PART TWO - THE HOPE OF ISRAEL
A. WHAT PAUL PREACHED ON THE "HOPE OF ISRAEL" WAS NOT WHAT THE JEWS WANTED TO HEAR, SO THEY PUT HIM IN JAIL.
B. WHAT WAS HE PREACHING? AN EARTHLY KINGDOM? THAT'S WHAT THEY
WANTED. THEY WOULD NOT PUT HIM IN JAIL FOR THIS. WOULD WE?
C. THESE PASSAGES ARE CONCLUSIVE ON TWO POINTS.
1. What was the hope of the promise made to the fathers - resurrection.
2. There was a difference between what Israel hoped for and the Hope of
Israel.
THE ISSUE: Will the Jews repossess Palestine, and receive the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy, with Jesus to reign on earth as king, to rule over all the earth for 1000 years?
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
1. "Jew" or "Israel" - fleshly descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
2. "National Israel" - that which originally characterized the national government,
society, religious duties, etc. Distinguish between "race" and "nation."
3. "Restore" - bringing back not only the "Race" but the "Nation." What prevents this?
The throne of David and genealogies must be reestablished. The Old Law must be
brought back( Titus 3:8-9 ).
4. "Return" - Not a restoration; meaningless by itself.
5. "Palestine" - The land promised is what is in question.
What was promised? ( Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 17:8 ).
But wasn't that fulfilled? ( Joshua 21:43-45 ).
6. "Kingdom" - Restore the kingdom born in rebellion ( 1 Sam. 8:4-7; Hos. 13:9-11 ).
A. THE ORIGINAL PROMISE( Gen. 12: 1-7 ).
1. 2 fold promise:
a. All families blessed.
b. His seed should possess the land( vs. 7; Ex. 6:4-8 ).
2. It is sometimes argued by premillinialists that in Genesis 17:8 the land was promised to Abraham and his seed, but because Abraham never actually possessed it, that he will be raised in the millennium in order to possess it personally. We believe that Abraham possessed the land through his posterity, and thus the promise was fulfilled as God intended. Another example of receiving a promise through posterity is the case of Saul with regard to his kingdom (1 Sam. 15:28). It was said that the kingdom would be taken from him, but it was actually taken after he died. Must Saul be raised from the dead, regain the throne, so that God might fulfill his threat?
NONSENSE!!
B. THE FULFILLMENT ( Josh. 21:43-45 ).
1. Did they possess all or a portion of the land? ( Neh. 9:7-8 ).
2. Did they as God said? ( Ex. 23:30-31; Judges 2:1-3 ).
3. What did David recover? ( 2 Sam. 8:1-3; 1 Kings 4:21, 25 ).
C. THE TIME OF THE PROMISE ( Acts 7:1-17 ).
1. Stephen refers to the promise( vs. 3 ).
2. Abraham received none of the inheritance( vs. 5 ).
3. His seed should sojourn 400 years first( vs. 6-7 ).
4. Israel's history in Egypt briefly given( vs. 8-16 ).
5. Stephen ( vs. 17 ) the time of the fulfillment drew near when the Jews were multiplying in Egypt! If it is yet future, how was it near while the Jews were in Egyptian bondage?
D. THE PROMISED CONDITIONED( Jer. 18:1-10 ).
1. Moses warned Israel( Deut. 29:1, 9, 24-29 ).
Israel didn't keep the covenant and was captured.
2. Israel turned back and was restored( Deut. 30:1-3; Neh. 1: 8-10 ).
3. Jeremiah 18:1-10. Potter's clay. Useful or unusable their choice.
A vessel that cannot be mended( Jer. 19:1-12 ).
4. Summary:
a. Moses( Deut. 8:19-20; 4:26; 30:18 ).
b. Joshua( 23:13 ).
c. Jeremiah - not mendable.
