5) How ought Christians view the issue of Israel and the Palestinians?

On what is Christianity based, unless it be on the words of Christ and his apostles? Unless it is solely based on the words of Christ and the Apostles, it might as well be be solely based on the words of Joe anybody. If a person's belief contains substantive contradictions of the Christian text then how can that person be a Christian follower? On that basis then, how should Christians see the political issue of who possesses the mountains Israel (or part thereof)?

How should Christians view who owns the disputed territories?

Many Christians place great reliance on the writings of the apostle Paul. Paul affirms very strongly that the promises belong to Israel.

Who are Israelites; to whom pertains the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.Amen (Romans 9:4-5)

It was very important to Paul that Christ is descended from the fathers of Israel (a view shared with Jesus see John 8). Paul also tells all Christ's followers that they are 'adopted' as Abraham's seed (Galatians 3:29), and 'grafted in' (Romans11:17-24). Paul re-iterates this to the Ephesians, saying that the servants of Christ must regard themselves as attached to the covenants of promise, which belong to Israel.

That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:12)

This implies there is no hope for a Christian except in the covenants of promise. Paul said he was bound in chains for the hope of Israel (Acts 28:20). The issue of the fathers is so important to Paul he devotes long discourses to it. He speaks of 'the promise(s)' 36 times, 'the Fathers' 5 times, Abraham 29 times, Isaac 7 times and Jacob 5 times.

For believing the promise of Isaac, the son, Abraham was accounted righteous (Romans 4:3). But as yet Abraham, Isaac & Jacob (and the fathers) have not inherited 'the promise', which is the hope of Israel,

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:39-40)

The promise which was not received, the hope of Israel, has political implications today. The Bible is very clear on what has been promised.

Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD. (Genesis 12:6-7)

Therefore, for perpetuity, Shechem and the environs are given to Israel.

Map locating the places of the promises and the disputed territory.

He (Abram) went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, ..between Bethel and Hai; ..the LORD said unto Abram, “Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you are northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed for ever. And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth:.. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the width of it; for I will give it unto you. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD. (Genesis 13:3-18)

For perpetuity the land of Canaan, as far as Abram could see with the naked eye from Bethel, is Abram's and also his offspring's. It is clear Abram could see to Hebron as he obeys God 'arising' to walk through the land given to him and goes there. Later at the valley of Shaveh (the kings valley) near Salem (Jerusalem), God says,

“I am the LORD that brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it. ...In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: (Genesis 15:7,18)

The last description determined the maximum length. The Euphrates was the river Abraham crossed from Haran to the North to enter the Land. The centre of the area called 'the Land' was to be from Bethel to Hebron. Later Ishmael was specifically excluded from the inheritance of the offspring (Genesis 21:12). It is with Isaac, near Salem (Jerusalem), that Abram is promised that his offspring (through Isaac) will inherit the gate of their enemies (Genesis22:11). It is in Hebron that Abraham buys land from the Hittites. Isaac is promised land while in Gerar, on the border of modern Gaza, bordering the land of the Philistines,

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for unto you and unto your seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: (Genesis 26:3-6)

If Isaac was promised Gerar, Jacob was promised Bethel. There God said

“I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed;.. “

And he (Jacob) was afraid, and said, “How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” ... And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. (Genesis 28:13-19)

Therefore for perpetuity the land of Bethel is promised to Jacob and to the offspring of Jacob. Jacob's name is changed to Israel at Bethel, and he is again promised the land. God said,

“Your name is Jacob: ...Israel shall be your name”: and he called his name Israel.” And God said unto him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of you, and kings shall come out of your loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to you I will give it, and to your seed after you will I give the land.” (Genesis 35:9-12)

Paul says a non-Jewish Christian is only 'adopted' as an Israelite, and the land belongs to those born to Israel. Because Paul in his discussions reinforces the promises as being literal, the modern Christian has no choice but to understand that the promises given at Shechem, Bethel, Salem (Jerusalem), Hebron and Gerar relate to a perpetual promise of this land at these particular spots to the natural sons of Israel.

That others may occupy it is clearly possible, as the Canaanites did so. While a building, or a piece of land is left vacant, many squatters may inhabit it and even destroy the building or the productivity of the land. Merely gaining temporary possession does not make them the owner of the land. In this case the God of the Bible says the land, in particular, Shechem, Bethel, Jerusalem environs, Hebron and Gerar is given to the offspring of Israel for-ever.

This presents one awkward factor to the modern world. Whereas Israel's possession of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Mt Carmel, Ceasarea, Akko, Tiberias and the Jezreel Valley are not disputed internationally, the very area at the centre of Paul's beloved promises to the Fathers of Israel is. In fact the only places where God gave the fathers of Israel promises for the land for their offspring is the heart of all the so called 'occupied territories'.

Following is a table listing every promise ever given for the Land in the entire Bible. Jesus implies we have eternal life through these promises,

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (John 5:39) and

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. (John 8:56)

The apostles reinforce this. Paul wrote,

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all nations be blessed.' (Galatians 3:8)

Promise to	Passage	Location	Comment
Abraham	Gen. 12-1-3	Haran	Not considered part of Land
Abraham	Gen. 13:14-17	Shechem	Disputed
Abraham	Gen. 15:7-18	Shaveh near Jerusalem	Hotly Disputed
Abraham	Gen. 18:18	Hebron	Hotly Disputed
Abraham	Gen. 22:18	Mt Moriah Jerusalem	Hotly Disputed
Isaac	Gen. 26:2-4	Gerar	Location unknown near Gaza
Jacob	Gen. 28:13-15	Bethel	Disputed
Jacob	Gen. 35:9-12	Bethel	Disputed
David	2 Samuel7:8-16	Jerusalem	Hotly Disputed
O.T affirms	Isaiah 9:6-7, 22:22. Jeremiah 23:5-6, Micah 7:18-20, Ezek. 16:60-62
N.T affirms	Luke 1:32-33, 69-73, 13:28. Acts 3:25,7:5,13:23-26,32, 26:6-8. Romans 1:3, 4:11-16, 9:8, 15:8 Galatians 3:6-9, 26-29. Hebrews 6:12-15, 8:6-12, 11:8-10,39-40. Revelation 3:7, 5:5

Summary Table of Promises of Land and their location

Map of Jerusalem and David's city where the promise was made- Silwan is Disputed territory

This ought to be a wake up call to the Christian. Does God keep his promises? If God is righteous then he will ensure that the land is given to those who he promised it to, which was the sons of Israel.

To David is promised the land of his throne and a son who builds a house on that land. David bought the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, on which Solomon's temple was located. David was promised this land, his throne and son for perpetuity, implying his resurrection to receive it.

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