Like many very important Biblical topics and distinctions that must needs be made, we now arrive at yet another one of the most controversial still in contemporary Christianity so-called. For some time now, there has been a battle being waged in the “religious” society which suggests that somehow the Church – the Body of Christ, has replaced Israel and the Jews as God’s chosen people and nation. Thus the issue without doubt must be examined here, and it ultimately inferred if there has been any actual supplanting going from within the context of the Holy Scriptures, and thus God’s plan from time immemorial. Beyond that, we must also assess and assign due clarity to any relation whatever that the spiritual organism of the Church (Body of Christ) may have to God’s ancient nation and His people – the Jews.

 

 

Although by no means will an entire summation of proofs be able to be reduced to writing in this instance for brevity sake, this article will perhaps help settle in the reader’s mind the place that the both the nation of Israel and the Jews has, as well as the Church, in the counsels of Almighty God. In fact, we will see through this address that the distinction is easily made and the controversy much able to be avoided and even perhaps entirely vacated, if one is but only to read, believe, and maintain what the Bible actually says about the topic, or doesn’t say for that matter.

 

From the beginning, let us first visit the call of Abram (ie. Abraham – The father of the Jewish nation) by the LORD in Genesis 12:1-3:

 

 

Now it is incumbent upon the reader and any honest student of the Scriptures to discern the only applicable condition above that Abraham was to fulfill if he was in fact to be the recipient of all the blessings that the LORD had promised to extend to him, and thus to the nation of Israel and the Jews, as well as the Gentile world by extension. Then, if the student is careful to identify and faithfully maintain this singular condition in their understanding as the apparent unconditional basis for which the LORD would fulfill His promise, they will then see that the distinction between Israel and the Church becomes more disparate and clear with their continuing study of the Word of God.

 

Specifically, the sole condition for the fulfillment of the promises was: “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: AND…….”

 

As the student would then expectantly read further through The Book of Genesis, they will clearly see the patriarch’s obedience to the LORD, as well as an eventual vocalized doubt later on regarding the LORD’s commitment or perhaps ability to fulfill what He had already promised to bring to fruition. Long before expressing that doubt however, we see Abraham arrive in Canaan in Genesis 12:5-7 and at which time it should be noted that the LORD offers an additional specific promise to him:

 

 

Then as alluded to above, we see Abraham’s doubt manifest itself in Genesis 15:1-8, but in response we see the LORD re-affirm what He had already previously promised:

 

 

 

******* Of an especial side note at this point due to it’s paramount significance is the fact that Romans 4:1-5 tells us that Abraham was justified by faith approximately 430 years before the Mosiac Law was established. Galatians 3:6-9 also tells us that Abraham had the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached unto him in Genesis 12:3(c), and in John 8:56 the Lord Jesus Himself confirms that Abraham “rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad.” Thus the student with an apt mind will rightfully infer that when the LORD brought Abraham out to see stars of Heaven in the above passage (ie. his spiritual seed via the Messiah previously promised in Genesis 12:3), and despite his advance in age making such a spiritual promise humanly impossible on his own via a physical heir, Abraham believed that the LORD was able to do this impossible task (Romans 4:18-22) and subsequently placed his faith in that Messianic seed for his salvation, later manifested as the Lord Jesus Christ *******

 

Continuing on, it is of the utmost importance at this time that we recognize in Genesis 15:9-18 that the LORD takes the step to ceremonially confirm the promises He previously made to Abraham on His own. The reader will recognize that it was the smoking furnace and burning lamp which passed alone between the animal carcasses that Abraham had prepared without Abraham also walking through the divide, as though the covenant was mutually dependent upon each other’s participation for fulfillment. This is of course was without doubt confirmation by the LORD that He would fulfill the blessings promised without any further condition needing to be met by the patriarch, and thus it is proper to conclude that such promises would naturally continue on in perpetuity until such time as they were all fulfilled by God in His providence.

 

So as of the present day friend, God has without any doubt made both a great physical (Israel) and spiritual nation (Israeli and Gentile believers alike) out of Abraham via the Isaac and Jacob (Israel) bloodline. One would also have an impossible time arguing that God did not bless Abraham practically in his time, that Abraham’s name is not more popular and familiar today than ever before in the nations of the world, that Abraham and Israel’s tribal descendants have not been a blessing to the rest of the world in terms of their God given skills and contributions, that any nation which has chosen to ally itself with Israel has not been blessed as a result by God, and that any nation not allowed by God to afflict the Jews has not been cursed and ultimately be defeated in the end. But most importantly friend, it is a proven fact that Abraham’s Messianic Seed, God’s Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, came physically through Israel via the tribe of Judah as promised, and He alone has blessed the whole world with the free offer and gift of eternal salvation by the shedding of His innocent Blood on the cross of Calvary for sin.

