Promises Regarding Israel

 Isaiah 62:1 

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.”

Jeremiah 32

 This is what the Lord says,

he who appoints the sun

    to shine by day,

who decrees the moon and stars

    to shine by night,

who stirs up the sea

    so that its waves roar—

    the Lord Almighty is his name:

Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”

    declares the Lord,

“will Israel ever cease

    being a nation before me.” - Jeremiah 31:35,36

Old Testament Affirmations:

Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3): God promises to bless Abraham and make his descendants into a great nation, and through them, all nations will be blessed.  He promises to make Abram into a great nation and bless him. This covenant includes the land promise: “I will give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:8).

Land Promise (Genesis 13:14-17): God promises Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession.  

Genesis 15:18-21

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates..."

In Deuteronomy 30:3-5, God reaffirms His promise to Israel regarding the land: “Then the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. … And the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it.”

Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16): God promises King David an everlasting kingdom and that his throne will be established forever through his descendants.  Messiah’s Lineage: God also promises that the Messiah will come from Israel, specifically from the kingly Davidic line (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

Jerusalem's Restoration (Zechariah 8:3-8): God promises the restoration and prosperity of Jerusalem, saying it will be a city of truth and peace.

Israel's Future Restoration (Ezekiel 36:24-28): God promises to gather the scattered Israelites from among the nations, cleanse them, give them a new heart, and restore them to their land.

There are various Biblical prophecies that foresee Israel's restoration and gathering in their land in the future (Ezekiel 37:21-22, Amos 9:14-15).

“I will plant Israel in their own land,

    never again to be uprooted

    from the land I have given them,” - Amos 9:15

New Testament Affirmations:

God's Faithfulness (Romans 11:1-2, 29): Paul reaffirms that God has not rejected His people, the Jews, and that His gifts and calling to them are irrevocable.

Gospel for the Jews (Romans 1:16): Paul declares that the gospel is the power of salvation for everyone who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Hope for Israel's Salvation (Romans 11:25-26): Paul speaks of a future time when all Israel will be saved, emphasizing God's plan for their redemption.

“As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”   (Rom. 11:28)

Jerusalem's Spiritual Restoration (Galatians 4:25-26): Jerusalem is described allegorically as representing the heavenly city and the mother of believers.

Revelation's Mention of Israel (Revelation 21:12): In the vision of the new Jerusalem, the names of the twelve tribes of Israel are inscribed on the city's gates.

Fallacies of Understanding Israel

Replacement Theology Fallacy: Some interpretations dismiss the ongoing significance of Israel in God's plan, suggesting that the church has replaced Israel entirely in God's purposes. However, many biblical passages, especially in the New Testament, affirm the ongoing role of Israel in God's plans without negating the importance of the Church.

Denying Israel's Promises: Misinterpretations might overlook or deny the specific promises and covenants God made with Israel regarding the land, descendants, and blessings, as outlined in the Old Testament. These promises are affirmed throughout scripture and aren't nullified by the advent of the New Testament or the establishment of the Church.

Ignoring Jewish Restoration: Some interpretations overlook or downplay prophecies about the restoration of Israel as a nation, the regathering of the Jewish people, and Jerusalem's significance. The Bible foretells a future restoration of Israel, both spiritually and nationally, which includes the reoccupation of the Promised Land.

Misunderstanding Spiritual Israel: While the New Testament discusses the concept of a spiritual Israel, it doesn't negate the significance of the nation of Israel itself. The church, composed of both Jews and Gentiles, doesn't replace Israel but is spiritually grafted into God's promises.