' The Hope of Israel '
BIBLE TRUTH . . . Churches do NOT teach !!!
The Hope of Israel is the central message in the Bible of ' Salvation for Mankind '
The ' Gospel ' is the " GOOD NEWS " concerning the :
1. Name of Jesus Christ ( " the ONLY Way " unto salvation )
2. Kingdom of God ( " the REWARD " for His faithful followers )
God's eternal purpose outlined throughout the Scriptures , is to provide a ' Way of Salvation ' for mankind that He might fulfill His ultimate objective - to fill the earth with His glory. What is God's Glory ?? Quite simply , it is His Character. God's plan is to fill the earth with faithful people , who display a love & a desire to reflect His Ways & His Character
Numbers 14v21 But as truly as I live , ALL THE EARTH shall be filled with the ' glory of the LORD '
Psalm 72v19 Blessed be His glorious name for ever & let THE WHOLE EARTH be filled with ' His glory '
Habakkuk 2v14 For THE EARTH shall be filled with the knowledge of the ' glory of the LORD ' as the waters over the sea
Numbers 14v21 To them , who by patient continuance in well-doing ,
seek for glory & honour & immortality , eternal life :
Glory , honour & peace to every man that worketh good ,
to THE JEW ' FIRST ' . . . . & also to THE GENTILE
God offers salvation to mankind ' solely ' throught the redemptive life & work of His Son , the Lord Jesus Christ. This ' Way of Salvation ' is extended to ALL mankind - but ' first ' to the Jews ( the nation of Israel ) & then to all other nationalities ( ' Gentiles ' )
The Jews ( Israelites ) are God's ' chosen people '. As a nation , they are set apart in God's eyes because of the faithful obedience of their fore-father Abraham. Due to his remarkable belief & trust in Him , God made a series of amazing & eternal promises to Abraham , to bless his seed ( descendants ) & to make them great among ' ALL ' nations.
Unknown to ' most of ' Christianity - these " eternal promises " God made to Abraham are the VERY CORNERSTONE of ' THE GOSPEL '
Through the promise of ' A SEED ' & the promise of ' THE LAND ' - we are , in the Book of Genesis , given the ' prophetic assurance ' of the Lord Jesus Christ & also , the Kingdom of God on earth
Throughout God's Word , the Bible , there is an unmistakable series of ' PROMISES ' recorded which underpin God's entire plan & purpose with mankind. These ' PROMISES ' were made to a succession of God's faithful servants & they form a wonderful ' golden thread ' of hope & salvation for both the Jews & the Gentiles. These ' PROMISES ' attest to the true ' faithfulness ' of God toward His beloved servants like Abraham & highlight His grace & mercy toward all mankind. Please consider these wonderful promises we have listed below :
' THE PROMISES ' TO FAITHFUL ABRAHAM
Genesis 12 v 1-4 - GOD'S FIRST PROMISES
The LORD had said unto Abram . . . I will make of thee a ' GREAT NATION '
& I will bless thee & make thy name great & thou shalt be a blessing
& I will ' bless them ' that bless thee & ' curse him ' that curseth thee
& IN THEE , shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 13 v 14-17 - GOD'S PROMISE OF ' THE LAND '
The LORD said unto Abram , after that Lot was separated from him ,
Lift up now thine eyes & look from the place where thou art
. . . northward & southward & eastward & westward
For ALL ' THE LAND ' which thou seest , to thee will I give it & to THY SEED . . . ' FOR EVER '
I will make thy seed as the ' dust of the earth '
. . . so that if a man can number the dust of the earth , then shall thy seed also be numbered
Arise , walk through THE LAND in the length of it & in the breadth of it ; for I will give it unto thee
Genesis 15 v 18 - GOD DEFINES ' THE LAND '
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram , saying :
Unto thy seed have I given ' THIS LAND '
from the river of Egypt unto the great river , the river Euphrates
Genesis 17 v 5-8 - GOD'S PROMISES . . . ' REPEATED '
Behold , my covenant is with thee & THOU shalt be ' a father ' of MANY NATIONS
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram , but thy name shall be Abraham ;
For ' a father ' of MANY NATIONS have I made thee.
I will make thee exceeding fruitful & I will make nations of thee & kings shall come out of thee.
& I will establish my covenant between me & thee & thy seed after thee in their generations
for an ' EVERLASTING covenant ' , to be a God unto thee & to thy seed after thee
I will give unto thee & to thy seed after thee , ' THE LAND ' wherein thou art a stranger,
all the land of Canaan , for an ' EVERLASTING possession ' . . . & I will be their God.
Genesis 22 v 16-17 - GOD'S PROMISES . . . ' RE-CONFIRMED '
By myself have I sworn , saith the LORD ,
for because thou [ Abraham ] hast done this thing & hast not withheld thy son [ Isaac ] , thine only son :
That in blessing I will bless thee & in multiplying , I will multiply thy seed
as the stars of the heaven & as the sand which is upon the sea shore ;
& thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies
& IN THY SEED shall all the nations of the earth be blessed ; because thou hast ' obeyed my voice '
These remarkable promises were then ' REPEATED ' to his son Isaac ( Genesis 26 v 3-4 )
& . . . later ' RE-AFFIRMED ' to Abraham's grandson Jacob ( Genesis 28 v 13-14 & 35 v 10-12 )
Finally to ' under-score ' the importance of these eternal promises ,
they were ' RE-STATED ' yet again , to Abraham's descendent King David ( 2 Samuel 7 v 12-16 )
So . . . . How important were ' These Promises ' ???
Consider , the APOSTLE PAUL'S words in the New Testament :
Galatians 3 v 16-17
Now to Abraham & his seed were ' THE PROMISES ' made.
He saith not , And to seeds , as of many ; but as of one ,
And to thy seed , WHICH IS CHRIST
And this I say , that the covenant , that was confirmed before ( of God ) IN CHRIST ,
the Law , which was four hundred & thirty years after , cannot disannul ,
that it should make the promise of none effect.
For if ' THE INHERITANCE ' be of the Law , it is no more of promise :
but God gave it to Abraham . . . BY PROMISE
Romans 15 v 8
Now I [ Apostle Paul ] say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for ' the truth of God '
to ' CONFIRM THE PROMISES ' made unto the fathers [ Abraham , Isaac & Jacob ]