I realize that when writing to Israel, we must deal with the question, “Who was Jesus Christ?” while standing in the Light of the New Testament and while maintaining the integrity of the Old Testament. The answer to the question is the fulcrum upon which the history of the world turns. If so, and as the world looks to each new Millennium and beyond, those who honor the Jewish calendar would seem to be well served by doing some research on this Messianic topic. Seeking answers, and God’s direction as you do so, is a reasonable endeavor. Surely those of Abraham’s seed and who love God are not the enemy, myself included. Perhaps misled or unenlightened, but not the enemy.
The chapter we are dealing with here is best studied, in my opinion, by first considering the words of the One to which the Old Testament points. If that seems too difficult a starting point, please just try to bear with me as we transition to the Old Testament. This quotation is one of many that place the Old Testament and its prophecies in perspective.
Numbers 24:16-19 (NKJ)
16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God, and has the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes wide open:
17 “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.
18 “And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, and destroy the remains of the city.”
John 5:2-43 (NKJ)
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”
12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”
13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
20 “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
21 “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.
22 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,
23 “that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
25 “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
26 “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
27 “and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
29 “and come forth– those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
30 “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.
32 “There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.
33 “You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.
34 “Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.
35 “He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.
36 “But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish– the very works that I do– bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.
37 “And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.
38 “But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.
39 “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
40 “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
41 “I do not receive honor from men.
42 “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.
Here we will focus on the last 4 verses. In these 4 verses, what writings was Jesus referring to? The Old Testament is full of quotations that point to Jesus and the promised Messiah, the Christ. Let’s look at only a few.
Moses in Numbers, Chapters 22-24 recorded one of the strangest stories in the Bible, where a donkey spoke to his master, Baalam and Baalam subsequently prophesied as follows:
Numbers 24:16-19 (NKJ)
16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God, and has the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes wide open:
17 “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.
18 “And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, and destroy the remains of the city.”
I believe that the Bible properly capitalizes references to the Deity. Note verse 17. The Star out of Jacob refers to the Messiah, the one coming out of Jacob and the tribe of Judah as prophesied in other Old Testament references we will consider. The Scepter shall rise out of Israel refers to the Messiah as Judge. To put this assertion in perspective, listen to what Jacob said as he called his sons together.
Genesis 49:8-10 (NKJ)
8 “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
Shiloh, though a city, also means “sent” and thus would be capitalized either way, but here I believe it means the One who is sent, who will come and to Him shall be the “obedience of the people.” The “scepter” is not capitalized here because it is an implement in the hand of “Shiloh,” the Judge.
Now, let’s look at some of the most clearly stated promises in the Old Testament regarding who the Messiah is to be and what evidence will be present that we should know it is Him.
Isaiah 7:10-14 (NKJ)
10 Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!”
13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?
14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Biblical references call this “The Immanuel Prophecy.” Immanuel means God with us. Read verse 14 very carefully and know this prophecy was fulfilled. No Jew needs to wonder about the dispersion and gathering of Israel. It is a historical fact, well documented and experienced by generations. Listen.
Isaiah 8:8-10 (NKJ)
8 He will pass through Judah, he will overflow and pass over, he will reach up to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel.
9 “Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak the word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.
Then we read that a Child is born, the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJ)
6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (My emphasis)
7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Then we see that the Child becomes a Rod, from the stem of Jesse.
Isaiah 11:1-5 (NKJ)
1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. (My emphasis)
2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.
Perhaps a Jewish reader is thinking, “Yes, this is all about the Messiah, but it is about a Messiah yet to come.” That is true. It is about the Messiah yet to come but it is also completely in sync with the birth, life and mission of Jesus Christ, right down to the smallest detail. The Messiah came, born of a virgin. This Messiah, in order to be the Messiah yet to come, would again have to come as a child, born of a virgin, in the town of Bethlehem, from the tribe of Judah, be crucified as the Lamb of God, and atone for the sins of all men, as well as fulfill numerous other prophetic details. Does Israel really look for another One, who will fulfill prophecy as Jesus Christ did, to yet come? It has already happened! Prophecy has been fulfilled. Read on.
Isaiah 28:16-23 (NKJ)
16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.
17 Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it goes out it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass over, and by day and by night; it will be a terror just to understand the report.”
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
21 For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, he will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon– that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
22 Now therefore, do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts, a destruction determined even upon the whole earth.
23 Give ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my speech.
Isaiah 33:10 (NKJ)
10 “Now I will rise,” says the LORD; “Now I will be exalted, now I will lift Myself up.
