Who is Israel in Prophecy?
“Israel" to the Prophets was who they were speaking to at the time - the 12 tribes of Israel - the physical descendants of Jacob. They are not speaking about individual Hebrews in these prophecies, but the nation and the descendants. There were many evil "Israelites" throughout Biblical history and they do not inherit the promises of God just because they are physical descendants of Israel. God's promises are to the nation - the descendants, meaning there will be peoples from the twelve tribes who will inherit the restoration of Israel and be ruled by Christ and His glorified Church - the surviving descendants of Israel in natural bodies and the Church in glorified resurrected bodies united to Christ.
At the end of this "Age of Grace", when Jesus returns, He will gather together the 12 tribes from the 4 corners of the earth and bring them back to Jerusalem where He will rule them. And the twelve apostles (Israelites themselves), will rule over the 12 tribes of Israel:
"And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19:28)
We know this is physical Israel because John goes out of his way in Revelation to say the remnant of Israel in the Tribulation is 144,000 people from every tribe of Israel:
"And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed." (Revelation 7:4-8)
"Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. 3 And they *sang [a]a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth" (Revelation 14:1-3)
Not since the day the northern 10 tribes were carried into captivity by Assyria have any tribes but Judah, Benjamin, and Levi lived in the land of Palestine, so we know that the prophecy below is speaking about an as yet unfulfilled day when God will gather all the peoples back to the land He promised them:
"Then it will happen on that day that the Lord
Will again recover with His hand the second time
The remnant of His people who will remain,
From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
And from the [a]islands of the sea.
12 And He will lift up a flag for the nations
And assemble the banished ones of Israel,
And will gather the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth…." (Isaiah 11:11-12)
“Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord. 5 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will live securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord Our Righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 23:3-6)
“At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
2 This is what the Lord says:
“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when it went to find its rest.”
3 The Lord appeared to him long ago, saying,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you out with kindness.
4 I will build you again and you will be rebuilt,
Virgin of Israel!
You will take up your tambourines again,
And go out to the dances of the revelers.
5 Again you will plant vineyards
On the hills of Samaria;
The planters will plant
And will enjoy the fruit.
6 For there will be a day when watchmen
On the hills of Ephraim call out,
‘Arise, and let’s go up to Zion,
To the Lord our God.’”
7 For this is what the Lord says:
“Sing aloud with joy for Jacob,
And be joyful with the [f]chief of the nations;
Proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘Lord, save Your people,
The remnant of Israel!’
8 Behold, I am bringing them from the north country,
And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth,
Among them those who are blind and those who limp,
The pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;
They will return here as a great assembly.
9 They will come with weeping,
And by pleading I will bring them;
I will lead them by streams of waters,
On a straight path on which they will not stumble;
For I am a father to Israel,
And Ephraim is My firstborn.”
10 Hear the word of the Lord, you nations,
And declare it in the coastlands far away,
And say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him,
And He will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”
11 For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
12 “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion,
And they will be radiant over the [g]bounty of the Lord—
Over the grain, the new wine, the oil,
And over the young of the flock and the herd.
And their life will be like a watered garden,
And they will never languish again.
13 Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and the old together;
For I will turn their mourning into joy
And comfort them, and give them joy for their sorrow.
14 I will refresh the soul of the priests with [h]abundance,
And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 31:1-14)
This is the day Jesus was speaking about in Matthew, when after the Tribulation, Jesus would return and gather together the elect.
This "elect" is a Greek word meaning “chosen” is not the Church, since the Church is in Heaven with Jesus for the wedding BEFORE He returns to earth:
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." (Matthew 24:29-31)
Although used at times for the Church in the New Testament, the "elect" is also a Hebrew word meaning chosen that God uses for Israel in the Old Testament. That He is speaking of Israel and not the Church makes sense of the timing and harmonizes with the rest of Scripture. Let’s look at some examples where “elect” is used for Israel:
“For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me” (Isaiah 45:4 KJV).
“And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there” (Isaiah 65:9 KJV).
“But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.” (Isaiah 65:18-23 KJV)
This is the day the Apostles asked Jesus about on their last day together before He ascended to His Father for the last time and left the Church for her betrothal Period of Sanctification:
"So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)
Jesus simply replied: “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
Israel Has Not Been Rejected:
In the New Testament, Paul explains that Israel has not been rejected by God. He says the Church is grafted into God's promises to Israel, meaning we (the Church) have a share in the promises God made to Israel concerning the righteous rule of the Messiah and the promised Kingdom of God:
"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you." (Romans 11:17-18)
The Church does not and cannot replace Israel in the promises. But the promise to the Church of its future glory is to individuals who make peace with the Father through His Son's sacrifice for their sins. The promises to Israel's restoration under the rule of Christ and His Church are to the nation (descendants of Jacob), not individuals.
