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XVIII.
The Kingdom Restored
Chapter 195
:
The Subjects of the Kingdom
1. UPON whom was the
name Israel first bestowed?
"And he said, Thy name shall be
called no more Jacob, but Israel:
for as a prince hast thou power with God and
with men, and hast prevailed." Gen. 32:28.
NOTE.-Israel means a "prince," or "one who
prevails with God."
2. Afterward who came
to be called by this title?
"Now these are the names of the
children of Israel, which came into Egypt; .
. . Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar,
Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad,
and Asher. . . . Joseph." Ex. 1:1-5.
NOTE.-In other words, the descendants of
Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, were known
as the twelve tribes of Israel.
3. What special
blessings were conferred on the Israelites?
"Who are Israelites; to whom
pertaineth the adoption, and the
glory, and the covenants, and the
giving of the law, and the service of
God, and the promises; whose are the
fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh
Christ came, who is over all." Rom. 9:4,5.
4. Who constitute the
true Israel, or seed of Abraham?
"They are not all Israel, which are
of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of
Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac
shall thy seed be called. That is, They which
are the children of the flesh, these are not the
children of God: but the children of the
promise are counted for the seed." Verses
6-8.
5. What did John the
Baptist say to the Pharisees and Sadducees who
came to his baptism?
"And think not to say within
yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I
say unto you, that God is able of these
stones to raise up children unto Abraham."
Matt. 3:9.
6. What determines
whether one is a child of Abraham?
"Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham." Gal. 3:7.
NOTE.-Because of unbelief many of the
Israelites fell in the wilderness, and were
not permitted to enter the promised land.
Num. 14:27-33; Deut. 1:34-36.
7. To whom must one
belong in order to be Abraham's seed?
"And if ye be Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to
the promise." Verse 29.
8. In what scripture
are Christians recognized as Israel?
"And as many as walk according to
this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon
the Israel of God." Gal. 6:16.
9. To whom is the
epistle of James addressed?
"James, a servant of God and of the
Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes
which are scattered abroad, greeting." James
1:1.
10. To whom is the
gospel the power of God unto salvation?
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth; to
the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Rom.
1:16.
11. To whom did Jesus
first send the twelve disciples?
"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and
commanded them,
saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and
into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
but go rather to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel." Matt. 10:5,6.
12. When the woman of
Canaan came to Christ, beseeching Him to heal
her daughter, what did He say?
"But He answered and said, I am
not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of
Israel." Matt. 15:24.
13. When she persisted
in her request, and fell down to worship Him,
what did He say?
"But He answered and said, It is
not meet to take the children's bread, and to
cast it to dogs." Verse 26.
NOTE.-By her persistent faith, this woman,
although a Canaanite, showed that she was
really a true child of Abraham.
14. While dining with
Zaccheus, what did Christ say? "This
day is salvation come to this house,
forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham."
Luke 19:9.
15. What did He say to
the woman of Samaria as to the source of
salvation?
"Ye worship ye know not what: we know
what we worship: for salvation is of the
Jews." John 4:22.
16. When the Jews
rejected Paul's preaching of the gospel, what
did he and Barnabas say?
"Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold,
and said, It was
necessary that the word of God should first have
been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from
you, and judge yourselves unworthy of
everlasting life, lo, we turn to the
Gentiles." Acts 13:46.
NOTE.- From all this it is plain that had
not the Jews as a nation rejected Christ,
they would still have maintained the
preeminence as the children of God, and as
God's light-bearers to the world. But on
account of this rejection, they were
rejected as God's peculiar people, and
others took their place, and now bear the
name of Israel in common with those
who were first called by that name.
17. Under what figure
are the Gentile believers represented who have
become a part of the true Israel of God?
"And if some of the branches be broken off, and
thou,
being a wild olive-tree, wert grafted in
among them, and with them partakest of the root
and fatness of the olive-tree; boast not against
the branches." Rom. 11:17,18.
18. Lest the Gentile
grafts should boast, saying that the Jews were
broken off to let them come in, what warning is
given them?
"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off,
and thou standest by faith. Be not
high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not
the natural branches, take heed lest He also
spare not thee." Verses 20,21.
19. What encouragement
is held out concerning the branches which have
been broken off?
"And they also, if they abide not
still in unbelief, shall be grafted in:
for God is able to graft them in again." Verse
23.
20. What will be the
final result of the gospel?
"And so all Israel shall be
saved." Verse 26.
21. Before Gentiles
become Israelites, in what condition are they?
"Wherefore remember, that ye being in
time past Gentiles, . . . at that time ye were
without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the
covenants of promise, having no hope, and
without God in the world." Eph. 2:11,12.
NOTE.-If, in order to be saved, Gentiles
must become Israelites as is everywhere
asserted, then when converted from their
Gentile ways to the ways of Israel, they
certainly must have faith in Christ, and
their lives must conform to the moral law
which God gave to Israel, otherwise it would
not be the commonwealth of Israel, but of
the Gentiles. The writing of the law in the
heart is one of the provisions of the new
covenant with true Israel. See Jer.
31:31-34; Heb. 8:8-12.
22. How are God's
remnant people described?
"Here is the patience of the saints:
here are they that keep the commandments of
God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12.
23. Whose names are in
the foundations of the holy city?
"And the wall of the city had twelve
foundations, and in them the names of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb." Rev. 21:14.
24. Whose names are on
the twelve gates of the city?
"And [the wall] had twelve gates, and
at the gates twelve angels, and names written
thereon, which are the names of the twelve
tribes of the children of Israel." Verse 12.
25. Who will walk in
the light of the city?
"And the nations of them which are
saved shall walk in the light of it: and
the kings of the earth do bring their glory
and honor into it." Verse 24.
NOTE.-This city, the New Jerusalem, will be
for all the nations of the saved; and yet
all who enter therein will enter through
gates on which are written the names of the
twelve tribes of Israel, from which it is
evident that all who are saved will belong
to Israel. The name Israel will be
perpetuated in the new earth state, and very
appropriately so, because of its meaning.
All who share in that future home of the
saved will be overcomers- princes and
prevailers with God. See Rev. 3:12. 21:7.
Christ recognized this division of the saved
into twelve nations, in selecting His
apostles. He chose twelve. He recognized it
again when to the twelve He said: "Ye which
have followed Me, in the regeneration when
the Son of man shall sit in the throne of
His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel." Matt. 19:28. And the apostles,
after Christ's resurrection and ascension,
themselves recognized it, when, to fill the
place of Judas, who fell, they appointed
another, in order to preserve the proper
number, twelve.
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