Christian Author and Pastor Ron Craig
Additional Scriptures which reveal that God will continue to deal with the nation of Israel both now and forever. “I [Paul] would not, brethren, that you would be ignorant of this mystery, lest you would be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in.
And so all Israel will be saved [as a nation]: As it is written, ‘There will come out of Sion the Deliverer, and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For, this is My [God’s] covenant unto them, when I will take away their sins.’ As regarding the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes [believers in general]: But as touching the election [through the Abrahamic covenant], they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. Because, the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:25-29).” God will not take back His covenant promise to Abraham.
But, it seems that many theologians are ignorant of the fact that, while God will never forsake Israel as a nation, He will purge out those who are unfaithful to the covenant, and preserve the rest to be His special inheritance. Yes, people are God’s inheritance—the Jews—offspring of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That is evident from Isaiah 19:24-25. And, as for the purging of the nation of Israel, which was prophesied to come about sometime during the last seven years of this age, God had that recorded in Ezekiel 20:37-38:
“I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and all those [in Israel] who transgress against Me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they will not enter into the land of Israel: And you will know that I am the LORD.” Jude 5 reminds us that although God delivered the entire nation of Israel out of Egypt, He later destroyed all of those who did not believe. Ezekiel said the same will happen again to Israel in the last days. And remember, Paul wrote that not all who are called Israel are actually Israel. The real Israel consists only of those who trust in the covenant God made with Abraham—not just being the physical offspring of Abraham (Romans 9:7-8).
“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then would no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, Deity said, ‘Behold, the days come,’ says the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah: Not according to that covenant, which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt [the covenant under Moses]; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not’ says the Lord. ‘For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says the Lord; ‘I will put My laws into their minds and write them in their hearts: And I will be to them God, and they will be My people (Hebrews 8:7-10).” Also see Jeremiah 31:31-33.
(Ron Craig is pastor, teacher and author of Christian books; and these articles. You may view all the books by logging onto www.livingwayfellowshiponline.org. While logged on the website you can even listen to audio Bible-lesson podcasts. You may also send your questions or comments to ronwritercraig@gmail.com.)
