For the sake of time and space, I will give only Acts 15:14-16: “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree the words of the prophets: as it is written, After this I will return, and build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up.”
James, the brother of Jesus is speaking in the context of the verses above, He is saying that Peter has declared that God would first visit the Gentiles (nations, heathen and Gentiles are all the same Greek word) to take from them a people for His name. I realize I have given these verses in the last three articles, but there is more to be said of them. Notice that God’s plan concerning salvation, at least in our era of time, revolves around the nations (Gentiles), and not around Israel. Because this is true, many well-meaning Christians have mistakenly thought that God is finished with His work among Israel. The problem with this is that such people stopped reading a little short, for our verses above say that after this, or after the church age, God will again build the tabernacle of David, which was fallen down at the time James spoke in our verses above. Some might say, “Do you mean that Jesus is going to return for His church, and then after that He is going to “build again the tabernacle of David”, or the nation of Israel? That is exactly what our verses above say, and we have no right to seek to make God’s Word say anything other than what it says. So, after the work of God in the church, Jesus will take out His church at the rapture, then He will return with His church to rebuild again the nation of Israel for the millennium. If our verses do not teach that, then I wonder what they do teach!
But for now let’s see something else that our verses say, before we come to the restoration of Israel. First, we see that God is visiting the Gentiles, or the nations. Second, we see that He is visiting the nations to take out of them a people for His name. Third, we see that Jesus will return as soon as His has taken out of the Gentiles His church. The plan of God does not revolve around the plans of the local church, unless that church is in line with what God has said in the Word to be His plan. Too many churches and individuals are too bush planning their own agendas to understand that the plan is God’s, not ours. Oh yes, we should plan, but always in line with the plan of God, and I have a fear that a good amount of church planning may leave God out, in that His Word has not been consulted and considered, as to exactly what He wants from His church! The church is not to be an entertainment center, where all who attend leave thrilled with the program, rather it is to be a filling station, where all who attend are filled with the message of God and His desire to do His work in them.
If God is visiting the nations (Gentiles) for the purpose of taking out of them a people for His name, then someone must go to the nations to tell them about the plan of God for their lives, namely salvation, and then service! If the people are being called out for His name’s sake`, then His name should be the first name that comes to the minds of those who seek to know and follow Him. We often have so many plans and programs that we forget to include the “main Player” in our agenda, namely the Lord Himself!
By J. Briggs King, Rainsville, AL (678) 451-0921