See, one of the biggest misunderstandings about Bible prophecy is when people think
that the physical nation of Israel is the holy nation.
Isn't that the biggest misunderstanding?
I mean, whenever people misunderstand Matthew 24, whenever they misunderstand Mark 13, Luke
21, the book of Revelation, the book of Daniel, it's always because they look at the physical
country over in the Middle East called the nation of Israel that was founded in 1948
by the United Nations, the satanic world government, they look at that nation, they say, that's
the holy nation, and then they look at the Jews, quote unquote, the unbelieving Jews
over there, and they say, that's God's chosen people, and that is the biggest thing that
causes people to misunderstand Bible prophecy, and this song will fix it, because this song
talks about people that are of all kindreds and all nations, and he says that God has
made them kings and priests.
Well, let's tie that in with 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 5.
It says, Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, unholy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Watch this.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, unholy nation.
He's saying you are a holy nation.
You are a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
So let me ask you this, isn't it true that the holy priesthood and the royal priesthood
and the holy nation are the same group of people?
Yeah, because he says you're a royal priesthood, you're a chosen or elect generation.
He says you're a holy nation, a peculiar people.
And who are these people?
They're people who've been called out of darkness into his marvelous light.
So let me ask you this, is this holy nation being referred to right here, the nation of
Israel which is 99% unbelieving?
They're still in darkness.
I mean, wouldn't you agree that the Jews over in Israel that are not believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ are in darkness even until now?
Of course they are.
So that's not them, because these are people that have been called out of the darkness
into his marvelous light.
And you say, well, I still think it's the Jews, I think it's just the believing Jews.
It's just the remnant of believing Jews.
Okay, well look at the next verse.
Which in time past were not a people.
Well, you know, the Jews have been a people for a very long time, and if you read Hosea,
it's clear that we're not talking about the Jews.
If you read Romans chapter 11, he talks about the fact that even though the Gentiles in
time past were not the people of God, now they are the people of God.
Whoever this group is, they are a group that was not a people in times past, but are now
the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
So basically, if we study the context of 1 Peter chapter 2 and who the book of 1 Peter
is being written to, what 1 Peter chapter 2 is about, verse 2, for example, talks about
that it's written unto newborn babes that they would desire the sincere milk of the
word that they may grow thereby, and so on and so forth, you know, you'll see that basically
he's just talking to believers here.
You know, those have come out of the darkness into the marvelous light.
They weren't a people in time past, whereas the nation of Israel or the Jewish people,
even if you forget the nation of Israel, the Jewish people were a people in time past for
a very long time.
He said you've become a people through the blood of Christ and you've been called out
of the darkness into his marvelous light.
Now here's why this is so important, because you say, okay, Pastor Anderson, I get that.
We as those that are saved are God's people, and I think most people would agree that if
you're saved, you're God's people, you know, you're the people of God, you're a priest.
You know, Baptists even claim that one of their key doctrines of being a Baptist is
the priesthood of the believer, you know, and I believe that.
We as believers are a royal priesthood.
We are a chosen generation.
We are, but then it's like they forget about the holy nation part.
But then you say, okay, Pastor Anderson, yes, believers are a holy nation, yes, believers
of all nations and categories are a holy nation, but the children of Israel, they're also a
holy nation, even the unbelievers.
They're still God's people.
They're still God's chosen people.
Okay, let's prove that false.
Go to Exodus 19, Exodus chapter 19, because people who have this idea stuck in their head,
they're never going to understand Bible prophecy, they're never going to understand the New
Testament properly, they're never going to understand the book of Revelation, because
this doctrine is so false, it will mess up the rest of their doctrine.
This little leaven of believing that the Jews, the unbelieving Jews, or the physical nation
of Israel founded in 1948, believing that that nation is a holy nation, or that they
are God's chosen people, or that God is blessing them, and that, you know, if the United States
doesn't support them, God's going to curse us, and if the United States supports them,
we're going to be blessed.
