What About Temporal Israel Today?

Various Christian churches and sects have definite opinions on Israel. Some claim that the church has replaced Israel as God's people. Others say that Israel today is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. I've also heard some preachers say that we shouldn't evangelize Jews because they are already saved.

This year marks the seventieth anniversary of the modern nation of Israel. After two thousand years of wandering, the Jews finally received some of their ancestral land back. As believers in Christ, we must ask for the salvation of the Jews. Psalms 122:6 (KJV) reminds us, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee."

Jesus made it a priority to visit God's people first. As he said in Matthew 15:24 (KJV), "But he answered and said, 'I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'" Of course he did help the Samaritan woman who came asking healing for her daughter after he said that.

We can see that God loves his people but he's calling out sinners from all nations to repent. Not all will be saved but all who profess faith in Christ and follow him will be saved. Paul noted this in respect to the people of Israel when he wrote in Romans 9:27 (KJV), "Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, 'Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:'"

Though the Jews are back in their homeland, just being of the lineage of Israel doesn't make them automatically saved. Otherwise the disciples suffered for nothing when they followed Jesus' command to preach the good news in Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.


I could write much more on this matter but I'll save it for my book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? Merely being a descendent of Israel doesn't save anybody. It's faith in the Lord which does.