Israel Holds the Key to World Redemption

In a day and age when Israel is being increasingly delegitimized in the press, in politics, and even in the pulpit, God is looking for a people who will carry His heart for Israel. In this short article, I want to give you five rock-solid, biblical reasons why every Believer should stand with Israel. When I say “stand with Israel,” I’m not speaking from a political perspective, but rather from a biblical perspective. If you look at Israel through a political lens, you’ll end up hating Arabs or Jews—or both! But if you look at Israel through a biblical lens, you’ll end up loving both Arabs and Jews.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive study, but rather just some basic principles backed by Scriptural evidence that I think will help equip you to answer those who seek to delegitimize the nation and the people of Israel.

1. God’s Heart is for Israel and the Jewish People!

If the title of this article was “The One Reason Why Every Believer Should Support Israel,” this would be the reason: God’s heart is for Israel and the Jewish people! That really should be good enough for us and should seal the deal. Listen to some of these indisputable statements made by God Himself to Israel and the Jewish people:

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10 NIV).

“I have loved you with an everlasting love …” (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV).

“I will not forget you! See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16 NIV).

“I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature” (Jeremiah 31:36 NLT).

These Scriptures are just a few that scratch the surface of God’s heart and His feelings for Israel. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever, how can we think that He would ever change how He feels about this?

Of course, God’s heart is for every nation of the world. It’s His desire that no one would perish (Jew and Gentile alike), but there is only one people group on this planet that He chose as the agent through whom salvation would come, and that is Israel!

2. It Reconnects Us to Our Heritage, Our Identity and Our Destiny

The Jewish people are the Messiah’s own people because Jesus is Jewish! He wasn’t just Jewish for 33 years and then became a Christian when He ascended to heaven. He was born King of the Jews, He was raised by Torah observant parents, He was called “rabbi” by those who followed His teachings, He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He died King of the Jews, and He’s returning as the Lion of the tribe of Judah!

Our heritage in the Messiah is a Jewish heritage:

Romans 9:3-5 – “For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ.”

Ephesians 1:3-5 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in the Messiah…He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus the Messiah to Himself…”

Jeremiah 31:31-34 – “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah … I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

3. We Have Been Grafted in to Provoke Israel to Jealousy

Unfortunately, rather than provoking Israel to jealousy, the Church has been a source of much pain to Jewish people throughout the centuries. In the name of Christianity, Jews have been maligned, persecuted, and even killed by cross-bearing men and women who faithfully attended church on a weekly basis. As a matter of fact, many of the “Church fathers” have actually taught that God was through with Israel and that His promises were now transferred from Israel to the Church.

Romans 11:11 – “I say, then, they [Israel] did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles [nations], to make Israel jealous.”

Romans 11:17-18 – [Paul is speaking to the Gentiles] “…But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them 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.”

4. Jewish Revival Will Lead to World Revival and the Return of the Messiah

We should stand with Israel because it holds the key to world redemption. As a result of Israel rejecting the Messiah, salvation has come to the Nations of the world. However, Scripture is clear that when Israel accepts their Messiah, it will be life from the dead! Yeshua can’t return until Israel welcomes Him back. Therefore, we must remember that the Gospel is still the power of salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).

Romans 11:11-15 – “Again I ask: Did they [Israel] stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles [nations] to make Israel envious [jealous]. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles…For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”

Matthew 23:37-39 – “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

5. The ‘Church’ Has a Debt to Israel Who Brought Them the Messiah

Romans 15:25-27 “…but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to [the Believers in Jerusalem]. For if the [nations] have shared in [Israel’s] spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.”

We entered the Jewish new year with the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, and in this special season of renewal, I want to encourage you with this important fifth point. Amazingly, Paul would travel to the Gentile Believers around the region to collect money for the Believers in Jerusalem. And just as Paul ministered to Israel in material things in order to fulfill a spiritual debt, when you give to organizations that support Israel and her people, you are also fulfilling this Biblical mandate. Together For Israel exists to “partner with the Church for the salvation of Israel” and, by God’s grace, we are seeing people around the globe participate in a supernatural way. When we give financial help to the needy in the Land, we always tell them that it is not from us, but rather from Believers around the world who have a love for the God of Israel.