Throughout history, the church has sought to understand Israel’s place in God’s Kingdom, and the re-establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 has made this issue even more pressing. But the separation of the church from its Hebraic origins drove it into a period of great darkness. This was only exacerbated by an abyss of unbelief and skepticism caused by “the Enlightenment” (Aufklarung in Germany) that had opened in the West, culminating in self-centeredness, self-worship, and a rise in humanism during the Renaissance.
Separation of The Church from Israel
God’s first and only covenant nation is Israel, and He called them His “firstborn son.” And Israel is the only nation He sovereignly chose to reveal Himself to, not a giant and mighty nation, but so insignificant they appeared to be nothing more than a small, powerless family. It says, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth” (Amos 3:2); “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7).
Are We In The Kingdom?
Yeshua ministered throughout all Judea, Samaria, and the Galilee, saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). Was He inferring that the Kingdom of God had arrived and that we are now living in it? Not exactly.