What I’m about to write may seem unlikely. How is it possible that a topic seemingly unrelated to Bible prophecy could further validate the Lord’s promise to restore a glorious kingdom to Israel?

I’m fully persuaded that Scripture confirms the nation’s continuing place in God’s sovereign plan for the future. But long ago, what I learned as I worked on my master’s thesis in seminary led to a deeper conviction of why this must be the case.

The title was “Roman Catholic Justification in the Light of Scripture.” My understanding of what Paul wrote about justification by faith, first of all, solidified my belief in eternal security. The message of Romans 8:31-38 is clear: If God pronounces us righteous, it’s a done deal. No one can overturn His judicial verdict upon our lives. It’s impossible.

Consider this: if the One who brought the heavens and earth into existence with just a word goes on record declaring that we are righteous, then that is surely what we are. If God, in view of our entire lives, declares us not guilty, who is to say otherwise? At the moment of our rebirth, our salvation is a done deal. No one can overturn His verdict, which is the substance of Paul’s argument in Romans 8:31-38.

Long ago, Roman Catholic theologians moved God’s justification of the sinner from the time of regeneration to the end of his or her life. I suspect they did this to add uncertainty to the lives of believers, which enabled the church to demand unwavering loyalty and exert almost total control over them. Perhaps they understood the finality of justification, and if it happened at the moment of our rebirth, as Paul taught in the book of Romans, then absolutely nothing could change our rock-solid place of favor in God’s sight. The Holy Spirit thus becomes the driving force in the life of a believer, not the church.

Satan’s tactics remain the same today; he still seeks to inject insecurity into the final outcome of our faith. He loves to make us feel as though we need to keep earning the Lord’s favor despite what the Bible says about us.

What does our security in Christ have to do with the future restoration of Israel? Paul sums up this vital link in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”

Please stay with me as I connect the dots between God’s forever promises to Israel and our security as New Testament saints.

The Lord Cannot Renege on His Promises

While I was writing my thesis critiquing Roman Catholic justification by faith, I read a book by Erich Sauer, The Triumph of the Crucified. In it, he wrote:

The question of the Millennial kingdom is therefore not only a question of final history, but touches at the same time the very heart of the gospel (freedom from law, universality of the gospel, gift by grace). To deny it makes either God a liar in relation to His prophesies or Paul a false witness to us. Romans 9–11 is no mere justifying of God, but a justification of Paul’s doctrine of justification.[1]

In Romans chapters 9-11, Paul uses Israel’s secure place in God’s redemptive program as confirmation that God can’t change His mind regarding those whom He justifies (Romans 8:31-39). The final outcome of His promises to both us and Israel rests securely with His character as a promise-keeping God. Human behavior can never negate God’s decrees, whether it be our righteous standing before Him, or that of a gloriously restored kingdom for Israel.

Because God can never renege on His covenants with Israel and David, we can know with certainty that we will bring all those He declares to be righteous to glory. His word guarantees both outcomes with absolute certainty.

Nothing, not even Israel’s rejection of their Messiah in the first century AD, can alter His love for His chosen people or cancel His oft-repeated statements through the Old Testament prophets whereby He solemnly pledged to restore a still-future kingdom to Israel.

This does not mean, as some errantly suggest, that all Jewish people will receive eternal life or secure a place in Jesus’ future kingdom on the earth. No. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life have always come through faith in Jesus. In the Old Testament, saving faith consisted of believing what God revealed about His Son and His future sacrifice for their sins. Today, we look back with a clear picture of all that His death and resurrection signify for our deliverance from the penalty of sin and our receipt of eternal life.

Scripture reveals that the time will come when a Jewish remnant will turn to Jesus as they recognize Him as their Messiah and Savior. Zechariah wrote about a great repentance of a remnant of the people of Israel, which will happen during the last days (12:10-13:1). Paul likely had this passage in mind when he confidently predicted the salvation of the Jewish people that would happen after the church age (Romans 11:25-36).

God’s Amazing Mercy

God’s continuing mercy toward the nation of Israel despite its past and, I might add, their current state of unbelief and waywardness, also speaks to the depths of His amazing mercy toward us as New Testament saints. In Romans 11:30-32, the apostle wrote about God’s matchless mercy to both Israel and the Church:

“For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all” (Emphasis added)

The “all” refers to both New Testament saints and Israel.

For Israel, God’s mercy signifies that His covenants and promises are “irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). He will not fail to bring the nation to the place of repentance that Zechariah said would happen after their rejection of Him. This will happen during the last half of the Tribulation.

