Some of today's televangelist "prophets" need a wise donkey to forbid their
madness. They are busily interpreting Daniel and the Revelation, predicting what is going to
happen on the world stage, especially in the Middle East. They name names not called in
Scripture and state positive times when the Book clearly says nobody knows the time but
the Father. Since all this is done subjectively and with personal spins, not many of them
agree which tends to undercut their credibility. They creatively mix truth and error which
results in at best a waste of time and at worst, dangerous teaching. They do seem to cling,
however, to one common error. They equate somehow ancient geopolitical Israel with the
nation that is called Israel now, and they attach great significance to the linkage and make
it an important part of their prognostications. The Old Testament nation of Israel was chosen by God to be the people through whom
the Messiah would come - the fact attested to by prophet after prophet from the
beginning. They were indeed chosen, guarded, set apart and very special to God, and the
Old Testament records the history of that up-and-down relationship. When, however, in
the fullness of time, the Savior was born, lived, died, arose and ascended back to the
Father's right hand, the specialness of the nation of Israel departed. It had served its
divinely-appointed purpose by being the physical human genealogical background for
Christ Jesus the Lord to make His entry into the world. After Pentecost, the people of
God then became spiritual Israel: made up of "every person out of every nation who
fears God and works righteousness" (Acts 10:35). This lesson was a hard one for the Jewish
Peter to learn, but after the sheet was let down three times, he became convinced that
indeed God was no respecter of persons (or nationalities). The Colossian letter tells us
that the old law was nailed to the cross. The writer of Hebrews tells us the old was
fulfilled and removed to make way for a new and better way with better promises and a
High Priest who died for our sins once for all. The Galatian letter says, "For as
many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
(3:27, 28) In other words, these have become spiritual Israel, God's people since the
cross. No one now has an advantage because of any physical attribute: not geography,
not nationality, not even a physical relationship to the man Christ Jesus as in the case
of His mother and brothers. See Matthew 12:48-50. The heritage and physical boundary lines of ancient Israel are of historical
significance only. Spiritual significance was nailed to the cross and swallowed up in
the larger concept of the blood of Jesus making all people equal in God's sight, and
offering salvation through obedience, to every earthly inhabitant regardless of
national origin. The Great Commission attests to God's intent that all shall have
a chance to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; and He is longsuffering toward
us not willing that any be lost. The political entity that we call Israel today is just one of the world's nations
with no more and no less significance in the scheme of things than any other nation.
Spiritual Israel figures in prophecy, not the physical country of Israel. Scripture is
very clear. People who continue to misunderstand and to teach others so, share in
Balaam's error. We are aware that this essay may be considered the bray of a
donkey. So be it. Incidentally, the story of Balaam's smart ass can be found in
Numbers 22:21ff. Aline Edson