Zechariah 12:10
“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”
What is God’s special plan for Israel? Why is He gathering them together to the Holy Land in our times, before our very eyes? Because of the genre of this article (it’s not meant to be long but short – not an in depth study but an overview) the answers to these questions will have to be general in their scope. We will have to fly high over the landscape of Scripture to see the overall picture rather than zooming in to the fine details. We hope to do this to give you a push, a head start Biblically, as you continue your own studies of Israel in prophecy.
There are three main reasons why God has gathered Israel back together again in our times; and, these three points cover God’s special plan for Israel found in Scripture. They are: 1.) To give a sign to the nations; 2.) To save a remnant; and 3.) To Witness in the End Times.
1.) God has brought the nation of Israel back together again in our times to give a sign to the nations. This was last week’s main point really. “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations (Ezekiel 39:27).”
God’s first purpose in bringing Israel back to the Holy Land in our times is to show all the peoples of the world that He is God. He proclaimed beforehand through His Holy prophets that Israel would be scattered among the nations. He foretold of bringing them back again because of His great love and mercy towards them. This miracle proves to the nations that the God of Israel, the God of the Bible, is holy.
2.) God promised to never forsake Israel but to save a remnant of them leading up to the last days. This does not refer to all of physical Israel (by blood) but to a special portion of them that are being saved into Christ’s Kingdom by His grace. This is a partial fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10 mentioned above: “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”
A special remnant of Israel, beginning after Christ’s resurrection and continuing until now, has received God’s grace to believe in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. Paul wrote of them in Romans 11:5, “In the same way, there has come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.” These are Jews who have been given the gift of faith (see Romans 12:3 and Philippians 1:29) to see with the eyes of their heart that Jesus was pierced on the cross for their sins. This has led them to “mourn for Him” and “weep bitterly over Him” (as Zechariah prophesied they would do) because the nation of Israel, as a whole, rejected their Messiah and had Him crucified as a criminal.
This remnant of Jewish believers will continue to be brought in to the Church until Christ returns. It is significant to mention here that never before have so many Jews been returning to Christ as in our times. As aliyah continues in Israel, more and more Messianic Jews are witnessing that Jesus is the Messiah to their countryman. And many Israelis are believing and turning to follow Jesus. This is another miracle of God as He fulfills Zechariah 12:10 and proves His power and love for the people of Israel.
3.) God’s Word tells us that there will be even another remnant of Israel who will give witness to Jesus as the Messiah during the End Times. These are the one hundred and forty-four thousand Jews spoken of in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5) and complete the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10. They are also prophesied about in Zechariah 13:8-9. These will repent and testify to the truth during a time on earth when everyone has turned against God and His Messiah, Jesus. This will be a dark time and apparently no one will listen to their testimony or believe their witness (see Revelation 9:20-21; 16:9-11).
God has always had a special plan for Israel; and it is amazing to watch Him carry out all that He said would happen long ago. “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please (Isaiah 46:10).'” And, we look forward to all that is to come as we wait for Jesus Christ to return out of heaven in glory to bring in an everlasting Kingdom that will never fail.
2 Responses to What is God’s Special Plan for Israel?
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Dan Recio says:
Praise God.
Hello I found out since I ‘ve been a Christian that there is now about 157,000 pure blooded Jewish Believers that are saved. My Husband, found out of curiosity did a DNA test and found out he has 5% European Jew. He got saved too. A story about why he did the test that you’ll have to here someday. Jesse