THE CHRIST and Israel

There is no greater writer of the life of the coming Messiah what Isaiah wrote some 765 years before JESUS had HIS ministry, life, death, and resurrection.

Isaiah

42:1. Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

42:2. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

42:3. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

42:4. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

42:5. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

42:6. I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

42:7. To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

The promise to Israel is that a servant of the LORD would come who would be a "light to the Gentiles".

One of the greatest teachings in the Bible concerning the relationship of Christians and Israel is found in the book of Romans. Here, Paul weaves a complete picture of how JESUS is promised to Israel and rejected by Israel when HE appears. Then Romans goes on to show how GOD has blinded their eyes that the gospel might be preached to the Gentiles.

Romans

11:25. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

11:26. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

11:27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

11:28. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.

So, we see that Isaiah, 765 years before JESUS came, speaks of HIM. We see the fulfillment of this and many prophecies of the suffering saviour by the life and ministry of JESUS.

(Isaiah chapter 53 is also a good look at JESUS in the Old Testament)

Still, even as Paul wishes his kinsmen in the flesh would turn to JESUS and be saved, that they might know the fullness of the love of GOD in CHRIST, he acknowledges that Israel is, and always will be, the chosen and favored people of GOD.

In the end, when the "fullness of the gentiles comes in" (that is, "when the last gentile whose name is written in the book of life is saved") then Israel will see the return of JESUS and will see HIM as the conquering king they were looking for.

They will also see that their rejection of THE CHRIST has resulted in a relationship between the gentiles and GOD that will provoke Israel to jealousy and drive them back to the GOD of their salvation.

While Paul takes many verses to teach this truth, and there is much more in those verses, the step by step teaching in Romans leads to this point (For Israel, to me, this is the climax of the book of Romans)

There are a number  of places in the writings of the prophets of GOD where they tell the nation of Israel that GOD is going to raise a new people to Himself. It is said that HE will choose a people who are not a people and where it was said to them "You are not a people" it will be proclaimed "you are the people of GOD"

Christians are the fulfillment of that promise and the promise to Abraham that in his seed (not seeds, but seed) all the nations would be blessed. Indeed, GOD has called people from every tribe and nation, in JESUS, "1:3. ... which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 1:4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"

Still, there are more Gentiles to be saved before JESUS will return. And, as Isaiah says, the isles will wait. The most remote parts of the world will be reached before the work of THE CHRIST is ended on this Earth and JESUS comes to collect HIS people.