The Promised Land, Part III

Getting Redemptive History Straight

We have argued that the modern nation state of Israel has nothing at all to do with biblical prophecy or with God's plans for the Jewish people.  It is just one more nation state, along with the 178 others.  It has no special claim to divine right or favour.  Like all other nations, if its inhabitants and citizens do not repent and believe it will eventually fall under the chastening and judgment of God.

But does the same apply to the Jewish people as a whole?  Here's where things get really interesting.
  In Romans 11, God reveals that He has cut the Jewish people off from the olive tree of His redemption because of their unbelief and their rejection of Messiah (Romans 11:11-32).  But this has led God to "start over" with the Gentiles.  So He has sent His servants into all the world calling all people to become the special and favoured people of God.  So the rejection of the Jews has been an occasion of divine blessing to all peoples. 

But there is a "deeper magic" at work here.  For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (11:29).  In time God will again lift up the light of His countenance upon His ancient people and show them His mercy.  When the "fullness" of the Gentiles has come in, the Jews will again be grafted back into the olive tree, so that "all Israel will be saved".  From this we understand that the time is coming when Jewish people as a whole will recognize Messiah Whom they had rejected, and will turn and believe in Him, becoming once again the people of God along with all believing Gentiles.  In other words, the Jewish people will become Christians.  This, we are told, will bring turbo-charged blessing upon all who believe, both Gentile and Jew (Romans 11: 12).

Now through the course of centuries many, many Jewish people have become Christians, acknowledging Jesus as the true Messiah of Israel, repenting of their sins, and believing upon Him.  But in the light of Romans 11 we understand that these represent just a "first fruits".  In time the hardness of heart that generally applies will be removed, and Jews universally will turn to Christ in true saving faith. 

Thus the future of the Christian church is inextricably bound up with the Jewish people--for when they eventually are gathered into the church, it will result in glory upon glory for Gentile believers.  The fullness of our blessing at God's hand awaits the widespread conversion of Jewish people everywhere. 

But as for the ancient nation-state of Israel, the temple, the priesthood, the sacrificial system, the Levitical orders, the sacraments of circumcision and Passover--they are gone forever.  Their fulfilment and significance are now to be found in Messiah--and in Him alone. 

Christians, therefore, are not to be indifferent to Jewish people.  Rather, along with the Apostle Paul, we are to long for their repentance and conversion (Romans 10:1).  But as for the modern nation-state of Israel there is no biblical significance to be attached to it whatsoever.  If Israel ceased to exist, or continues to exist,  it would represent neither a fulfilment nor reversal of redemptive history. Modern Israel is in no sense the Promised Land.  It once was; but no longer.

In the light of this, what should be the attitude of Christians towards the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians?  What "side" should we take?  We will turn our attention to this in our next post.