ISRAEL – THE ANOINTED APPLE OF GOD'S EYE

What we will be dealing with starting now is the role of Israel and the Jewish people in end times Bible prophecy. Due to time limitations, there is no way that we can enter as deeply into this subject as we would like to. In this introduction, we will briefly deal with God's promises to the nation of Israel. Following this introduction, we will also briefly deal with some New Testament doctrine concerning the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. We will also deal with the fruits of the doctrine of Replacement Theology. We will include a broad overview of the Biblical and secular history of Israel with a broad emphasis on how the Abrahamic Covenants affect the future of the nation of Israel. We are also gathering some facts on how God has miraculously intervened on behalf of Israel in her marvelous 1948 regathering into the promised land and in her preservation and protection in modern times. We greatly rejoice in the marvelous victory that God has wrought for His people in raising the nation of Israel from the grave as prophesied in the vision of "the valley of dry bones" in Ezekiel 37. We rejoice with God as he has stated in Isaiah 66:7-10 where He says:

7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. 10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

God promises a blessing to all those that bless the seed of Israel. Genesis 12:3 says:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

God also calls Israel the apple of his eye. God has said that he has set the boundaries of the nations according to the people of the nation of Israel. Turn in your Bibles to:

Deuteronomy 32:8-10 (KJV)8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. 9 For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. 10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

Zechariah 2:8-9 (KJV)8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. 9 For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

God says in Deuteronomy 32 that he had already set the boundaries of the nations according to the children of Israel when he separated the sons of Adam all the way back in Genesis 4. What about that! In Psalms 105:8-15 God warns the nations of the earth to: "touch not mine anointed". Psalm 105 is clearly talking about the nation of Israel and its people. Christian people that are right with God will stand for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people.

God refers to himself as the God of Israel 203 times. He never refers to himself as the God of any other nation. God refers to Himself as the God of Abraham, the God Of Isaac, and the God of Jacob 12 different times in the Bible. God never said he was the God of Ishmael. In fact, God called Ishmael a wild man and said that his hand would be against every man. Ishmael is in the blood line of that devil Mohammed.

So has God set aside the nation of Israel in favor of the church? The Apostle Paul answers that question unequivocally in Romans 11:1-2 where he says:

1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

Those two verses very plainly state that God is not through with the nation of Israel and its people. Romans chapters 9-11 form a parenthesis in the book of Romans and it is obvious that the Holy Ghost stops Paul to address what He knows will become an issue for the Gentiles in the church at Rome if He does not deal with it. It is a very clear, pointed, and specific warning to the Gentiles not to latch onto any doctrine that would permanently set aside Israel and the Jews in favor of the Gentiles. To put it bluntly, it is a 2,000 year warning and exhortation against anti Semitism in the church. To set aside Israel in favor of the church is a Satanically motivated heresy that is rooted in the hatred of Jews and the nation of Israel. It is rooted in spiritual pride, arrogance, and ungodly prejudices. In fact, God calls it conceit in Romans 11:25-32:

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

If your theology causes you to have aught against the Jew or Israel, you had better adjust your theology to line up with the Bible. If your theology causes you to spiritualize Romans chapters 9-11 so that you can apply those chapters to the church, then by definition your theology does not line up with a literal interpretation of the scriptures and are therefore in error

God's purpose in temporarily setting aside the nation of Israel is clearly stated in Romans 10:19 which says:

