Question:
Brother Hank, My mother-inlaw has been testing my wifes faith. She claimes to believe in God; but the Bible is a collection of “fairy-tails” ect. I have wittnessed to her stateing beliveing in God; so does Satan and the deamons, You must believe in Jesus as Saviour! (Jhon 3:16) Now she clames the land of Isreal belongs to the Palastiens; (I even showed her your facts on that subject)but because in the maps in the back of the Bible it shows the “land of Palastine”. My wife asked me this question last night at 2:00am; needless to say the brain wasn’t in full gear. Did not the Romans call the land Palastine? Would you please answer this question for me. As far as my mother-inlaw; well it’s almost “to casting pearls”; please pray that her heart will soften, and her mind understands. “Im Christ Jesus” Bayou Mike.
Answer:
The land (and much more) belongs to Israel. The Abrahamic Covenant is very clear on this! Deut. 15:18-21 states, “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgas—es, and the Jebusites.” I can’t draw you a map here, but modern day Israel is a drop in the bucket compared to the size of Israel given FOREVER to Israel, which more than includes Israel, the West Bank, and way beyond (also see Deut. 1:8; Genesis 26:3-5; Genesis 28:13–15; Genesis 35:12). God also says that He will regather His people back to Israel (remember God gave them this land forever) as stated in Isaiah 11:10-12 “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be gloriousb. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four cornersc of the earth.” Israel has never been totally out of the land. A remnant has always remained. Remember, whether Israel is in their land or not it is still their property! The names that others have assigned to it is immaterial. If anyone doesn’t like that the land belongs forever to Israel alone, they can take it up with God!