Walking in the Dark with Faith

I had to take time out of my very busy school schedule, to address this issue once more.

The Body of Christ (I absolutely HATE and DESPISE the words, “Protestant”, “C” catholic, and any other divisive word that has been made up within the past 600 years or so, to separate and cause more chaos, division and confusion within Christ’s believers!)

WE ARE ALL ONE BODY in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are also (whether you like the CORRECT term or not) one holy “c” catholic (UNIVERSAL) Church = BODY of the living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. STOP giving in to the devil and doing his work for him, by separating your brothers and sisters IN CHRIST!! DO NOT utilize the above words! The term “catholic” was to mean UNIVERSAL, and nothing more! But the ROMAN part of the Body of Christ desired to “stand out” and think themselves more than any other part of the Body; hence the problem with the “C”. The THOUSANDS of splits within the Body of Christ has been happily used by the devil himself and his minions, the demonic entities, to further split the Body and KEEP them separated, fighting against one another, calling each other names, and of course, creating more chaos and confusion in the Body when regarding what the Word of God states about Israel, the Jewish people, God’s covenants He made with them, Zionism, and whether or not Christians in general should support the state and people of Israel.

It all comes down to whether or not an individual believer dares to TAKE the Word of GOD for what it is, trust Him in what HE stated in His Word about Israel (and every other matter), or—trust in man’s traditions, wrong thinking, and totally ignore what the LORD God said, thereby calling Him a LIAR.

This first part of several articles to help the individual to see and understand that putting their trust in GOD’S WORD should trump EVERYTHING ELSE, is pulled from the “AI” search on whether or not the Catholic Church as a whole, supports the state of Israel, the Jewish people, Zion and Zionism, and if they recognize the BIBLICAL Covenants made by the LORD God in His Word regarding them:

The Catholic Church supports the State of Israel’s right to exist within secure borders alongside a viable Palestinian state, advocating for a two-state solution based on justice and peace, not theological claims. While recognizing Israel diplomatically since 1993, the Church distinguishes the modern state from the biblical covenant, viewing the Church itself as the spiritual “New Israel” and rejecting Christian Zionism’s idea that modern Israel fulfills biblical prophecy. Catholic positions emphasize human rights, interfaith dialogue, and condemning antisemitism, often finding greater kinship with Palestinian Christians.

Key Aspects of the Catholic Stance

• Two-State Solution: 

The Church officially supports a two-state solution, where a secure Israel lives peacefully with an independent Palestine.

• Diplomatic Recognition: 

The Holy See established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1993, recognizing its political reality, not a theological mandate.

• Rejection of Christian Zionism: 

Catholic theology, rooted in covenant theology, sees the Church as the spiritual fulfillment of Israel, not the modern state, and does not endorse the idea that the modern state fulfills biblical promises.

• Support for Human Rights: 

The Church advocates for justice, peace, and the protection of all peoples, including Christian minorities in the Holy Land.

• Interfaith Dialogue: 

There’s a strong emphasis on continuing dialogue with Jewish leaders, combating antisemitism, and fostering mutual understanding.

• Distinction between State and People: 

The Vatican distinguishes between the secular State of Israel (a political entity) and the Jewish people (God’s chosen people with whom a unique covenant exists).

In Practice

• Focus on Principles: 

The Church applies principles of justice and peace to the conflict, rather than dictating specific foreign policy, leading to diverse Catholic views.

• Emphasis on Peace: 

Calls for prayers, pilgrimages, and aid focus on achieving a just and lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians, condemning violence and hatred.

FROM “Catholic Answers: Israel and the Church”

Article by Jimmy Akin 2/1/1999

One of the disputes in Protestant circles is over the relationship between Israel and the Church and whether God still has a special purpose for the ethnic people of Israel in his plan of the ages. Two of the chief disputants are the Protestant schools of thought known as “dispensationalism” and “covenant theology.” The former is a relative newcomer on the Protestant scene and was started in the 1830s by an Englishman named John Nelson Darby. A distinctive characteristic of dispensationalism is its insistence that God’s plan of the ages focuses chiefly around the ethnic people of Israel.

With the close of the Church age, many dispensationalists have said they expect God to turn away from dealing with the Gentiles and turn again to dealing primarily with the Jews.This affects dispensationalism’s reading of the book of Revelation as well as much of the rest of biblical prophecy. Dispensationalists see Revelation as a blueprint of future events, chiefly concerning the Jewish people, leading up to a future, earthly reign of Christ known as the Millennium. 

