Israël and Jews from biblical perspective
In the year 33 the people of the nation of Israel lost its claim to be God’s chosen nation when it rejected JWHW’s Son, the Messiah.
The Messiah himself put it this way: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her . . . Look! Your house is abandoned to you.” (Matthew 23:37, 38)
Jesus’ statement came true when in 70 C.E., Roman legions destroyed Jerusalem along with its temple and priesthood. But what was to become of God’s purpose to have a “special property out of all other peoples. . . a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”?—Exodus 19:5, 6.
The apostle Peter, himself a fleshly Jew, answered that question in a letter written to Christians — both Gentile and Jewish.
He wrote: “You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession,’ . . . for you were once not a people, but are now God’s people; you were those who had not been shown mercy, but are now those who have been shown mercy.”—1 Peter 2:7-10.
Christians who were selected by the Holy Spirit thus belong to a spiritual nation, their membership not being determined by birth or geographic location.
The apostle Paul described the matter this way: “Neither is circumcision anything nor is uncircumcision, but a new creation is something. And all those who will walk orderly by this rule of conduct, upon them be peace and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.”—Galatians 6:15, 16.
Whereas the modern nation of Israel offers to confer citizenship upon any natural or converted Jew, citizenship in what the Bible calls “the Israel of God” is given only to those who are: “obedient and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:1, 2)
Speaking of these members of the Israel of God, or spiritual Jews, Paul wrote: “He is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision that which is on the outside upon the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit, and not by a written code. The praise of that one comes, not from men, but from God.”—Romans 2:28, 29.
That verse helps us understand a controversial comment Paul made. In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained how the unbelieving natural Jews were like branches of a symbolic olive tree that were lopped off so that “wild” Gentile “branches” could be grafted in. (Romans 11:17-21)
Concluding this illustration, he states: “A dulling of sensibilities has happened in part to Israel until the full number of people of the nations has come in, and in this manner all Israel will be saved.” (Romans 11:25, 26) Was Paul foretelling an conversion of the Jews to Christianity? Clearly, no such conversion has taken place.
By the expression “all Israel,” Paul meant all of spiritual Israel — Christians who have been selected by Holy Spirit. He was saying that the failure of the natural Jews to accept the Messiah would not thwart God’s purpose to have a spiritual ‘olive tree’ full of productive branches.
This is in harmony with Jesus’ own illustration of himself as a vine whose non-productive branches will be taken away. Jesus said: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the cultivator. Every branch in me not bearing fruit he takes away, and every one bearing fruit he cleans, that it may bear more fruit.”—John 15:1, 2.
Although the establishment of the modern State of Israel was not foretold in the Bible, the establishment of the nation of spiritual Israel certainly was! If you identify and associate with that spiritual nation today, you will reap eternal blessings.—Genesis 22:15-18; Galatians 3:8, 9.
House of Judah and House of Israël
Most believe the English word Jew/Jewish relates to all of God’s chosen, in fact it is a corruption of a Latin word relating to Judah or House of Judah (two of the twelve tribes including Benjamin).
The people residing in Israel at the time of Christ’s ministry was this ‘House of Judah,’ the House of Israel (ten tribes) never returned and are called the ‘Lost Tribes’.
Also from 70AD to 1900’s, religious Jews returned to Palestine believing God forbade re-establishing Israel in Palestine, so lived (about 2000 years) in peace with their Palestine neighbors (Arab, Christian, and Muslim)… until the Zionist arrived in early 1900 and ended all peace.
All believers in Jesus are chosen people
God cursed them for they used to mock and kill prophets, always majority denied their teachings and followed their forefathers and pharisees.
Even Jesus prophesied that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from them and given to a fruitful nation (Matt 21:43). So it is clear that they are against God, thus serving satan.
But Jesus told us not to worry about what we will eat tomorrow (parable of birds). And he told Jewish leaders that his kingdom is not of this world unlike the Pharisees who wanted to establish their corrupted version of the Torah.
Conclusion
It is clear that many people have been misled to think that the fleshy Israël and Jews has a special status. The bible points clearly out that Israël today is a spiritual nation and that everyone is part of this nation when obedient and sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ became the ultimate and final sacrificial lamb once and for all time. So there is no need for a stone temple to sacrifice.
All praise to the one and only God Almighty.
