Click or Tap Icons to Share! Thank you!

Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Nov. 5, 2007
Update	: Jul. 8, 2025
Parts	: 07

Synopsis:



Continuing our discussion from part five, the reason why I'm so convinced that this nation didn't exist prior to Christ's Sacrifice and Resurrection, is because the Bible very plainly informs us, as I have explained before, that Jesus Christ is the very first member of this new spiritual nation. It could not possibly have existed until Jesus did what He did for us. The Holy Scriptures tell us that Jesus is the first begotten of the dead. He is the firstborn, and the firstfruits of the Resurrection, as we see by the following group of verses:

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body . . . For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."


"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."


"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature . . . And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."


"To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,"


"Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."


"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"


"These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb."


Jesus also made it very plain in His conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus, that in order to become members of this new spiritual nation, we must be born of water -- meaning a physical birth in the womb, as Nicodemus already understood -- and of the Spirit, through faith in Jesus Christ. While Nicodemus understood the first part of what Jesus had said, where he became confused and fell into error was in thinking that Jesus was saying that he somehow had to do it again. He did not understand the second half of the Lord's words, or the necessity of being born again in a purely spiritual sense. Consider the Lord's words to Nicodemus:

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."


There is additional proof that the new nation of which both the Prophet Isaiah and Jesus spoke is actually the spiritual nation of worldwide believers in Jesus Christ. Now carefully consider what the Apostle Peter wrote to the First Century Christian brethren. Peter makes it rather plain that Jesus Christ is the rejected Cornerstone. He is the "head of the corner". He is "a living stone". He is likewise "a stone of stumbling". He's also "a rock of offense". Jesus Christ is the very foundation of our spiritual temple. Peter likewise explains that not only are we symbolic living stones in the Lord's new temple, but we are likewise members of His holy nation. Consider the following group of Bible verses:

"To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."


Before continuing, I want to point out something important to you. While I am firmly convinced that we are members of God's new nation which was born through Jesus Christ, at the same time, I am NOT convinced that we are also a part of the "royal priesthood" and the "chosen generation" of which Apostle Peter spoke. Are you shocked? You shouldn't be if you really stop to think about it. If a chosen generation is chosen, then there must be something special and unique about it which in some way sets it apart from all other generations. Well, in this case, there most certainly is.

You see, not only were the First Century Christians the very first members of God's new nation, but they also possess a particular badge of honor which none of us today possess. Do you know what that is? They went through something which none of us have had to endure. They went through the fires of the Great Tribulation. They endured mockery, persecution of all sorts, and in many cases even death in the most vile of ways. They proved themselves worthy of leadership responsibilities, because they were all willing to pay the price, and sacrifice everything for God's holy Kingdom, even unto death, precisely as we read in the Book of Revelation. Consider these sample verses which describe the "Tribulation Saints":

"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of THEM THAT WERE SLAIN FOR THE WORD OF GOD, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, UNTIL THEIR FELLOWSERVANTS ALSO AND THEIR BRETHREN, THAT SHOULD BE KILLED AS THEY WERE, SHOULD BE FULFILLED."


"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands . . . And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, THESE ARE THEY WHICH CAME OUT OF GREAT TRIBULATION, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."


It is for that reason that I embrace the view that the reason why Peter calls them a chosen generation is because they were specifically chosen for leadership roles in God's Kingdom on Earth. In the Book of Revelation, in the letters to the seven churches, it speaks about being made pillars in the temple of God. I believe that is talking about leadership structure in God's Kingdom. Not everyone is a pillar. In the same fashion, when the Apostle Peter refers to them as "a royal priesthood", I believe that it is for the very same reason. In other words, it was that first generation of born again Believers who were purged by the fires of great tribulation, who became the kings and priests of which the New Testament speaks.

My friends, I do not believe that those two terms -- "chosen generation" and "royal priesthood" -- apply to Christians in our present day. Please think about this. We are informed in the Book of Revelation that only the nations of those who are saved are allowed to enter the Heavenly City. That is to say, New Jerusalem. Consider the following verse as proof:

"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it."


