33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Jesus provides a description of the changing roles of an unbelieving Israel and the emergence of the church. Jesus describes how He is rejected as the heir in verse 38. He also describes what should have been known by the Pharisees and Sadducees about the treatment of Jeremiah being beaten, Isaiah being killed by being sawed in half alive and also the stoning of Zechariah.
Romans 11:16-23
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again
For those who may not be familiar with the term graft or grafting let's provide the Webster's definition for its concise wording.
GRAFT:
A small shoot or scion of a tree inserted in another tree, the stock of which is to support and nourish it. The two unite and become one tree, but the graft determines the kind of fruit. (b) A branch or portion of a tree growing from such a shoot.
A description of how the church was formed out of the unbelief of Israel. This told in the sense of an olive tree. Some may agree or disagree the olive tree is symbolic to Jerusalem. Just as the fig tree was considered as the nation of Israel we have a reference to an olive tree representative of the events that transpired in Jerusalem which houses the Mount of Olives. We also receive a warning from Paul that as a new nation of believers conceit and spite of Israel is not the point to this. The point being made that if God did not spare the destruction of Israel and Jerusalem He most certainly will not hesitate to extend the same to the new nation of believers which in turn is the church as we know it today. In the same manner God most certainly is able to restore what He has changed based on belief. The restoration being what we covered in the roles of the nations being reversed again placing Israel in the lead with God. It should also be mentioned that in the times of Paul the grafting of branches in order to better manage growth of olives was a common place method. It is also used today. As with so many other things in scripture we have a natural and spiritual completion.
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| This particular tree is said to have been grafted |
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Proverbs 27:18
18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
A couple of reminding verses to bring us into the direction things are heading in.
We spent a little time looking into the obvious sins this nation has committed which could bring the destruction we experienced as a nation with hurricane Katrina. The sins although not unique to New Orleans or the gulf coast in general. The broad picture found in the phrase national disaster. We have all to some degree contributed to the situation.
Romans 3:23-25
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
There were some things going on with the nation of Israel during the weeks prior to Katrina. The Prime Minister at the time Ariel Sharon had devised and was implementing what he referred to as the unilateral disengagement plan (Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in the Disengagement Plan Implementation Law), also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut")
This was a plan to remove the Jewish citizens from Gaza and 4 settlements in the northern parts of the West Bank area. Those Israeli citizens that refused to accept government compensation packages and voluntarily vacate their homes prior to the August 15, 2005 deadline, were evicted by Israeli security forces over a period of several days. The eviction of all residents, demolition of the residential buildings and evacuation of associated security personnel from the Gaza Strip was completed by September 12, 2005.The eviction and dismantlement of the four settlements in the northern West Bank was completed ten days later. The insanity behind the idea was that this would be seen as grand gesture to help promote peaceful negotiations concerning the Palestinian Authority in regards to establishing a Palestinian state.
On August 17, the first forced evacuation of settlers, as part of the disengagement, commenced under Maj. Gen. Dan Harel of the Southern Command's orders. About 14,000 Israeli soldiers and police prepared to forcibly evict settlers and "mistanenim" (infiltrators). There were scenes of troops dragging screaming settlers from houses and synagogues, but with less violence than expected. As a matter of fact there was not any such place as the West Bank until the Palestinian Mandate we covered established it.
The August 19 Guardian reported that some settlers had their children leave their homes with their hands up, or wearing a Star of David badge, to associate the actions of Israel with Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. On August 22, Netzarim's inhabitants were expelled by the Israeli military. This officially marked the end of the 38-year-long Israeli presence on the Gaza Strip, although demolition crews continued to work there, and the official handover was planned to occur some weeks later.
On August 23, the evacuation of the four West Bank settlements was accomplished; while the residents of Ganim and Kadim, mostly middle-class seculars, have long left their homes, several families and about 2,000 outsiders tried to prevent the evacuation of Sa-Nur and Homesh, who had a larger percent of observant population. Following negotiations, the evacuation was completed relatively peacefully. This ended, according to IDF commander-in-chief Dan Halutz, the first of four stages of disengagement: evacuation of residents, evacuation of civilian property, demolition of houses, and finally relocation of IDF installations. The date for official withdrawal from the Gaza Strip was set to September 10-20.
On September 7, the IDF announced that it planned to advance its full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip to September 12, pending Israeli cabinet approval. It was also announced that in the area evacuated in the West Bank the IDF planned to transfer all control (excluding building permits and anti-terrorism) to the PNA - the area will remain "Area C" (full Israeli control) de jure, but "Area A" (full PNA control) de facto.
On September 11, a ceremony was held when the last Israeli flag was lowered in the IDF's Gaza Strip divisional headquarters. All IDF soldiers pulled out of the strip in the following hours. The last soldier left the strip and the Kissufim gate was closed in the early morning of September 12. This completed the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip.
Ecclesiastes 3:15-17
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. 16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. 17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
This is a verse we will use a lot if you have not already noticed in our studies. There is a prophetic mirror to this situation in Israel found in the prophecies of Zephaniah <06846> . First of all let's explore a word study of the prophet's name.
06846:
6846 Tsphanyah tsef-an-yaw' or Tsphanyahuw tsef-an-yaw'-hoo; from 6845 and 3050; Jah has secreted; Tsephanjah, the name of four Israelites:--Zephaniah. see HEBREW for 06845 see HEBREW for 03050
06845:
6845 tsaphan tsaw-fan' a primitive root; to hide (by covering over); by implication, to hoard or reserve; figuratively to deny; specifically (favorably) to protect, (unfavorably) to lurk:--esteem, hide(-den one, self), lay up, lurk (be set) privily, (keep) secret(-ly, place).
