Dear Friends and Partners in Mission,

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I thought an article I wrote about Jesus' earthly family
might be in order in this season when we celebrate His being born into it! May
God richly bless all of you in what remains of 2004 and may He bless all of us
as He deems best in 2005!
Shalom in Yeshua!
Kevin

Why Replacement Theology Is Wrong

by Rev. Kevin S. Johnson

There are those who hold to the idea that God has finished with Israel. They
would say that the Jewish rejection of Jesus, as portrayed in The New
Testament, has caused God to turn to the Gentile world and the believing Jews only
(i.e. those in the church) in such a way as to make His original promises and
predictions to the physical descendants of Israel via Abraham to be null and
void. This position is known as Replacement Theology. It is found in Roman
Catholicism, some Protestant denominations and Islam!

The replacement theology attitude run amok in Islam asserts that they have
replaced not only Israel, but the Church as well in God’s economy. The
destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by Titus in 70 AD is put forth by both Muslims
and Christians in this camp as proof positive that God’s displeasure and
chastisement of Israel was really His disowning of them as a people group on a
permanent basis. Furthermore, they then arrogantly ( see Romans 11:18) assert that
His blessing has exclusively shifted to their own benefit!

The Christian replacement theologians leave the Deuteronomic curses to Israel
while appropriating all the blessings associated with Abraham to the Church
Corporately and then to its individual members. These dreadful curses are
poignantly distilled in Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 67 "In the morning you shall
say, 'Would that it were evening!' And at evening you shall say, 'Would that it
were morning!' because of the dread of your heart which you dread, and for
the sight of your eyes which you will see.

Many prominent Church authorities have reasoned this way since the earliest
times of the Church pointing to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD as
historical justification for their view. Dr. Randall Price notes this saying,
“Jerusalem has what no other city has: the Scriptural confirmation that it was
chosen by God (1 Kings 8:48 and 11:13).But does that choice continue on through
today? The renowned biographer of Rome’s decline and fall, Edward Gibbon,
dogmatically declared that it did not, ‘The Jews their nation and their worship have
been forever banned’ from Jerusalem and its environs. . . .This view has been
stated and shared throughout church history by such notables as Eusebius
Pamphilus, the third/fourth century bishop of CAESARIA. . .. and Martin Luther,
the sixteenth -century father of the German Reformation from which Protestant
Christianity developed. The reasons for these views were largely based on
theological interpretations originating from the Roman Catholic Church as well as
the physical condition of Jerusalem at the times Eusebius and Luther were
alive.” (excerpted from Jerusalem In Prophecy Page 102 by Dr. Randall Price Harvest
House Publishers Eugene, Oregon 1998)

 This confusion leads to misapplication of God’s promises to whole so called
“Christian nations.”  For instance many in the Christian Reconstruction
Movement wish to install the 613 laws of Moses as the supreme law of the United
States. They believe that promises made explicitly to Israel may apply to any
society seeking to be faithful to God. Speaking of this problem in light of the
exclusivity of the Mosaic covenant with Israel authors Dr. Thomas Ice and Dr. H.
Wayne House write, ”Deuteronomy 29:1-2 says that these are the words of the
covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the
land of Moab. . . and Moses summoned all Israel.” Therefore one has to
spiritualize the text in order to say with certainty that God will do this to “any
society faithful to Him and His Word.” God may give those blessings to others or
He may smite a people with these curses, but there is no scriptural evidence
that such an action is the result of a cause/effect relationship from
Deuteronomy 28.” (taken from page 181 of “Dominion Theology Blessing or Curse” by
House and Ice on Multinomah Press Portland, Oregon 1988)

Replacement theology may have an appeal to gentile racial or ethnic pride but
it is not one that is based upon the higher gracious nature given to
believers by Christ. We are saved by believing in God’s unmerited favor extended to us
through faith in Christ based upon His unconditional promises but replacement
theology refuses to grant this same principle when dealing with God’s earthly
people Israel and the unconditional promise of future national salvation (see
Romans 11:26) and their return to the land (see Ezekiel 36:24,25).

Some mistakenly believe that they are being more loyal to Jesus by being
against those in Israel who are still rejecting Him. It is true that because of
their past not knowing the time of their Messiah’s visitation they suffered
severe consequences. Luke 19:41-44 tells us “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw
the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known in this day, even you,
the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
"For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade
against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level
you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you
one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your
visitation." Their consequences included being hardened and blinded in part (see
Romans 11:25) and they are spoken of by God as spiritually “broken off branches“
which are able to be grafted back in as a people group (see Romans 11:23).

