Restoration of Israel

“Act 1:4-8 KJV – 4 And, being assembled together with [them], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith he], ye have heard of me.

5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

When Was Israel Restored?

The Jews In the New Testament era were expecting the promised Messiah and the restoration of Israel. The Pharisees believed this would be a great conquering military man who would lead an army into a war that would deliver Israel from the power of Rome through carnal warfare. So they crucified their Messiah.

But the promised restoration was not to be through carnal warfare, but through the deliverance of salvation from their sins. Their big enemy was sin, not Rome; it was sin that caused death. Jesus had fully taught His disciples the Truth by demonstration of the power of the Spirit of the true Kingdom of God. Then they had watched in surprise as their Messiah submitted to the cross and was buried in a tomb. But they had also been surprised by His resurrection. He had truly triumphed, not merely over Caesar, but over death, hell and the grave.

A Forty-Day Seminar

After His resurrection, for forty days He taught them the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, (Acts 1:4). Now He is telling them to go to Jerusalem and “wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”

This Didn’t Fit Their Template

But this wasn’t the scenario they thought was to be carried out. When was the Kingdom going to be restored to Israel? So Jesus gave them the answer, but not according to their questioning:

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

His Way Worked!

Follow the story through the Book of Acts. They obeyed His command and were filled with the Holy Ghost. Jews from all over the earth were there to witness this miraculous event, Acts 2:5-11. But Peter, under the unction of the Holy Ghost, rose up to preach and to interpret for them what was happening. Read it in Acts 2:40.

He declares to them that the prophesy of David is being fulfilled. He quotes from the Psalms to show that Jesus is the promised Seed of David that would sit on the Throne of Israel, Acts 2:30-36. The Kingdom has been restored to Israel for they now have their eternal King upon the throne!

So What Happened to the Old Israel?

And the rest of the Book of Acts and the Epistles are the record of how that Kingdom was preached throughout the known world at that time, (Colossians 1:6, 23). The Kingdom was being filled with the Gentiles and all those Jews who would believe. Therefore they knew it was time for Jesus’ words concerning the end of the old order of the fleshly kingdom to end:

Matthew 24:14, 34-35 KJV – 14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. … 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

The old Jerusalem had become Sodom and Gomorrah when they crucified Christ, Revelation 11:8. The New Jerusalem, the Church, became the Bride of Christ and was bearing children to Him:

Galatians 4:25-31 KJV – “25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27 For it is written, Rejoice, [thou] barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now.

30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”

And even now, this New Jerusalem, the Church, the Bride of Christ, is ready to welcome all who will come;

Revelation  22:17, 20 KJV – 17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. … 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus”.