quote: Originally Posted by Contendah:
Dispensational premilliennialists’(such as Bill Gray) claim that the descendants of Abraham (i.e. the Israelites) never inhabited all the land promised to them in the Abrahamic covenant and that therefore, since God cannot lie, the possession of the land by the Jews is to occur some time in the future.
Contendah, my Friend,
Not sure where you got that wee bit of wisdom, or if you just made it up. However, that is not what Dispensationalist believe or teach.
God gave the Holy Land to the Israelites, the 12 tribes -- and David united those tribes into one powerful nation. That kingdom was the land God had promised to Abraham -- and Jerusalem was its ruling city.
Upon Solomon's death, his son Rehoboam became king. And, through his bad leadership, the kingdom was divided -- ten tribes in the north, and Judah and Benjamin made up the southern kingdom.
The ten northern tribes, called Israel, were taken into captivity by Assyria. And, eventually the southern kingdom of Judah was taken into captivity by Babylon. Eventually, all the tribes were disbursed throughout the world -- and stayed that way for 2000 years.
After World War 1, God began to bring the nation of Israel back into His promised land.
Question: "What is the land that God promised to Israel?"
http://www.gotquestions.org/Israel-land.html
Answer: In regards to the land that God has promised Israel, Genesis 15:18 declares to Abraham, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” God later confirms this promise to Abraham’s son Isaac and Isaac’s son Jacob (whose name was later changed to Israel). When the Israelites were about to invade the Promised Land, God reiterated the land promise, as recorded in Joshua 1:4, “Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west.”
According to Genesis 15:18 and Joshua 1:4, the land God gave to Israel included everything from the Nile River in Egypt to Lebanon (south to north) and everything from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River (west to east). So, what land has God stated belongs to Israel? All of the land modern Israel currently possesses, plus all of the land of the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Israel currently possesses only a fraction of the land God has promised.
After World War 1, France and England established the land which would be called Israel. This land included the nations of Israel, Jordon, and much of the land to the south. When the Arabs complained loudly (squeaky wheel theory) -- the land to the east was taken from the Israelites and renamed Jordan. And, land to the south was taken away -- leaving the small nation we now see as Israel. That action took away about 60% of the land God had promised to Abraham and his descendants, Israel.
One year later, secret negotiations between Sir Mark Sykes of Britain and Georges Picot of France divided the Ottoman territories among the two European powers. Their agreement specified partially British and partially international control of Palestine, and gave modern-day Syria to the French — both promises that arguably conflicted with the previous years’ correspondence. In 1917, the “Balfour Declaration” — a letter from Lord Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a powerful British Zionist — announced Britain’s support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, adding to the claims and obligations that Britain had engendered.
In 1918, at the close of the war, Britain assumed control and called the area Palestine, as the Romans once did. Two years later, British authority was codified by League of Nations mandate over the areas that include present-day Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and Jordan, as well as neighboring lands. (Timeline: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: 1914 - 1949 - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/widean...lict/1914-1949/2770/)
In 1948, God brought the nation of Israel together again in His promised land. And, for all these years since 1948 Israel has been trying to live in peace -- while being constantly attacked by the much larger Arab nations surrounding her.
While Israel today is only a small portion of the land God promised to Abraham -- one day His Remnant of Israel will indeed have their promised land.
Through the seven year Tribulation God will bring forth His remnant of faithful Jews, the Israelites. And, at the end of the Tribulation when Jesus Christ returns to establish His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom from the throne of David in Jerusalem -- the faithful remant of Israel will be His priests and help rule His perfect theocracy for 1000 years.
So, my Friend, the Christian church has NOT replaced the nation Israel as God's chosen people. While Israel is the wife of God, the Christian church is the Bride of Christ. And, we shall live together in peace -- throughout the 1000 year Millennial Kingdom and on into never ending eternity.
That, my Friend is what the Bible teaches. And, that is what we in the PreTribulational Rapture/PreMillennial Return of Christ camp (also called Dispensationalists) believe and teach.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill