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Back to basics

One of the most egregious misconceptions in today’s world that affects all of us is that the Jewish state is the reconstitution of biblical Israel and is therefore the heir of the promises to Abraham. This misconception is perpetuated by those who confuse the terms Jew and Israelite as if they refer to the same people.

The Name Israel

The angel gave Jacob the name Israel in Genesis 32:28. Years later, shortly before he died, Jacob passed this name to the sons of Joseph. In blessing them, he said in Genesis 48:16,

¹⁶ The angel who has redeemed me from all evil bless the lads [Joseph’s sons]; and may my name live on in them…

From then on, no one had the legal right to call himself an Israelite unless he was in unity with the tribes of Joseph—Ephraim and Manasseh. Of course, for many centuries following, this issue was never raised, because the tribes were indeed united as one nation. However, after the death of Solomon, the kingdom was divided (1 Kings 12:16, 17). Judah and Benjamin formed the House of Judah, and the rest of the tribes formed the House of Israel.

From then on, the prophets never confused the two nations. The northern kingdom they called Israel, or the House of Israel, or sometimes just Ephraim (the leading tribe). The southern kingdom they called Judah, or the House of Judah. So when Jeremiah referred to these two nations, he spoke of “the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 5:11, 11:10, 31:27, 33:14). If these had been the same people, it would not have been necessary to include the house of Judah.

The Birthright

It is very important also to understand that Jacob passed the Birthright to Joseph and his sons—not to Judah. We read this hidden in the genealogy of Reuben in 1 Chronicles 5:1, 2,

¹ Now the son of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he [Reuben] is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. ² Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the Leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph.)

Judah was given the privilege of providing the kings of Israel and ultimately the Messiah as well. “Yet the birthright belonged to Joseph,” we are told. So when the kingdom was divided, the scepter of Judah was divided from the birthright of Joseph. And when the Assyrians conquered and deported the House of Israel, the birthright did not automatically go to Judah.

The misconception today is that Judah somehow inherited the birthright of Joseph, along with the name Israel. This is the original Replacement Theology—that Judah replaced Israel when the Israelites became the “lost tribes.” The prophets clearly teach that Israel will be restored, and that when they do, they will be reunited with Judah.

The nation of Judah was conquered by Babylon and exiled for 70 years. But God brought them back to the old land so that the prophecy of Micah 5:2 could be fulfilled, where Christ was to be born in Bethlehem. If some of the people of Judah had not returned to resettle in the old land, then how could Micah’s prophecy be fulfilled? For this reason, the longer exile of Judah at the hand of the Romans did not take place until 40 years after Jesus’ earthly ministry was completed.

When Judah was exiled by Rome, the calling of Judah to provide the King had been fulfilled in King Jesus. He was the culmination of that promised calling. No greater King could come, and He was given “the power of an endless life” (Hebrews 7:16 KJV). He could have no successors.

The Reconstitution of Judah

In Matthew 21:18-22, we read how Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree. Verse 19 says,

¹⁹ Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

It is widely recognized that this fig tree represented the nation of Judah, or Judea. Bible teachers then relate this to Jesus’ explanation in Matthew 24:32-34,

³² Now learn the parable from the fig tree; when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; ³³ so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. ³⁴ Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

It is commonly understood that the “fig tree” put forth its leaves in 1948 when the Jewish state was established. That is certainly true, and it was a sign that “He is near, right at the door.” This brought great excitement to the church as it was given a firm sign of Christ’s second coming. However, they seemed to forget that Jesus’ curse said, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” So although this fig tree did indeed come to life, we see that it could only put forth leaves—not fruit.

Fig leaves are not figs. Jesus wants fruit—the fruit of the Spirit. Fig leaves have been a problem since Adam (Genesis 3:7), where they represent a false covering for sin. Fig leaves represent self-justification and false righteousness. In other words, the fig tree nation in the last days was NOT ever going to bring forth the fruit of the Kingdom. The fruit was instead to come from Israel, as we read in Isaiah 27:6,

⁶ In the day to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout, and they will fill the whole world with fruit.

Although the founders of the fig tree nation chose to call it Israel, the prophet was referring to the northern Kingdom of Israel—not the Jews of Judah. (Jew is short for Judah.) The nation in 1948 was a Jewish state; the house of Israel still remained “lost.” Israel was to bear fruit, but the fig tree of Judah was to produce leaves only. In fact, if the Jewish state ever experiences national revival and brings forth fruit, then Jesus will be proven to be a false prophet.

The establishment of “Israel” in 1948 was indeed an important time marker, a heads-up in regard to the second coming of Christ, but in the end, it remains under Jesus’ curse. There are, of course, many individual Jews who have come to Christ, but the nation itself will never bear fruit.

Reunification

Prophecy is often fulfilled in unexpected ways. This is because prophetic details are often sketchy and subject to misinterpretation. The key to proper interpretation is to understand the difference between the two covenants. When the Old Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:13), many changes took place, as recorded in the book of Hebrews.

So we read how Abraham did not really seek an inheritance in the old land of Canaan, but instead, he sought “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). He also sought a better city, the heavenly Jerusalem, as opposed to the earthly city by the same name (Hebrews 11:10). When there are two cities by the same name, it is easy to confuse them. Yet the Hebrew name for the city is Yerushalayim, which literally means “two Jerusalems.”

So Jeremiah 19:10, 11 prophesies that the earthly city was to be destroyed so completely that men would find it impossible to repair or rebuild. But the heavenly Jerusalem is seen in Revelation 21 as the enduring city. The Old Testament prophets, however, do not attempt to distinguish between the two. They simply speak of “Jerusalem” and leave it to the New Testament apostles to discern which city was being referenced.

Paul tells us who is a Jew and who is not in Romans 2:28, 29,

²⁸ For he is NOT a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. ²⁹ But he IS a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

The Jews of his day prided themselves of their Jewishness in that they had been circumcised in the flesh. But this did not praise God. (Judah means “praise.”) To praise God and live up to the name Judah requires heart circumcision, which comes through the New Covenant. No one can claim to be of the New Covenant apart from Christ, the Mediator of that Covenant.

Therefore, when one has faith in Christ, he becomes a member of the tribe or kingdom of Judah in the eyes of God. The church never replaced Judah. The church (true believers) ARE the tribe of Judah.

But taking this a step further, how does one become an Israelite—an heir of the birthright? This involves becoming an overcomer who is eligible to become a manifested son of God. Sonship is our inheritance, as it is written concerning Joseph in Genesis 49:22,

²² Joseph is a fruitful bough [ben, “son”], a fruitful bough by a spring; its branches run over a wall.

A “Jew” is one who joins with Jesus, who came the first time of the tribe of Judah and who came as the King. An Israelite is a fruitful son of God, changed into Christ’s image, and manifested in glory at the time of the first resurrection (Revelation 20:6). Such status is not based upon genealogy but upon one’s faith—that is, heart circumcision, followed by bearing fruit.