We believe replacement theology is the epitome of the arrogance that the Holy
Spirit warned the Church of through the Apostle Paul in Romans 11:17,18 “But
if some of the branches [Israel] were broken off, and you (all gentile
believers), being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with
them [Israel] of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the
branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports
the root, but the root supports you.”

First, Who Is Israel?
They are a people whose ancestors were given an unconditional land grant in
Genesis 13:15 “for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to
your descendants forever.” (NASV95) They also received an unconditional blessing
from God Almighty that was to be in force in perpetuity. “And I will bless
those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the
families of the earth will be blessed." (Genesis 12:3 NASV95) When God
confirmed the covenant with Abraham He put Abraham to sleep and walked through the
ceremony of confirming the covenant alone. “Now when the sun was going down, a
deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon
him.” (Genesis 15:12) I believe this was to show that the promise was NOT
dependent on Abraham, but unconditional and unilateral on God’s part.

God further elaborated on the eternal nature of His covenant in Genesis
Chapter 17:7,8: “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your
descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be
God to you and to your descendants after you. “I will give to you and to your
descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan,
for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (NAS95). It is very
obvious in this passage that God intended to give the land that was then known as
“the land of Canaan.” to Abraham’s descendants as a forever (Olam in the
Hebrew) possession. This certainly included all the land that is now known as
Israel, Palestine, the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, and even more. This
wonderful unconditional promise also included God’s pledge to bless Abraham’s
children when God said “And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses
you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Genesis 12:3 (NASV95)

This  blessing and promise of land became the basis for Abraham’s children
distinguishing their familial and then their national identity from other people
groups. The physical or outward sign of this covenant was the fact that these
people’s male children would be circumcised (see Genesis 17:10). This promise
was then passed down to Isaac (see Genesis 17:19), then Jacob (see Lev.
26:42; Psalm 105:10 and 1 Chronicles 16:17 ) and then his twelve sons and their
descendants. The blessing of Abraham was in full force during the time of the
Kings when spirituality waned among the descendants of Jacob. “But the LORD was
gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them because of His
covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them or cast
them from His presence until now.” (2 Kings 13:23 NAS95). Acts 7:8 "And He gave
him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac,
and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and
Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. (NAS95)

Is Israel Still A Nation Or Has It Been Genetically Obliterated Through
Intermarriage With Gentiles?

Some who hold to replacement theology like to say that Israel today bears no
genetic link to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They like to point out the
differences between Ashkenazi Jews from Europe and Sephardic Jews whose ancestors never
left the Middle East. It is funny that in the name of Christian theology they
are willing to forget the genetic intermingling that occurred in our own dear
Savior’s genealogy. Ruth was a Moabitess and Rahab was from Jericho!  We
don’t know what non-Jewish traits they may or may not have had.

They still persist in saying that the inheritance line is blurred and ruined
by intermarriage with gentiles. This, in spite of genetic studies done
recently (and which have been widely heralded) that show otherwise. The genetic link
of those who are of the tribe of Levi is said to have been confirmed. It has
long been recognized by Jewish law that those who have the “ha-Levi” title in
their family for three generations back are potentially eligible for service
in a future temple as priests. These, as well as others who are named Kohane,
Cohen, Levitt or other derivations of that name are said to have  genetic
markers linking them to each other showing a common ancestor which is presumably
Levi!

It seems that the empirical evidence is in but that is not how we should
ultimately determine whether Israel has been genetically destroyed. Leaving the
possible nuances and ambiguities of modern science, or even Jewish tradition,
aside, we should turn to Scripture to find out what God says about the matter.

In Jeremiah 31:35-37 we read: “Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for
light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who
stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: "If
this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the
offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever. “Thus says
the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the
earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel
for all that they have done," declares the LORD.” (NASV95) If the sun is
shining on planet earth somewhere, and the moon is in the sky at night, Israel still
exists as a nation before God! God keeps track of who is related to whom
throughout history and it isn’t their behavior that’s the determining factor as
to whether Israel will continue as a nation before God.

Hasn’t Israel’s Sin Disenfranchised Them?

Notice the last sentence God uses in the preceding passage of Jeremiah 31:37
: “For all that they have done.”? That should thrill the heart of every
believer in Christ who has sinned after receiving His promise of forgiveness of
sins and eternal life. If He will keep His word to Israel on the basis of an
unconditional promise to them through Abraham, He will most assuredly keep His
unconditional promise of forgiveness through Jesus to we who have trusted Him and
entered into the New Covenant in His blood in spite of all of our failures.

