Does Israel Belong to the Jewish People? The Biblical Truth About Israel’s Divine Claim

The land of Israel remains the foundation of the Jewish heritage going back to ancient times.

Throughout the Bible, this land is referred to by various names: the land of the Hebrews (Genesis 40:15), the Holy Land (Zechariah 2:12), the land of Jehovah (Hosea 9:3, Psalm 85:1), and the land of Promise (Hebrews 11:9). However, the term Promised Land succinctly captures its essence, tracing its significance back to God’s covenant with Abraham, his descendants, and subsequent generations.

It is important to note. The Jewish people settled the land some 3,200 years ago, approximately 1200 BCE (Before Common Era or Before Christ), when Joshua conquered the Promised Land. Therefore, it was long before the Arab conquest of Jerusalem in the year 640, or the conquest of the Ottoman Turks in 1516.

When King David first purchased the threshing floor from Ornan (2 Chronicles 3) for what would become the Temple Mount, he could never have known the political and spiritual contention it would become.

In that place, also called Mount Moriah, King Solomon built the house of the Lord; Abraham came close to sacrificing Isaac; and the Lord appeared unto David, the father of Solomon. But it has remained at the center of a historical and spiritual struggle ever since. The eternal battle for it will end only when it has reached its final state under the reign of the Messiah.

When a great scholar and sage of the thirteenth century, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, states, “To take possession of the Holy Land and to live in it must be counted amongst the Biblical commandments incumbent upon Jews to fulfill,” an unmistakable connection was made between the Jewish people and Jerusalem for generations. Therefore, the birth of Israel in 1948 was the most significant prophetic event in modern history; and for the non-Jewish world, Israel remains the axis for end-time events.

Abraham, the Chosen Steward

It all started with Abraham. He was the chosen intermediary between God and the covenant and for his seed. He was also a descendant of Eber, an Eberite. Eber means to “cross over” because Abram (Abraham) crossed over from the other side east of the Euphrates River. Eber was also the great-grandson of Shem and the ancestor of Yeshua (Genesis 10:21; Luke 3:35).

Ancestrally speaking then, Eber was the founder of the Hebrew race we call Jews today (Luke 3:35). However, Jews trace their lineage not back to Eber but to Abraham—the nations also receive their connection to Abraham (Galatians 3:29).

Abraham’s grandson Jacob came to be known as Israel, and his twelve sons formed the twelve tribes of Israel. They were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin (Genesis 29:32- 34; 35:16-18). The tribe of Judah, however, became the most prominent of the twelve tribes, of which the Messianic line would be established, and the leading tribe of Israel.

Israel’s First Visionary

Divine Providence has consistently called upon extraordinary individuals to fulfill significant roles throughout history. Among them, Abraham stands out as the chosen one who initiated the course of Jewish history. Moses was specifically selected to guide the Israelites to Mount Sinai, and Joshua emerged as their leader, guiding them into the long-awaited Promised Land.

In a parallel vein, Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) played a pivotal role in leading the Jewish people back to the land promised to them after two millennia of wandering. Herzl’s visionary efforts paved the way for a new chapter in Jewish history, setting the stage for the realization of prophetic fulfillment in a fresh era.

Theodor Herzl

Theodor Herzl, hailing from a prosperous banking family, made a significant life choice by pursuing a career in journalism and relocating to Vienna to work for a local newspaper. During his coverage of the trial of a Jewish French captain falsely accused of divulging French military secrets to Germany, Herzl found himself exposed to unsettling anti-Jewish sentiments and fervent public demonstrations.

The shocking chants of “A bas les Juifs” (meaning, “Down with the Jews”) and “A la mort les Juifs” (“Death to the Jews”), left an indelible impact on Herzl, leading him to the realization that the eradication of hatred toward Jews was an improbable feat. He believed, at best, that it could only be mitigated. Thus, his proposed solution came in the form of a Zionist state.

In 1896, Herzl published a book outlining this idea titled Der Judenstat (The Jewish State) Project. The next year under his leadership, the First Zionist Congress convened in Basel, Switzerland. At that time, many were what Herzl concerned with the loss of Jewish wealth than the safety of the Jewish people. Then Nazi Germany rose to power, and Herzl’s worst fears were realized.

Despite opposition, his determination led to a coalition of nations that finally agreed that the Jews needed a safe haven to call their own, which took place on November 29, 1947. But linked to the United Nations (UN) agreement was a vision for two independent states to bring about the internationalization of Jerusalem.

Throughout the process, Arab intentions were known that war would follow if Israel were granted her land. Still, on May 14, 1948, Israel finally declared its independence. As expected, the allied forces of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq attacked Israel the following day in defiance of the UN agreement. Unprepared due to an international arms embargo, Czechoslovakia eventually aided Israel by selling her arms and supplies, which turned the tide of the war in Israel’s favor—of course, God would have raised up another nation.

Jerusalem: The City of Peace Defined by War

Jerusalem, known as the city of God, holds a unique status as a highly revered and contested land for nations worldwide. According to the belief held by rabbis, Jews experienced profound spiritual achievements on two occasions—the construction of the Temples—only to witness their destruction, both tragically coinciding with the ninth of AV (Tisha B’Av).

Since 1948 and the War of Independence, Israel has experienced many wars. In her early history came the war of the Sinai Campaign in 1956 between Israel and Egypt; then the Six Day War in 1967 with Nasser of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria; the Yom Kippur War in 1973, when Egyptian and Syrian forces attacked Israel on two fronts.

While Israel has endured two intifadas and lives under continuous threats of terrorism, she continually experiences diplomatic isolation when she seeks to protect herself. Israel is roughly 8,500 square miles today, a mere fraction of its original 60,000 square miles when David and his son Solomon reigned. Israel still struggles to retain its fullness of it.

Why is a small state, both in land and population, despised by so many? The answer is not found in the geopolitical sphere but within the spiritual sphere. Israel is the future resting place of the Throne of God, where the coming Kingdom of Heaven will administer its government.

Therefore, the Jewish people are emotionally, spiritually, prophetically, and biblically connected to their land. In the words of Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin, “It is a land possessed by not only right of conquest and settlement but also a fulfillment of history, faith, and law.”