ISRAEL'S NATIONAL DISCIPLINE  


 

ISRAEL’S TIME OF DISCIPLINE

I. THE PRINCIPLE
The 5 cycles of National discipline on Israel:
Also see
OUTLINE: Israel's national discipline

1. The nation of Israel was appointed by God as the evangelistic agency during the age of Israel. Her job was to proclaim the Messianic promise until the time that the Messiah actually arrives. Rom. 9:4-5; Isaiah 41:8-9; 43:7; 49:3; 7:6; 28:9-10; Psalm 118:1-4

Exodus 19:5-6
Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;  and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."

Deuteronomy 4:5-6
”See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as Yahweh my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”

2. Included in this appointment was BLESSING for
    faithfulness and CURSING (discipline) for failure.

A. Leviticus 25:55 - 26:46
B. Deuteronomy 28:1-68
C. Principle: The greater the responsibility, the greater the discipline for failure.
D. Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (NASB)
15 "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity ; 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. 17 "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. 19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death,  THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

3. Basically the discipline will come because of “their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me.” Leviticus 26:40.
Their “iniquity” was “because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes.” Leviticus 26:43.

4. Outline of the five cycles of discipline. Leviticus 26:14-33

A. Cycle #1: Leviticus 26:14-17
General identification: PLAGUE
Verses 14-15 - failure to follow the divine mandate for the nation.
Verses 16 - economic recession, health problems
Verses 17 - crime, war, border disputes, enemy invasion.

B. Cycle #2: Leviticus 26:18-20
General identification: FAMINE
Verse 18 - intensification of discipline when failure continues.

1. "7 times" is idiomatic to communicate the principle of intensification.
2. Each cycle incorporates the characteristics of the previous cycle and adds its own.

Verses 19-20 - failure of the economy; severe economic depression.
Uses terminology for an agricultural economy.

C. Cycle #3: Lev. 26:21-22
General identification: ENVIRONMENT
Verse 21 - Intensification
Verse 22 - beasts of the field represents the encroachment of nature upon society which causes hardship and death. Fear restricts travel.

There is the possibility that "beasts of the field" could speak of society running amok through the increase of crime.

D. Cycle #4: Leviticus 26:23-26
General identification: FOREIGN OCCUPATION
Verses 23-24- Intensification
Verses 25-26- Military defeat with the plague and famine attendant.
(The function of evangelistic responsibility still continues during the first four cycles of discipline.)

E. Cycle #5: Leviticus 26:27-33
General identification: NATIONAL DESTRUCTION
Verses 27-28 - intensification
Verse 29, cannibalism that results from extreme famine conditions during foreign invasion.
Verse 30 - destruction of worship heritage.
Verse 31 - destruction of cities
Verse 32 - Natural and material resources are desolated
Verse 33 - Population captured and scattered outside the land.
(During the 5th cycle, the evangelistic responsibility is removed. Hosea 4:6a.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being My priest.”)

5. Administration of cycles 1, 2 and 3 during the time of the Judges. The periods of servitude carry out national discipline on Israel for about 450 years. Acts 13:19-20.
(2573 A.H. – 3023 A.H.; 1570-1120 BCE)
Judges 2:6-23.
Verse 13-14, “So they forsook Yahweh and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. And the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could not longer stand before their enemies.”

Verse 20, “So the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and He said, ‘Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My vice, I also will not longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died.’”

6. During the time of the monarchy which began with King Saul in 3023 A.H. (c. 1120 BCE), the issue of blessing and cursing was announced to the people by Samuel.
1 Samuel 12:6-25.
   A. The very fact that they had asked for a king to govern them instead of residing under the divine monarchy of Yahweh, constituted rebellion against God.
       Verse 17 “Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to Yahweh, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of Yahweh by asking for yourselves a king.”
   B. The issue of discipline was repeated. Verses 24-25.
       “Only fear Yahweh and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king shall be swept away.”
   C. However, from that time forward, the people AND the kings continued to rebel
       against God in many different ways so that the nation remained under various expressions of the first 3 cycles of discipline.  2 Kings 21:15, “Because they have done evil in My sight and have been provoking Me to anger, since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.”

