According to the Bible, the literal, fleshly people of Israel today are no longer God’s exclusively chosen people. Instead, God’s true people are those who make up spiritual Israel, consisting of individuals who are “Jews inwardly” regardless of their natural nationality.
Why Natural Israel Was Cast Off The nation of natural Israel was originally chosen by Jehovah to be a special, holy people and a typical Theocratic government. However, after centuries of favor, they became rebellious and fell victim to the traditions of men, or “rabbinism”. This eventually brought them into direct conflict with Jesus Christ. Because they flagrantly rejected the Messiah, his truth, and his kingdom, and even demanded his impalement, Jehovah cast them off as his people. Following this rejection, their temple and capital city of Jerusalem were destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70, leaving them without a temple, priest, or acceptable sacrifice. While a small remnant of faithful Jews did accept Christ, the rest of the nation “became callous and blind”.
Who Are God’s True People? The Bible teaches that “he is not a Jew that is one on the outside… But he is a Jew that is one on the inside”. A real Jew is defined as someone who has the faith of Abraham and is fully devoted to the service and praise of Jehovah.
When the natural nation was cast off, God turned his attention to the Gentile nations to take out a “people for his name”. Believers from all nations, along with the faithful Jewish remnant, were brought into a new covenant mediated by Jesus Christ. They were anointed with God’s spirit to become “spiritual Israelites,” constituting God’s true “kingdom of priests” and a “holy nation”. Therefore, God’s promises of restoration and favor apply to this “Israel of God” rather than to a fleshly nation.
What About the Regathering to Palestine? Many orthodox Jews and religionists believe that the modern Zionist movement to establish a Jewish state in Palestine is the direct fulfillment of Bible prophecies. The Scriptures, however, show that natural Jews will never again be a chosen, regathered people. The prophecies of gathering them safely back to their place had a miniature fulfillment when a remnant of Jews returned from Babylonian captivity in 537 B.C., but the major, complete fulfillment applies to spiritual Israelites. These spiritual Israelites are being gathered out of this “Babylonish world” into the earthly condition of Jehovah’s favor as his witnesses and ambassadors. Therefore, the modern gathering of Jews to Palestine is a political and humanitarian movement, not a fulfillment of divine prophecy.
What the Bible Teaches for Today The Bible teaches that the old Mosaic Law, with its requirements regarding feasts, sabbaths, and rituals, was canceled and “nailed to the cross” (or torture stake) by God. These things were merely a “shadow of something that was to follow; the reality is found in Christ”.
Today, the only hope for natural Jews—and for all people—is to abandon man-made religious traditions and political movements, and to exercise the faith of Abraham by accepting Jehovah’s Messiah, Christ Jesus. By coming under the protection of God’s established kingdom, individuals of all nations can become part of God’s true people and gain everlasting life.