Thank you Giovanna....
I see those who differ on Israel are posting here as on other threads, same argument's as well. Does seem nothing will change either side of the equation of who Israel is and their place past, present and future. However it is more than difficult, from just the perspective of the scriptures as a whole, that someone cannot see Israel woven throughout all the way thru Revelations...and all Gods promises to them...conditional and those which are not.
As I see it God knows those who are truly His within the Christian community, and those who are not. Equally so those of Israel who are truly Jewish and what determines this in His eyes, not mans, and those who are not. Splitting hairs only creates divisions and uncertainty. What is interesting are many who now debate about who Israel is generally understood clearly Israels position thru the ages and ages to come....but then took another road along the way...................... But in the end we all will bow before our Christ Jesus.....some will bow by faith others by force but all will bow before the Christ when all is said and done..
Does seem nothing will change either side of the equation of who Israel is and their place past, present and future. However it is more than difficult, from just the perspective of the scriptures as a whole, that someone cannot see Israel woven throughout all the way thru Revelations...and all Gods promises to them...conditional and those which are not. The problem here is that most folks in the futurist camp are unwilling to admit the strong possibility that what we know of “Israel” in the Bible has little if anything to do with the secular state in the present Middle East that happens to go by the same name.
- Biblical Israel was established as part of the covenant made with Abraham and the promises made with the Seed, Jesus Christ. (Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7; Gal. 3:16)
- Inclusion in Biblical Israel was by vow and obedience to God’s covenant, not strictly by lineage. (Gen. 17:23; Lev. 18:26; Rom. 2:28,29; 9:6,7)
- Biblical Israel was identified as a nation when they corporately vowed to abide by the law of God as given through Moses. (Exo. 19:8)
- Disobedience to the law of God was reason for individual excommunication from the nation of Israel, and temporal corporate punishment. (Exo. 12:15; Lev. 7:27; Lev. 18:29; Deut. 28:15)
- Biblical Israel was governed by God-ordained representatives in the church (the priesthood with respect to the ceremonial) and the state (elders, judges, and kings with respect to the civil) as a single and unique kingdom under God. (Lev. 13:2; Deut. 17:9; 19:12; 21:19)
- The judges of Biblical Israel was chosen directly by God. (Luke 22:30; James 1:1)
- Biblical Israel could have its nationhood status revoked through disobedience. (Matt. 21:43; John 11:48)
- The older covenant was never intended by God to be permanent, but was seen as giving way to a new covenant. (Jer. 31:31; Matt. 26:28; Heb. 8:13; 9:15; 12:24)
- For Biblical Israel the law was seen as a tutor to Christ, not as a means of salvation. (Matt. 23:23; Luke 24:44; Rom. 3:20; Gal. 3:24)
- Faith and repentance always preceded Biblical Israel’s physical restoration and blessing. (1 Kings 8:47,48; Ezra 1:5; Jer. 27:22)
- Restoration is clearly seen as an act of divine intervention, even by the nations. (Ezra 1:1; Ezekiel 37:28)
- Restoration is predicated on spiritual rebirth. (Ezekiel 36:26-28; 37:14)
- Faithfulness to God in our day is measured by a proper relationship to the new covenant, not to rabbinic traditions. (Matt. 5:20; 16:6; Luke 1:72; Rom. 11:27; 2 Cor. 3:6)
- Modern Israel does not inhabit the land of promise. (Gen. 15:13)
- Modern Israel is not apportioned according to God's direction (Num. 33:54; Joshua 1:6; 13:7)
- Modern Israel is a large debtor nation. The ratio of public debt to GDP is higher in Israel than in the US. Biblical Israel was to lend to others. (Deut. 15:6)
We see Israel just fine in the Bible. We do not see it in contemporary terms according to the imaginations of prophecy gurus.