Voice of Judah Israel is frequently asked, “Why do you believe Israel belongs to the Jews?” Our stance is simple… because the Bible says so. As Christians, the Bible is our source for all that is true and right. It is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God and historical witness to His divinity as The Creator of this world. In this article, we hope to help you understand the Biblical and a historical view of who has the legitimate right to the land of Israel as well as lead you to a deeper comprehension of God’s future plans for the Jewish people.
Let us start at the beginning:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
Because He is the Creator, Elohim has a claim on all things and the right to do with such as He pleases. In His Word, He gives us many reasons why the land of Israel belongs to the Jews. Let’s explore scripture together to better understand God’s relationship, promises, and plans for His people, Israel.
First:
As much as we want to believe we own our land and property, it is all the Lord’s. We have only been given temporary dominion until His return. It is arrogant to think we can own something that is, and always be, His.
The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are aliens and sojourners with Me
Leviticus 25:23
Second:
Because the land is God’s, He can choose to whom He would give it as an inheritance. In the case of Israel, God promised the land to Abraham’s descendants.
And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’
Genesis 12:7
Third:
The Lord appeared to Isaac on a journey, promising to bless Isaac with the land of Israel.
Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham.
Genesis 26:3
Fourth:
The blessing of Isaac was passed down to Jacob, not Esau. Isaac placed his hand upon his son’s (Jacob’s) head saying:
And may God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you; that you may possess the land of your sojourning, which God gave to Abraham.
Genesis 28:3-4
Fifth:
The Lord later confirmed this blessing Himself, assuring Jacob that his descendants would be the ones to inherit the land of Israel.
And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’
Genesis 28:13-15
Sixth:
God prophesied His plans for Israel’s future through His servant Jeremiah.
For, behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah. The Lord says, I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall possess it.
Jeremiah 30:3
And fear not, O Jacob My servant, declares the Lord, And do not be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar, And your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, And no one shall make him afraid.
Jeremiah 30:10
Lastly:
God promised to restore His people back to the land He gave them, a promise that has never been revoked.
The days are coming, declares the Lord, when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God.
Amos 9: 13-15
It becomes clear from reading scripture that God has chosen this specific land for His people. The prophecy of Zechariah 4:14 speaks of a time when our Lord, Jesus Christ, will return to this Holy Land, and His first step will be on the Mount of Olives. Jerusalem is where His temple will be and from where He will reign forever. Jews and Gentiles will join in the worship of our King as ONE. This is the promise He made to all of us and the one promise we eagerly look forward to seeing fulfilled.
The question then becomes, what is the Gentiles’ role, and why should we care about Israel?
Paul speaks plainly about the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles in the Book of Romans. He lays out the reason the Jews’ hearts were hardened against the Messiah. Simply put, we owe our salvation to them. We have been grafted into the vine; we have not replaced it.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off (Gentiles) have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments…that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two.
Ephesians 2:13-15
Knowing this, it should be our joy to support them with our prayers and with our wealth. Paul the Apostle elaborates on this sentiment in this verse:
But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially.
Romans 15:25-27.
Voice of Judah Israel is a community of faithful believers dedicated to shining the light of Yeshua in the nation of Israel. We operate in love with a message of hope, using practical ways to reach Jewish non-believers through various programs designed to meet them where they are.
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