   D. And the same nations in Canaan continued to oppress Israel.
       Judges 3:3, “the five lords of the Philistines and all the
       Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites.”
       The failure of King Saul: 1 Samuel 15:10-11;
       David’s polygamy: 2 Samuel 3:2-5; 5:13
       David’s sin of Murder & 4 stages of discipline (2 Sam 11-16);
       The sin of the people in the Absalom rebellion, 2 Sam 15:12;
       And the Sheba rebellion (2 Samuel 20:1-2);
       God’s anger against the people, 2 Sam 24:1 (1 Chron. 21:1);
       Solomon’s sins, 1 Kings 3:3; 11:1-13
       The sins of the PEOPLE: 1 Kings 11:33, “because THEY have forsaken Me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and THEY have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My
ordinances, as his father David did.”

7. The time of the Divided Kingdom (c. 982-586 BCE; 3143-3539 A.H.)
    See Topic: Israel, the Divided Kindom
   A. THE NORTHERN KINGDOM OF ISRAEL:      
       1. Jeroboam’s Potential: 1 Kings 11:38, “Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.”
       2. But the Northern kingdom remained under the first 3 cycles of discipline because of Jeroboam’s failure and the sin of the people: 1 Kings 13:33-34
       3. Then the 4th cycle of discipline was administered on the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the period 736 to 719 BCE. 2 Kings 15:29
       4. And in 719 BCE, the 5th cycle of discipline was administered on the Northern  kingdom. 2 Kings 17:5-24;18:9-12; Amos 4:6-11

   B. THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF JUDAH
       1. Judah remained under the first 3 cycles of discipline until 608 BCE.
           a. 2 Kings 21:15, “Because they have done evil in My sight and have been provoking Me to anger, since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.”
           b. Even during Josiah’s righteous reign, the discipline continued.
               2 Kings 23:26, “However, Yahweh did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.”
       2. The administration of the 4th cycle on Judah from 608 BCE until 605 BCE, by the kingdom of Egypt. 2 Kings 23:29-37; 2 Chron. 35:20-27
          
       3. Administration of the 5th cycle of discipline on the Southern Kingdom of Judah by Babylon for 70 years (605 to 536 BCE). 2 Kings 24:1-20; 25:1-12; 2 Chron. 36:1-21; Jer 29:10; 25:1-13

8. Prophecies of the 5th cycle and restoration had a double import.
  
A. It looked to the ultimate administration of the 5th cycle in 70 AD as a result of the nation's rejection of their Messiah at His first coming.
  
B. It looked to the ultimate restoration of the nation at Messiah's second coming and the establishment of His earthly kingdom.

9. The 5th cycle of discipline results in removal of the nation's evangelistic function.
  
A. In 722 BCE for the Northern kingdom: Hosea 4:6
       “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
        Because you have rejected knowledge,
        I also will reject you from being My priest.
        (It was never fulfilled by them anyway)
        I also will forget your children.”
(This is total destruction of the Northern Kingdom. It will not be restored until it is re-gathered TOGETHER with Judah at the second coming of the Messiah.)

  
B. In 605 to 536 BCE for the Southern Kingdom: removal by cessation of priestly/evangelistic function for 70 years. Principle of Hosea 4:6 with 5:5, 10

   C. In Messiah's generation (30-70 AD): Removal by replacement.
      A new evangelistic agency is temporarily established in the place of Israel.
      However, in God's perfect timing, He will again turn to Israel to fulfill the promises given to Abraham.
Deut. 32:21; Is. 65:1-16; Ps. 118:22-24; Mat. 21:33-45; Luke 20:9-19.
      Hosea 5:14-15, “For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
      And like a young lion to the house of Judah,
      I even I, will tear to pieces and go away,
      I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver.
      I will go away and return to My place
      Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
      In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”

10. The new evangelistic agent is built on the fulfillment of righteousness and justice through the work of the Messiah. Isaiah 28:17a.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the actual mechanics of building a new priestly body (the church) as the replacement evangelistic agency until after the rapture.
Eph. 2:13-22; 1 Cor. 12:13; cf. Ex. 19:5-6 with 1 Pet. 2:9-10.

11. One of the purposes of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9:24-27 is to bring to an end the NATIONAL SIN of Israel.
   A. Daniel 9:24, To finish the transgression
       1. Finish: kalah = complete, bring to an end, fulfill.
       2. The transgression: pesha + definite article (the); the verb means to rebel or go beyond a "limit."
           
a. With "the" = a specific transgression; THE REBELLION
         b. Cf. "sins" and "iniquity" which have no definite article and indicates a "general" idea.
         c. This refers to a "specific" transgression which is common to the whole nation as a "national" sin.

