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The nation of Israel has a big role in Bible prophecy. Recently I felt motivated to look in-depth specifically at Israel and the Jews in end-times prophecy. I saw things in the Scriptures that I had not seen before, and even something I have never heard anyone talk about, which I will share with you here. I don't take the credit for these insights. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth.
Traditional Israel and Spiritual Israel
Israel is God's called-out nation, a people He calls his own:
"You are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth." - Deuteronomy 14:2, Holman
The book of Genesis defined Israel as the people descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The genealogy runs from Abraham to his son Isaac, to his son Jacob, and then to Jacob's 12 sons who were the progenitors of the 12 tribes of Israel:
- Reuben
- Simeon
- Levi
- Judah
- Issachar
- Zebulun
- Dan
- Naphtali
- Gad
- Asher
- Joseph
- Benjamin
Excluded from Israel were descendants of Abraham's son Ishmael, the sons from his second wife Keturah who he married after Sarah died, as well as Isaac's other son Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew. The Gentile nations (Hebrew goyim, meaning foreign, non-Hebrew nations) were obviously not part of Israel either.
However, foreigners could join Israel if they were willing to practice Israel's faith in the Lord God - that is, be converted. So membership in Israel was never just about ancestral pedigree:
"But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it." - Exodus 12:18
Ancestry was also not enough to maintain Israel's status as God's holy people. Obedience to God and walking in His righteousness was and is at the core of this relationship. Obedience brings blessing; disobedience brings judgment:
"'Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.'" - Isaiah 1:16-20, NASB
Furthermore,
the prophet Hosea spoke of a future time when Israel and Judah would be reunited
and Gentile nations would join them as sons of God:
"Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' it will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.' And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and they will go up from the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel." - Hosea 1:10-11
In Romans 9, the Apostle Paul confirmed this passage is referring to the Gentile nations where it says: "And in the place where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' it will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.'" This is astonishing because it foretells a time when the sons of Judah, the sons of Israel and believing Gentiles will be united under one King, who is the Messiah Jesus Christ.
It is also amazing in light of the current state of affairs of the 12 tribes of Israel. Hosea was a prophet during the time when Israel was split into the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and southern kingdom of Judah. This situation arose out of a civil conflict after the reign of King Solomon. Later, Israel and Judah rebelled against God to such a degree that both were destroyed in judgment by foreign nations. Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and sent its inhabitants into exile, and 130 years later Babylon did the same to Judah.
After 70 years of captivity, Judah returned and rebuilt Jerusalem. However, it was only the tribe of Judah, plus Benjamin whose territorial allotment was part of Judah, and a remnant of Levites who were designated priests in Israel and did not have a territory, but were scattered among all tribes. The other 10 tribes - Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon and Zebulun - were and are still considered lost. They were dispersed and assimilated among other nations.
This history is critical for understanding Bible prophecy. The word for Jew in the New Testament - the Greek word Ioudaios - means Judean or someone from Judah. Today we typically think of Jews as the descendants of Israel - and they are - but they are not all the descendants of Israel. The phrase Jews or Jewish people excludes the lost 10 tribes. The Basic Laws of the modern state of Israel declare that it is the nation-state of the Jewish people (only). The Law of Return in Israel gives Jews from other nations the right to live in Israel and gain citizenship, but they are not looking for or accepting the lost 10 tribes. The prophecy above in Hosea and others in Isaiah and Ezekiel envision a restored Israel with all 12 tribes. So there is a major discrepancy between what is happening in Israel today and what the Bible ultimately predicts for it. More on this later.
"Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' it will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.' And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and they will go up from the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel." - Hosea 1:10-11
In Romans 9, the Apostle Paul confirmed this passage is referring to the Gentile nations where it says: "And in the place where it is said to them, 'You are not My people,' it will be said to them, 'You are the sons of the living God.'" This is astonishing because it foretells a time when the sons of Judah, the sons of Israel and believing Gentiles will be united under one King, who is the Messiah Jesus Christ.
It is also amazing in light of the current state of affairs of the 12 tribes of Israel. Hosea was a prophet during the time when Israel was split into the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and southern kingdom of Judah. This situation arose out of a civil conflict after the reign of King Solomon. Later, Israel and Judah rebelled against God to such a degree that both were destroyed in judgment by foreign nations. Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and sent its inhabitants into exile, and 130 years later Babylon did the same to Judah.
After 70 years of captivity, Judah returned and rebuilt Jerusalem. However, it was only the tribe of Judah, plus Benjamin whose territorial allotment was part of Judah, and a remnant of Levites who were designated priests in Israel and did not have a territory, but were scattered among all tribes. The other 10 tribes - Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon and Zebulun - were and are still considered lost. They were dispersed and assimilated among other nations.