During the Millennium, they believe, Israel will be restored as a nation, will return to offering animal sacrifices (in commemoration of Christ’s death on the cross), and will be the most favored nation on earth, with Jesus physically ruling in its capitol. In dispensational thought, the Jews may also have a special status in the eternal order that follows the Millennium.

Covenant theology is much more in line with what traditional Protestant views have been. It tends to be amillennial, viewing the Millennium as the present reign of Christ in heaven and, through the Church, on earth. This is the historic Protestant view, in contrast to dispensationalism’s pre-millennial (future earthly reign of Christ) stance.

Covenant theology thus does not take Revelation as a checklist of future events but as a prophecy of events occurring at the beginning of or all through Church history. Consequently it does not see Revelation as a record of God’s future dealings with the Jewish people. When dealing with apparently unfulfilled prophecies that speak expressly of Israel—such as those in many of the Old Testament prophets—covenant theologians tend to apply them to the Church, arguing that the Church is the spiritual Israel. This “transfer” of prophecies from ethnic Israel to the Church does not go over well with dispensationalists.

If we may speak of the two systems in their unqualified forms, dispensationalism asserts that God still has future plans for the Jewish people and deduces that the Church is not spiritual Israel; covenant theology asserts that the Church is spiritual Israel and deduces that God has no future plans for the Jews different than his plans for any other people.

Both systems cite Scripture for the major premises of their arguments, and the verses they cite seem successful in showing these points. The problem is not with the Scripture passages cited by the two groups but with the conclusions they draw from them. It is the constraints of the two systems that keep their adherents from recognizing that the inferences they make do not follow.

The Catholic Church is able to acknowledge the truth that is found in both positions. Along with the dispensationalists the Church acknowledges that God does still have plans for the Jews as a unique people (Catechism of the Catholic Church 674). Paul clearly indicates this in his writings, especially in Romans 9–11, where he indicates God continues to fulfill his promises about the Jewish people by preserving a remnant of Jewish believers in Christ (11:1–5). This indicates a special place for Israel, for no other people has a promise that there will always be a believing remnant. God also has future plans for the Jewish people: One day the Jewish people as a nation will return to Christ, and this will be one of the signs of the Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead (11:12, 15).

On the other hand, along with covenant theologians, Catholics acknowledge that the Church is spiritual Israel or, in Catholic parlance, the “new Israel” (cf. CCC 877). This too is indicated in Paul’s writings: In Romans 9:6 he says that “not all who are of Israel are Israel.” This indicates the existence of two Israels. One—”all who are of Israel”—indicates the ethnic people, not all of whom believe in Jesus. The other Israel, the context reveals, does not include those who have rejected the Messiah. This new Israel, founded by Messiah, exists in spiritual continuity with the Old Testament saints and so counts as a “spiritual Israel.” It includes Gentiles who believe in the Messiah and so through baptism are spiritually circumcised (Col. 2:11–12) and are reckoned as spiritual Jews (Rom. 2:26–29).

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul is even more explicit about the Gentiles’ spiritual inclusion when he states that “you Gentiles in the flesh . . . were [once] separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel . . . But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near . . . So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints” (2:11–13, 19).

Thus the Catholic Church, not being constrained by the new theological systems of dispensationalism and covenant theology, is able to avoid the extremes of both while it acknowledges the truths both contain—as it has since before either was invented.

JEANNETTE’S notes:

So the Catholic Church, though partially recognizing the importance of having a relationship with the Jewish people and the state of Israel, still remains mostly within the “Replacement Theology” groups, who refuse to recognize and adhere to the BIBLICAL stance of what the LORD GOD Himself said about His people, whom HE chose, and made COVENANTS with, that will NEVER be broken.

NO Christian sect will EVER replace Israel! It is a clear tactic of the enemy-Satan—and many Christians have fallen for his tactic to make Israel an enemy of the Church, thereby calling the LORD God a LIAR when refusing to believe what He has written and commanded in His Word regarding Israel.

A QUICK word search of “Zion” brings up 163 occurrences in the ESV; 153 in the KJV; and 165 for the CSB. Bottom line, there are MANY passages within the OT and NT that utilize the word, “Zion” in Scripture. I think that makes it important enough for a person to READ and STUDY, before they decide to speak out against something they obviously know nothing about.