19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

Let us state at the outset that we are opposed to any form of Replacement Theology. Replacement Theology teaches that the church replaces Israel in the promises given by God to the nation of Israel. Replacement Theology is irreconcilably opposed to the God of the Bible and the Bible itself. Replacement Theology is an anti Semitic doctrine born of the spirit of Antichrist. It is a doctrine that manifests itself in the pro Palestinian heresy of most apostate American churches including the Presbyterian Churches USA, the United Methodist Churches, the Episcopal Churches, the Roman Catholic Churches, and even some Baptist Churches in the United States. This pro "Palestinian" heresy manifests itself in the hatred of the Jewish people and an almost universal condemnation of Israel by apostate American and international churches when she defends herself against the almost daily barrages of mortar shells, rockets, and missiles into Israel. There is no nation on the face of this earth that would willingly tolerate a daily barrage of missiles against its innocent women, children, and old folks. If you do not believe it, try lobbing some missiles into Moscow, Washington, London, Berlin, Damascus, Tehran, Cairo, or Paris and see what the response will be. Israel is always criticized because she does not deliver a measured response to the attacks from the Islamic devils in the Gaza strip and in the West Bank who are killing innocent Israeli citizens including babies. If you are not a citizen of Israel, what would you consider an appropriate response to someone who is trying to kill your women, children, and grandparents? My response would be an all out war until the danger was destroyed. The attacks upon the nation of Israel is but one of the Satanic fruits of the heresy of Replacement Theology. Replacement Theology is one of the greatest theological corruptions of the Word of God. The responsibility for what has now been thousands of years of persecution and slaughter of the Jews lies squarely at the front door of apostate churches that have preached and taught that the church has replaced the nation of Israel in God's plan. This heresy has led to the murder of millions upon millions of Jews. Had the church of the living God rightly divided the Word of Truth it would not have stood by while the Jews were unmercifully persecuted and slaughtered by religious heretics, demonic political leaders such as Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin, and just about any Muslim that walks the streets of the world. Had the heresy of Replacement Theology been set aside there would have been no Jewish Holocaust at the hands of that wicked devil Adolph Hitler. Replacement Theology is also the reason most churches in America today will not stand for the nation of Israel. It has also almost stopped the evangelistic outreach of the church to the Jewish people. If you do not hate the Jew, then you will evangelize the Jew. Any evangelistic program that refuses to reach out to the Jews is a God hating heresy. Most of the Protestant harlots that came out of the Roman Catholic Church practice Replacement Theology. One prime example is that heretic Martin Luther who hated Jews. If you do not believe that Martin Luther hated Jews, then read Martin Luther's book "On The Jews And Their Lies". The Roman Catholic Church is the apostate fountainhead of all religious persecution of the Jew. Dave Hunt in his book "A Woman Rides The Beast" said this about Martin Luther: "Anti-Semitism was a part of his Catholicism from which Martin Luther was never freed. He advocated burning down Jews' homes and giving them the choice between conversion and having their tongues torn out" (page 23)

Last week in our introductory sermon on Israel we documented that:

(1) Israel was miraculously reformed as a nation in one day in fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah chapter 66:5-24. The day of that fulfillment was May 14, 1948.

(2) Israel has been resurrected from the graveyard of nations in the beginning of the fulfillment of the vision of "the valley of dry bones" of Ezekiel 37:1-28.

(3) God has promised a blessing to the nations that bless the nation of Israel and a curse upon the nations that curse the nation of Israel.

(4) God has set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel.

(5) According to Romans chapter 11 that God has not permanently set aside the nation of Israel in favor of the church.

(6) Israel is a nation and a people chosen of God.

(7) Replacement Theology is a doctrine of devils that has resulted in the wholesale slaughter, persecution, and genocide of millions upon millions of Jews.

We want to reiterate that Replacement Theology is one of the most destructive and damnable heresies ever to slither up out of the pits of hell into the church. It is the product of Satan's unquenchable hatred of the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. For you so-called Christians out there who hate the Jew, I say again and again, if you hate the Jew, then you hate the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ came robed in a Jews' flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ was a perfect Jew. Replacement Theology is a theological venereal plague that was birthed from the diseased, Satanic womb of the Roman Catholic harlot. Replacement Theology is a lie of the Devil just like "peaceful Muslims" are a lie of the Devil. The Devil's religious whores such as Roman Catholicism and Islam have a never ending hatred for the Jewish people. Never has there been a greater and more vile and violent religious monster than Islam.

We are constantly hearing Satan's mantra of "Radical Islam" spewing forth from the Satanic cesspools of Western governments including the wicked and ungodly Americans in the Obama administration in Washington D.C.. It is not radical Islam that is attacking the innocents throughout the world. It is Islam itself. Islam is radical and we should do everything we can to actively seek out its destruction. There can be no peace with Islam because they seek the total destruction of Israel, the Jewish people, America, Americans, and anyone who is not like them. We should not seek to contain Islam, but to destroy it. That being said, we do not believe that the military option is the ultimate solution to the problem. The greatest of military might ultimately fails when it is brought to naught by God. The ultimate case in point is Armageddon. Unfortunately, most of America's response to Islam is in the strength of the arm of the flesh: in other words, its military might. The real danger from Islam will not go away unless America repents and turns back to God. Military might is not the answer. The sword of the Lord and His Spirit are. Zechariah 4:6 says:

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts".

The only way that Islam can be defeated is through the efforts of a truly righteous nation. America does not fit the bill unless she repents. Proverbs 14:34 says: "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people". The Bible says in Psalm 9:17: " The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God".

