God called the nation of Israel to prepare them as a kingdom of priests who would carry the knowledge of salvation and the knowledge of their God to the Gentile nations.
God pulled Israel out of the great river of humanity as His special covenant people so that they could one day funnel back into the Gentile nations and give them the knowledge of Jehovah. Israel's calling was to be a kingdom of priests — go-betweens between God and man — bringing salvation and the knowledge of God to the Gentile world. The Old Testament program intended Israel to receive her King and Kingdom first, and then to carry out these promises among the nations. Although Israel rejected the King and the Kingdom, this remains God's stated purpose for the nation.
Exodus 19:5-6 — God's foundational statement that obedient Israel would be 'a kingdom of priests' — the role for which the nation was called.
Isaiah 42:6 — Isaiah says God gave Israel 'for a light of the Gentiles,' showing the outward mission of Israel's calling.
Exodus 19:5-6 records God's own statement of His purpose for Israel: 'Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.' The whole earth belongs to the LORD, and Israel was to serve as His kingdom of priests within it. Isaiah 42:6-7 describes the same calling: 'I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.' Psalm 110:1 says, 'The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool,' and Psalm 2:6 adds, 'Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.' The prophetic sequence places the King upon Zion before the nations are dealt with.
Les Feldick teaches that the whole Old Testament program was that God would go to the pagan, heathen Gentiles through Israel. That was the very purpose of calling Israel out, setting them apart, and making them His covenant people — so that they could one day go back into those pagan Gentiles and give them the knowledge of their Jehovah God (Clip 1). He pictures the mass of humanity as a great river out of which God pulled a little stream, the nation of Israel. The whole object was that God would use Israel to funnel back into the nations of the world and bring them into a knowledge of their God; that was their opportunity, which they ultimately rejected (Clip 6). Since a priest is a go-between between man and God, every Jew was intended to become a priest of God to bring all the pagan Gentiles to a knowledge of their God (Clip 5). Les stresses that the Old Testament looked for Israel to receive her King and Kingdom first, and then to carry out the promises of taking the knowledge of salvation to the Gentile — with no 2,000-year Church Age in view. Israel instead rejected the King and the Kingdom, and the program was interrupted, though God still intends to use Israel to bring salvation to the Gentiles (Clips 0, 3, 7).
Les pictures the mass of humanity as a great river, flowing on without God. Out of that river, God pulled a little stream — the nation of Israel — and made them His covenant people. The whole object was that He would use Israel to funnel back into the nations of the world and bring them into a knowledge of their God; that was their opportunity and their option, which they later rejected (Clips 5, 6).
Les teaches that the Old Testament program ran in sequence: the King was to sit at God's right hand until His enemies were made His footstool, wrath followed, and then the Kingdom. Only after Israel had the King and the Kingdom could they carry out the promises of taking the knowledge of salvation to the Gentile. The Old Testament looked for these events to take place one right after the other, with no 2,000-year gap (Clips 0, 7).
No. Israel rejected the King and the Kingdom and continued to reject everything, dropping the prospect of being a nation of priests to the Gentiles. After 2,000 years of being told they were special, Israel could not accept that anyone else was worth anything. Les notes that Israel 'blew it,' but that does not change the fact that God still intends to use the nation of Israel to bring salvation to the Gentiles (Clips 2, 3, 4, 6).
The Old Testament Order: King, Wrath, Kingdom
Les teaches that the Old Testament program ran from the King seated at God's right hand, to wrath, to the Kingdom — and only after Israel had the King and the Kingdom could they carry out the promises of taking the knowledge of salvation to the Gentiles.
God's Purpose in Calling Israel
Les states plainly that the whole Old Testament program was that God would go to the pagan Gentiles through Israel — that was the purpose of calling them out and making them His covenant people.
Israel's Prospect: Priests to the Gentiles
Les shows from Isaiah 42 that all through God's dealings with Israel, their prospect was to be a nation of priests, bringing salvation and the knowledge of their God to the Gentile world.
Israel Dropped the Prospect
Les explains that Israel dropped and 'blew' her prospect, yet God still intends to use the nation of Israel to bring salvation to the Gentiles — and the Old Testament verses give no hint of a Church Age in between.
Israel's Preparation Under the Covenant
Israel was kept under the covenant promises until she should become a prepared, spiritual, obedient people — then God would send her into the Gentile world to bring them to a knowledge of God; instead, Israel became prideful in her specialness.
Every Jew a Priest
When God brought Israel out of Egypt, He promised they would be a nation of priests if obedient; since a priest is a go-between, every Jew was intended to bring pagan Gentiles to a knowledge of their God.
The Little Stream From the Great River
God pulled Israel out of the great river of humanity like a little stream, and the object was to funnel Israel back into the nations of the world to bring them into a knowledge of their God — the opportunity they rejected.
Everything Prepares Israel for Her King
Les teaches that the entire Old Testament — history, Psalms, and the prophets — is in preparation for the nation of Israel to receive her King, Messiah, and Redeemer.
Exodus 19:5-6: Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
This is God's covenant statement declaring Israel's calling to be a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.
Isaiah 42:6-7: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Isaiah identifies Israel's calling as a light to the Gentiles, bringing sight and freedom to those in darkness.
Psalm 110:1: The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
This verse shows the King seated at God's right hand until His enemies are subdued, part of the prophetic sequence before the Kingdom.
Psalm 2:6: Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
The King is set upon Zion, pointing to the establishment of the Kingdom before Israel carries out her mission to the nations.
When God brought Israel out of Egypt they became His covenanted people, and He told them that if they would be obedient they would be a nation of priests. A priest is a go-between between man and God, so every Jew was intended to bring pagan Gentiles to a knowledge of their God (Clip 5).
God pulled Israel out of the great river of humanity like a little stream and made them His covenant people. The whole object was that He would use Israel to funnel back into the nations of the world and bring them into a knowledge of their God (Clip 6).
No — Israel rejected the King and the Kingdom and dropped the prospect of bringing salvation to the Gentiles. Even so, Les teaches that God still intends to use the nation of Israel to bring salvation to the Gentiles in the future (Clips 0, 3).
Les teaches that the Old Testament contains not one hint of the Church Age. The Old Testament program was God dealing with Israel and, at one point, funneling them back into the pagan, polluted stream of humanity to purify it (Clips 3, 6).
Watch the Teaching: Why Every Jew Was Meant to Be a Priest — Exodus 19