Leslie M. John
God promised Abraham that in Isaac will be the blessed people who will be His people and He will be their God. Jesus came to save the children of Israel, yet they rejected him. This paved the way for Gentiles to come to him for salvation and secure God’s mercy. All those who had believed Jesus as their savior and laid faith in him were saved and all those who believe in him shall be saved. Two thieves were crucified on either side of Lord Jesus. One of them mocked Jesus while the other sought mercy from Jesus. He prayed that Jesus may remember him when He comes in his Kingdom. Jesus said to the thief who prayed for mercy that he would be in Paradise the very same day as Jesus died. Jesus was buried and rose from the dead on the third, ascended into heaven and is seated on the right hand of the Majesty. He would come soon. Salvation is available to anyone who calls upon Jesus for mercy.
Isaiah 40:11 says “ He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young”
Israel has become one nation in 1948 but they do not have the shepherd yet. They rejected Jesus as their Messiah and called for his blood to be upon them. Has God forgotten Israel because they rejected him as their Messiah? No. God said “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee”. Isaiah 49:15
The things are going to be worse for them that they will call for help from Jesus. He would not come until they realize that they have rejected him and they need him. They will face terrible persecution under Antichrist in the last days. They would cry that the mountains may fall on them and kill them (Rev.6:16). Israel will call upon God during the Great Tribulation period. God is not going to leave them but he will bring them on their knees to call upon his help. Then shall the Lord come to them and be their King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus will literally reign for thousand years sitting on the throne of David.
John saw in his vision those who were martyrs for Jesus and for the word of God and also those who did not worship the Antichrist in the thousand year reign.
Those that did not believe on Jesus did not rise from their graves. They will be thrown into the lake of fire. But, all those whose sins are washed in the blood of Jesus, irrespective of Jews or Gentiles will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air even before the Great Tribulation starts and will be with the Lord for ever. The dead shall rise first and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall be ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” Revelation 20:4 ";