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It is widely
accepted that the Bible is a book about Israel. God
calls Himself the “God of Israel.” The Israelites are
called the “children of God.” Israelites are also called
the “children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Book of
Genesis reveals that God made a special covenant with
Abraham and told him that He would bless his
descendants. Abraham and his wife Sarah were promised a
son in their old age. God told them to name the child
“Isaac” meaning “laughter.” Isaac had two sons, Jacob
and Esau, but the birthright blessing was bestowed upon
Jacob. God later changed Jacob’s name to “Israel.” Jacob
had twelve sons by four women, and these became known as
the children of Israel. They eventually became twelve
tribes making a single nation. After the death of
Solomon, Israel’s third king, Israel split into two
separate nations. At around 900 B.C. ten tribes rejected
Rehoboam, Solomon’s successor as their king and
appointed Jeroboam as their king. This nation became
known as the Northern Kingdom or the House of Israel.
The two remaining tribes of Judah and Benjamin became
known as the Southern Kingdom or the House of Judah.
They later became known as the Jews. So, all Jews are
Israelites but most Israelites are not Jews. The ten
tribes of Israel are sometimes referred to as the “lost
sheep of Israel” because unlike the Jews, they had
forgotten their identity. (Matthew 10:5-6 / James 1:1) Bible
Translation: NASV
In 721 B.C. the House of Israel was conquered by the
Assyrian Empire and was taken out of their land and made
slaves. For the most part, they never returned to the
land of Palestine but each tribe grew into individual
nations. Some believe that England, France, Ireland,
Scotland, the Scandinavian countries and the United
States and Canada, are the descendants of the Northern
Kingdom of Israel. “British” actually means “Covenant
People” and “Saxon” is a shortened form of “Isaac’s
sons”. It is also widely believed that the Celtic
language has Hebrew roots. The Southern Kingdom was
conquered by Babylon in 586 B.C. and were eventually
dispersed around the world. The Jews who returned to
Palestine after World War 2 are primarily the
descendants of the House of Judah. But we will go no
further because that is not the point of this lesson.
Must an Israelite be a physical descendant of Abraham?
Why did Jesus tell Nicodemus, who was a physical
descendant of Abraham, that he needed to be born again?
Why did the Apostle Paul call the Gentile Christians in
Galatia, the “Israel of God?” Is the Bible really a Book
primarily about natural Israel or spiritual Israel? Can
Gentile converts to Christianity become the Israel of
God and true heirs of the promises made to Abraham?
DEFINITIONS
Israel: Hebrew - meaning “one who
prevails with God” or “sons ruling with God.” Can refer
to all Twelve Tribes, can refer to the Ten Tribes which
seceded from Judah and Benjamin. Can refer to the Church
which is Spiritual Israel.
House of Israel: After the split, refers primarily to
the Ten Tribes of the Northern Kingdom.
House of Judah: The Tribes of Judah and Benjamin making
up the Southern Kingdom.
Born Again: To be born of the spirit of God, becoming a
new creation in Christ.
NATURAL ISRAEL
1. The Israelites are the
physical descendants of who?
