Our understanding of Revelation is incomplete if we don’t understand how Israel is involved.
In Revelation 1:7, Jesus told His Jewish Apostle, John, to write, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
A Jew who knew the Scripture well, would see this as a fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10:
“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”
How exciting for John! John now knows that Jesus will reveal Himself to His people Israel on a large-scale. They will repent and embrace Jesus on a massive scale in due season.
Zechariah 12:10 equates “Me” (God who is speaking) with the One “whom they have pierced“, which is Christ, in reference to His crucifixion. Many in Israel will recognize that Jesus is their Messiah and turn to Him.
In Revelation, we observe the following things about Israel in the end times:
God will call 144,000 Jews to be sealed as His servants. [1]
Israel will come under severe attack by the nations for 42 months. [2]
A remnant of Israel will be protected by God during the 42 months. Israel is symbolized by the “woman” in Revelation 12:6, 13-17.
Two Jewish witnesses will speak mightily in Jerusalem during those 42 months. The 42 months conclude with the two witnesses being killed by Antichrist, but they will be resurrected after 3 1/2 days. [3]
Nations will amass at Armageddon with intent to attack and destroy the remnant of Israel. [4]
Christ will visibly return to defend His people. [5]
Christ will reign as Israel’s king in Zion during the millennial kingdom, and finally there will be a new Jerusalem. [6]
In Romans 11:11, Paul, a Jew, addresses the Gentile Christians in Rome, as follows: “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!”
Paul states in Romans 11:25, “that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” I believe that the fullness of the Gentiles refers to the time when the Church (made up of Gentile Christians) is raptured. After that, the Lord will restore, Israel to its prominent place as His witness to all nations. Paul states in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” God gifted and called Israel, and He has not revoked their special status with Him. In His loving grace and faithfulness, Jesus, their Messiah, will cause Israel to once again be His light to the nations.
[1] Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5
[2] Revelation 11:2; 12:13
[3] Revelation 11:3, 7, 11-12
[4] Revelation 16:13-16
[5] Revelation 19:11-16
[6] Revelation 20:6, 21:10
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