 According to the Scriptures God does not deal with the Jews (natural seed of Abraham) and the Gentiles (spiritual seed of Abraham) at the same time. He deals with the Jews as a Nation and with the Gentiles as Individuals - a People for His Name. To miss this revelation is to fail to see what God has done and is doing regarding the Jews and the Gentiles. But before we get into our brief study let's first answer two Questions: WHO are the Jews? and WHO are the Gentiles?
When we think of the term "Jew" today, most people think of the inhabitants of that little, but powerful state in the Middle East, called "Israel". In modern terminology we would call them "Israelis". Whether Israelis or Jews, to the sincere Christian they are the natural seed of Abraham "to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises; Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." Romans 9:4-5. To the anti-semetic the term "Jew" is a by-word, representing in their perverted minds something that is no more than trash, the off-scouring of the earth, to be trampled under foot and blamed for all that is negative in our world. These anti-semetics are under a Satantic anointing and willfully blind to the "Miracle of the Nation of Israel". They are blind to the part which Israel "has" played and "ARE" playing in the Plan and Purpose of Almighty God - to make manifest what is in the heart of the Nations of the earth, that HE might be absolutely justified in unleashing His wrath upon the earth. But long before the restoration of the modern day Nation of Israel, (regardless of what tribe they descended from) they were known throughout the world as "Jews". For centuries they have been persecuted and as stated above, blamed for everything that is wrong in the earth. They have been killed by the millions in the Roman Empire, Spain, Russia, Hitler's Germany and others. But still (by the Grace of God) they survived to tell their story. In fact their story is a story of GRACE. Strictly speaking, the term "JEW" refers to a person belonging to the tribe of Judah. The name is not used in the Bible prior to the fall of the Northern ten tribe "kingdom of Israel". The southern kingdom was called Judah - the people and sons of the tribe of Judah. The first one to use the name "JEWS" was the writer of 1st. and 2nd Kings - doubless, Jeremiah. AFTER the exile the name "Jew" was applied to any Israelite returning from captivity to Jerusalem in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 4:12; 6:7; Neh. 1:2; 5:17). Eventually, the term "Jew" came to be applied to all Hebrews, Israelites, natural seed of Abraham, throughout the world - distinguishing them from the Gentile nations and peoples. We can trace the history of the Jews back to Genesis 12 - the call of Abram (whose name was later changed to Abraham). Here we find God seperating Abraham from his father's house, instructing him to journey to a strange land. God gave Abraham a promise, saying: "And I will make of thee a great nation". Of course, the nation that came out of Abraham was great but it will be great again - in the promised millennium, with the Son of David (Jesus Christ) sitting on the throne. Out of Abraham came the promised son, Isaac. Out of Isaac came Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel) and out of Jacob came twelve (12) sons. Out of these 12 sons came the 12 tribes of Israel. While in Egypt they were known as the 'Israelites' (Sons of Israel) or 'Hebrews' (no doubt associating them with Hebron, the area where Abraham settled). Coming out of Egypt they returned to re-possess the land which God had given to Abraham. They were as one people under God's leadership, through the prophet's and judges. Eventually, while under the ministry of the prophet Samuel the 'children of Israel' desired a king like unto the other nations around them. Throughout the Old Testament there is no record of God dealing with the Nation of Israel and Gentile nations at the same time EXCEPT in situations when God used a Gentile Nation to chastise Israel for it's sins. In the New Testament we find a 'lap-over' period wherein God was calling both the Jew and Gentile to enter into His New Covenant 'through Faith in Jesus Christ'. But there came a time when God, through His servant Paul "made an end" of His dealings with the House of Israel and turned entirely to the Gentiles to call out of them a people for His Name - to take His name - to provoke Israel to jealousy. Paul gives us an account of this turning from Israel to the Gentiles in Acts 28:25-28. But Paul further informs us that Israel is not entirely cut off. A study of Romans chapter 8 - 11 clearly indicates that they will be brought back into favor with God again in His time and in His season.
15. "For if the casting away of them (Israel) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? " To deny this teaching is to acknowledge blindness in spiritual matters. And the ideas of the 'British-Israel' teaching is totally contrary to Bible Teaching - there is absolutely no Bible or Historical basis for such ideas. But to more fully explain the Jew - Gentile question we will have to briefly trace the history of both Jew and Gentile back through the Bible. Without a doubt, the Bible holds the answer to our questions. COME with us on this journey and see whether or not your idea agrees with the Bible teaching. Since we are presently under construction, our journey will continue shortly - Please check back soon.
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