The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter three versus 1-3 states very clearly that
the advantage the Jew currently possesses is based upon their relationship to
the promises God made in the Bible. He says; “Then what advantage has the Jew?
Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all,
that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. What then? If some did not
believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?”

Besides Land What Does The Abrahamic Covenant Promise To Abraham’s Physical
Children Now Known As Jews?

It  promises that they would be a blessing to all the families of the earth.
“And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will
curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." (Genesis 12:3
NASV95) Notice it is a blessing that is not limited by a time constraint but is
perpetual. This aspect of the blessing was acknowledged by King Solomon when
through prayer He dedicated the great Temple He had built: “...then hear from
heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the
foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name,
and fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house
which I have built is called by Your name. (2 Chronicles 6:33 NASV95)

The unconditional covenantal blessing continues on as long as there are
descendants of Abraham. It was partially fulfilled by the prophets of Israel, such
as Jonah going to pagan Nineveh, it has been fulfilled by Abraham’s greatest
progeny Jesus in His ministry of death, burial and resurrection for the
reconciliation of the peoples of the whole world to the God of Abraham, and also
through His church in evangelization and ministry to the needs of the whole world
throughout the last two thousand years.

The promise of blessing the whole world will continue to be fulfilled in the
future by the 144,000 Jewish evangelists/bond-servants of God prophesied by
John in the Book of Revelation 7:4 ”And I heard the number of those who were
sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons
of Israel:”

Directly following their being sealed against harm and commissioned for their
mission we read the seeming consequence of their service which blesses the
people of the whole Earth; “After these things I looked, and behold, a great
multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples
and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white
robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud
voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." In
Israel today there are Jews who speak virtually every language of Earth and
are familiar with every culture because they have returned from every nation to
the land of Israel. Can you imagine a greater missionary force for the Gospel
once God seals them and commissions them?

The promise continues way on into the not-to-distant future when Jesus rules
and reigns on this planet from Jerusalem. Speaking of the nations of the Earth
who rebel against Jesus and pursue evil we read “You shall break them with a
rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'" Ps 2:9 and again in
the New Testament: “AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF
THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My
Father; (Re 2:27 (both NASV95)

Following that blessing of justice on the whole world all the nations of the
Earth will be blessed to have Jesus as King over all of them. “Then it will
come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem
will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to
celebrate the Feast of Booths.” (Zechariah 14:16 NASV95) There is a special
place for the adopted spiritual children of Abraham as well (the Church) during
this future reign of Jesus: “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the
first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be
priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”
(Revelation 20:6 NASV)

Are The Natural Children (The Jews) The Beneficiaries Of All That Is In The
Abrahamic Covenant?

Absolutely NOT! One needs look no further that Lazarus (a Jew) and the rich
man (a Jew) whom Jesus spoke about, One was in torment and the other in
paradise. Only those who have been adopted by God through the spiritual new birth,
found only in believing the Messianic promises of God, are eligible for all the
eternal blessings. This ultimately means living forever in the city Abraham
looked for which is not built with human hands but by God Hebrews 11:8-10 tells
us that “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place
which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where
he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a
foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same
promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose
architect and builder is God.” (NASV95). It was only seven thousand during the time of
Elijah that belonged to this category of physical descendants of Abraham

Are Christians Children Of Abraham Too?
I am glad to answer that question with an emphatic YES! We are in Christ and
all of the blessings of Abraham are bestowed on Him and, therefore, on us.
Ephesians 1:5 and 6 speaks of those who have trusted Jesus for salvation when it
says: “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His
grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

 Does This Mean The Land Covenant  Belongs To Christians As Well?
Yes, but only in Christ and not directly by natural birth as it does to the
Jew. This means that we all await the time when Jesus comes back to the land to
rule and reign with Him. The natural children of Abraham are prophesied to go
back to the land in unbelief before Christ returns. (See Ezekiel chapters 36
and 37).

Can’t The Church Be Israel Too?
Again, what is wrong with believing that the Church is now Israel and that
God has forsaken Israel is that it brings into question the integrity of God. If
God has forsaken Israel, and His numerous unconditional promises and
predictions of blessing on them, then the promise that gives us assurance of His grace
to us is also in question.

