What does the Bible say about Israel?
The Bible presents a rich and complex understanding of Israel that transcends geopolitical borders and ancient history. From Genesis to Revelation, Israel is a central theme in God's redemptive narrative. However, what the term “Israel” means—and how it applies to God’s people today—requires careful attention to both Scripture and theology.
This article explores what the Bible says about Israel, tracing the identity of this covenant people across the Old and New Testaments, and clarifying how Israel’s story connects to the Gospel, the church, and God’s eternal purposes.
1. Israel in the Old Testament: A Covenant People
In the Old Testament, Israel refers to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—a nation chosen by God to be His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6). The Bible portrays Israel as a covenant people set apart by God's grace. They were given the Law, the promises, the priesthood, and the land of Canaan as signs of their calling.
Yet from the beginning, Israel was not merely an ethnic identity. The Old Testament repeatedly distinguishes between the faithful remnant and those who broke covenant. This idea is seen in the prophets, who often rebuked Israel for its idolatry, injustice, and lack of faith, while holding out hope for a future restoration through a faithful servant or remnant (Isaiah 10:20-23; Hosea 1:10).
In this way, the Bible reveals Israel as a “mixed” community—one that included both believers and unbelievers. Membership in Israel was not a guarantee of spiritual faithfulness, but it did offer a unique place in God’s unfolding redemptive plan.
2. Jesus as the Fulfillment of Israel’s Mission
The New Testament presents Jesus as the true and faithful embodiment of Israel. He is the Son called out of Egypt (Matthew 2:15, echoing Hosea 11:1), the obedient servant where Israel failed, and the one in whom God's covenant promises find their fulfillment (2 Corinthians 1:20).
This re-centering of Israel’s identity around Jesus does not negate the Old Testament promises, but fulfills them in a surprising and gracious way. Rather than restoring national sovereignty to ethnic Israel, the New Testament focuses on the inauguration of God's Kingdom through Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension.
Jesus, as the Messiah of Israel, does not merely represent ethnic Jews. He gathers to Himself a new covenant people—those united to Him by faith, whether Jew or Gentile. This is the foundation of the church: not a separate plan, but the continuation and fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.
3. The Church as the Continuation of God’s People
According to the Bible, those who belong to Christ are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29). Paul calls the church “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16) and describes believing Gentiles as being “grafted in” to the olive tree of Israel (Romans 11:17).
This does not mean that the church replaces Israel, but that the church is Israel—not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. In Christ, the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile has been broken down (Ephesians 2:14-16). God now dwells with a people formed not by ethnicity, but by faith.
This spiritual reality fulfills the deeper purposes of Israel’s calling: to be a light to the nations, a kingdom of priests, and a people through whom God would bless the world (Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 49:6). The church, as the body of Christ, now carries forward that mission in anticipation of Christ’s return.
4. God’s Faithfulness and the Future of Israel
Romans 9–11 addresses the ongoing question of Israel in God’s redemptive plan. Paul affirms that God’s covenant with Israel has not failed, and that a remnant of believing Jews continues to be saved by grace. He also warns against arrogance among Gentile believers, reminding them that they have been grafted in by mercy.
Some interpret Paul’s words as pointing to a future mass conversion of ethnic Jews; others see the fulfillment already occurring in the inclusion of Jews and Gentiles into one new humanity. Either way, the Bible emphasizes that God’s promises are trustworthy, and His redemptive plan will be completed.
The eschatological hope of the Bible is not national supremacy, but a new creation in which people from every tribe, language, and nation—including Israel—worship the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10). In this way, the destiny of Israel is bound up with the destiny of the world.
5. Israel, the Gospel, and the Unity of God’s People
Understanding Israel in the Bible is crucial for grasping the scope of the Gospel. The good news is not merely personal salvation, but the restoration of God’s covenant people through the Messiah. Jesus fulfills the law, embodies the promises, and gathers a people who live under His lordship and bear witness to His Kingdom.
This bigger Gospel invites all people—Jew and Gentile alike—into the new covenant community. As Paul writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek... for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). The unity of the church across ethnic lines is not a secondary issue; it is the very sign that God’s promise to Abraham—to bless all nations—has come to pass.
Conclusion: One People, One Lord, One Future
The Bible teaches that there is one people of God, united by faith in Jesus Christ. Israel is not set aside, nor is it duplicated; rather, it finds its fulfillment in the Messiah and His people. From Abraham’s call to the new Jerusalem, the story of Israel is the story of redemption—a story that includes all who believe.
The church is not a parenthesis in God's plan; it is the continuation of the Bible’s covenant storyline. The faithful remnant, the spiritual Israel, the body of Christ—all describe one and the same people: those redeemed by grace, called into covenant, and destined to dwell with God forever.
Bible verses about Israel:
Genesis 12:2-3, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Exodus 19:5-6, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples… and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Deuteronomy 7:6, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:6, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob… I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Jeremiah 31:31, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”
Hosea 1:10, “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea… and in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it shall be said to them, ‘Children of the living God.’”
Matthew 2:15, “This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’”
Romans 9:6, “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.”
Romans 11:1, “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham…”
Galatians 6:16, “And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”