 

But despite the fulfillment of all of these promises above friend, one promise has yet to be fully realized by the nation of Israel, and that is that they are yet to possess and occupy all the land of Canaan forever as promised. Sure Israel officially declaring statehood on May 14th, 1948 despite being scattered to the four winds for almost 2000 years preceding is nothing short of miraculous and prophecy partially being fulfilled by God Himself, but let the reader also recognize that the land which Israel occupies today is not all inclusive of that which was promised to Abraham thousands of years ago. Moreover, Israel today is largely antagonized by the world and does not at all dwell in peace, suffering from the history of constant defensive war with multiple antagonists, as well as faced with new threats daily and rumours of potential war. 

 

Candidly, if there is any remaining doubt in the reader’s mind as to who the land belongs to, we see Genesis 13:14-15, 17, 15:7 and 17:4-9 further confirms with all clarity that the land of Canaan belongs to Israel as promised by God Himself:

“And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed FOR EVER.” 

“Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.”

 

AND

 

 

AND

 

 

 

Without doubting, we see the Lord then confirm the Abrahamic promises to Isaac in Genesis 26:2-4 as well:

 

 

 

We further see the promises to Abraham confirmed unto Jacob in Genesis 28:13-15 as well:

 

 

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In addition to the Abrahamic promises evidenced above, we also see the unconditional promise made to King David of Israel in 2 Samuel 7 by the LORD that his throne would be established and endure forever after him through his Seed. As affirmed by the silence of the Scriptures relative to any condition(s), we see that King David thus needed to take no action whatever in order for the LORD to fulfill the promise He made.

 

 

Although the immediate context of the promise was obviously made to King David’s son Solomon, the promise also without doubt looks more distantly to the sinless King of kings Who was rejected, bore the sins of the world on the cross and was resurrected, and will yet in the future absolutely rule on earth out of Zion as corroborated elsewhere copious times in the Bible. Thus, putting the Old and New Testament Scriptures together esemplastically, said reality can only be foreseeably accomplished upon the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ as the smiting Stone of Daniel 2, Who will break the bonds of Gentile power over His beloved nation, thus finally opening up the way for the surviving believing Jewish Remnant to occupy ALL the land of Canaan as promised. 

 

Thus it might now make especial connecting sense to the student of the Scriptures that Jesus assuming and establishing King David’s throne upon His return explains why so much stress is placed in the New Testament on the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was born of the seed (bloodline) of King David according to the flesh.

 

Consider Luke 1:30-33:

 

 

Now if any honest student is doubtful that the Lord Jesus Christ will actually return physically in the near future to literally reign on earth from His Holy mountain Jerusalem (Zion) as prophesied in Revelation 19 and 20:4,  it is strongly encouraged that the same seriously consider and read through all the following verses which state without any doubting the reality of the Only Wise King’s imminent Millennial Kingdom to come: Psalm 2:6-9, 22:27-31, 47, 67, 89, 110, 132, Isaiah 2:1-4, 9:6-7, 11:3-9, 24:21-23, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:14-18, Ezekiel 37:24-28, 43:7, Daniel 7:13-14, 18, 27, Hosea 3:4-5, Joel 3:16-17, Micah 4:1-7, Zephaniah 3:14-20.

 

It could not be any clearer my friend. Shiloh is coming back to bring peace to the earth via the sword of His mouth very soon. He will rule and reign for the designated millennium here on earth and then continue on into eternity for ever. The argument of a “spiritual reign” occurring now on earth by the Lord Jesus Christ for almost 2000 years is beyond preposterous. The concept is weighed, measured, and found desperately wanting.

 

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Aside from the evidence of promises made by God to both Abraham and King David, and yet to be fulfilled by Him, let the antagonists of Israel and the Jews composing much of Christian thought today also consider the sobering words of Jeremiah the Prophet via the LORD in Jeremiah 31:35-37:

 

Very plainly dear reader that until this world passes away and believers alone enter into the eternal state, or until the heavens and depths are searched out, The LORD will not stop being the God of Israel and the Jews and the two will not cease to be a literal physical nation and identity of people before Him.

 

Deuteronomy 7:6 also us: For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

 

Deuteronomy 14:2 tells us: For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

 

Psalm 135:4 tells us: For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure.

 

So needless to say friend, God has unfinished business with the nation of Israel as well as King David’s Bloodline, and He alone as we have seen has the onus to bring all these things to pass. God cannot fail. History holds that all other promises and prophecy have been brought to pass literally by the God of Israel, so it stands to reason that these remaining promises are also to be fulfilled literally as the standard of proper Biblical interpretation would require.

