S Orchard
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Why Israel
The Church of God teaches that the Biblical prophecies about the reconstitution of Israel in the end-times will be literally (not figuratively) fulfilled, and that the British Commonwealth and the United States, as the modern-day manifestation of Ephraim and Manasseh, play important roles in that narrative. Outside the Church, these ideas are widely disparaged as scientifically discredited and racist. It’s true that 19th Century British-Israelism seeded some horrendous, racist ideologies. And that the Church itself has had problems with racism. But the underlying premise (i.e. that Britain has historical ties to Israel) predates the racism that eventually corrupted it, and it is both anthropologically rational and deeply faith strengthening. Furthermore, the matter of Israel’s identity was never a matter of race, because Israel isn’t a race. It’s just a family. Regardless, the identity of modern-day Israel is not “salvational”; What matters is believing that God can and will do what he says. One cannot accept the Bible and believe God without expecting Israel to serve a vital, real part in His redemptive plan. An open-minded exploration of the subject reveals a compelling witness to God’s power to accomplish His inclusive purpose for all humanity.
