August 30: SPECIAL FORCES (part 2)
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” Romans 11:26
Though many are teaching that the 144,000 of the last days are literal Hebrews, from the time of Jesus, the prophetic verses that speak of Israel focus on the children of faith, or spiritual Israel, regardless of Jewish or Gentile blood. The Jews of the day were mostly from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with a few remaining from the tribe of Levi.
Examples of spiritual Israel are found in Paul’s letters: For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly . . . but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit… (Romans 2;28-29; see also Deuteronomy 30:6). If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29) Do not forget that salvation comes to individuals, just as it came to Jacob – meaning deceiver – when God changed his name to Israel – Prevailer, Overcomer with God (see Genesis 32:28). Today’s opening verse could well be translated And so all Overcomers will be saved… Be sure to see the amazing promises of Jesus to each individual who overcomes the world’s negative influences in His letters to the churches (Revelation 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21).
The apostle James addressed the early church, challenging the children of faith to exercise that faith unto fruitfulness. He opened his letter thusly: James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings (James 1:1) He also saw Christians as spiritual Israel from twelve spiritual tribes.
Peter, as a child of faith, grew up spiritually and overcame his own prejudice against the Gentiles (see Acts 10:28-29). In the knowledge that the LORD had told the Israelites, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6), he applied these terms to the Christian church: You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9).
The earliest Christians were nearly all of Jewish descent. And, from the point of submitting to Jesus as their Lord, against all odds, they overcame wrong attitudes as they grew. The idea of accepting outsiders into the faith should not have been foreign, and a sincere study of the Scriptures reminds all of us of God’s heart: “Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant—Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer… For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:6-7)
The strategy of Jesus began with choosing twelve disciples. The last-day strategy is similar, in proportion to the world’s population: 144,000 – twelve times twelve times a thousand – figuratively hinting at military units in the organized plan to overcome spiritual darkness with Jesus as our Example and Commander in Chief.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
To be continued…