The story of Israel does not begin with divine favoritism. It begins with divine judgment. After the Tower of Babel, humanity’s united rebellion against God led to a dramatic response: Yahweh disinherited the nations. He scattered them across the earth and placed them under the authority of lesser divine beings from His heavenly host. Deuteronomy 32:8–9 records this cosmic shift: “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He divided all mankind, He set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance.”
This was not random. It was a turning point. Yahweh released the nations to their own paths and established a new strategy. He would form His own people, not from an existing tribe, but from nothing. He took an old man with a barren wife and created a family. That family became twelve tribes. Those twelve tribes became a nation. That nation was not chosen from among others. It was created where no nation had been.
At Sinai, Yahweh revealed the purpose of this people: “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Israel was formed not for ethnic privilege but for spiritual service. They were to be a priestly nation, a people set apart to bring the rest of the world back to the God who made them.
This origin defines everything. Israel’s imperfections were never a surprise to Yahweh. He formed them not because they were righteous, but because He was merciful. He did not redeem a nation; He created one to redeem the others.
The Promised Return: Israel’s Regathering Was Foretold
The return of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland was not a historical accident. It was foretold. Long before Israel was scattered among the nations, Yahweh declared that He would one day bring them back. These were not vague spiritual aspirations. They were clear, national promises tied to specific land.
In Deuteronomy 30, He promised to gather them “from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you” and “bring you to the land your ancestors possessed.” Isaiah spoke of a second regathering from the far corners of the earth. Jeremiah declared that a future exodus would be so great it would overshadow the one from Egypt. Ezekiel recorded the words of Yahweh, “I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.” And Amos prophesied that once Israel was restored, she would “never again be uprooted from the land.”
These were not fulfilled in the return from Babylon, which was partial and temporary. The regathering that began in the 1800s, accelerated in the 20th century, and continues to this day is unique in all of history. Millions of Jews have returned from exile. The land has been re-inhabited. The language has been revived. The nation has been reborn. And yet it is not new. It is the same Israel spoken of by the prophets, kept alive by covenant, and brought home by the hand of God.
Yes, They Are Israel: The Myth of the “Fake Jew”
One of the most slanderous and persistent claims made against modern Israel is that the Jewish people who live there today are not the true descendants of ancient Israel. This accusation, often wrapped in pseudoscience or fringe theology, is not only historically false, it is spiritually reckless.
After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD and the crushing of the Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 AD, the Jewish people were scattered across the known world. This dispersion, or diaspora, led to communities forming in Babylon, Egypt, Rome, Persia, Arabia, Spain, and beyond. For nearly two thousand years, these communities remained distinct, preserving the Hebrew Scriptures, keeping the Sabbath, celebrating the feasts, mourning the Temple, and praying toward Jerusalem.
Although many cultural customs adapted to their host nations and some traditions were lost or altered over time, the core identity of the people did not disappear. They remembered who they were. They taught their children who they came from. And they continued to wait for the day when they would return to Zion.
The idea that Ashkenazi Jews are actually Khazars, or that today’s Jews are imposters with no connection to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has been thoroughly refuted by both genetic research and historical documentation. Studies of Jewish communities around the world—including Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, and others—consistently show shared Middle Eastern ancestry and direct lineage to the ancient Israelites.
But more important than DNA, Scripture itself anticipated this long exile. Yahweh declared that He would scatter His people to the ends of the earth, and He also promised to bring them back. The fact that Jews now return from Ethiopia, Russia, India, Iraq, France, Argentina, and the United States is not evidence of fraud. It is evidence that God is keeping His word.
The prophets never said that Israel’s return would be pure, simple, or without complexity. They said it would be miraculous. They said Yahweh would sift His people from among the nations like grain from a sieve, and none would be lost. They said He would gather them one by one, from distant coastlands, speaking different languages, and bearing unfamiliar customs. But He would still call them Israel.
