Acts 28:20 “For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”
It seems that by the time the New Testament period opened the prevailing thought among the Jews, concerning “the hope of Israel”, was that the Messiah would come and simply be some kind of super king David with some sort of world-wide dynasty and they would all have high positions in the new kingdom. But our Lord explained, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). In truth, the Old Testament points to “the hope of Israel” as One Who would Sacrifice Himself to Redeem His People from their sin: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6). And, “the hope of Israel”, in the Old Testament, did indeed point to the New Kingdom: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:44). And The King of this Kingdom was referred to as “the stone”: “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” (Daniel 2:45). But, to their surprise, this Great King didn’t fit their arrogant, condescending, oppressive mold; He humbly came in such a way that the everyday folks could relate to Him. The Great King, “the hope of Israel”, rode victoriously in Jerusalem: “On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, 15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.” (John 12:12-15). Even His “disciples” didn’t understand these things until later (John 12:16). Later on, they would remember this great day and know what the Lord meant when He said, “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28). And now, we rejoice greatly, knowing that “the hope of Israel” has come and that it is He “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (II Timothy 1:9) and He even now reigns as “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15). And let us never forget that it is “in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28)!