What About Israel
Part 1
Posted by Dr. Parker on September 17, 2025
There is something that has been fermenting in my mind for a while now that I think I may be ready to begin to talk about. It has to do with America’s commitment to stand with Israel. For all the years since Israel returned to the land in 1948, America has nearly without fail aligned with Israel. Even for many Christians in America this alliance has become almost inviolable in their thinking. I have, frankly, not given it much thought over the years, but due to my own study recently, I am arriving at a different position.
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Let me start by giving an example of how my thinking is shifting regarding this matter due to closer consideration of what God reveals in His Word. I want to keep this somewhat brief at this point, so I will not develop every point in great depth.
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First, many Christians know that God is not finished with Israel. Keeping it simple, let me just say that biblically we are clear about this on the basis of two passages. [There are many more, of course.]
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"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.
Writing under inspiration, Paul made it clear that God’s plans for Israel are overwhelmingly redemptive. He emphasized that this hardness of heart among the Jews is temporary, ‘until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.'"
Romans 11:25-29
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I read the text of several teaching sessions by John MacArthur on Romans chapter 11. https://www.gty.org/sermons/45-83/has-god-cancelled-his-promises-to-israel-part-2 His teaching is very clear. I recommend it to you. He forcefully establishes God’s future intentions for Israel. So, we are clear about this, that God has not cast Israel away permanently.
What About Israel
Part 2
Posted by Dr. Parker on September 18, 2025
First, the fact that the twelve tribes are the names on the gates is significant. It seems to me that in doing things this way, God’s redemptive purposes through Israel during Old Testament days is eternally memorialized. God’s staggering work of redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ is literally tied forever to His promise to Abraham that in him would all families of the earth would eventually be deeply blessed through Abraham.
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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 show 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.
Genesis 12:1-3
The vital connectedness between Israel and God’s redemptive purposes through the churches later is forever established!
No Abraham > No Isaac > No Jacob > No Israel > No Christ > No Church > No Christians
Second, Ephesians helps me to better understand the great significance of this interconnectedness.
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9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
Ephesians 3:9-11​
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From this passage, it is clear that God’s mighty redemptive work was shrouded in mystery. We are literally told that “from the beginning of the world [it was] hid in God”. But why? Why did God wait to reveal the depths of His redemptive work until much later? He Himself answers that question. He says that it was “to the intent that now [present tense when Paul wrote this] unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places…by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”
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Clearly, the fullness of the divine revelation of God’s eternal redemptive purposes in Christ was opened after the coming of the Messiah, God’s Christ. This, we are told, was according to the manifold wisdom of God. God knew long before the first advent of Christ that He would have to set Israel aside as the channel of redemption. The platform would need broaden exponentially, becoming literally worldwide, something it could not do through Israel.
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Consider the ‘endpoints’ of our passage. At the first we have “from the beginning of the world.” This was clearly prior to God calling Abram. And last we have “the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This extends far beyond the ‘Church Age.’
And recall that all of this grand redemptive plan was to be put on display far beyond the boundaries of this world! As all of this is being displayed before such a staggering audience, there is Israel, memorialized forever in the naming of the gates of the New Jerusalem!
What About Israel
Part 3
Posted by Dr. Parker on September 19, 2025
The idea of modern-day Israel’s alliances call into question the underlying motives. These motives are clearly NOT spiritual, but rather entirely political. Being a very small nation and surrounded by numerous other nations that grew out of the loins of Ishmael [the so-called Arab nations] Israel will naturally look to allies to come alongside in case of armed conflict.
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But it is precisely these kinds of alliances that the Lord spoke about in our previous passage from Isaiah. God was not pleased that Israel felt the need to ally with Egypt so that Egypt’s military might would come into play if Israel were to be attacked. In today’s world, Israel has many such allies. Interestingly, one such ally is Egypt since a peace treaty with them was signed in 1979. So, is Israel ‘going down to Egypt’ today, building an alliance that leaves God completely out? If so, what about their alliance with the United States?
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For me, at this point in my thinking, this entire discussion is a clear example of spiritual blindness. Consider, for example, this passage:
14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 6:14-17
The natural man [i.e.- the servant of the prophet] ‘receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.' [1 Corinthians 2:14] Are the leaders of the earthly nations spiritual men or natural men? Except in very rare instances they are natural men, not seeing the reality behind the apparent. Human political alliances develop because the parties involved do NOT relate to circumstances spiritually, seeing things as they actually are.
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Furthermore, consider another familiar passage:
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Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Psalm 127:1
What this identifies is that apart from the Lord’s protective hand being upon them, watchmen [allies] are vanity. If God is not ‘keeping’ a people, no army can keep them. Consider the Jewish Holocaust associated with the Nazi horror in Europe in the thirties and forties. Did God ‘keep’ the Jews then? Or did He sovereignly permit them to suffer unnamable atrocities? To put it another way, could God NOT have brought deliverance to the Jews before their deep trial?