   B. It is THE sin of rejecting Divine policy for them as a representative of the Messiah which was demonstrated by the rejection of the Messiah when he came to the nation.
       Isaiah 53:1-4, 8; Hosea 5:14-15; 6:1-3; Matthew 23:33-39; Luke 19:41-44   

   C. The failure of the Messiah generation simply perpetuated the NATIONAL sin of the nation, and it is THAT generation that will assume the guilt of the entire nation, as well as the first OVERT sin of the human race (the murder of Abel). 
       During the time of discipline “those of you who are left will rot away because of their iniquity in the land of your enemies; and also because of the iniquity of their forefathers they will rot away with them.” Leviticus 26:39.
       Jesus said of the nation, “fill up then the measure (of guilt) of your forefathers . . . “So that on you may fall (the guilt) of all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel . . .” Matthew 23:32, 35.

   D. So the end of the 70 weeks will see the end of Israel's national rebellion and it will see the acceptance of Jesus as the promised Messiah.
       Zechariah 12:10; Isaiah 59:20; Hosea 5:14-15
   E. At that time she will have received “from Yahweh’s hand, double for all her sins” as per Isaiah 40:3.
       Revelation 10:7, "But in the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished as He proclaimed to His servants the prophets."

12. THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES
   A. Jesus told the disciples that, “Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Luke 21:24
       At Revelation 11:2, the temple in Jerusalem “has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.”
   B. The “times of the Gentiles” extends from the Babylonian captivity of 605 BCE until removal of the abomination of desolation 30 days after the end of the 70th week of Daniel. It has three stages.
       1. The first stage is from the Babylonian captivity until 70 AD.
       2. The second stage is from the destruction of the nation in 70 AD until the start of the great tribulation.
       3. The third stage is from the midpoint of the 70th week, the start of the tribulation, until after the battle of Armageddon, 1290 days later.

   C. This 42-month period refers specifically to the time which will begin at the midpoint of the 70th week. Shortly before that Satan will be kicked out of heaven after being defeated by Michael. Rev. 12:7-12.
       AT that time, Satan will empower the beast of Rev. 13:3-8, who will begin the great tribulation of persecuting anyone who will not worship Satan and the beast. Paul describes this to be when the man of lawlessness places himself in the temple and proclaims himself to be God. 2 Thes. 2:3-4.

   D. It is during this time of great distress, that Israel will be greatly convicted through extensive evangelism.
      1. The DRAWING invitation of God: Jeremiah 31:3
          “I have loved you with an everlasting love
           Therefore I have drawn you with grace kindness.”
      2. Through the church: Daniel 11:33-35
          a. V, 33 refers to the ministry of the church prior to 70 AD.
              “And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many, yet they will fall by sword an by flame, by captivity and by plunder, for many days.” (the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Dan. 9:26b).
          b. V 34, the covenant of the 70th wk of Daniel. Dan 9:27a.
          c. Verse 35, the evangelist activity of the church prior to the second coming of the Messiah. “And some of those who have insight will fall (martyrdom), in order to refine, purge, and make them pure, until the end time.”
      3. Through the ministry of the two witnesses. Rev. 11:1-13; Mal 4:4-6.
          See Topic: THE TWO WITNESSES
      4. Elijah’s message: “And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”

   E. The result will be that during the tribulation, there will be a great calling out to
       God by the people of Israel. Hosea 5:15,
       “I will go away and return to My place
       Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
       In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
   F. And as a result of that, both before and after the arrival of the Day of the Lord, there will be many converts among the Jews.
       1. BEFORE the rapture: Assumed based on the fact that evangelism occurs.
       2. AFTER the rapture: The conversion of the 144,000 Jews of Rev. 7:1-8,
           and many others as a result of the evangelism of Revelation 14:1-7,
           the proclamation of the everlasting gospel.

13. The national discipline on Israel that began in 70 A.D. will not be concluded until the END of the 70th week of Daniel. In fact, the full restoration of the nation will not occur until 75 days later.
   A. After the end of the week (42 months; 3 ½ years, a time; times and half a
       time; 1260 days) there will be an additional 30 days when God will pour out His FINAL end-times wrath onto the unbelievers of the earth. Daniel 12:11.
       “And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up (midpoint of the week, Dan. 9:27b), there will be 1290 days.”
       It is during this 30-days that the 7 bowls of God’s final wrath will be poured out. Revelation 11, 15-16.

