Wednesday, 5 August 2026
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. Matthew 21:43
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“Through this, I say to you that it will be lifted from you, the ‘kingdom, the God,’ and it will be given to ethnicity producing the ‘fruits, it’.” (CG)
In the previous verse, Jesus cited Scripture to the chief priests and Pharisees, concerning the stone which the builders rejected being the chief cornerstone. Based on that, He next says, “Through this, I say to you that it will be lifted from you, the ‘kingdom, the God’.”
Israel was selected among the nations of the world to bear the message of the One true God, keeping a remembrance of Him and representing Him before the nations. The Law of Moses was given to the people to guide their conduct and to regulate their society.
The tabernacle (and later temple) with its sacrificial system, as prescribed in the law, was how the nation maintained a right relationship with God. These things were given to them as types and pictures of the coming Messiah.
Within the law itself, as spoken through the prophets, a New Covenant was promised (as indicated in Jeremiah 31). A New Covenant implies the ending of the Old Covenant. With that occurring, there would be a new order of things within God’s economy, as metaphorically seen in the vineyard parable.
Those who once were the stewards of the covenant would be removed, allowing for new stewards to come in and tend to the vineyard. Because the leaders of Israel rejected Christ, as indicated in His citing of the psalm, something known by God in advance and as prophesied there, the kingdom of God would be lifted from them, “and it will be given to ethnicity producing the ‘fruits, it’.”
The word ethnicity is described by Strong as, “race (as of the same habit), i.e. A tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan) — Gentile, heathen, nation, people.”
Here, it is singular. This does not mean a single nation of people would be given the kingdom. Rather, it is a singular group comprised of all nations, including those Jews who would believe the message. As such, and as the nation of Israel comprises only a teeny percent of the people of the world, this would be a prominently Gentile led group.
That is explicitly stated by Paul as Acts was ending –
“So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, 26 saying,
“Go to this people and say:
‘Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’”
28 Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!’ 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.” Acts 28:25-29
Paul speaks of this further in his epistles. In Christ, there is one group formed out of many. It is inclusive of Jews and Gentiles, with none being considered any more special than any other.
Life application: Jesus never addresses the millennial kingdom here. He simply states a fact concerning Israel as a nation and what would happen in regard to the New Covenant. What He said is just what came about. God did take the vineyard from Israel, and He did give it to another nation.
To assume that this is the end of the story for Israel is to assume too much. If the church will end at the rapture, as is clearly described in Paul’s writings, it would be ludicrous to think that the people on earth would be left without a working economy where God continues to deal with man.
Where will such a system come from? It is explained in Scripture. The nations of the world will be led by Israel. Israel will be led by their worship of Christ Jesus, the One they had long-rejected as their Messiah.
To say that Israel is out (which is currently true) and that they have no useful purpose as a nation in the future is to disregard a large portion of Scripture from both testaments. It is a very poor handling of what God has laid out in His word. Be assured that His rejection of them during this dispensation will have an end after the church is taken to glory.
Lord God, give us wisdom in understanding Your word. Help us to consider what it says is reliable and will come to pass if promises have been made that are as yet unfulfilled. Nothing in Your word will be left undone. Grant us this understanding so that we will always keep things in their proper context. Amen.