This history is critical for understanding Bible prophecy. The word for Jew in the New Testament - the Greek word Ioudaios - means Judean or someone from Judah. Today we typically think of Jews as the descendants of Israel - and they are - but they are not all the descendants of Israel. The phrase Jews or Jewish people excludes the lost 10 tribes. The Basic Laws of the modern state of Israel declare that it is the nation-state of the Jewish people (only). The Law of Return in Israel gives Jews from other nations the right to live in Israel and gain citizenship, but they are not looking for or accepting the lost 10 tribes. The prophecy above in Hosea and others in Isaiah and Ezekiel envision a restored Israel with all 12 tribes. So there is a major discrepancy between what is happening in Israel today and what the Bible ultimately predicts for it. More on this later.
The New Testament introduced
the idea of spiritual Israel, which includes all people, both Israelite
and Gentile, who believe in and follow Jesus Christ, the Messiah King. The Bible also calls this the church or body of Christ. Spiritual Israel excludes everyone who does not believe in Jesus, whether Israelite or
Gentile.
John
8:30-37 records a dialog between Jesus and some religious Jews. To the ones who
believed in Him, He said, “If you continue in my word, you really are My
disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Other Jews
who heard objected and claimed they were descendants of Abraham and had never
been enslaved. In other words, they claimed to be children of God and members
of Israel by their ancestry, apart from Christ. Jesus acknowledged they were
descendants of Abraham, but disputed who their true spiritual father was:
“Jesus
said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I came from
God and I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me. Why don’t you
understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to My word. You are of your
father the Devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.” – John 8:42-44
Like the Pharisees in Jesus' time, rabbinic Judaism today views inclusion in Israel primarily through the lens of ancestry. However, Paul likewise affirmed that membership in spiritual Israel does not come by ancestry,
but by faith in Christ:
“For
not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Neither are they all children
because they are Abraham’s descendants. On the contrary, ‘In Isaac your seed
will be called.’ That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are
God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered seed.” –
Romans 9:6-8
The
promise mentioned is God’s promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed
in him, and he and his descendants would inherit the world as spiritual Israel:
“Just
as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, so
understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons. Now the Scripture
foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and foretold the good news
to Abraham, saying, ‘All nations will be blessed in you.’ So those who have
faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.” – Galatians 3:6-9
The
New Testament also uses the term Israel in the traditional sense, such here when
Paul declared his own ancestry:
"I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.” –
Romans 11:1
Depending on the context, Israel in the New Testament could refer to traditional or spiritual Israel.
Some Christians adhere to a view called
replacement theology which says the church (believers in Jesus Christ) completely
replaces traditional Israel in God's plans for the end times. This is not true. The Scriptures
paint a more nuanced picture. In these end times, God is bringing Gentiles
and a small portion of Jews into spiritual Israel. The Bible also foretells
a time at the very end of this age when Jews in Israel embrace Jesus
Christ as a nation after going through tremendous suffering and loss of life. Ultimately,
in the age to come and after Jesus returns, spiritual Israel will prevail and traditional Israel
will be an anachronism, something that belonged to a bygone era, like
how Christians view temple building and animal sacrifices today. The ideal of unity and oneness in Christ will then be fully realized:
"There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise." - Romans 3:28-29
In the
meantime, God is building his kingdom, spiritual Israel, while fulfilling prophecies
for traditional Israel.
A Remnant of Israel Will be Saved
"So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob. And this will be My covenant with them when I take away their sins." - Romans 11:35-27
Paul wrote about a partial hardening of hearts in Israel which created an opportunity for Gentiles to be saved. We are in that time of the Gentiles right now. After the full measure of Gentiles has come in, then "all Israel will be saved." In the verses preceding that statement, Paul clarified he was talking about a remnant of Israel, i.e. a remainder or small portion:
"In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace." - Romans 11:5
"But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: 'Though the number of Israel’s sons is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.'" - Romans 9:27
In context, the verse stated that all the remnant of Israel will be saved.
How will this come to pass? Zechariah 12-14 describes how it will happen for Judah and Jerusalem in the end:
"Look, I will make Jerusalem a cup that causes staggering for the peoples who surround the city. The siege against Jerusalem will also involve Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who try to lift it will injure themselves severely when all the nations of the earth gather against her." - Zechariah 12:2-3
The nations of the earth will assemble for a great battle against Jerusalem but will not completely destroy it because:
"The Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem." (Zechariah 12:8)
However, the residents of Judah and Jerusalem will suffer greatly:
"The city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city." - Zechariah 14:2
"In the whole land—this is the Lord’s declaration—two-thirds will be cut off and die, but a third will be left in it." - Zechariah 13:8
Then Jesus Christ will intervene personally to defend Jerusalem.
"Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east." - Zechariah 14:3-4
I believe this battle is the same one as Armageddon in Revelation 16 and the King of kings and Lord of lord leading the armies of heaven in Revelation 20. According to Zechariah, God will redeem those in Judah who survive:
"I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are My people, and they will say: Yahweh is our God." - Zechariah 13:9
"Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps for a firstborn." - Zechariah 12:10
The surviving Jews will mourn and repent for the One they pierced at Calvary, Jesus Christ, and as a nation receive Him as their Messiah. They rejected Him the first time He came, but will receive Him when He comes again! And so all the remnant of Judah and Jerusalem will be saved.
It is interesting to note that Zechariah 12:12-14 mentions the houses of specific families mourning by themselves: David's house, Nathan's house, Levi's house, Shimei's house. David and Nathan are from the tribe of Judah, and Levi and Shimei are from the tribe of Levi. Only Jews (Judeans) are listed among those saved. This corresponds to the modern state of Israel's focus on being a Jewish homeland.
What about the lost 10 tribes of Israel: Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon and Zebulun? The remnant of those tribes will be saved in the nations where they live. How do we know? Because Jesus Christ himself will call them home after He returns.
The Messiah King Will Restore All 12 Tribes to the Land of Israel
Prophecies in the Scriptures clearly state that God intends to restore all 12 tribes, the whole house of Israel, to the land of Israel:
"So this is what the Lord God says: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have compassion on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for My holy name... They will know that I am Yahweh their God when I regather them to their own land after having exiled them among the nations. I will leave none of them behind." - Ezekiel 39:25,28
"My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them." - Ezekiel 37:24
Ezekiel wrote that prophecy several centuries after King David's reign, so he could not have literally meant David would be king over the restored house of Israel. He meant a King from the house of David, because God had made a covenant with David that his house, kingdom and throne would endure forever. That King is Jesus Christ.
The prophet Jeremiah wrote a similar prophecy about uniting Israel under one King:
"This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Write down on a scroll all the words that I have spoken to you, for the days are certainly coming'—this is the Lord’s declaration—'when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah'—the Lord’s declaration. 'I will restore them to the land I gave to their ancestors and they will possess it.'... They will serve the Lord their God and I will raise up David their king for them." - Jeremiah 30:2-3
Ezekiel's prophecy of the two sticks also demonstrated how Judah and Ephraim will be joined together again. Ephraim and Joseph represent the 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom:
"The word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, take a single stick and write on it: Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel associated with him. Then join them together into a single stick so that they become one in your hand. When your people ask you, "Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these things?" — tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick so that they become one in My hand.'" - Ezekiel 37:15-19
When will this reunification happen? The prophet Isaiah had the answer:
"On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious. On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover—from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coasts and islands of the west—the remnant of His people who survive. He will lift up a banner for the nations and gather the dispersed of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Ephraim’s envy will cease; Judah’s harassment will end. Ephraim will no longer be envious of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim." - Isaiah 11:10-13
Just before this passage, Isaiah prophecies about the coming Messiah who will bring peace to earth, calling him a "shoot that grows from the stump of Jesse," who is King David's father. The phrase "root of Jesse" refers to Jesus Christ. In other words, Isaiah said that Jesus Christ would call the whole house of Israel to the promise land. The great return of the 12 tribes will happen after Jesus returns!
The House of Israel Will Return from among the Living and the Dead
If that's not amazing enough, the Scriptures say that God will call the house of Israel back from not only the land of the living, but from the graves of the dead! In Ezekiel's famous prophecy of the valley of dry bones, the Lord told Ezekiel to prophecy to the dry bones and tell them to come alive again. They grew flesh and skin and came back to life! Then God said to Ezekiel:
"'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Look how they say, "Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished; we are cut off." Therefore, prophesy and say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them, My people, and lead you into the land of Israel. You will know that I am Yahweh, My people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put My Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. I have spoken, and I will do it.' This is the declaration of the Lord." - Ezekiel 37:11-14
Notice the bones represent the whole of Israel and when they are resurrected, God will settle them in their own land! This really isn't a surprise because it happened before. After Jesus died on the cross in Jerusalem:
"The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had gone to their rest were raised. And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many." - Matthew 27:52
The scene in the valley of dry bones is actually part of the coming resurrection of the saints:
"Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound,
and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-51
Conclusion
Hold on to your seats because God has incredible plans for redeeming and restoring the house of Israel and for uniting all saints, both Hebrew and Gentile, in the kingdom of God in Christ. It's coming soon and it's happening on earth!
Note: For the first half of this article, read Is It God's Will for Christians to Support the State of Israel?
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