Messianic Israeli on God’s Israel of the Bible

A native Israeli & a ‘Fisher of Men’
speaks to the biblical role Israel still holds
in God’s plans

Guest Article
by Guy Cohen

Guy Cohen leads the Harvest of Asher congregation in Acco, Israel, the city of his birth. This is one of the many Messianic Jews of Israel carrying on the same mandate the first century Apostles carried in the Book of Acts to Revelation. He is a young, anointed man of God.

As a Messianic Jewish congregational leader, I often engage in conversations with fellow believers and Christian leaders concerning Israel, the Jewish people, and God’s unfolding plan in history. While some of these discussions are encouraging and fruitful, others leave me deeply troubled, particularly when I encounter teachings that suggest God has rejected Israel or that the Church has replaced Israel in His covenant purposes.

It is important for me to make one thing clear from the outset: my disagreement is not with Arabs living in Judea and Samaria or anywhere else, nor does it stem from ethnic or national considerations. I believe that every human being is created in the image of God and is worthy of dignity, love, and fair treatment. Jews and Arabs alike are in need of God’s grace, and none of us stands before Him on the basis of our own righteousness.

My disagreement is theological. It concerns the question of whether God remains faithful to the covenants He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and whether the promises given to Israel remain in effect.

According to my understanding of the Scriptures, the answer is yes.

I believe that God chose Israel not because the nation was more righteous than others, but because of His love and faithfulness to His word. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, we repeatedly see the weaknesses, failures, and sins of the people of Israel. Yet God does not cancel His covenant. He rebukes, judges, scatters, and disciplines, but He does not abandon the promises He has made.

Likewise, in the writings of the Apostles, I do not find that God has rejected Israel. On the contrary, I see clear affirmations of His ongoing faithfulness to the Jewish people and the declaration that His gifts and calling are irrevocable. For this reason, I struggle to accept theological systems that teach that Israel no longer has a continuing role in God’s covenant purposes.

When Christian leaders study Jewish history yet conclude that the reestablishment of the State of Israel holds no spiritual significance, or when they present the Jewish people as having been completely rejected by God, I believe they are overlooking a central aspect of the biblical witness.

My belief in the existence of the State of Israel is not based on the assumption that everything the state does is righteous or that every governmental policy reflects the will of God. Nations are governed by human beings, and human beings make mistakes. Even the kings of Israel sinned, sometimes grievously. Yet their failures did not nullify the covenant God made with His people.

Therefore, I distinguish between the moral evaluation of specific actions and the question of covenant and promise. One may criticize political decisions, grieve over human suffering, and seek justice, while still believing that God continues to work within the framework of His promises to Israel.

My sorrow is not merely intellectual. It comes from seeing believers embrace views that leave no place for Israel in God’s ongoing plan and, at times, teach others to view the Jewish people through the lens of divine rejection. In my view, this distorts the biblical message concerning God’s faithfulness.

What pains me especially is when spiritual leaders living in this land read the same Scriptures that I read, know the history of the Jewish people, and yet teach against Israel’s place in God’s covenant purposes. To me, this is not merely a disagreement over interpretation. It is a disagreement concerning the character of God and His faithfulness to His word.

I recognize that many Arabic-speaking pastors and Christian leaders living in Judea and Samaria face significant social, political, and personal pressures. Their circumstances are often difficult, and I do not underestimate the challenges they encounter within their communities.

Yet I believe that spiritual leadership requires courage. True shepherds are called to teach the Scriptures faithfully, even when doing so is unpopular or costly. If we believe that God has made enduring promises to Israel and that His covenant faithfulness remains unchanged, then we should not remain silent about those truths out of fear of criticism, rejection, or political pressure.

In my view, biblical truth must never be subordinated to cultural expectations or political narratives. Our primary responsibility as leaders is not to affirm the prevailing opinions of our communities, but to proclaim the whole counsel of God. That includes speaking honestly about God’s love for all peoples, as well as His continuing covenant promises to Israel.

I am also concerned about the international influence of voices that consistently frame Israel primarily through political grievances while giving increasing prominence to political identities and narratives over the testimony of Scripture. When such messages are amplified globally, many believers who are unfamiliar with the biblical foundations of God’s covenant relationship with Israel can become confused regarding God’s purposes and promises.

In my view, when political narratives begin to overshadow the clear teaching of Scripture, a form of spiritual deception can emerge. Instead of helping believers understand God’s redemptive plan as revealed in His Word, such teachings may lead them to adopt perspectives that diminish, redefine, or even deny Israel’s place within God’s covenant purposes.

The calling of spiritual leaders is not to reshape biblical truth according to the spirit of the age, political movements, or national causes. Our responsibility is to place the Word of God above every ideology, every political agenda, and every human narrative. Whenever that order is reversed, confusion follows, and the clarity of God’s purposes becomes obscured.

At the same time, I do not call for hostility toward those who disagree with me. There are brothers and sisters in the faith who hold different views, and I respect their desire to remain faithful to their understanding of Scripture. Yet my own conviction compels me to testify to what I believe God has revealed in His word.

I believe that Yeshua the Messiah will return. I believe that He will reign in righteousness and bring redemption to the world. I believe that He will fulfill every promise spoken by the prophets. And I believe that Israel still has a place in God’s covenant purposes—not because of any superiority, not because of human righteousness, but because God remains faithful to His covenants and promises.

This is the hope that I hold. It is also the reason why I cannot accept teachings that claim God has abandoned Israel or replaced her. God remains faithful to His word, and even when human beings are unfaithful, He remains faithful to Himself.

The story of Israel has never ultimately been about the greatness of Israel. It has always been about the greatness of God. The preservation of the Jewish people through exile, persecution, dispersion, and restoration bears witness not to human strength but to divine faithfulness. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a covenant-keeping God. His faithfulness is the foundation of my confidence, not only for Israel but for every believer who trusts in Him.

Therefore, out of love for all people and reverence for the Word of God, I will continue to testify to God’s faithfulness toward Israel and to the hope that is found in Yeshua the Messiah for all peoples—Jew and Arab alike. In Him alone is true reconciliation, true peace, and the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes for the world.

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