Part 2: Messianic Hope and Jewish Election

A. The Messianic Function
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to
repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has
appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (NIV Acts 17:29-31)
The kings of the earth
take their stand and
the rulers gather
together against the
LORD and against his
Anointed One [Hb.
mashiach]… 4
The One
enthroned in heaven
laughs; the Lord scoffs
at them. 5
Then he
rebukes them in his
anger and terrifies
them in his wrath,
saying, 6
“I have
installed my King on
Zion, my holy hill… 8
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9
You
will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” (NIV Ps. 2:2-9)
The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
23 that all may honor the Son, just
as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent
him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal
life…
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27
And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not
marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come
out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the
resurrection of judgment. (ESV Jn. 5:22-29)
B. The Development of Messianic Expectation
So the LORD God said to the serpent… 15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your offspring [Hb. zera, “seed” KJV/NKJV/NASB] and hers; he will crush your head, and
you will strike his heel.” … 17 To Adam he said… 19 “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food
until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will
return.” (NIV Gen. 3:14-19)

I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand
that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your
offspring [Hb. zera, “seed” KJV/NKJV/NASB] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because
you have obeyed my voice. (ESV Gen. 22:17-18)
When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring [Hb. zera] to
succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one
who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will
be his father, and he
will be my son. (NIV 2
Sam. 7:12-14)
The book of the
genealogy of Jesus
Christ, the son of
David, the son of
Abraham.
2
Abraham
was the father of
Isaac… 16 and Jacob the
father of Joseph the
husband of Mary, of
whom Jesus was born,
who is called Christ.
(ESV Mt. 1:1-16)

A. Birthright and Jewish Election
I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, 4
I will establish your
seed forever and build up your throne to all generations… 23 I shall crush his adversaries before him,
and strike those who hate him. 24 My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, and in My
name his horn will be exalted. 25 I shall also set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will cry to Me, “You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.” 27 I also shall make
him My firstborn [cf. birthright: “inheritance rights as the oldest son” (Heb. 12:16, NIV)], the highest
of the kings of the earth. (NASB Ps. 89:3-27)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were
created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. (NASB Col. 1:15-16)
Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son,
23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve
me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son. (ESV Ex. 4:22-23)

I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am
a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. (ESV Jer. 31:9)
Endow the king with your justice, O God, the
royal son with your righteousness… 8
He will rule
from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of
the earth…
17 May his name endure forever; may
it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be
blessed through him, and they will call him
blessed. 18 Praise be to the LORD God, the God
of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. 19
Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the
whole earth be filled with his glory. (NIV Ps. 72:1-
19)
But because of your stubbornness and your
unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath
against yourself for the day of God’s wrath,
when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6
God “will give to each person according to what
he has done.” 7
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he
will give eternal life.
8
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,
there will be wrath and anger.
9
There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does
evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good:
first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (NIV Rom. 2:5-10)
B. Jewish Election and the Restoration of All Things
Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor
will they come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create
Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. 19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my
people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. (NIV Isa. 65:17-19; cf. Rev.
21:1-22:5)
In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.
22 They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and
be punished after many days. 23 The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD
Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously. (NIV Isa. 24:21-
23)
You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time
has come. 14 For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. 15 The
nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. 16 For the
LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory… 21 So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem 22 when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD.
(NIV Ps. 102:11-22)

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s
temple will be established as chief among the
mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and
all nations will stream to it.
3
Many peoples will
come and say, “Come, let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God
of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we
may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from
Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4
He
will judge between the nations and will settle
disputes for many peoples. (NIV Isa. 2:2-4)
He will be great and will be called the Son of the
Most High. The Lord God will give him the
throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign
over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom
will never end. (NIV Lk. 1:32-33)
I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never
again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God…
28 You are those who have stood by Me in My
trials; 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink
at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (NASB Lk.
22:15-30)
C. The Apostolic Consensus Concerning Jewish Election
He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during
forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God…
6
So when they had come together, they asked
him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7
He said to them, “It is not for you
to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8
But you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in
all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (ESV Acts 1:3-8)
They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law,
the worship, and the promises. 5
To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to
the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. (ESV Rom. 9:4-5)
So I ask, did they [Jews] stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their
trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous… 25 Lest you [Gentiles] be
wise in your own sight [cf. “irreverent babble” 1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 2:16], I do not want you to be
unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of
the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved… 28 As regards the gospel, they
are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their
forefathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (ESV Rom 11:11-29)