Our deceived American political and religious leaders have stated time and again that Islam is a religion of peace. How foolishly deceived can you be?! Nothing could be further from the truth. What is the Bible's response to this lie of the Devil that Islam is peace? They say peace, peace when there is no peace. There is no peace saith the Lord unto the wicked. When they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come upon them. Jihad, or continual warfare, is the major tenet of Islam today. The only peace that Islam knows is a 10 year truce called a Hudna whose only purpose is to get time to prepare for the next war. That fits perfectly into the Biblical concept of peace, peace when there is no peace. Peace, peace is a tool of false prophets and cowardly deceived political leaders who do not have a Godly backbone to stand up to the devil and his minions who are possessed of the spirit of Antichrist. Islam is a religion of violence because it is of its father the Devil who was a murderer from the beginning. Islam forms a major part of Satan's whore in Revelation chapter 17. Satan's child molesting prophet of Islam, and I am talking about Mohammad, was possessed of the persecuting and murdering spirit of Antichrist and will burn in hell forever. One of the quickest ways to identify one of the harlot daughters of the whore of Revelation 17 is to find a church that either hates Jews, persecutes Jews, or will not stand for the Jews and the nation of Israel. That includes most of the Protestant churches in America and the Roman Catholic church who is the mother of them all. Islam is in bed with the Roman Catholic whore also. Do you want proof? The 1994 Roman Catholic Catechism states: "But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Moslems: these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day".

If you hate the Jew and the nation of Israel, then you have no part in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me repeat that. If you hate the Jew and the nation of Israel, then you have no part in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ was a perfect Old Testament Jew and the nation of his birth was Israel. According to Philippians chapter 2, there is coming a time when every Anti-Semitic knee will bow at the name of Jesus, the ultimate and perfect Jew. Philippians 2:5-11 says:

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Lord Jesus Christ will eventually rule Israel and the rest of the world from Jerusalem upon the throne of David as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Imagine that, the Lord Jesus Christ, born of a Jewish virgin, ruling as Lord of Lords and King of Kings over the whole world. When the Lord Jesus Christ rules and reigns upon the throne of David in Jerusalem, those Islamic devils will find out what true submission means. There will be no more Islamic persecution and mayhem of the children of God including the Jew and the Christian. Hallelujah! Until that time, Israel is a nation whom the Devil goeth about seeking to devour. All the Jew haters out there take heed to God's warning: touch not God's anointed and the apple of God's eye.

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

The fact that Israel and the Jews are a chosen nation and a chosen people is a constant theme of the scriptures. The physical seed line proceeded from Abram (Abraham), to Isaac, to Jacob (or Israel), to the twelve patriarchs who are the fountainhead of all Jews alive today. The spiritual seed line proceeded from Abram and follows all the way from Old Testament believers through to New Testament believers. The Bible says in Genesis 12:1-3:

1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

The initial provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant were given in Genesis 12:2-3. The Covenant was further expanded in Genesis 13:4-7, signed unconditionally in blood by God alone in Genesis 15:5-
21, and confirmed again to Abraham in Genesis 17:2-8 and Genesis 22:15-18. The foundational promise to Abraham is that God will make of him a great nation and that he would bless those that bless Abraham and curse those that curse Abraham. Genesis 12:1-3 form the foundation of what we know as the Abrahamic Covenant. There are six Old Testament covenants between God and man. These covenants are the Noahic, the Abrahamic, the Mosaic, the Palestinian, the Davidic, and the New covenants. These covenants are classified as either conditional or unconditional. Conditional covenants are based upon man's response to conditions set by God. God says to man: "if you will do this, then I will do that". An unconditional is based upon the I WILL of God and will be kept or fulfilled regardless of any response from man. A ll covenants that are stated to be everlasting are unconditional covenants. The Mosaic was a conditional covenant based upon keeping the law. The Mosaic Covenant was set aside by the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross by the New Covenant. The Noahic Covenant is an unconditional covenant based only upon the promise by God to man that he would never flood the entire earth again. The Abrahamic Covenant is actually composed of four different prophetic covenants dealing with the seed, the land, the throne, and the heart. The seed portion of the covenant refers to both the physical seed and the spiritual seed of Abraham. The land portion of the covenant is sometimes wrongly referred to as the "Palestinian" Covenant when it should either be referred to as the Canaan Land or Promised Land Covenant. The land covenant is a promise through Abraham to the Jewish people that the land will be theirs for an everlasting possession. The Davidic Covenant is based upon the throne, or the kingly promises, provision of the Abrahamic Covenant. The last covenant deals with the heart of man and is referred to as the New Covenant. The seed portion of the Abrahamic Covenant and the heart portion of the Abrahamic Covenant are inseparably tied together in the New Covenant.

