Isaac Boluwatise

Recent comments by a well-known Nigerian Christian teacher have revived a long-standing theological discussion about Israel’s identity and future in the biblical narrative. The central claim advanced in that perspective is that, as understood in Scripture, Israel effectively disappeared after its historical dispersion and that the coming of Christ dissolved Israel as a distinct covenant reality. According to this view, the modern state of Israel is merely a political creation and bears no meaningful relationship to the Israel of the Bible.

Such assertions deserve careful examination, not because controversy is desirable, but because questions concerning Israel occupy a significant place within the biblical story. When Scripture is considered as a whole, the matter proves more complex than either simple dismissal or simplistic affirmation.

A responsible discussion requires attention to three closely related themes within the biblical narrative: the scattering of Israel, the prophetic promise of regathering, and the New Testament teaching about the people of God in Christ.

The Biblical Pattern of Scattering

One part of the argument rightly recognizes that Israel’s scattering among the nations was foretold in Scripture. The covenant warnings given to Israel clearly predicted dispersion as a consequence of persistent disobedience.

In Leviticus 26:33 the Lord warns, “I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out the sword after you.” Similarly, Deuteronomy 28:64 states that Israel would be scattered “among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other.” The prophets later echoed this theme. Jeremiah and Ezekiel both speak of Israel’s dispersion as the result of covenant violation.

History confirms this trajectory. The northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BC. Judah later went into Babylonian exile in 586 BC. Centuries afterward, the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 contributed to further dispersion of Jewish communities across the Mediterranean world and beyond.

The biblical theme of diaspora is therefore undeniable. Israel did experience scattering, and Scripture explicitly prepared the nation for that possibility.

Yet the biblical narrative does not end with dispersion. The prophets speak just as consistently about something else: regathering.

The same prophetic writings that predicted Israel’s scattering also promised a future regathering. In fact, the language of restoration is as prominent as the language of judgment.

The Promise of Regathering

Deuteronomy 30:3–5 anticipates a time when God would gather Israel “from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you.” Isaiah speaks of the Lord recovering the remnant of His people “from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:11–12). Jeremiah states plainly, “He who scattered Israel will gather him” (Jeremiah 31:10). Ezekiel adds that God would take Israel “from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24).

In the prophetic imagination, scattering is never the final word. It functions as a stage within a larger covenant pattern that moves from judgment to restoration. Israel’s identity as a people is not erased by dispersion; rather, dispersion becomes part of the story through which God ultimately demonstrates His faithfulness.

For this reason, the suggestion that Israel simply ceased to exist as a historical people does not fit comfortably within the prophetic framework.

The Question of the Modern State of Israel

A related claim insists that the modern state of Israel is purely a political construction unrelated to biblical realities. Historically, the establishment of Israel in 1948 emerged from political developments involving the British mandate, international diplomacy, the United Nations partition plan of 1947, and the aftermath of the Second World War.

Yet historical processes alone do not settle the theological question. The deeper issue concerns whether the modern Jewish return to the land bears any relation to biblical promises of restoration.

Within Christian theology, several interpretations exist.

One perspective often associated with classical dispensationalism holds that Israel remains the covenant nation and that the modern return to the land may represent a stage within prophetic fulfillment. In this view, Israel and the church remain distinct within God’s redemptive plan.

A second perspective, common in many Reformed traditions, understands the church as the fulfillment of Israel’s covenant role. According to this reading, the promises concerning land and nationhood are ultimately realized in Christ and in the new creation rather than in a contemporary political state.

A third approach attempts to hold elements of both positions. It affirms that the church consists of Jews and Gentiles united in Christ, yet it also maintains that ethnic Israel may still play a role in God’s unfolding purposes.

This third approach often appeals to Romans 11:25–29, where the apostle Paul speaks of a future turning of Israel and insists that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Whatever interpretation one adopts, the New Testament suggests that the question of Israel cannot be dismissed too easily. It introduces another important dimension: the formation of a new covenant people in Christ.

The New Testament and the People of God

The New Testament undeniably introduces a profound development. In Christ the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile has been broken. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14–16 that Christ has created “one new humanity” from the two. Similarly, Galatians 3:28 declares that in Christ there is “neither Jew nor Greek,” for all who belong to Christ are heirs of the promise.

These texts emphasize the radical unity of believers within the new covenant community. Faith in Christ, rather than ethnic identity, defines membership in the people of God.

Yet the New Testament also preserves a tension. Paul’s discussion in Romans 9–11 treats Israel not as a vanished concept but as a continuing historical reality within God’s redemptive plan. The apostle simultaneously affirms the unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ while acknowledging an unresolved mystery concerning Israel.

The biblical picture, therefore, is neither a simple replacement nor an unqualified continuation. It is a complex relationship in which the church emerges as the multinational people of God while Israel’s historical story remains woven into the larger narrative of redemption.

Historical Oversimplifications

Certain historical claims that occasionally accompany these discussions also deserve correction. Suggestions that the modern state of Israel was created solely by a single financial family or secretive political interests reduce a complicated historical process to a misleading caricature.

In reality, the formation of Israel involved numerous factors: waves of Jewish migration, diplomatic negotiations, international decisions, regional conflicts, and the profound moral shock of the Holocaust. Simplistic explanations obscure rather than clarify the historical record.

A Balanced Biblical Perspective

When the biblical material is considered as a whole, several conclusions emerge.

Scripture clearly foretold Israel’s scattering as a consequence of covenant disobedience. At the same time, Scripture equally promises a regathering of Israel. The New Testament reveals that, in Christ, God has formed a renewed covenant community composed of Jews and Gentiles together. Finally, the relationship between ethnic Israel and the church remains an area where thoughtful Christian interpreters have reached different conclusions.

What the biblical witness does not support is the claim that Israel simply disappeared from God’s purposes. The prophetic promises and Paul’s reflections in Romans suggest a more nuanced reality.

Approaching Such Questions Responsibly

Discussions about Israel often generate strong reactions, especially in an age of rapid information and social media debates. Yet theological reflection requires patience, humility, and careful attention to Scripture.

First, believers should resist the temptation to build entire doctrines on isolated verses. The biblical narrative must be read in its full canonical context.

Second, historical claims should be handled with the same care as theological ones. Oversimplified narratives rarely illuminate complex realities.

Third, Christians should approach disagreements with charity. The history of interpretation shows that thoughtful and faithful believers have differed on these questions.

Finally, Scripture itself provides the proper posture. Paul concludes his reflection on Israel and the nations with a doxology: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Romans 11:33). In other words, some aspects of God’s redemptive plan invite reverence as much as analysis.

Where Scripture speaks clearly, the church should speak with confidence. Where Scripture leaves room for mystery, humility remains the wisest response.