For us, it means that regardless of our behavior, wrong turns, sins, or failures, the words of Ephesians 1:3-14 will always define those who are truly born again. Once God pronounces us righteous in His sight, nothing whatsoever can diminish the unfailing and unending favor we enjoy in His sight. Who is able to overturn God’s decree concerning us?

It’s the Lord’s amazing mercy toward all that motivates us in our walk with Him, as Paul wrote in Romans 12:1:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Do you see it? The phrase “mercies of God” is plural. Paul’s instructions for Christian living in Romans chapters 12-16 flow from God’s unalterable and steadfast love for both us and the nation of Israel.

Our response of service and sacrifice for the Lord flows from the realization that it’s not possible for Him to change His mind about those He chooses, whether it be us or Israel. We begin our walk with the Lord as those whom He has declared to be forever righteous. It’s the enabling presence of the Holy Spirit that prompts us toward obedience based upon all that our Savior has done for us.

In his book, New Morning Mercies, Paul David Tripp wrote the following on the message of Lamentations 3:23, “His mercies are new every morning”:

Not only does God lavish on you love that will never cease and grace that will never end, and not only is he great in faithfulness, but the mercy he extends to you and to me is renewed each morning. It is not tired, stale, irrelevant worn out, ill-fitting, yesterday mercy. It is formfitted for the needs of your day. It is sculpted to the shape of the weaknesses, circumstances, and struggles of each and every one of his children.

Is it any wonder that Paul sets our walk as believers in the context of the Lord’s amazing mercy that permeates all His dealings with both Israel and us?

Contradiction

Many Bible-believing pastors correctly teach the finality of our salvation, yet deny that same unfailing grace and mercy for the nation of Israel. Is it not contradictory to proclaim God’s unending love toward believers and yet deny it for the people that God chose long ago and with whom He established everlasting covenants (i.e., Psalm 105:7-11)?

Many pastors teach the eternal security of the saints, yet tell us this same steadfast love and mercy don’t apply to the descendants of Jacob. Is it not God’s unalterable word that guarantees both outcomes? Do they think they are more worthy of His unfailing love than Israel?

Likewise, it’s equally contradictory to teach that God will restore a kingdom to Israel and then say that believers can walk away from their salvation or lose it in another way.

Over-the-Top Comfort

Is there not unspeakable comfort and energizing encouragement in knowing that the Lord can never change His mind toward us? Such grand assurance flows from His character as a covenant-keeping God who will not fail to keep all His promises to all those He loves, whether it be the nation of Israel or us whom He has redeemed with His precious blood.

Why did my master’s thesis on biblical justification confirm my belief that the Lord will someday restore a kingdom to Israel?

It did so because I saw the connection between Romans 8:31-39 and chapters 9-11. The God who can never change His mind about His promise of a kingdom to the nation of Israel is the same One can never change His mind about those whom He declares to be forever righteous in His sight. Both unalterable outcomes flow from His great mercy and love.

Our security in Christ is never about us; it’s always about Him and solely because of Him. Likewise, the future of the Jewish people is not about them or their behavior. As the Lord proclaimed in Ezekiel 36:22-38, the restoration of a kingdom for Israel is all about Him and defending His Holy Name.

My next book, Invitation to a Lavish Feast – Wisdom’s Path to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, will be available for pre-order in early May. In it, I take the reader on a journey showing how the words of Scripture verify our beliefs in not only the restoration of Israel, but also our hope in Jesus’ soon appearing to take us home to glory. The above article is a sample chapter from the book as a part of how I build the case for the necessity of Jesus’ millennial rule upon the earth.

Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/. It will greatly help me in reaching more people. Thanks!

[1] Erich Sauer, The Triumph of the Crucified (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 1952), p. 150.

We hear of God’s love and mercy from pulpits and podcasts constantly, as we should.  It is an inexhaustible subject, an eternal gift.  But his wrath?  Almost never. In these Rapture Ready pages, e.g., of some 18,000 (!) articles in the archives, the search function turns up but two with “Wrath of God” in the title. Yet, in a very short while, God will bring his wrath to the earth for the seven years known as The Tribulation, also known as Jacob’s Trouble or Daniel’s 70^th Seven. Paradoxically, that wrath has a powerful and exceedingly merciful purpose:  it will crush and vanquish the evil that besets humanity — forever.

Why must God manifest wrath to do this, one may ask?  Several reasons. God is:

> Sovereign. God’s positional sovereignty and majesty demand respect. He is Founder and King of the entire universe. When he is mocked or disregarded, it is not without penalty.

