Apocalyptic Elements Series

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ìàøùé IsraelVisit the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry

in Apocalyptic Narratives

Genesis 25

22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.

23 The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."
24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. (YLT)
The Bible, including even most of the Christian New Testament was written by Jewish men and deals with the Jewish religion and national experience. It is not surprising, then, that much apocalyptic discourse, particularly Jewish and Fundamental Christian, features as a prominent feature Israel and Israel's destiny as a special nation.

In the Bible, Israel is the name of the Jewish patriarch Jacob (Ya'acov). Jacob's name was changed to Israel after he wrestled with the angel of YHWH at Peniel. The name change was significant as Jacob literally means "grabs the heel" and figuratively "deceives, supplants, or cheats" (Jacob the "younger" of twins grabbed the heel of his brother at birth and later stole the birthright from his brother Esau through a deception), but Israel means "prince of God."

The term "Israel" also carries several corporate meanings and uses:

Political Israel --A democracy of the Mediterranean region between Egypt on the South, Lebanon on the North, Syria on the Northeast, and Jordan to the East. Officially Jewish State. Founded 1948.

Am Israel --People of Israel

B'nei Israel --Children of Israel

Kol Israel --All Israel

Israel in Christian Theology and Christian Fundamentalist Apocalyptic

In Christian theology, Israel may stand for the Church construed as the New Israel or Spiritual Israel. Traditionally, Christian theology has viewed the Church as superseding and inheriting God's covenant with the earthly Israel (i.e., with the Jewish people). Those Fundamental Christians who are also Zionist, however, often hold to a dual covenant view that allows for a continuing covenant between God and the Jewish people, while at the same time affirming the fullness of God's New Covenant with Humanity in the Church.

Israeli Declaration of Independence
A beautiful color jpg of the actual declaration in Hebrew with signatures.
Go the to root for more about founding of Israel as a modern state in 1948.

Yerushalayim (Jerusalem)

Virtual Jerusalem

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