Suppose We are Israel – what difference does it make?
Archaeology, Biblical research and modern translations have done wonders in improving our understanding of the Word of God. Careful study points to the great discovery that God is a God of order; that He actually devised a plan and program for the redemption of our planet; that essential to that plan and program, he chose Twelve Tribed Israel; and that they still exist on the earth today.
But like the prophets of old, this great truth has met with indifference, unbelief and opposition.
Few, if any, of those who make such a statement have considered for a moment its true importance It gives the impression of the idea that God set in operation all that is revealed in the scriptures solely to save the individual, and when that is accomplished, what else is worthy of consideration?
Twelve Tribed Israel will experience the great awakening foretold by the prophets. The blindness will pass away in the spiritual light which will break upon their souls regarding their identity and their responsibilities as the chosen people of God.
- Lacks Reverence
Suppose we are Israel. What of it? If I am saved, what difference does it make? The spirit in which the statement is made ranges from mere flippancy to sincere declaration.
It shows a lack of due regard for God and His word. … The spiritually minded should always remember that God is holy and His word holy;
- Presumption
There is here, plainly implied, that fact that the speaker does not intend to accept or live by it anyway. This assumes the right of the individual to look the word of God over, select what suits his/her whim and discard the balance.
- Insults one’s own Spiritual Intelligence
Suppose we are Israel – what difference does it make? This is an attenuated idea of the Scriptures and the great purpose of God in furnishing them to mankind; or a closed mind; or a spiritual indolence which does not want to be disturbed… There is presented, for our enlightenment, a great volume of information, involving the origin and history of the various races of the earth, the divine plan for the ages, the division of the world into Israel and Gentile nations, the marvellous covenants made by God, the exceeding broad sweep of the atonement, the place allotted the Church in God’s world program the meaning and movement of the present world crisis, who constitute the Kingdom of God on earth, what it will be when it comes, Israel’s work for the new age, the new order under the reign of Christ and the ultimate restitution of all things which were lost in Eden. …. It makes the difference of being informed or ignorant of God’s purposes, the place He gave His elect people in His program and His march down the centuries toward fulfilment. I makes the difference of merely being saved by the skin of one’s teeth, as Job put it and being an intelligent student of the Bible and world events, this being “thoroughly furnished unto all good works “in our day and generation.
- Disparages the Wisdom of God
God in His wisdom chose Israel to be used by Him in His great plan for the transformation of a lost world. He also wrote a large portion of the Bible to tell us about Israel’s part in that plan. Can we not see that to select only a portion of the book, and that only the portion which pertains to ones individual salvation is to simply tell God that He was silly in furnishing any more? Can we not see that it sets up the finite in judgment of the Infinite? It practically declares Him to be foolish in doing any more or revealing any more than would get us saved eternally.
- Repudiates about half of the Bible
Allowing ample space in the bible for the presentation of the Gospel to the individual, God wrote about half of the Bible as His message to the nations. An important integral part, related to almost every phase of this revelation, is the great nation Israel, promised by God to Abraham.
- Throws away the Key to the Bible
Earnest Bible students have found the Israel truth to be the key which opens up the Bible from the first promise made at the fall, until Jesus delivers up the finished Kingdom unto God. It may be likened to a spiritual thread which runs through almost every chapter of Bible history, every doctrine, symbol, type, promise, covenant and act of God: The thread which, when found, makes possible the unravelling of most of the mysteries of the Word. This is the reason that everyone who has conscientiously sought and found the Israel Truth has declared the Bible to be a “new book”, consistent, harmonious, symmetrical, progressive and most satisfying to mind and soul. … Take the whole gospel of individual salvation wherever presented in the word of God, and careful study will almost always disclose the fact that the Israel Truth is the context that makes it plain and sits it in its proper spiritual perspective.
- Belittles the Faithfulness of God
If we are Israel, then God has done a stupendous thing. He has kept faith with Abraham. Centuries ago He made an unconditional, irrevocable, covenant with Abraham to increase and preserve his posterity throughout all generations. And now, here we are, many nations of Israel, right here on the planet after almost 4,000 years.
