If people don’t start getting this soon I’m going to end up in the hospital with severe head injuries.
For centuries many Christians have believed that supporting and defending Israel somehow garners God’s favor. They believe the scripture concerning God’s promise to Abraham, who is the father of Israel as well as other nations, means that anyone or any nation that stands for Israel will be blessed of God for doing so. One could argue as to whether or not this promise applies to whole nations but for the sake of argument we’ll say that it does.
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
The promise is certainly genuine but in order for the promise to be of any effect there must be an Israel or Abraham to bless. I know that logic would not escape most but unfortunately too many believers have not followed the Apostle Paul’s admonition of studying “rightly diving the word of truth.”
For nearly the last 2000 years there has been no Israel to bless. Just as Jesus had prophesied, not one stone was left upon another of the temple as the Roman General Titus killed hundreds of thousands of Jews, burned the temple and removed every single stone.
Since the time of the 70 A.D. dispersion there had been many who had tried to restore Israel and or Jerusalem with no success until the British finally did succeed, in 1948, to establish a Jewish state. It wasn’t until 1967 though that they actually began to claim some territory after winning, what is known as, the 6 Day War.
Many people believe that due to the alleged miraculous circumstances, giving the Israelis the victory, it must have been God and therefore it was the prophesied return of Israel to the land. But what we need to realize is that if it doesn’t line up with scripture then it isn’t of God. If there was a miracle involved it could most likely be attributable to the god of this world, who is the prince and the power of the air. It is his aspiration to be God; to be above the most High, so it makes sense that he is in the business of imitating the works of God.
During the dispensation of the law when God was still working with Israel, they were looking for the One who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah so, of course, during the dispensation of the Law when God was dealing with Israel and it was all about prophecy, Satan would act as a roaring lion, seeking whomsoever he may devour. Just as now, in the dispensation of the Grace of God, he acts as an angel of light and his ministers are ministers of righteousness. Whatever God is doing you can bet Satan will be perpetrating a counterfeit.
What does the Bible say about Israel’s condition in the Dispensation of the Grace of God?
Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
(I’d recommend that you read the whole chapter because it is clear that God is, in time future, going to resume his program with Israel after this time of Gentile grace. When that is we don’t know because there is no time set in God’s word for the dispensation of the grace of God.)
Paul reveals to us that God’s dealing with Israel has been temporarily shut down. The question is, when did God cease working with Israel? The short answer is at the stoning of Stephen and or at the conversion of Paul. We know from the parable of the fig tree that Christ, at the end of his 3 years of ministry to Israel, had sought to find fruit but found none. The vine dresser, who would be Peter, asked for a one year extension to continue ministering to Israel preaching repentance. Israel needed to admit that they had failed to live up to the covenant they had made with God and that they were incapable of keeping the law and ask God to deal with them mercifully and graciously. The stoning of Stephen was right at the one year extension and we know that Israel’s leadership rejected the Holy Spirit, as Paul tells us that he was there, consenting to Stephen’s death and had blasphemed the Holy Ghost. And furthermore, he had implored others to do the same upon threat of death.
Then Paul says this:
1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Notice in the above verse Paul says “in me first”. So Paul is the first to obtain this mercy. Since Paul was a blasphemer there would be no possibility of repentance.
Mar 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Since Israel refused to make her law failure confession, which is the fruit that Jesus was looking for and then blasphemed the Holy Ghost, there would be no more hope for Israel or for the entire world since the only way, at that time, to be saved was to come through God’s chosen nation. Gentiles were outside of the covenants and promises, without hope in the world.
Contrary to mainstream relig-ianity, after the resurrection, Jews and Gentiles were not on equal par. There were no gentiles at Pentecost as it was the fulfillment of a Jewish feast day and God’s program with Israel was still in play. The suffering Messiah was part of the prophetic program so everything was continuing on according to prophecy. Keep in mind the parable of the fig tree. Christ did not give it just to entertain the disciples. It was meant to convey a truth.
Back to the point now: Since Israel fell it was necessary then, that God institute a new program and a new Apostle. Out of two he had made one new man and the one body had one Apostle to whom God would reveal a secret that he had been keeping since the foundation of the world. A part of that secret being that he had concluded them ALL in unbelief that he might have mercy upon ALL.
Paul was the first recipient of that mercy and the pattern for all them who would “hereafter” believe. Hereafter what? The verse says after Paul. That’s what the verse says. So it is obvious then, that a new program had begun with Paul; the Dispensation of the Grace of God was given to Paul, the Apostle OF the Gentiles. Again, that’s what the Bible says.
Blessing Israel
So hopefully you can see by now that Israel, nationally, is out of the picture. Jews and Gentiles are now on equal par and there is no difference. The people that live in modern day Israel come to the truth or don’t come to it the same way as anyone else. Modern day Israel is not God’s Israel. It is not the Israel of prophecy it is the Israel created by men and since, in the dispensation of grace, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile there is no benefit to blessing unregenerate Jews or Israel nationally.
Those people living in that country need what every lost person needs, to hear the Gospel of Christ, believing that Jesus died for their sins and was raised for their justification and that sin was taken off the table of God’s justice 2000 years ago. Salvation comes when we believe God. When God said that while Christ was in the world he reconciled the world to himself all we have to do is take God at his word, that’s faith. God accepted his son’s sacrifice for sin and said “It is finished”.
There’s no magic prayer, going down an aisle and confessing your sins; there is only taking God at his word about his son and what he accomplished with his death, burial and resurrection. When you do that you are baptized; identified with Christ in his resurrection life and his righteousness is applied to your account. You see, the sin issue has been dealt with for everyone but it’s not enough to have your sins forgiven. No one will go to hell because of their sin because it’s all been paid for past, present and future. However, to gain heaven you need righteousness and that’s a real problem since we have none. When you believe God that your sin has been paid for he places you into the person of his son and his righteousness becomes your righteousness. There’s not a better deal than that in all of eternity now is there?
Well I got a little off track but I hope you can see that all this banter about the USA supporting Israel to garner God’s favor and people in general just thinking being on Israel’s side is being on God’s side is not the Biblical side. The Bible clearly indicates that Israel and God’s program with her is temporarily shut down and we should be grateful that it’s so since it is by their fall grace has come to all. So if you are a believer and you want to bless a Jew then share the Gospel with them since, after all, it is the Gospel of Christ that is the power of God unto salvation – Romans 1:16.