The Apostle Paul makes this very point when he compares the relationship
between the Mosaic covenant and the Abrahamic covenant in Galatians 3:17. He
writes, “What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty
years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to
nullify the promise.” Romans 4:1-10 says “What then shall we say that Abraham,
our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was
justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does
the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS
RIGHTEOUSNESS." Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but
as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who
justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also
speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from
works: “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE
SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE
INTO ACCOUNT." Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised
also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." How then
was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while
circumcised, but while uncircumcised;” (NASV95)

This passage shows that the PROMISE that God makes is the basis for all hope
for the Christian. A promise is only as good as the integrity and ability to
carry out what is pledged, of the one making the promise. In this case it is
God Himself Who made the promise to Abraham regarding his children. It was made
to Abraham BEFORE he even practiced his end of the bargain i.e. circumcision
because it was not contingent or conditioned upon Abraham’s works but only on
his faith in God’s promise and ultimately in His integrity!

“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of
the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For
if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is
nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also
is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in
accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the
descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the
faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all”  Romans 4:13-16;

Dilemmas And Questions Concerning Modern Israel In The Light of the Abrahamic
Land Covenant:

The following are questions that have been put forward by someone who has
thought about what other Christians seem to say regarding the modern state of
Israel.

Question: “One of the two highest callings right next to the Love of God  is
to “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Do territorial claims in
"tribal texts" take precedence over "real-time" demands for Christians to pursue the
equitable administration of justice? Does THAT demand of Jesus weigh more
heavily on the heart of a person concerned with Israel's relations with her
neighbors?”

Answer: In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus gives us the first and second greatest
commandments. The first is, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR
HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This commandment takes
precedence even over the second commandment which He subsequently gave in the same
instance when He said, "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
AS YOURSELF.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the
Prophets."

The commandments are similar but not identical and are distinct from each
other. If we were to reason using only the second commandment then we would have t
o employ anthropocentric, instead of Theocentric, principles which can be
found even in godless humanism. Mankind, unlike God, reasons only from a linear
time perspective and not from an eternal or “outside of time” one. Most people
have opted for an evolutionary or “progressive” sense of law and order that
is based on historical precedents. By doing this the world has developed its
own sense of propriety and laws governing human interaction. We call this body
of historical thought and philosophy by a number of names, one of them being
“international law.” Much of human justice can be applied using the “golden
rule” which is what the second greatest commandment is all about. “Doing unto
others as you would have them do unto you” is nearly universally recognized as
fundamental to all human interaction. So what is wrong with this?

If eternal pronouncements and edicts communicated by an eternal Creator were
factored in, and took precedence over human actions and determinations, then
there would be no problem with this process. However, this is not the case in
most human history. Rarely, if ever, does one read that international law or
the actions of nations were based upon first studying the Scriptures in order to
determine what God had to say about the issue of justice at hand.

Two early 19th century “near exceptions” readily come to mind. They are the
case of former U.S. President John Quincy Adams, when he was advocate for the
imprisoned slaves of the slave ship Amistad, which resulted in their release,
and the British statesman  William Wilberforce, whose parliamentary efforts in
1807 resulted in the cessation of the slave trade that year throughout the
United Kingdom. His efforts led to the eventual abolishment of slavery itself
there in 1833, which was also the year of his death. But these two examples
really prove the point because they were individuals who were motivated by, and
reasoned from, the Scriptures and in turn tirelessly and effectively influenced
others. These were not whole bodies of men who decided that of first
importance the Scriptures and, therefore, God’s will must be sought out to decide what
was just. The writings of the Founding Fathers of the United States also come
to mind as a possible exception to mankind Corporately ignoring the Bible. The
Continental Congress was unique in history because it openly employed
Scriptural reference in their reasoning in crafting the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights of the United States of America. Still, most of international and
United Nations law operates apart from the influence of the Bible and is careless
regarding its Author’s intent for mankind.

If we were only to reason from a human perspective when it comes to the
Jewish claim to the Holy Land, all sorts of temporal renderings would be acceptable
in building a case of parity regarding the claims of Jews and non-Jewish
people groups. Apriori claims are one way the nations have developed to determine
just ownership of land. Many Arabs can make the case that their family has
been in the holy land since the time of the Crusades when their ancestors, under
Saladin, drove the Crusaders out and occupied the land. Still, others can
point back to the time of the first Moslem invasion of Jerusalem centuries
earlier. There may be others that can claim that their ancestry goes back to the 136
AD Bar Kochba rebellion and that they took up residence there when the Romans
drove the Jews out by the edge of their swords. All of the apriori claims go
back to a time of bloodshed and naked aggression. This could be said of the
Jews as well except their claim is more ancient than the others. They too came to
this land and attacked the occupants in order to establish residence there.
Most of the people groups that they drove out are no longer distinguishable as
national or ethnic entities such as the case of the Philistines. If this was
all we had to go on then it would be like trying to “unscramble scrambled
eggs” to deduce who had the just right to the land.