Please notice that by the time we read that verse in the Book of Revelation, Satan, the Beast, the False Prophet, and all wicked and incorrigible nonbelievers have been cast into the Lake of Fire. The new heavens and the new Earth have already been created, and the Heavenly City has come down to the new Earth. Thus, everyone on the planet is a part of the saved nations. There are no unsaved people left. So please tell me something. If we are ALL kings and priests as so many of us have been led to believe by misguided Bible teachers, then pray tell, who exactly are we ruling over? Ourselves? Each other? So, you see, there has to be regular, saved citizens in God's Kingdom too. I believe that is you and me. We can't all be leaders. And quite frankly, I don't want to be. In fact, I will be quite happy with this job, as long as I get in Heaven's doors:

"For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."


As we have already seen, Jesus clearly stated that the Kingdom would be taken from the unbelieving Jews who had rejected Him, and would be given to another more worthy nation. That is to say, to a nation of Believers in Christ Jesus, who truly do demonstrate the fruits of repentance. Is there any additional Scriptural evidence which mentions this transfer of power and spiritual anointing and authority? Actually, there certainly is, and it is directly tied to the previous verses written by Peter. The reason why Peter could write with such authority, is because Jesus Himself gave Peter this authority, as we can determine by the following group of verses which are found in the Gospel of Matthew:

"And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."


In spite of his own shortcomings -- his cowardice, and his own betrayal of Christ, for example -- Peter firmly believed that Jesus was the long-prophesied Messiah, the Christ, and Jesus obviously recognized this quality in Peter. Thus, the Lord chose Peter to lead the followers of the fledging First Century Church, once He had returned to His Father in Heaven. However, please realize that while the Lord gave Peter this special blessing, this is a far cry from the Roman Catholic doctrine which promotes the false belief that Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, and thus, the first Pope. As you may know, the Roman Catholic Church uses this false doctrine to try to validate their supposed spiritual superiority, and authority, over other Christian churches.

As I have pointed out before, while Jesus gave Peter certain authority, the Gospels, as well as the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, seem to indicate that Peter may not have fully embraced it. These Books suggest that leadership within the First Century Church was shared by Peter, James and John, and later by Paul as well. This structure would be in agreement with the Scriptural admonition which teaches us that in the multiple of counselors there is safety. It is also important to realize that in the previous verses, Jesus is referring to Himself when He says to Peter "upon this rock I will build my church". I do not share the opinion that the Lord is calling Peter the rock, even though Jesus did name him Cephas, which means "a rock". Peter himself seems to confirm that Jesus was actually referring to Himself as the Rock in the verses which I shared with you just a moment ago where Peter calls Jesus the Cornerstone. The Apostle Paul also wrote the following:

"And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ."


So while Peter may have been nicknamed Cephas by Jesus, you need to understand that the Lord is the only true Rock that there is. He is not only the symbolic Cornerstone of God's spiritual temple, but He is also the High Priest who serves in it as our Advocate and Intercessor before the Father as well. So the Lord basically wears multiple hats as they say. By the way, the names Peter and Cephas mean the same thing in both Aramaic and Greek. That is to say, a stone or rock.

But the main point that I wish for you to grasp, is that the unbelieving Jews did in fact lose the Kingdom, precisely as Jesus stated that they would. Furthermore, this Kingdom was given to a new spiritual nation, which is comprised of born again Believers in Jesus Christ. As we learned earlier, the birth of this new nation is directly linked to the birth of the man child, Jesus Christ Himself, precisely as Isaiah had prophesied in the two Scriptures we examined earlier. You may recall that Isaiah seems to convey the idea that the birth of this new nation would be accompanied by a certain degree of surprise and astonishment. It would be something unique and out of the ordinary. Well, one rising from the dead and then becoming the Founder of a new spiritual nation is certainly extraordinary and surprising, wouldn't you agree?