THE CANAAN LAND COVENANT

The promises concerning the Canaan Land Covenant are a major subject in the Old Testament. The promise of the land and its boundaries is the subject of Genesis 12:7, Genesis 13:15, Genesis 15:18, Genesis 17:8, Genesis 24:7, Genesis 26:4, Exodus 23:27-31, Exodus 32:13, Numbers 34:1-12, Deuteronomy 1:6-8, Deuteronomy 11:22-24, Joshua 1:2-4, 1 Kings 4:21, 2 Chronicles 9:26, Psalm 105:6-11, Isaiah 60:21, and Ezekiel 37:25. Genesis 17:8 says that the land has been given for an everlasting possession. Exodus 32:13 states that Israel shall inherit the land for ever. Psalm 105 verses10 and11 declare the covenant to be everlasting. Isaiah 60:21 states that they shall inherit the land forever. Jeremiah 25:5 states that the land was given to Israel for ever and ever. Jeremiah 32:40-41 says that God will make an everlasting covenant with them and plant them in the land. Ezekiel 37:25 declares that the children of Israel will dwell in the land forever. Ezekiel 11:17, Ezekiel 20:42, and Ezekiel 34:13 speak of a time when God will gather the children of Israel into their own land. Genesis 15:18 roughly sets the boundaries for this land called the Promised Land. While Genesis 15:18 gives the general outline for the boundaries for the Promised Land, Exodus 23:27-31, Numbers 34:1-12, Deuteronomy 1:6-8, Deuteronomy 11:22-24, and Joshua 1:2-4 give some fairly specific details on the boundaries. There are a lot of details in these Scriptures. A major problem with them is exactly pinpointing them on a modern map. A problem with determining the locations is that several of the cities called out in these Scriptures have been destroyed. However, there is enough information given to get a good idea of what the boundaries ARE. The western border is the Mediterranean Sea. The northern border is on a line that runs roughly due east from a little north of Tripoli, Lebanon to intersect the Euphrates River just north of Tikrik, Iraq. The southern border would run on a line drawn from the tip of the Red Sea to intersect the River of Egypt at a right angle. The eastern border would run roughly on a line drawn from the tip of the Red Sea in the southwest to the Euphrates River in the northeast. These boundaries would include much of Lebanon, Jordan, portions of Syria including Damascus, and some of Iraq.

The details of the Canaan Land Covenant are given through Moses in Deuteronomy 28:1 through Deuteronomy 30:20. Deuteronomy chapters 28, 29, and 30 prophetically set forth a very broad description of what has been and what will be the history of the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 describe what will be the blessings in the land based upon obeying God. Deuteronomy 28:15-68 deal with the curses and the consequences in the land for disobeying God. Deuteronomy chapter 29 is a publick exhortation and admonition to the nation of Israel concerning the covenant warning them that there will be severe consequences for individual wickedness and national idolatry. Deuteronomy chapters 28 and 29 prophetically picture the coming heartbreaking history of the nation of Israel.

Deuteronomy 30 summarizes all that has gone before it in chapters 28 and 29. Chapter 30 verses 1-9 contain seven different prophecies that are a part of the provisions of the Canaan Land Covenant. In verse 1, we see the scattering of Israel into the nations of the world. In verse 2, we see Israel's national repentance followed by Israel's regathering into the land in verses 3 and 4. In verse 5, we see the restoration of Israel in the land followed by her national regeneration in verse 6. In verse 7 we see God's judgment and revenge upon the nations who have abused Israel. Finally, in verse 9, we see Israel dwelling in the land in the fulness and richness of God's millennial blessings. A thorough examination of these verses will reveal that these events take place in a premillennial order. A study of verses 11-20 (especially see verse 19) of this chapter will destroy the Calvinistic heresy of unconditional election. Lest there be any doubt about the everlasting nature of this covenant let us read Ezekiel 16:60: That verse says:

60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.

