What Is So Easy to Miss About Israel :: By Paul J. Scharf

Everywhere we turn, it seems that Israel is in the news—often in a negative light.

Some celebrated commentators have come nefariously close to laying all the world’s problems at the feet of Israel and the Jewish people. This is becoming a common allegation in our day.

Others take a contradictory approach and question whether there are any true Israelites left, promoting the fantasy that charlatans have replaced them in an endeavor to execute one of the greatest frauds in history.

Then there are those who maintain that the real problem is our concern for what they believe to be the imaginary issue of antisemitism. The actual Jewish people, they assure us, do not deserve our sympathy.

Many within these groups naturally subscribe to Replacement Theology—the ancient teaching, prominent in Roman Catholicism as well as large swaths of Protestantism and evangelicalism, that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan.

Christian nationalism promotes a different version of Replacement Theology. It envisions a brilliant future for America under an authoritarian leader who will make fundamental changes to the country, in essence allowing the United States to fulfill the Old Testament mission given to Israel, along with its promises. The modern State of Israel is an irrelevant foil in this plot and is often seen, once again, as the wellspring of evil.

Those who hold these varying opinions have one thing in common: They cannot fathom a future for Israel of any spiritual significance. For proof, they point to the fact that the people of Israel today are largely in unbelief and are even capable of committing egregious sins. The expectation appears to be that if Israel were still God’s Chosen People, it would already be living as “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (1 Peter 2:9).

I am frustrated by that response and even more so when it comes from within our dispensational camp. Modern Israel, some tell us, may or may not possess any prophetic importance. They say that the Jewish people might survive, or they might be dispersed again. Perhaps, they suppose, Israel’s presence in the Holy Land today is really of no consequence. Such voices are content with the fact that the Messiah will perform a spiritual work in Jewish hearts one day. But, for now, they remind us, the people of Israel are mostly in unbelief.

Israel’s Unbelief is Prophesied, Not a Surprise

And that is exactly what everyone is missing about Israel! The solution to the problem is embedded in their objections. Yes, the Jewish people have returned to form the modern State of Israel, predominantly in unbelief—which is exactly the condition in which we should expect to find them when we study the Hebrew prophets.

Ezekiel 36 and 37 make it clear that there would be two phases of Israel’s return to the land. In both chapters, we see the people returning first in unbelief (Ezekiel 36:24; 37:1-3) and only then, finally, returning in faith and coming to spiritual life within the land (36:25-28; 37:4-6). Indeed, the people of Israel must be regathered as a nation, in their land—in unbelief—for the Tribulation to commence (Daniel 9:27).

The apostle John unambiguously revealed that even at the midpoint of the Tribulation, Jerusalem will still be “spiritually … called Sodom and Egypt” (Revelation 11:8). This is following the ministry of the two witnesses (vv. 1-12), the ministry of the 144,000 witnesses (7:1-8; such “being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb” of redeemed Israel, 14:4) and the conversion of “a great multitude which no one could number” (7:9-17).

Dr. James Fazio, dean of Southern California Seminary, summarized the development of the understanding of a future for Israel in the centuries that followed the Reformation:[i]

• A great number of Jewish converts would be brought into the church.
• Israel would be saved as a nation.
• Israel would not only be saved as a nation but also restored to its land.

The noble scholars that produced the 1599 edition of the Geneva Bible advanced such teachings when they included the following study note at Romans 11:25:

The blindness of the Jews is neither so universal that the Lord hath no elect in that nation, neither shall it be continual: for there shall be a time wherein they also (as the Prophets have forewarned) shall effectually embrace that which they do now so stubbornly for the most part reject and refuse.[ii]

These three points reference doctrinal progress within church history. Today, we must not regress backward toward the Dark Ages, but rather “[build] on this foundation” (1 Corinthians 3:12). The Jewish people have been making aliyah to their ancient, promised homeland for more than a century, and we have a front-row seat to one of the greatest events in prophetic history. May we never discount that privilege.

In his book How Should Christians Think About Israel? Dr. Michael Rydelnik wrote, “The best explanation is that the modern State of Israel seems to be a dramatic work of God in fulfillment of the Bible’s predictions of a Jewish return to the land of Israel.”[iii] I agree!

Israel’s Spiritual Revival is Still to Come

Scripture teaches that the final return of the Jewish people to faith in their Messiah—and to their land as a nation—will be complete and permanent (see Zechariah 12:10; 13:9; Romans 11:26-27). In order to facilitate that spiritual rebirth, God will use the events of the coming Tribulation, the purpose of which is to bring Israel (not the church) to repentance and to receive its King and His kingdom. As in centuries past, He will receive them back from their state of unbelief (see Romans 11:29-31).

