“God Shows No Partiality”
(Acts 10:34-35) “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”
To the ends of the earth
On the Day of Pentecost the spiritual resurrection of Israel occurred when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon a 120 Messianic Jewish New Covenant believers. As a result 3,000 Jews were saved that day. Later the number increased to 5,000 as the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom spread like wildfire through Jerusalem and spilled over into Judea and Samaria and ultimately spread to the ends of the earth as we see happening today even though there are still untold millions who as yet have not even heard of the name of Jesus.
Baptised with the Holy Spirit
Now in Acts chapter 10 the apostle Peter, like his fellow Jewish believers in the Messiah, had a hard time accepting that Gentiles could be saved and that God wanted to see them saved. God led Peter to go to the household of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, where Peter found a small gathering at Cornelius’ house who were all Gentiles and not ethnically Jewish. Half way through his sermon about the Messiah our Lord Jesus the Holy Spirit fell upon those gathered there and Peter realised that God wanted Gentiles also to be saved and come into the spiritually restored Israel of God. The same baptism of the Spirit Peter and the other Jewish believers had experienced at Pentecost also happened to the Gentiles (Acts 11:15-17).
God wants all to be saved
God had made it clear to Peter that He wanted all men and women to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth only found in Jesus the Messiah, and that no one comes to the God the Father unless they come through His Son, and that God was not willing that any should perish but come to repentance and faith in the Messiah Jesus for salvation, and that there was no other name under heaven given to men by which people from every nation could be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) (John 14:6) (2 Peter 3:9) (Acts 4:12).
God shows no partiality
This salvation found only in the Messiah our Lord Jesus was for Jews and Gentiles and that God does not show partiality when saving people. In the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus there were Gentiles who came to faith in Him. Rabbi the apostle Paul, who was sent to the Gentile world as an apostle to the Gentiles, wrote his letter to the Assembly at Rome where there was a growing division between Jewish and Gentile New Covenant believers in the Messiah which needed to be rectified. In his letter Paul writes; “He (God) will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, He will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honour and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality” (Romans 2:6-11).
Spiritually grafted in
We also know from Acts chapter 15 that the apostles at Jerusalem recognised that God had always planned to spiritually graft the Gentile New Covenant believers in the Messiah into the Olive Tree being the Commonwealth of Israel (Acts 15:6-18) (Amos 9:11-12). With this scriptural truth as the backdrop we need to understand what is really happening between Israel and Gaza and with the whole Arab world for that matter. It is not only a physical conflict but a spiritual one happening in the unseen spiritual world that continues unabated for the salvation of the souls of men, both Jews and Arabs alike.
Whose side is God on?
Now there are those within the Body of Messiah who are siding with Israel and rejecting the Arabs and all who are against Israel. On the other hand there are those within the Body of Messiah who are all for the Palestinian Arabs and are against Israel. Having said this however in Israel there are Jewish and Arab New Covenant believers who are having a very difficult time right now living in and among their fellow unsaved Jews and Arabs. Even in Gaza there are Arab New Covenant believers seeking to somehow come to terms with the accelerating conflict between the Jews and the Arabs.
Replacement theology
There are those within the wider Body of Messiah who are spiritualising plain scriptural references to Israel’s future spiritual and national restoration and applying them to the Church and saying that God is no longer dealing with Israel, and that by rejecting the Messiah they have forfeited their right to exist as a nation and that God is now at work through the Church and calling it “The New Israel” or “Spiritual Israel,” terms that are not found in God’s Word. This view is commonly known as Replacement Theology. Then there are those who make a radical separation between the Church and Israel which is also not found in God’s Word.
Israel is still on God’s radar!
Scripture is clear that in the Messiah our Lord Jesus there is no separation between Jews and gentiles and that through faith in the Messiah they are His bride and ethnic barriers no longer exist in God’s sight (Ephesians 2:11-22). Having said this does not do away with God’s end-time prophetic purposes for Israel and there are so many passages of scripture that plainly teach this and cannot be spiritualised away. Israel is still on God’s radar! On the Day of Pentecost Israel experienced a partial spiritual restoration which was the harbinger of the one to come at the very end of this age that will see multitudes of Gentiles saved and all Israel saved! (Acts 2:17-21) (Joel 2:28-32) (Romans 11:25-29).
