Knowing Christianity

  Israel’s Future Israel Plays a Vital Role in Starting the Future Tribulation      Jesus can return for the church at any time (rapture). But the Tribulation will begin when Israel signs a covenant with the Antichrist. He will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and offering. And the abomination of desolation will be on a wing of the temple until the decreed destruction is poured out on the desolator (Daniel 9:27). Israel Will Be the Focus of the Tribulation      The tribulation period is “a time of trouble for Jacob” (Jeremiah 30:7). Israel is God’s primary concern during the Tribulation since the church will already have been removed.      (1) The tribulation will be a time of Israel’s persecution (Revelation 12:1-17). (2) The tribulation will be a time of Israel’s cleansing (Ezekiel 20:37-38; Jeremiah 30:11; Zechariah 13:9). (3)...

Israel’s Present      Since these covenants are all from Israel’s past, some have improperly taken them away from Israel and applied them to the church today. They adopt the erroneous opinion that Israel’s promises have transferred to the church.      We cannot say enough times that one of the essential principles of the Abrahamic Covenant was that it was unconditional and eternal. Abraham did not have to do anything to receive or maintain this covenant. When reaffirmed His covenant with Abraham, He solemnized His divine oath with the offering of sacrifices (Genesis 15:9-17).      In light of the unconditional nature of the Abrahamic covenant, there are several truths about the Jewish people today that must be maintained. God Has Retained Israel as His Chosen People      This is not only an OT concept; the NT agrees with it as well, I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not!...

  The New Covenant      The blessing component of the Abrahamic covenant was amplified by the New Covenant. The new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 32:40; Ezekiel 16:60-62; 34:25-31; 37:26-28; Romans 11:25-27; Hebrews 8:6-13) focuses on redemption and spiritual blessings of Israel. It develops the "blessing" aspect of the original Abrahamic covenant. It also includes material blessings which is dependent on the salvation of the nation of Israel.      The name comes from Jeremiah 31:31-34, “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration— “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”—the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isr...

  The Davidic Covenant      In the covenant God made with Abraham, He told Abraham that he would have a son through Sarah and that in time a great nation would emerge.   Genesis 17 tells us that nation and kings would come from him. In time, the covenant commitment by God would focus on Isaac and Jacob and the promise of a kingdom and throne would be limited to the tribe of Judah, for Jacob said in Genesis 49:10, “the scepter will not depart from Judah . ” From within the tribe of Judah, the focus would be on David and his descendants.      The historical background of the Davidic Covenant is familiar. When David came to power, it seemed unthinkable to him that the One who had given him his authority and government should continue to dwell in the tabernacle. He expressed the desire to build a permanent house of worship for God in Jerusalem, but because he had been a man of warfare and bloodshed, God would not permit him to build t...

  The Palestinian (Land) Covenant      Four crucial aspects of the covenant amplify the land aspect of the Abrahamic covenant. First, from the beginning of the covenant relationship, God promised Abraham land (e.g., Genesis 12:1; 13:14-17; 15:7; 17:7-8). The land covenant not only reaffirms God’s commitment to give Israel the promised land, but it develops and adds important truths related to the land (e.g., Numbers 34:1-12; Deuteronomy 30:1-10). Second, the land covenant is an unconditional covenant since it is an elaboration of the land aspect of the Abrahamic covenant. Nothing, not even Israel’s rebellion and disobedience could nullify the covenant. Yes, Israel’s sin caused them to lose the right to live on the land, but the covenant has not been set aside. Any conditions were connected to the receiving or losing of blessing, not the fulfillment of the covenant promise.      Some argue that Deuteronomy 30:1-3 makes the covenant conditi...

Israel’s Past        To understand Israel’s importance in the prophetic future, we must first understand the unconditional covenants God made with Israel. These covenants govern our understanding of the Jewish people and govern our understanding of Bible prophecy. The Abrahamic Covenant      Prior to the rebellion of the nations at Babel, God had dealt with mankind in general. After Babel, God’s attention was turned to Abraham (Genesis 11). God went from dealing with all the nations to the nation that would come from the seed of Abraham, a nation He would call His own. It started with God calling Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans , a pagan nation (Genesis 11:28) and instructed him to go to Canaan (Genesis 12:1-4) where God would make His covenant with him.      Genesis 12:1-3 records God’s call of Abraham out of Ur and the specific promises He made to him, The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, you...