Judgment of Israel

Now this matter, the judgment of Israel. Remember last time as we looked together at this series on the judgments, we were centering our attention on the judgment of the Gentiles, or as it's usually called, the judgment of the nations.

Referred to in the 25th chapter of Matthew, when our Lord, at his second coming, judges the living peoples of earth as to their fitness to enter into the kingdom that he sets up when he comes back to earth again. This wonderful kingdom that was the subject of many hundreds of the Old Testament prophecies. That golden age of earth to which the prophets look forward and men have always dreamed of, whether they were connected with Israel or not.

It's interesting as you trace through the mythologies of the nations that all of them have had dreams of a golden age of earth. And the Bible confirms that such is in the offing for earth. And it begins when Christ returns and preceded by the judgment of the Gentiles.

Now, as you look at the kingdom of God, and we're speaking now in terms of the millennium, the church today is a mystery form of the kingdom. But in that day when Christ establishes his kingdom, literally on the earth, when as the book of Revelation says, the kingdoms of this earth become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. In that day, the prominent place in the kingdom will not be the Gentile nations, but the nation Israel.

You remember how Paul in the book of Romans asks and answers the question, has God cast off his people, he says? That is, Israel. Has he cast them off forever? And then he answers it, God forbid. But he goes on to point out how they've been temporarily set aside in order that God may call out this new thing, the church.

And this church age has come in as sort of a parenthesis between the time of our Lord and the time of his second coming when he again turns back to the nation Israel. And Paul goes on to speak of the blessedness that's to come to earth in the day of Israel's fullness, as he says. If the Gentile nations, he says, in this present age of Israel's rejection are blessed as a result of Israel being set aside, how much more, he says, shall be their blessing in the day when Israel moves into its fullness.

Now all of this is but to remind us of the certainty of God's fulfillment of his promises to the nation Israel that they shall again be back in the land. And we're seeing the beginnings of that taking place before our eyes. Not that this in itself is the fulfillment of prophecy, but it's the preparation for the fulfillment of prophecy with Israel back in the land again.

And then his promise that they shall inherit the earth, that they shall be the chief nation among the nations of earth, Jerusalem shall be the capital of the world, and all the nations shall come up to it to worship. And, well, if you want it in detail, you just have to read some of the glowing passages of the Old Testament that define these events for us. But in order to make Israel the prominent nation of the kingdom age, a judgment is necessary.

You see, Israel is not in relationship to God today. Israel is back in the land in unbelief, and those that are still scattered among the nations of earth are largely in unbelief as regards their Messiah. And so before Israel can come back into a period of sole relationship to God and a fellowship with him, there must be a time of judgment necessary.

Now, we're going to look at that in a little bit tonight, but so many have been asking me from time to time about the relationship of these events and saying that they have trouble distinguishing how Israel and the church tie into these last days' events, that I'm going to try to trace it for you very briefly here tonight in order that we might have before us in sort of a bird's-eye view, a panorama of what Scripture sets forth as the major events connecting with this tribulation time and era. The next event, as far as we know, in the prophetic outlook of the church today is that event we call the rapture of the church. Now, you won't find the word rapture in the Scriptures, but in the fourth chapter of 1 Thessalonians, in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, in the 14th chapter of John's Gospel, and in a couple of other places, you find reference to a coming of the Lord for his own people, for his own church.

And in those sections, you have it outlined in detail how the Lord is to appear, and the church is to be caught up, to be with him. It's really not the coming of the Lord, in one sense, so much as it's the catching away of the church. And that's the next event, as far as we can tell, in the prophetic outlook of things.

It's true that the nations are going to keep juggling into position for these last great events, but the next specific event is the sound of the trumpet, the voice of the archangels, the shout of the Lord, and the catching away of his church to be with himself. Now, the Lord comes to raise the sleeping saints, the saints of this church age. This, of course, refers to the bodies of those who have died in Christ.

Their spirits have long been with the Lord. But do you know what's an interesting thing in the word of God? You never find any reference to any of the saints of God being used in any way, or appearing in any sense on the earth, apart from their bodies. The spirits which are with the Lord, we don't know much about them.

