Daniel Juster, Restoration from Zion, of Tikkun International
A few months I was in dialogue with a famous New Testament Theologian form England. Much of our discussion was on the issue of Israel and the Church. He was basically “replacement theology” oriented. This is the theology that says that the Church is now the ongoing meaning of Israel, the true Israel of God, and that ethnic Israel no longer has claim to the status of God’s elect people. We spent much time on many passages, but he would not be convinced.
Toward the end of our dialogue, I spoke about the fact that my hope is that when Israel as a nation turns to Yeshua, it will lead to the conversion of the nations of the World. Indeed, it will lead to his return and world redemption. He was astonished that I thought that there would be a mass conversion of the nations after the tribulation and the judgments of the wrath of God (Rev. 16). I was astonished that this was not obvious to him, though I was raised with church teachers that never taught this but had a pessimistic view of the end of this age. However, text after text shows us that the biblical hope is for world redemption. I could fill pages and pages with texts form the Prophets and Psalms to show this. There is no way out of the conclusion. I will only refer to a few such texts.
The Isaiah 2 text is most amazing. It predicts that all nations will come up to Jerusalem and that the Law would go forth from Zion. The nations beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations will no longer learn war? The implications of this are enormous. Isaiah 11 repeats that same hope with the idea that the Messiah is the banner for the nations. Even nature, the animal kingdom, will be elevated to a new level of peace.
Isaiah 45 is sometimes looked at as teaching only that the unconverted are forced to bow the knee to Yeshua. However, the context makes this pessimistic view impossible. The text states, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth . . By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity, a word that will not be revoked. Before me, every knee will bow , by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the Lord along are righteousness and strength” Philippians 2 repeates the promise and applies it to Yeshua.
This is a positive confession of faith! Isaiah 60:3 says, “Nations will come to your light.” Isaiah 65, Amos 9, Mica 4 and multiple Pslams repeat the hope that the nations as corporate people, will come to the knowledge of God.
Yes, it will be rough sledding before that happens. However, let us keep in mind that the extension of the Kingdom in Yeshua to Israel and the nations will eventually reach this world redemptive goal.