BTW—the word “Israel” occurs  2, 295 TIMES in the entire Bible (ESV). Now some of those ARE going to refer to Jacob, whose name was CHANGED to “Israel”—if THAT isn’t a MAJOR CLUE to the reader, that the LORD GOD chose a certain group of individuals (mind you, there were NOT SINLESS!) to have an INHERITANCE with them, and allow the MESSIAH to come through THEIR LINE—I don’t know what else to tell you all, or how to explain it to you, that THIS IS the MOST HIGH GOD’S decision, to CHOOSE these people, to work IN and THROUGH them, to bring about SALVATION to the ENTIRE WORLD; as the Apostle Paul stated, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the POWER of GOD for SALVATION to EVERYONE who believes, TO THE JEW FIRST and also to the Greek (Gentiles)” (Romans 1:16).

I know it is difficult for some, ESPECIALLY for my “C” catholic brothers and sisters, to imagine that something that the hierarchy of the Church taught us, could be “wrong”. We were taught that at any time someone or some group other than the Catholic Church speaks or believes opposite of what was handed down to us in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it would be considered “heresy”.

I think that the LORD God has allowed enough shocking and disappointing reports to be exposed by the CC over the past couple of decades, to let us realize that THESE MEN are HUMAN, they SIN, they are NOT “infallible”. EVERY member of the hierarchy (which is not even BIBLICAL, mind you—Scripture only spoke of priests, pastors, deacons, deaconesses, and BISHOPS—nothing more) WILL BE JUDGED by the Lord Jesus Christ on how THEY handled their congregation of sheep that they were to TEND to, preach and teach.

ALL of us as INDIVIDUAL believers in the LORD JESUS Christ, with GOD the Father, and the Holy Spirit WITHIN the person—being made “born again” by REPENTING of their sins, ACCEPTING the Lord Jesus into their lives, and ASKING for the HOLY SPIRIT to DWELL within them (see John 3:3,5,7; 14:26; 15:26; 16:13), in order to instruct and correct them, HUMBLE them when necessary (esp. when they must change their way of thinking!), etc. THAT way, then the individual believer will spiritually grow and mature into the man or woman of Christ the LORD God destined them to become. We are to be “temples of the Holy Spirit” because HE as the THIRD PERSON of the TRIUNE GODHEAD, dwells in EACH and every true believer, both JEW and GENTILE (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Eph. 2:21-22).  

Here are now some articles/blog posts from GotQuestions.org, that I have spoken about and shared some information from several times before:

FROM GOTQUESTIONS.ORG:  What is Zionism/Christian Zionism?

Zionism, simply a political movement at its inception, has today become more of an ideology than anything else. Zionism is an international movement for the return of the Jewish people to Zion, the land of Israel, while exercising the right to retain authority of government over the state of Israel, which was promised to them in the Hebrew Scriptures. The roots for Zionism lie in Genesis chapters 12 and 15, in which God makes a covenant with Abraham promising him that his descendants would inherit the land between Egypt and the Euphrates River.

Due to the fact that Zionism was begun as a politically motivated movement, there exists among secular Gentiles and non-religious Jews a line of thought stating that the religious background of the Jewish people had nothing to do with Zionism. It is argued that Zionism was instead a reaction of the Jewish people to worldwide persecution during World Wars I and II. No nation would take them in, so they were forced to create their own nation, the land of their ancestry being the most opportune place.

Regardless, the Zionist movement, begun in the late 1890s, found fulfillment in 1948 when Israel was officially recognized as a state and granted sovereignty as a nation by the United Nations. This is when, technically, the political Zionist movement ended and the ideology of Zionism began, and as such, has become a much-debated topic. Some would say that Zionism has become a motivation for racism, or a reaction against anti-Semitism. Others believe that Zionism as it currently exists is merely Jewish patriotism.

Associated with Jewish Zionism is Christian Zionism. Christian Zionism is simply Gentile support of Jewish Zionism as based on the promises to Israel found in the Bible, passages such as Jeremiah 32 and Ezekiel 34. Christian Zionists are primarily evangelical and give support in any way possible to the Jewish state of Israel. The return of the Jews to the Promised Land is the fulfillment of prophecy and is seen, especially by dispensationalists, as a sign that the world has entered the end times.

