The “God Support Israel” Theology
A study of the book of Revelation proves that Christianity’s great focus on the “God supports Israel” theology is not biblical. Not that God doesn’t love Modern state of the Jews but because Revelation’s focus is not on “Israel after the flesh,” but on “the Israel of God” which is composed of both “Jews and non-Jews” centered in Jesus Christ.
According to the New Testament, there are now two Israels. One is composed of literal Israelites “according to the flesh” (Romans 9:3, 4). The other is “spiritual Israel,” composed of Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus Christ. Paul says, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Romans 9:6). That is, not all are part of God’s spiritual Israel who are of the literal nation of the Jews. And he adds: “They which are the children of the flesh [physical descendants of Abraham], these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed” (verse 8).
Thus, the children of the flesh are only the natural descendants of Abraham, but the children of the promise are the ones counted as the true seed. And the reason for that is: any person—Jew or Gentile—can become part of this spiritual nation of Israel through faith in Jesus Christ.
It is true that God chose Israel in the Old Testament to be His chosen people to share His truth with the whole world. But when Jesus was on the earth, the leaders of the nation Israel rejected Him and His spiritual mission. “Jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body” (John 2:19-21). Jesus was not speaking of rebuilding the physical temple. He meant to build a spiritual temple for all people.
Then, Jesus mournfully added, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37,38).
Because of the Jews’ disobedience and rejection, Jesus predicted the destruction of their physical temple and Jerusalem. “Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:1, 2). And His prophecy of the destruction came to pass in 70 AD by the Romans. At this point, God’s promises and covenant to literal Israel were transferred to spiritual Israel – or the New Testament the church (1 Corinthians 1:24).
Bible prophecy teachers that tie end time prophecies to modern state of Israel, use this verse: “And so all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26) to mean that God will ultimately save all literal Jews. But God is not a racist (Acts 10:34). In the New Testament, the saved believers are only those “who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Thus, anyone whether Jew or Gentile that accepts Christ, will be saved.
This is the good news of the gospel that: “there is neither Jew nor Greek, … for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28, 29). In Christ’s kingdom, all are covered with the same garment of Christ’s righteousness, which they receive by faith in Him.
Every one regardless of race can be saved through faith in Christ. “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4 also John 1:12, 13; 3:3). God’s grace makes the believers “sons of God” (1 John 3:1), and so “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17), and receivers of grace and of all the family privileges (Galatians 4:6, 7).
God’s kingdom is a spiritual one. Thus, the focus of end time prophecies in the Bible (Mount Zion, Israel, Jerusalem, the temple, the Euphrates, Babylon and Armageddon) should not be on a literal state but on God’s spiritual state.
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
