Written By: C.R.
Featured Image by Justin Graphics
In Part 3 of this series, we looked at how Israel is defined in the Scriptures. We recognized that Israel as defined in the Scriptures does not equal the modern state of Israel today. In this article, we will explore some extremely important questions for all those seeking truth.
Is the modern state of Israel related to the future state of Israel under Yahushua’s Kingdom?
Should the modern state of Israel have the favor and approval of followers of Yahushua today? If so, when and why?
What does this have to do with the gathering of Scriptural Israel as promised before the reign of Yahushua?
YHWH Is Impartial and Has One Righteous Standard at All Times
Let’s begin by establishing some concrete facts that are necessary for this subject. YHWH has always been the same. He is entirely righteous at all times and in every situation, and His standard of righteousness never changes. Praise be to Him! Here are a few of the many Scriptures that testify to this. These are great Scriptures to meditate on!
Hebrews 13:8 יהושע [Yahushua] Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
Malachi 3:6 For I am יהוה, I shall not change, and you, O sons of Ya‛aqoḇ, shall not come to an end.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of turning.
Psalm 9:8 But יהוה abides forever, He is preparing His throne for judgment. And He judges the world in righteousness, He judges the peoples in straightness.
Leviticus 24:22 ‘You are to have one right-ruling, for the stranger and for the native, for I am יהוה your Elohim.’
Exodus 12:49 “There is one Torah for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”
Deuteronomy 10:17 For יהוה your Elohim is Elohim of mighty ones and Master of masters, the great Ěl, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.
Acts 10:34-35 And opening his mouth, Kěpha [Peter] said, “Truly I see that Elohim shows no partiality, but in every nation, he who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
YHWH Formed Israel Because of His Love for ALL People
In Acts 10:35 above, the apostle Peter realized that YHWH accepted anyone living in any nation who works righteousness and fears Him. YHWH has always loved the entire world and has revealed Himself to mankind so that men will choose Him. This truth is exemplified in what might be the most famous verse quoted from the New Testament today!
John 3:16 For Elohim so loved the world that He gave His only brought-forth Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but possess everlasting life.
If YHWH does not favor any one nation or people group, then why did He choose to form the nation of Israel?
The essence of the gospel message answers this question! YHWH desires fellowship with His creation and intimacy with mankind. To show the world who He is and how set apart He is from the ways of wickedness, He set apart one nation to reveal His righteous ways so people will see what happens when a nation chooses to follow His ways and not the world’s ways. By taking a people group and forming a nation out of them, He can set them apart and show the difference between His ways and everyone else’s ways.
It was always true that EVERYONE is invited into a relationship with Him and can be grafted into the nation of believers by accepting the terms of His covenant.
YHWH Did Not Form the Nation of Israel Because the People Were Righteous
Remember that YHWH repeatedly told the people of ancient Israel that He did NOT choose them because they were righteous. He described them as stiff-necked people from the very beginning. YHWH said HE wanted to wipe out the people of Israel over and over again throughout history but He has always kept a remnant alive because of His promises. (See Ezekiel 20:7-10)
Exodus 32:9 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “I have seen this people, and see, it is a stiff-necked people!
Exodus 33:3 “I do not go up in your midst because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.”
Deuteronomy 9:13-14 And יהוה spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and look, they are a stiff-necked people. Leave Me alone, so that I destroy them and blot out their name from under the heavens, and make of you a nation stronger and greater than they.’
Acts 7:51-53 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Set-apart Spirit, as your fathers did, you also do. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who before announced the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who received the Torah as it was ordained by messengers, but did not watch over it.”
Deuteronomy 9:5, 7 “It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wrong of these nations that יהוה your Elohim drives them out from before you…. From the day that you came out of the land of Mitsrayim until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against יהוה. ”
YHWH’s Blessing on Israel Has Always Been Conditional
Another important truth about Israel as a nation is that YHWH’s blessing (or curse) has always been conditional. Throughout the history of Israel, as recorded in the Scriptures, YHWH established a righteous standard through His life-giving laws and statutes. These laws were different than the laws of all other nations in the world. The laws were perfect and brought forth life to Israel when they followed them. However, inherent in the laws were built-in consequences. When they did not follow His commands, YHWH disciplined them, and they reaped the curses that came from disobedience and idolatry. When they repented and returned to His righteous standards, He blessed them and protected them. There was never a time when YHWH accepted idolatry or sinful practices and approved of His people! He approved what was right and hated what was wrong. This was the entire pattern throughout the time Israel was a nation. (See Deuteronomy 28-30)
What or Whom Do You Favor?
If the Creator of you and me does not favor a specific people group, and if He stands for what is right regardless of who the person is, can we say we do the same? A nation is made of individuals, families, and government officials. Our standard for whether we approve of a nation should be based on the individual acts of the people and government in that nation, not just a blanket approval calling one people group better than another.
