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I disagree with much of the premise of this article. The most important error I see is that Israel is the descendants of Jacob. That includes the twelve sons of Jacob and the two sons of Joseph who received blessings at the hand of Israel (Jacob) just as Israel’s (Jacob’s) sons. So while there are the 12 tribes of Israel there are really 14 when you include Ephraim and Manasseh but then you you have to subtract the name of Joseph giving you only thirteen.

I know of no Christian denomination that says they are Israel. I know of denominations that claim to be part of the lost tribes of Israel, Indeed the Mormons do not claim to be Israel but just like most protestants claim to be part of the missing tribes of Israel.

The state of Israel makes the claim to be only one of the tribes of Israel, Judah in particular. Therefore the state of Israel and family of Israel are two entirely different things. The State of Israel just as in the time of Christ represents only 2 of the tribes of Israel, again Judah and also Levi. In Jesus’ time the Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been scattered.

Abraham blessed his son with the blessing God gave him, we call this the Abrahamic Covenant even today and say that the world is populated by the descendants of Israel. Indeed The Lord told Abraham through his seed the world would be blessed. King David was a descendant of Abraham as was The Savior, The lord Jesus Christ through His mother Mary. Therefore the world is saved through the seed of Abraham in that Jesus is a descendant of Abraham. Which tribe would Jesus have been a member of? Well since there were only two tribes left in Israel at the time of Jesus He had to be of Judah or Levi. We aren’t really told His tribal identity but we are given hints. He had a cousin, John whose father was a priest of the temple which means that Zachariah was a Levite. That means that while Mary was a daughter of David there was the blood of Levi in her family too. So was Jesus a Levite or a Jew? I think a good argument could be made for both. Tradition however has called Him a Jew, or descendant of the tribe of Judah.

I think that anyone in the world who calls themselves part of Israel is likely correct since The Lord told Abraham that his seed would be as the stars in the sky or grains of sand on the beaches.

Today we have a state made up mostly of the tribe of Judah who call themselves Israel. They do not claim to be all that is left of the tribes of Jacob they indeed claim to be Judah for the most part just as in the days of The Savior.

Now for the real meat of the thesis, who are the chosen of God today, who are God’s people?

I think there are two different concepts here. First, the Lord gave the example of the shepherds putting their sheep in an enclosure for safety at night and then the next day calling them out. There were more than one herd in the enclosure but when the shepherd called his sheep in the morning only those that were his followed his voice. He was referring to His sheep in the parable, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as The Son of God, The Savior of the World. We know His voice and follow it and are His. That fact does not change the fact that the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are His chosen people. Again, we have two classifications here, the people of God and God’s people or God’s chosen. Those descended from Abraham are God’s chosen people, not just Judah but all the tribes. According to the New Testament if we Follow Christ and are not descended from Abraham then we are adopted into the family of Abraham as part of the family of Christ’s followers.

Christ Lives.