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are stirrings amongst the dry bones now and while as yet they have no spiritual life, the
time cannot be very far distant when the power of resurrection will begin to operate in
them and they shall live.
Since Calvary there has been a converse action going on with regard to Jew and
Gentile. During the Acts, as the chosen people sink deeper into unbelief and darkness,
the Gentile comes more and more to the fore, till at last in this present dispensation, the
Gentile is right in the forefront the Jew far off in unrepentance and hardness of heart. As
the dispensation of the Mystery closes, the reverse takes place, the Jew comes back to the
light and finally takes the place that God intended that he should, namely to be first
amongst the nations. And here we get resurrection power operating again for Rom. 11: 15
declares "If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the
receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" First of all Israel themselves experience
the working of resurrection and then, in their turn, they become the means of resurrection
life to a world sunk in sin, death and darkness.
Let us take heart as we see these things happening which not only confirm the truth of
the Word of God, but assure us that the day cannot be far distant when our own hope
shall be realized and the church of the One Body joined to its Head in glory and
manifested there (Col. 3: 1-4).
No.3.
pp. 194 - 197
(5) Resurrection and Hope.--When we consider the scriptural basis for life after
death, or the hope of the believer, we reach a point where resurrection comes right to the
forefront. With whatever company of the redeemed we are dealing, hope is clearly the
realization of some promise of God or the fulfillment of a calling. The apostle Paul links
the two together:
"And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise of God unto our fathers"
(Acts 26: 6).
To Israel after the flesh, the promises pertained in a special way (Rom. 9: 4). As we
have stressed in previous articles, God has planned that Israel as a nation shall be a means
of blessing to the whole world, and as such they shall be the premier nation.
"The Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only and
thou shalt not be beneath" (Deut. 28: 13).
While Israel forfeited any claim to such an exalted position by their sin and
disobedience, yet under the new covenant of grace they will realize the fullness of God's
purpose. At that time Isa. 61: 5-9 shall be true of them:
"And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be
your plowmen and your vine dressers. But ye shall be called the Priests of the Lord; men