I have never been afforded the opportunity to tour Israel yet somehow I have an overwhelming love for the Jewish people and am in awe of the remarkable history of their nation. I’m certain that is in part due to the Holy Spirit as well as so many of my hero’s being either Jews themselves or among the early forefathers of the Jewish people. So often we ( the Church ) seem to lose sight of the fact that we worship a Jewish Messiah and are ourselves disciples and followers of a Jewish Rabbi. There are many schools of thought who are teaching that God is finished with Israel and all the promises made to them by God have been forfeited and now belong to the Church, according to the apostle Paul this is bad theology…

“I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. Rom 11:1 NKJV

…he goes on to say “God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew…..”  Romans 11:2 (NKJV)

Paul makes the point that he himself is a Jew yet God is still dealing with him. If we survey the subject with a proper exegesis it’s obvious that God is dealing with everyone in like manner be they Jew or Gentile, by way of faith in His Son Jesus Christ. But still God has made numerous promises and covenants with Israel and many of them are unconditional, i/e has nothing to do with Israel’s obedience or disobedience ).

Here is one example of a promise God made to Issac concerning the nation of Israel before it had ever existed….

“And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said “I am the God of your father Abraham: do not fear for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for my servant Abraham’s sake.” Genesis 26:24

Notice there is no “if Issac nor Israel is faithful and does this or that in God’s promise to him, He said it and He will do it, to suggest otherwise would be calling God a promise breaker. There are numerous promises made to Israel by God which have absolutely nothing to do with them, it simply serves God’s sovereign purpose.

Israel has an ultimate destiny. Due to their failure to know their own scriptures and recognize their own Messiah which was prophesied to come ( see Daniel 9 for a great example ) God has now blinded them but this is only for a season, that season is the age of the Church in which we now reside. The Church is a peculiar entity ( bride of Christ ) which has it’s own purpose and destiny apart from that of Israel. You can Believe God will finish up business with Israel and fulfill all that He has promised, in fact the coming tribulation period is centered around them ( i/e the time of Jacob’s trouble ). Jesus will return to Israel and reign from Jerusalem and at that time the surviving remnant will then recognize and welcome their Messiah….

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins”. Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” Rom 11:25-28

I wonder what part of “irrevocable” is so hard for some to understand? Bottom line we either believe God will do all He has said He will do or we don’t, and if we don’t we are not only in error, we have called Him a liar. Throughout it’s history the enemy has made numerous attempts to destroy this nation ( Pharaoh to Hitler) and indeed will give it one great go on the near horizon, in the meantime he even attempts to convince the Church of his anti semitic lies, as such is the error of replacement theology.