Israel and Prophecy By CHARLES L. FEINBERG
ownership are not necessarily the same things. Each may exist with out the other. You see, Israel may own the land without possessing it. The land was held in possession by Abraham and his seed until the time of the destruction of Jerusa lem by Titus in 70 A.D. This has the exception of two periods. The first was the bondage of Egypt and then the Babylonian captivity. Cer tainly, if occupation aids to estab lish the right of ownership, Israel has this necessary requirement. She has lived in the land more than a millennium and a half. The land is Israel's also because of the prophecies of resettlement. The crucial, acid test as to whether Israel was to have the land regard less of other factors, came in the time of our Lord Jesus Christ. Their rejection of the Messiah, if any deed of theirs could, should have nullified their claim to the land. Yet any careful student of prophecy knows that prophets looked be yond this time of world scattering to a world regathering (Isaiah 49; Jeremiah 23). God will, in His grace, see to it that Israel is brought back. They will be made to dwell in their own land. God's promises are al ways "Yea" and "Amen." He has given Israel the land of Palestine and it shall be theirs forever.
One of the primary questions raging in the Near East today is, "Who has the right to the Holy Land?" This has been most crucial in relations between nations. It is now an international issue. First of all, the whole earth belongs to the Lord (Exodus 19:5; Psalms 24:1). It is exclusively His without mort gage, lease or judgment. For this reason, He can give any land to whomever He pleases. Palestine comes from the name Philistine. The country, however, is Israel's by a threefold claim. First of all, they have right to it by the promise of Cod (Genesis 12:7). While Ishmael came from Abraham Genesis 21:12 shows us that the Lord made a distinct line of cleav age, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called." This promise was linked with an unconditional covenant. Such can never be revoked. His callings and gifts are without "re pentance" (Romans 11:29). There is a real bearing the Pal estinian Covenant of Deuteronomy 28 to 30 has on the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12. There is a distinguishing between certain fea tures. First, a conditional covenant cannot nullify an unconditional covenant. Further, an unconditional covenant cannot have later condi tions added to it. Keep in mind, too, that occupation of a land and
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