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land was originally given to the Jews by God: "And
the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was
separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and
look from the place where thou art northward, and
southward, and eastward, and westward: For all
the land which thou seest, to thee will I give
it, and to thy seed for ever." (Genesis
13:14-15)
After
2,000 years of Jewish dispersion the land was
restored to the Jews for a nation to never again
be uprooted:
"And
I will plant them upon their land, and they shall
no more be pulled up out of their land which I
have given them, saith the LORD thy God."
(Amos 9:15)
Northern
and Southern tribes of Israel are regathered in
the Last Days into one nation:
"Say
unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I
will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the
hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his
fellows, and will put them with him, even with
the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and
they shall be one in mine hand." (Ezekiel
37:19)
God also
made a promise to Abraham in regard to how people
treat Israel:
"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." (Genesis 12:3)
Those who
attempt to divide Israel will be dealt with by
the Lord:
"I
will also gather all nations, and will bring them
down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will
plead with them there for my people and for my
heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among
the nations, and parted my land." (Joel 3:2)
The Jews
are still the covenanted promise holders of
God’s plan:
"I
say then, Hath God cast away his people? God
forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed
of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath
not cast away his people which he
foreknew..." (Romans 11:1-2a)
God’s
eternal covenant with the Jews includes the land:
"In
the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land,
from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the
river Euphrates:" (Genesis 15:18)
"And
I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after
thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all
the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession; and I will be their God."
(Genesis 17:8)
Gentiles
(non-Jews) are grafted into Israel, not the other
way around:
"For
if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy:
and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And
if some of the branches be broken off, and thou,
being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among
them, and with them partakest of the root and
fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the
branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the
root, but the root thee." (Romans 11:16-18)
One-third
of the Jews will accept Jesus as their Messiah
during the Tribulation:
"And
I will bring the third part through the fire, and
will refine them as silver is refined, and will
try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my
name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my
people: and they shall say, The LORD is my
God." (Zechariah 13:9)
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