QUESTION

What is your position with regards to Israel and her people? As a body of believers do you support Israel ?

FOREWORD

This is a complex subject. Is the questioner asking about the political situation between Palestine and Israel or whether the Jews have a Divine right to reoccupy that land?

What I say is essentially my understanding on these matters. The congregation of Christ I belong to, like many other churches of Christ throughout the world (Romans 16:16), is autonomous in that we are not affiliated with any religious organisation and do not have any centralised authority. Each congregation is directly under the Lord Jesus Christ with nothing in between. We accept the Bible as our only authority in matters of faith and practice and endeavour to understand it and apply it to our manner of worship and daily lives. We have no creeds or articles of faith. On all matters we refer to the Bible as our authority. It follows that even though there is general agreement on most matters, on some understanding will differ from place to place and person to person. So even though many in churches of Christ might agree with my answers to your questions, my answers must not be taken as authoritative statement of what members of churches of Christ believe. If what I say on biblical matters says more than the Bible says, I say too much. If what I say on biblical matters says less than the Bible says, I say too little. If what I say on biblical matters contradicts what the Bible says, I am wrong.

ANSWER

The views I currently hold are:

1) The love of the Christ constrains all genuine Christians to love all people in the world. That includes Jews and Muslims.

2) Jews and Gentiles can have eternal salvation in Heaven, both on the same terms.

3) The Hebrew nation has forfeited its right to 'the promised land.'

My personal views on the political situation in Palestine/Israel

This is somewhat similar to other situations where land has been taken over and populated by in-comers. Three examples are: The mainland Europeans who centuries ago took over England from the ancient Brits; The Turks who also centuries ago took over Asia Minor and adjacent lands. More recently the Europeans who took over from the 'Red Indians' the lands are now the USA and Canada.

The setting up of the 'Nation of Israel' is now history. However ill-advised that was, we are faced with a fait-accompli. We cannot turn the clock back. A compromise must be negotiated between the two nations. The major stumbling block is the Zionist desire to restore the whole nation, its temple and worship as it was in the days of Solomon. They have to abandon that obsession. Palestinians will have to accept with grace that the imposition they suffered is history. Both sides will have to come together to negotiate a compromise on territorial boundaries. This will inevitably cause hardships and distress for residents on both sides. They should be compensated as far as possible. May God's wisdom penetrate the hearts of both Jews and Palestinians and direct their deliberations. For that I earnestly pray.

Bible teaching on 'the promised land'

God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants, but this would be as God's tenants. The land remained God's property (Leviticus 25:23). Also their tenancy was conditional on their being obedient (Joshua 23:16, 2.Chronicles 7:19-20). When the children of Israel were returning from Egypt and were disobedient, God made them wait in the wilderness until that generation had died (Num. 14:20-35) before allowing them to enter Canaan, and even Moses for an act of disobedience was not permitted to enter (Numbers 20:12). Later, a great part of the nation of Israel was taken captive into Assyria, again for failing to keep the Lord's commands (2 Kings 17:23). Then the remainder were taken captive to Babylon for 70 years (2 Chronicles 36:20-21), but at the end of that time some were allowed to return. When Jesus was born many Jewish people were living outside the land of Israel.

Jesus and his apostles preached the Gospel first to the Jews, then to the Samaritans and finally to the Gentiles. This fulfilled prophecies such as Micah 4:1-2, that many nations should be learn of the Lord from Jerusalem. But Jesus also foretold the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:34-39) because of disbelief, which happened in A.D. 70. As Jesus said to the woman of Samaria (John 4:21) worship would no longer be at Jerusalem or Samaria, but in spirit and truth. As Paul made clear (Romans 10:1-4) the Jews needed to believe in Jesus to be saved. The same salvation, eternal in heaven, is available on the same terms to both Jews and Gentiles (Matthew 28:28-20 Mark 16:16. Acts 2:37-41,47).

The remaining majority of the Jewish people do not accept Jesus as their Messiah. The present day State of Israel was set up because so many Jews were refugees at the time and particularly wished to return there. However, there is no reason to suppose that it is the will of God for them to return there. What the Hebrew/Aramaic scriptures* say about their return were amply fulfilled when the nation returned from captivity in Babylon and rebuilt the temple. God's will for them today is for them to accept the Gospel in the same way as the Gentiles and serve him wherever they live." [*generally known as The Old Testament]

There are Jews, Muslims and people of all nations, who have become Christians, having been baptised into Christ, now worshipping together and in loving harmony in many churches of Christ. The middle wall of partition is broken down. [Ephesians 2:14,16 and Galatians 3:26-28]

The Hebrew nation forfeited its right to the promised land

The covenant God made with the Hebrew nation was everlasting in essence but they violated the terms of the covenant. In several places in the book of Zechariah God states events which would occur "in that day" - the time when He would finally sever that covenant. Note that this was to be the end of the covenant with all the Hebrew tribes. It was never to be reinstated! The Jewish nation forfeited its right to the land of Palestine. There is no Divine authority for the Jewish restoration of the nation of Israel !

"... that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day: ... - ... they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. ... they shall look on me whom they have pierced ... In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." Zechariah 11:10-12, 12:10, 13:1

In the day the Jewish religious authorities bought the Messiah for 30 pieces of silver and had him crucified God broke the covenant he had made with all the tribes of Israel, the Jewish nation forfeited its right to the land of Palestine.

On the other hand a fountain was opened for sinners. This blessings of this fountain are extended to the house of David and to all mankind. As the hymn writer puts it, "those plunged beneath its flood loose all their guilty stains.

Take note that the ending of the covenant is directly linked with the Messiah's passion

All the predictions in Zechariah to "that day" so evidently refer to what is generally called 'the passion week.'

What a wonderful Saviour!

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