The prophet Zechariah warned of a day in the future Tribulation when there would be global opposition to Israel (Zechariah 12:3; 14:2). Since its founding, our beloved United States of America has been a glaring exception to that rule. But trends suggest that future generations will abandon this posture and that current events may accelerate American hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people.

In recent days, thinkers from all perspectives have undertaken the task of addressing these highly complex and contentious issues. For further study, I highly recommend Dr. Michael Vlach’s excellent and thorough article “Modern Israel and Israel in the Bible: Clarifying the Relationship.”[iv]

While the stage is being set for the Tribulation, we have the opportunity even now to imitate the courageous acts of those who will display God’s lovingkindness to His Chosen People at a most critical time in the future (Matthew 25:31-46). May God help us to live in such a way that our examples will support our witness of the Good News about the Messiah—“for the Jew first” (Romans 1:16).

Used by permission of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Wisconsin, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version.

[i] I appreciate my friend Dr. Fazio for helping me to formulate and articulate this development in outline form.

[ii] “1599 Geneva Bible;” Romans 11; BibleGateway; n.d.; Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+11&version=GNV; Internet; accessed 22 May 2026.

[iii] (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2025), 43.

[iv] Michael J Vlach, Ph.D.; 8 April 2026; https://www.michaeljvlach.com/blog/modern-israel-and-israel-in-the-bible-clarifying-the-relationship; Internet; accessed 22 May 2026.

The last church I attended was as cold as ice – even the pastors were shallow and thin-skinned and eager to avenge themselves from my constructive criticism.

Having been in the entertainment business for nearly all my life – I know something about presentation and upstaging another actor. Our head pastor, while well-taught, fails to abide by these golden rules, such as: never wear something so distracting that it takes the focus off what you are saying or doing, something like white socks. Although the old comedian David Letterman wore white socks; it was because he had a bad case of athlete’s foot, and as everyone knows, white cotton socks defeat this common condition.

I thought it was my duty to mention it to this younger man, but I was ostracized by the entire group of pastors in this congregation of thin-skinned Presbyterian pastors. They went on and on about the constructive criticism I gave the head pastor. While I can understand the others standing up for their leader and paymaster, they made a mountain out of a molehill.

The choir director leads the music; with white-gloved hands, he plays bells that can hardly be heard in this huge church with bad acoustics.

Worse than that, this head pastor upstages the pastor whose turn it is to preach, as the two sit side by side before the service. While the speaker is giving his sermon, the head pastor sits pretending to listen and taking notes as he does so; to me, that is called upstaging. I’d bet that if one were to see what he’s written in his little black book, it would probably be filled with doodlings and nothing more.

Ah, but people – true to form – will be people. As Shakespeare said, and I quote, “The whole world is a stage in which we are all actors.” And indeed, we are. Jesus ascribed to this fact when he said, “As a man thinketh, so is he.” And many of us men think of ourselves as Clint Eastwood or John Wayne.

Albeit all this time I was receiving a church newsletter from the church with all the pastors writing about – wouldn’t you know it? Love. Each of them had something to say about love. But for me, it was all psychobabble since they don’t have any idea what love really entails. And for many pastors like them, the office they hold is only their day job and nothing more. Evidently, the aforementioned never read the following passages of scripture.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

Romans 12:10 – “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”  

1 Corinthians 16:14 – “Do everything in love.”

Colossians 3:14 – “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”  

1 Thessalonians 3:12 – “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.”  

1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us.”

My second book (Encountering God Outside the Box) deals with the deeper things of God. At first glance, it would seem like I’m saying that the Bible isn’t enough – but I want to make it clear that the Bible IS enough! But if you really want to know the mind of God, you must communicate with him daily and often. He really wants to hear from you. So much so that he often must get our attention by letting us stumble due to our listening to manmade folly. When we rely on manmade wisdom, logic, and common sense, we always fail to meet God’s standards.

Therefore, as the Bible says, we must live by faith, believing that God has our best interests at heart, saying – “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: human logic and the wisdom of God are incompatible.

As I said, my second book is Encountering God Outside the Box. Of course, it has nothing to do with the nice, tidy box we Christians have confined him to, one in which we have decided what God is like and limiting his power – saying foolish things like ‘Oh, that was then, and today we serve an impotent God who doesn’t know or care about us.’ While it may appear to be so, I can assure you that you will be held accountable for every idle word, as well as backbiting, selfish gain, lying, and cheating. You can add most all human attributes to this list, including lust of the flesh – a desire for something that’s not yours.

Having said that, I am guilty as charged – but alas, I know this: if we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

“God, the same yesterday, today and forevermore.”

YBIC

Jim Towers

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You can write me at jt.filmmaker@yahoo.com or visit me at www.dropzonedelta.com. You can also find me on my newly restructured website www.propheticsignsandwonders.com, which now features the Gospel and videos of worldwide events taking place in the present time, as well as proof of God’s existence, the reality of Biblical places, and Moses himself.