The lost sheep of Israel

Many in the "Israel ONLY” Salvationism cult affirm that God only came to bring salvation to Israel. They brag that Jesus and the ministry of Paul as well as the apostles was a ministry to only reunite the lost sheep of Israel (the 10 northern tribes) who they claim are the ones called “gentiles” throughout the new testament scriptures. In a nut shell, they say that these people who were scattered (Diaspora) due to the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions and conquests in the years of 733 and 586 BC respectfully are the gentiles Paul preached to. So they unashamedly state that “You’re not the sheep Jesus was looking for”. As far as they are concerned, your plain and simple, just out of luck! Your not able to be saved, and the Bible really has no salvific meaning to you past the year AD 70 let alone now in the year 2018!

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By Joe Daniels and Terry Cropper

One of the most common images in the Bible is that of the shepherd and the sheep. Shepherding is an image that pertains to ruling, it conjures up a picture of a leader (or shepherd) exercising authority over a group of people (his flock). As the nation of Israel grew, God appointed leaders to stand in His place, shepherds to act on His behalf. Moses was called “the shepherd of His flock” Isaiah 63:11 (NKJV) Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: “Where is He who brought them up out of the sea With the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them,

When Joshua was chosen to succeed him, Moses said “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” (Numbers 27:16-17). So Joshua was their next leader, their next shepherd. So the nation of Israel was shepherded by good shepherds like Moses and Joshua.

God used shepherd imagery to describe the abuses of power that characterized Israel’s leaders.

This prophecies involves God and the evil shepherds and the lost sheep. Ezekiel 34:1-10 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”7 ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”— 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! 10 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

So now having looked at some illustrations of shepherds and sheep in the Old Testament we see that some leaders were good and others were evil, and selfish. To put it bluntly, Israel’s leaders were a great disappointment. When the Old Testament prophets spoke out against the wicked shepherds of their day, they also spoke words of hope concerning a “Good Shepherd,” Ezekiel 34:11-12 “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. We can see from the prophecies that the Good Shepherd would be God Himself.

The One of whom Ezekiel spoke of, was none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus was in the area of Tyre and Sidon, a coastal region in extreme northeastern Galilee Galilee (Matthew 15:21) a Canaanite woman came to Him with a request to heal her demon-possessed daughter. For a while, Jesus did not respond to the woman’s entreaties, and she followed Him and continued to beg for mercy. Finally, the disciples, feeling that the woman was a nuisance, asked Jesus to send her away. Then Jesus said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).

Context means everything when studying scripture. It behooved God to send Jesus Christ to Israel *FIRST*! Why? Salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22) When Jesus presented Himself as the good shepherd to Israel, (John 10:11). He was claiming to be the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies above. The salvation we enjoy is because of the promises to the Jewish patriarchs. Jesus came to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs. Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,

Later Paul writes in Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Salvation is of the Jews first and then the Greek-gentiles.

This statement sums up the entire ministry of Jesus. In the Old Testament we read about another work of Israel’s promises Messiah in Isaiah 49:6 “Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

As our friend Don Preston would say “did you catch that?” God said it was too small a thing for His Servant to restore and preserved the ones of Israel; He will also give His Servant a greater work in that He would be a light to the Gentiles, to bring His salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Now, on any reading of the text, it certainly seems to indicate that in addition to the restoration of Israel, that God would then extend salvation to the non Jewish nations. God gives the Messiah a larger work, beyond the ‘too small a thing” of saving the twelve tribes! The Israel ONLY cult will tell you that salvation is only for the twelve tribes of Israel who would be reunited in the first century with the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin only! This is patently wrong, and denying the clear teaching in the Bible. We will be sharing many reasons why that is a false, and a very nihilistic theory in our next few articles.

God was actively fulfilling His purposes as we see in Scripture. God's goal was not in saving DNA, but rather those who seek Him. It's not about blood, or the will of men following a fleshly set of laws. (John 1:13) It's about the will of God to save all who will receive him as a child exercising faith! (Matthew 18:3; 19:14; Lk. 18:17)

11 “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John. 1:11-13 (NKJV)

When we read about the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch in (Acts 8:26-40) We see that in these verses is the sincere desire of an Ethiopian Eunuch to know God, and receive Him. Behind this story we could speak of volumes of interesting background information to paint a great story.

This African court official is the first fully Gentile to convert to Christianity. He was not a Jew, he would have been known at best as a “God fearer”. He had not been a former member of the ten northern tribes of Israel, he was an African. Nor was he from the southern tribes of Judah or Benjamin. This man who was a slave and a eunuch had a very important job. Now some in the Israel Only camp will try to say that he is a Jew, but of course to them, everyone is a Jew who is a believer in the God of Israel, or Jesus.

In the Old Testament in the book of Deuteronomy there are rules that eunuchs cannot be part of the Jewish community. Deuteronomy 23:1 No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD. The New Living Translation I think is the most straightforward, avoiding the NIV's use of the loaded word "emasculated." If a man’s testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the Lord. Acts 8:26-40 is a remarkable passage of scripture and obviously shows the eunuch was not a member of the ten northern tribes of Israel neither was he a biological descendant of Abraham. We believe that he was an African who learned and studied about the God of Israel. This section is a precursor to the fact that God proclaimed that Jesus (as well as his body) would be a light to the Gentiles – thus the beginning of the calling out to the Gentiles into His spiritual body, the church.

The apostle Paul proclaimed the subject of Gentile inclusion was a mystery! (Ephesians3:3-12) Now we all know that the old testament was loaded with promises to gather all Israel together!

So now here is our question …. What is such a mystery about gathering all those scattered from Israel? You mean to tell us, they didn't know that? Of course they did, that's one reason why the Israel Only theology is so laughable! There was no mystery that the two kingdoms would one day unite under messiah! It was longed for, and a promise they awaited eagerly in it's anticipation!

Yet if the term “Gentile” applied to non Israelite peoples, not only would it be a mystery; but as we know from our Bibles, it was very upsetting to the Jews of the first century that these people would also be gathered and made heirs to their promises! Now that’s what we call a mystery!

Notice that God allowed some to see this truth even before the apostle Paul! One such person was Simeon! Just before he is to die he makes this unbelievable statement!

Luke 2:30-32 (NKJV) 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

Check the Greek out on this! Its amazing how it covers all people, and not just physical Israel!

ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον

Which You prepared before the face

πάντων τῶν λαῶν verse 31

of all of the peoples

φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν καὶ

a light unto revelation of the nations and

δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ verse 32

glory of people of You Isreal

Now notice the phrases: “All peoples” “a light unto nations/ Gentiles’ “and glory of people of You Israel” Simeon knew that the Gentiles were to be saved! At times the prophets wrote what the Holy spirit inspired them to write, but they did not understand their own writings as seen in Daniel 12:8-9.

We believe that this happened even in the New Testament. Peter for example is one we would point to that spoke by inspiration, and may not have fully understood all that he said! Clearly Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost is speaking to Jews! These were Jews from every nation under heaven – Jewish men of the dispersion!!! That is very important to understand here!

“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all WHO ARE AFAR OFF, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39)

Why is that important? Because Peter states this gospel is to YOU – these men were from the dispersion (To whom he wrote letters to later on! See 1 Peter 1:1) and called Jews! Peter furthermore states that baptism and the receiving of the Holy spirit is also for THEIR CHILDREN (more Jews)! And then to those who were AFAR OFF AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD WILL CALL! These we believe are NON JEWS that will also be called, and we don't believe he understood the full intent of his inspired message!

Why do we say this? Well, As you know – Peter not long after this message was also shown a vision of how God created all men clean. Yet after shown this vision, he still didn't get it, or really agree with it! Peter was even years later confronted and received a heated rebuke by Paul because he chose to refrain from eating with Gentiles (He played the Hypocrite.) when certain big shot Jews came to Galatia! (Galatians 2:11-15) Do you really think if these were real biological Jews scattered among the nations that settled in Galatia he would chose not to eat with them? Let’s be real about this! The answer is no! Just like these people on the day of Pentecost from among the nations – who he ate with, (Acts 2:42) if these were real Jews or Israelites, he would have had no problem with eating with them! In Acts 2 they were actual Jews from the dispersion. But in Galatia – they were non Jews! It's as simple as that!

What does Paul say about those who are AFAR OFF? “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off (GR. μακρὰν) have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

“And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off (GR. μακρὰν) and to those who were near.” (Ephesians 2:17)

Now we all know what Paul was speaking about here in chapter 2 of Ephesians – the grafting in of the Jewish dispersion? Right? Well no not really ... let us explain … whenever Paul traveled anywhere he started preaching in the synagogues of the Jews, but afterwards, he always reached out to Gentiles (Non Jews). Here in Ephesus he calls them ALIENS from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise! (Ephesians 2:12) Were the dispersed Jews strangers to covenants as these Gentiles are said to be? Of course not – God made the covenant with all of Israel! When addressing the church at Ephesus he reminded them that as gentiles they were far off without hope, but in Christ they are brought near to God!

11 “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:11-13 (NKJV)

Sometimes we need Paul to remind us of something important that we tend to forget. In our text, the apostle Paul gives us that important reminder. Paul is elaborating on, and driving home the point of Ephesians 1:10, that God’s purpose for the ages is to sum up or reconcile all things in Christ. This is a mystery that had not been revealed in previous ages, that God would make “the Gentiles fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (3:6), all in accordance with His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus (3:11).

Paul is writing these things to the Gentiles as a group. There is roughly a little more than 2,000 years, from Abraham to Christ, God chose to work almost exclusively with the Jews. If you were a Gentile, the only way that you could know God and have your sins forgiven was to be circumcised and follow the Jewish rituals and sacrificial system and become a proselyte.