Question: “Should Christians support the nation of Israel?”

Answer: Christians should definitely support the nation of Israel. We must remember that Israel, the nation, is special to God. We read in Deuteronomy 7:6-8 these words: “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

God’s eternal purpose is to bless the world through Israel. Already He has done so in measure, for “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22), but the fullness of future blessing is indicated in the wondrous promise of Isaiah 27:6: “In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.”

The declaration that “salvation is from the Jews” suggests our immeasurable debt to Israel. All that we have worth having has come to us through the Jews. Our Bible is a Jewish book, and our Savior is a Jewish Savior. Let us never forget to pray for God’s chosen people. It is true that Israel is currently in rebellion against God because of their rejection of Christ. The nation is a secular, unbelieving (as to the claims of Scripture and their Messiah, Jesus Christ) nation, but “at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace” (Romans 11:5). Some Jews are being saved and are becoming members of the body of Christ through faith in their Messiah.

Jews are, biblically speaking, the “chosen people of God” and dearly loved by Him. Another reason for Christians to support the nation of Israel is the Abrahamic Covenant. We read of God’s promise in Genesis 12:2-3, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (see also Genesis 27:29; Numbers 24:9).

From the biblical declarations of God’s love and care for His chosen people, the nation of Israel, and from the history of nations being destroyed because of their evil dealings with God’s chosen people, the Jews, Christian believers should give support to the chosen people of God. This is not to say that we necessarily support the methods they use in their relationships with the Arab nations. The Bible warned that conflict would always characterize the relations between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael. Sadly, this conflict will continue until Jesus comes back to judge the nations and sets up His 1,000-year reign of peace on earth. We must look at the “big picture” with a biblical worldview. While we do not have to support everything Israel does as a nation, we most definitely should support Israel’s right to exist. God will fulfill His promises and covenants with Israel. God still has a plan for Israel. Woe to anyone who seeks to defeat that plan; “whoever curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3).

Question: “What is Zion? What is Mount Zion? What is the biblical meaning of Zion?”

Answer: Psalm 87:2–3 says, “The Lord loves the gates of Zion / more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. / Glorious things are said of you, / city of God.” According to this verse, Zion is synonymous with city of God, and it is a place that God loves. Zion is Jerusalem. Mount Zion is the high hill on which David built a citadel. It is on the southeast side of the city.

The word Zion occurs over 150 times in the Bible. It essentially means “fortification” and has the idea of being “raised up” as a “monument.” Zion is described both as the city of David and the city of God. As the Bible progresses, the word Zion expands in scope and takes on an additional, spiritual meaning.

The first mention of Zion in the Bible is 2 Samuel 5:7: “David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.” Zion was originally an ancient Jebusite fortress in the city of Jerusalem. After David’s conquest of the fortress, Jerusalem became a possession of Israel. The royal palace was built there, and Zion/Jerusalem became the seat of power in Israel’s kingdom..

When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, the meaning of Zion expanded further to include the temple area (Psalm 2:6; 48:2, 11–12; 132:13). This is the meaning found in the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:6, “Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.” In the Old Testament Zion is used as a name for the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 40:9), the land of Judah (Jeremiah 31:12), and the nation of Israel as a whole (Zechariah 9:13).

The word Zion is also used in a theological or spiritual sense in Scripture. In the Old Testament Zion refers figuratively to Israel as the people of God (Isaiah 60:14). In the New Testament, Zion refers to God’s spiritual kingdom. We have not come to Mount Sinai, says the apostle, but “to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22). Peter, quoting Isaiah 28:16, refers to Christ as the Cornerstone of Zion: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6).

Mount Zion as a geographical area is currently the center of much dispute. The Bible is clear that, one day, Zion will be the sole possession of the Lord Jesus, and Zion—the nation and the city—will be restored. “Awake, awake, / Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion; / Clothe yourself in your beautiful garments, / O Jerusalem, the holy city; / For the uncircumcised and the unclean / Will no longer come into you” (Isaiah 52:1). And “the children of your oppressors will come bowing before you; / all who despise you will bow down at your feet / and will call you the City of the LORD, / Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 60:14).

Who are the true Israelites? Blog post By S. Michael Houdmann

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One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how many different theories there are regarding what happened to the lost tribes of Israel. There are many different groups who claim to be the true descendants of the biblical Israelites.