Each act of behavior in itself should be measured against YHWH’s laws to determine whether it is a righteous act or an unrighteous act. This is our Creator’s standard that He used with the nation of Israel before, and this is the standard for all of time.
As I have stated in this series, there are individuals within the modern-day state of Israel who believe in Yahushua as their Savior and are committed to following His commandments. These people are part of Scriptural Israel. There are also those of Palestinian descent who are also followers of Yahushua and are part of Scriptural Israel.
Scriptural Israel is scattered around the entire world. Sadly, the majority of people, including most government officials, are not currently in covenant with Yahushua and are not part of Scriptural Israel. This is the mindset that every follower of YHWH should have.
There is NO favoritism in YHWH’s Kingdom. Each act is judged according to YHWH’s righteous standard. Each person has the same opportunity to be grafted into YHWH’s covenant, through the blood of Yahushua, and follow Him as the one true Elohim. This is the only Israel that matters.
Is Modern-Day Israel The Same As Future Israel?
The future state of Israel that is prophesied in the Bible is made up of Scriptural Israel. The nation will begin with a remnant gathered from around the world, kept alive during the Tribulation period, and eventually brought together with those resurrected at Yahushua’s return. Together, they will become what will be known as the Bride of Yahushua. They will enter into the Land and reign with Yahushua for His 1,000-year reign. As shown in multiple places on this site, the country called Israel now is prophesied to be judged and destroyed by Yahushua Himself when He returns. All nations will be rightly judged.
Three Reasons Why Some People Automatically Approve the Modern State of “Israel” Today
In this article, I have tried to present why I believe it is wrong to favor any one nation over another today. I have attempted to show that our Creator YHWH based His approval on following His laws and commanded His people to be impartial towards any one person, whether rich or poor, male or female, ethnicity or nationality, etc. You see this all through the entirety of the Scriptures, and it was illustrated by our Messiah as well.
Despite all of this, there are those today who claim to get their worldview from Scripture and claim to follow Yahushua but they automatically favor the modern state of Israel. They believe the modern state to be the chosen people of YHWH and they favor whatever decision the government officials of this state engage in.
I would like to propose that there are three reasons why this has occurred for a long time. Each of these reasons may justify a full book, but I will just briefly mention them below.
1. False Teaching in Christian churches and Messianic Judaism
Since as far back as the mid-1990s, I remember encountering the belief that the modern-day state of Israel was a favored nation, one that had Yah’s blessing and signified the return of His people as prophesied in Scripture. I believed this for a long time simply because I kept hearing it amongst Christians in churches. This is taught more now in Christianity and Judaism than ever before. As shown throughout this series, this is NOT true. The state that calls itself “Israel” does not equal Scriptural Israel and it does not equal what the prophesied nation will be as foretold by the prophets. Our Messiah Yahushua Himself will establish that nation. Isaiah 9 and 53, Zechariah 12, Ezekiel 37, Jeremiah 23 and 33, Hosea 3, and the Book of Revelation are just a few of the places in Scripture that testify to this.
The activity before His return that takes place in Jerusalem and modern Israel will set up the brief kingdom of the Anti-messiah, which will deceive and destroy many, with only a remnant to escape!
2. The Spread of “Zionism” as a Socio-Political Movement
Zion in Yah’s Word is a positive term. However, “Zionism” today describes a socio-political movement that has infiltrated most sectors of society. It is central to many religious movements, as well as western countries’ governments, media sources, and much of the sports and entertainment industry throughout the world.
It is characterized by a belief that the modern state of Israel can expand and take over new land, all under the guise that they have a right to it as part of “Greater Israel.” This again is a lie that many believe. The truth is that Yah’s covenanted people are still scattered around the world and are justly outside the land because our forefathers were kicked out of the land. We need to repent for our sins and the sins of our forefathers. We have no right to take over the land again until King Yahushua reigns because that is what YHWH has revealed through His prophets! His people, those who believe in Yahushua as Messiah AND guard the laws of Elohim, will be gathered together by the work of YHWH Himself, not by an earthly government taking the land by force and shedding innocent blood. Yahushua will return to meet a remnant of His people during the Tribulation and will judge the evil that will be taking place by the agenda of the Anti-messiah.
Proverbs 6:16-19
These six matters יהוה hates, and seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look, A lying tongue, and hands shedding innocent blood,
A heart devising wicked schemes, feet quick to run to evil,
A false witness breathing out lies, and one who causes strife among brothers.
These sobering verses have often come to my mind with current world governments as well as the Zionist agenda.
I will point out again that Zionism is a movement that uses a few truths of Scripture mixed in with twisted lies. It is not comprised of one group, but rather a belief system that has infiltrated much of the world and deceives many. There are plenty of people who oppose it, including some people who currently live in the modern state of Israel. There are also those of Jewish descent all over the world who oppose the doctrines of Zionism. As said earlier, no one should be judged because of their ethnicity or nationality, but rather by their actions measured by the perfect Law of Elohim.
