CIRCULAR LETTER December 2008

I would like to send special greetings to all of the brothers and sisters around the world in the precious Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour with Eph. 1:4-14.

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love … in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace … in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will …” 

With those words the Apostle Paul pointed out the very core of God’s plan of Salvation. All sons and daughters of God have been foreordained from eternity to see His Glory. 

In this exposition I wish to emphasise that the Church of Jesus Christ is called out of all nations. With Abraham begins the introduction into the plan of Salvation, which is placed upon the foundation of divine promises. As always, we shall cite a number of Scriptures for every subject so that all things are presented in their biblical order and basis. In regard to the election, the Lord God made the following statements:

“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 12:3).

“And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.” (Gen. 17:2-4).

“And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Gen. 18:17-19). In every one of these statements the prophecy is already pointing to Christ — the seed of Abraham (Mt. 1:1;  Gal. 3:16) —  and also to all those who are in Christ (Gal. 3:29).

On the day of Pentecost, people gathered from seventeen different nations to hear the Apostle Peter’s first sermon (Acts 2:1-12). In his second sermon Peter said, “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.” (Acts 3:25).

The Apostle Paul confirmed it: “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” (Rom. 4:16-17).

In Gal. 3:8 Paul again dealt with this important subject: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”

Before God elected the twelve tribes of Israel — through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — as His earthly covenant people, to whom he promised and gave an earthly territory, we already find the promises for the called-out Church from all nations that is predestined to be in the New Jerusalem. For Israel God chose the earthly Jerusalem and Mount Zion (Isa. 24:23). In either case it is predestination and for ever unchangeable.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Rom. 8:29-30).

The Apostle James showed the plan of Salvation first in regard to the New Testament Church, “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.” and then in view of Israel, “And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up …” (Acts 15:14-17).

Paul spoke once again about this topic: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Rom. 11:25-27).

God designated the country of Israel to be His own heritage (Joel 3:2) and the people of Israel to be His firstborn son (Ex. 4:22-23). Since the 19^th century the Jews have returned to their original homeland, as God promised it unto them, “For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land …” (Isa. 14:1).

“But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.” (Jer. 23:8).

The following periods in the recent past are of significance for Israel:

1. 1917-1922 The Balfour Declaration of 1917 initiated the reconstitution of Palestine as the national home for the Jewish people.

2. 1922-1948 The British government was in charge of that part of Palestine, which then was called Transjordan.

3. 1948-1967 On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion declared Israel to be a nation; on May 15 the British Mandate came to an end.

4, 1967 – today After the Six-Day War took place in June 1967, the territory was divided anew, resulting in the borders that are in existence today. What will remain of Israel if they keep dividing the land?

Negotiations about the future of Israel and about the status of Jerusalem are currently taking place on all levels. In accordance with the treaty between Israel and the Vatican, dated December 30, 1993, which is comprised of fifteen articles and the corresponding explanations, two delegations — nine representatives from Israel and nine high-ranking diplomats from the Vatican — came together at the end of May 2008 in order to discuss these issues.

Parallel to the calling-out and the gathering of the natural people of God in the natural land promised unto them, the calling-out and the gathering of all those who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ and who are scattered among all the nations is taking place in the Word of promise. God has a plan with Israel, and He has a plan with the Church. Now, at the end of the time of grace, the ones who are the spiritual seed of Abraham will believe the divine message: “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Gal. 3:14). Only they will hear the last call: “… ye my people come out from among them, and be ye separate …” (2. Cor. 6:14). From within the Church, the Bride of the Lamb will come forth — they are the overcomers, the wise virgins filled and led by the Holy Spirit and sealed thereby until the day of their Redemption (Eph. 1:13).

Out of the twelve tribes of Israel, God will first call out the 144,000 (Rev. 7), who will then gather on Mount Zion (Rev. 14) before He reveals Himself to all of Israel (Rev. 11:15; a. o.) and there, on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, commences His reign as King over the entire earth.