I am one who was raised to support Israel and that anyone who doesn't support them is fighting against God. So, I am unlearning much here. My current understanding is that we are to support "Biblical" Isreal while not supporting the actions of the "State of Israel". The idea being that in the last days all of Israel will be saved as promised. Maybe someone can help me out here with a better or clearer understanding according to what Jesus had to say about it.
It is hard sometimes to unlearn something that has been drilled in so deeply from childhood. I do realize we are to love everyone and we are no longer "Jew or Greek" but one in Christ. However, if you are not "in Christ" you are under the requirements of the Law and therefore the punitive consequences (?). This does not give Christians the right to rejoice when others suffer as we are to bless and not curse even our enemies according to Christ our King.
This makes it hard to know how to pray for a nation God has created and promised so much to. It is sometimes hard to realize it is the governments and not usually the citizens that create these divisions and wars. But, this helps me to love both sides in this conflict as we wrestle not against flesh and blood...
Please correct or enlighten me further on this.
The Old Testament makes clear that when GOD restores the nation of Israel (GOD emphasized - as opposed to the current restoration of the state of Israel accomplished by mankind), God will give the people of the GOD restored Israel a new heart, and they will know and obey God. In other words, when GOD restores Israel they will not violate the commandments of God with regard to aliens in their land (foreigners, i.e., the Palestinians) that they now violate on a daily basis.
So, first understand that the state of Israel we know today is not God's restoration of the state of Israel. Accordingly, no one should be kowtowing to what mankind has created. And always remember, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." When God restores the state of Israel, even then we do not worship Israel. We worship and obey God.
The God restored state of Israel and will know, worship, and obey God's Son, Jesus the Christ.
It has been awhile, but brother David Bercot addresses the current state of Israel and end times in the "Future things" series. There are 2 on modern day Israel and 2 on dispensationalism. If I remember correctly, David quotes early Christians as believing that everyone who believes in Jesus has been grafted in and is a complete member of God's family. The ethnic Jews who do NOT believe in Jesus are lost.
Dispensationalism has a confusing and misguided belief that there are 2 different salvations, one for gentiles, and 1 for Jews. (Or at least some dispensationalists believe that.)