We know they're with him, that's all. We know they're in happiness with him, but we don't know much about them, and they don't seem to be doing much as far as the revelation goes. But he must return, as he tells us over and over again, in order to raise those bodies, and then the spirit and soul reunited with it forms a glorified being.

Now, this is stated very clearly in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians. We're told that Paul says, Behold, I show you a mystery. That is something that hasn't been revealed before in the revelation of God.

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, the twinkling of an eye, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise first. Then we which are alive shall be caught up with them, you see, and be changed.

And this corruption, this dead body, must put on incorruption. This mortal that's alive when Christ returns must put on immortality. And the church is caught up together with the Lord like that.

Now, an important point to notice about the rapture of the church is that all the believers, both those who have died in Christ before the Lord returns, and those who are alive when he comes, alike receive a glorified body. A body like his when he rose from the dead. A body not subject to the same limitations physically that our bodies as we know them now are subject.

A body like his subject to other and higher laws that we have not yet discovered. And each one of the church of God, all the long, all the great multitude of saints that have lived in these last 2,000 years shall receive that glorified body and be with the Lord. Now, if you'll just let me stop there a minute, I want to refer back to the first chapter of Acts, where you remember that we're told the Lord gathered with his disciples in preparation to ascending to the fossil.

And as they were talking together there, he gave them the commandment that they were to be his witnesses and go into all the earth, you remember. And then it says in verse 9, And when he had spoken these words, these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Now, this is a very, very important reference, I believe, because I find so many people have trouble with this matter of the rapture of the church, which precedes this great period of tribulation, this seven years of trouble that comes upon the earth after the catching away of the church. And they have trouble reconciling that with this appearing of Christ at the end of it with all his saints to establish his kingdom. And they say, well, how can this be? This sounds like there are two comings of Christ, as though there's one for the church and then one later on, and yet we all speak of a second coming of Christ.

Now, I think this passage in Acts helps us to understand this, and maybe this will make it clear to you. I don't know. We must remember that the world did not see Jesus Christ ascend to the Father.

As far as the record goes, there was no one ever saw Jesus after he died except his own, his own disciples. They alone saw the risen Christ. The world's last glimpse of Jesus Christ was on the cross, and when his dead body was taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb, the world never saw him again, only his own.

But the record tells us very plainly that he appeared many, many times to his own, both in Jerusalem and on the way to Emmaus, and out on a hillside in Galilee, and by the seashore of Galilee, and to over 500 men at once, and to the apostles individually, and lastly to Paul himself. So that there were many recorded appearances of Jesus Christ to his disciples and apostles after his resurrection. But only his own saw him ascend into the heavens.

Only the disciples were with him when he went up into the glory. They saw him go up, and so as only his own saw him go, only his own will see him return for his own, you see. As this same Jesus, whom you see going into the heavens, shall so come in like manner as you see him go.

He went into heaven only viewed by those who were his own, and when he comes for his church, he'll only come visible to those who are his own. The world's not going to see Christ return for his church. That's what is called sometimes a secret rapture.

The saints simply are caught up to be with him. The dead in Christ rise, but the only ones who see the Lord are those his own. Now you notice something also about this verse in Acts.

It says, this same Jesus shall so come in like manner. I think that has specific meaning. I think it means that he will come, of course, the same one who left this earth.

There's been no change in Jesus Christ since he left this earth. He's seated at the throne of the Father and has been for centuries waiting, as the book of Hebrews says, till his enemies shall be made the footstool of his feet. But he's the same person as when he ascended.

Now, what does that mean? Well, I think it means this, at least, that it's not going to be Jesus as he was when he was here in the days of his flesh that's coming back again. Not the Jesus of the Gospels, if you please. That is not the human Christ in a human limited body who walked the hills of Galilee and grew tired and hungry and thirsty and so on.

But the risen Jesus, with a glorified body, subject to different laws than we're subject to, it's that Jesus who's coming back again and is going to be with his own. And you recall something about that Jesus, the risen Christ. Of course, it's the same personality all the way through.

I don't mean to imply that. But in this physical sense, there is that difference. But this risen Christ, you remember, in that most fascinating period of 40 days that transpired between his crucifixion or his resurrection and his ascension into the heavens, had a very mysterious ability to appear and disappear at will.