The Biblical View
Israel is as yet to pass through the Time of Jacob’s Trouble but a remnant will be saved out of it at the return of the Messiah our Lord Jesus to co-reign with Him and with all the redeemed saints of all the ages in His Messianic kingdom for 1,000 years, and after that for all of eternity (Jeremiah 30:1-10) (Zechariah 13:8-9). To take the promises of God made to Israel literally concerning their end-time spiritual and physical restoration and apply them only in a spiritual sense to a westernised Gentile Hellenised church and view of scripture, which has been removed from Its Jewish roots, is just not Biblical!!! The patriarchs, the prophets, the priests and kings of Israel, the Lord Jesus and the apostles were all Jewish. The Bible itself is a Jewish book written by Jews who understood God’s purposes to save all men and to fully restore Israel at the end of the age and should be understood that way and not with a Hellenised mindset and its way of interpreting God’s Word removed from its Jewish roots and context.
An end-time purpose for Israel
Now this current conflict humanly speaking is about who owns the Land of Israel. The Arabs claim that Jerusalem and the land of Israel belongs exclusively to them as Abraham’s descendants through Ishmael and Esau, whereas the Jews claim that Jerusalem and the land of Israel belongs to them through Isaac and Jacob. Now while God shows no partiality between Jews and gentiles where salvation is concerned He still has a prophetic end-time purpose for Israel. Scripture is abundantly clear about this fact. Ezekiel tells us that Israel would be regathered to the Land in unbelief in the Messiah at the end of this age, which occurred in 1948 after almost 2,000 years of exile, and that after they were back in the land they would be spiritually renewed as a nation, which is still in the future (Ezekiel 37:1-14) followed by the Messianic Kingdom with the Messiah reigning from Jerusalem (Ezekiel 37:15-27) (Zechariah 12:10-13:1).
Applied pressure
As God has always done, when Israel has turned away from Him He has had to send foreign armies against them to bring about repentance and spiritual restoration. Even after their restoration as a nation by and large Israelis in Israel today are still aliens and strangers to their own covenants of promise especially centred in the Messiah our Lord Jesus. Once again God is using applied pressure by allowing Israel’s enemies to oppress and afflict them, not to destroy them, but to bring them to the cross of the Messiah where He, as the Passover lamb of God, was sacrificed for Israel’s sin and for the sins of the whole world, including the Arab nations (John 1:29).
God has not finished with Israel
In the matter concerning salvation God does not show partiality. Ethnic divisions no longer exist in the Body of the Messiah. As Rabbi the apostle Paul writes; “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Messiah Jesus. And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29). Having said this does not do away with God’s end-time prophetic purposes for the nation of Israel and its complete spiritual and national restoration. God has not finished with Israel and in these last days at the end of the time of Great Tribulation God will have mercy on Israel, not because they have earned it or deserved it but for the sake of His own name, because He is a covenant keeping God! (Ezekiel Chapter 36).
A true Jew
According to Rabbi Paul a true Jew is one circumcised in heart by the Holy Spirit; “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God” (Romans 2:28-29). All who have the same kind of faith in the Messiah Jesus, as Abraham had in God, are all children of Abraham. He is the father of faith and of all who believe as he did (Romans Chapter 4). In both Testaments the new birth was essential to one’s salvation. When the Lord Jesus spoke to Nicodemus He expected him to know about this spiritual experience but Nicodemus had never experienced it and had no revelation of it. He should have known the reality of it through the circumcision of his heart by the Spirit of God (John 3:9). In Israel today there are many secular and religious orthodox Jews who need this spiritual transformation deep down on the inside if they are ever to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3). In this matter of the new spiritual rebirth from above God does not show partiality. As it is written in God’s Word; “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved!” (Joel2:32) (Acts 2:21)
Who owns the land of Israel?
In light of the ongoing war between Israel and the whole Arab Muslim world over the Land of Israel we must now ask the question who owns the land of Israel? Let’s look at this from the Word of God.
