I like to think of it as 2 different people groups that God is dealing with -
Israel and the Jews world wide who are not yet believers in Christ their Messiah but someday will be
and
The Church which doesn't replace Israel at all.
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During most of history of either, the Lord seems to be dealing with one or the other, not both at the same time except for 2 distinct periods of history.
1: the 40 ish years that cover the period after the cross, and the ascension/church being filled with the Holy Spirit AND the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD which resulted in the world wide diaspora of the Jews (a few remained in Israel over the centuries)
2: the 100 years and counting from the Zionist movement which began in the late 1800s, gathering steam during the Balfour declaration after WW 1 and then WW2 and then 1948, 1967 etc up till the present, and will continue to the Rapture. Israel is back in her land.
So things that affect one, don't necessarily affect the other in these cross over periods. The Rapture will happen regardless of a nation's leader blessing or cursing Israel. Israel came back into being regardless of the church's understanding of that event.
Each proceeds on the timetable that God has ordained for specific dates in history.
The 2 groups affect each other a bit- Saul of Tarsus was a good example, persecuting the early church, driving them out of Jerusalem into the surrounding areas, then getting converted on the road to Damascus, and sending the church across the planet with his epistles. Nowadays a smaller segment of the church (dispensationalists mostly) pray for and actively vote to bless Israel. Israel in turn has noticed this, that the church which they feared for almost 2 millennia has a chunk that seems to love them.
An interesting factoid. So Theodor Herzl published his pamphlet The Jewish State in 1896 on Feb 14 or Valentines day of that year. 1996 was 100 years and this last Feb of 24 it was 128 years later. Which makes this crossover period 128 years and counting.
We are living in the time of Ezekiel 36 and 37. The mountains of Israel in Ezekiel 36 which stand for Israel's territory and that is not yet complete (the West Bank IS the mountains of Israel, Judea and Samaria) but is in progress.
The same for the dry bones coming together in Ezek 37. They need the breath of life that is from salvation. Right now they are bones, sinews and flesh but the process will go on until Jesus rules from the throne of David in Jerusalem.
This means that chapters 38 & 39 (Gog Magog) occur simultaneously with the parts of Ezek 36 & 37 that describe Israel's coming to faith in her God and Messiah since the ends of these chapters describe the end point- King Jesus in the Millennium
Importantly the mountains of Israel are mentioned as a pre condition before Ezek 38 and 39 can happen. The Jews need to be dwelling in PEACE on those mountains (the West Bank) This is possibly something that will happen under DJT
Gog Magog in Ez 38 & 39 and the results of that battle stretch ahead in the end of chapter 39 to the point of the end of the Trib, beginning of the Millennial period when God pours out His Spirit on them and vindicates them in the eyes of all the nations.
Each of these 4 chapters begin at different points- ch 36&37 start with the call of God upon a people to return to their land in unbelief. Ch 38&39 describe how the people begin to believe again in their God. End points in 36, 37 and 39 land in the Millennial Reign
We just happen to be spectators of part of that process. Till our time is finished.
And that gets me back to the idea of the fulness of the NUMBER of the gentiles.
Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,
Which suggests that when we go up (and the church is a mixture of Jews and Gentiles both) that it's when a number that God knows- has hit completion and that is the point where the biggest conversions of the Jews start to happen. After we are out of the picture.
Paul uses a term here translated fullness or full number - of the Gentiles
plērōma
play'-ro-mah
From G4137; repletion or completion, that is, (subjectively) what fills (as contents, supplement, copiousness, multitude), or (objectively) what is filled (as container, performance, period): - which is put in to fill up, piece that filled up, fulfilling, full, fulness.
and I've heard it said, this was a term also used to describe the full number of a ships complement of passengers and crew. When that number is complete the ship sets sail.
By the way G4137 is this word here which further shows the meaning:
plēroō
play-ro'-o
From G4134; to make replete, that is, (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.: - accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.
We go up and God turns His full focus back on His program for Israel.
The church age was something that happened in an unexpected valley between the mountain peaks of prophecy (Clarence Larkin has a superb drawing showing that). It happens between the 69th week and 70'th week of Daniel.
An unexpected 2000 year approximately interval or pause between the fulfilment of the 69th week and the 70th. The prophets of the OT looked toward the mountain peak of the Cross, and on to the Tribulation but they didn't see the interval with the church.