   B. Armageddon is the final judgment of God on the unbelievers at that time.
After Jesus destroys His enemies in that LOCAL battle in Palestine, the rest of people of the earth will be evaluated. This takes place over the next 45 days, with the result being that those who are believers will enter into the joy of the Messiah’s earthly kingdom. Daniel 12:12.
       “How happy is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1335 days!”
       The separation of the unbelieving of Israel from the believing ones is described at Ezekiel 34:17-22, the separation of the fat sheep (unbelievers) from the lean sheep (the believers).

14. So from the beginning of this period of discipline until the end of the 1335 days of Daniel 12:12, Israel will be under God’s judgment and wrath. “For there will be great calamity upon the land and wrath to this people . . . until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Luke 21:23-24.
   A. The “times of the Gentiles” extends from the Babylonian captivity of 605 B.C. until Gentile control over Palestine is COMPLETELY removed.
   B. Since that time, the nation of Israel has been under divine discipline in either the 4th or 5th stage.
   C. When Israel was restored from the Babylonian captivity in 536 B.C., the nation remained under Persian domination. This would still be the 4th cycle of discipline, and the nation would still be functioning under its evangelistic commission.
   D. Subsequent to that, various kingdoms ruled over the nation, from Greece to the Roman empire, and then to various nations and religions.
   E. To this very day, the nation is still restricted by “Gentile” influence. Even though Israel became an independent nation in 1948, they are not totally free from Gentile domination.
      1. They do not have full possession of the divine land grant given to them by God. See Topic: ISRAEL’S LAND GRANT
      2. The capital city, Jerusalem, is under religious restrictions due to the presence of the Islamic mosque of Omar located on the temple mount.
      3. The nation exists under constant threat of war and terrorism from Islam.
      4. And since Israel is currently under the 5th cycle of discipline (since 70 AD), they are not functioning under their evangelistic commission, but that commission has been temporarily given to a different group – the church.
   F. It will not be until Israel is restored to RELATIONSHIP with God that all national discipline will be removed. Isaiah 40:1-3, 10-11.
       This is the mystery of Romans 11:25-27 and Revelation 10:7.
       Romans 11:25-27
      
"
For I do not want you, brethren, 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 MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
  

   G. This will BEGIN to happen during the time of the tribulation.
        At that time Israel will be convicted and begin to return to God. Hosea 5:15.
      “Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
      In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”

      Jesus said at Matthew 23:39, “For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, praised be Him who comes in the name of the Lord.”

      Revelation 10:7, “But in the days of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He proclaimed to His servants the prophets.”

   H. This full restoration will not occur until the start of the Messiah’s earthly kingdom.
    The outline of “the times of the Gentiles” is given at Daniel 2:36-44 through the statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. The statue consists of 5 Gentile kingdoms (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and Revived Rome) and a 6th kingdom, which is the kingdom of the Messiah.
    This period of Gentile dominion is given amplification in Daniel 7-8, but it still revolves around the same 5 Gentile kingdoms.
 

15. That means that the great tribulation of Matthew 24:9-22, will be not only a time of persecution from Satan’s wrath, but it will be a continuation of God’s disciplinary wrath on the people of Israel.
   A. The great tribulation of Matthew 24 is also “the time of distress” of Daniel 12:1.
       This refers to the specific SHORT period of time from the midpoint of Daniel’s 70th week until the moment it will be cut short by the second coming of Christ and the start of the Day of the Lord.

   B. Likewise, the time of Jacob’s distress of Jeremiah 30:4-11 refers to the same period of time.
       See Topic:
JACOB’S TROUBLE

   C. And at Obadiah 1:12-14, the “Edomites” are warned not to contribute to Israel’s oppression “in the day of their DISTRESS.” If they do, then they be will recipient’s of the judgment that will come at the Day of the Lord mentioned in verse 15ff.
But they failed to heed the warning as indicated at Ezekiel 35:5.
       “Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity (āydh), at the time of the punishment of the end.”

16. After the Day of the Lord return of Jesus, the 5cd is removed from Israel and her evangelistic responsibility is restored via the 144,000 "servants" who are converted right after the rapture of the church. Revelation 7:1-8
But the NATION itself is still under the 4cd as Gentiles will remain in control of the Palestinian Land Grant until after Armageddon. Thus, the blessing of full restoration will not be realized until after the Messiah’s victory at Armageddon. Isaiah 40:10-11.

 

 
 

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