Is God’s promise to bless those who bless Abraham in effect today? Daniel 10:14; 11:1-4

As we write this, President Trump has just declared a couple of days ago the recognition of our government for Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the intention to move our embassy there in the coming years.  We are not sure how this will all play out, of course, but we consider this the right things to do, not because we dislike for Palestinians or are not concerned for their plight, but because we believe it right to be a blessing to Israel.  

Our reason for this is that we believe that today the Abrahamic Covenant is still in effect, even though the people of Israel are not the saved nation that will enter the Kingdom of Christ.  Some question this interpretation.  There are those, of course, who believe the literal nation of Israel has no future in God’s plan and that all her blessings have gone to the Church.  We will not say anything of that, hoping that you understand that God is faithful and would not renege on His promise.  But others maintain that as long as Israel is in partial blindness (Rom. 11:25) all has been set aside.  They may say that someday the Abrahamic blessings will come to Israel but not now.

There are many ways to answer this.  My purpose in this post is to note something in Daniel 10-12.  Today’s reading gives you the context of this amazingly detailed prophecy.  It is about Israel in the latter days, and it begins with the days of Daniel which are referred to as the times of the Gentiles.  Those times continue to this day and will only end with the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  

It is the times of the Gentiles, not because the nation is in or out of the land.  At the time of Daniel the nation was in exile but soon would reestablish a presence in the land under Medo-Persian authority.  There would be no Davidic king, even as today the people are in the land but there is no Davidic king.  So we simply ask you to know how God speaks of Israel at this time of Gentile control.

·        11:16: it is the glorious land.

·        11:20: the glorious kingdom will be taxed by Gentiles.

·        11:22: the head of the government is the prince of the covenant, one who was not a king.  What covenant does this refer to but the Davidic covenant?  That is the only covenant that deals with royalty.

·        11:28,30: the Gentiles move against the holy covenant with rage, favoring those who forsake that covenant.  What covenant is this but the Abrahamic?  That is the covenant that involved the land and God’s favor on Israel.

What is our point?  In the times when the Gentiles rule, a time of God’s judgment on Israel for their sin, God still speaks in terms of the promise.  Today we must say the same: it is the glorious land, they are the people of the covenant.  It makes sense to me: those who bless Israel will be blessed; those who curse Israel will be cursed.  This does not say anything about the spiritual condition of Israel (it is generally very secular and corrupt by my estimation); not does it say anything about the spiritual condition of our president (think what you want; God is the only One who knows).  We should stand with Israel remembering as Christians that the Jews are beloved for the sake of election and enemies for the sake of the gospel (Rom. 11:28).