God's Israel Today

[Reformer]

God's Israel Today

[Is National Israel God's chosen & Holy Nation?]

[Part 1 of 3 Parts]

Important Pre-Note

Since composing the column below, Israel in the Middle East and the U. S. have attacked Iran, a terrorist nation. Consequently, I am not addressing Israel's military right to protect herself from her enemies. She does indeed have that prerogative. This column addresses who or what constitutes God's spiritual Israel today.—Buff.

A Reader's Concern

"Buff, I'd like your comments on Romans 11:28-29, where the apostle writes, 'As far as the gospel is concerned, they [Jews] are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.' Isn't Paul saying that natural Jews are still God's chosen people? For if he's saying what it appears he's saying, National Israel in the Middle East is still His holy nation and the Jews, universally, are His elect. I'd appreciate your version."—Edna.

Let's Try To Recount It As Paul Expresses It

I do not concur with Edna's personal deductions relating to Romans 11:28-29, nor do I believe National Israel is "God's beloved people." Paul is saying in Romans 11:28-29 that the Jews' rejection of the Good News proved a blessing to the Gentile world. Their hostility and rebellion, which God knew in advance, helped to bring about the conversion of the Gentiles.

We cannot deny that at one time Israel was God's chosen nation. Though enemies of God, as they currently are, God still remembers they were children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He has not cast them away forever. For the time will come when God will "graft them in again...if they do not persist in unbelief" (Rom. 11:23).

So, yes, at one time in history, old Israel was God's elected nation and chosen people, as the passage above confirms. And as the apostle notes, the Jewish people "are loved on account of the patriarchs," for they are children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But in this grace era, the only children of Abraham are redeemed sinners or the household of faith. Listen to Paul again:

"In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring" (Rom. 9:6-9). Then again, "A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly...No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly" (Rom. 2:28-29).

There's no way to avoid the actuality of Paul's testimony. God no longer recognizes natural Jews and National Israel as His elected nation and chosen people. "Israel" is still God's elected nation, but not old Israel. It is new Israel, the redeemed community. All redeemed believers today are spiritual Jews, whether natural Jews or natural Gentiles. These are "God's chosen people" today, as reaffirmed in Colossians 3:12 and 1 Peter 2:9.

Paul addresses these words to all Christian believers, not to the Jewish community or to the Jewish nation and calls them "God's chosen people." God has only one holy nation in His domain (1 Peter 2:9). It is not National Israel in the Middle East. Under Jesus, only those who have been born anew compose God's holy nation, which is spiritual in nature—not National.

Paul declares in Ephesians 4:4, "There is one body" of believers. But if National Israel is God's Holy nation, potentially or otherwise, we have two bodies instead of one! He says in verse 5, "there is one Spirit...and one faith." If we can enact an extra body of believers, or an extra faith, with God's blessings, we can also add an extra Spirit and an extra faith. Ridiculous? Of course.

But in reference to Romans 11, one school of thought is that a large segment of Jews are God's elect in prospect or promise. I offer no argument against this if we agree that a large segment of Gentiles are also God's elect in prospect or promise. There are many people out there in this wide world—both Jews and Gentiles—who are God's children in prospect or promise, but currently not His children in reality. Jesus Himself recognized this truth in John 10:15-16.

The Old vs. The New

Under the Old Covenant, Jews became part of God's kingdom or reign through the act of being born of Jewish parents and physical circumcision. This identified them and set them apart from the nations around them. Under the New Covenant, Jews become part of God's new reign by being spiritually born and through the act of circumcision of the heart (Phil. 3:3). Until then, they are not God's chosen people. There's not a National country on earth that constitutes God's "holy nation"—not Israel, not America, not any country. Only those who have been regenerated compose God's holy nation. "But you [Christian believers] are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God" (1 Peter 2:9).

To claim the nation of Israel today, a nation made up extensively of unbelievers and non-believers, is God's holy nation and His elect, is, in my opinion, an explicit contradiction of heaven's testimony. Surely God does not consider a nation of unbelievers and non-believers His elect! Yes, under the Old Covenant, Israel was God's holy nation. There's no argument here. But under Jesus, only those who have been born anew compose God's holy nation.

[Look for Part 2 in a few days.]

[4WD]

God's Israel Today

[Is National Israel God's chosen & Holy Nation?]

[Part 1 of 3 Parts]

Important Pre-Note

Since composing the column below, Israel in the Middle East and the U. S. have attacked Iran, a terrorist nation. Consequently, I am not addressing Israel's military right to protect herself from her enemies. She does indeed have that prerogative. This column addresses who or what constitutes God's spiritual Israel today.—Buff.

A Reader's Concern

"Buff, I'd like your comments on Romans 11:28-29, where the apostle writes, 'As far as the gospel is concerned, they [Jews] are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.' Isn't Paul saying that natural Jews are still God's chosen people? For if he's saying what it appears he's saying, National Israel in the Middle East is still His holy nation and the Jews, universally, are His elect. I'd appreciate your version."—Edna.

Let's Try To Recount It As Paul Expresses It

I do not concur with Edna's personal deductions relating to Romans 11:28-29, nor do I believe National Israel is "God's beloved people." Paul is saying in Romans 11:28-29 that the Jews' rejection of the Good News proved a blessing to the Gentile world. Their hostility and rebellion, which God knew in advance, helped to bring about the conversion of the Gentiles.