British-Israelism (also known as Anglo-Israelism) claims that the ancient Israelites migrated to England and other parts of Europe. As a result, the people of England and the United States are the true Israelites.

The Black Hebrews or Black Israelites claim that Africans are the true Israelites.

Groups such as the “Gathering of Christ” claim that African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders are the true Israelites.

There are also groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India which claim to be the true descendants of the Israelites. There is even a Japanese Israelism which claims some of the lost tribes migrated all the way to Japan.

Why do all these groups want to be recognized as the true Israelites? Simple. The Bible says that the people of Israel are God’s chosen nation (Genesis 12:1-3; Deuteronomy 7:7-9). Who, then, wouldn’t want to be a part of God’s chosen people?

I am going to propose a shocking theory here. Maybe, just maybe, the Israelis of today are the true descendants of the ancient Israelites.

Biblically speaking, the supposed “lost tribes” were never truly lost. 2 Kings 17:18 states that Israel was deported to Assyria in 722 BC. Second Chronicles 15:9 records people from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon settling in Judah long before the Assyrian invasion, however. Scripture also indicates that some of the people of the northern ten tribes remained in the land. Second Chronicles 35:18 mentions many Israelites celebrating the Passover with Judah around 90 years after Israel was deported to Assyria. When Judah was deported to Babylon in 586 BC, the Israelites who were living in Judah would have been included in the deportation. Regarding the deportees, Assyria and Babylon were in the same region. Deportees from Israel and Judah would likely have sought each other out and attempted to reunite culturally. Then, when King Cyrus gave the “Jews” the freedom to return to the land of Israel, the returnees would have been a mix of people from Israel and Judah. The title “Jew” resulted from the tribe of “Judah” being dominant.

But, since then, we have 2,500 years of history. There are Jews in most parts of the world today. Ashkenazi Jews (Jews who migrated to parts of Europe and intermarried to varying degrees with Europeans) are the dominant Jewish people group today. But this does not deny them true Israelite heritage. The Jews currently residing in Israel are not counterfeit Jews. Many/most of them are true biological descendants of the people from ancient Judah and Israel. There is no biblical, genealogical, historical, or genetic reason to deny that most modern Israelis are truly the descendants of the ancient Israelites.

Further, from God’s perspective, He knows precisely who are the inheritors of the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. Since God’s promises to Israel are especially focused on the land of Israel, it would make sense for God to be calling His people back to the land He promised them. The end times revolve, largely, around the people of Israel being in the land of Israel. God will call 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to be His witnesses (Revelation 7:4). God does not need genealogical records to know the people He has chosen.

At the same time, in this current dispensation, our relationship with God does not depend on being a member of His chosen nation (Ephesians 2:11-16). Jews and Gentiles all have equal access to the salvation that is provided through Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16). In the body of Christ, we are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28).

So sorry to burst your bubble Anglo-Israelites, Black Israelites, and whoever-else-says-we-are-the-true-Israelites. God keeps excellent records. God knows who His people are. And the identity of His chosen nation is not a secret or a mystery to Him.

S. Michael Houdmann

Question: “Are Israel and the church the same thing? Does God still have a plan for Israel?”

Answer: This topic is one of the more controversial in the Church today, and it has significant implications regarding the way we interpret Scripture, especially concerning the end times. More importantly, it has great significance in that it affects the way we understand the very nature and character of God Himself.

Romans 11:16-36 records the illustration of the olive tree. This passage speaks of Israel the (“natural” branches) being broken off from the olive tree, and the Church (“wild” branches or shoots) being grafted into the olive tree. Since Israel is referred to as branches, as well as the Church, it stands to reason that neither group is the “whole tree,” so to speak; rather, the whole tree represents God’s workings with mankind as a whole. Therefore, God’s program with Israel and God’s program with the Church are part of the outworking of His purpose among men in general. Of course, this is not intended to mean that either program is of little significance. As many commentators have noted, more space is given in the Bible regarding God’s programs with Israel and with the Church than any of God’s other dealings!

In Genesis 12, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation (the Jews), the Jews would possess a land, that nation would be blessed above all other nations, and all other nations would be blessed from Israel. So, from the beginning God revealed that Israel would be His chosen people on the earth, but that His blessing would not be limited to them exclusively. Galatians 3:14 identifies the nature of the blessing to come to all the other nations: “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” All the nations of the world were blessed by Israel, through whom the Savior of the world came.