THE DAVIDIC COVENANT

Though the broad general outline of the Abrahamic Covenant was given in Genesis chapters 12, 13, 15, 17, and 22, there was not much specific information dealing with the throne portion of the covenant other than a brief mention in Genesis 17:6 where Abraham is promised that kings will come out of him. The first mention of the throne of David is in 2 Samuel 3:10. The first details of the Davidic Covenant were presented in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 where we see::

12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: 15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. 16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

Verse 16 tells us that the throne of David has been established for ever. From 2 Samuel 7:16 on, the throne of David is mentioned ten more times in the Old Testament. The covenant is again stated to be everlasting in Psalm 89 where we see:

Psalm 89:3-4

3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

Psalm 89:34-37

34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. 36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. 37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

The Davidic Covenant is also stated to be everlasting in Jeremiah 33:19-26. That the throne is to be everlasting is also obvious from Genesis 49:8-10 and Hebrews 1:8 where we see:

Genesis 49:8-10 8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Hebrews 1:8

8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

The Lord Jesus Christ is referred 16 different times as the Son of David in Matthew Mark, and Luke. The Book Revelation mentions David three different times and each time it is in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ being the fulfillment of the type that David was and is. In Revelation 3:7-8, the type is in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ who has the keys that establish His right to the throne of David. Revelation 3:7 is a reference to Isaiah 22:22. In Revelation 5:5 the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Juda and the Root of David. In Revelation 22:16 the Lord Jesus Christ is the root and the offspring of David and the bright and morning star. In the Pentateuch, five books of the law, the Lord Jesus Christ is given six different titles. In Genesis 3:15 the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to as "Seed", in Genesis 49:10 as "Shiloh" and as the "Sceptre", in Genesis 49:24 as the "Shepherd" and the "Stone", and in Numbers 24:17 as the "Star". All these titles culminate in him being Lord of Lords and King of Kings sitting and reigning upon the throne of David. In the millennial kingdom, the Lord Jesus Christ will be seated on David's throne in Jerusalem. This is an earthly reign and it is described in Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Jeremiah 30:8-9, Jeremiah 33:14-
21, Ezekiel 37:24-25, Daniel 7:13-14, Hosea 3:4-5, Amos 9:11, and Zechariah 14:9.

It is obvious that no one is setting upon the throne of David in Jerusalem now. Does that make the promise of God of none effect. God forbid! As we have stated over and over, there is a promise of the regathering and restoration of the nation of Israel. The regathering is well underway. The place of Israel and the Jewish people has been temporarily set aside for the benefit of Gentiles. The Lord Jesus Christ had this to say in Luke 21:24

24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

The period of being set aside is rapidly coming to a close. Paul also plainly states in Romans 11 that the temporary setting aside of the nation of Israel is for the purpose of bringing us Gentile dogs to salvation. Hallelujah!

THE NEW COVENANT

Now let us deal with the New Covenant. The promises of the New Covenant include all the promises of the whole Abrahamic Covenant. In Ezekiel 37:21-23, we see the promise of the Seed Covenant. In Jeremiah 32:37-39, God states the promise of the Land Covenant, or the Canaan Land Covenant. The promise of the Throne Covenant, called the Davidic Covenant, is included in Jeremiah 23:5-6, Ezekiel 34:23-25, and Ezekiel 37:24. The terms of the New Covenant include a national regathering of the nation of Israel in Isaiah 11:11-12 and Jeremiah 32:37-38; the national regeneration of Israel in Jeremiah 33:14-16, Isaiah 59:21, and Hosea 2:18-23;and finally the national restoration of Israel in Isaiah 11:1-10, Jeremiah 31:34, and Ezekiel 34:25-31.

The New Covenant deals with the HEART of man. The book of Hebrews is obviously written to Jewish Christians. The New Covenant is mentioned quite frequently in the book of Hebrews. In fact, the book of Hebrews sets up a contrast between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. It is a contrast between a mortal priesthood and the immortal priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a contrast between works and grace. It is a contrast between the blood of the sacrifices and the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant is a covenant of condemnation to eternal death. The New Covenant is a covenant of salvation unto eternal life. The New Covenant is both a national covenant and an individual covenant. The New Covenant is a promise of resurrection from the grave of nations. In almost every Scripture where the New Covenant is described, it is connected to a gathering out of the nations. For a gathering out of the nations to take place, there must be a gathering into a new land. That is why the New Covenant is connected both to the national salvation of Israel and the individual salvation of Jews. That this is true is obvious from Jeremiah 31:31-40, Jeremiah 32:37-41, Ezekiel 11:17-20, and Ezekiel 36:24-28. The whole plan comes together in Ezekiel 37:15-28 where we see a restatement of the Abrahamic Covenant. Once again the covenant is called an everlasting covenant. Hebrews 8:8-12 and Hebrews 10:16-17 are a New Testament statement to the continuing nature of the covenant promised in the Scriptures from Jeremiah 31:31-34. That Paul expected this covenant to be a continuing covenant is obvious from Acts 26:6-7, Romans 9:4-10, Romans 11:1-2, Romans 11:26-27, Romans 15:8, Hebrews 8:8-12, Hebrews 10:16-17, Hebrews 12:23-24, and Hebrews 13:20. For the Jew, the promises of the New Covenant are also linked to the spiritual seed of the Seed Covenant. Romans 4:9-16, Romans 11:11, Galatians 3:26-29, and Ephesians 2:11-16 state that the spiritual benefits under the Seed Covenant apply to the Gentiles. This means that all Gentiles who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are the spiritual seed of Abraham. Once again the New Covenant is an unconditional, everlasting covenant as stated in Isaiah 55:3, Isaiah 61:8, Jeremiah 31:31-37, and Ezekiel 37:26.

FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE EVERLASTING

NATURE OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

Not only are all the provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant unconditional they are also everlasting covenants. The unconditional and everlasting covenants of God cannot be set aside by the disobedience of man. A thorough study of the Old and New Testaments will reveal that the covenants are given as an everlasting promise to Abraham and his physical and spiritual seed. In fact that are at least 33 (thirty-three) different groups of Scriptures involving at least 92 verses in the Old Testament alone that deal with the everlasting nature of the four prophetic Abrahamic Covenants. Paul also deals with the covenants in Romans 9 and also in Galatians 3. God the Holy Ghost also makes it clear in Psalm 89:28-36 that God's covenant cannot be broken by man's transgression and iniquity, but will result in their punishment instead. Following the crucifixion, God the Holy Ghost also plainly stated in Romans 11:1-2 that God had not cast aside the nation of Israel. In Galatians 3 in general, and specifically verses 14-18, God the Holy Ghost makes it plain that Israel's disobedience cannot disannul, or set aside, the promises and provisions of the Abrahamic Covenants.

Psalm 89:28-36

28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. 30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. 36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.

Romans 11:1-2

1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

Galatians 3:14-18

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

At the bottom line, what all this means is that the church cannot and will not set aside the eternal relationship that God has established between himself, the nation of Israel, and the Jewish people. The Bible also strongly states in Ephesians 2:14 that the spiritual middle wall of partition between the Jew and the Gentile has been broken down by the Lord Jesus Christ. Gentiles become partakers in that covenant through the sinless blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We deal in great depth with the covenants and the relationship between Israel, the church, and the so-called "Palestinians" in the article titled "Israel, the "Palestinians", and the Church" located on our web site at www.earnestlycontendingforthefaith.com . I have also preached a six part radio series by that same title that has been uploaded to our web site.

A BROADSIDE VIEW OF THE BIBLICAL HISTORY OF ISRAEL

The ancient Biblical history of the nation of Israel is well documented in the Old Testament. Her roots in the Promised Land go all the way back to the promise given to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. It is not my objective here to give a detailed time line of the ancient history of Israel. We know from the book of Genesis that the earthly father of the nation of Israel is Abraham. Abraham had several sons but the promise to Abraham is that the people and the nation would come through Isaac. The Islamic devils are dead wrong when they tie the promise to that wild man Ishmael. Out of Isaac came Jacob and eventually the Twelve Patriarchs that include Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. From the book of Exodus, we know that there was a four-hundred year period of bondage in Egypt under many Pharaohs. We also know from the Book of Exodus that the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian bondage, that the Passover was instituted, that the law was given at Mount Sinai, the Tabernacle was established, and that Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years. The Book of Numbers also documents the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness. The Book of Joshua documents Israel's conquest of the land followed by Israel's periods of servitude and oppression at the hands of her enemies the Moabites, the Canaanites, the Midianites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines documented in the Book of Judges. I and II Samuel document the reigns of Israel first three kings including Saul, David, and Solomon. I and II Kings document the rule of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. There was a total of 19 Kings and one usurping queen (Athaliah) in Judah. There was a total of 20 kings in Israel. The Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel document the rebellion of Israel and Judah. The Books of Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel document the captivity and exile of Israel and Judah. A reading and study of the books just mentioned would reveal that most of the kings in both Israel and Judah were given over to wickedness. That being said, if there was a Godly king to be found, it was in Judah.