We cannot deny that at one time Israel was God's chosen nation. Though enemies of God, as they currently are, God still remembers they were children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He has not cast them away forever. For the time will come when God will "graft them in again...if they do not persist in unbelief" (Rom. 11:23).

So, yes, at one time in history, old Israel was God's elected nation and chosen people, as the passage above confirms. And as the apostle notes, the Jewish people "are loved on account of the patriarchs," for they are children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But in this grace era, the only children of Abraham are redeemed sinners or the household of faith. Listen to Paul again:

"In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring" (Rom. 9:6-9). Then again, "A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly...No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly" (Rom. 2:28-29).

There's no way to avoid the actuality of Paul's testimony. God no longer recognizes natural Jews and National Israel as His elected nation and chosen people. "Israel" is still God's elected nation, but not old Israel. It is new Israel, the redeemed community. All redeemed believers today are spiritual Jews, whether natural Jews or natural Gentiles. These are "God's chosen people" today, as reaffirmed in Colossians 3:12 and 1 Peter 2:9.

Paul addresses these words to all Christian believers, not to the Jewish community or to the Jewish nation and calls them "God's chosen people." God has only one holy nation in His domain (1 Peter 2:9). It is not National Israel in the Middle East. Under Jesus, only those who have been born anew compose God's holy nation, which is spiritual in nature—not National.

Paul declares in Ephesians 4:4, "There is one body" of believers. But if National Israel is God's Holy nation, potentially or otherwise, we have two bodies instead of one! He says in verse 5, "there is one Spirit...and one faith." If we can enact an extra body of believers, or an extra faith, with God's blessings, we can also add an extra Spirit and an extra faith. Ridiculous? Of course.

But in reference to Romans 11, one school of thought is that a large segment of Jews are God's elect in prospect or promise. I offer no argument against this if we agree that a large segment of Gentiles are also God's elect in prospect or promise. There are many people out there in this wide world—both Jews and Gentiles—who are God's children in prospect or promise, but currently not His children in reality. Jesus Himself recognized this truth in John 10:15-16.

The Old vs. The New

Under the Old Covenant, Jews became part of God's kingdom or reign through the act of being born of Jewish parents and physical circumcision. This identified them and set them apart from the nations around them. Under the New Covenant, Jews become part of God's new reign by being spiritually born and through the act of circumcision of the heart (Phil. 3:3). Until then, they are not God's chosen people. There's not a National country on earth that constitutes God's "holy nation"—not Israel, not America, not any country. Only those who have been regenerated compose God's holy nation. "But you [Christian believers] are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God" (1 Peter 2:9).

To claim the nation of Israel today, a nation made up extensively of unbelievers and non-believers, is God's holy nation and His elect, is, in my opinion, an explicit contradiction of heaven's testimony. Surely God does not consider a nation of unbelievers and non-believers His elect! Yes, under the Old Covenant, Israel was God's holy nation. There's no argument here. But under Jesus, only those who have been born anew compose God's holy nation.

[Look for Part 2 in a few days.]

It is important to know that God does not choose nations to be saved.  Salvation is of a person, not a nation.  Israel as a nation was chosen for the purpose of bringing the Messiah to the world. The nation Israel was chosen, the nation Israel was an elect nation, for a service to God. Some in the nation of Israel believed in God and for them that was counted to them for righteousness.  Those then became one of the elect for salvation.

But as a nation, the service for which they were chosen, was accomplished.  That service was completed with the coming of Jesus Christ [Messiah] and His sacrifice on the cross and His ascension, His return, to His place in heaven with God.

[Texas Conservative]

It is not accomplished.  Israel was the delivery mechanism of the Messiah, an example of the ministry of death, and further the delivery mechanism for the return of Jesus. 

[4WD]

It is not accomplished.  Israel was the delivery mechanism of the Messiah, an example of the ministry of death, and further the delivery mechanism for the return of Jesus. 

The service of national Israel has been completed. National Israel will have no involvement in the return of Jesus.  National Israel was not involved with Jesus' ascension and national Israel will not be involved in His return.  His ascension was a spiritual act; so also, His return will be a spiritual act.

[Texas Conservative]

The service of national Israel has been completed. National Israel will have no involvement in the return of Jesus.  National Israel was not involved with Jesus' ascension and national Israel will not be involved in His return.  His ascension was a spiritual act; so also, His return will be a spiritual act.

You are incorrect

[4WD]

You are incorrect

You are incorrect

[Rella]

It is not accomplished.  Israel was the delivery mechanism of the Messiah, an example of the ministry of death, and further the delivery mechanism for the return of Jesus. 

I agree

[4WD]

I agree

Based upon what?

[Reformer]

The service of national Israel has been completed. National Israel will have no involvement in the return of Jesus.  National Israel was not involved with Jesus' ascension and national Israel will not be involved in His return.  His ascension was a spiritual act; so also, His return will be a spiritual act.

AMEN, 4WD!

[Reformer]

You are incorrect

Texas Conservative, please read my post/column again.

[Reformer]

Look for PART 2 of "God's Israel Today" soon.