Was the nation of Israel the Harlot (i.e.,
the adulterous wife) who has been
cast out and finally judged for rejecting her husband (God) who had come to
them in the flesh? Who is Israel now?
Day 20
B. Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
The
Old Testament equates Israel (and Judah, seen collectively as “Israel” or the
“Jews”) and Jerusalem—the seat of power for Israel specifically—as the bride or
wife of God; and when she turned her back on God, she was playing the harlot
and committing adultery against God. Jeremiah 3:20 says “Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you
dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel," says the LORD.”
Many
times the nation of Israel, the Jews, or Jerusalem was seen as the harlot
involved in adulteries against God: Jeremiah 3:1-9, 9:2, 13:27, 23:14; Isaiah 1:21, 5:1-7; 13:1-10; Hosea 2:4, 4:15, 7:1-4, 9:1; Ezekiel 6:9,
16:1-2; 16:15-41, 23:37-43; Judges 8:33; 2 Chronicles 21:11-13.
Keep
this in mind when reading Leviticus 20:10, Matthew 12:39, and Mark 8:38. The
Jews at the time of Christ were no different, outside of the saved remnant. For
they did not seek after Christ but rejected Him and crucified Him and
persecuted the Christians who followed Christ—even Saul (Paul) was doing this.
The
Jews rejected Christ their king as John 19:15 records, “But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify
Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The
chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"” Their
harlotry culminated at this very moment as they told God the Son, to His face,
that they held to a human king (and a “beast” of Daniel no less) over Him.
The
blood of all the prophets that was shed, much by the hand of Israel, was to be
charged to this first century generation as Luke 11:51 points out, "from
the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and
the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.” The
Jews assembled in Jerusalem in Matthew 27:25 responded when crucifying Christ
by saying, “And all the people answered
and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."
Considering
that Israel was previously annihilated and the Temple previously destroyed
(with the exception of a remnant sent into captivity) for their constant
rejection of God and His prophets in the Old Testament…should we not expect
judgment upon the Jews who killed the One the prophets warned them about, the
God-Man, Jesus Christ?
The
Harlot was the nation of Israel (the Jews) being led by the Great City,
Jerusalem (Revelation 11:8). This is why there is a need for a New Jerusalem (Galatians 4:25-26,
Hebrews 13:14, Revelation 3:12, 21:2-9).
Descriptors
of the Harlot being Israel/Jerusalem
1.
Where the Lord was Crucified (Revelation 11:8)
3.
Blood dripped by her attacks on the Martyrs (constant persecution of the
church—(e.g., Acts 8:1-4, 11:19, 14:2, 17:13, 23:27, 1 Corinthians 15:9,
Galatians 1:13)
4.
Called the “Great City” (Revelation 11:8, 16:19, 17:18, 18:10, 18:16-21)
5.
Responsible for the blood of the prophets (Matthew 23:29-37, Luke 11:47-50,
Acts 7:51-52, 8:1-3, Romans 11:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15)
6.
Called Babylon
(doubtful this is Babylon [of Nebuchadnezzar’s day] since it had been utterly destroyed and a ruin by the time the Parthian Empire took it over in 141 BC and is still desolate today! Rome took it over in AD 114-117 but waltzed right through it (still being largely a ruin). As a result of this, some early commentators suggested "Babylon" was a metaphor for Rome in 1 Peter 5:13 and Revelation. However, John equates Babylon with the “the Great City” which is talked about extensively in Revelation and is the place where the Lord was crucified, Revelation 11:8, 16:19,
17:18, 18:10, 18:16-21. It makes sense that Peter was alluding to Jerusalem being Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13 as his ministry was directed to the circumcised of Israel and the Apostles' constant persecution there—Acts 9:32, Galatians 2:8.) This makes much sense of the unbelieving Israelites collectively who was the harlot that betrayed God and aligned herself with Rome over Christ.
7.
Called Sodom (again
Sodom was equated with the “Great City” where the Lord was crucified,
Revelation 11:8, 16:19, 17:18, 18:10, 18:16-2)
8.
Called Egypt
(again Egypt was equated with the “Great City” where the Lord was crucified,
Revelation 11:8, 16:19, 17:18, 18:10, 18:16-21)
9.The
city will be divided into thirds at judgment in Revelation 16:19 (Ezekiel 5:1-5 says
this is Jerusalem’s future)
10.
Jerusalem and the Israel were often referred to as the “Harlot”, “Prostitute”,
and adulterous in the Bible (e.g., 2 Chronicles 21:11-13, Psalm 106:39-40, Isaiah 1:21, Jeremiah 3:1-8, 13:27, Ezekiel 24:4-30, Hosea 4:12, 5:3-5, etc.)
So
who is Israel? Israel is a name God selected and gave to His people, beginning
with Jacob (who was given the name Israel). Israel is God’s people. Romans 9:6 point out that “they are not all
Israel, which are of Israel.” Christians are now grafted into the remnant of
Israel (Romans 11:1-27), the true bride of Christ (Revelation 22:14-17), having
many natural branches pruned from Israel (Romans 11:17).
This is why Christians are the spiritual seed of Abraham (Romans 4:6-18). Whether
Jew or gentile, we are all in the same boat and in need of Jesus Christ to be
re-grafted into Israel. This is sometimes called "Grafted Theology".
Read Genesis 12:1-3, Romans 4:13, 10:12, Galatians 3:28.