To claim that the Jewish people in Israel today are imposters is more than a historical error. It is a rejection of God’s covenant promises. It contradicts the words of the prophets and dismisses the evidence of God’s faithfulness. God has not lost track of His people, and He does not need anyone’s permission to fulfill what He has spoken.
Support Without Blind Idealization
Understanding Israel’s divine origin also clarifies how we support her today. Standing with Israel does not mean pretending she is faultless. It means recognizing her purpose and covenant in the plan of God.
The prophets themselves, the very ones who upheld Israel’s chosenness, were the fiercest critics of her sin. Nathan confronted David. Elijah challenged Ahab. Jeremiah wept over Jerusalem’s corruption. Their rebukes were born not from hatred, but from covenant loyalty.
To stand with Israel is not to applaud everything her leaders do. It is to believe that her existence is not an accident, her survival is not luck, and her future is not disposable. True support does not ignore failure. It trusts in the faithfulness of the One who made the promise.
False Equivalence Is Not Justice
One of the most dangerous lies repeated in global discourse is the claim that any wrongdoing by Israel places her on moral par with groups like Hamas. This is not moral clarity. It is moral collapse.
The existence of sin within Israel does not erase the fundamental distinction between a nation with laws, elections, and self-criticism, and a terror group that hides behind children, celebrates slaughter, and builds its identity around destruction.
The prophets of Israel condemned her because she was called to holiness, not because she was the same as the nations around her. In Scripture, there is a category for being held accountable within covenant. There is also a category for being judged for evil without excuse.
Equating a democratic state with a death cult is not justice. It is blindness. To call Israel flawed is truthful. To call her the same as Hamas is slander.
Propaganda Is Not Prophecy
Today, Israel is attacked not only with rockets, but with words. Narratives are twisted. Images are staged. Casualties are inflated. Human shields become propaganda tools. International institutions, media outlets, and global protest movements increasingly echo the goals of Israel’s enemies, which are to delegitimize, destabilize, and ultimately erase her.
This is not new. Psalm 83:4 records the cry of the nations: “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more.” Though written in another time, this desire has resurfaced generation after generation. It is a spiritual pattern, not just a political tactic.
To believe lies crafted by terrorist groups under the banner of justice is not moral clarity. It is spiritual blindness. Exodus 23:1 warns, “Do not spread a false report.” Christians who stand for truth must be careful not to amplify voices that aim to destroy what God has declared sacred.
Modern Miracles: How Has Israel Even Survived?
Israel’s very existence is a miracle. After nearly 2,000 years of exile, wandering, and persecution, a nation scattered among the Gentiles was brought back together on its ancient soil. But that miracle was not sealed in a single moment. It has had to be defended again and again across every generation.
- 1948: Israel declared independence. Five Arab nations invaded. Israel survived.
- 1967: A preemptive strike secured her borders and returned Jerusalem.
- 1973: On Yom Kippur, Israel was nearly overrun, but stood.
- 1991: Scud missiles from Iraq rained down. No chemical warheads struck.
- 2000s: The Second Intifada. Suicide bombings. A security wall. Condemnation followed, but Israel survived.
- 2006: Hezbollah launched thousands of rockets. The enemy was driven back.
- 2008–2014: Hamas fired waves of rockets. Israel cleared tunnels under civilian neighborhoods. The world blamed her for defending herself.
- 2020: The Abraham Accords. Arab nations moved toward peace, not because Israel changed, but because her permanence could no longer be denied.
- 2023: On October 7, Hamas unleashed unspeakable brutality. Babies were murdered. Families were livestreamed as they died. Israel did not collapse. She stood.
- 2025: Iran struck directly. Drones and missiles filled the skies. Israel held the line. The attacks failed.
If any other country had experienced what Israel has, including centuries of exile, genocide, daily threats of annihilation, and constant international scrutiny, it would not exist today. But Israel remains, not because of her strength, but because of the promise spoken over her. Yahweh declared that she would never again be uprooted. And that word has not failed.
The Full Power of Isaiah 54:17 in This Generation
“No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.
