Greetings again turbosixx, The word “nation” does not necessarily mean a specific nation as we understand this word today.
They rejected both Jesus and his message, the One Gospel, and crucified him.
I disagree with both you and [MENTION=16603]turbosixx[/MENTION] on this.
The word 'a nation/ethnei' is singular in Mat 21:43, not 'nations/ethnos'.
It means exactly what it says, 'a nation'.
In Mt 21 Christ rides the donkey into Jerusalem fulfilling Zech 9's prophecy of Israel's promised King and fulfilling partially Ps 118.
After He cleanses the Temple, He heals the blind and the lame whereby the crowd cries 'Hoshiana, ben Daveed' also in fulfillment of Ps 118.
He then rebukes the Scribes and Pharisees for their complaints and retires to Bethany.
The next day He curses the fig tree which is symbolic of the Scribes, Priests and Phariseedic religious rule and says, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever."
Then He challenges the disbelief of the chief priests and elders concerning the authority given to John the Baptist.
Then, He puts forth a parable to these rulers regarding the vineyard, which represents Israel according to Isa 5:7, with the husbandmen representing the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees and says that the vineyard will be taken from them and given to other husbandmen who will bring forth the fruit thereof to the owner[GOD] of the vineyard. In the meantime, the first husbandmen kill GOD's Son.
So, we find from the parable that the vineyard[nation] remains the same. It's the vineyard managers[rulers] who are replaced.
So, the builders[Israel's religious ruler] reject the stone[Christ] in fulfillment of prophecy and the Kingdom[Messiah's Davidic] is given to a generation of the same nation[Israel] who become rulers of the Kingdom promised to Israel thoughout all prophecy.
Twelve Apostles are promised rulership over the restored Kingdom to Israel in the regeneration according to:
Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Christ plainly promises that GOD intends to give the Messianic Kingdom to Christ's 'little flock/the twelve' in Luke 12:32.
Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
The rulers from which the kingdom is taken are the religious rulers of Israel during the earthly ministry of Christ.
'The nation' to which the kingdom is to be given is the same nation... Israel over which there will be trustworthy caretakers, the Apostles with Mathias replacing Judas in Acts 1.
The Davidic Kingdom promised to Israel through out prophecy has not morphed into something else allegorically to mean the the Church, the BOC, but still remains GOD's irrevocable promise to Israel with the twelve tribes restored back to the land under Israel's Messiah, Jesus.
There's a different program for 'the nations'[plural] according to the mystery revealed to and thru the Apostle Paul.