Isaiah 42:1-9 (NKJ)
1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, my Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
5 Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Isaiah 48:16 (NKJ)
16 “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit have sent Me.”
Isaiah 49:1-7 (NKJ)
1 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, and take heed, you peoples from afar! The LORD has called Me from the womb; from the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft; in His quiver He has hidden Me.”
3 “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, and my work with my God.’ ”
5 “And now the LORD says, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him (for I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and My God shall be My strength),
6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation abhors, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel; and He has chosen You.”
Isaiah 50:6-9 (NKJ)
6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
7 “For the Lord GOD will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.
8 He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me.
9 Surely the Lord GOD will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; the moth will eat them up.
Isaiah 52:13-15 (NKJ)
13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men;
15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider.
Isaiah 53:1-12 (NKJ)
1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; he was despised, and we did not esteem Him .
4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
9 And they made His grave with the wicked– but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; he has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, he shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The prophecy of Isaiah 53:1-12 could not be more clear. What possible fulfillment of this prophecy exists than that which is before you?
Isaiah 59:14-20 (NKJ)
14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15 So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; the coastlands He will fully repay.
19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.
20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” says the LORD.
Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJ)
1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal
the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
This One, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord God rests, will yet console those who mourn in Zion and those in Zion will be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.
Job 19:25-27 (NKJ)
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Job, whose writings are considered the oldest in the Old Testament, said that he knew that his Redeemer lives and that upon death he would see God. You and I both know that his Redeemer was the Messiah. The only question is “Has he come or shall we look for another?”
Job 33:14-25 (NKJ)
14 For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds,
16 Then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction.
17 In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man,
18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, and with strong pain in many of his bones,
20 So that his life abhors bread, and his soul succulent food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight, and his bones stick out which once were not seen.
22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, and his life to the executioners.
23 “If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to show man His uprightness,
24 Then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’;
25 His flesh shall be young like a child’s, he shall return to the days of his youth.
Please read verses 22-24 again carefully. Life is finite. Job misestimated the situation here, in terms of how much time he had left. Here we have in these last few verses the answer to his question about a messenger, mediator, one who would deliver him from the pit. He says, “I have found a ransom.” When you consider the Prince of Peace as Messiah, know that He broke the power of death, He provided the ransom for each of our souls.
The Old Testament is full of references to the Messiah. Again, this book is intended to point you towards God’s Word. There is no authority outside of God’s Word upon which you should rely. Listen again, and consider memorizing, one of the most powerful verses in the Bible concerning the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 (NKJ)
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Before I leave the issue of the circumstances and mission of the Messiah, as prophesied in the Old Testament, let’s look at some of the Messianic Psalms.
Psalm 2:6-7 (NKJ)
6 “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.
Psalm 16:8-10 (NKJ)
8 I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 22:1-18 (NKJ)
1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; you made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb you have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13 They gape at Me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws; you have brought Me to the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.
Psalm 96:13 (NKJ)
13 For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth.
Psalm 118:22 (NKJ)
22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
If you would like to compare Messianic prophecy with New Testament fulfillment, go to Scripture Topics and review the three topics which do so, Messiah Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. The Sola Scriptura Project is an assembly of 85 “topics” such as The Story of Abraham, The End Times, Faith, Marriage, Godly Habits, God’s Children and so on. Each topic consists of direct quotations from the Old and New Testament, without commentary. Please read this quotation.
Matthew 15:22-28 (NKJ)
22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
These verses make a point that I wish to amplify and it is not a point most Gentiles will love to hear. Jesus said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Now, one could argue that this was a sentence lifted out of the context of a situation wherein the disciples were annoyed with the persistence of a Gentile woman. They were annoyed, true, but Jesus taught them a lesson that reinforces something not often taught by Gentiles. The ministry of Jesus was focused on the Jews.
We Gentiles, as a result of the grace of God and our faith in Jesus Christ have chosen (actually responded to God’s invitation to accept His Grace) to be attached to the God of the Jews, not the gods of the Gentiles, to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus Christ. We Gentiles are not the root, but the branch, and a grafted branch, at that! The history of man pivots upon the Jewish nation, as does the immediate future of man. Again, the entire history of man pivots on the relationship of God to His chosen people.
This earth and all of the flesh upon it shall perish. God will first return it to a “Garden of Eden” situation for 1000 years, and the Messiah will reign and the nation of Israel shall enter into His rest. What a perfect ending for Judaism and a perfect beginning, thereafter, for eternity. This glory, this grace, is not of yourselves but of God, who sent His Lamb to redeem you and cleanse you, forever. Me too, thank God. Thank you Israel for preserving the Word and for being the Oracle of God.