Exactly when this new nation was born is a matter of personal conjecture. Whether we establish it as the moment that Jesus died on the Cross, or three days later when He rose from the dead, one thing is absolutely certain: If we stop to examine the events which transpired during that entire period, and the things that were said by some of the participants, it is obvious that there was plenty of surprise, astonishment, and fear going around. Consider the following verses that we find in Matthew chapter twenty-seven:

"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."


One problem with reading the Bible, is that sometimes it can be difficult to recognize when time gaps exist between some of the events. At first glance, one might erroneously assume that the events described in the previous verses all occurred shortly after Jesus died on the Cross. However, it seems to me that a careful reading of the above verses indicates that Matthew is describing things which occurred, not right after Jesus died on the Cross, but rather three days later when He miraculously rose from the dead.

In other words, contrary to what we see in certain Hollywood movies, the centurion did not say "Truly this was the Son of God" as he gazed upon Jesus dying on the Cross. The soldiers were undoubtedly desensitized, having already witnessed many such crucifixions of criminals. Jesus' Crucifixion was just another one and a part of their job. Jesus did nothing while hanging on the Cross, which would give the centurion reason to make such a remark. However, the remark makes more sense if we realize that it was said three days later when a great earthquake occurred, and Jesus rose from the dead. When it states that they were "watching Jesus", it doesn't mean that they were watching Him die on the Cross. It means that they were watching His grave, as they had been instructed to do by the unbelieving Jewish religious elders, who feared that the Lord might actually rise from the dead, as we see here:

"Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch."


So consider the facts which surrounded the birth of this new nation. We have a great earthquake which must have surprised and unsettled a lot of people, and caused them to fear. We can also easily imagine the shock and horror that the Jewish religious leaders must have felt after having gone through a great earthquake, and then discovering that the temple veil had been fully ripped from top to bottom, possibly revealing the Holy of Holies, which was the holiest part of the temple, where the Ark of the Covenant had been formerly placed. Maybe they realized that it was a sign from God, that their days as the ruling religious elders of Israel were numbered. As we saw in part three, the high priest Caiaphas certainly seemed aware of the danger. And, now, in the words of the Patriarch Job, what Caiaphas had greatly feared had in one single day, and quite suddenly, come upon them. Consider what Job said:

"For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me."


Then we have these hardened -- presumably Roman -- soldiers witnessing the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Matthew informs us that "they feared greatly" having been observers of these events. As if the Lord's own Resurrection was not enough, it is not difficult to imagine the astonishment, shock and fear which must have permeated and engulfed all of Jerusalem, as all of a sudden and without warning, her inhabitants found themselves being visited by many of the Old Testament Saints. In light of these events, and the people's reactions to them, it makes perfect sense that God would inspire Isaiah to write "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things?". By comparison, in my opinion, the political events that occurred in 1948 don't even come close in magnitude, and certainly do not warrant this kind of a statement from the Prophet Isaiah.

Clearly then, the prophesied birth of this new nation was fulfilled to the letter. It was fulfilled "in one day", and "at once", precisely at the moment that Jesus rose from the dead, followed by all of the other Old Testament Saints. It resulted in such shock and awe as this world has never seen before, and won't see again. As we saw earlier, Jesus became the first begotten of the dead, and the Founder of our New Nation, as described by Peter. As I said earlier, Jesus was the Firstborn, and the Firstfruits of the Resurrection, and all of the Old Testament Saints who followed Him out of the grave were the very first inhabitants of this New Nation. We also know that some day, we will follow them into Glory. For as we are told at the end of chapter eleven of the Epistle to the Hebrews:

"God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."


