OBS: God's Word is a Progressive Plan (Part.5.2)

This is Part 5 of the Series

Click here for Part 5.1 (Point #1)

TWO interesting points that required
a 'CHANGE IN COMMUNICATION'

Point #2

I'd like to expand on a piece of information Peter mentions in the second scripture in Part #1. The scripture in focus is the following,

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten [born, birthed] us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Peter mentions the fact that 'us', in reference to the Jews (Israel) have been begotten (or birthed) AGAIN! Born again? Firstly, what exactly does Peter mean by this, and second, does it line up with what the modern church and many Christians say today? So, in other words, what does 'born again' REALLY mean in the true biblical context, and does it REALLY have any significance in this grace dispensation? You might be very surprised at the findings.

Let's dig in and investigate what the scriptures say.

In the scripture passage below, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus. We are all familiar with this well-known piece of dialogue as Jesus mentions to Nicodemus that to enter the Kingdom, one must be born again. As always, it is crucial to read and understand any scripture passage by knowing a much broader context from the Word. Understanding the dispensations and how they relate to each other will always bring the true context of scripture to light. 

We cannot just take what Jesus says to Nicodemus and think it applies to us directly. If you do this, its as if you raid someone else's postbox and read their mail, and then apply everything about it to you. What happens if their mail was about the need to take heart medication for a weak heart? Would you then receive that advice as your own and go and take the heart medication? Absolutely not! You could be putting yourself in danger. Of course we can learn from the information in that mail and know that this medication is useful for a weak heart, but its certainly is not applicable to you (assuming you have a healthy heart). In the same way, not ALL scripture is addressed to you. We can learn from all scripture, but only specific parts of scripture is directly addressed to you and about you; the parts written for our dispensation, the parts 'dispensed by God through Paul, being his 13-epistles.

This is the dialogue of Jesus with Nicodemus,

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him [Nicodemus], Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see [partake in] the kingdom of God* ... 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water [natural/baptism] and the Spirit [Holy Spirit], he cannot enter the kingdom of God*. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye [plural, in ref to Israel] must be born again. [* the Millennial Kingdom]

Firstly, 'the kingdom of God' is a reference to the Millennial Kingdom, Christ's 1000-year reign on earth and from Jerusalem from David's throne. This is not a reference to being saved and going to heaven. Read Jer.31:31-34 and Ezek.36:25-28. These are prophecies about the salvation (or the rebirth) of the Jewish remnant as the Holy Spirit is poured out on them when Christ comes at His second coming at the end of the Tribulation.

Secondly, in the context of this passage, Jesus is not talking about a specific individual being born again, but He is referring to Israel; "Ye" (the plural form of you) is in reference to Israel, the entire nation —God wants every Jew to be born-again, so that the whole nation will be "born again" into the new covenant and they can be the vessel God can use to minister to the lost Gentile world (see 1 John 2:26-29). God's relationship with Israel has always been as a nation. 

So, since Jesus is saying that Israel must be born AGAIN, where in scripture did Israel get born the first time?

In Exodus the nation of Israel was born the first time when God delivered them out of Egypt and took them through the Red Sea. 

Exodus 4:22-23 "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, let my son go, that he may serve me…" 

Numbers 11:11 So Moses said to the Lord, "Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favour in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? 12 "Have I conceived all these people? Have I begotten [Heb. yalad, birthed] them…?", that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,

With regards to Israel's first birth as they exited Egypt and passed through the Red Sea, consider this. If a natural birth takes place, that baby, once it has entered the world, cannot go back into the womb! It is a one way ticket! Similarly, Israel passed through the Red Sea and once all were through, God closed the waters. At this point, Israel could NOT go back to Egypt again. I'm not saying this is a scriptural analogy, but it is an interesting parallel.

Now that we've identified Israel's first birth, where do we find in God's plan where Israel is born a second time?

This will happen at the end of the Tribulation, at Jesus Second Coming over the Remnant of Israel and when He pours out His Spirit on them. Have a look at this incredible scripture in Isaiah,

Isaiah 66:8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labour, she gave birth to her children. 9 "Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the Lord. "Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God.

Since only Israel was originally "begotten" or "born of God" as a Nation a 'first time,' (in the wilderness after leaving Egypt's bondage), then only the Nation of Israel can be born 'AGAIN'.

So, how does all this apply to us in this day and age. It all comes down to the truth of the scriptures and what the scriptures say. How we talk today must line up with how the scriptures describe us as opposed to what it speaks of Israel in the previous dispensation. To say that we are born again is not strictly true! It's not going to change our lives or affect what we believe, but why describe oneself or others in a way that is not how the Word describes us. In a way, it can skew our perceptions since we are actually regenerated or created, not reborn! Just like the apostles, Peter and John, had to change their communication to the Jewish assembly (in Part #1), it is surely up to us to also change our communication after learning the truth from the Word. Let's adapt ourselves and be transformed in the renewing of our mind to what God is doing in this age of grace.

Let's take a look at what we, the members of the body of Christ are in this grace dispensation.

The members of "the Body of Christ" today are "regenerated" [to revive; make alive] in their "spirit man" by having received the resurrected "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." 

2 Cor.5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Just as Adam was not born but was rather created, so we go from the old creation (a dead spirit) into becoming a new creation as we go from being in Adam into being placed in Christ!

Eph.2:1 "… You hath He quickened [to revive; make alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins" ... "

Eph.2:5 "… when we were dead in sins, [God] hath quickened us together with [by the resurrected Spirit of] Christ.

Eph.2:10 "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus" ...

Eph.4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

"Rebirth" and "Regeneration" are associated with God's two programs; one for the Nation Israel and one for the church, called "the body of Christ."

1. Rebirth for a Jew in the Kingdom program made them a part of a 'born-again' Nation of Israel

2. Regeneration for a grace-believer during today's "dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph.3:2) makes them a part of "the Body of Christ," an entirely 'new creation.' 

For a more detailed article on this topic, read, "Only Israel is Born Again".

Grace and peace to you.

See the video of this lesson here.

Click here to continue to Part 6.1 of this study...