> Partisan. God’s universe is not benign territory; it is literally a war zone between good and evil. God will soon vanquish evil and all its partisans to establish good and its partisans — forever. God grants salvation to the believer (from faith), rewards those who advance the kingdom (from works), but punishes those who oppose him.  It is his nature to do so.  He does not grade on the curve; his standards are absolute. He is not neutral, benign or passive, as some imply. He is not benign, unconscious or comatose.  He is partisan. One must choose sides: God or Satan, good or evil.

> Sin-hating. Sin catalyzes God’s wrath because it destroys his chief creation, humans. Sin destroys relationships, marriages, families, businesses, physical health, mental health – pretty much everything we know of life on planet Earth. Sin is poison; sin is radioactive. If you’ve lived for a while, you know that; if you’re young, inexperienced or immature (at any age), sin may still hold its thrall for you. God’s love for his creation fuels his wrath when anything steps in to destroy it. When God banishes sin, his wrath will be put away forever as well. To understand wrath, one must understand sin.  When one truly understands sin, one understands God’s wrath as well.

Wrath is not our picture of Jesus Christ. But the popular image of Jesus as a long-haired, delicate, vaguely feminine figure is simply not accurate. Not for 2,000 years ago; not for now. He is not woke or a patsy; he is not a Karen. He is The Founder and King of Creation.  He has a striking and powerful appearance, and if you were transported at this moment into his presence, you would die from the power emanating from him if he didn’t shield you. He personally opens the seven seals of wrath (Revelation 6).  He returns on a white horse as a conqueror.  He rules with a rod of iron.  Nations that disobey will be punished.

The same personage who threw over the moneychangers’ tables and sent people flying with a whip of cords, will this time upend the entire world and establish his kingdom on planet Earth.  In his first appearance, he was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World.  In his second, he will be the Lion of the tribe of Israel, the Great and conquering King.

Strangely, few churches, pastors, or Christians care much for or convey this image. They are put off.  Many churches flat don’t believe in the return of Jesus, and his kingdom on this earth, and many of the remaining churches who say they do believe are uncomfortable with it, and avoid Bible prophecy because it is “controversial.”  Though Jesus himself never steered around being controversial, or at times, confrontational. Still, many prefer a fanciful and imagined Jesus: meek, mild, and easily pushed aside, moved out of the way to the authentic Biblical record.

Jesus fairly frequently showed this “controversial/confrontational” side of his personality the first time he was here by making many shocking statements.  Below are some 40.  These words are of a whole cloth with the unimaginably powerful actions, not just words, soon to shake and reset the world:

1. Violence. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).
   The person and message of Jesus Christ is divisive.  He returns as a conquering warrior.
2. Violence. “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” (Matthew 5:30).
   A hyperbolic statement meant to stress the severity of sin and the necessity of radical action to remove anything that leads to spiritual downfall. His attitude to sin is radical.
3. Spit. “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit (vomit) you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).
   One of the strongest such manifestations of Jesus’ ire. The Greek word for “spit” in Revelation 3:16 is ἐμέω (emeó), which means “to vomit” or “to spit out.” Vomiting is a violent action. Some writers believe that the Laodicean church is an apostate church, having locked Jesus out.  Jesus responds in kind.
4. Blind. “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind” (John 9:39).
   The religious teachers of the day thought they saw but couldn’t even see Jesus as Christ; he indicts them here.
5. Blind. “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:41).
   Jesus condemns self-righteousness.
6. (Apparent) cannibalistic imagery. “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53).
   This shocking statement led many to abandon Jesus, as they failed to grasp its deeper spiritual meaning regarding the One in whom we live and move and have our being.
7. Cross. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
   The daily cost of discipleship is death to self.  This is radical.  It is joining an army. When a recruit joins an army, he has already agreed to die to himself when the action is called for.
8. Dead. “Let the dead bury their own dead” (Luke 9:60).
   This response to a man who wished to bury his father before following Jesus seems harsh and uncaring, which Jesus was not.  Jesus wept and suffered and died for people. But this pithy but punchy and unforgettable saying underscores the urgency of discipleship and the need to prioritize the Kingdom of God above all else.
9. Death. “I will strike her (Jezebel, representing spiritual deception) children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds” (Revelation 2:23).
   Remnant pastors and podcasters talk about the surveillance capabilities of the Beast state: where our every thought and action will be known.  Ironically, Jesus beat them to it a long time ago.
10. Death. “If you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24).
    The necessity of faith in Christ for salvation.
11. Devil. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires” (John 8:44).
    Jesus accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy and spiritual blindness. God’s truth and self-righteousness are separated by a great wide gulf. Similarly:
12. Dogs. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs” (Matthew 7:6).
    Calling someone a dog or a pig (or a fool) is a supreme put-down, an insult. And Jesus did it. This metaphor warns against sharing divine truths with those who are hostile or unwilling to receive them.
13. Dogs. “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26).
    Spoken to a Canaanite woman seeking healing for her daughter, this statement initially seems dismissive. However, her persistent faith leads Jesus to heal her daughter; God is moved by faith.
14. End times: deceptions, wars, earthquakes, etc. “This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened” (Matthew 24:34).
    Violence, chaos in the last days.
15. Exclusion. “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
    This statement follows the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, underscoring that while many hear the Gospel, only those who respond appropriately will be saved.
16. Exclusion. “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
    A call to unwavering commitment. Eyes forward.
17. Exclusion. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father” (Matthew 7:21).
    Mere verbal acknowledgment of his lordship is insufficient; true obedience is required for entry into the Kingdom of God.
18. Exclusion. “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).
    Finding one’s way to salvation requires earnest effort.  It is not an inheritance; it is a choice for each individual.
19. Exclusion. “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21:43).
    A prophecy of judgment on the careless and unfaithful.
20. Exclusion. “To those who have, more will be given; but as for those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away” (Luke 19:26).
    Same. Kingdom service is an all or nothing proposition.
21. Exclusion. “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29).
    A dire warning about rejection of God’s Spirit.
22. Faith. “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
    This one stops you in your tracks: One of the most chilling questions ever posed.  Only a remnant  will manifest faith.
23. Fire. “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49).
    Judgment, wrath forthcoming.
24. Fire. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19).
    Again, fire used as metaphor for divine wrath.
25. Fool. “Fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you” (Luke 12:20).
    A warning against materialism.
26. Hate. “Whoever does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).
    This hyperbolic statement emphasizes the supremacy of devotion to Christ over all earthly relationships, even vis-à-vis one’s very life.
27. Hated. “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22).
    No one wants to be hated. Believers are persecuted in ways great and small.
28. Humility. “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
    A reversal of worldly values.
29. Ignorance. “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).
    A rebuke of theological ignorance. The Bereans studied to see whether these things be so. The men of Issachar knew the times and the seasons.  It is the honor of God to conceal a matter; the honor of kings to search it out. Too often in modern society, ignorance/stupidity is lauded, and intellectual activity disrespected. Backwards.
30. Loyalty. “The one who is not with me is against me, and the one who does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).
    There is no “neutrality.”
31. Persecution. “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20).
    A reality of following Christ: persecution.
32. Pharisees. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean” (Matthew 23:27).
    Jesus condemns religious leaders who maintain an appearance of righteousness while being corrupt internally, highlighting the importance of genuine faith over mere religious formalism.
33. Pharisees. “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33).
    Strong words.
34. Rebuke. “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (John 5:14).
    A warning after healing a man. Sin brings consequence.
35. Rebuke. “The last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16).
    The pecking order upended.
36. Rebuke. “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it” (Luke 11:44).
    A strong condemnation of hidden hypocrisy.
37. Shame. “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).
    Being ashamed turns out to be a two-way thoroughfare.
38. Woe. “Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (Luke 6:24).
    A rebuke against wealth-driven complacency.
39. Woe. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:21).
    Towns have personalities; Jesus condemns the most unrepentant.
40. World. “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23).
    Jesus distinguishes his divine nature from humanity’s fallen state.

Meek, sad, long-haired, female-ish, plaintiff? – these words prove otherwise. Jesus was bold, brusque, and did not curry favor.  A current and accurate depiction of Jesus Christ can be found in Revelation 1:12-16, KJV (King James Version):

“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”

Every image here conveys power. That is him, today.  Not a baby in a manger, no longer a victim of a crucifixion. Rather, the powerful Sovereign and Founder of the Universe in both fact and in appearance.

Similarly, these statements listed above convey power and meaning.  They challenge conventional and, frankly, lazy views of Jesus. His words reveal his mission to confront sin, demand true discipleship, and expose hypocrisy. He looked to the future kingdom. Though some would say these words are harsh, they have the power to save one from hell.  There is no more merciful act.

He will be returning soon, in startling fashion, to establish his kingdom and rule with a rod of iron. Before that comes the 70^th week of Daniel, the Great Tribulation, the very Wrath of God.  Those seven years constitute an unspeakable horror, physical suffering far beyond merely being upbraided by his sharp words. Those who ignored or mocked him will fervently wish they hadn’t.

This Great King is not to be trifled with but rather feared, respected, worshipped.  And so it is the Psalmist says: “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

***

John A. Sarkett is the author of After Armageddon, Strangest Stories in the Bible, and most recently, Revelation Illustrated.  He is publisher, as well, of the formerly out-of-print The Second Coming Bible by Wm. E. Biederwolf.