Ask Of Me

Which Israel, is Israel?

But how does Israel figure into this world wide blessing for all the families? Are we still speaking of the 12 tribes of Israel? No, we are speaking of the Israel created by the New Covenant in the blood of the Messiah. In Galatians, Paul refers to it as, The Israel of God [Gal. 6:16]. In truth, Jesus is the embodiment of Israel. He is the ultimate representation of Israel before God. He really is the only one who can live up to the name.

The name, Israel, is not easily defined. One writer states this,

The meaning of the name Israel is not clear, but yet it's huge. The meaning of Israel is not singular and distinct, but consists of many nuances and facets and bulges with theological significance. (https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Israel.html)

If you consulted 50 different sources on the meaning of the name, Israel, you would come away with 50 different meanings. One writer, who I believe comes close to the true expression of the name, states it in this way,

Israel means He Retains God, or slightly more elaborate: He Has Become A Receptacle In Which God Can Be Received And Retained. This most primary Biblical concept was obviously revisited in the story of the manger in which the Word was received. (https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Israel.html)

There is a thought that the baptism of Jesus by John, and its accompanying witness by the voice from heaven, identifies Jesus as the ideal Israelite.

The baptismal scene is viewed as his presentation as the Promised Davidic King, who is to rule Israel. Schweizer states, concerning this scene,

The opening of the heaven, the coming of the Spirit, and the sounding of the voice are eschatological events so that we are to think of the king of the last time... One is thus to view the statement [this is my beloved son] along the lines of the expectation of the Davidic Son of God of Ps. 2:7. . . It would seem that the institution of Jesus as King of the end-time is the root of His designation as Son of God. (Schweizer, TDNT, vol. VIII, pp.368-369)

Even Alfred Edersheim points out that the baptismal scene, is one in which Jesus is presented by God as the True and Ideal Israelite. He says,

"But we go farther, and assert, that the dove was not the symbol of the Holy Spirit, but that of Israel. As such it is so universally adopted as to have become almost historical. If, therefore, Rabbinic illustration of the descent of the Holy Spirit with the visible appearance of a dove must be sought for, it would lie in the acknowledgment of Jesus as the ideal typical Israelite, The Representative of His People. [ Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, p. 199]

If the dove was the symbol of Israel, as Edersheim states, then what we have here is the Spirit of God descending like a dove and remaining upon Him, to signify Jesus as the True, Anointed Israelite, the Last Son of David/Son of God, who would rule over Israel for ever.

Going a step further, we read in Hebrews, chapter 3, that Jesus is called “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession.” The concepts behind both Apostle and High Priest, are closely related.

Apostle ~ this word signifies someone who is sent with authority, on the behalf of another. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded saying that He was “sent by”, “sent from”, or “came from” God. He came to do the work and bidding of the Father. Jesus was the Apostle of His Father.

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me [John 8:42]

The word translated as, proceeded forth, is literally, came out, and the phrase, “he sent me” is the translation of the verbal form of Apostle. It can be understood as, “I came out of the Father, and He sent me to act on His behalf, with His authority.”

High Priest ~ The main purpose of the Levitical High Priest, was to officiate on behalf of the covenant people of Israel, one day a year, on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). He would enter the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was housed, to offer up the blood of a sacrifice. He would do this only one day a year. As he stood in the Holy of Holies, he represented the whole covenant people, in His one person. When God looked at him, He saw the one who represented Israel. On that day, and in that place, the High Priest was the embodiment of Israel. He was Israel, at that time and place.

So Jesus Christ, as our High Priest, standing before the Father, represents the New Covenant People of God. Since the New Covenant was made with Israel (Jer. 31:33), through the ministry and life of Israel’s covenant representative, the Messiah, (Isa. 42:6) then this covenant representative, is the embodiment of Israel.

This all comes full circle. Since Jesus is the Word made flesh, this is what we see.

• The Word was always being God (Jn. 1:1).
• All things were made by Him and for Him(Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16)

Col. 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

The world, all things in heaven and earth, whether seen or unseen, were created by Him, and for Him.

When the apostles asked Jesus if He would restore again the Kingdom to Israel, they had a common, Pharisaically inspired, worldview in mind. They envisioned the Messiah ruling Israel as David and Solomon did, subjugating the gentile nations under His authority. However, they did not hear Jesus tell Pilate a very important piece of information. Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of (out of) this world (order).” In saying this, Jesus was stating to Pilate, “Yes, I am a king, but my kingdom does not come out of this world order.” In other words, His Kingdom is not a physical kingdom, with a physical capital. He said, if it was this kind of kingdom, His followers would have fought so that He would not be taken.

Remember, Peter tried to do exactly that in the garden, when he drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus. I personally think Peter was aiming to cut off his head, but Malchus saw what was coming, and ducked. Hence, Peter missed his main target, just grazing the side of his head, lopping off his ear. However, Jesus rebuked Peter, and told him to put away his weapon, for “those who live by the sword, shall die by the sword.”

So, when the disciples asked Jesus the question about restoring the kingdom, He did not deny that this was His intent. He only denied the timing of such an event. He only said that the “times and seasons” of such an event, was not for them to know, but lay only in the Father’s hand. The restoration of the Kingdom was not an instantaneous event, but would occur over the process of time.

Then, Jesus laid out the method by which He would restore the kingdom — by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were to be instrumental in establishing this kingdom in the earth, by being His witnesses.

If we take a closer look, as we have shown above, the disciples would be a key component to fulfilling the Promises God made to Abraham and his Seed. Jesus instructed them to be His witnesses, “unto the uttermost part of the earth.” This is comparable to what Paul says in Romans 4, “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” The promise that Abraham and his Seed, should inherit the world, would not be accomplished through the law, but by faith.

Speaking of Abraham and his Seed inheriting the world, we find the messianic psalm, Psalm 2, addresses this very point.
7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
In these verses, we have the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham of land and seed.

Christ, the Messiah, the king enthroned on the holy hill of Zion, is told by the LORD, to “Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for thine inheritance (the promise of seed as the sand of the sea, and the stars of heaven), and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession (the promise of possessing the land where ever his feet should trod).