THE REFORMED NATION OF ISRAEL AND HER WARS

Israel is a nation that is surrounded by her enemies and at best her friends are fickle and in many cases treacherous. Israel has been double crossed many times by her so-called friends including the United States. Turn in your Bibles to Zechariah 12:1-6

1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. 3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. 4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. 5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. 6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

There has never been a time, even in ancient Biblical history, when Israel has been surrounded by so many enemies that seek her destruction. Israel has literally become a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone to all the nations of the world. The United Nations uses much of its time in the condemnation of the nation of Israel while allowing and condoning Muslim genocide against the nation of Israel. The United Nations has spent one-third of its time either deliberating and arguing about or denouncing Israel because of its hold upon Jerusalem. More than 60,000 individual votes have been cast in the UN against Israel. From 1967 through 1989, out of 865 resolutions in the Security Council and General Assembly of the UN, 526 were against Israel. That is 61% of the resolutions. Little do the nations know that God is using their hatred of the Jew and the nation of Israel to draw them to their own destruction. Israel and Jerusalem have become a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone to those in the UN and the world that trouble themselves with it! It is like they cannot put it down. It will be the so-called "Palestinian" problem that will lead to the destruction of the nations at Armageddon. It is no coincidence that the only time that the word spelled exactly as "Palestine" occurs in our Bibles is in Joel 3:4 where the nations are being drawn to Armageddon. The word "Palestina" is used three times in our Bibles and it is in relation to judgment of Israel's enemies. In Exodus 15:14, the entry of God's chosen people into the Promised Land brings great fear and trembling upon the inhabitants of Palestina. In Isaiah chapter 14:24-32 it is used twice in connection with the destruction of the Assyrian who is the Antichrist. Isaiah 14:24-
32 says:

24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: 25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. 26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. 27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? 28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. 29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. 30 And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. 31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times. 32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

So, what does the Bible say about the so-called "Palestinians". The bidding of the Bible is that the nations of the world will come into Palestine for their destruction. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Since the nation of Israel was reconstituted on May 14, 1948, she has constantly been at war with those warmongering, "peace loving" Muslims. Since the official proclamation reestablishing the nation of Israel she has been involved in 11 (eleven) major wars and/or conflicts up to an including the 2012 Pillar Of Defense Operation. These wars and conflicts included the 1948 War Of Independence, the 1956 Egyptian Suez War, the 1967 Six Day War, the 1967-1970 War Of Attrition, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 1982-1985 Lebanon War, the 1988-1992 Palestinian Intifada, the 2000-2005 Palestinian War, the 2006 Lebanon War, the 2008-2009 Operation Cast Lead War, and the 2012 Operation Pillar Of Defense War. None of these wars was started by any act of war by the nation of Israel.

For a secular review of the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict we recommend the book "From Time Immemorial" by Joan Peters that was first published in 1984. For a Biblical perspective and broad overview in light of fairly recent events we recommend Dave Hunt's book "Judgment Day" published in 2005. One of the best and most extensive sites on the internet dealing with the so-called Arab-Israeli conflict is the site www. jewishvirtuallibrary.org . This site also has an in depth review of the ancient and modern history of the nation of Israel. The site has what is probably the most extensive point by point rebuttals of the myths promoted by the left wing Anti-Semitic media concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict. For an amazing facts concerning the miracles that have taken place in Israel and in her wars since the early 1900s we recommend the video series "Against All Odds: Israel Survives" from American Trademark Pictures.

Immediately after the proclamation reforming Israel the nation, Israel was attacked on May 15, 1948 by the combined forces of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria with Great Britain playing an active role on behalf of the Arabs throughout the war. We believe that Britain's actions ultimately led to her downfall as a superpower as a result of judgment from God. Britain's downfall started on May 23, 1939 when she officially rescinded her commitment to the November 2,1917 Balfour Declaration by issuing the 1939 MacDonald White Paper. The Balfour Declaration, or Milner Declaration, was a commitment by Britain to establishing a homeland for the Jewish people in so-called "Palestine". On September 3, 1939, Britain became involved in the most destructive war in her history resulting in the breakup of the British Empire following World War II. During the 1948-1949 War Of Independence, the Israeli forces were outnumbered by 660,000 to 140,000. Yet she survived through the divine intervention of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. During the 1948 war one percent (1%) of the Israeli population was killed. That would be roughly equivalent to 3,162,660 American deaths if America fought a war in December 2012. In the descr4iptions that follow, I will not be able to provide a lot of detail because of the sheer magnitude of the conflicts involved.