You recall how he would be and the disciples were gathered in an upper room and suddenly he was in the midst of them. And then you remember how he walked with the two men on the road to Emmaus and they sat down and broke bread together and then he disappeared. He vanished from before their eyes.

And then you remember when Thomas was with him in the upper room a week later. He suddenly was in the midst of them again. And I was always told, and went along with this idea for a long time, that he came into the room at that moment just passing right through the walls, passing right through the door.

I don't question but what that was possible for him. But in studying this through a number of years ago, I got to wondering if it wasn't really a matter of him being with them all the time, but that he wasn't always visible to them. And it seemed to me to be somewhat confirmed by the fact that he quoted Thomas verbatim when Thomas had been absent, you remember, the week before.

And the disciples had brought the news that Jesus had appeared to them. Thomas said, Why, I won't believe it, except I see the prints of the nails in his hands and his feet and put my hand in his side. I won't believe it.

And you remember when Jesus appeared, he said to him, All right, Thomas, come and put your hands in the nails, in the prints of my fingers, of the nails in my hand, and so on. And he quoted Thomas. Now, of course, being God, he was aware of all that Thomas said or thought or so on, and you can explain it that way if you like.

But it always seems, has seemed to me since, that here's an instance of the fact that Jesus was always with his own. And he said so, didn't he? Just before he went to the cross. No, it was just before he ascended into the heavens, he said, didn't he? Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.

So that there's a strong suggestion here that instead of walking through the closed doors at the precise moment, he had been in the room with them all the time and suddenly made himself visible to them. Now, that is what I'm suggesting here, at least, because it seems to me to explain this problem of the relationship of the rapture of the church to the revelation of the appearing of Jesus Christ at the end of the tribulation period. Students of Greek have long noted that the Greek word that's most commonly, not always, but most commonly used for this rapture, this idea of the catching away of the church, is the Greek word parousia.

And parousia is a word that means presence, his presence. It really has no reference to a coming so much or a going so much, but simply as a being there, a presence. And it seems to suggest, and many, I think, are coming now to feel, that when Jesus comes for his own, this same Jesus who went away, the one who had been with his disciples in those forty days, appearing and disappearing at will, comes back to catch away his church, to meet him in the air.

And then he remains here in this strange and mysterious form throughout this seven-year period, behind the scenes, as it were. The first three and a half years of that, as we learn from the book of the Revelation, is a relatively quiet period on earth. And it's perhaps during that very time that the judgment seat of Christ is taking place.

We usually think of that as in heaven, but it never says so. Could be right here on earth. And the church with him, you see, in glorified bodies, invisible to the creatures of this earth, right here in this very place.

And it's perhaps during that time that the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage of the Lamb and so on occurs. And then during the last three and a half years of the tribulation period, which is called the Great Tribulation, you have the pouring out of the vials of the wrath of God, the time of the judgment of God, the time of the wrath of the Lamb, the book of Revelation says. And it specifically emphasizes it's the wrath of the Lamb.

Now, the Lamb, of course, is Christ. And it seems very significant, or very suggestive, that the Lord himself is behind the scenes, indeed, visiting these judgments upon the earth. He evidently appears to the remnant of Israel during this time, occasionally.

You remember how in the book of the Revelation, in chapter 14, the Apostle John sees 144,000 of the tribes of Israel, a special remnant group that have been selected for a special job during this tribulation period. And he sees them on Mount Zion, that's Jerusalem, and he sees the Lamb in the midst. Now, I don't know how you take that, and I don't wish to be dogmatic about this, but at least it seems to me to suggest that the Lord Jesus, in that strange and mysterious way he had during those 40 days of appearing and disappearing, appears occasionally to this believing remnant in Israel who proclaim the gospel so widely throughout the earth during that whole seven-year period.

And that he, as he appeared to Paul, you remember, and strengthened him in the time of need, and especially blessed him and urged him out and encouraged him in time of need. And Paul, you know, tells us that he was, that when the Lord appeared to him, it was as of one born out of due time. That is, he was an Israelite who was born early.

He belonged to that group. You see, he was a pattern of that group that later on would be the believing remnant of Israel, chosen of God to be the proclaimers of the gospel throughout the world. And Paul says, I was born early.