Please note that in the previous verse, that word "perfect" does not mean what some of you may think it means. You see, according to Thayer's Greek English Lexicon, the original Koine Greek word which is used in that verse is "teleioo". In our modern English, we understand the word "perfect" to mean something that is without flaw, error or blemish. But one of the primary meanings of this Koine Greek word is to complete something, or to finish something. Thus, what the verse is actually saying is that the number of Saints will not be complete, until everyone who has been ordained by God, and predestinated to Salvation, is indeed saved and resurrected to Eternal Life. In short, God's eternal Plan of Redemption extends from the first page of Genesis, to the final page of the Book of Revelation. Thus, in God's perfect time, we took shall partake of these wonders, and there is absolutely nothing which can hinder God's plans.

If you are not yet fully convinced of everything I have been sharing with you in this series, allow me to share one final profound truth with you. While some American preachers, as well as some Jews, have tried to convince the world that the Prophet Isaiah was prophesying the birth of the modern state of Israel in 1948, there is strong evidence which suggests to me that Isaiah was not only talking about the birth of a spiritual nation, but also that this new spiritual nation would in large part be comprised of Gentile believers. Are you surprised? Allow me to explain.

In the Scriptures from Isaiah that we examined earlier, the word "nation" is translated from the Hebrew word "goy". This word, and its plural form, "goyim", almost always refers to people of non-Hebrew -- or non-Jewish -- stock. In short, it means Gentiles, or heathen. Just as many Muslims view all non-Muslims as "infidels", Orthodox Jews also view non-Jews in a somewhat similar fashion. That is to say, as heathen. It may surprise some of you to know that the term "goy" is often used by such Jews in a disrespectful and derogatory manner. Many Gentiles simply are not aware of this fact.

So is there more Biblical evidence to support my contention that Isaiah was prophesying about the birth of a spiritual nation of Gentile believers in Christ, and not really about the birth of the modern Jewish nation of Israel in 1948? Yes, there most certainly is, I am happy to say. In the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, after watching Jesus heal a man with a crippled hand on the sabbath day, the Jewish religious leaders -- that is to say, the Pharisees -- took counsel in order to determine how to destroy Jesus. Yet in spite of their wicked intentions, the Lord kept on healing people anyway. Then, a few verses later, Matthew in fact quotes from the Prophet Isaiah when he writes the following. Please notice carefully that Isaiah is very clearly stating that Jesus would minister to the Gentiles, and NOT just to the Jews. Furthermore, Isaiah concludes with "And in his name shall the Gentiles trust":

"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust."


This is such a very important point -- that is, that the Jews would lose the Kingdom, and that Jesus would primarily populate His new spiritual nation with Gentile believers -- that the Apostle Paul likewise mentions this same prophecy in his Epistle to the brethren at Rome. Please take note of how Paul informs them that he has become the Apostle to the Gentiles:

"And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."


In the previous sets of verses from the Gospel of Matthew and the Epistle to the Romans, the word "Gentiles" is translated from the Koine Greek word "ethnos". This word is basically used in the same way that "goy" is used in the Old Testament to refer to people of non-Hebrew stock. In fact, in Thayer's Greek English Lexicon, it plainly states "Paul uses the term for Gentile Christians". In other words, as opposed to Jewish Christians, such as the original Twelve Apostles, and other early Jewish Christians who helped to jump start the First Century Church.

The Prophet Isaiah was obviously in tune to the fact that God had plans to raise up a new spiritual nation. Isaiah realized that Jesus would be the Founder of this New Nation, and that this New Nation would in large part be comprised of Gentiles who had embraced Christ. Further evidence that this is so can be clearly seen in the following verses, where God the Father is laying out His plans for Jesus, His Son:

"Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."


If you're a sharp student of God's Word, you may realize that this is precisely the prophecy that Jesus Himself read in the synagogue at Nazareth, right before the Jews tried to throw Him over a cliff, as we discussed in part three of this same series. Here again are those verses for your consideration:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."


Please go to part seven for the conclusion of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

Click or Tap Icons to Share! Thank you!

---

---

Please avail yourself of other areas of the BBB Bible website. There are many treasures for you to discover.