Les Feldick Bible Study

Are all of God's promises to Israel earthly or heavenly?

All of God's promises to the nation of Israel are earthly, not heavenly. Scripture presents Israel as an earthly people with earthly promises, and God never speaks of the nation going to heaven. Even when Christ ministers to Israel, He points them to an earthly Kingdom with their Messiah as King.

Les explains that the promise to Abraham, that his offspring would be as numerous as the pebbles of sand, and the promise to make Israel a great nation in Egypt, was a heavenly promise or an earthly one? Earthly. There is nothing of heaven here. This is an earthly people with earthly promises. Israel had to go down into Egypt where Joseph was, they had to go into slavery, and they had to be ready to come out when Moses led them; it was all part of the divine purpose. All the way up through the Old Testament, God never speaks of the nation of Israel going to heaven. When they die or when the nation becomes a full participant in the covenant promise, it is always on the earth. All of the promises that God makes to the nation of Israel are earthly promises. When Christ begins to minister to the nation of Israel, it is the same thing. Jesus does not tell them, 'Prepare for the glory land.' They are to prepare for the coming Kingdom of which their Messiah is going to be the King, an earthly Kingdom.