Genesis 17:5 / Genesis 26:24 / Exodus 3:6 / Matthew 3:9
/ Luke 1:73 / Luke 3:7-8 / Luke 16:19-31 / John 8:39 /
Romans 4:16-17
Answer_______________
Who was the promised son? __________
Scripture__________
Who was the father of twelve sons who became known as
the Tribes of Israel? __________
Scripture__________
Was Abraham called the father of Moses? __________
Scripture__________
The Jews said, -“We have _________ as our father”? __________
Scripture__________
Who said that God could raise up children of Abraham
from stones? __________
Scripture__________
In Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man, into
whose bosom does he lie? __________
Scripture__________
What Apostle said that Abraham was the “father of us
all”? __________
Scripture__________
Was this declaration made about natural Israelites only,
or did it include Gentiles? __________
Scripture__________
2. Who was natural Israel?
Genesis 32:24-28 / Genesis 49:1-28 / I Samuel 9:1-2,
15-17 / 1 Samuel 10:24 / 2 Kings 12 / 1 Kings 11:1-13
,26-33 / 1 Kings 12:20 / 2 Kings 17:5-14, 16, 20-24 /
Genesis 17:1-6
Answer_______________
Whose name was changed to “Israel”? __________
Scripture__________
How many sons did Israel have? __________
Scripture__________
Did they later become twelve distinct tribes? __________
Scripture__________
Collectively, what were they originally called? __________
Scripture__________
Who was the first King of Israel? __________
Scripture__________
What Book and Chapter tells of the Twelve Tribes
splitting into two nations? __________
Scripture__________
Why did God cause Israel to split into two nations? __________
Scripture__________
Who did God give the Ten Northern Tribes to? __________
Scripture__________
Who was the first King of the House of Israel (Ten
Tribes)? __________
Scripture__________
Who conquered the House of Israel in 721 B.C. and took
them into slavery? __________
Scripture__________
Was this defeat a judgment from God? __________
Scripture__________
Why did God allow the Northern Kingdom to be carried
away into exile? __________
Scripture__________
Who did the King of Assyria place in the vacated cities
of Israel? __________
Scripture__________
Who was the last King of the Northern Kingdom of Israel? __________
Scripture__________
Was it promised that through Abraham, Israel would
become many nations? __________
Scripture__________
Commentary: As
Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah,
Samaria was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel. When
reading the New Testament you can see why the Jews had
no trust in the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom
(Samaritans) because they knew that they were not truly
their kinsmen though, at times they claimed to be. When
Jesus sent His disciples to the “lost sheep of the House
of Israel”, He specifically instructed them to not go
through Samaria. Jesus knew that the inhabitants of
Northern Palestine were not true Israelites but
primarily of Babylonian ancestry.
3. What were the people of the nation of Judah called?
1 Kings 12:1-17 / 2 Kings 25:1-12 / 2 Chronicles
36:11-21 / 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 /
Answer_______________
Who was the first King of the Southern Kingdom of Judah? __________
Scripture__________
How many Tribes of Israel made up the nation of Judah? __________
Scripture__________
What nation and King conquered Judah in 586 B.C.? _______________________
Scripture__________
Why did God place this judgment upon His own people? __________
Scripture__________
Who was the King of Judah when this happened? __________
Scripture__________
What did King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon do to the Jewish
King? __________
Scripture__________
Did Judah ever return to their land? __________
Scripture__________
What Persian King issued a decree for the Temple to be
rebuilt in Jerusalem? __________
Scripture__________
SPIRITUAL ISRAEL
4. Who and what is Spiritual Israel?
Genesis 12:1-3 / Galatians 3:7-8 / Galatians 3:15-16,
26-29 / Galatians 4 / Galatians 3:17-19 / Genesis 26:4-5
/ Romans 2:13 / 1 Corinthians 7:19 / John 14:15, 21 /
Revelation 14:12 / Revelation 22:14 (KJV) / Philippians
3:2-3 / Galatians 6:15-16 / Ephesians 3:1-6 / Romans
9:6-8 / Romans 8:14-19
Answer_______________
Did God promise that all nations would be blessed in
Abraham? __________
Scripture__________
According to Paul’s letter to the Galatians, what was
preached to Abraham? __________
Scripture__________
Who was the Promised Seed which came through Abraham? __________
Scripture__________
Regardless of race, if you are born of the Promised Seed
are you an heir of promise? __________
Scripture__________
Are you then regarded as one of Abraham’s descendants? __________
Scripture__________
Do you then belong to Christ Jesus? __________
Scripture__________
Are you then partakers of Abraham’s Covenant of Promise? __________
Scripture__________
Did this Covenant exist before the Sinai Covenant? __________
Scripture__________
Does Abraham’s Covenant contain Laws and Commandments? __________
Scripture__________
Does the Sinai Covenant have additional Laws which were
added because of sins? __________
Scripture__________
Did father Abraham obey God’s Laws and Commandments? __________
Scripture__________
Is Abraham’s Covenant what we call the Christian
Covenant or New Covenant? __________
Scripture__________
Though it does not consist of the 613 Laws of Moses,
does it have Commandments? __________
Scripture__________
What Apostle said that Christians are the “true
circumcision”? __________
Scripture__________
To what Church did Paul refer to as the “Israel of God”? __________
Scripture__________
Paul told the Ephesian Church that the Mystery of Christ
was what. . .? __________
Scripture__________
Is it the children of the flesh or the children of the
Promise (spirit) who are heirs? __________
Scripture__________
According to Romans, are Abraham’s fleshly children
regarded as descendants? __________
Scripture__________
Are those born of the spirit regarded as the true
children and heirs of the promise? __________
Scripture__________
According to Romans, who are the true sons of God? __________
Scripture__________
Commentary: Romans 9:6, -“. . .For they are not all
Israel who are descended from Israel.” “Israel”
is also the person, Jacob, so if we read it like this, -“For
they are not all Israel who are descended from Jacob” it
makes the intent clearer. Paul goes on to say that the
true children of God are named through Isaac. Notice
also that Isaac existed before Jacob, just as the
children of promise (Spiritual Israel) existed before
natural Israel. As Isaac was the son of promise, those
who are born again of the spirit (Promised Seed of
Jesus) are the children of Promise and the true heirs of
Abraham. Paul is saying that the natural descendants are
not regarded as descendants, but those who are born of
God are, regardless of their race or gender.