Zephaniah 2:1-11
1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger. 4 For Gaza shall be forsaken <05800>, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up<06131> . 5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. 6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. 7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity. 8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. 9 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. 10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts. 11 The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
We have a prophecy given by Zephaniah that describes an exact situation concerning the Gaza area. All 4 of the cities mentioned by Zephaniah are found within the Gaza strip in addition to being territories at war with Israel from the days of Sampson. Word studies of the passage help in pinpointing the repeat of history. The city of Gaza to be foresaken
05800:
5800 `azab aw-zab' a primitive root; to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.:--commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, X surely.
06131:
6131 `aqar aw-kar' a primitive root; to pluck up (especially by the roots); specifically, to hamstring; figuratively, to exterminate:--dig down, hough, pluck up, root up.
The Gaza evictions were the same as relinquishing the land as the Israeli households were emptied to make room for the Palestinians. The evictions were carried out just as the word agar applies. The families were plucked out of their homes in the middle of the day. The actions took place day and night but were visible in broad daylight on news reports here in the United States. The taunting the passage mentions is something we will explore in further detail in another study. All a person has to do though is follow as they wish the events unfolding in the Middle East to understand the fulfillment. Perhaps more importantly at this moment is beginning in verse 5 the outcome of God's plans for the enemies found in these territories. The destruction we read about is associated by many teachers of prophecy to represent the Babylonian conquest. In verse 7 we see that God declares the remnant of Judah would be dwelling in these locations and not so grand consequences for their enemies. This has not taken place and will not until the coming of the kingdom. The prophecy calls out to the nations of the Philistines and the Cherethites. The Cherethites are a clan that sprung forth out of the Philistines. One thing is clear God will clean up the coastline of the enemy nations and replant Israel.
Getting back to the eviction plan we see the nations of the world come out in great support of Prime Minister Sharon's plan. As usual we see a world willing to run backwards with the wishes of the Lord. We studied very many scriptures that informed us about the stance Israel would have once the nation and Jerusalem were re-established. None of these scriptures indicated that the officials of Israel should take the innocent families trying to settle in their homeland and throwing them into tent cities so their enemies could move in and fire rockets. God did not take long to voice His opinion through action with regards to all this.
1. Let's look at what transpired with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who had once fought very bravely to reclaim the land. He is a retired general from the Israeli Defense Forces and was staunchly against any type of withdrawal of Israeli settlements early in his role as Prime Minister. He served in every campaign waged against Israel from 1948 to 1973. There were at least 4 major wars waged against Israel during this time frame. Just as the Lord stated once Israel was back in the land the roles of nations would be completely reversed. We will not explore all these in this setting, but let's just say that Israel was hit from every angle imaginable by multiple enemies and His nation was triumphant in each case.
At midnight between August 14 and 15, the Kissufim crossing was shut down, and the Gaza Strip became officially closed for entrance by Israelis. The evacuation by agreement continued after midnight of the August 17 for settlers who requested a time extension for packing their things. The Gush Katif Municipal Council was threatening to make a unilateral declaration of independence, citing the Gaza Strip's internationally disputed status and Halacha as a foundation in order to quash the eviction attempts.
The amount of days between the closing August 14 2005 and January 4 2006 is 144 days including the 14th of August. In case you are familiar with this number in the scripture it occurs fairly often as numbers go. The 4th of January 2006 Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke. He is considered by medical opinion to be in a permanent vegetative state which is just a little better than being in a coma. We can pray for his recovery but we also must acknowledge his condition in light of his plans. This falls in line with blessings and cursings of the nation. In this case we are witnessing a leader of the nation forcing his own people out of their homes in addition to relinquishing promised land to the enemies of Israel.
2. The United States reactions to this also took a backwards step with God. This is not a political statement but as some say politically correct and prophetically incorrect.
U.S. government position
U.S. president George W. Bush endorsed the plan as a positive step towards the road map for peace. At a joint press conference with Ariel Sharon on April 11, 2005 he said:
I strongly support [Prime Minister Sharon's] courageous initiative to disengage from Gaza and part of the West Bank. The Prime Minister is willing to coordinate the implementation of the disengagement plan with the Palestinians. I urge the Palestinian leadership to accept his offer. By working together, Israelis and Palestinians can lay the groundwork for a peaceful transition
And in his May 26, 2005, joint press conference welcoming Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to the White House, President Bush elaborated:
The imminent Israeli disengagement from Gaza, parts of the West Bank, presents an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a return to the road map... To help ensure that the Gaza disengagement is a success, the United States will provide to the Palestinian Authority $50 million to be used for new housing and infrastructure projects in the Gaza.
3. European Union position
Javier Solana, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), stated on June 10, 2004:
I welcome the Israeli Prime Minister's proposals for disengagement from Gaza. This represents an opportunity to restart the implementation of the Road Map, as endorsed by the UN Security Council.
The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen (Ireland having Presidency of the EU at the time), announced the European Union's disapproval of the plan's limited scope in that it does not address withdrawal from the entire West Bank. He said that the EU "will not recognize any change to the pre-1967 borders other than those arrived at by agreement between the parties." However, Europe has given tentative backing to the Disengagement Plan as part of the road map for peace.
This response was a bigger step backwards with God as the EU's apparent feelings on the matter states Israel is not going far enough in their withdrawal from the West Bank.
Luke 14:26-35
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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