I was born out of due time. And the Lord appeared to him in just that strange, remarkable way in many different instances during his ministry. Well, it's at this time, you see, during the last three and a half years of the tribulation period that the majority of the nation Israel are brought under the wrath of God.

This is called in the Old Testament the time of Jacob's trouble. It's a time that had been looked forward to by the prophets as a time when Israel would be punished for its unbelief. That the nation in that day, because of their rejection of Christ and because of their continued refusal to heed the messengers of Christ as they'd gone out through the world, would come under a time of severe tribulation and persecution at the hands of men.

And it ends at last with the revelation or the unveiling of Jesus Christ for every eye to see. And this is the event that you have described in the book of Matthew, the 24th chapter, where it says, They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of the heavens. And in Revelation where it says, Behold, he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him.

And the tribes of earth shall mourn and so on. And the word that's used most commonly for that is this word apocalupsis or apocalypse. And it's that word which is the old word for the book of Revelation.

The old name of the book of Revelation is the apocalypse, the unveiling. You see, if you get this picture now, the scriptures strongly suggest that when our Lord comes for his own, he comes and his church is caught up with him just in the immediate air above the earth and they're changed into this glorified body. And like him, they become invisible at will through the length and breadth of the tribulation period.

And he remains behind the scenes directing the action of the tribulation period until at the end, he unveils himself for all to see, for all the world to see. So you see that the last glimpse the world had of Jesus Christ was on the cross. The next glimpse they'll have of him is when he's seen in the clouds coming in power and glory, in flaming fire.

Paul says, taking vengeance upon them that know not God and obey not the gospel. Now that's the world's view. But otherwise, there's this strange and mysterious working behind the scenes.

It's at that last unveiling, you see, that he stands on the Mount of Olives and the mountain is split by an earthquake and a great valley is formed which is called the Valley of Judgment. And in that valley, the judgment of the nations will take place. Now, you see, this brings us now to this matter of the judgment of Israel.

Because before the judgment of the nations takes place, or the judgment of the Gentiles, there's this special time of the judgment of Israel. And in order to judge the whole of the nation Israel, another resurrection is necessary to bring the whole nation to judgment. You see, like the church, many of the generations of Israel have fallen asleep and been buried.

And all through the years, through the Old Testament period, the saints of Israel along with the sinners of Israel had been dying and buried and put in the grave and their spirits or souls had gone either to be with the Lord or to be in judgment in Hades, elsewhere. And they need to be raised and brought into judgment. Now, this may seem rather startling and rather amazing, this idea of another resurrection here of Israel at the end of the tribulation.

But I want you to see the Scriptures yourself on it now. And you follow with me in your Bibles and we'll look at some of the passages that seem to suggest these very things. First of all, the book of Daniel.

Back in the Old Testament, the book of Daniel, the twelfth chapter, verses 1, 2, and 3. Daniel, of course, has traced the tribulation period up to the closing days. And then he says in chapter 12, verse 1, And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince, which standeth for the children of thy people. Now, the children of Daniel's people would be Israel, of course.

And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. Now, that's the Great Tribulation, clearly, isn't it? It's the same event that our Lord said. And then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of creation, nor ever shall be.

And then notice, And at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book, and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Now, there's a resurrection, isn't it? Very clearly. It's a resurrection specifically concerning Israel.

It's Daniel's people that are in view. And it says, And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, this is in the kingdom, of course, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. And then you'll notice down in the close of the chapter in verse 13, the last verse of Daniel.

The angel says to Daniel, But go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the day. Now, there's Daniel's own promise of a personal resurrection. You see, Daniel was to fall asleep in death, but he would stand also in his place in the millennial days so that he's going to be in the kingdom.

He's going to be raised before the actual kingdom is set up. And the only place for it is his place after the tribulation. Now notice also Matthew chapter 8, verse 11.

These are our Lord's own words here and therefore very striking. And he's speaking about another subject, but in the middle of it he interjects these words. Verse 11, And I say unto you that many shall come from the east and west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

Now where are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob today? Well, their spirits are with the Lord, but their bodies are in the grave. And yet they shall sit down, many shall come from the east and the west and sit down with these men in the kingdom of heaven. Obviously a resurrection is in view here, for these men shall be raised from the dead and shall sit with the others in the kingdom of heaven in that very day.

Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Daniel, we know, are going to be there and so we can be sure the rest of the saints of Israel as well. Now in Ezekiel, the 20th chapter, you have what is probably the primary reference to this judgment that takes place of Israel. All we've looked at so far is the resurrection that precedes the judgment.

But now if you look at Ezekiel, just before Daniel, you'll find in the 20th chapter these remarkable words. Beginning with verse 33. As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out will I rule over you and I will bring you out from the people and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out and I will bring you into the wilderness of the people and there will I plead with you face to face like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God and I will cause you to pass under the rod.

Now there's the act of judgment, you see. And I will bring you into the bond of the covenant and I will purge out from among you the rebels and them that transgress against me. I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn and they shall not enter into the land of Israel and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Now that's a clear-cut statement of judgment for Israel, isn't it? Now if you'll turn to the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi, you'll find another reference to this judgment on the part of Israel. Chapter 3, verse 1. Behold, I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me. Now that's a reference to John the Baptist as we know by its quotation in the New Testament.

And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple even the messenger of the covenant. Now the messenger of the covenant here is Jesus Christ. Whom ye delight in.

Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But now, like so often in the Old Testament, it moves without a break from the first coming to the second coming. And without the slightest indication of any gap in between here, of thousands of years as has occurred, he begins to speak of what happens in the second coming of Christ.

But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. And he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. And I will come near to you into judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against the false swearers and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right. And fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.

And then if you look on to the 16th verse, you get the other side of the picture. Not only the judgment of the evil, but also the acceptance of the good. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it.

And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and notice the judgment now, discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Now, that's a clear-cut reference, isn't it? Then in the New Testament, and we won't take time to read this tonight, you have in the parable of the virgin in Matthew 25 a picture of the judgment of Israel there. These ten virgins, you remember, five of whom were wise and five were foolish. You remember that story? That's so often taken to refer to the church waiting for the coming of the Lord.

But it isn't that at all. You read it in its context. It has relationship to the kingdom of heaven and to the virgins who go out to meet, as it says, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And many old versions have, to meet the bridegroom and the bride. In fact, if you have a revised standard version, you'll notice that in the margin of it. To meet the bridegroom and the bride.

Who's the bride? Well, the church is the bride, as we know from the New Testament. And this is Israel, you see, going forth to meet them at the cry, Behold the bridegroom cometh. And the wedding of the Lord has already been consummated and these are invited to the wedding feast.

And half of them, you see, are foolish. And they are shut out of the kingdom, as you see the parable. And half of the men are in.

Again, a picture of judgment, one against the other. And also the parable of the talents that follows. Likewise, a reference to the judgment of Israel.

Well, then, after the judgment of Israel follows this judgment of the nations, the Gentiles, that we looked about last time. And then comes the establishment of that glorious golden age of Earth. Now, I don't know whether this has clarified your thinking or not, but I thought it would be helpful if we just went over this and traced it quickly before you.

These great events, as the prophetic finger writes them out before us, as we see God moving in preparation of these things. And I want to close this with reading a psalm, which is the prophetic psalm of these very events that we've been speaking of. And you will see in it yourself how it begins with the judgment of Israel.

And then how the Son of God is seen as the great king over the nations of the Earth. And the glories and the beauties and the wonders of that wonderful millennial scene are brought before. Let me read this now as the last thing.

The 72nd Psalm. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. Who's the king's son? Who else? He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgment.

There's the judgment of Israel, you see. The mountain shall bring peace to the people and the little hills thy righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people.

He shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressors. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and the moon endure throughout all generations. Now here's the blessing of the millennium.

He shall come down like rain upon the moon grass, as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish an abundance of peace so long as the moon endures. He shall have dominion also from the sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall bring presents. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor also and him that hath no helper.

He shall spare the poor and the needy and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight. And he shall live and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba.

Prayer also shall be made for him continually and daily shall he be praised. There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains. The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

His name shall endure forever. His name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him. All nations shall call him blessed.

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel who only doeth wondrous things and blessed be his glorious name forever and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen. Shall we bow in prayer?