If you have that mentality and that doctrine, that is 100% contrary to the teaching of the
New Testament.
You know, you're always going to have to go to the Old Testament to pull out a scripture
and take it out of context, the conditional promises that were made to Israel, but if
that's your doctrine, you are going to be confused on Bible prophecy until you get that
figured out, because it's just, it's a lie, and it will taint everything else that you
look at.
Let me prove that false.
You see, 1 Peter 2 is quoting from the Old Testament.
Look at Exodus 19 5, now therefore, if, underline that word in your Bible, if, that is a big
if, now therefore, if you will obey my voice and deed and keep my covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine, and ye shall be
unto me a kingdom of priests, does this sound like 1 Peter 2, unholy nation, he said these
are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
That tells me that if the children of Israel do not obey his voice, they will not be a
kingdom of priests.
They will not be a holy nation, and they will not be a peculiar treasure unto him.
They just won't.
And he says that if the children of Israel will not keep his covenant, they will not
be a kingdom of priests, and they will not be a holy nation.
Look at Deuteronomy 7 6, I mean, do you see that if there, it's like people just read
over that if and just say, hey, I don't care what they do.
I don't care if they don't believe in Jesus Christ, and they follow the anti-Christ religion
of Judaism, and they call a man rabbi when Jesus sold them not to call anybody rabbi
in Matthew 23, and I don't care if they reject the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Bible says
if you don't have the Son, you don't have the Father.
But they say I still, in spite of all that, think that they are still God's chosen people.
I still think that's a holy nation.
I still think they're under the blessing of God.
You're just ignoring the if there, because he said if you keep my covenant and if you
obey my voice.
Question, if somebody doesn't even believe on Jesus Christ, are they obeying his voice
and keeping his covenant?
Absolutely not.
And look, the Bible says in Hebrews, he said they, referring to the Old Testament nation
of Israel, continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
So if God said they did not continue my covenant, they did not fulfill the if, therefore I regarded
them not, why do we regard them?
If God does not regard them as a holy nation, if God does not regard them as his chosen
people, why do we as Christians in 2013 still regard them as God's chosen people?
We need to rightly divide the word of truth and realize we're in the New Testament, not
the Old Testament.
And the Old Testament, the Old Covenant was broken by the children of Israel and he regarded
them not and he said the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits of.
You say, which nation is it?
Is it the US?
Is it Great Britain?
No, it's a nation that's made up of all kindreds and tongues and people, which in time past
were not a people, but have now become the people of God through the blood of Christ
of all nationalities and kindreds.
Look at Deuteronomy 7.6, it says, for thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God.
The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all people
that are upon the face of the earth.
So at the time that Deuteronomy 7.6 was written, were the children of Israel a holy people
unto the Lord?
Yes.
Were they a special people?
Yes.
Were they chosen above all the people on the earth?
Yes.
Go to Deuteronomy 14.
Verse 2, Deuteronomy 14.2.
Same thing, for thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen
thee to be a peculiar people.
Sound familiar with 1 Peter 2?
Unto himself above all the nations that are upon the earth.
But wait a minute, if, if you will obey my voice, he said in Exodus 19.
You always got to go to the first time something's mentioned.
See in Deuteronomy, he's just reiterating what he said in Exodus 19.
In Exodus 19.5, he said, now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my
covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth
is mine, and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.
These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
So then in Deuteronomy, they're doing what they're supposed to do at that time.
So he says, you're a holy nation.
You're a peculiar people.
You're the chosen.
Okay, but what about now?
But you see, people will quote these verses from Deuteronomy all day long.
They'll go to Deuteronomy 7.6.
They'll go to Deuteronomy 14.2 to try to prove the point.
But they don't want to touch Exodus 19.5 and 6 with a 10 foot pole, because it shows the
children of Israel have pretty much broken his covenant in every possible way.