God’s plan of redemption is built upon the finished work of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David and Abraham. But Christ’s death on the cross is sufficient for the sins of the entire world, not just the Jews! Galatians 3:6-8 states, “Consider Abraham: ‘He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’” Finally, Galatians 3:29 says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” In other words, in Christ, believers are counted righteous by faith in the same way that Abraham was (Galatians 3:6-8). If we are in Christ, then we are partakers of the blessing of Israel and all nations in the redemptive work of Christ. Believers become the spiritual descendants of Abraham. Believers do not become physical Jews, but they may enjoy the same type of blessings and privileges as the Jews.

Now, this does not contradict or nullify the revelation given in the Old Testament. God’s promises in the Old Testament are still valid, and God’s relationship with Israel as a chosen people points to the work of Christ as a Redeemer of the whole world. The Mosaic Law is still mandatory for all Jews who have not yet accepted Christ as their Messiah. Jesus did what they could not do—fulfill the Law in all its details (Matthew 5:17). As New Testament believers, we are no longer under the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13), because Christ has taken that curse upon Himself on the cross. The Law served two purposes: to reveal sin and mankind’s inability (on his own merit) to do anything about it, and to point us to Christ, who fulfills the Law. His death on the cross completely satisfies God’s righteous requirement of perfection.

God’s unconditional promises are not invalidated by the unfaithfulness of man. Nothing we do is ever a surprise to God, and He does not need to adjust His plans according to the way we behave. No, God is sovereign over all things—past, present and future—and what He has foreordained for both Israel and the Church will come to pass, regardless of circumstances. Romans 3:3-4 explains that Israel’s unbelief would not nullify His promises concerning them: “What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: ‘So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.’”

Promises made to Israel are still going to be kept in the future. We can be sure that all God has said is true and will take place, because of His character and consistency. The Church does not replace Israel and should not expect a symbolic fulfillment of the promises of the Old Covenant. As one reads Scripture, it is necessary to keep Israel and the Church separate.

JEANNETTE’S Final Note:

I have sincerely attempted once again to help you understand the importance of allowing the HOLY SPIRIT to be FIRST and FOREMOST, your teacher and guide (see 1 John 2:27). The Holy Spirit IS the LORD GOD Most High dwelling WITHIN each and every true believer.

BUT—there are reasons WHY the Apostle Paul made sure to tell his readers “And do not GRIEVE the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom were SEALED for the Day of Redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). Because Paul knew full well that us humans fight constantly with our flesh, to rebel against hearing the TRUTH—yes, even while we consider ourselves “Christians” and believers of God. That is because MOST believers either do not bother to LISTEN to the Holy Spirit when He is speaking to them (they do not RECOGNIZE His VOICE!), or they DO hear him, and refuse to CHANGE what has been taught to them by their respective church sects; OR—and this is the worst part—DO NOT TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD. Either an individual learns to be HUMBLE, and REPENT of their wrong thinking and ways, and any teachings that they have learned, and become WILLING to “hear what the SPIRIT has to say” (Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:23; Revelation 2:7; 13:9; 22:17)—OR, face the just and righteous judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ for not believing in HIS Word, when the Scriptures PLAINLY stated that HE—the Lord Jesus Christ IS the literal LIVING Word of God.

Bottom line—either an individual learns to HUMBLE themselves, and TAKE the Word of God seriously (take Him at HIS WORD) AND in its BIBLICAL context, allowing the Holy Spirit to teach, correct, chastise, etc. on EVERYTHING that Scriptures have taught us –even when it goes against their church’s traditions, in order to RESPECT and ADHERE to His Word, so we as individuals do NOT end up calling God a liar by not trusting what He has commanded to be written in the WHOLE counsel of God (Acts 20:27), even on topics regarding ISRAEL and the Jewish people, or—face His Judgment by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Period.

ONE book I can suggest for you to read (I have it but have not read it yet myself, but I totally respect and recommend almost anything from Amir Tsarfati), is The Israel Decree, by Amir Tsarfati. It’s only 116 pages long—a quick read, but definitely is meant to help the believers in Christ to further understand “God’s unbreakable Covenant with His People and Their Land”.