Israel is
the nation descended from
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
chosen by God to be
His special people
and
to play a central role in
His redemptive plan for the world.
¶ Biblical Understanding of Israel
From the beginning, God chose Abraham and made unconditional promises to him and his descendants. These promises were passed down through Isaac and Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel). The nation of Israel was formed through Jacob’s twelve sons and became the people through whom God would reveal Himself, give His Law, and bring the Messiah into the world.
Despite periods of disobedience and judgment, God has remained faithful to His covenants with Israel. The Bible teaches that Israel has a unique and ongoing role in God’s purposes, both historically and prophetically.
God made several important covenants with Israel:
- Abrahamic Covenant — God promised Abraham land, descendants, and blessing to all nations through his seed.
- Land Covenant — God promised the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession to Abraham’s descendants.
- Davidic Covenant — God promised David an eternal throne and kingdom through his descendant, the Messiah.
- New Covenant — God promised to forgive Israel’s sins and write His law on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
These covenants are unconditional, meaning their ultimate fulfillment depends on God’s faithfulness, not Israel’s obedience.
¶ Israel and the Church
While the Church is made up of both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus, the Bible maintains a distinction between Israel and the Church. God’s promises to national Israel have not been transferred to the Church. The Church is a distinct entity, but Israel remains God’s chosen nation with a future role in His plan.
The Bible teaches that Israel has a glorious future:
- The nation will experience a great spiritual awakening and turn to their Messiah, Jesus Christ.
- Israel will be restored to their land and will be the center of Christ’s millennial kingdom.
- Many prophecies in the Old Testament that have not yet been fulfilled will be literally fulfilled with Israel in the future.
As the apostle Paul wrote, “God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew” (Romans 11:2).
- Genesis 12:1-3 — Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
- Jeremiah 31:35-37 — Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night… “If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever.”
- Ezekiel 36:24-28 — For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…
- Romans 11:1-2 — I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.
- Romans 11:25-26 — For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.
Understanding God’s plan for Israel is important for believers because:
- It demonstrates God’s faithfulness — what He promises, He fulfills.
- It helps us interpret prophecy correctly by recognizing that many promises to Israel are still future and literal.
- It gives us confidence in God’s Word, as we see prophecies about Israel’s restoration being fulfilled in our time.
- It motivates us to pray for Israel and support God’s purposes for the nation.
- It deepens our appreciation for the Jewish roots of our faith and the Messiah who came from Israel.
God’s dealings with Israel reveal His character and provide assurance that He will also fulfill all His promises to the Church.