Paul further explains that Israel would have a "partial hardening" against the Gospel until the "fullness of the Gentiles" is fulfilled - this means Israel will be opposing the Gospel until the Church has "grown up" (the last Believer comes to faith in Jesus in the Last Days) and the time comes for Jesus to return to claim her and she will be "caught up" to be with Him. Then at that point (leading into the Great Tribulation), God is dealing with Israel again (which we see in the events happening on earth in Revelation during this Tribulation). Read what Paul says about this in Romans 11:25-29:
"For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “This is [k]My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 In relation to the gospel they are enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved on account of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."
God is not done with Israel. And when the this “Grace Period” concludes when the Church is growing up to the “fulness of the gentiles” then God will turn to deal with Israel again. This fits well with Daniel’s “missing week” of God’s plan for Israel. Let's look at "Got Questions" page on this complicated aspect of Prophecy:
https://www.gotquestions.org/seventy-weeks.html
The “seventy weeks” prophecy is one of the most significant and detailed Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. It is found in Daniel 9. The chapter begins with Daniel praying for Israel, acknowledging the nation’s sins against God and asking for God’s mercy. As Daniel prayed, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and gave him a vision of Israel’s future.
The Divisions of the 70 Weeks
In verse 24, Gabriel says, “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city.” Almost all commentators agree that the seventy “sevens” should be understood as seventy “weeks” of years, in other words, a period of 490 years. These verses provide a sort of “clock” that gives an idea of when the Messiah would come and some of the events that would accompany His appearance.
The prophecy goes on to divide the 490 years into three smaller units: one of 49 years, one of 434 years, and one 7 years. The final “week” of 7 years is further divided in half. Verse 25 says, “From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’” Seven “sevens” is 49 years, and sixty-two “sevens” is another 434 years:
49 years + 434 years = 483 years
The Purpose of the 70 Weeks
The prophecy contains a statement concerning God’s six-fold purpose in bringing these events to pass. Verse 24 says this purpose is 1) “to finish transgression,” 2) “to put an end to sin,” 3) “to atone for wickedness,” 4) “to bring in everlasting righteousness,” 5) “to seal up vision and prophecy,” and 6) “to anoint the most holy.”
Notice that these results concern the total eradication of sin and the establishing of righteousness. The prophecy of the 70 weeks summarizes what happens before Jesus sets up His millennial kingdom. Of special note is the third in the list of results: “to atone for wickedness.” Jesus accomplished the atonement for sin by His death on the cross (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17).
The Fulfillment of the 70 Weeks
Gabriel said the prophetic clock would start at the time that a decree was issued to rebuild Jerusalem. From the date of that decree to the time of the Messiah would be 483 years. We know from history that the command to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem” was given by King Artaxerxes of Persia c. 444 B.C. (see Nehemiah 2:1-8).
The first unit of 49 years (seven “sevens”) covers the time that it took to rebuild Jerusalem, “with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble” (Daniel 9:25). This rebuilding is chronicled in the book of Nehemiah.
Converting the 360-day year used by the ancient Jews, 483 years becomes 476 years on our solar calendar. Adjusting for the switch from B.C. to A.D., 476 years after 444 B.C. places us at A.D. 33, which would coincide with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1–9). The prophecy in Daniel 9 specifies that, after the completion of the 483 years, “the Anointed One will be cut off” (verse 26). This was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified.
Daniel 9:26 continues with a prediction that, after the Messiah is killed, “the people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.” This was fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The “ruler who will come” is a reference to the Antichrist, who, it seems, will have some connection with Rome, since it was the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem.
The Final Week of the 70 Weeks
Of the 70 “sevens,” 69 have been fulfilled in history. This leaves one more “seven” yet to be fulfilled. Most scholars believe that we are now living in a huge gap between the 69th week and the 70th week. The prophetic clock has been paused, as it were. The final “seven” of Daniel is what we usually call the tribulation period.
Daniel’s prophecy reveals some of the actions of the Antichrist, the “ruler who will come.” Verse 27 says, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’” However, “in the middle of the ‘seven,’ . . . he will set up an abomination that causes desolation” in the temple. Jesus warned of this event in Matthew 24:15. After the Antichrist breaks the covenant with Israel, a time of “great tribulation” begins (Matthew 24:21, NKJV).
Daniel also predicts that the Antichrist will face judgment. He only rules “until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27). God will only allow evil to go so far, and the judgment the Antichrist will face has already been planned out.
Conclusion
The prophecy of the 70 weeks is complex and amazingly detailed, and much has been written about it. Of course, there are various interpretations, but what we have presented here is the dispensational, premillennial view. One thing is certain: God has a time table, and He is keeping things on schedule. He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and we should always be looking for the triumphant return of our Lord (Revelation 22:7).
End of "Got Questions" article
So, this is why at the conclusion of the Church Age, during the Great Tribulation we have so much that involves Israel from the fact Jerusalem features in Revelation so heavily to the Antichrist sitting in the Jewish temple, to the sealing of 144,000 Israelites to survive the Tribulation, etc. God is not done with Israel. Even so, Amen.