 

Seeing then even with peripheral detail the genesis, promises made, and the recognition of the nation of Israel and the Jews by the LORD in Scripture, and in real life applications, let us now consider the contrasting language surrounding the Church and it’s clear distinction from the beloved nation and people in the New Testament.

 

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Paul the Apostle in Ephesians 3 would speak with clarity when revealing that the Body of Christ comprised of both Jew and Gentile alike, was but a mystery in the Old Testament tucked away in the hidden counsels of God, and that is until Jesus’ expected national rejection by Israel at His first advent as their promised Messiah and King.

 

Ephesians 3:1-11 tells us:

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation He made known unto me THE MYSTERY; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of THE MYSTERY, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, Who created all things by Jesus Christ:  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:”

Paul would also further explain the nature of this mystery comprising Jew and Gentile as one spiritual body in the preceding chapter of Ephesians 2. During this address it should be noted that Paul does not fail to recognize the Jews as a people or nation, or in any way suggest that they’ve been replaced by the Church, but rather he makes it clear that the Gentiles as a result of the Jews national rejection of Jesus as their Messiah, have thus corporately been been made nigh unto God by the Blood of Christ. He further teaches that the Gentiles are no longer aliens to the God of Israel, but that they are now made partakers of the covenants and the commonwealth of Israel. Again, it cannot be stated enough, that nowhere do we see Paul teaching that the Gentile nations or Body of Christ have supplanted or replaced the Jews as the chosen people or nation of God. To suggest otherwise is without question heretical.

 

Specifically, Ephesians 2:11-22 tells us:

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the Saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Corner Stone; In Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

Paul would then declare in 1 Thessalonians as well as 1 Corinthians the future of the Body of Christ, which is the promised catching away (Rapture) of the spiritual organism of the Church before the seven year tribulation period. While those in Christ are snatched away before the most terrible time mankind is ever to experience ensues, also known as the Day of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:1-6), or the prophecy of Daniel’s 70th week (Daniel 9), God’s chosen unbelieving nation at that time is thus to remain and go through this terrible time of suffering, which at it’s culmination will find the surviving remnant of Jews taking the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah upon His 2nd Advent and when also His throne will be established with absolute power over the whole earth from Zion (see Zechariah 12, 13).

 

1 Corinthians 15:51-55 tells us the following about the Rapture:

 

 

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 also offers us:

For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Having now thus touched upon the nature,  status, and future of the spiritual entity that is the Body of Christ in Ephesians, 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians, Paul the Apostle would also speak in specifics to the Romans about that Jewish remnant yet to be saved and delivered by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ at His 2nd Advent. To start, we see Paul immediately put forward in Romans 11 the anticipatory question which perhaps his audience had been considering already and that needed definitive answering by the Apostle. Paul of course wanted the Romans to know that God was NOT done with His nation Israel.

 

Romans 11:1-2(a) tells us:

 

 

Notice Pauls answer: God forbid. Paul obviously knew that God had not cast away those Jews whom He already knew would believe on His Son at His glorious return.

 

Romans 11:11 tells us:

 

 

Rather than adducing any convincing evidence to suggest that God was done with the nation of Israel, Paul instead teaches his Roman audience further that despite the nation being cut off (temporarily), that God is able to graft in the natural branch (future surviving Remnant) into the olive tree (God) again, and will actually do so when the tribulation period culminates with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ at His 2nd Advent in power and glory as already mentioned above.

 

Romans 11:23-27 tells us:

 

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so ALL Israel shall be saved (grafted in again): as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer (2nd Advent of Christ), and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is My covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins (New Covenant).”

So my friend, although a much more comprehensive study could be conducted and offered on the subject, any person who undertakes study of the Scriptures in a proper literal and contextual fashion, is left without any other option than to conclude that God is not done with His chosen nation and race just because of their unfortunate initial national rejection of His Son.

 

As a rise of anti-semitism completely consistent with the end times is sweeping the globe presently, and now having seen the truth of the Bible, will you friend be one that stands with God’s chosen people and nation or against them?

 

And for those who are reading this article and have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed Blood alone for Heaven, are you blessing the Jewish people or cursing them? And if you are blessing them, will you preach the Gospel to lost Jews as well as the so many lost sinners of this world? Remember friend, God has promised a special blessing in His Word for all who would take it upon themselves to bless and defend His Holy nation and people.

 

Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:……” 

 

Psalm 122:6: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee.”

 

Lastly, if you are reading this and have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed Blood alone for Heaven, but would like to know how you can receive eternal life right now, please click on the button below.

 

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All quotations taken from the King James Version.