Protestant view of Israel.

[Christ_Conquers]

Hey Everyone,
I’ve been curious as to why a lot* of Protestants seem to be really into the country/people of Israel. I’m assuming this is because they are (they were?) the chosen people.

Can anyone explain why they think of them as so important now? I mean, aren’t Catholics really the continuation of the chosen people?

Thanks!

*maybe it’s just the protestants i know that think this way.

 

[FabiusMaximus]

Hey Everyone,
I’ve been curious as to why a lot* of Protestants seem to be really into the country/people of Israel. I’m assuming this is because they are (they were?) the chosen people.

Can anyone explain why they think of them as so important now? I mean, aren’t Catholics really the continuation of the chosen people?

Thanks!

*maybe it’s just the protestants i know that think this way.

Well it’s important to differentiate mainline Protestants from Evangelicals. Mainline Protestants like Lutherans generally do not have an extensive attachment to the modern State of Israel.

Modern Evangelicals do because they are convinced modern Israel is of importance in End Times prophecy (dispensationalism gives Israel a central focus). Israel is not considered the Church, but the Jewish people.

The birth of Israel in 1948 was a signal to most Evangelicals that the End Times might be near. That’s why many watch it closely today.

 

[wisedom]

Hey Everyone,
I’ve been curious as to why a lot* of Protestants seem to be really into the country/people of Israel. I’m assuming this is because they are (they were?) the chosen people.

Can anyone explain why they think of them as so important now? I mean, aren’t Catholics really the continuation of the chosen people?

Thanks!

*maybe it’s just the protestants i know that think this way.

the jews were God’s chosen people, but post Jesus Christ, the whole of humanity is God’s chosen people!

 

[Vouthon]

The Church is now the People of God and the New Israel but the Jews are still the Chosen People and the Olive Tree from which Holy Mother Church gains its sustenance, since Abraham is our Father of Faith and is invoked in the mass as such.

God does not revoke whatever he has chosen or promised.

 

[RPRPsych]

The Church is now the People of God and the New Israel but the Jews are still the Chosen People and the Olive Tree from which Holy Mother Church gains its sustenance, since Abraham is our Father of Faith and is invoked in the mass as such.

God does not revoke whatever he has chosen or promised.

Exactly.

St. Paul grappled with this problem - the significance of the Jews’ rejection of Jesus, and their future under the New Covenant - and came up with one of his greatest writings ever, the 9th-11th chapters of the Epistle to the Romans. Reading those passages will help us understand where many Christians - both Protestants and Catholics - who subscribe to a dual-covenant theology are coming from.

 

[Vouthon]

Exactly.

St. Paul grappled with this problem - the significance of the Jews’ rejection of Jesus, and their future under the New Covenant - and came up with one of his greatest writings ever, the 9th-11th chapters of the Epistle to the Romans. Reading those passages will help us understand where many Christians - both Protestants and Catholics - who subscribe to a dual-covenant theology are coming from.

This

 

[Cat]

A reading of Matthew 23:37-39 shows us Jesus’ Heart when it comes to the Jews. It’s one of the most heartbreaking passages in the New Testament.

As Christians devoted to His Sacred Heart, we want our hearts to be like His Heart. I think it’s appropriate for us to have a tender love and sympathy for the ancient people of God, the children of Israel, our “Olive Tree.”

 

[AbideWithMe]

Hey Everyone,
I’ve been curious as to why a lot* of Protestants seem to be really into the country/people of Israel. I’m assuming this is because they are (they were?) the chosen people.

Yes. Speaking as an Evangelical, while there is some diversity regarding eschatology among us, a commonality is a belief that the Jews are still chosen by God, still “protected as the apple of His eye”…not more loved than anyone else, but chosen and sustained for His own benevolent purposes. Among those purposes, we believe one is to show His faithful, patient, merciful character to all mankind by His everlasting faithfulness to His first chosen people.

 

[AbideWithMe]

A reading of Matthew 23:37-39 shows us Jesus’ Heart when it comes to the Jews. It’s one of the most heartbreaking passages in the New Testament.

As Christians devoted to His Sacred Heart, we want our hearts to be like His Heart. I think it’s appropriate for us to have a tender love and sympathy for the ancient people of God, the children of Israel, our “Olive Tree.”

Well said.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

A reading of Matthew 23:37-39 shows us Jesus’ Heart when it comes to the Jews. It’s one of the most heartbreaking passages in the New Testament.

As Christians devoted to His Sacred Heart, we want our hearts to be like His Heart. I think it’s appropriate for us to have a tender love and sympathy for the ancient people of God, the children of Israel, our “Olive Tree.”

I would agree with this sentiment

 

[luthier93]

As a Messianic believer from a protestant background, I can explain a little. Many of us have realized that throughout the last thousand or two years, we have rejected what God said about the Messiah and instead have made up our own Messiah. So when we realize that our Messiah, Jesus Christ, was originally a Jew, we then want to follow what he did. He followed the Torah and was involved in the culture. So therefore we want to be. Now this is not all protestants, only those who have a question about the way the mainstream Protestant religions view the Messiah.
And I would like to mention that, although the Jews rejected Jesus (Yeshua) as the Messiah, it is obvious from Scripture that God has not rejected them. He has instead grafted the Gentile believers into the House of Israel, in a way similar to the way the sons of Joseph were adopted by Jacob. Though many Jews don’t recognize it, those who believe in Yeshua have become spiritual members of the House of Israel, the chosen people.