3. Current News Sources Reporting Misleading Information in Many Westernized Countries
The final reason that modern-day Israel is not questioned by many is because the media has been funded and taken over by the Zionist agenda. Any questioning of anything the Israeli government does today is labeled as “anti-Semitic” by much of the media in the Western world. There is little real news today that is unbiased. Many countries do not offer free speech and the truth is censured. The job of the media should be to inform without bias and hold leaders accountable for their actions. It is everything but that today.
What Narrative Are You Listening To?
It has been said, “Whoever controls the narrative controls the story.” This has proven true throughout history, including in recent years. If this article rings true to you in any way, let me ask you: What sources of “news” do you listen to? Do you listen to only those who report one side of a story? Or do you listen to sources of news that make you critically think and question the rhetoric that you are hearing? I will leave that up to you. But where you end up on issues of right and wrong and whether you partner who those doing evil will matter greatly in the days ahead.
The very first psalm puts it this way:
Psalm 1
Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, and shall not stand in the path of sinners, and shall not sit in the seat of scoffers,
But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה, and he meditates in His Torah day and night.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers.
The wrong are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wrong shall not rise in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For יהוה knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wrong comes to naught.
5 Problems with Pursuing Modern-Day Israel NOW
Pursuing modern-day Israel now and not waiting for what YHWH reveals in Scripture presents several serious problems.
- Modern-Day Israel Is Being Prepared for the Anti-messiah’s Empire
- Prophesied Judgment and Destruction Is Coming to Modern-Day Israel
- Deception and Blindness Comes Over Many In The End Days Surrounding Jerusalem and Modern-Day Israel (as prophesied in Scripture)
- A Falling Away and Denial of Yahushua Is Occurring (as prophesied in Scripture)
- You Can Miss Out on the Wilderness Gathering/Protection of YHWH’s People (a.k.a. the 2nd Exodus)
One of the biggest problems with this pursuit is that you will miss out on the wilderness gathering that Parts 1 and 2 of this series show! In Part 1, I showed the “Wilderness of the Peoples” is where a remnant will be protected. The modern state of Israel cannot offer YHWH’s people protection right now.
The spirit of the Anti-messiah is already at work and has been for a long time. This spirit causes deception and makes it hard to discern the truth. As discussed in Part 3 of this series, it also causes many to fall away from their faith in Yahushua as their Savior and His righteous standards.
The area of the modern state of Israel will be controlled by the Anti-messiah who will set up his ‘World Order.’ (Daniel 11) When this happens, those who escape are told to flee to the mountains. (Matthew 24:15-16) Ironically, the mountains that are prophesied to be a place of protection for those fleeing Judea will be in the modern country of Jordan, in the area where “the woman” is protected as shown in this series and throughout this website.
Why would you want to go to a place being prepared for the Anti-messiah, where there is great deception before Yahushua’s earthly reign? Why go there and be destroyed in the coming judgment when our Creator has shown us in His Word where to go? He has also revealed the timing of when His people will reign with Yahushua in the land. It is not now. It is when He is here!
Final Thoughts
This website has a very specific focus: the End Days Salvation of the Bride of Messiah during the Tribulation. It is a call to Scriptural Israel, many of whom are still scattered throughout the Earth. In common with Yahushua’s purpose, it is a call for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In this series, the location of two wildernesses was shown in parts 1 and 2. In parts 3 and 4, Scriptural Israel has been defined and the modern state of Israel has been looked at through the lens of Scripture.
So why does our view of Israel matter and how does it affect the future?
Many people have a heart for the return of Yahushua and desire to be part of the Ingathering of YHWH’s people, but there is a lot of false doctrine about going directly into “the land” of Israel and taking over “the land” to fulfill the promises given to Abraham and bring forth the return of Messiah. This doctrine is attractive to many and may sound great at first. But it is false because it contradicts the Word of Elohim.
If you are rooting for the modern state of Israel and approving of it regardless of what its government does, you will desire to go there and be part of things. You are likely hoping to be a part of a “chosen people” who are supposed to take over the land. This is a very dangerous crusade and NOT one that is in line with the Scriptures.
Why not take on the humility of our Messiah Yahushua and be found preparing ourselves in the wilderness? He will come and defeat the Anti-messiah’s reign and will save His ready people.
Please Pray With Me
There is no more fitting prayer for us in this hour than the one Yahushua taught us to pray. If you would like, join me now:
Our Father who is in the heavens, let Your Name be set apart,
Let Your reign come, let Your desire be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into trial, but deliver us from the wicked one –
Because Yours is the reign and the power and the esteem, forever.
Aměn.
This concludes “A Series of Important Doctrine.” We hope it has been a blessing to all who read it.
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