THE HOPE OF ISRAEL - The Preterist Archive

The Hope of Israel: What Is It? 85
class
as foretelling the restoration of the nation and
its earthly grandeur; but for Christian teachers to
make that mistake is surely inexcusable, seeing that,
as has been shown in Chapter II of the present volume,
the Holy Spirit, by the apostle Paul, has made known
that such prophecies and promises have their fulfilment
in God's new covenant people, the true "Israel of God."
Thus, to cite another example, Isaiah prophecies concerning
"the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped
of the house of Jacob," of whom he says that
they shall return "unto the mighty God." And he continues
: "For though thy people Israel be as the sand of
the sea" for multitude "yet a remnant of them
[only] shall return." This was to be in the days when
"the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even
determined, in the midst of the land" (Isa. 10:20-23).
We do not at present undertake an exposition of this
prophecy, having cited it merely to remind the reader
that, according to the interpretation of it given by
Paul, the prophet was speaking of the few Israelites
who, in these gospel times, should believe in Jesus
Christ and "be saved." For the apostle quotes the
passage thus: "Esaias also crieth concerning Israel,
Though the number of the Children of Israel be as the
sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved" (Rom. 9 :27)
.
And further on he explains that such prophecies have
their fulfilment in the "remnant according to the election
of grace" (Rom. 11:5).
There are also prophecies concerning those who, in
future times, should "come to Zion" (Isa. 35:10; 51:
11). But the New Testament Scriptures make it evident
that this and similar prophecies have their fulfilment
in the heavenly realm. Thus, the apostle Peter,