Now, why should it matter for Christians if Jews are returning to Israel? Because this is God in action! Despite the nation’s repetitive disobedience – and they are disobedient – God preserved it from the agenda of its enemies time and time again, even up to the War of Independence in 1948. 

And now we live in 2022 and all of you belong to that generation that can see the fig tree come back to life. We live in an unprecedented age where countless ancient prophecies, or precursors to them, are happening right before our eyes. While some may be more subtle and others are like the spokes on a larger wheel, there is none more clear than the rebirth of the nation of Israel.

Isaiah 54:5-8 KJV – “For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.”

Today we can see that the Lord’s promise to gather His “momentarily forsaken” people by His great mercy and everlasting kindness is being undeniably fulfilled. Yet in spite of this incredible miracle fulfilling a 2700 year old prophecy, antisemitism is rising around the world, including in the church. However, this too is prophetic.

Zechariah 12:3 KJV – “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

Zechariah’s 2500 year old prophecy is also coming to pass right before our eyes, and yet there are many in the church who say that God is finished with the nation of Israel or that the church has replaced Israel in God’s redemptive plan. Not only are neither of those things true, they are anti-biblical and present a series of major theological problems, not the least of which is this:

Romans 11:16-18 KJV – “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 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. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.”

The firstfruit, the lump, and the root all point back the believing patriarchs of Israel. The broken-off branches represent all unbelieving Jews. The cultivated olive tree is Israel, and the wild olive tree grafted in is believing Gentiles, or the predominantly Gentile church. In verse 18, Paul skips over the agrarian and ceremonial metaphors and reaches back to the root – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc. – and says you do not support the root but the root supports you.

If the root, believing Israel, has been cast off then who are Christians grafted into? If modern Israel is not Biblical Israel then why are the things prophesied about Israel happening to the nation?

What tragic spiritual loses are suffered when we follow the errant teaching of God casting off or replacing Israel. We miss the majesty of God protecting His chosen people and their eternally covenanted homeland in our day. We miss the mercy and grace of God towards even the most rebellious of people by recognizing it is He who has regathered them as promised. We miss the closeness of the Day of the Lord and do not have a reference point from which to see the day approaching.

1 Peter 2:9-10 KJV – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.“

Christians should rejoice in the faithfulness of God to Israel and take heart in the fact that God does not cast off people He calls chosen. If He did so with Israel, he could do so with the church.

The fig tree buds three times a year in spring, late summer, and fall.

Hosea 9:10a KJV – “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time:”

Here Hosea refers to the Patriarchs as the firstfruits on the fig tree.

Jeremiah 24:5-8a KJV – “Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the Lord”

Here, the faithful of the captives of Judah are referred to as “good figs”, and at the time of the regathering God will set His eyes on them for good in preparation for what Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse:

Matthew 24:32 KJV – “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:”

The tender branch speaks of the new wood on the fig tree that would support an upcoming harvest of good figs. This pictures Messianic Jews, including the 144,000 and all the Jews who they lead to faith in Christ, and also the good fruit among the Jews that happens at Jesus’ second coming:

Zechariah 12:10 KJV – “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

Don’t let anyone rob you of the majestic mercy and goodness of God toward Israel by saying He has cast them off or replaced them with the church. They’re back in the land to tell us He’s coming for us soon. Then, not long after, He’s coming back for the believing Jews and we will be with Him.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

Now, why should it matter for Christians if Jews are returning to Israel? Because this is God in action! Despite the nation’s repetitive disobedience – and they are disobedient – God preserved it from the agenda of its enemies time and time again, even up to the War of Independence in 1948. 

And now we live in 2022 and all of you belong to that generation that can see the fig tree come back to life. We live in an unprecedented age where countless ancient prophecies, or precursors to them, are happening right before our eyes. While some may be more subtle and others are like the spokes on a larger wheel, there is none more clear than the rebirth of the nation of Israel.

Isaiah 54:5-8 KJV – “For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.”

Today we can see that the Lord’s promise to gather His “momentarily forsaken” people by His great mercy and everlasting kindness is being undeniably fulfilled. Yet in spite of this incredible miracle fulfilling a 2700 year old prophecy, antisemitism is rising around the world, including in the church. However, this too is prophetic.

Zechariah 12:3 KJV – “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

Zechariah’s 2500 year old prophecy is also coming to pass right before our eyes, and yet there are many in the church who say that God is finished with the nation of Israel or that the church has replaced Israel in God’s redemptive plan. Not only are neither of those things true, they are anti-biblical and present a series of major theological problems, not the least of which is this:

Romans 11:16-18 KJV – “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 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. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.”

The firstfruit, the lump, and the root all point back the believing patriarchs of Israel. The broken-off branches represent all unbelieving Jews. The cultivated olive tree is Israel, and the wild olive tree grafted in is believing Gentiles, or the predominantly Gentile church. In verse 18, Paul skips over the agrarian and ceremonial metaphors and reaches back to the root – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, etc. – and says you do not support the root but the root supports you.

If the root, believing Israel, has been cast off then who are Christians grafted into? If modern Israel is not Biblical Israel then why are the things prophesied about Israel happening to the nation?

What tragic spiritual loses are suffered when we follow the errant teaching of God casting off or replacing Israel. We miss the majesty of God protecting His chosen people and their eternally covenanted homeland in our day. We miss the mercy and grace of God towards even the most rebellious of people by recognizing it is He who has regathered them as promised. We miss the closeness of the Day of the Lord and do not have a reference point from which to see the day approaching.

1 Peter 2:9-10 KJV – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.“

Christians should rejoice in the faithfulness of God to Israel and take heart in the fact that God does not cast off people He calls chosen. If He did so with Israel, he could do so with the church.

The fig tree buds three times a year in spring, late summer, and fall.

Hosea 9:10a KJV – “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time:”

Here Hosea refers to the Patriarchs as the firstfruits on the fig tree.

Jeremiah 24:5-8a KJV – “Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the Lord”

Here, the faithful of the captives of Judah are referred to as “good figs”, and at the time of the regathering God will set His eyes on them for good in preparation for what Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse:

Matthew 24:32 KJV – “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:”

The tender branch speaks of the new wood on the fig tree that would support an upcoming harvest of good figs. This pictures Messianic Jews, including the 144,000 and all the Jews who they lead to faith in Christ, and also the good fruit among the Jews that happens at Jesus’ second coming:

Zechariah 12:10 KJV – “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

Don’t let anyone rob you of the majestic mercy and goodness of God toward Israel by saying He has cast them off or replaced them with the church. They’re back in the land to tell us He’s coming for us soon. Then, not long after, He’s coming back for the believing Jews and we will be with Him.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.