This is not just a verse for personal encouragement. It is a banner over Israel’s history. Missiles have been launched. Accusations have been shouted in every global forum. Lies have been spread in headlines, classrooms, and protests.
And still, none of it has prospered. Time and again, weapons fall short. And now, even the tongues are being silenced. Propaganda collapses under scrutiny. Biased tribunals are exposed. False narratives unravel.
God never promised Israel would avoid accusation. He promised she would be vindicated. Not by global favor, but by His own decree. “Their vindication is from Me.” That is the only reason Israel stands.
Israel’s Imperfection Magnifies God’s Faithfulness
Israel’s creation was a miracle. Her purpose is priestly. Her failures are real. And her survival is supernatural. This is not a story of national greatness. It is a story of divine faithfulness. God’s plan to reclaim the nations after Babel began with a single man and a barren woman. That plan will not fail because Israel stumbled. It will succeed because Yahweh is faithful.
And if He keeps His word to Israel despite her imperfection, then there is hope for all of us. Because the same God who preserved Israel will also preserve His Church, not because we are worthy, but because He is. Though wounded and wandering, Israel’s mission has not changed. She was created to be a light to the nations. Her continued existence is a warning to the powers and a hope to the faithful.
Believing God’s Promises to Israel Does Not Require Dispensationalism
The belief that God still has a purpose for Israel does not depend on any particular theological system. Long before modern frameworks were developed, the Scriptures spoke of a scattered people who would one day be regathered, not because of their righteousness, but because of God’s covenant mercy.
Dispensationalism, as a formal system, arose in the 19th century and includes distinct views on the Church, Israel, and prophetic timelines. Some who hold to a Pre-Tribulation Rapture believe that the Church must be removed from the earth before God can turn His focus back to Israel. But this creates an artificial division, as if God cannot fulfill His promises to Israel and build His Church at the same time.
The reality on the ground disproves this. In Israel today, Jewish and Christian communities interact, collaborate, and in many cases, witness to one another. Jewish believers are coming to faith in Jesus while still maintaining their identity as descendants of Israel. The idea that Israel must be set aside or that the Church must be removed for this to happen limits the power of an omnipotent God.
God does not need to remove one people to redeem another. He is not bound by timelines or theological systems. He can keep His covenant with Abraham while fulfilling His mission through the Church. The same God who scattered and preserved Israel is the one who broke down the wall between Jew and Gentile. He is fully able to graft the natural branches back in while continuing to bring in others from the nations.
To affirm what Scripture plainly says about Israel’s scattering, survival, and restoration is not a modern innovation. It is a recognition of God’s faithfulness across generations and His power to fulfill all His promises at once.
Conclusion
Some will try to dismiss all of this as political Zionism or accuse it of being driven by a narrow end-times agenda. But the foundation of this message is not politics, ideology, or race. It is Scripture.
Long before modern movements and modern borders, Yahweh declared His purpose through the prophets. His covenant with Israel was not based on their strength or righteousness. It was based on His character and His plan to reclaim the nations.
This is not about turning a blind eye to injustice or wrapping theology in nationalism. It is about recognizing that Yahweh created Israel, gave her a mission, and has not abandoned either. The prophets who condemned Israel’s sins the most harshly are the same ones who declared her ultimate restoration.
You do not need to adopt a specific theological label to believe what Scripture says. Paul was not preaching dispensationalism when he wrote, “Has God rejected His people? By no means!” That was not a political slogan. It was a declaration of God’s mercy.
To stand with Israel is not to support every policy or party. It is to believe God is still faithful to the promises He made and that He will finish what He started.
Discussion Questions
- What does Deuteronomy 32:8–9 reveal about God’s relationship with the nations after Babel, and how does that shape our understanding of Israel’s creation?
- According to Exodus 19:6, what was Israel’s purpose from the beginning, and how does that priestly mission inform her ongoing role in God’s plan?
- Why is it important to distinguish between a nation being held accountable within covenant and a nation acting in rebellion outside of it? How does this help us respond to accusations of moral equivalence?
