~~~ The Two Israels ~~~
  1. Historical Israel:
  2. God calls Abram to leave his home in Mesopotamia and travel to the land of Canaan. Genesis 12:1
  3. One day God told Abram, "To your offspring I will give this land." Genesis 12:7 It came to be called the Promised Land.
  4. God reveals to Abram how his descendants would come to possess the Promised Land. Genesis 15:13-16
  5. God changes Abram's name to Abraham. You will be the "father of many nations... and kings will come from you." Genesis 17:5-6
  6. Sarah, Abraham's wife, gives birth to Isaac when Abraham was 100 years old. Genesis 21:1-5
  7. Isaac became the father of Jacob whom God would give the name of Israel. Israel became the father of 12 sons. Genesis 35:22-26
  8. Israel in Egypt. The twelve tribes of Israel become slaves in Egypt for 400 years until the time of Moses.
  9. The Exodus: Moses leads The Israelites out of Egypt for the Promised Land (13th century BC), which is divided up among the twelve tribes of Israel.
    Joshua Chapters 13 to 19
  10. The twelve tribes are united under a single monarch when Saul is anointed the first king of Israel circa 1021 BC.
    1 Samuel 9:1
  11. Israel existed as an independent nation until it is conquered, first by the Assyrians (722 BC) and then the Neo-Babylonians (586 BC).
  12. Modern Israel, as a state, was created by UN resolution in 1947 which partitioned Palestine to make a homeland for the Jews.
  1. Spiritual Israel:
  2. Spiritual Israel is symbolically represented by the vision of a woman described in Revelation Chapter 12.
  3. She is seen clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. This description identifies her with Israel. Genesis 37:9-10
  4. She is also seen pregnant and experiencing the labor pains of childbirth.
  5. Also present is an enormous red dragon, identified as Satan, who is positioned in front of the woman so that it might devour her child the moment it is delivered.
  6. The woman gives birth to a male child which is rescued from the dragon and taken to God's throne in heaven.
  7. This enrages the dragon who attempts to destroy the woman, but the earth comes to her aid. Revelation 12:15-16
  8. This woman is not Mary the mother of Jesus as the events detailed in this vision coincide with Satan's rebellion and expulsion from heaven. Revelation 12:7-8
  9. She is symbolically the mother of the "Promise of the Messiah", and this is why the dragon desires to destroy her and the child. Genesis 3:15
  10. The dragon, having failed to prevent the promised Messiah's coming, redirects his attacks on the rest of her children, "those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus." Revelation 12:17
  11. The dragon meets his end at the final battle of good versus evil and is cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. Revelation 20:10
The Seven Sins of Israel:
  1. Apostasy:
    • The abandonment of religious faith. A turning away from God's teachings, or a deliberate embrace of false teachings.
      • "I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." 1 Samuel 15:11
      • "Woe to the sinful nation... They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him." Isaiah 1:4
      • "But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away." Jeremiah 5:23
  2. Disobedience / Rebellion:
    • A lack of regard for authority or rulership. Deliberately not following God's commandments.
      • "Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken: I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me." Isaiah 1:2
      • "But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away." Jeremiah 5:23
      • "But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law." Nehemiah 9:26
  3. False Reliance:
    • Placing trust in anything or anyone other than God, such as self, others, or material possessions.
      • "See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria!" Isaiah 20:5
      • "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen." Isaiah 31:1
      • "Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive." Jeremiah 48:7
  4. Idolatry:
    • The worship of physical idols or statues of deities that are put in the place of God.
      • "You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal." 1 Kings 14:9
      • "But those who trust in idols, who say to images, 'You are our gods,' will be turned back in utter shame."
        Isaiah 42:17
      • "They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs to me and not their faces." Jeremiah 2:27
  5. Immorality:
    • In the Bible it generally refers to actions, behaviors, or thoughts that violate God's moral standards and commandments.
      • "“Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there." Jeremiah 3:6
      • "Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known." Jeremiah 7:9
      • "For they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children." Ezekiel 23:37
  6. Pagan Practices:
    • the worship of deities instead of God, including idolatry, child sacrifice, temple prostitution, divination, and sorcery.
      • "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft." Deuteronomy 18:10
      • "They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs." Isaiah 2:6
      • "Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations." Ezekiel 22:28
  7. Social Injustice:
    • A lack of of God's people to pursue justice, particularly for the vulnerable: The poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners.
      • "And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless." Job 22:9
      • "Woe to those who make unjust laws... to deprive the poor of their rights... making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless." Isaiah 10:1-2
      • "So I will come to put you on trial... who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice." Malachi 3:5
Israel Punished for Her Sins:
  1. Israel During the Time of the Judges:
    • Her recurring cycle of sin: Disobedience, idolatry, and worship of foreign gods. Judges 2:11-13
    • This pattern of disobedience resulted in God allowing neighboring nations to oppress Israel. Judges 2:14
    • In their distress they would cry out to God, who would then raise up judges to save them from their oppressors. Judges 2:16,18
  2. When the judge who delivered them died, Israel would again backslide into its pattern of sin. Judges 2:19
  3. List of Nations Used to Punish Israel:
    • Amalekites / Ammonites
    • Amorites / Arameans (Syria)
    • Canaanites / Hivites
    • Maonites / Mesopotamia
    • Midianites / Moabites
    • Philistines / Sidonians
  4. Israel During the Time of the Monarchy:
    • God calls on Egypt to punish Judah for its sin (927 BC). 1 Kings 14:22-24, 1 Kings 14:25-26
    • God calls the Assyrian Empire to punish and bring about the end of the Northern Kingdom (720 BC).
      Isaiah 7:20, 2 Kings 17:6
    • God calls the Neo-Babylonian Empire to punish and bring about the end of the Kingdom of Judah (586 BC). Jeremiah 20:4, 2 Kings Chapter 25
  5. The Land of Israel Under Foreign Rule:
    • Cyrus II conquers Babylon (539 BC). Israel becomes part of the Persian Empire.
      2 Chronicles 36:22-23
    • Alexander the Great conquers the Persian Empire (331 BC). Palestine under Greek Rule.
      Daniel 8:5-8 & 21, Daniel 10:20
    • The Roman Empire occupied Palestine, then known as Judea, starting in 63 BC, following Pompey the Great's conquest of Jerusalem.
      Daniel 7:23-25, Luke 2:1-3