”And, behold, the glory of God came from the way of the east….”  (Ezek. 43:1)

A friend in Ohio wanted to know what God´s plan is with Israel and the Gentiles.  I prefer to be brief as I believe few Christians care to know.

The short answer is Jesus Christ and His glory.  Some Christians have different views on the subject, and some don´t believe that there is any earthly plan yet to come, for didn´t the Lord say, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation” and “the kingdom of God is within you (or “in the midst” – i.e. in your midst)”? (Luke 17:20-21).  Indeed, that is still true, spiritually.  The spiritual reality in Christ is revealed to the repentant sinner by His Spirit and is what “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him”  (1 Cor. 2:9 and v. 10)

However, I believe God still has an earthly plan also.  I can´t say as some  Calvinistic friends do that the Bible´s prophecies are not to be understood literally anymore – they are all mere allegory and will have no earthly bearing as “all the promises of God in Him (Christ) are yea and Amen” (2 Cor. 1:20), i.e. they have all been fulfilled in Christ so there are no more promises yet to be fulfilled.  I don´t read the Holy Script that way.  It is true that the Jews (and this is the way I would experience the modern Israel too) are enemies of the gospel (Rom. 11:28), and yet – oh, marvel of grace! – “they are beloved for the fathers´ sake, for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:28-29) – words spoken specifically concerning Israel with reference to the old covenant with “the fathers”.

This is how I understand the word of God.  It´s not my “calling” to get politically involved with the Middle East (as some of my friends are) or accompany Obama on his possible mission there, but to stick to God´s “blueprint” in His word concerning Israel and His mercy yet to be shown towards its repentant remnant (Zech. 12:10-14).  But that “awakening” will certainly “rub off” on the Gentiles also, for “Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit”  (Isa. 27:6) and again:  “And it shall come to pass that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing…”  (Zech. 8:13).

So God´s ultimate plan is a revealed blessing with its “Shekinah glory” yet to come on “the face of the world”, and a redeemed Israel will be His channel of that blessing with Messiah as recognized and worshipped King.  I just read this very morning the exciting words from Ezek. 43 how “the glory of the Lord” that once departed from Israel and its temple (ch. 11:23) now returns (v.4), and that is still future.  I believe that “the glory of the Lord” is really identical with Christ, the Lord of glory.

I wish my friends in the bewildered, debt-ridden US would have their eyes on Christ instead of the failures of Washington (I get so many boring e-mails on the subject – yawn, yawn!), for only in Him you get the right perspective of this world and – mind you! - of your own personal life and ministry and your relationship to other people.  Show me a simple guy with a passion for Christ, whether he be in America or confined to some concentration camp in the third world, and you will then and there be confronted with “the glory of the Lord” and a “kingdom” that cannot be outwardly observed.

I want to stop with this.  I have no illusions whether these thoughts will be appreciated. For most Christians have no time to ponder on the word of God  (too much trouble!).   But I must stop  – my time has to be redeemed in keeping with God´s word. That is true of your time also. And that´s much more exciting than being swallowed up with the affairs of this doomed world!

November 21, 2012 – jn