So what is wrong with using only recent history going back to Chaim Weizmann,
Theodor Hertzel and the 1890s Jewish Zionist congresses that decided by one
vote to go back to their ancient homeland, subsequent Jewish immigration and
purchasing of lands under Turkish rule, developing the land by draining swamps,
partitioning under the British mandate, establishing a state in 1948, taking
land when attacked five times, and now negotiating “land for peace”
agreements? There is a good prima facie case to be made on behalf of Israel here as the
underdog and the wounded party. So again, what is wrong with this approach
alone?  Nothing at all if God doesn’t exist or if He hasn’t spoken about who
owns the land. The real question is: Has He spoken on this issue?

The answer to that question for the Christian is a definite yes!  It is
written in 2nd Timothy 3:16 and 17 that “All Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” All
Scripture certainly means what is known as the “Torah”, “ The Pentateuch” or
the first five books of the Bible penned by Moses. The New Testament book of
Hebrews tells us in chapter 13 and verse 8 that “Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday today and forever. “ In other words He is God and was the same Person
that inspired Moses to write. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write
in Romans 3:4 “....let God be found true, though every man be found a liar.”
(NASV95)  Thus, God’s pronouncements are eternal and take precedence over
man’s reasoning however lofty or “just” they may seem to themselves.

Here we come back to the first, and greatest commandment. To love God means
to be loyal to Him and His words above all other loyalties. Jesus said in Luke
14:26 that if your love of Him doesn’t make your love for your father and
mother, children and even your own life look like hate, by comparison, then you
cannot be His disciple.  Though we may all fall short of God’s glory in this
matter it doesn’t negate the principle. This certainly flies in the face of most
justice renderings of mankind that puts self and family first, followed by
nationalistic, religious or ethnic loyalties. Sometimes the religious or other
loyalties can win out over self and family, as in the case of suicide bombers
and military men dying for their “god”, country or comrades. God acknowledges
this impulse in mankind when He inspired Romans 5:7 “For one will hardly die
for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to
die.” Jesus makes it clear that our loyalty must be to God before all else.

 
Question: Would it be just for Judeo-Christians to force all other parties,
including non-believers and Muslims, to accept the wholesale theft of all lands
out to the Euphrates just because some very old text seemed to make such a
territorial claim?

ANSWER: This begs the question of what is “theft”? If theft is defined as
taking what does not belong to you, then the real question we must ask is: Who
does this land really belong to? Ultimately speaking, all land belongs to God
by right of His Creatorhood. This is made clear in 1 Corinthians 10:26 where we
read “FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS.” (NASV95). God calls
the Holy Land His own property in Joel chapter 3 verses 1-5.

Since this is true, we better find out if He has expressed His will regarding
what people He wants on the land from the Mediterranean Sea “out to the
Euphrates.” Numbers 31:1-12 begins with the words “Then the Lord spoke to
Moses...” This passage then goes on to describe in specific detail what lands were to
be possessed by Israel by virtue of the Abrahamic covenant that had been
passed down to them through the patriarchs. Since this was an “Olam” or forever
covenant then it continues in perpetuity.

As far as demanding that “all other parties, including non-believers and
Muslims” obey God goes, it is absolutely permissable to ask without forcing. We do
this all the time when we call people, nations or individuals, to repentance.
For the sake of God’s will being done regarding this land  it seems proper to
ask the nations of the world, especially those who are currently on that
land, to honor God’s desires and submit to the sovereignty of the people He has
designated should be in control of it. This would honor God and solve the Middle
East problem if it were done joyfully unto the Lord by all concerned. It
would work only if Israel were also obedient to God’s commands regarding kindness
to strangers and foreigners living among them. As it says in Leviticus 19:34
“The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you,
and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I
am the LORD your God.”

Does God Use Sinful Nations To Accomplish His Prophesied Will?

“All things work together for the good for those that love God and are the
called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Ultimately the greatest good for all people, both on earth and in heaven,
“who love God and are the called according to His purpose” is for Jesus Christ to
return and reign from Jerusalem. There are things predicted that nations will
do before that happens. God is sovereign and will work all things that
nations do for that ultimate good. One of the things in this category is the rise of
the Antichrist. Israel is destined to have certain dealings with this figure
in the time known as “Jacob’s trouble.” This must be before they can say
“blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” about Christ. Jesus said it is
a prerequisite for the greatest of all goods i.e. His return for the Jews to
say that. If we saw a sequence of Western agitation and diplomatic and military
moves seemingly intended to arrange the Middle-East FOR a military
rearrangement of the borders we must remind ourselves that Romans 8:28 is still in
force.