The land of Israel is God’s real estate and He has given it to the Jews as their inheritance through a blood covenant cut with Abraham and that through Isaac and Jacob and to their descendants, and not through Ishmael and Esau and their descendants. The land of Israel was to be for Israel “an everlasting possession” (Genesis 15:17-20) (Genesis 17:7-8, 19-22). God called the land Israel through the Patriarch Jacob (Genesis 32:24-30). The name ‘Palestine’ was an invention of the Romans who sought to subdue and disperse the Jewish identity as a nation. As for Jerusalem it became the capital of Israel around 3,000 years ago when David and his men took the Jebusite City and called it the City of David and that by the will and with the blessing of God (2 Samuel 5:6-10).
As for Jerusalem
As for the city of Jerusalem it existed during the time of Abraham and it was called Salem. Melchizedek was the king of Salem at the time of Abraham. Melchizedek was in fact not only the king but also the High Priest and he was the pre-incarnate Messiah. Abraham gave him a tenth of everything because Abraham through the revelation of the Spirit recognised that he was face to face with God. Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20) and this we see re-enacted at the Passover meal celebrated by the Messiah our Lord Jesus the king of Israel and our Great High Priest, with His disciples who broke bread and gave them wine before He went to the cross as the Passover Lamb.
In the Book of Hebrews we are clearly told about Melchizedek; “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually” (Hebrews 7:1-3). Like the land of Israel the City of Jerusalem is also God’s real estate and belongs to Him. Our Lord Jesus remains the king and High Priest over Jerusalem, one who in the order of Melchizedek is eternal. The Lord Jesus is the King of the Jews and salvation is from the Jews (John 4:22).
True peace
While the Jewish and Arab Body of Messiah in Israel are working for peace between Arab and Jew there will be no peace until the Prince of Peace sits on the throne of David ruling and reigning over the nations of the world that have survived the time of Jacob’s Trouble (Isaiah 2:1-5) (Isaiah 66:17-25) (Isaiah 11:6-16) (Zechariah 14:16-21).
As the prophet Isaiah writes; “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:6-7). As we also read in Genesis;” The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between His feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Genesis 49:10).
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
In God’s Word we are instructed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. As it is written; “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper. May there be peace within your walls, and prosperity inside your fortresses” (Psalm 122:5-7). How then do we or should we pray for the peace of Jerusalem? Well we must make sure we pray according to what God has said in His Word.
To pray for the peace of Jerusalem first and foremost is that unsaved Jews might get saved and secondly that unsaved Arabs might get saved through saving faith in the Messiah our Lord Jesus and be reconciled to each other through recognizing the efficacy of the blood of the Messiah our Lord Jesus and experiencing the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Only the faithful preaching of the gospel in the power of the Spirit will bring about this reconciliation between Jew and Arab.
To pray for the peace of Jerusalem is to pray for innocent civilians suffering on both sides of the Jewish Arab conflict in between Gaza with Israel that they might also be saved and find humanitarian aid.
To pray for the peace of Jerusalem is to pray for the IDF soldiers who are seeking to defend the Land of Israel and its people and their families and loved ones against their militant implacable demonic Islamic tormentors, but also to pray for those IDF soldiers who are saved Messianic believers, that they will maintain a faithful witness to their fellow soldiers as they fight side by side with their unsaved Jewish brothers.
To pray for the peace of Jerusalem is to pray that many Jewish people will get saved before the Time of Jacob’s Trouble descends upon Israel and that many more Jews will see their true spiritual inheritance ratified through the blood covenant God cut with Abraham concerning the Land, and also concerning the seed of Abraham the Messiah who was to bring about redemption for Israel and the nations.
Finally to pray for the peace of Jerusalem is to pray that God’s kingdom will come and His will be done on earth as it is being done in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Once the Gospel of the Kingdom has been preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations only then will the end come (Matthew 24:14). The way to hasten His coming is to be about God’s business preaching the gospel of the kingdom! In eternity the day of the Messiah’s Second Coming is set, however down here in time as we know it on earth it is variable because the job is not yet done and we do not know the day or the hour of His return (Acts 17:31).
Love is also protective
The most important thing spiritually speaking is that as New Covenant believers we are to pray for our enemies and Israel’s enemies that they might be saved. Yes we must love all men, even those who are seeking to oppress and kill us for our faith. Having said this, love is also protective and will defend ones family. If violence comes as a result of our faith then we must bear it as our Lord Jesus did and as the Stephen and the others did down through history who have prayed that God would not hold their sins against them. However, if someone seeks to harm our loved ones, because of their wicked intentions towards our loved ones, then we have the right to defend our families in such a situation as the Jews are doing after Hamas terrorists and militant citizens massacred innocent Jews on the infamous day on October 7th, men, women, young people, children and even babies decapitated in their cots, all butchered by demonically motivated remorseless killers for Islam! Some might say that violence is no solution to stem the tide and wickedness of evil men. Well what would have happened if the allies had not gone to war with Germany and Japan? Were their civilian casualties? This could not be helped. How do you fight an enemy such as Hamas that uses their civilians as human shields and hospitals as their base of operations to send rockets towards civilian areas in Israel? In the Battle of Britain it was noted that angels were seen sitting alongside dead British pilots in their cockpits flying the planes and shooting German aircraft out of the skies over Britain.
In the 1948 war in Israel it was miraculous how God gave the Jews an overwhelming and awesome victory over insurmountable odds using only very basic weapons against Arab military might and aggression. Then in the 1967 Six Day war it was reported that captured Arabs were perplexed because they saw these beings that looked human and like Jewish commanders sitting on top of the Israeli tanks which sacred Israel’s enemies and put them to flight. Then in 1973 in the Yom Kipper war Israel defeated their enemies once again in battle even though the Israelis were caught off guard.
At war with Islam
Israel is fighting a war against Islam and the western democracies already are being increasingly confronted by Islam through mass migration and open borders. The Islamic Trojan Horse is now well imbedded within Europe, Great Britain, America, and spreading into other western democracies such as Australia and New Zealand. What happened in Israel on October 7th will happen in the western democracies, especially in the continent of Europe where you have millions upon millions of Muslims already living there. God is fighting for Israel today as the Israelis face a multi frontal assault on all sides surrounded by a ring of fire stoked by Iran fighting their proxy war against Israel. It is to be noted that Israel is the only nation that sends a warning to civilians before an attack starts. Once Israel has retaken Gaza the Israelis will most assuredly bring in medical aid and food and daily amenities for those Gazan citizens who suffered during the conflict.
Israel’s darkest hour
Israel is yet to face its darkest hour with their backs to the wall as the ancient Israelites had their backs to the Red Sea with the Egyptians about to annihilate them. Just as Moses by God’s power saw the Red Sea part making a way of escape for God’s people and then after that drowning the whole Egyptian army with a deluge of water sweeping back over then as the Sea closed upon them, likewise, the Messiah will come again, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives and by His power split that mount from East to West forming a pathway to deliver the Israeli remnant chosen by Grace, and with fire from heaven destroy all of Israel’s enemies on the mountains of Israel! (Zechariah 14:1-5, 12-13) (Ezekiel 38:17-39:1-6). We are also told that Judah will fight at Jerusalem under their commander in chief the Messiah our Lord Jesus! (Zechariah 14:14). He will take the fight to Islam (Isaiah 63:1-6).
From a personal perspective
I write frequently about Israel and its place in God’s prophetic purposes on this website and in emails sent to my readers and often repeat what God’s Word says about His people Israel in God’s Word. The reason I do this is because I see a time rapidly approaching, especially in light of the current war between Israel with Hamas in the south and with Hezbollah in the north and with the Houthi rebels in Yemen all backed by Iran spiralling out of control.
I also see the mainstream media, the political leaders of the Arab world and the western democracies including Russia, the European Union and the United Nations and China all starting to really gang up in earnest against Israel. The ‘sabre rattling’ of the western powers has ceased, and their political leaders are increasingly separating themselves from Israel. The time is coming when all the Islamic nations and other nations with them will unite against Israel (Ezekiel 38: 1-6). Most of all I see within wider global Christendom a turning against Israel which is already a conspicuous mark of a by and large apostate Christendom that is rapidly separating itself from its Jewish roots and ultimately will align itself with the beast empire of the Antichrist.
In all of these matters we must remember brothers and sisters that God still has everything under control and that He is no respecter of persons, neither does he show partiality when adjudicating in the matter of salvation. We are also told in His Word that His judgements are in the earth and that He judges fairly because Mighty is His arm; strong is His hand. His right hand (His Son) is exalted and that righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne and that loving devotion and faithfulness go before Him (Psalm 89:13-14). Having said this God is no respecter of persons but He is a respecter of faith and rewards it (Hebrews 11:6) and that in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” Selah!
