For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant. Isaiah 5:7 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower,... Matthew 21:33 Israel had been the spiritual repository on earth of the Law and knowledge of the true God. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Psalm 80:8 He took them out of the bondage and heathenism of Egypt, and planted them in the world, as a seperate people to be a light unto the world and bring forth fruit of converts. Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, .. if they come and pray in this house; Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name. 2Chronicles 6:32,33 But Israel wandered into the wilderness of darkness and hardness of heart. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. Hosea 8:12 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. Matthew 21:34 For what had Israel done over the centuries to the prophets sent to warn them? And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Matthew 21:35 So He sent His Son, whom they knew would be comming. He gave them His Law. He gave them the ceremonies pointing to His comming. And yet-But last of all He sent unto them His son, saying, They will reverence My Son. But when the husbandmen saw the Son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill Him, and let us seize on His inheritance. And they caught Him, and cast Him out of the vineyard, and slew Him. Matthew 21:37-39 Now Christ poses a question- When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? Matthew 21:40 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. Luke 20:16 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? Jeremiah 2:21 So what will be done? Will there be another to bear the light and truth to the world? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matthew 21:43 It was given to Christainity, as His followers would be called Christians. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Peter 2:9 But Christianity today is in danger of going down the same path of ancient Israel. Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images. Hosea 10:1,2 The heart of Christianity today seems divided between the word and the world. They have violated the Commandments of God, including trampling on His 4th Commandment (the Sabbath). They have, in some denominations, literally set up graven images and like pagans of old, pray to them or to the dead. Some have built huge mega-churches for themselves to glory in-in this tv age. Some of the tv evangelist types are so corrupt they wind up in prison. Not to mention churches compromising with the world on Darwinian cross-species evolution (Intelligent Design and Theistic Evolution) or denial of the global flood and condoning gay marraige, etc. They repeat from the pulpits the first lie told, in the garden to Eve. That you will not surely die, as they tell people the dead are in heaven or hell. Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. Jeremiah 12:10 So how can one look for the truest of the churches? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:14