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To: caww; GiovannaNicoletta
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.

  1. 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)
  2. 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)
  3. 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)
  4. 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)
  5. 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)
  6. The judges of Biblical Israel was chosen directly by God. (Luke 22:30; James 1:1)
  7. Biblical Israel could have its nationhood status revoked through disobedience. (Matt. 21:43; John 11:48)
  8. 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)
  9. 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)
  10. Faith and repentance always preceded Biblical Israel’s physical restoration and blessing. (1 Kings 8:47,48; Ezra 1:5; Jer. 27:22)
  11. Restoration is clearly seen as an act of divine intervention, even by the nations. (Ezra 1:1; Ezekiel 37:28)
  12. Restoration is predicated on spiritual rebirth. (Ezekiel 36:26-28; 37:14)
  13. 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)
  14. Modern Israel does not inhabit the land of promise. (Gen. 15:13)
  15. Modern Israel is not apportioned according to God's direction (Num. 33:54; Joshua 1:6; 13:7)
  16. 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.

74 posted on 11/30/2010 11:12:08 AM PST by topcat54 ("Dispensationalism -- like crack for the eschatologically naive.")
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To: topcat54
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.

Saying it is a "possibility" is rather revealing topcat...as I do see the present state of Israel as Israel...be it nation, race or religion, however one wants to name it...and that Jerusalem within Israel is also the biblical Jerusalem just as Israel is. They are no more secular than many Christians who claim Christianity.

We know some of Gods promises were conditional and others were not. The land will indeed be theirs...all in Gods timing. God is more than capable of distinguishing the Jewish people topcat....just as He is those who are Christians and claim Christianity.

I do not see Israel AS the Law...rather a nation who was GIVEN the Law. They broke them as surely as we do. In fact we as so called Christians in our nation are going down the same path Israel did in turning our backs on God.

However when it comes to Israel recognizing Christ as their Messiah...and they will, (debated and gone over in prior threads), I do not see God excluding them as a nation though they are blinded now until the fullness of the gentiles is in. Were it not for them we would not have Christ at all. He will not abandon them anymore than he did in the past and has always brought out those who seek Him by faith.....and one day their faith will indeed be in Christ.

There are far too many scriptures which refer to the Israels position before God throughout the Bible to somehow even suggest He will cast them off completely.. Anymore than he would cast believers off from the promises of salvation he has given us, which we have for the blindness Israel has currently. Just as we ourselves, as Christians now, were formally blind to the gospel. God has determined when their blindness will be removed and they too will see.

.....After all none of us Gentiles, who are Christians now, were looking for a Messiah at all....how much moreso then will the Jewish people recognize Christ when their blindness is removed, because they are looking for their Messiah. Christ Himself is Jewish...why would He deny Himself?

78 posted on 11/30/2010 6:42:48 PM PST by caww
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