Israel was established by God to be His people. However, not all were automatically saved in the nation. Even in Israel, only those who had faith were ever considered by God to be saved. Further, anyone outside of Israel, could have become part of the nation and also have been saved, albeit by faith.
Then God sent His Son into the world, specifically to Israel, but was rejected by most in Israel. As John put it, “He came to His own and His own received Him not.” A relatively small number in Israel had faith in Christ and they were the first ones to exist as the New Covenant “Church” or “Christians.” Only now, anyone with faith was indwelled with and sealed with God’s Spirit as they took part in the New Covenant. Soon, Gentiles were included in the Church as it expanded, and before long, Gentiles began to outnumber Jews. This transition period ran for about forty years until Israel was finally dispersed and destroyed. Then, national Israel was no longer connected to the Church. Anyone, anywhere, from any ethnic background, could believe in Jesus, be saved, and be added to the “Church” without joining national Israel.
There is something very important to be considered regarding the Church that most do not pay much attention to if any at all. In contrast to Israel, the Church, by definition, is Christ’s “body” existing as individuals without belonging to any specific nation. But did you know that despite that the Church is without nationality, the Church is actually considered by God to be itself, a “nation”?
When the children of Israel had left Egypt, were brought to Mt. Sinai in the wilderness, and were about to enter the covenant with God, God gave them a prophecy through Moses…
“And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israelʺ (Exodus 19:6).
Have you ever wondered why Peter tells the newly established Church, which consisted of both Jews and Gentiles, that they were the royal priesthood and the holy nation? That prophecy was given to Israel was it not?
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Again, the church is a “nation,” and the Word says so multiple times. But not just any nation, in Peter’s mind, the Church is the “nation” that Moses spoke of back there in the wilderness. In other words, Israel becoming a holy “nation” finds its fulfillment in the Church. The term “nation” is in quotes and is italicized here because obviously, the Church is not a literal, physical, geographical nation. But that is the whole point…Israel was God’s nation, physically and ethnically, and in contrast, the Church is now God’s “nation” spiritually.
It’s so important that we recognize when these kinds of terms are used in Scripture since the translators do not put them in quotes, nor are they italicized in the translations. There are literally too many to count but once you recognize a few, you begin to develop the ability to recognize the others. We apply “air quotes” to certain terms as we converse with others or use quotes as a literary device when the term is intended to be something different than or maybe even opposite from what one would normally take it to be. For example, the question was asked of Jesus, “what works must we do to inherit eternal life?” Now they didn’t know it yet, but there was no work in the world anyone could have done to merit salvation. So, what does Jesus answer them? “The “work” of God is this, to believe in the one God sent.” In other words, the “work” we need to do is make sure we don’t work for it and simply believe. Biblically speaking, believing is the polar opposite of works, so Jesus used “work” to show that it’s not work…make sense? When someone said to Jesus, here comes your mother and brothers, Jesus pointed to His disciples and said, “these are my “mother” and my “brothers.”