As culmination to the "Ten Days of Awe," the annual Jewish observance of Tom Kippur begins at sundown today. Having begun with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) ten days prior, Yom Kippur, as the "Day of Atonement," becomes a time of repentance, prayer for forgiveness and resolve to improve; hence, Judaism's "High Holy Days." As Christians, the realm of Jewish concerns is of significance to our interests as well.
For despite the claims of some as to Israel's irrevocable rejection and replacement by the Church, Paul yet exhorts the Church to see itself as having been incorporated into promises and blessings yet identifiable as belonging to Israel (Eph. 2:11-3:6; see also "partakers with them," Rom. 11:17-18). Given such, "God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew" (Rom. 11:1-2) - the ultimate outcome of which becomes Israel's full restoration to divine grace: "And so all Israel shall be saved" (Rom. 11:26-27).
Finally, as generally understood in evangelical circles, Jesus' Olivet Prophecy (Matt. 24: Mark 13: Luke 21) addresses both the fall and destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple by Roman armies in A.D. 70 and a larger end time fulfillment yet to come. (In biblical prophecy, this is known as the "dual inference," or type/antitype principle). Significantly, the Jerusalem based Christians of A.D. 70 experienced a dramatic escape and flight to safety at the midpoint of the city's seige.
In terms of its end time parallel this prefigures a midpoint (between sixth and seventh seals of the Revelation) deliverance of both righteous Jews (144,000 sealed Israelites, Rev. 7:3-8) and believing Church (those robed in white, Rev. 7:9-17; see also 3:4-5; 3:18; 7:9, 13-14; 19:8), followed by a correlative flight to safety as depicted in Revelation chapter 12.
Significance further exists in that John's portrayal at this point centers on an integration of Jewish messianic emphasis and Christian focus on Christ's Lordship as head of the Church. Simply stated: Christ comes to reign as both Jewish Messiah and Lord of the Christian community.
Israel should not be lost to the believer's view. We shall both one day be involved (cf. Dan. 7:18,27 with Rev. 5:10; 20:4). For, "If you [i.e., Gentile believers] were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?... for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:24,29).
Burl Ratzsch
