For almost all of Christianity’s 2000 year history, there was no State of Israel. Sadly, Christian theology often reflected the fact that the Jewish people had lost their national sovereignty and had been scattered throughout the world. Many Christian theologians falsely taught that the promises and blessings of God to the Jewish people, now applied to the Church. Since they taught that the Church replaced Israel as God’s Chosen People, this false theology is called Replacement Theology.
THE LAND OF ISRAEL
The Bible is very clear that the Jewish people were given the land of Canaan by God Himself. God, who is a covenant making and a covenant keeping God, gave the land to Abraham and to his descendents through Isaac as an EVERLASTING possession. (Genesis 12:1-3).
THE REBIRTH OF ISRAEL
The rebirth of the State of Israel in a single day, on May 14th, 1948 (as foretold in Isaiah 66:8), has deeply affected the Bible-believing world. Although there were Christians who taught that the Jews would return to their land, since 1948, the Christian world is reading their Bible in a new historical context – a context in which God’s promises to the Jewish people are being fulfilled. The miraculous birth of the State of Israel demanded a theological explanation as does the on-going fulfilment of biblical prophesy concerning Israel in the last days.
THE RETURN OF ISRAEL
We also read in Scripture, that though God said the people of Israel would be exiled from that land due to disobedience, He promised to bring them back – and not just once, but this second time as well. (Isaiah 11:11).
God is not finished with the nation of Israel for she will one day become the chief of the nations. From Jerusalem the Word of the Lord will go forth to the nations and the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Israel’s Messiah (Jesus) will reign in righteousness, He will rule the nations with a rod of iron and nations will not learn war anymore (Jeremiah 31:36; Isaiah 2:2-4).
SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL
Christians must support the Jewish people’s return to the land and the rebuilding of their nation. Today, as throughout history, the growing tide of anti-semitism seeks to destroy the Jewish State and to wipe it off the face of the earth. However, we will stand with Israel and will not be silent (Isaiah 62:6).
Scripture calls us as Christians to comfort Israel (Isaiah 40:1), to bless her (Genesis 12:3), to pray for her (Psalm 122:6) and to encourage her with God’s precious Word. We do not do this for our own blessing because God promises to bless those who bless her, and to prosper those who love her. Nor do we bless her because we believe her existence is to bring about some prophesied event. We stand with her and for her simply because if God is with her, so are we.
