The Land Of Israel: To Whom Does It Belong?

Описание: The Land of Israel: To Whom Does It Belong? Much of this covers the Understanding of the Two Land Covenants. What many do not realize is that there are two distinct covenants concerning the land — the Abrahamic Covenant and the Mosaic Land or Canaan Covenant. These two covenants established both the title and the conditions of possession for Israel’s inheritance. Understanding the difference between these two covenants removes confusion and reveals the prophetic significance behind Israel’s ancient exile, modern regathering, and future spiritual restoration. Before discussing Israel’s inheritance however, Scripture makes one thing clear who the land truly belongs to first. That is God alone. Leviticus 25:23 clearly says, “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine.” The land does not belong to any empire, government, or ethnicity by natural right. God alone is the Owner. He Himself chose to give that land to a specific people for a specific purpose which is Abraham’s seed according to Genesis 15:18, which states “To your seed I have given this land.” This also includes Genesis 17:19 that says, “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac.” This means that the land of Israel was given to Abraham, confirmed through Isaac, not Ishmael, and passed through Jacob to the twelve tribes of Israel. Around 2,000 B.C., God made an unconditional covenant with Abraham written in Genesis 12:1–7; 15:18; and 17:7–8. In it, the Lord promised Abraham and his descendants a specific tract of land forever. According to Genesis 17:8, “The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” This covenant was not temporary, conditional, or symbolic. The land was not given because of Israel’s righteousness either, it was given solely because of God’s sovereign promise and purpose written in Deuteronomy 9:4–6. Therefore, the Jews hold the eternal title deed to the land, regardless of history, politics, or public opinion. It’s also important to understand that no other country in the world has such a deed. Approximately 750 years later, in the days of Moses, God established the Mosaic Land Covenant also called the Canaan Covenant recorded in Deuteronomy chapters 28–30. This covenant did not deal with ownership since it was unconditional, but the possession and use of the land was conditional. A simple illustration can make this clearer. A parent purchases a house and places the title in their son’s name. However, rules are set for using the house. If the son disobeys, destroys the property, or allows evil into the house, the privileges can be removed, and the son is kicked out of the house, however the son's name stays on the title of the house. Likewise, The Abrahamic Covenant gave Israel the eternal title to the land. The Mosaic Covenant defined conditions for enjoying the land. When Israel obeyed God, they were blessed written in Deuteronomy 28:1–14. When they rebelled, they were warned that the result would be a Temporary loss of possession or exile written Deuteronomy 28:36–37, Worldwide dispersion and persecution shown Deuteronomy 28:64–67, yet never the loss of the title to the land. The covenant concludes with God’s promise of final restoration, “The Lord will gather you again from all the nation and bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it.” Located in Deuteronomy 30:3–5. Furthermore, there is no place in the NT that says the Land Covenant with Israel is cancelled, revoked, or transferred to another people. In fact, every time the New Testament speaks about God’s promises to Israel, it emphasizes that the promises still stand. Paul Explicitly Says the Covenants Still Belong to Israel. According to Romans 9:4, Paul speaks of the Jewish people, “Who are Israelites; to whom pertain the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.” Paul is writing decades after Yeshua’s resurrection, and he says the covenants still belong to Israel. He does not say “used to belong.” He says pertain as an ongoing possession. The Bible leaves no ambiguity. The title to the Land of Israel belongs eternally to the Jewish people through the Abrahamic Covenant. The right of possession and enjoyment is governed by faithfulness under the Mosaic Covenant. In other words, the possession of the land was conditional under Moses but the ownership of the land is eternal and unconditional under Abraham. The modern return of Israel is the literal fulfillment of the ancient Land Covenant promise. The final prophetic step is the spiritual awakening of Israel to her Messiah. The land is not Israel’s because of politics, negotiation, or war. It is Israel’s because God said so and that He is the owner of it and can give it to anyone He pleases. To say otherwise makes God a liar.