The Land of Canaan
I. Secular points of view:
Viewed from a purely secular outlook the question of the land of Palestine is complex and seemingly unresolvable.
Arab point of view: Arabs living in Palestine claim Israelis stole their land, and are currently occupying it. They were driven out during the war over statehood, and Israelis occupied their houses and farms. They demand the right of return to their farms and cities. Many Arabs in Palestine also demand the removal of all Israelis from all Palestine, and reject any peace agreement between Israelis and Arabs that leaves an Israeli presence in Palestine. Local Arabs reject any “two state solution” that acknowledges Israel’s right to any of the land.
Israeli point of view: For decades Jews emigrating to Palestine bought land from Arabs willing to sell. A minority of anti-semitic Arabs fought the immigration of Jews to Israel, while the authorities (including Ottoman, British and French governing bodies) permitted immigration, and local Arabs willingly sold houses and land to immigrating Jews. When British forces left Palestine in 1948 the United Nations was prepared to recognize the borders as proposed in their 1947 Partition Plan (Resolution 181). But as Israel declared statehood Arab neighbors invaded their borders, unwilling to allow an Israeli state. Israelis defended themselves in the war over statehood and turned the invading armies back deep into their own territory. Arabs civilians vacated the territory behind battle lines as the Israelis advanced. When a truce was established the United Nations recognized the cease-fire lines as the definitive border. As a result Jews immigrating into Israel occupied the vacated cities and farms officially recognized as Israeli land.
II. Biblical point of view:
1. Misguided Replacement Theology
Mat 21.43 Kingdom of God taken from you, given to a nation bringing the fruits
Mat 21.23 Speaking to Chief Priests and elders of the people
Mistakenly taken to mean God has rejected Israel , and that the Church has taken its place
Orthodox, Roman and Protestant position, that all prophecies about Israel apply to the Church
2. The Land given to Israel for ever
To Abraham
Gen 12:7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land:
Gen 13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
Gen 15:18 the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land,
Gen 17:7-8 I will give thee, and to thy seed, the land, all of Canaan, for an everlasting possession;
Gen 24:7 The LORD God of heaven, which sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land;
To Isaac
Gen 26:3 unto thee, and thy seed, I will give all these countries, which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
To Jacob
Gen 28:4 that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
Gen 35:12 land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee
To the people of Israel
Exo 32.13 all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
Exo 33.1 unto the land which I sware, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
Deu 34.4 the land which I sware unto Abraham, saying, I will give it unto thy seed:
Josh 14.9 (Caleb) the land thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever,
1 Chr 20:7 God, didst drive out inhabitants of land before Israel, and gave to seed of Abraham for ever?
Jer 7:7 will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
Acts 7:5 yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him,
3. Covenant with Abraham about
the Land unbreakable
Leviticus 26:42-44 remember my covenant with Jacob, I will remember the land… yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away
Isa 54:10 my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,
Isa 66:22 For as new heavens and new earth shall remain so shall your seed and name remain
Jer 23:6 In his days Judah saved, Israel dwell safely, the LORD our Righteousness
Jer 31:35-37 If ordinances of sun and moon depart, then Israel shall cease being a nation
Jer 33.23-26 If covenant be not with day and night, then will I cast away seed of Jacob
Eze 37:24-27 they shall dwell in the land I have given unto Jacob for ever
Joel 3:20 Judah shall dwell for ever and Jerusalem from generation to generation
Rom 11:25-29 not be ignorant… all Israel shall be saved
Acts 1.6-7 at this time restore Israel? Not for you to know times or seasons
4. Israel gathered to the land
Deu 30:3-5 then the LORD will gather thee from all the nations into the land thy fathers possessed
Nehemiah 1:8-9 scatter among the nations unto uttermost of heaven, yet will I gather them from thence
Isa 14:1 I will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land
Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee
Isa 60:21 the people shall inherit the land for ever that I may be glorified
Jer 29:14 I will gather you from all the nations, and I will bring you again into the place
Jer 32:37 I will gather them out of all countries and I will bring them again unto this place,
Eze 36:24 I will take you from the heathen, gather you out of all countries, bring you into your own land
Eze 37:21 I will take Israel from among the heathen, bring them to their own land
Eze 28:25 gathered Israel from among heathen, they shall dwell in their land I have given Jacob
Amos 9:14-15 I will plant them upon their land, be no more pulled up out of their land I have given them
Zech 2:12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again
Zech 8:20 I will bring you again in the time
that I gather you, make you a name among all people of the earth
Zech 10:6 I will bring them again to place them, as though I had not cast them off
5. Future plans of God for the
land
---------- Jerusalem rebuilt
Isa 45:11-17 things to come concerning my sons, he shall build my city, Israel shall be saved
Jer 3:17 they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; all nations gathered unto it, to Jerusalem
Zech 8:3-13 I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, city of truth,
streets full of boys and girls playing
Zeph 8:11-15 I will leave in the midst an afflicted and poor people that trust in
the LORD
---------- cities
rebuilt
Isa 58:12 they shall build the old waste places: raise up the foundations of many generations;
Isa 61:4 they shall repair the waste cities
Isa 65:21 they shall build houses, and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit
Eze 28:26 they shall dwell safely, build houses, plant vineyards; shall dwell with confidence
Amos 9:14 shall build the
waste cities, inhabit them; plant
vineyards, drink the wine; make gardens,
eat the fruit
----------- Land reclaimed and made lush
Isa 51:3 he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD
Eze 36:33-36 This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden
Hos 14:4-8 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily,
------------ Major geological changes
Isa 11:15 the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea
Joel 3:18 all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, a fountain shall come forth of house of the LORD
Zech 14:8 in that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem
toward former sea and hinder sea
Eze 47:1-12 waters issued out from of the house, brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
Psalm 46:4 There is a river shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the most
High.
6. Strangers (Arabs) in the land
of Israel
---------- Gentiles converted, visiting Jerusalem
Isa 60:3-5 Gentiles shall come, converted unto thee, flow together
Jer 12:15-16 if they learn the ways of my
people, then shall they be built in the midst of my people
Zech 2:11 many nations shall be joined to the
LORD in that day, and shall be my people
Zech 8:22 many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem
---------- Strangers in the land have inheritance with Israelis
Isa 14:1 in their own land: and strangers shall be joined with them, shall cleave to the house of Jacob
Isa 19:18-25 the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day… LORD shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.
Isa 56:3-8 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people:…The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him
Eze 47:22 ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.