 

[InJesusItrust]

As a Messianic believer from a protestant background, I can explain a little. Many of us have realized that throughout the last thousand or two years, we have rejected what God said about the Messiah and instead have made up our own Messiah. So when we realize that our Messiah, Jesus Christ, was originally a Jew, we then want to follow what he did. He followed the Torah and was involved in the culture. So therefore we want to be. Now this is not all protestants, only those who have a question about the way the mainstream Protestant religions view the Messiah.
And I would like to mention that, although the Jews rejected Jesus (Yeshua) as the Messiah, it is obvious from Scripture that God has not rejected them. He has instead grafted the Gentile believers into the House of Israel, in a way similar to the way the sons of Joseph were adopted by Jacob. Though many Jews don’t recognize it, those who believe in Yeshua have become spiritual members of the House of Israel, the chosen people.

I want your opinion of this crazy idea. I see the Eucharist as the heart of Faith. Now what do you think about the idea that every time we ingest the Blood of Christ the blood of a descendant of Abraham is in our body. God said that the blood is life, so are we not sharing in the life of Abraham’s descendants?

 

[luthier93]

I want your opinion of this crazy idea. I see the Eucharist as the heart of Faith. Now what do you think about the idea that every time we ingest the Blood of Christ the blood of a descendant of Abraham is in our body. God said that the blood is life, so are we not sharing in the life of Abraham’s descendants?

Well, I am not quite sure what you are asking and what is the crazy idea, so hopefully I can answer without being too confusing or stepping on your beliefs.
1, The Eucharist is definitely not the heart of Faith. The Eucharist is not a biblical ordinance, though some of it is grounded in biblical topics and as such may be good and useful. BUT…Faith in the Messiah is the only requirement for salvation and communion and other practices are only outward signs.
2, We do not ingest the blood of Christ when we take communion. Jesus told us simply to do it in his remembrance.
3, God said “the life is in the blood,” not “the blood is life.” The significance of this is that we must be respectful of blood (not eat it) because it carries life.
One last note: When we take communion, we are outwardly signifying that we are remembering the sacrifice of Messiah, and we are believers in Him. So, although we do not physically drink the blood of a descendant of Abraham (Messiah), we are spiritually joining ourselves to the family line of Abraham in our actions, and can therefore say that we are sharing (spiritually) in the life of Abraham’s descendants.
Hope that answers your question.

 

[JonNC]

Hey Everyone,
I’ve been curious as to why a lot* of Protestants seem to be really into the country/people of Israel. I’m assuming this is because they are (they were?) the chosen people.

Can anyone explain why they think of them as so important now? I mean, aren’t Catholics really the continuation of the chosen people?

Thanks!

*maybe it’s just the protestants i know that think this way.

In a geo-political sense, they are critical, and they deserve our full support.

As a Lutheran, I’m not enamored with end-times prophecy, to be honest, so my stance is not the same as others.

Jon

 

[NovusAugustus]

It is interesting that people are so supportive of Israel, especially considering that the rise of Israel has been accompanied by the simultaneous fall of Arab Christianity.

 

[JonNC]

It is interesting that people are so supportive of Israel, especially considering that the rise of Israel has been accompanied by the simultaneous fall of Arab Christianity.

Causative? Or simply correlative? Either way, its hard to say its Israel’s fault.

Jon

 

[RPRPsych]

It is interesting that people are so supportive of Israel, especially considering that the rise of Israel has been accompanied by the simultaneous fall of Arab Christianity.

Interesting, but the second statement doesn’t necessarily follow from the first (or, as the ancients would say, non sequitur). Just because event B follows event A, it doesn’t necessarily mean that A was responsible for B.

And in this case, I think a lot more blame should be laid at the door of Abraham’s other son. Christians have religious freedom in Israel, whereas in Islamic countries (such as the Persian Gulf) they often are not allowed to carry Bibles in their luggage, to assemble for prayer, or even to have a Christian burial.

 

[FabiusMaximus]

Interesting, but the second statement doesn’t necessarily follow from the first (or, as the ancients would say, non sequitur). Just because event B follows event A, it doesn’t necessarily mean that A was responsible for B.

And in this case, I think a lot more blame should be laid at the door of Abraham’s other son. Christians have religious freedom in Israel, whereas in Islamic countries (such as the Persian Gulf) they often are not allowed to carry Bibles in their luggage, to assemble for prayer, or even to have a Christian burial.

The “religious freedom” Christians have in Israel is rather limited. Christians face much persecution in Israel.

 

[John_Paul_Jones]

It is interesting that people are so supportive of Israel, especially considering that the rise of Israel has been accompanied by the simultaneous fall of Arab Christianity.

But the Christian Arab Fall also corresponds with the islamic Arab Spring and the blooming Wahhabism. Currently there are more churches and synagogue in Israel than Saudi Arabia, so you have to forgive me if I am not chanting along side the enemies of Israel.

Within the state of Israel there are many religious groups, of course each with thier own vision of Israel. And outside of Israel, people either point to it as a scape-goat of the problems in the region, or supportive of Zionism. Zionism isn’t something I understand fully from the perspective of Jewish people, but I am not supportive of Christian Zionist who would rather build the third temple than to receive the Seven Sacrements in hopes of doing God’s will. My veiw of Israel is really only a hope that state will be a safe haven for all the people that live there regadless of their religion.

 

[IgnatianPhilo]

The obsession of some protestants with jews and israel is born out of the mistaken notion the church is not true israel.