THE HOPE OF ISRAEL - The Preterist Archive

180 The Hope of Israel: What Is It?
and it is the Father who determines the times and
seasons, as it is written, "When the fulness of the
time was come, God sent forth His Son" (Gal. 4:4).
Now that "little flock," to which the Father was
pleased to give the kingdom, was indeed "Israel" ;
but
the mystery concerning the true "Israel," the flock for
which the good Shepherd gave His life, had not as yet
been made known to them, "as it is now revealed to
His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph.
3:1-6).
Also it is to be noted that the "times" of the Gentiles,
which had a long course to run, had not yet begun;
which is an additional reason why the Lord answered
them as He did, thereby putting aside the subject
of the bestowal of the kingdom, and fixing their
minds upon the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would
make the whole matter clear.
Finally, seeing there is but one kingdom in God's
purpose, and but one Israel, the passage we are considering
(Acts 1:1-6) cannot be interpreted in such
manner as lend support to the nationalistic dreams of
"Israel after the flesh."
As TO THE "TRIBULATION SAINTS"
Another feature of the modern doctrine of Judaistic
nationalism should receive brief attention. I refer to
the idea of many modern dispensationalists that the
supposed national conversion of the Jews is to take
place not actually in the millennium itself, but at the
interval between the coming of Christ for His saved
people and His coming to the earth with them. Those
who make the "great tribulation" (Mat. 24:21) a yet
future event locate it in this interval, which they com-