"For if the casting away of them (unbelieving Jews) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead." (Romans 11:15)
The Jewish people (the Israelites) were broken-off from the cultivated olive tree because of unbelief. But the apostle Paul states that they will once again be grafted-back-in when they receive Messiah Yeshua (Romans 11:23-24). That event will bring life from the dead. This life from the dead was illustrated by Yeshua in the many stories and parables recorded in the New Covenant that point to the Fourth Day.
The Fourth Day in Scripture is a recurring sign that points to The Day of the L-rd. The Psalmist records the words of Moses, the greatest prophet that ever lived, when he said that "one day is as a thousand years in the sight of G-d" (Psalm 90:4). The apostle Peter repeats this theme in 2 Peter 3:8. These scriptures seem to suggest that there are places in the Bible that could be pointing to a far future day.
Between the thirteenth and twelfth centuries BC, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Land of Canaan to conquer and settle the territory that would eventually be known as Israel. In 1004 BC, King David conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital of G-d's holy nation. In 1995, Israel celebrated the 3000th anniversary of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. According to the formula that 1000 years equals a day as the Scriptures imply, Israel is in its fourth 'day' of existence since the Israelites crossed the Jordan and entered the Land promised to them as an everlasting inheritance by G-d Himself (Genesis 15:18, Psalm 105:8-11).
Yeshua said that the story of Jonah was a 'sign' given to the Jewish people (Matthew 12:38-40). Allegorically, it speaks of The Fourth Day or the Day of the L-rd.
Jonah was a 'type' of the nation of Israel. He did not immediately carry out the plan of G-d for his life. He was told to go to the Gentile nation of Nineveh [a type of the world] to tell them about the punishment that would be carried out against them if they did not repent of their wickedness. Instead Jonah [Israel] went the opposite way. He did not want G-d to forgive Nineveh [the world] for their evil treatment of Israel. He knew that G-d is "gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm" (Jonah 4:2), so he refused to go. Because of Jonah's (Israel's) rebellion, G-d caused a great fish to swallow him up for three days and three nights, symbolic of being blinded from the truth and scattered to the four corners of the earth for 3000 years. Then, on The Fourth Day, G-d caused the great fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land. It was then that Jonah [Israel] obeyed G-d and preached the good news about the One true G-d to the Ninevites [the world]. This story portrays the Israelites ceasing from their rebellion against G-d in the Fourth Day since Israel's birth, the age in which we are now living.
The gospel of Luke records a story (Luke 2:42-46) that demonstrates Yeshua' return on The Fourth Day to the Temple in Jerusalem:
When Yeshua was still young (12) and had not yet come into His ministry, His mother and Joseph [a type of the Jewish people] left the city with a crowd departing Jerusalem after the Passover [symbolizing the Messiah's first appearance]. They didn't notice that Yeshua was missing [the Jews did not acknowledge His Messiahship at His first advent]. When they became aware He was not among them [through salvation], they searched for Him and found Him in the Temple after three days, that is, on The Fourth Day.
At the very end of His earthly ministry, Yeshua performed a miraculous sign that demonstrated the resurrection of the Jewish people on The Fourth Day. The Hebrew sages had developed several traditions that related to their ability to identify the true Messiah when He came. One of the traditions stated that the Messiah would be able to raise someone from the dead after three days, that is, on The Fourth Day, after bodily corruption had set in.
Yeshua' received word that His friend Lazarus whom He loved was sick [a type of the Jewish people]. Yeshua said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of G-d, that the Son of G-d may be glorified through it" (John 11:4). Yeshua did not go to Lazarus immediately, the Scriptures record. He waited two more days [2000 years from His first appearing]. When He finally got there, Lazarus was dead and it was The Fourth Day (John 11:39). The tomb [Israel] was surrounded [typifying the Nations of the World coming against Israel Isaiah 29:7, Zechariah 12:3] Nevertheless, Yeshua called to Lazarus to "come forth!" When he emerged from the tomb still wrapped in grave clothes, Yeshua told them to "loose him, and let him go", a picture of the Israelites freed from spiritual blindness and unbelief, miraculously rescued from the hand of their enemies.
A story in the book of Acts also illustrates that the blindness of the Jewish people would continue until The Fourth Day:
Saul of Tarsus is a type of the nation of Israel. Saul (Paul) was zealous for the L-rd but breathed threats and murder against the Christians (Acts 9:1). G-d knocked him off his horse [symbolic of religious pride] and blinded him for three days (Acts 9:8-9). On The Fourth Day, G-d raised up a believer to lay hands on Saul to heal his blindness because G-d said, "He [Saul/Israel] is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15).
The 'blindness' of Israel can be summed up in the story recorded in Mark 8:22-25:
Yeshua took a blind man [a type of Israel] and spit on His eyes [firstborn sons were said to have healing virtue in their spittle.] This typified His first appearance as the Son of Man. But the blind man could only see partially. Then a second time, Yeshua put His hands on his eyes and made him look up [typifying Yeshua' Second Advent]. This time, the man was fully restored and saw clearly.
Yeshua said that He would not return until the Nation of Israel acknowledges Him as the Messiah. In speaking prophetically over the city of Jerusalem (i.e.to the leadership if Israel) Yeshua said:
"For I say unto you, 'You shall not see Me henceforth till you say, "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the L-rd.'" (Matthew 23:39).
The apostle John records that when the L-rd appears, everyone in the world will see Him:
"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him....." (Revelation 1:7)
With the counsel of these two scriptures, if every eye will see Him (including those of Israel) but the Jewish people won't see Him until they acknowledge that He is the Messiah, then no one will see Him until Israel proclaims Him to be the Messiah.
Pray for the salvation of the Nation of Israel and the Jewish people all over the world. Time is short! It is the Fourth Day!
"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of G-d! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the L-rd? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:33-36)