Even then, the Jews considered them a second class citizen. And if you were not a proselyte there was a special court in the temple, the court of the Gentiles, where you could worship from a distance. But you could not go beyond the dividing wall, at the threat of your life (Acts 21:28-29). No members of the 12 tribes of Israel were ever denied entering the holy temple or threaten for their lives for doing so. Only Gentiles.

Paul describes the condition of the Gentiles before the cross as one of utter hopelessness and despair. They were without God in the world. The 12 tribes of Israel could rightly say, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalms 33:12), and they could refer to God as “the God of Israel” (Psalms. 72:18). But that was not true of any Gentile nation. They were excluded from the people whom God had chosen as His own.

Without God’s covenant promises, there was no hope! His promise to send the Messiah was “the hope of Israel” (Acts 28:20; Jeremiah 14:8; 17:13). But the Gentiles had no hope, at least, no hope based on the sure promises of God. Those may be the saddest words in the Bible, “having no hope and without God in the world.”

Ephesians 2:11,12 cannot be referring to scattered Israelites as "gentiles" in that passage, as in distinct from those among whom they were scattered, especially in light of Ezekiel 37 and Acts 26:1-8, because any distinguishable and identifiable people from any of those 12 Tribes, were NEVER "Strangers to the Covenants of PROMISE" or "Without Hope" and/or "Without God In The World.

Also the promise to bring the remnant back meant that they were not aliens to the covenants! Want a great proof text for this? Paul said this about his fellow Israelites in grief over their unbelief as he preach to them in his missionary journeys … to the predominately gentile church in Rome Paul penned:

2 “that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises.” Romans 9:2-4 (NKJV)

Wow! Paul says that the to the Israelites pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises. Yet the Israel Only cult wants us to believe that Ephesians 2:11-13 speaks of these same people, and not to non-Jewish Gentiles! Wow what a contradiction!

Look at Acts chapter nineteen where we have Paul coming to Ephesus. In Acts 19:8 we read that Paul spoke to the Jews in the synagogue there for three months! What happens? We are told that they did not receive his message, and he withdrew from them and went on to preach at the school of Tyrannus. We read that he taught there at the school for a period of three years so that all who were in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus both Jews and Greeks! (Acts 19:10) We are told in verse 20 that the word of the Lord grew mightily, and prevailed!

But then Demetrius a silversmith who made shrines of Diana, along with other idolaters were upset that Paul turned away “many people”! (“Many people” in the Greek is ἱκανὸν ὄχλον lit. meaning a “large crowd”) (Acts 19:23-26) from the worship of this pagan deity! Gee, do you think Paul only turned Jews at Ephesus, and almost all of Asia from this idolatry? ὄχλον the word for people here is also a word translated as crowd and is a generic term used for people! The authors of this article are of the opinion that these people were mostly gentiles who are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise who were afar off! Sure some were Jews who believed, but you can't tell us there weren't non Jews known as gentiles receiving his gospel! These people were a part of those that Peter spoke of who were “afar off” in Acts 2:39.

Paul was told by God he would bring in the Gentiles: “Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you FAR (GR. μακρὰν) from here to the Gentiles.’” (Acts 22:21)

Peter proclaimed it right from the start on the day of Pentecost! Paul was told by Jesus Himself that he would be first sent to the Jews, and then the gentiles! This is why we read that it was Paul's custom to first preach to the synagogue for three Sabbaths in whatever city he traveled to. (Acts 17:1-2) then he would turn to the gentiles in that same city. Is really that hard to comprehend that Paul was first sent to the Jews & then the Gentiles – non Jews as Jesus commissioned him to do?!

I don't think that the Israel Only group speaks about the kingdom being taken away from Israel, but it's certainly true! It's also a thorn in their theory that Only Israel is saved! Does anyone remember how Jesus said that the kingdom of God was going to be taken from them (Israel) and given to another nation? Matthew 21:42-43 is were you will find it. Isn't what Romans 10:19 points out? And is it not the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 32:21b.-22? We have listed these below for you to be the judge.

Romans 10:14-21 (NKJV) 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.” (Matthew 21:43; and Deuteronomy 32:21b.) 20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” 21 But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”

Matthew 21:42-43 (NKJV) “ Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.” This is in direct fulfillment of Deuteronomy 32:21b.-22 (NKJV)

21 They (Israel) have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. 22 For a fire is kindled in My anger, And shall burn to the lowest hell; It shall consume the earth with her increase, And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Romans 10:14-21 clearly states the God had reached out to Israel, and not once does Paul call them gentiles, he calls them Israel! The kingdom was taken from that unbelieving and unfaithful nation, and the saved remnant of Jews together with the saved Gentiles God foretold He would save as well in Isaiah 49:6. That new nation called the “ISRAEL OF GOD” that we read about in Galatians 6:16! It is a kingdom that surpasses the fleshly dead end nillistic “Israel Only” belief!