The Tribune

By Rev Franklin Knowles

More than 3,500 years ago, God called a man by the name of Abram out of paganism and made a covenant with him. This covenant was initiated by God and is recorded in Genesis. In this covenant, God almighty (El Shaddai) gave to Abram and his descendants the land of Canaan. It is interesting to note that Genesis 17:7-8 says:

"And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generation for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, and I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a sojourner, and all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

Notice that God says this is an everlasting possession, and that He will be their God. This flies in the face of replacement theology and dual covenant theology, which falsely teaches that the Church has replaced Israel as the apple of God's eye.

After all, with what the nation Israel has experienced in history, it is nothing short of a miracle that they have survived. They have not only survived, but they have been and continue to be a blessing to other nations.

Many Christians miss the point that the Apostle Paul makes in Galatians 3:16. He says: "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said, not to his seeds, as of many; but of one, and to Thy seed, which is Christ."

God has been faithful to His promise. He has restored Israel as a nation. This month, Israel is celebrating its 70th anniversary, and the United States has moved its embassy to Jerusalem. As a sovereign nation, Israel has a right to make Jerusalem its capital, and I applaud the United States for upholding its decision to move its embassy to Israel's capital city, Jerusalem.

God has promised that those who bless Israel will be blessed. I urge all Christians to pray for the peace of Israel.