In John Chapter 3: A high-ranking Pharisee named
Nicodemus came to Jesus by night inquiring about the
Kingdom of God. This man held the belief that this
Kingdom would be established upon the earth when Israel
was exalted to power under the leadership of a Messiah.
He recognized that Jesus had come from God because of
the signs and miracles that He performed, but he wanted
to know if Jesus was the promised Messiah. That is why
Jesus answered him as if he has asked about the Kingdom
of God saying, -saying “Unless
one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Jesus
was that it is not enough to be born of Abraham(natural ’s
natural seed to inherit the Kingdom of God, but that one
must be born again of the spirit to be an heir. Jesus
said, -“Unless one is born of water birth) and the
spirit, (Jesus, through the agency of the holy spirit)
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.-“If I
told ” When
Nicodemus confessed that he still did not understand,
Jesus replied, you
earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you
believe if I tell you heavenly things?is not to say ” Jesus
was saying that the Kingdom of God is a “heavenly thing”
not an “earthly thing.” This that Jesus will not
establish His Kingdom upon the earth at His return in
Glory, that is clear in Scripture. But the Kingdom of
God which Christians are now transferred into is not
something earthly but heavenly.
Notice what the Apostle Paul taught the Corinthians, -“Now
I say this brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the Kingdom of God.” (Chapter
15, Verse 50) Christians are made into and transferred
into the Kingdom of God. “To
Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His
blood, and He has made us to be a Kingdom, priests to
His God and Father.” (Revelation
1:5-6) Notice also, -“Worthy are You to take the book
and break its seals; for You were slain and did purchase
for God with Your blood, men from every tribe and tongue
and people and nation.. And You have made them to be a
kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon
the earth.” (Revelation
5:9-10) Notice again, -“For He (the Father) delivered
us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to
the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians
1:13-14)
From these “Kingdom” Scriptures, we see that those
who are born again of the spirit, become a Kingdom, and
are transferred into the Kingdom of God.
FINAL COMMENTS
Natural Israel are the physical
descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through Jacob’s
twelve sons. Spiritual Israel are those born again of
the spirit of God. Spiritual Israel are those who have
been purchased from every tribe, tongue and nation by
the blood of Jesus and have been transferred into the
Kingdom of God as His priests. Spiritual Israel, which
is the Church, is the true circumcision and the true
Israel of God. Those born only of the natural seed must
be born again of the spirit. Although, the Bible
chronicles the history of natural Israel, it is
primarily a Book about Spiritual Israel. Everyone who
has ever lived and possessed the holy spirit was a child
of God and a part of Spiritual Israel. Abel, the son of
Adam, was also a son of God because Jesus said that he
was righteous and he was the first martyr. The great
cloud of witnesses named in Hebrews 11 are all a part of
Spiritual Israel who knew Christ before He came in the
flesh, notice -“And all these, having gained approval
through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
because God had provided something better for us, so
that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” (Hebrews
11:39-40)
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