It was common practice for Jews who, generations earlier had been scattered throughout the world, to return to Jerusalem each year to celebrate Passover. Many of these people would remain in the city in order to observe the Day of Pentecost which took 50 days later. During the Passover/Pentecost season the city overflowed with visitors from afar, causing its population to triple in size. Following the commotion caused by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Peter spoke to those “devout Jews” who had gathered  in Jerusalem “from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). Upon seeing the move of the Lord among the disciples, many of them believed on the Lord Jesus. Peter told the believers to return to their various homelands and to tell all of God’s people (the 12 tribes of Israel scattered throughout the world–“afar off”) that their Messiah had come and was calling them back to the Father (Acts 4:10; 2:36,39). God had begun to call Israel back to Himself beginning with the ministry of Jesus to the Jews of the Holy Land. In accordance to the Scriptures, Jesus’ commission had been “to the Jew first” (Rom. 2:9,10) as He walked among them. Fifty days later He commissioned the devout Jews who had come from “every nation under heaven” to share the good news of Christ’s coming with “THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL” who now lived among the world’s Gentile peoples. The dispersion of Israel had been prophesied many times in Scripture, Micah 5:7 being an example: “The remnant of Jacob (Israel) will be in the midst of many peoples (Gentiles) like dew from the Lord.” In what form did the call go out to those Israelites who were then living among Gentiles as Gentiles (goi–heathen)? The Lord tells us.

Following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem and Peter’s sending the Jews back to “every nation under heaven” with news that Israel’s Savior had come, the 12 apostles ministered almost exclusively to the Jews living in and around Jerusalem for some time. Following the martyrdom of Stephen the believing Jews were scattered throughout Judah, Samaria and Galilee. Later, in obedience to Jesus’ command (Mat. 10:6;28:19,20), the apostles set out to find THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL–the twelve tribes scattered throughout the world. Jesus had been specific in His commission to them: “DO NOT GO TO THE GENTILES, GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL” to seek them out and offer them the hope of salvation. In Luke 19:9,10 Jesus specifies exactly why Zacchaeus was eligible for salvation: “… BECAUSE HE IS A SON OF ABRAHAM”–an Israelite.  Jesus then reiterates His commission from the Father, saying that He had come to seek and to save that which was “LOST”–THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. These were those who had gone into captivity and been scattered when the Lord sent the Assyrians to defeat and capture them in 722 B.C. Jesus’ call to Israel was to continue throughout “all nations” until “the end of the world (aion-age) (Mat. 28:19,20/Zech. 7:12-14). That Jesus’ ministry was exclusively to Israelites was further proved by His Words found in Matthew 15:24: “I was sent ONLY to the LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL” (all 12 tribes). The following Scriptures reveal that the Children of Israel–God’s “light to the Gentiles” (Isa. 42:6)–are still His chosen people, and that Jesus sent out the apostles, then and now, to bring them back to the Father through their Messiah. Other Scriptures prove that God sent the Word to earth as Jesus of Nazareth to gather His people Israel together and back to Himself. The following are a few of such Scriptures.

Isaiah 43:14– The coming Savior would be ISRAEL’S REDEEMER. Matthew 2:6– The coming Messiah would be God’s Ruler Who would shepherd “MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.” Acts 5:31;13:23,24– God raised up a Savior to ISRAEL who would offer repentance and forgiveness of sins to ISRAEL. John 1:1-4,14/Acts 10:36– God sent His Word to the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. Matthew 1:21/Luke 2:32– Jesus came to save HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL from their sins.

First Peter 1:1-5;2:5,9/Exo. 19:5,6– Peter wrote to the church, whom he identified as “strangers” (Israelites) who had been “scattered” over the earth, who were “elect” according to the “foreknowledge of God,” who had been “sanctified” by Him, who had the “inheritance” of salvation, who were a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,” whom He had begotten “again,” whom He called His “inheritance” (Deut. 9:26,29). Each of the above statements was written to and about Israel. Nowhere does God describe Gentiles in this manner. Gentiles must become part of (be adopted into) the Commonwealth of Israel–the church, “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:16) in order to conform to the characterizations given above that identify the Body of Christ.

James (1:1) wrote to GOD’S CHURCH (5:14) which he identified as “THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL SCATTERED ABROAD” (throughout the world). In verse 18 he reminded those Israelites that Jesus Christ had begotten them as the firstfruits of God’s creation (His church), and that they held the faith of Jesus Christ (2:1). Note that Gentiles are not mentioned relative to the church.

The letter to the Hebrews was written to the New Covenant Church (3:1) whom the writer identified as “THE HOUSE OF JUDAH AND THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL” (8:8-12). See Jeremiah 31:31-34.

Isaiah 11:11,12– Here God prophesied the reconciliation of Israel to Himself “a second time.” The first reconciliation came when he extracted them from Egypt; in the second reconciliation He will gather them “from the four corners (directions) of the earth,” from “all the world” (Isa. 11:12), from “every nation under heaven” (Mat. 28:19,20). In every case they would be brought out of SIN (Law-breaking–1 Jn. 3:4) and into RIGHTEOUSNESS (Law-keeping–righteousness being the opposite of sin). To be continued. L.J.