- Rejects the Birthplace of Race
.. “suppose we are Israel, “ then we are the lineal descendants of Abraham through Sarah, Isaac and Jacob. There is a world of difference in the blessings of race, country, enlightenment and opportunity bestowed upon the descendants of these and that which was bestowed upon the Brahmins, the Arabs, and the Turks. While there is no place here for race pride, there is a large place for grateful joy in the arbitrary goodness of God, and for appreciation of the gifts bestowed by God upon us as a race. … We are the recipients of the only God ordained royal blood on this planet through Abraham, the divinely appointed father of kings.. We participate in the great covenant made by God with Abraham, so comprehensive that it included all the covenants which followed it, both temporal and spiritual. In fact, if we be Israel, then that covenant of God was made directly with us –Genesis 17:7 “I will establish my covenant between me and they seed (plural) in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to your seed after thee.” Note the ‘seed’ of Abraham in this promise is plural.
“Suppose we are Israel,” then we are members of the Kingdom of God on earth. He established that Kingdom at Sinai. Constituting that Kingdom was twelve tribed Israel. Mathew 21 v 43 tells us plainly that He took the Kingdom from the Jews and turned it over to a “nation”, plainly now every faithful Christian person. That nation was to bring forth the fruits of the Kingdom. Those fruits are both political and religious.
The Christian nations: Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, The British Commonwealth and the USA are the only nations on earth which have made the law of God, the 10 Commandments, the common law of the land; the only nations which have established their form of government after the model given at Sinai with its constitution, laws, statures and judgements. Does the fact that a man is saved eternally, preclude the possibility of his appreciating the civil blessing which he enjoys under the Abrahamic covenant in these Israel countries? A short sojourn in gentile lands of the dictators would show the difference and be quite convincing.
The other fruits of the Kingdom of God on earth which were to be brought forth by the Israel nation were religious. True to Christ’s assignment, the Israel nations, lead the world in evangelistic work, home and foreign missions, church extension to the ends of the earth, Bible translation, publication and distribution.
- Spurns the Honours conferred by God
It does not require great research to find a host of texts in which God reveals the exalted position given to his chosen race: Isaiah 43 v 1,4; I Kings 8 v 53; Psalm 135 v 4; Deuteronomy 7 v 6; Deuteronomy 14 v 2;
God has certainly lavished the honours and blessings upon Israel and, in the few texts cited, there is enough to give the Israel Christian abundant reason for joy and thanksgiving. Note the honours conferred: He chose them; redeemed them; claimed them for his own; separated them; made them precious; his peculiar treasure; his special people; his inheritance above all peoples of the earth.
- Rejects God’s Comfort for the Last Days
When we go through the Scriptures, and find the blessings promised by God to Israel, it is most remarkable that in very many instances, the blessings foretold are for the last days, the very hour in which we are now living. For us, upon whom, Paul says, the ends of the age have come.
The blessings pronounced upon Abraham were to culminate in the last days. The blessings pronounced by Jacob upon his sons were for the last days. The farewell blessings proclaimed by Moses upon twelve tribed Israel were to befall them in their latter end, the last days.
It is very evident that God was quite anxious that His Israel people should have a clear vision of all that was to come to pass in these trying times, and consequently, sent prophets after prophet, telling of world conditions which we would experience in our day…
God, in His mercy, intended that we should have the benefits of knowing what He is doing in the world what the world events actually mean, how he is going to make it all work out to the good of His people Israel, and through all that is happening bring in the Kingdom of God on earth.
- Turns down the High Call of God
The high call of God is not only to accept Christ and to build a Christ-like character, but to gain a broad, genuine, comprehensive Biblical knowledge, in order to be thoroughly furnished unto every good work….
God chose the Israel people as His servant race and appointed them His witnesses to set up the ensign of divine truth to the nations of the world. If there ever was an hour when such a work was needed, it is now, as the nations wade in the welter of woe. …
The great Divine climax of the ages is about to break upon the nations. God, in His mercy, has given the great Gospel of the Kingdom of God on earth, not merely to be held but to be heralded in these closing hours of a dying age. Now is the time to earn your “well done, thou good and faithful servant,” promised in the great Kingdom parable.
The Prophetic Word 