Israelites and Gentiles: The Wall Has Been Broken
- Cole Morganti
- Jul 14, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 18, 2023
Who's Who?
Since God's choice of Abraham as the forefather of the nation of Israel, their have been two categories of people.
Israel
It is important to note what "Israel" is and is not. Depending on the context, Israel could be referring to several biblical titles.
First, Israel is:
A person, Jacob (Gen 32:28)
A place (Gen 15:18-21; Gen 17:8)
A nation created by God (Gen 12:2-3)
A people group descended from Israel (Gen 35:11)
Israel is not:
A spiritual construct
The LDS church
A religion (namely Judaism)
Israel's Role in Redemption
From the biblical narrative, we come to know that God created Israel as a nation to be a light to the rest of the world (the Gentiles), and a nation through which He would accomplish His bringing of Messiah, Jesus ('yeshua' in Hebrew). By His atonement, He fulfills the promise God made to Abraham that his descendant would bless the entire world.
"I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
God speaking to Abraham
Genesis 12:1-3
The LDS Church claims that those who are Israelites are those who have joined the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Notice how one can become a spiritual Israelite, a claim the bible has zero evidence for. Another condition for this citizenship is to keep your covenants; i.e. don't break your promises.
This over-spiritualization of Israel now allows the LDS Church to use this title as a ticket to put others inside or outside the blessings the LDS Church claims to have. Since the LDS Church claims that Israel are God's Covenant people, which one can become a part of through joining their establishment, it then raises the question, "Who is the Body of Christ?"
If Israel is all those who are in the LDS Church, then it would be synonymous with the Body of Christ.¹
This affects how they view themselves in light of the Old Testament. Because of this view of Israel, the LDS Church sees themselves today as the Israelites back then, just with different rules and regulations
Examples:
Israel is now the organization, LDS Church
The tabernacle is here now as their temples²
The prophets continue through their group³
The Law is still here but instead of the Mosaic, it is the Law of the Lord⁴
Who is the body of Christ?
For a Christian, the body of Christ are all believers in Jesus, who are baptized into his body by faith, not by joining the LDS Church.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13
By the same spirit, everyone no matter the lineage, become one in Jesus. For an Israelite who believes in Jesus, this does not get rid of their status as an Israelite. In the same way, a Gentile who puts their belief in Jesus as Messiah does not lose their status as a descendant of their parents.
If you are a believer in Jesus by faith, you are a part of the church (ecclesia) that is made up of every tribe, nation and tongue.
The wall is still standing for the LDS Church
What the LDS Church has done by their misinterpretation of Israel is kept the wall standing between "Gentiles" (non-church members on their view) and "Israelites" (LDS Church members) up through membership, the way in which they conduct baptism, temples, and the laws they still impose (e.g. the word of wisdom).
But, Jesus tore down the walls that separated the two groups of Israelites and Gentiles through his blood and has made peace between the nations. Paul writes it beautifully:
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off [the gentiles] are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us [Paul, the Israelite, and the Ephesians, the Gentile]; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Ephesians 2:14-18
