Are those in the middle East the true Israel of God? Will their enemies in Iran or Syria or elsewhere overrun them and start the battle of Armageddon as popularly taught?
Israel was the name given to Jacob and his descendants after he had wrestled with the angel and prevailed. Before however, he was a schemer and deceiver but through repentance God was able to use him for His purpose.
The descendants of Jacob or Israel or the children of Israel were to make known the glories of the unseen God and thus draw all nations to Him. They were to possess the land of Canaan and from their expand their borders to include to whole world that the knowledge of God might go far and wide and that salvation would be within reach of all men.
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel. (Exodus 19:5,6 ESV)
Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples. (Psalms 96:3 AMP)
Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, The Lord will surely separate me from His people. And let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths and choose the things which please Me and hold firmly My covenant— To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name better [and more enduring] than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to Him and to love the name of the Lord and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it and who holds fast My covenant [by conscientious obedience]— All these I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:3-7)
They failed the purpose of God for the nation and were delivered into Assyrian captivity for 70 years (2 Chronicles 36:14-21). After 70 years they were restored (2 Chronicles 36:22,23) and given 490 years to make an end of sin, anoint the most Holy and bring in everlasting righteousness. But they failed again and through their own choice to reject the Messiah they were rejected as God's chosen people.
“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy. (Daniel 9:24 NKJV)
When Pilate heard this, he led Jesus outside and sat down upon the Judgment-seat in the place called the Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was preparation day of the Passover and it was now getting on towards midday. Pilate said to the Jews, “Look, here’s your king!” At which they yelled, “Take him away, take him away, crucify him!” Am I to crucify your king? Pilate asked them. “Caesar is our king and no one else,” replied the chief priests. And at this Pilate handed Jesus over to them for crucifixion. (John19:13-16 J.B. Philips)
The Jews are never again to be God's chosen people they have rejected Jesus and that choice was acknowledged by God. The promises that once belonged to the Jews now belong to the church. After the cross (and before) the true Israel of God are those exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Now this does not mean that God’s word to Israel has failed. For you cannot count all “Israelites” as the true Israel of God. Nor can all Abraham’s descendants be considered truly children of Abraham. The promise was that ‘in Isaac your seed shall be called’. That means that it is not the natural descendants who automatically inherit the promise, but, on the contrary, that the children of the promise (i.e. sons of God) are to be considered truly Abraham’s children. (Romans 9:6-8)
I have come to the conclusion that a true Jew is not the man who is merely a Jew outwardly, and a real circumcision is not just a matter of the body. The true Jew is one who belongs to God in heart, a man whose circumcision is not just an outward physical affair but is a God-made sign upon the heart and soul, and results in a life lived not for the approval of man, but for the approval of God. (Romans 2:28,29)
But in Christ it is not circumcision or uncircumcision that counts but the power of new birth. To all who live by this principle, to the true Israel of God, may there be peace and mercy! (Galatians 6:15,16 J.B. Philips)
All who by faith trust to the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ are the Israel of God.
Israel was the name given to Jacob and his descendants after he had wrestled with the angel and prevailed. Before however, he was a schemer and deceiver but through repentance God was able to use him for His purpose.
The descendants of Jacob or Israel or the children of Israel were to make known the glories of the unseen God and thus draw all nations to Him. They were to possess the land of Canaan and from their expand their borders to include to whole world that the knowledge of God might go far and wide and that salvation would be within reach of all men.
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel. (Exodus 19:5,6 ESV)
Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples. (Psalms 96:3 AMP)
Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, The Lord will surely separate me from His people. And let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths and choose the things which please Me and hold firmly My covenant— To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name better [and more enduring] than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to Him and to love the name of the Lord and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it and who holds fast My covenant [by conscientious obedience]— All these I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:3-7)
They failed the purpose of God for the nation and were delivered into Assyrian captivity for 70 years (2 Chronicles 36:14-21). After 70 years they were restored (2 Chronicles 36:22,23) and given 490 years to make an end of sin, anoint the most Holy and bring in everlasting righteousness. But they failed again and through their own choice to reject the Messiah they were rejected as God's chosen people.
“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy. (Daniel 9:24 NKJV)
When Pilate heard this, he led Jesus outside and sat down upon the Judgment-seat in the place called the Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was preparation day of the Passover and it was now getting on towards midday. Pilate said to the Jews, “Look, here’s your king!” At which they yelled, “Take him away, take him away, crucify him!” Am I to crucify your king? Pilate asked them. “Caesar is our king and no one else,” replied the chief priests. And at this Pilate handed Jesus over to them for crucifixion. (John19:13-16 J.B. Philips)
The Jews are never again to be God's chosen people they have rejected Jesus and that choice was acknowledged by God. The promises that once belonged to the Jews now belong to the church. After the cross (and before) the true Israel of God are those exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Now this does not mean that God’s word to Israel has failed. For you cannot count all “Israelites” as the true Israel of God. Nor can all Abraham’s descendants be considered truly children of Abraham. The promise was that ‘in Isaac your seed shall be called’. That means that it is not the natural descendants who automatically inherit the promise, but, on the contrary, that the children of the promise (i.e. sons of God) are to be considered truly Abraham’s children. (Romans 9:6-8)
I have come to the conclusion that a true Jew is not the man who is merely a Jew outwardly, and a real circumcision is not just a matter of the body. The true Jew is one who belongs to God in heart, a man whose circumcision is not just an outward physical affair but is a God-made sign upon the heart and soul, and results in a life lived not for the approval of man, but for the approval of God. (Romans 2:28,29)
But in Christ it is not circumcision or uncircumcision that counts but the power of new birth. To all who live by this principle, to the true Israel of God, may there be peace and mercy! (Galatians 6:15,16 J.B. Philips)
All who by faith trust to the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ are the Israel of God.