- What specific prophecies about Israel’s regathering were cited in the article, and how have these played out historically in modern times? What makes the current return of Jews to the land different from the return from Babylon?
- In what ways does Isaiah 54:17 speak not just to individuals, but to Israel as a nation in modern times? How do you see that verse being fulfilled today?
- Why is it dangerous to claim that modern Jews are not true descendants of Israel? What historical and biblical evidence undermines that accusation?
- How did the Jewish people preserve their identity and faith during the nearly 2,000-year diaspora? Why is that continuity significant for understanding modern Israel?
- What does Paul mean in Romans 11 when he says that salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous? How does that change how Gentile believers should view their relationship to Israel today?
- Why is the claim that God must remove the Church before turning back to Israel problematic? How does the current coexistence of Jewish and Christian communities in Israel challenge that belief?
- What does it mean to support Israel without idealizing her? How do the biblical prophets model the kind of covenant-faithful critique we are called to imitate?
Want to Know More?
- Darrell Bock & Mitch Glaser (eds.), Israel, the Church, and the Middle East
A trusted resource from respected evangelical and Messianic scholars, this volume explores how Israel fits into God’s ongoing plan. It addresses replacement theology, covenant promises, the relationship between Israel and the Church, and the biblical significance of the modern State of Israel. - Jason A. Staples, The Idea of Israel in Second Temple Judaism (Part III)
A rigorous academic study on how Jewish identity and hopes for restoration were preserved after exile and even after the destruction of the Second Temple. Staples helps readers understand why the Jewish people remained distinct in diaspora and how that continuity ties into the prophetic narrative. - Kevin Alan Brook, The Maternal Genetic Lineages of Ashkenazic Jews
This groundbreaking work uses modern genetic research to disprove the Khazar myth and affirm the Middle Eastern origins of Ashkenazi Jews. It supports the argument that today’s Jews are legitimate descendants of ancient Israel. - Jakob Jocz, A Theology of Election: Israel and the Church in God’s Purpose
Written by a Jewish believer in Jesus, this classic work rejects both dispensationalism and replacement theology. Jocz presents a biblical framework for understanding Israel’s enduring election and the Church’s inclusion in God’s redemptive plan. - Mark S. Kinzer, Postmissionary Messianic Judaism: Redefining Christian Engagement with the Jewish People
A deep theological exploration of how Jewish identity and faith in Jesus are not mutually exclusive. Kinzer shows that Jewish believers are part of both the Church and Israel, and that God’s covenant with Israel continues in the age of the Messiah. - Eugene H. Merrill, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., et al. (eds.), The People, the Land, and the Future of Israel
This multi-author work focuses on Israel’s land, people, and prophetic destiny. It affirms the biblical promises to Israel while addressing the theological and geopolitical significance of her modern restoration. - Chad Owen Brand (ed.), Perspectives on Israel and the Church: Four Views
A respectful dialogue between different theological positions: traditional covenantal, traditional dispensational, progressive dispensational, and progressive covenantal. This resource equips readers to understand and evaluate competing interpretations. - Calvin L. Smith (ed.), The Jews, Modern Israel, and the New Supersessionism
An important volume responding to the resurgence of replacement theology. These essays offer biblical and historical evidence for Israel’s ongoing role in God’s plan, while equipping Christians to resist modern forms of theological antisemitism. - Jared Compton & Andrew David Naselli (eds.), Three Views on Israel and the Church: Perspectives on Romans 9–11
A focused examination of one of the most important biblical texts for this topic. Scholars present different interpretations of Romans 9–11, giving readers a strong foundation for understanding Paul’s view of Israel’s future. - Daniel G. Hummel, Covenant Brothers: Evangelicals, Jews, and U.S.-Israeli Relations
A historical and theological analysis of how Christian support for Israel developed, especially in the American context. This book provides context for how theology, politics, and history have interacted in shaping modern views on Israel.
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