King Of The Jews - Part 8"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel..." Romans 11:25 Time and time again, blindness; spiritual blindness, is shown to have overtaken the Jews. This blindness is often symbolized in Scripture by physical blindness. We just read where Jesus wept and lamented over Jerusalem and His people Israel for their spiritual blindness in not recognizing Him as their Spiritual King. The "Spiritual" leaders, the Pharisees, did what leaders do and led their people. The people followed their leaders in their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. "If thou hadst known...the things (the thing being that Jesus was the promised Prince of Peace) which belong to thy peace! But now THEY ARE HID FROM THINE EYES". Luke 19:41 (emphasis added and parenthetical comment above added) When Israel recaptured Jerusalem in 1967, General Moshe Dayan, the commander who led the troops to victory in taking the city and the Temple Mount, immediately placed the Temple Mount back under the sovereignty of the Muslims. It's perhaps more than a coincidence that he was literally "Blinded in Part", having only one eye, wearing a patch over the blinded eye. In a misguided effort to appease the Arab Nations and Islam, this holiest of sites for the Jews is strictly off limits to them to this day. In striking contrast, the Arabs destroyed and desecrated synagogues when they occupied the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem prior to 1967. Instead of engendering good will on the part of the Arabs, any suggestion of capitulation on the part of Israel is always seen as weakness and rewarded with more aggression; witness Gaza and Southern Lebanon. Interestingly, the "Samson Option" mentioned previously, the WMD that could obliterate Israel's encircling enemies, is of course named after Samson, who was blind. But even in his blindness he wreaked massive destruction upon the Philistines. Saul of Tarsus was blinded by the light on the road to Damascus and after three days received his sight, then brought the light of salvation to the Gentiles. It is interesting that Saul was the first name by which the Apostle Paul was named. Obviously, King Saul was still held in reverence, perhaps because of spiritual blindness which prevented the Jews from seeing the anti-type of the Messiah that he seems to represent. In fact there is evidence that the whole concept of an Anti-Christ has been expunged from the modern Rabbinical system. However, ancient and even current Jewish texts and Bible commentaries mention "Armilus", the "Anti-Messiah". Examples: "The Jewish Encyclopedia" states: ARMILUS; In later Jewish eschatology and legend, a king who will arise at the end of time against the Messiah, and will be conquered by him after having brought much distress upon Israel". "The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia" states: "ANTI-MESSIAH, legendary opponent of the Messiah and leader of the heathen forces in the battle against the latter which will take place at the end of time. Such a figure under the name of Armilus...will ultimately be defeated and slain by the Messiah of the line of David". "Encyclopedia Judaica Jerusalem" states: "ARMILUS, legendary name of the Messiah's antagonist or anti-Messiah". In "Otot ha-Mashi'ah" (Midreshel Ge'ullah, pg. 320)..."This Armilus will deceive the whole world into believing that he is God and will reign over the entire world. He will come with ten kings and together they will fight over Jerusalem". He is also mentioned in the Apocalyptic Midrashim, the Targum and the Talmud. God spoke to His people through Isaiah, "And he said...see ye indeed but perceive not". Isaiah 6:9 Before they received the Holy Spirit, even the disciples were blind. In Mark chapter 8 after having witnessed the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, they doubted. Jesus rebuked them, "Having eyes see ye not?..." Mark 8:18 Jesus in His omniscience knew that He would soon be rejected by many of the same throngs that followed Him. By way of illustrating the Nation's spiritual blindness and rejection of Himself as Messiah at the first advent He performed the following two part miracle: "And he took the blind man by the hand...and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught. And he looked up and said I see men as trees, walking. After that he (Jesus) put his hands again upon his eyes, and MADE HIM LOOK UP: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly". Mark 8:23-25 (emphasis added) Scoffers might say that Jesus failed to heal the man the first time but Jesus never failed at any time; he was making a very salient point. This two part miracle was a picture of Israel's "Blindness in Part" wherein they rejected Christ at His first coming but then see Him and recognize Him at His second coming. "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and glory. And when these things come to pass, then LOOK UP and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:27-28 (emphasis added) "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son..." Zechariah 12:10 But for now blindness exists for the Nation of Israel as a whole. Certainly individual Jewish people have accepted Y'shua as Messiah and are coming to faith in Him as we speak. In fact as previously stated "Christianity" was almost entirely comprised of Jewish believers at the outset. However, in His great love for the Children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Jews, God has promised to one day bring the whole Nation back to Himself. In fact He swore an oath by His own name to do so. "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself". Hebrews 6:13 |
