Who is Israel?-1

There are few topics in the Bible that has caused more confusion than who is the true Israel! The problem may be caused by the immense number of verses on Israel and the lack of true contextural understanding of how they all work together. Most often, people take the easy way or simple way to understanding rather than commit themselves to a long and in-depth search for truth. I am not saying I know more or have studied more but it has been a long, rewarding study that I am now going to be sharing with you over the next few months.

First, let us just look at Israel, the nation, today.

It encompasses just 9700 square miles with a current population of about 9,900,000 people. This is about the size of New Jersey in land area. There are 7 US states that have populations this size or larger. California, Florida, Texas, and New York all have vastly larger populations.

The majority of the people, 73% are Jews, 18% are Muslim, and the rest are spread out over a range of beliefs. Just 1.9 % consider themselves Christian.

Second, the land now known as Israel was legally established by the Balfour Document of 1917. This basically gave the current land inhabited and ‘owned’ by Palestinians to a Jewish nation still to be gathered there from around the world.

Third, much like at the time of Jesus, the Jewish people remain estranged from God. This current population is not the covenant regathering of the lost of Israel, but an evil, demonic controlled people who deny Jesus as their Messiah. Why do I say demonic? We have read these verses before and are still true today.

John 8:41  "You are doing the deeds of your father." They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God." 

8:42  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 

8:43  "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 

8:44  "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 

There have been over 180,000 Palestinian men, women, and children killed by the ADF since October. The ICJ has condemned Israel for genocide, but to no avail. If you read the current news from Israel, not to be found on the ‘mainline’ media, you will be horrified to discover that soldiers are legally allowed to rape Palestinian women held in Israeli prisons. Almost half of the citizens are in agreement with this, as they consider them to be not truly human.

Fourth, there are hundreds of verses in the Bible that seem to contradict each other, which only adds to the confusion and problem.

Jacob is the father of the 12 tribes of ‘Israel’. God changed his name from Jacob to Israel.

Genesis 32:27  So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 32:28  He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." 

Genesis 35:9  Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. 35:10  God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name." Thus He called him Israel. 35:11  God also said to him, "I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. 

The confusion begins here. There are 81 verses in the Bible that include both names interchangeably. The last verse is in Romans.

Romans 11:25  For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 11:26  and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." 

We will attempt to resolve these issues and bring clarity to them as God is not a God of confusion.

More next Saturday.