The 1956 Egyptian-Israeli Suez War officially started on October 29, 1956. What ultimately led up to the Israeli involvement in the Suez War was the extended Egyptian blockade of the Tiran Straits to Israeli shipping and the use of the Gaza Strip by the Egyptians as a training base for terrorists that were attacking Israel. Once again, Israel was vastly outnumbered with the Egyptians having 302,000 troops to Israel's 176,000. Again, a miraculous victory was won through the divine intervention of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The 1956 Suez War was a whole lot more complicated than what it appeared to be. There was much international intrigue involving the British and French who involved themselves for their own political reasons including the British for the Suez Canal and the French because of Egyptian interference in France's North African colonies. The Soviet Union was also involved in the intrigue because she was supplying weapons to the Egyptians.

The 1967 Six Day War started on June 5, 1967 and ended on June 10, 1967. The war was brought about by Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian plans to launch a surprise attack upon Israel. Once again, the closing of the Straits of Tiran and the Suez Canal to Israeli shipping was a factor that led to Israeli preparation for war. This war also saw a tremendous numerical advantage by Arab forces with them having 1,010,000 troops to Israel's 200,000. During the first hours of this war, Israel destroyed 338 Egyptian aircraft 57 Syrian aircraft. The Arab air forces were aided by pilots from the Pakistan Air Force and by some aircraft from Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia to make up for the massive Egyptian and Syrian losses during the first hours of the war. The major Arab combatants in the Six Day War were Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. By the end of the Six Day War, Israel had taken the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank of the Jordan River resulting in Israel controlling 3 times as much territory as she did before the war.

The 1973 Yom Kippur War was initiated by a surprise attack upon the nation of Israel by both the Egyptian and Syrian armies on October 6, 1973, the Jewish Day Of Atonement. Kuwaiti, Tunisian, and so-called "Palestinian" troops also were allied with the Egyptians in the south with the Iraqis and Jordanians allied with the Syrians in the north. The Egyptians were also supplied with troops, tanks, and aircraft from Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sudan, Libya, Cuba, North Korea, and the Soviet Union. Once again the Israelis were outnumbered with 1,210,000 Arabs fighting against 200,000 Israelis. Had it not been for pressure from the United States and the Russians the Israelis would have destroyed the entire Egyptian Third Army which was surrounded and cut off. Had it not been for a massive emergency airlift of military supplies from the United States to Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel would have been in great danger of annihilation. During the nights of October 8-9, Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan discussed the use of nuclear weapons and also later with the Israeli cabinet. The night of October 9, 1973 Golda Meir authorized the assembly of 13 (thirteen) 20 kiloton tactical atomic warheads for mounting on Jericho missiles. The nuclear weapons were never used because the tide of the war started shifting in Israel's favor on October 12, 13, an 14. It is also known that during the early part of the war when it looked like all was lost for Israel that Golda Meir considered suicide. At the height of the Watergate controversy, even though it was known that Richard Nixon was guilty of many Anti-Semitic tirades while he was in the White House, it was his decision to airlift emergency military supplies to Israel that saved the day for Israel. Though the world likes to talk a lot about luck and the fortunes of war, for Israel it was once again a case of deliverance through the miraculous intervention of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

While we do not hold to the Calvinistic Gnostic heresy of the sovereignty of God, we do believe that God is absolutely sovereign in the affairs of the nations. God puts them up and God takes them down. The Bible says that God removeth kings and setteth up kings. God uses nations to judge Israel and the Jewish people and then He punishes those very nations for having the wrong motivations in dealing with Israel and her people. That God chose the nation of Israel above all other nations and the people of Israel above all peoples is a scriptural fact that cannot be denied. Israel is a chosen nation and the Jews are a chosen people. For that, they have paid a terrible price, both nationally and individually, in the blood of jealousy and revenge. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 7:6-8:

6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Satan hates Israel and he motivates individuals and nations to go after her. There has never been another nation or a people like Israel that has been the brunt of continual hate, continual persecution, and continual violence from the moment of their inception and even unto today. Today, they are the most hated and most reviled nation and people on the face of the earth. They are surrounded on all sides by nations and peoples who seek their total annihilation and the destruction of their nation. If you are a Christian, you should pray for Israel as if your life depended on it. As a Christian American, you should pray for Israel as if the continued existence of America depends upon it (because it does).

We would encourage to do your own independent research of the facts stated in this sermon series. If you are a Christian, you should be better informed on what is going on in the Middle East than any unbeliever. If you are a Christian, the heartbeat of your daily news intake should be events that affect the nation of Israel. There is no nation on the face of this earth that is more important to God than Israel. The following links would be helpful in tracking Middle East events: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/ , http://www.debka.com/ , http://www.jpost.com/ , http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa , http://www.ynetnews.com/home/ .